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,