 Rama spares Ravana in a battle while he found Ravana fainting and told him to return to Lanka and also informed the demon king that he would experience the power of Rama in another battle. After Rama and Lakshmana came into their senses with the healing touch of Garuda, the monkey host started a fresh attack on Lanka. Seeing this, Ravana dispatched Dhumraksha to fight and the rakshasa was ultimately killed by Hanuman in a heavy fighting. After the death of Dhumraksha there was peace in Lanka for a while, but again the war was commenced from the side of Ravana who started sending his rakshasa generals one after the other to kill Rama and Lakshmana.
Death of Prahasta Ravana again sent out another leader of the rakshasas, the deadly Thunder-tooth who was confronted by Angada as he drove the monkey host before him, piercing five and nine with every shaft, and engaged in a heavy combat, till at last he severed the neck of the demon and killed him. Then Ravana sent Akampana or the Unconquerable, and he was slain by Hanuman along with his entire host. Then Ravana got utterly shocked and sent Prahasta or the Long-hand, his foremost general to the battle field. Prahasta gathered another host, and marched forward upon a splendid car by the eastern gate, accompanied by his counselors, Man-slayer and Noisy-throat and Tall. That encounter witnessed the death of thousands of rakshasas and monkeys, and also witnessed some of the best deeds of heroism. Prahasta sped thousands of monkey-slaying shafts from his shining car, and a river of blood flowed between the opposing hosts. Then Nila, the son of Agni, brandishing an uptorn tree, rushed on Prahasta; but the demon wounded the monkey with showers of arrows. At last Prahasta's bow was shattered in the conflict, and the twain fought hand to hand, with tooth and nail. Then Prahasta struck Nila a deadly blow with his mace, and Nila flung a tall tree at the breast of Prahasta; but he lightly avoided that and rushed on Nila. Then Nila threw a mighty crag at the rakshasa and shattered his head and killed him. The rakshasa host drew back as water rushes through a broken dyke, and melted away and entered Lanka, stricken with fear and grief. Ravana grew very angry after hearing about the death of Prahasta, and his heart sank, but he decided to destroy Rama and Lakshmana himself with a thousand shafts, and mounted his shining car, led by a rakshasa host and moved towards the monkeys. Ravana seemed like the Destroyer himself, attended by ghosts and flesh-devouring monsters with burning eyes. Goblin and Big-belly and Man-destroyer and Three-heads, fighters with mountain-peaks and flaming maces, were with Ravana. But he, when they were face to face with the besiegers, dismissed the host to take their ease, and he advanced to fight alone. First Sugriva hurled a mountain-top at him and Ravana severed it with his golden shafts and he loosed a deadly flaming shaft at the monkey-king that bore him to the ground with pain. Then other monkey-chiefs rushed at Ravana, but he destroyed them with ease, so that they cried to Rama for help. Lakshmana wounded by Ravana Lakshmana requested for that battle, and Rama granted him. Then Lakshmana took the field, while Hanuman was pressing Ravana hard in the battle. Ravana struck Hanuman a heavy blow and the great monkey shuddered and fell back and Ravana turned to fight with Nila. But Nila, flaming with anger, sprang on to the car of Ravana and darted like fire from point to point. Ravana's heart sank, but he took a deadly shaft and aimed at Nila, and also laid Nila down. Then Lakshmana took up the battle, and showers of arrows were loosed by both of them and both were wounded. Meanwhile, a flaming dart from Ravana struck down Lakshmana to the ground. Ravana seized him; but he was unable to lift Lakshmana from the ground. Then Hanuman came back and struck the rakshasa king a heavy by which Ravana fell back, bleeding and senseless on the platform of his car. Hanuman lifted Lakshmana and took him away to Rama. Very soon Lakshmana and Ravana came to sense and Rama, mounted Hanuman's back, started a dreadful battle with Ravana. Rama destroyed Ravana's car, and wounded him with bolts, and cut his crown, and struck him with an arrow. Ravana became very weak and started to faint. Thus, sparing his life, Rama sent the demon king back to Lanka and told him that Ravana had accomplished the deeds of heroism, and since he was fainting, he should return to Lanka and told him that he would taste the power of Rama in another battle. |
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War of Rama With Ravana
| Rama spares Ravana in a battle when he sees that Ravana grew weak and was fainting. Sending him back to Lanka he told Ravana that he fought bravely and since he was fainting he could not fight and thus informed him that Ravana would taste the power of Rama in another battle. |
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