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Hearwe the words of the high-souled Satrughna Lavana was greatly enraged atid again and again asked him to wait. And clashing his hands and grinding his teeth he invited that foremost of Raghus, Satrughna, to fight. And Satrughna, the slayer of celestial’s enemies, said to the

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dreadful Lavana, giving vent to those words :—“Satrughna was not born when thou didst defeat other kings; do thou therefore proceed to Death’s abode being assailed by shafts. O thou of a vicious soul, as did the celestials behold Ravana slain so shall the Rishis and learned Brahmans behold thee, destroyed by me. O Rakshasa, forsooth shall good crown cities and villages when thou shalt fall down burnt by my arrows. Asthe rays of the sun enter into lotus so shall arrows, hard as lightning, discharged by my hands, shall enter into thy heart.” Being beside himself with ire on hearing those wer-ls of Satrughna, Lavana threw a huge tree against his breast. And Satrughna too sundered it into a hundred | pieces. ‘ Beholding his own action baffled the Rakshasa again took up many trees and hurled them at Satrughna, who, with three or four hundred bent arrows, cut them all, one by one, into pieces. Thereupon when the powerful Satrughna assailed him with arrows the Rakshasa was not the least pained. Rather laughing aloud the valiant Rakshasa uprooted a tree and struck him with that on: the head. With that stroke he was wounded and slain. And that hero falling there arose a terrible uproar amongst the Rishis, celestials, Gandharbas and Apsaras. Thereupon considering Satrughna slain the night-ranger did not enter his house albeit he got the opportunity ; and moreover beholding him fallen and destroyed he did not take up his dart. He then began to carry his collected food. Regaining his sense within a moment, Satrughna, with a weapon in his hand, stood at the city gate and the Rishis began to praise him. Thereupon, he having taken up an excellent arrow of unfailing aim the ten quarters were filled with its native brilliance. Its face was like lightning and its velocity the same and it looked like Meru and Mandara; its joints were all bent. None could defeat it in battle. It was pasted with red sandal resembling blood and its feathers were beautiful. Beholding that dart like unto the fire of dissolution, and 223

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dreadful like unto the lords of Danavas, mountains and Asuras, the creatures were greatly terrified. What more, being disturbed, the celestials, Asuras,-Gandharbas, saints and Apsaras and all other creatures of the world approached the Great Patriarch, the conferrer of boons and said :—‘‘The fear of the celestials and the destruction of the creatures hath arrived.” Hearing those words the Patriarch Brahma replied “Although it is a source of great fear still it is not dreadful unto the celestials.” Thereupon with sweet accents he said :—“Hear, O ye celestials, Satrughna hath taken up this arrow for the destruction of Lavana. By the energy thereof we have all been overwhelmed. This effulgent, everexisting arrow was made by the Primeval, Deity, Vishnu— the lord of creatures. My children, the burning arrow, of which you are afraid, was made by the high-minded Vishnu for slaying the demons Madhu and Kaitabha. And Vishnu alone is cognizant of its energy. This Satrughna is the first portion of Vishnu’s person ; do ye all go hence and behold the destruction of the foremost Rakshasa, Lavana, by the highsouled, heroic Satrughna, the younger brother of Rama.” Hearing the words of the Patriarch Brahma, the celestials arrived at the battle-field of Satrughna and Lavana and saw that the arrow, held by Satrughna’s hands, was burning like the fire of dissolution. Beholding the welkin covered by the celestials, Satrughna, the descendant of Raghu, emitting leonine roars, again and again looked towards Lavana. And being again excited by the high-souled Satrughna and enraged Lavana arrived for encounter. Thereupon expanding his bow up to ears, Satrughna, the most accomplished archer, discharged his arrow against the spacious breast of of Lavana. And piercing his heart that arrow entered speedily into Rasatala And having entered Rasatala that arrow, honored by the celestials, again came to the descendant of Raghu. And being pierced by that shaft the nightranger Lavana fell down on earth like a mountain clapped

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by a thunder-bolt. The Rakshasa being slain that celestial, huge arrow came into the possession of Rudra before the gods. Having removed the fear of the three worlds with one shaft, that heroic Raghu, Satrughna—younger brother of Lakshmana, holding excellent bow and arrow, appeared like the Sun of thousand rays removing darkness. Thereupon chanting the glories of Satrughna, the celestials, Rishis, Pannagas, Apsaras, said “O son of Dagaratha, it is really fortunate, that thou, renouncing fear, hast acquired victory and that the Rakshasa Lavana hath been vanquished like a serpent.”