Chapter 20 - Rama slays the Demons sent by Khara

The cruel Shurpanakha, having reached Raghava’s hermitage, pointed out the two brothers and Sita to the demons, and they beheld Rama, full of valour, seated in his hut of leaves, in company with Sita, attended on by Lakshmana.

Seeing Shurpanakha and the demons who accompanied her, the illustrious descendant of the House of Raghu, Rama, said to Lakshmana who was burning with courage:—

“Stay a moment with Sita, O Saumitri, so that I may slay these demons who have followed the Rakshasi.”

Hearing the words of Rama, versed in knowledge of the Self, that prudent offshoot of the House of Raghu answered with deference, saying: “Be it so.”

Then the righteous Raghava, stretching his great bow, inlaid with gold, addressed those demons, saying:—

“We are the sons of Dasaratha, two brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, who have come with Sita to the inaccessible Dandaka Forest. Living on roots and fruit, with our.senses under control, we practice penance and the brahmacarya vow and pass our days in the woods. Why do you seek to do us injury, wretches that you are? It is at the request of the Sages, that I have come hither to castigate you for your evil deeds on the field of battle. Halt where you stand and advance no further! If you desire to live, turn back, O Prowlers of the Night.”

At these words, those slayers of brahmins, the fourteen demons, bearing spears in their hands, inflamed with anger, their eyes red, terrible to behold, filled with a fierce exultation, answered Rama, whose fiery glances and sweet speech manifested a courage they had not seen till that hour, and said:—

“For having incurred the displeasure of our master, the most magnanimous Khara, you are about to fall under our blows in battle. What power hast you single-handed to slay so many in the field; it is you who shalt lose your life to-day in this conflict. Our arms bearing maces, spears and darts will rob you of your strength, and your bow shall fall from your hand.”

Thus speaking, the fourteen demons, brandishing their formidable weapons, hurled themselves on Rama, letting fly their spears at the invincible Raghava, but Kakutstha with as many arrows tipped with gold cut off those fourteen spears. And that illustrious warrior, full of wrath, taking out more arrows, which had been sharpened on stone, seized his bow and placing them on the string, made the titans his target.

Then Raghava, loosing those shafts, as Indra his thunderbolt, speedily pierced the breasts of those demons, and the arrows, all bloody, penetrated the earth like serpents disappearing into an ant heap.

With their breasts pierced by those arrows, the demons fell to the ground, like trees, whose trunks have been severed.

Bathed in blood, mutilated, bereft of life, they lay stretched on the earth, and Shurpanakha, seeing them thus, blind with rage, sped away, to seek out her brother Khara.

Wounded afresh, the blood coagulating like a tree exuding resin, Shurpanakha fell down before her brother and in his presence set up a mighty uproar, wailing and shrieking, raining tears, her features distorted.

Having seen the demons fall on the field of battle, Shurpanakha, returning in all haste to her brother Khara, described their deaths to him in every detail.