युद्ध

Battles

The defining combats of the epic.

• जनस्थान

  Rāma against Khara

  Alone, Rāma faces fourteen thousand rākṣasas sent to avenge Śūrpaṇakhā. He sends Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā to a cave and destroys the whole army himself. News of it reaches Rāvaṇa.

• जटायु

  Jaṭāyu against Rāvaṇa

  An aged vulture attacks the chariot carrying Sītā away. He shatters Rāvaṇa's chariot and bow before Rāvaṇa cuts off his wings.

• हनुमान्

  Hanumān against Akṣa

  After wrecking the grove, Hanumān faces wave after wave of Laṅkā's warriors. He kills the young prince Akṣa, and Rāvaṇa sends Indrajit.

• नागपाश

  The serpent arrows

  Invisible in the clouds, Indrajit binds both princes with serpent arrows. The army believes them dead. Garuḍa descends and the serpents flee at his coming.

• प्रहस्त

  Nīla against Prahasta

  Laṅkā's commander-in-chief leads a great sortie. Nīla crushes him with a rock, and Rāvaṇa has to come out himself.

• ऐन्द्रास्त्र

  Rāma against Kumbhakarṇa

  Woken from his sleep, the giant devours vānaras and carries off Sugrīva. Rāma cuts him down limb by limb and finally takes his head with an Aindra weapon.

• ऐन्द्रास्त्र

  Lakṣmaṇa against Indrajit

  Vibhīṣaṇa reveals Indrajit's secret sacrifice. Lakṣmaṇa must stop it before it is complete. After a long duel, Lakṣmaṇa invokes the truth of Rāma's dharma and severs Indrajit's head with an Aindra weapon.

• ब्रह्मास्त्र

  Rāma against Rāvaṇa

  Every head Rāma cuts grows back. Agastya comes to teach him the Āditya-hṛdayam. Mātali urges him to use the Brahmāstra. It strikes Rāvaṇa's heart.