Page:The Rámáyana of Tulsi Dás.djvu/408

 348. THE FOREST. Chhand 7. Jackals wrangled ; għosts, goblins and demons made cups of the skulls; more warlike devils clashed skulls together for music, and witches danced. Raghubír's mighty arrows smote off the leaders' bodies, arms and heads : they fell on every side, but stood up again to fight with terrible cries of 'strike, strike. Vultures flew away with men's entrails in their laws, goblins scampered' off with hands that they had seized ; one might fancy all the children of Battle- town were flying kites. The mighty champions lay dead and vanquished, with mangled bodies. Seeing their army routed, Khara and Dúshan, with Trisira and the other champions, stood at bay, and all-at once demons innumerable hurled furiously against Raghubir arrow and spear, club, axe, javelin, and dag-. ger. In the twinkling of an eye the Lord had warded off all his enemies' mis- siles and sent forth his own arrows, slaying all the demon leaders with ten shafts planted in the breast of each of them. Though they fell to the ground, they rose again in their valour and joined in the fray, and would not die, but made the strangest sight. The gods feared, when they saw the demons fourteen thou-. sand in number, and the king of Avadh alone; till the Lord, perceiving the alarm of gods and saints, and having power oyer all illusion, wrought a prodigy, and while they were yet looking at one another, he finished the battle, and the army. of the enemy all perished fighting, Dohá 16, orying Ráma, Ráma, as their soul left their body; they thus attained beati- tude. In a moment the Fountain of mercy slew all his enemies by magic. The gods in their joy rained down flowers, instruments of music sounded in the air, and with cries.of Glory, glory, they all departed, each in his own, splendid carriage. Chaupái. When Raghunáth had vanquished his foes in.the battle, gods, men and- saints were all relieved from fear. Lakshman then brought back Sita. As she fell at her lord's feet, he took and rapturously clasped her to his bosom, and she fixed her gaze upon his dark and delicate form, but so vehement was her love that her eyes could never be satisfied. Thus the blessed Ráma stayed at Pancha- vati, delighting gods.and saints by the deeds that he did. But Súrpa-nakhá, when she saw the death of Khara and Dúshan, went and called Rávan. In " You have lost all thought of realm and treasure; tones full of fury, she cried : yga drink and sleep day and night and do not consider that the enemy is at