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164
SETUBANDHA
.. 37. Lakşmaņa struck off Meghanāda's head with the weapon sacred to Brahmā, after he had fought with magic arts as well as arrows and darts in a manner worthy of a demon.
38. Hearing that Indrajit was slain, Rāvana shed tears in anger that dripped at the moment, like the clarified butter of lighted lamps, touched by the flame.
39. When Meghanāda was killed, Fate, turning adverse on the instant, smote Rāvana with grief and despair at the same time, as if with both hands.
40. Even though left alone, with all kinsmen killed, Rāvana who had a terrible cluster of faces, and was formidable with his many arms, went out like a multitude of demons.
41, 42. He then mounted his chariot that partly obscured the sun with its sable banners swayed by the wind. The heavy mane of the horses was drenched with the ichor of the furious Airāvata elephant when it had hit the car with its tusks (in the fight with Indra).
The reverse side of the lunar orb, soiled by the rust on the wheels, was wiped clean by the banners; 16 and the vehicle was scorched by the flames that had shot up when Kubera's mace hit it and broke (during his combat with Rāvana).
43. When they saw him sally out, the Rākşasa women, wishing him well, choked back their tears with the very eyes from which they had issued.17
44. The host of apes, unsteady by nature, whose chests were cooled by the cascades on the mountains held in their hands, was appraised by him with his eyes as well as his arrows.18
45. Even though Vibhīşaņa, surrounded by the host of apes, confronted him, his arrow, wrathfully joined to the bow, became unsteady, because Vibhisana was humble, and was his brother.
16. i.e., during the aerial journeys of Rävana. 17. Tears at the moment of departure were regarded as a bad omen,
18. i.e., he judged the fighting qualities of the apes by observing them closely and assailing them with his arrows. Acc. to Krsna, he looked at them with contempt and overpowered them with his arrows.
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