Bleeding and screaming like a possessed, Surpanakha ran into the Janasthana forest, not far from Pancavati, and there she found her brother Khara. As soon as he saw her arrive in that state, Khara’s eyes widened in violent anger.
“What happened to you? Who had reduced you like this?” he shouted.
In a gasping, sobbing voice, Surpanakha recounted what had happened.
Khara let out a roar-like scream and immediately called fourteen valiant Raksasas, ordering them to kill those men. Surpanakha led the fourteen demons to Pancavati and showed them the hut where the two brothers lived. Too confident in their strength, the warriors faced Rama and Laksmana openly. But after a short fight, Rama killed them all.
Surpanakha, who was secretly observing, returned to Khara and told him of the incredible fact that had happened. The mighty Raksasa could not believe that fourteen of his best fighters had fallen at the hands of one man and decided to personally take the field with the whole army to avenge his family’s honor. Khara had a mighty army, consisting of as many as fourteen thousand mighty Raksasas. Brother Dussana also wanted to participate in the fight. The noise of the horses’ hooves deafened all who lived in the surrounding forests.
Rama and Laksmana heard the dull roar and realized that a serious danger was approaching. Thus, Rama ordered Laksmana to take Sita to a safe place and prepared for the confrontation. Before long, the arrows, spears, axes, and many other types of weapons flew dangerously towards Rama, but from the prince’s bow came thousands of powerful arrows that broke all those weapons. Soon, the Raksasas began to fall by the tens and hundreds. In no time, it seemed that everyone, including Khara and Dussana, were laying inert on the ground. Silence returned to Pancavati. The battle was won.
This is a section of the book “The Ramayana”, in English.
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