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Death of Ravana
Death of Ravana in the hands of Rama was awaited by all the beings of the world as well as the gods in the heaven.

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Death of Ravana, Yuddha Kanda, RamayanaDeath of Ravana forms a part of the Yuddha Kanda in the great epic of Ramayana written my Valmiki. After the death of Indrajit, Ravana became very angry and with the last demon army he came to fight against Rama and Lakshmana. While fighting, he loosed a Rudra shaft at Vibhishana but Lakshmana came before him and saved the brother of Ravana. Thus Lakshmana was severely wounded and looking at his brother thus wounded Rama vowed to end the life of Ravana the very day. Meanwhile, Hanuman went to the Himalaya and brought the healing herbs and cured Lakshmana. Then Rama and Lakshmana both promised to end the war that very day by killing the demon king Ravana.

While a furious battle between Rama and Ravana was under way, the great rishi Agastya came close to Rama and told him about the secret as to how Ravana would be killed and told Rama to pray the Sun in order to kill the demon king of Lanka. Then Rama prayed the Sun, and purified himself with water-sipping, and was glad; and then he turned towards Ravana for a deal, since the rakshasa again became ready and was eager for the battle. Each like a flaming lion fought the other; head after head of the Ten-necked One did Rama cut away with his deadly arrows, but new heads ever rose in place of those cut off, and the death of Ravana seemed nowhere nearer than before. The arrows that had slain Maricha and Khara and Bali could not take away the life of the king of Lanka.

Then Rama took up the Brahma weapon which was presented to him by Agastya. The wind lay in its wings, the Sun and Fire in its head, in its mass the weight of Meru and with the chanting of Vedic mantras, Rama set it on his bow and loosed it, and it sped to its target and cleft the breast of Ravana, and, bathed in blood, returned and entered the quiver of Rama humbly. Thus, the lord of the rakshasas, the king of Lanka was slain, and the gods rained flowers on the car of Rama and chanted hymns of praise since their desired end was then accomplished. For that end Lord Vishnu had taken human form by taking birth as Rama in the kingdom of Ayodhya and as the son of Dasaratha and Kaushalya. Then the heaven became peaceful, the air became clear and bright, and the sun shone cloudless on the battlefield.


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