Their breasts and heads, arms, hands and feet began to drop to the ground here, there and everywhere. The shrill arrows struck; they yelled and their trunks, like mountains, fell.

Though the warriors’ bodies were cut into a hundred pieces, yet by demonic magic they rose again. A multitude of arms and heads flew through the air and headless trunks rushed to and fro.

Fiercely and grimly did kites, crows and jackals gnash their teeth (and gnaw at the bones).

Jackals gnashed; ghosts, spirits and fiends collected skulls; more warlike devils beat time on the fleshless heads, and witches danced. Raghubira’s fierce arrows tore to pieces the champions’ breasts and arms and heads; their bodies fell on every side, but rose again to fight with terrible cries of ‘Seize, capture!’

Vultures flew away with the end of entrails in their claws; goblins scampered off with the other end that their hands had seized; it was as though a large number of children from the town of Battle were flying kites. Many a champion lay dead or vanquished; many others, whose breasts were torn in two, lay groaning. Seeing their army in distress, Trishira and Khara and Dushana and other champions turned towards Rama.

Countless demons hurled furiously on Raghubira arrows and spears, iron clubs, axes, javelins and scimitars all at once. In the twinkling of an eye the Lord warded off the enemy’s shafts and with a shout of defiance sent forth his own arrows, driving ten shafts into the breast of each demon captain.

Their warriors fell to the ground, but they rose again and joined in the fray; they would not die but played all their delusive tricks. The gods were afraid when they saw the demons fourteen thousand in number and Rama but one. Finding the gods and sages alarmed, the Lord, who is the controller of Maya (cosmic illusion), devised a merry spectacle, on account of which the enemy saw each of his own friends as Rama, and joining battle with one another perished fighting.