"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. But when the son of Ravana found that he could
not by his arrows gain any advantage over his adversary, that foremost
of mighty warriors mustered all his energy. And Indrajit then began to
hurl at Lakshmana with great force numberless javelins. The son of
Sumitra, however, cut them into fragments by means of his own keen-edged
arrows. And those javelins, thus cut into pieces by the keen-edged
arrows of Lakshmana, dropped down upon the ground. Then the handsome
Angada, the son of Vali, taking up a large tree, rushed impetuously at
Indrajit and struck him with it on the head. Undaunted at this, Indrajit
of mighty energy sought to smite Angada with a lance. Just at that
juncture, however, Lakshmana cut into pieces the lance taken up by
Ravana's son. The son of Ravana then took up a mace and struck on the
left flank that foremost of monkeys, the heroic Angada who was then
staying close beside him. Angada, the powerful son of Vali, little
recking that stroke, hurled at Indrajit a mighty Sala stem. And hurled
in wrath by Angada for the destruction of Indrajit, that tree, O son of
Pritha, destroyed Indrajit's chariot along with his horses and
charioteer. And thereupon jumping from his horseless and driverless car,
the son of Ravana disappeared from sight, O king, by aid of his powers
of illusion. And beholding that _Rakshasa_, abundantly endued with
powers of illusion, disappear so suddenly, Rama proceeded towards that
spot and began to protect his troops with care. Indrajit, however, with
arrows, obtained as boons from the gods, began to pierce both Rama and
mighty Lakshmana in every part of their bodies. Then the heroic Rama and
Lakshmana both continued to contend with their arrows against Ravana's
son who had made himself invisible by his powers of illusion. But
Indrajit continued to shower in wrath all over those lions among men his
keen-edged shafts by hundreds and thousands. And seeking that invisible
warrior who was ceaselessly showering his arrows, the monkeys penetrated
into every part of the firmament, armed with huge masses of stone. Them
as well as the two brothers, however, the invisible _Rakshasa_ began to
afflict with his shafts. Indeed, the son of Ravana, concealing himself
by his powers of illusion, furiously attacked the monkey host. And the
heroic brothers Rama and Lakshmana, pierced all over with arrows,
dropped down on the ground like the Sun and the Moon fallen down from
the firmament.'"