Chapter 103 - Rama and Ravana renew their Combat

Hearing Lakshmana’s words, the valiant Raghava, the destroyer of hostile warriors, at the head of his forces, took up his bow and stretching it allowed a shower of his formidable shafts to fall on Ravana.

From his side, the Lord of the Titans, mounted on his chariot, rushed on Kakutstha, as Svarbhanu on Bhaskara; and Dashagriva, standing in his car, assailed Rama with darts like unto lightning, as a great cloud covers a huge mountain with its floods. Then Rama, with his arrows that were decorated with gold and resembled flaming brands, overwhelmed Dashagriva with them on the battlefield.

On this the Gods, Gandharvas and Kinneras declared:—‘This combat is unequal, Rama is on foot whilst the titan is in a chariot!’ whereupon the foremost of the Gods, the blessed Shakra, having heard the words of the Immortals, called Matali to him and said

“With my chariot repair speedily to where the illustrious Raghava is fighting on foot! Go to the battlefield and invite him to ascend this car; do you render this signal service to the Gods!”

On this command from his king, Matali, the celestial charioteer, bowing, made answer, saying:—

“With all speed I go to fulfil my duty as a charioteer!”

Thereupon he harnessed the bay horses to the most handsome of cars, the body of which being wrought with gold and hung with hundreds of little bells, with its emerald shafts shone like the rising sun, and it was yoked to excellent dappled steeds flecked with white, caparisoned in gold, their coats gleaming like the orb of day. A standard fluttered on a golden staff over that marvellous car belonging to Indra and, under the order of the King of the Gods, Matali ascended it and, leaving the Celestial Regions, went to meet Kakutstha. Armed with a lash, standing in the car, Matali, the charioteer of that God of a Thousand Eyes, having paid obeisance to him with joined palms, said to Rama:—

“Saharaksha, O Kakutstha, O Renowned Destroyer of your Foes, has lent you this car so that you mayest be victorious! Here too is Indra’s great bow, his shield bright as fire, his arrows shining like the sun and his goodly spear well-burnished! Ascend the chariot, O Warrior, and with me as your charioteer, triumph over the Titan Ravana, as did Mahendra over the Danavas!”

Thus addressed, Rama whose splendour illumines the worlds, circumambulated the car and, bowing, ascended it. Thereafter a wonderful combat of chariots ensued between the long-armed Rama and the Titan Ravana, causing the hair to stand on end.

Raghava, skilled in the use of powerful arrows, fought with the King of the Titans, matching Gandharva Weapon against Gandharva Weapon and Celestial Arrow against Celestial Arrow. Then the royal night-ranger, in a paroxysm of fury let fly a formidable missile on his rival, marvellous, dreadful, befitting a demon. Loosed from Ravana’s bow, those shafts, decorated with gold, falling on Kakutstha, were transformed into serpents of subtle venom and those fearful monsters with brassy faces, vomiting searing flames from their gaping mouths, sprang on Rama, and those reptiles whose contact was equal to Vasuki of iron coils and violent poison, enveloped all regions on every side filling the whole of space.

Seeing those serpents falling on him in the fight, Rama chose the dreadful and appalling Garuda Weapon and discharged it. Leaving Raghava’s bow, those golden-hafted arrows, brilliant as flames, transformed themselves into golden eagles, slayers of serpents, and all the darts in the form of snakes were destroyed by arrows in the shape of birds, that belonged to Rama, who was able to change his form at will.

Enraged at the destruction of his weapon, Ravana, the Lord of the Titans, caused a shower of formidable shafts to fall on Rama and while he was riddling Rama of imperishable exploits with thousands of darts, he wounded Matali with countless others. Thereafter, having aimed at the golden standard, Ravana shattered it with a single shaft and the golden device fell from the height of the chariot to the floor. With a series of arrows he struck Indra’s steeds, to the exceeding terror of the Gods, Gandharvas, Caranas and also the Danavas and, seeing Rama wounded, the Siddhas and great Rishis were troubled as also the King of the Monkeys and Bibishana.

When the moon of Rama was concealed from their sight by Rahu in the form of Ravana, Budha, in the constellation of Prajapati, rushed on Rohini, the beloved of Shashin, to the misfortune of all beings. With its mist-wreathed waves, flaming as it were, the ocean, surging up in fury, seemed to touch the orb of day; and the sun in the grasp of the Planet Dhumak-etu assumed a brassy hue dreadful to behold, its rays extinguished, revealing a headless trunk on its disc; Angaraka too was in opposition to the brilliant star of the Koshalas, the presiding Deities of which being Indra and Agni; and in the heavens, that planet tormented Vishaka also, and Dashagriva with his ten faces and twenty arms, equipped with his bow, looked like the Mountain Mainaka.

Meanwhile Rama, overwhelmed by that ten-necked demon, was unable to loose his arrows in the conflict and, knitting his brows, enraged, his eyes inflamed, was transported with anger and it seemed as if he would consume the titan.