Rāma Kills Rāvaṇa in Battle
Valiant Rāma took hold of a blazing arrow, which looked like a hissing serpent. It was made for Indra by Brahma, bestowed in the past on the ruler of the Gods, who was desirous of conquering the three worlds; and then in turn was given to Rāma by the glorious sage, Agastya, on the battlefield. In its feathers, vāyu was established; at its ends were the fire and the sun; in its weight were the Mountains Meru and Mandara; its shaft decked with gold and made of ether; it possessed the illiumating power of the sun. Blazing like a fire at the time of universal dissolution, enveloped in ominous smoke and appearing as a venomous snake, the arrow was capable of hurling like a thunder bolt through hosts of men, elephants and horses. It was made swift by attaching the beautiful coloured feathers of Garuḍa, the King of eagles. By a uttering a sacred mantra as per scripture, Rāma who was endowed with extraordinary strength then fixed that arrow, which was the foremost among the three worlds, capable of annihilating the fear of the Ikṣvāku dynasty and taking away the glory of the enemy. Whilst that excellent arrow was being fixed by Rāma, all the earth’s beings were frightened and the earth trembled. Rāma, stretching his bow, focused his mind and hurled the arrow towards Rāvaṇa. That arrow, which was inviolable as a thunderbolt hurled by Indra himself and irresistible as Yama, the lord of Death, fell upon Rāvaṇa’s chest. When Rāvaṇa, the cruel demon and the terror of all the worlds, was killed, a great rejoice filled the hearts of Gods and the celestial bards in heaven. They showered the chariot of Rāma with flowers, which fell to the earth from heaven.
Adapted from the Yuddakāṇḍa of the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa
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