"Markandeya said, 'The Ten-necked (Ravana), excited to fury at the death
of his beloved son, ascended his car decked with gold and gems. And
surrounded by terrible _Rakshasas_ with various kinds of weapons in
their hands, Ravana rushed towards Rama, fighting with numerous
monkey-chiefs. And beholding him rushing in wrath towards the monkey
army, Mainda and Nila and Nala and Angada, and Hanuman and Jambuvan,
surrounded him with all their troops. And those foremost of monkeys and
bears began to exterminate with trunks of trees, the soldiers of the
Ten-necked (Ravana), in his very sight. And beholding the enemy
slaughtering his troops, the _Rakshasa_ king, Ravana, possessed of great
powers of illusion, began to put them forth. And forth from his body
began to spring hundreds and thousands of _Rakshasas_ armed with arrows
and lances and double-edged swords in hand. Rama, however, with a
celestial weapon slew all those _Rakshasas_. The king of the _Rakshasas_
then once more put forth his prowess of illusion. The Ten-faced,
producing from his body numerous warriors resembling, O Bharata, both
Rama and Lakshmana, rushed towards the two brothers. And then those
_Rakshasas_, hostile to Rama and Lakshmana and armed with bows and
arrows, rushed towards Rama, and beholding that power of illusion put
forth by the king of _Rakshasas_, that descendant of Ikshwaku's race,
the son of Sumitra, addressed Rama in these heroic words, "Slay those
_Rakshasas_, those wretches with forms like thy own!" And Rama,
thereupon slew those and other _Rakshasas_ of forms resembling his own.
And that time Matali, the charioteer of Indra, approached Rama on the
field of battle, with a car effulgent as the Sun and unto which were
yoked horses of a tawny hue. And Matali said, "O son of Kakutstha's
race, this excellent and victorious car, unto which have been yoked this
pair of tawny horses, belongs to the Lord of celestials! It is on this
excellent car, O tiger among men, that Indra hath slain in battle
hundreds of _Daityas_ and _Danavas_! Therefore, O tiger among men, do
thou, riding on the car driven by me, quickly slay Ravana in battle! Do
not delay in achieving this!" Thus addressed by him, the descendant of
Raghu's race, however, doubted the truthful words of Matali, thinking
this is another illusion produced by the _Rakshasas_--Vibhishana then
addressed him saying, "This, O tiger among men, is no illusion of the
wicked Ravana! Ascend thou this chariot quickly, for this, O thou of
great effulgence, belongeth to Indra!" The descendant of Kakutstha then
cheerfully said unto Vibhishana, "So be it", and riding on that car,
rushed wrathfully upon Ravana. And when Ravana, too, rushed against his
antagonist, a loud wail of woe was set up by the creatures of the Earth,
while the celestials in heaven sent forth a leonine roar accompanied by
beating of large drums. The encounter then that took place between the
Ten-necked _Rakshasa_ and that prince of Raghu's race, was fierce in the
extreme. Indeed, that combat between them hath no parallel elsewhere.
And the _Rakshasa_ hurled at Rama a terrible javelin looking like
Indra's thunderbolt and resembling a Brahmana's curse on the point of
utterance.[63] Rama, however, quickly cut into fragments that javelin by
means of his sharp arrows. And beholding that most difficult feat,
Ravana was struck with fear. But soon his wrath was excited and the
Ten-necked hero began to shower on Rama whetted arrows by thousands and
tens of thousands and countless weapons of various kinds, such as
rockets and javelins and maces and battle-axes and darts of various
kinds and Shataghnis and _whetted shafts_. And beholding that terrible
form of illusion displayed by the Ten-necked _Rakshasa_, the monkeys
fled in fear in all directions. Then the descendant of Kakutstha, taking
out of his quiver an excellent arrow furnished with handsome wings and
golden feathers and a bright and beautiful head, fixed it on the bow
with _Brahmasira_ mantra. And beholding that excellent arrow transformed
by Rama, with proper _mantras_ into a Brahma weapon, the celestials and
the Gandharvas with Indra at their head, began to rejoice. And the gods
and the _Danavas_ and the _Kinnaras_ were led by the display of that
_Brahma_ weapon to regard the life of their Rakshasa foe almost closed.
Then Rama shot that terrible weapon of unrivalled energy, destined to
compass Ravana's death, and resembling the curse of a Brahmana on the
point of utterance. And as soon, O Bharata, as that arrow was shot by
Rama from his bow drawn to a circle, the _Rakshasa_ king with his
chariot and charioteer and horses blazed up, surrounded on all sides by
a terrific fire. And beholding Ravana slain by Rama of famous
achievements, the celestials, with the _Gandharvas_ and the _Charanas_,
rejoiced exceedingly. And deprived of universal dominion by the energy
of the Brahma weapon, the five elements forsook the illustrious Ravana,
and were consumed by the _Brahma_ weapon, the physical ingredients of
Ravana's body. His flesh and blood were all reduced to nothingness,--so
that the ashes even could not be seen.'"
[63] According to both Vyasa and Valmiki, there is nothing so
fierce as a Brahmana's curse. The very thunderbolt of Indra is
weak compared to a Brahmana's curse. The reason is obvious. The
thunder smites the individual at whom it may be aimed. The curse
of Brahmana smites the whole race, whole generation, whole
country.