[384] One _sloka_ has been omitted here by some of the editors, which when translated stands thus:--When one monkey only Hanuman killed the prince Akshaya and reduced the whole city to ashes with the fire of his tail. Ravana should have come to his senses.
Whereupon Ravana heard in every house of Lanka the piteous cries of the she-demons possessed by sorrow. And sighing hard he engaged in meditation for some time. And terrible-looking as he was, Ravana was greatly worked up with ire. Having his eyes reddened with anger, and gnashing his teeth and biting the lips, that one, irrepressible by other Rakshasas, looked like the fire of dissolution incarnate. Thereupon the lord of Rakshasas in anger as if burning down everything with his look, addressed the Rakshas who were near him--Mahodara, Mahaparsha, Birupaksha--"Do ye speedily speak to the soldiers that they should sally out for battle at my command. Hearing his speech--those Rakshas, possessed by fear, asked by the command of the king, the Rakshasa soldiers to be ready. And thereat all those grim-visaged Rakshasas saying 'so be it' and performing benedictory ceremonies proceeded to the battle-field. And those mighty car-warriors, worshipping Ravana, and desiring the victory of their lord, stood before them with folded hands. Thereupon Ravana, beside himself with anger, laughing, adddressed those Rakshasas, Mahodara, Mahaparsha, and Birupaksha, saying--"To-day shall I despatch both Rama and Lakshmana to the abode of Death with arrows resembling the sun at the time of dissolution, discharged off my bow. And slaying the enemies I shall repair the loss of Khara, Kumbhakarna, Prahasta and Indrajit. The atmosphere, the quarters the sky and the deep being enveloped with the cloud of arrows shall become invisible. I shall slay to-day all the heroic monkeys with my winged arrows. Ascending my car gifted with the velocity of the wind shall I churn to day the monkey host with arrow-like waves coming from the ocean-like bow. I shall like an elephant distress to-day the monkey-like pools having their countenances for the blown lotuses, and the lustre of their bodies for the filaments. To-day in the encounter, the leaders of the monkey hosts, with their heads transfixed with arrows, shall cover the earth, like unto lotuses with their stalks. I shall to-day with a single arrow, cleave hundreds of heroic monkeys fighting with trees in their hands. I shall wipe to-day the tears of those whose brother or son has been slain by destroying their foe. In the encounter to-day I shall, with the monkeys deprived of their breath and clept with my arrows, so cover the earth that it may not be seen by any. I shall satisfy to-day with the flesh of the enemies slain by my shafts, the crows, vultures and others who live upon flesh. Get ready soon my car and bring my bow. And let the remaining night-rangers follow me in battle". Hearing his words Mahaparsha addressed the leaders of the army who were near him, saying,--"Get your soldiers ready". And the commanders too quickly went round all the houses in Lanka and asked the Rakshasas to be ready soon. Thereupon began to issue out in a moment terrible-looking Rakshasas, emitting roars, having dreadful faces and with various weapons in their hands--daggers, _Pattiças_, maces, clubs, furrows, sharpened _saktis_, traps, various rods, sharpened _chakra_, _parashwadhas_, _vindipalas_, _sataghnis_ and various other excellent weapons. Thereupon at the command of Ravana the commanders brought one _Nijuta_ (a hundred thousand) cars, three _Nijuta_ elephants, sixty million horses, asses and camels and numberless infantry. They arranged the soldiers before the king and in the interval the charioteer brought the car--filled with excellent celestial weapons--richly adorned, containing many an armour, girt with a network of tinkling ornaments, crested with various jewels, having jewelled pillars and a thousand golden jars. Beholding the car the Rakshasas were greatly astonished. And Ravana, the lord of Rakshasas, rising up all on a sudden, ascended that car, brilliant like the flaming fire and the aggregate rays of a million sun, quick-coursing, having a charioteer, drawn by eight horses, huge and shining in its native lustre. Thereupon proceeded Ravana, encircled by many a Rakshasa as if rending the earth with the excess of his prowess. There arose a huge sound of bugles accompanied with that of Mridangas, drums, conchs, and _kalapas_. The lord of the Rakshas--wicked, the slayer of the Brahmins--the thorn of the celestials, and who hath brought away Sita by stealth, has come with his umbrellas and chowries to fight with the foremost of Raghus--this cry was heard everywhere. And with his tremendous roar the earth shook.