And each warrior, advancing up to him whom he regarded as his match, began to fight with him on that field of battle, relying on the strength of his own arms, and that encounter, so frightful to timid persons, soon became terrible and fierce like that between the gods and the Asuras in the days of old.  And Ravana covered Rama with a shower of darts and lances and swords, and Rama also afflicted Ravana with his whetted arrows of iron furnished with the sharpest points, and in the same way Lakshmana smote the contending Indrajit with arrows capable of penetrating into the most vital parts and Indrajit also smote Sumitra’s son with an arrowy shower.  And Vibhishana showered upon Prahasta and Prahasta showered upon Vibhishana, without any regard for each other a thick downpour of winged arrows furnished with the sharpest points.  And thus between those mighty warriors there came about an encounter of celestial weapons of great force, at which the three worlds with their mobile and immobile creatures were sorely distressed.’”

SECTION CCLXXXIV

“Markandeya said, ’Then Prahasta, suddenly advancing up to Vibhishana and uttering a loud yell, struck him with his mace.  But though struck with that mace of terrible force, the mighty-armed Vibhishana of great wisdom, without wavering in the least, stood still as the mountains of Himavat.  Then Vibhishana, taking up a huge and mighty javelin furnished with a hundred bells, inspired it with mantras and hurled it at the head of his adversary.  And by the impetuosity of that weapon rushing with the force of the thunderbolt, Prahasta’s head was severed off, and he thereupon looked like a mighty tree broken by the wind.  And beholding that wanderer of the night, Prahasta, thus slain in battle, Dhumraksha rushed with great impetuosity against the monkey-host.  And beholding the soldiers of Dhumraksha, looking like the clouds and endued with terrible mien, advancing up towards them, the monkey-chief suddenly broke and fled.  And seeing those foremost of monkeys suddenly give way, that tiger among monkeys, Hanuman, the son of Pavana, began to advance.  And beholding the son of Pavana staying still on the field of battle, the retreating monkeys, O king, one and all quickly rallied.  Then mighty and great and fearful was the uproar that arose there in consequence of the warriors of Rama and Ravana rushing against each other.  And in that battle which raged terribly the field soon became miry with blood.  And Dhumraksha afflicted the monkey-host with volleys of winged shafts.  Then that vanquisher of foes, Hanuman, the son of Pavana, quickly seized that advancing leader of the Rakshasa.  And the encounter that took place between that monkey and the Rakshasa hero, each desirous of defeating the other, was fierce and terrible, like that of Indra and Prahlada (in days of yore).  And the Rakshasa struck the monkey with his maces and spiked clubs while the monkey struck the Rakshasa with