Chapter 3 - The Struggle between Viradha and the two Brothers

Thereafter Viradha spoke again, filling the forest with his voice:—

“Who are you, where are you going, answer me!”

Then the illustrious Rama answered that titan, whose countenance was inflamed with anger, saying:—

“Know us to be two warriors of the race of Ikshvaku, fixed in our vows, wandering in the forest; but now we would know who you are, roaming here and there in the thickets?”

Thereupon Viradha said to Rama, whose strength was truth:—

“Hear and I will tell you, O Prince of the House of Raghu! I am the son of Java and my mother is Satarhada. I am known among the titans throughout the world as Viradha. Having gratified Brahma by my penances, I obtained a boon and was rendered invulnerable to any weapon on earth; it is impossible to slay me by the use of arms!

“Forsaking this fair one, do you, renouncing all hope, without turning back, go hence without delay and I will grant you your lives!”

Then Rama, his eyes red with anger, answered that hideous demon, the wicked Viradha, saying:—

“Wretch that you are, cursed be thine evil design; assuredly you are courting death, verily you shalt find it in combat; stay but an instant and you shalt not escape alive!”

Bending his bow and speedily placing two sharp arrows on it, Rama struck that demon with his pointed shafts and thereafter, stretching the cord tight, he loosed seven swift arrows, adorned with feathers and tipped with gold, equal in flight to Suparna and Anila.

Having pierced the body of Viradha, those fiery shafts, decorated with heron’s plumes, fell to the ground hissing and stained with blood.

On receiving those wounds, Viradha loosed his hold on Vaidehi and brandishing his spear in fury hurled himself on Rama and on Lakshmana who accompanied him. Letting forth a mighty roar, grasping his spear, like unto the standard of Indra, his jaws wide open, he resembled death itself.

Then the two brothers rained a volley of flaming arrows on Viradha, who resembled time, death or fate, but that terrible demon, bursting into loud laughter, halting and opening his jaws, threw up those pointed arrows by virtue of the boon he had received. Restraining his breath and brandishing his spear, the demon Viradha again rushed on the two descendants of Raghu, whereupon Rama, the most skilful of warriors, with two arrows cut off that spear, which shone like lightning and resembled a flame in the sky.

Shattered by Rama’s shafts, the spear fell to the ground, like a rocky ledge split by lightning. Thereat, unbuckling their swords, those warriors swiftly fell on Viradha like two black serpents, striking him heavily again and again.

Though hard beset, their formidable opponent beat them off vigorously with his fists, but they stood firm, whereupon he sought to lift them from the ground and Rama, guessing his intention, said to Lakshmana:—

“Let the demon carry us along the path as far as he wishes, O Saumitri! Allow this Prowler of the Night to bear us according to his whim, since he is proceeding along our way.”

Thereupon, the demon, proud of his strength, with great energy lifted them up and placed them on his shoulders like two striplings; then having set the two descendants of Raghu on his shoulders, the demon Viradha, Ranger of the Night, emitting a great roar, strode off into the forest.

Entering that forest, abounding in trees of every kind, where diverse birds filled the air with their song and which was thronged with jackals, beasts and serpents, he resembled a great cloud.