zied rage inspirited,
On Raghu's son his missiles cast
Like Indra's bolts which rend and blast.
But Rama with a trenchant dart
Cleft Dushan's ponderous bow apart.
And then the gold-decked steeds who drew
The chariot, with four shafts he slew.
One crescent dart he aimed which shred
Clean from his neck the driver's head;
Three more with deadly skill addressed
Stood quivering in the giant's breast.
Hurled from his car, steeds, driver slain,
The bow he trusted cleft in twain,
He seized his mace, strong, heavy, dread,
High as a mountain's towering head.
With plates of gold adorned and bound,
Embattled Gods it crushed and ground.
Its iron spikes yet bore the stains
Of mangled foemen's blood and brains.
Its heavy mass of jagged steel
Was like a thunderbolt to feel.
It shattered, as on foes it fell,
The city where the senses dwell.(469)
Fierce Dushan seized that ponderous mace
Like monstrous form of serpent race,
And all his savage soul aglow
With fury, rushed upon the foe.
But Raghu's son took steady aim,
And as the rushing giant came,
Shore with two shafts the arms whereon
The demon's glittering bracelets shone.
His arm at each huge shoulder lopped,
The mighty body reeled and dropped,
And the great mace to earth was thrown
Like Indra's staff when storms have blown.
As some vast elephant who lies
Shorn of his tusks, and bleeding dies,
So, when his arms were rent away,
Low on the ground the giant lay.
The spirits saw the monster die,
And loudly rang their joyful cry,
"Honour to Rama! nobly done!
Well hast thou fought, Kakutstha's son!"
But the great three, the host who led,
Enraged to see their chieftain dead,
As though Death's toils were round them cast,
Rushed upon Rama fierce and fast,
Mahakapala seized, to strike
His foeman down, a ponderous pike:
Sthulaksha charged with spear to fling,
Pramathi with his axe to swing.
When Rama saw, with keen darts he
Received the onset of the three,
As calm as though he hailed a guest
In each, who came for shade and rest.
Mahakapala's monstrous head
Fell with the trenchant dart he sped.
His good right hand in battle skilled
Sthulaksha's eyes with arrows filled,
And trusting still his ready bow
He laid the fierce Pramathi low,
Who sank as some tall tree falls down
With bough and branch and leafy crown.
Then with five thousand shafts he slew
The rest of Dushan's giant crew:
Five thousand demons, torn and rent,
To Yama's gloomy realm he sent.

When Khara knew