“Markandeya said, ‘Beholding both the brothers Rama and Lakshmana
prostrate on the ground, the son of Ravana tied them in a net-work of
those arrows of his which he had obtained as boons. And tied by Indrajit
on the field of battle by means of that arrowy net, those heroic tigers
among men resembled a couple of hawks immured in a cage. And beholding
those heroes prostrate on the ground pierced with hundreds of arrows,
Sugriva with all the monkeys stood surrounding them on all sides. And the
king of the monkeys stood there, accompanied by Sushena and Mainda and
Dwivida, and Kumuda and Angada and Hanuman and Nila and Tara and Nala.
And Vibhishana, having achieved success in another part of the field,
soon arrived at that spot, and roused those heroes from insensibility,
awakening them by means of the weapon called, Prajna.[101] Then Sugriva
soon extracted the arrows from their bodies. And by means of that most
efficacious medicine called the Visalya[102], applied with celestial
mantras, those human heroes regained their consciousness. And the arrow
having been extracted from their bodies, those mighty warriors in a
moment rose from their recumbent posture, their pains and fatigue
thoroughly alleviated. And beholding Rama the descendant of Ikshwaku’s
race, quite at his ease, Vibhishana, O son of Pritha, joining his hands;
told him these words, ‘O chastiser of foes, at the command of the king of
the Guhyakas, a Guhyaka hath come from the White mountains, bringing with
him his water![103] O great king, this water is a present to thee from
Kuvera, so that all creatures that are invisible may, O chastiser of
foes, become visible to thee! This water laved over the eyes will make
every invisible creature visible to thee, as also to any other person to
whom thou mayst give it!’--Saying--So be it,--Rama took that sacred
water, and sanctified his own eyes therewith. And the high-minded
Lakshmana also did the same. And Sugriva and Jambuvan, and Hanuman and
Angada, and Mainda and Dwivida, and Nila and many other foremost of the
monkeys, laved their eyes with that water. And thereupon it exactly
happened as Vibhishana had said, for, O Yudhishthira, soon did the eyes
of all these became capable of beholding things that could not be seen by
the unassisted eye!
“Meanwhile, Indrajit, after the success he had won, went to his father.
And having informed him of the feats he had achieved, he speedily
returned to the field of battle and placed himself at the van of his
army. The son of Sumitra then, under Vibhishana’s guidance, rushed
towards that wrathful son of Ravana coming back, from desire of battle,
to lead the attack. And Lakshmana, excited to fury and receiving a hint
from Vibhishana, and desiring to slay Indrajit who had not completed his
daily sacrifice, smote with his arrows that warrior burning to achieve
success. And desirous of vanquishing each other, the encounter that took
place between them was exceedingly wonderful like that (in days of yore)
between the Lord of celestials and Prahrada. And Indrajit pierced the son
of Sumitra with arrows penetrating into his very vitals. And the son of
Sumitra also pierced Ravana’s son with arrows of fiery energy. And
pierced with Lakshmana’s arrows, the son of Ravana became senseless with
wrath. And he shot at Lakshmana eight shafts fierce as venomous snakes.
Listen now, O Yudhishthira, as I tell thee how the heroic son of Sumitra
then took his adversary’s life by means of three winged arrows possessed
of the energy and effulgence of fire! With one of these, he severed from
Indrajit’s body that arm of his enemy which had grasped the bow. With the
second he caused that other arm which had held the arrows, to drop down
on the ground. With the third that was bright and possessed of the
keenest edge, he cut off his head decked with a beautiful nose and bright
with ear-rings. And shorn of arms and head, the trunk became fearful to
behold. And having slain the foe thus, that foremost of mighty men then
slew with his arrows the charioteer of his adversary. And the horses then
dragged away the empty chariot into the city. And Ravana then beheld that
car without his son on it. And hearing that his son had been slain,
Ravana suffered his heart to be overpowered with grief. And under the
influence of extreme grief and affliction, the king of the Rakshasas
suddenly cherished the desire of killing the princess of Mithila. And
seizing a sword, the wicked Rakshasa hastily ran towards that lady
staying within the Asoka wood longing to behold her lord. Then Avindhya
beholding that sinful purpose of the wicked wretch, appeased his fury.
Listen, O Yudhishthira, to the reasons urged by Avindhya! That wise
Rakshasa said, ‘Placed as thou art on the blazing throne of an empire, it
behoveth thee not to slay a woman! Besides, this woman is already slain,
considering that she is a captive in thy power! I think, she would not be
slain if only her body were destroyed. Slay thou her husband! He being
slain, she will be slain too! Indeed, not even he of an hundred
sacrifices (Indra) is thy equal in prowess! The gods with Indra at their
head, had repeatedly been affrighted by thee in battle!’ With these and
many other words of the same import, Avindhya succeeded in appeasing
Ravana. And the latter did, indeed, listen to his counsellor’s speech.
And that wanderer of the night, then, resolved to give battle himself
sheathed his sword, and issued orders for preparing his chariot.’”