Sarga 94: Commanded by Ravana, the Rakshasa army departs to the battlefield. Destruction of Rakshasa army by Sri Rama's powerful arrows.

Ravana, the king entered the council, angry like a lion, looking piteous, very sad and sat on the seat.

Ravana, endowed with mighty prowess, shrunken on account of his son, greeting all the army chiefs with folded hands spoke as follows.

"I shall kill him with huge sharp arrows as the world looks at Rama, once his limbs are struck by you."

On Rakshasa king speaking like that, all the diverse battalions together departed swiftly on chariots.

All the Rakshasas threw at the Vanaras iron bars, clubs, axes, swords, and arrows, which were capable of destroying the life. Vanaras also attacked Rakshasas with trees and rocks.

By the time of sunrise, the most terrific war started between Vanaras and Rakshasas, which became tumultuous.

The Vanaras and Rakshasas attacked one another with wonderful maces, darts, swords, and axes in war.

As the war was in progress, wonderful dust had risen which subsided by the flow of blood of Vanaras and Rakshasas.

There with rivers of blood flowing, elephants and chariots were like banks, horses were like fish, staff of chariots like trees and dead bodies as logs of wood seemed.

Leaping and jumping the Vanaras and also the leaders of Vanaras bathed in blood broke all kinds of weapons, staff of chariots and the horses.

The monkeys with their sharp teeth and nails tore off the hair, ears, noses, and forehead of the Rakshasas,

Just as trees laden with fruits are attacked by birds, each one of the Rakshasas was attacked by hundreds of Vanaras.

Then the mountainlike forms of Rakshasas attacked the Vanaras with heavy maces, darts, swords, and axes in frightening ways.

The Vanaras being struck by Rakshasas sought the protection of Rama, the son of Dasharatha.

Then, the highly energetic and valiant Rama, taking up the bow showered rain of arrows on Rakshasa army.

Then Rama entered the army with fire like arrows which were consuming the Rakshasas like the clouds in the sky which can't approach the scorching Sun.

The night rangers were able to see Rama's terrible action which was difficult for others only after he had performed not otherwise (as they could not see his quick movement).

They could not see Rama while he was moving and breaking huge chariots as one would not be able to see the trees in the forest when the wind blew fast.

They saw the army shattered, broken into pieces, tormented with darts by Rama but could not make out Rama who was very fast in action.

Just as created beings experience their senses and do not perceive their soul, the army experienced the hitting of Raghava by their senses but were not able to perceive him who was hitting them.

'Rama is here killing elephants', 'Here is Rama destroying chariot warriors', 'Rama is killing horses, foot soldiers with sharp arrows', saying like that, the Rakshasas were striking one another in the battle. Being there where Rama was, they were mistaking one another for Rama there because of the socalled resemblance and attacking one another.

The Rakshasas got confused by the supreme missile presided over by Gandharvas, released by Rama, which was burning their army, and were not able to see.

In the battle those Rakshasas could see a thousand Ramas at one place and again one Rama alone at another place

While Rama was going around in circles with his bow, the Rakshasas were confused, and saw the golden ends of the bow to be like a burning fire stick circling and could not see Rama.

People saw Rama in the form of wheel exterminating the Rakshasas on the battlefield, which had the body of Sri Rama as its navel, his strength as its glow, the arrows as spokes, his bow as belly, the twangling of the bowstring as its sound, his virtues and effulgence as the power of his mystic missiles in war. Rama was seen as a wheel of time spirit by the people.

In the eighth part of the day, in the battlefield, an army of Rakshasas who were capable of changing their forms at will, constituting a myriad of chariots with wind speed, eighteen thousand fleetfooted elephants, fourteen thousand horses with riders, two lakh Rakshasas fighting on foot exterminated by Rama singlehanded with his arrows that resembled tongues of fire.

Rakshasas dead, chariots destroyed, staff of chariots broken, remaining Rakshasas returned to Lanka.

With the elephants, horses, and foot soldiers killed, the battlefield was like the ground where mighty Rudra sported in anger.

Then, the Gandharvas, Devas, and Siddhas were very happy and praised Sri Rama saying, 'well done, well done' and offered prayers.

Then righteous Sri Rama said to nearby Sugriva, Vibheeshana, Hanuman, Jambavan and leaders of Vanaras like Mainda, Dwivida, that the power of these arrows are in him and Lord Siva only.

Sri Rama, a compeer of Indra having exterminated the Rakshasa king's army with weapons and missiles, the Devas and sages too were jubilant. ।। इत्यार्षेवाल्मीकीयेश्रीमद्रामायणेआदिकाव्येयुद्धकाण्डेचतुर्नवतितमस्सर्गः ।। This is the end of the ninety fourth sarga of Yuddha Kanda of the first epic the holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.