Page:The Rámáyana of Tulsi Dás.djvu/407

 THE FOREST. 347 alive, you and your brother.' Declare to him this that I have said and quickly The heralds went and told Ráma. He smiled to come back with his answer." hear them and said: wretches like you are the game that I am tracking. I am not dismayed at the sight of the enemy's strength, but am ready to do combat with death himself. Though a man, I am the exterminator of the race of demons ; and though a mere child, I am the protector of the saints and the destroyer of the wicked. If there is no strength in you, tura and go home; I ill never turn my back upon the battle. If you have come up to fight, show now your cunning and dexterity; mercy to an enemy is the height of weakness." The heralds immediately went and repeated all this: Khara and Dúshan's heart was on fire when they heard it. "I am a warrior by caste and am hunting this wood; Chkand 4. Their heart was on fire and they cried: "Rush upon him and seize him, ye mighty demon warriors, with your bows and arrows, clubs, pikes, spears, scyme- tars, maces and axes." The Lord gave his bow one twang ; in a moment at the awful and terrible sound the demons were deafened and dismayed, they had no sense left in them. Dohá 15. When they had recovered themselves they made a rush, for they knew the strength of their foe ; and shafts and weapons of all kinds began to rain upon Ráma. But Raghubír cleft them in twain, making them of no more account than so many sesamum seeds, and then drawing the bowstring to his ear he let fly his own arrows. Chhand 5-6. Then the terrible arrows sped forth, hissing like many serpents. The holy Ráma waxed wrath in battle; his arrows flew of exceeding sharpness. When they saw his shafts so keen, the demon leaders turned to flight ; but the three brothers became furious :· Whoever runs from the field I will slay with my own hand ; let him stay then and make up his mind to die.' Weapons of diverse kinds beat upon him from the front, and the Lord perceiving that the foe was exceedingly furious fitted an arrow to his bow. He let fly the huge bolts ; the hideous demons were cut to pieces ; bodies, heads, arms, hands and feet were scattered about all over the ground. The shrill arrows struck ; like mountains the bodies fall. The leaders had their frames cut into a hundred pieces, yet they stood up again by power of magic. Many arms and heads flew through the air and headless trunks ran to and fro. Kites, crows and jackals made an awful and horrible wrangling.