Their hearts were on fire and they shouted, ‘Seize him!’ The fierce demon champions rushed forth, all armed with bows and arrows, steel clubs, pikes, spears, scimitars, maces and axes. First of all, the Lord gave his bow a twang – shrill, terrific and frightening – that deafened the ears of the demons and caused them great agitation and deprived them at that moment of all knowledge of what they were doing.

Having realized that they were confronting a redoubtable enemy, the demon warriors now ran on with caution and began to hurl on Rama all kinds of missiles and weapons.

But Raghubira tore their weapons into pieces as small as sesame seeds, and then drawing the bowstring to his ear, discharged his own arrows.

Then the terrible arrows sped forth, hissing like so many serpents. When Rama waxed wrathful in the strife, his arrows, of exceeding sharpness, flew forth.

When they saw his shafts so keen, the demon warrior turned to flee. The three brothers (Khara, Dushana and Trishira) now flew into a rage; ‘Whoever flees from the battle-field,’ they cried,

him will we slay with our own hands!’ At this the warriors turned back, fully resolved to die, and faced their foe with weapons of every description.

When the Lord saw that the enemy was exceedingly enraged, he fitted an arrow to his bow and let fly many an iron bolt of the naracha type, and the frightful fiends began to be moved down.