"At no distance from where on the banks of the river Nerbuda, that
dreadful lord of Rākshasas collected the flowers, Arjuna, the King of
Mahismati, and the foremost of the victorous, was sporting with his
wives in the water. And being encircled by them the king Arjuna appeared
like a leading elephant surrounded by a thousands of she elephants. In
order to measure the strength of his thousand arms the King of
_Haihayas_ obstructed the course of Nerbuda. Being obstructed by the
arms of Kārtavirjarjuna and having flooded the banks with her pure
waters, Nerbuda flowed in an opposite direction. And the currents,
rising high as during the rainy season flowed with fishes, and
crocodiles. And that stream, as if driven against Rāvana by
Kārtavirjarjuna, carried away his collection of flowers. And having
given up his worship which was half-finished Rāvana looked towards
Nerbuda looking like an unwilling damsel and saw that she, with rising
currents, was flowing towards the east from the west and the waters
beyond that were in a natural state like a quiet lady and the birds were
seated there without any anxiety. Thereupon being anxious to learn the
cause of the rise of the river, the Ten-necked demon, with his right
finger, hinted Suka and Sārana. Being commanded by Rāvana, the two
brothers, the heroic Suka and Sārana proceeded towards the west by the
aerial way. And going half a league, the two night-rangers espied a man
sporting in the waters with some females. He was huge as a Sāla tree,
his hairs were floating on the water, he was inebriete and his eyes were
reddened in consequence thereof. Like unto Sumeru holding the earth with
his thousand feet he obstructed the current of the river with his
thousand arms. And he was surrounded by a thousands of beautiful damsels
like an elephant by a thousands of she-elephants. Beholding that
dreadful spectacle, the Rākshasas Suka and Sārana came back and
approaching Rāvana communicated (all) unto him. ’O lord of Rākshasas, an
unknown person, huge as a Sāla tree, is sporting with females
obstructing the course of Nerbuda like unto a dam. And being withheld by
the thousand arms of that man the waters of Nerbuda were continually
throwing up high waves.’ Hearing the words of Suka and Sārana, Rāvana
exclaimed ’This is Arjuna’ and proceeded to fight with him. Rāvana, the
lord of Rākshasas, having set out with a hostile intention against
Kārtavirjarjuna, the wind mixed with dust began to blow high with
tumultuous sound. And the clouds began to mutter with a downpour of
rain. And the lord of Rākshasas proceeded against Arjuna with Mahodara,
Mahaparswa, Dhrumākshya, Suka and Sairana. Within a short time the
dreadful Rākshasa, powerful as the elephant Arjuna, reached the banks of
Nerbuda and espied there Arjuna encircled by females as an elephant
surrounded by she-elephants. At the very sight the eyes of the lord of
Rākshasas, proud of his prowess, grew red and addressing the councillors
of the king Arjuna he said ’Do ye communicate unto the king of
_Haihayas_ that Rāvana, the lord of Rākshasas, hath come to fight with
him.’ Hearing the words of Rāvana, the ministers of Arjuna stood up with
arms and said ’O good Rāvana, thou art well cognizant of the proper time
for fighting. Now our king is drunk and is sporting with the females in
the waters. And now dost thou wish to fight with him. Therefore, O
Ten-necked one, do thou spend the night here, if thou art bent upon
fighting. Or even if thou art anxious to enter speedily into conflict
with Arjuna do thou slay us all at first, and then fight with the king.’
Thereupon the hungry councillors of Rāvana slew some of the ministers of
the king and devoured some. There arose a dreadful uproar on the banks
of Nerbuda, of the councillors of Rāvana and Arjuna. The warriors of
Arjuna assailed Rāvana and his ministers with hundreds of arrows,
Praças, darts, Tomaras, thunder-bolts and Karpanas. The warriors of
Arjijna became dreadfully furious and emitted cries like the roaring of
the deep infested with crocodiles, fishes and other marine monsters.
Thereupon being enraged and displaying their own prowess Suka, Sārana
and other ministers of Rāvana began to destroy Arjuna’s soldiers.
Thereupon the emissaries, stricken with fear, went to the sporting king
and communicated unto him the proceedings of Rāvana and his ministers.
Hearing those words and saying unto the females ’Do not fear’ he rose up
from the waters like an elephant. The eyes of that fire-like Arjuna were
reddened with ire and he shone dreadfully like the fire of dissolution.
And taking up speedily his club, that one, always using golden clubs,
pursued the Rākshasas like unto darkness following the sun. Holding up
the huge club and hurling it with his arms, Arjuna, resorting to the
velocity of Garuda, went on. Thereupon stood there obstructing his
course the Rākshasa, worked up with anger and with a mace in his hand,
like unto the Vindhya range standing in the way of the sun. And throwing
down off his hand the iron mace, he, in anger, began to roar, like Yama.
And the top of the mace was ablaze like the tips of Asoka flowers. Not
the least agitated on beholding that mace, the king Arjuna, by his club,
baffled its action. Thereupon uplifting the huge club, five hundred
hands long, the king of _Haihayas_ pursued Prahasta. And within a short
time being struck down by that club gifted with great velocity Prahasta
fell down on earth like unto the summit of a mountain clapped down by
the thunder-bolt of Indra. Beholding Prahasta fallen, Māricha, Suka,
Sārana, Mahodara and Dhrumākshya fled away from the battle-field. All
the councillors having thus fled away and Prahasta being slain Rāvana
speedily proceeded towards Arjuna, the foremost of kings. Thereupon
there ensued a terrible encounter capable of making down erect between
the thousand-armed Arjuna, the king of men, and the twenty-armed Rāvana,
the king of Rākshasas. And taking up their clubs Arjuna and Rāvana began
to fight with one another emitting cries like the mutterings of clouds,
like unto two huge bulls fighting for a cow, two agitated oceans, two
moving mountains, two effulgent Adityas, two burning flames, two proud
elephants, two proud lions and like the very Rudra and Kāla. As the
mountains suffer many clappings of thunder-bolts so did they bear many
strokes. And all the quarters were resounded with the sound proceeding
from the stroke of their clubs like unto the sound of thunder-bolts.
Being placed against the breast of Rāvana Arjuna’s club rendered, for a
moment, the welkin look like the burning gold as does the lightning. And
striking again and again against Arjuna’s breast Rāvana’s club looked
like a huge fire-brand. Arjuna was not worn out nor was Rāvana. And the
conflict went on between them like the encounter between Bala and Vasava
in the days of yore. The King of men and the King of Rakshasas assailed
and wounded one another with their clubs like unto two bulls striking
one another with their horns and two elephants with their tusks.
Thereupon worked up with rage, Arjuna, with his full might, smote Rāvana
on his breast, with his club. But Rāvana was well protected by the boon
of the celestial, so the club fell on earth sundered into two pieces
like one hurled by a weak wight. Still wounded by the mace of Arjuna,
Rāvana, shedding tears, ran away at a distance of four feet and sat
there. Beholding Rāvana thus over-whelmed Arjuna sprang up and caught
him like Garuda holding a serpent and Vishnu binding Bali. Daçagriva
being thus bound, the Siddhas, Charanas and the celestials exclaiming
’Well done! Well done!!’ showered flowers upon Arjuna. And the king
emitted leonine roars again and again as a tiger joyous roars like a
cloud, holding a deer under his grasp. Regaining his sense and beholding
Rāvana bound, Prahasta, in great anger, pursued the King of _Haihayas_.
And the Rakshasa force grew tempestuous like unto the rising of the
ocean during rains. Thereupon exclaiming repeatedly ’Leave him off!
Leave him off!! Wait! Wait!!’ The Rākshasa host hurled hundreds of
Musalas and darts in the battle-field. Not the least moved thereby the
king Arjuna, the slayer of enemies, bore those weapons of the enemies of
the celestials. Thereupon baffling the weapons of the Rākshasas by means
of many a dreadful and excellent one, Arjuna, the king of _Haihayas_,
drove them away like winds scattering the clouds. Having thus struck
terror unto the night-rangers, he, encircled by his own kinsmen,
repaired to his own city with Rāvana, carrying him bound like unto Indra
carrying Bali bound. Thereupon flowers and fried paddy were showered
upon him by the Brāhmanas and citizens."