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36
JAIN RAMAYAN
mighty and intoxicated elephants and radiant horses began to fall down and to roll in floods of blood. The heads of countless warriors were cut; and they fell on the ground helter-skelter. Everywhere, rivers of blood flowed. Both the armies were deeply absorbed in fighting daring death. Step by step, Indra's army inflicted heavy casualities on the Rakshasa army and routed it. It began retreating losing all confidence of winning a victory. Finally, the soldiers of the Rakshasa army gave up fighting and ran away in mortal dread. Whatever may be the might of an elephant, it cannot defeat the lion, the king of beasts. A lion is a lion.
Seeing his soldiers running away from the battle-field, Mali grew furious with anger; and like an enraged bull, he pounced upon the army of Indra.
Indra also rushed forward with his mighty warriors whom he had named Yama, Varuna, Kuber etc., Within a moment, Mali and Indra were face to face in the battle-field. They glared at each other; shouted war-cries with deafening voices and pounced upon each other. A dreadful war raged between them for a long while. Neither was inferior to the other in militaric prowess and strength. There seemed to be no end to the fighting. Suddenly, Indra became greatly irritated and by means of his Vajrayudh, he cut off the head of Mali..
As soon as Mali was slain, the Vanara army and the Rakshasa army were completely vanquished. They ran away from the battle-field.
Indra crowned Vaishravan his trustworthy friend, King of Lanka; and returned to Ratanupur, his capital.
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