Indrajeet's Downfall and Ravan's Fury

A fierce battle ensued between Indrajeet and Lakshman. These two great warriors were evenly matched, neither considering retreat. The monkeys eventually broke Indrajeet's chariot and killed his horses. Lakshman then held a fire arrow and said, "If Emperor Dasharath's son, Ram, is following the path of righteousness, may this arrow kill Indrajeet." He shot the fire arrow at Indrajeet's neck, severing his head. After Indrajeet's death, joy filled the monkey army.

When Ravan heard about Indrajeet's death, he was speechless for a moment and then fainted. Upon regaining consciousness, he lamented, "Oh, son Indrajeet, why have you left me and gone? There was no one else like you in the world. No army on earth could survive your attacks, yet you were killed by an ordinary man. How did this happen? Without you, the entire planet has become desolate for me. Now that you're dead, I no longer wish to live. Son, where have you gone, leaving behind me, your mother, and your beloved wife?"

The despondent Ravan forgot that he was the main reason for the death of his sons. His grief quickly turned into anger. He considered Seeta the root cause of this problem and prepared to kill her. Remembering how his son had killed a fake Seeta, he decided that the real Seeta should be killed. Grabbing a sword, he rushed toward the Ashok Garden. His ministers and queens ran behind him. They had seen Ravan angry before, but this time, he was furious. Seeing Ravan running toward her, Seeta understood that this time, Ravan wasn't coming to request her with loving words. His eyes were filled with hatred and contempt, and he was boiling with rage. How quickly the thoughts of wicked people change! Such people make affectionate requests one day, but their love turns into hatred the next day. Due to her separation from Ram, Seeta was ready to give up her life.

One of Ravan's ministers stepped forward to try to appease him. "Emperor," he addressed the Demon King, "how can you think about murdering Seeta? She depends upon your compassion and is helpless at the moment. Please leave her alone. Take your anger out on her husband and his younger brother—they have caused the death of your sons. Go to the battlefield and defeat the enemy yourself. When you return victorious, Seeta will automatically be yours." Fortunately, Ravan liked this advice, but he remained entangled in his thoughts for some time. After that, he returned to his court.

The next day, Ravan ordered some brave soldiers of his choice to go to the battlefield and not to return until they had killed the two Kosal princes. Ravan's soldiers arrived at the battlefield at daybreak, armed with deadly weapons. A bloody battle broke out between the two armies, each thirsty for the other's blood. It was such a gruesome battle that a river of blood began to flow. In the end, Ram used his Gandharvastra, which caused hundreds of Rams to appear in all four directions. The effect of this weapon was that the demon soldiers lost their memory. With one strike, Ram destroyed the entire group of Ravan's soldiers.

An atmosphere of grief spread throughout the city of Lanka. The women who lamented blamed Shurpanakha. They said that Shurpanakha's evil deeds were the root cause of Indrajeet's death and the demons now being on the brink of destruction. Ravan tried to console them by saying it was inappropriate to shed tears for a valiant warrior like Indrajeet, who was the pride of the demon race.