the intelligent Lakshmana on the other, was exceedingly furious and made the bristles of the spectators stand on end.  And Lakshmana overwhelmed the two Rakshasas with a perfect shower of arrows.  And those two Rakshasa heroes, on the other hand, both of them excited with fury, covered Lakshmana with an arrowy hail.  And that terrible encounter between Vajravega and Promathin and the mighty-armed Lakshmana lasted for a short while.  And Hanumana, the son of Pavana, taking up a mountain peak, rushed towards one of the brothers, and with that weapon took the life of the Rakshasa Vajravega.  And that mighty monkey, Nala, also, with a large mass of rock, crushed Promathin, that other younger brother of Dushana.  The deadly struggle, however, between the soldiers of Rama and Ravana, rushing against one another, instead of coming to an end even after this, raged on as before.  And hundreds of Rakshasas were slain by the denizens of the forest, while many of the latter were slain by the former.  The loss, however, in killed, of the Rakshasas was far greater than that of the monkeys.

SECTION CCLXXXVI

“Markandeya said, ’Learning that Kumbhakarna had with his followers, fallen in battle as also that great warrior Prahasta, and Dhumraksha too of mighty energy, Ravana then addressed his heroic son Indrajit saying, ’O slayer of foes, slay thou in battle Rama and Sugriva and Lakshmana.  My good son, it was by thee that this blazing fame of mine had been acquired by vanquishing in battle that wielder of the thunderbolt, the thousand-eyed Lord of Sachi!  Having the power of appearing and vanishing at thy will, slay thou, O smiter of foes, my enemies by means, O thou foremost of all wielders of weapons, of thy celestial arrows received as boons (from the gods)!  Rama and Lakshmana and Sugriva are incapable of enduring the bare touch of thy weapons.  What shall I say, therefore, of their followers?  That cessation of hostilities which could not be brought about by either Prahasta or Kumbhakarna in battle, be it thine, O mighty-armed one, to bring about!  Slaying my enemies with all their army by means of thy keen-edged shafts, enhance my joy to-day, O son, as thou didst once before by vanquishing Vasava!’ Thus addressed by him.  Indrajit said—­So be it,—­and encased in mail he quickly ascended his chariot, and proceeded, O king, towards the field of battle.  And then that bull amongst Rakshasas loudly announcing his own name, challenged Lakshmana endued with auspicious marks, to a single combat.  And Lakshmana, thus challenged, rushed towards that Rakshasa, with his bow and arrows, and striking terror into his adversary’s heart by means of the flapping of his bow-string on the leathern case of his left hand.  And the encounter that took place between those warriors that defied each other’s prowess and each of whom was desirous of vanquishing the other, and both of whom were conversant with celestial weapons, was terrible in the extreme.