"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 trunks of trees
unshorn of their branches. Then Hanuman, the son of Pavana, slew in
great wrath that Rakshasa along with his charioteer and horses and broke
his chariot also into pieces. And beholding Dhumraksha, that foremost of
Rakshasa, thus slain, the monkeys, abandoning all fear, rushed against
the Rakshasa army with great valour. And slaughtered in large numbers by
the victorious and powerful monkeys, the Rakshasas became dispirited and
fled in fear to Lanka. And the surviving wreck of the Rakshasa army,
having reached the city, informed king Ravana of everything that had
happened. And hearing from them that Prahasta and that mighty archer
Dhumraksha, had both, with their armies, been slain by the powerful
monkeys, Ravana drew a deep sigh and springing up from his excellent
seat, said,--the time is come for Kumbhakarna to act.--And having said
this, he awoke, by means of various loud-sounding instruments, his
brother Kumbhakarna from his deep and prolonged slumbers. And having
awaked him with great efforts, the Rakshasa king, still afflicted with
anxiety, addressed the mighty Kumbhakarna and said unto him when seated
at his ease on his bed, having perfectly recovered consciousness and
self-possession, these words, "Thou, indeed, art happy, O Kumbhakarna,
that canst enjoy profound and undisturbed repose, unconscious of the
terrible calamity that hath overtaken us! Rama with his monkey host hath
crossed the Ocean by a bridge and disregarding us all is waging a
terrible war (against us). I have stealthily brought away his wife Sita,
the daughter of Janaka, and it is to recover her that he hath come
hither, after having made a bridge over the great Ocean. Our great
kinsmen also, Prahasta and others, have already been slain by him. And,
O scourge of thy enemies, there is not another person, save thee, that
can slay Rama! Therefore, O warrior, putting on thy armour, do thou set
out this day for the purpose of vanquishing Rama and his followers! The
two younger brothers of Dushana, viz., Vajravega and Promathin, will
join thee with their forces!" And having said this unto the mighty
Kumbhakarna, the Rakshasa king gave instructions to Vajravega and
Promathin as to what they should do. And accepting his advice, those two
warlike brothers of Dushana quickly marched out of the city, preceded by
Kumbhakarna.'"