‘If it were not for your age, I would have you put to death; as it is, keep out of my sight.’ Malyavan, however, thought to himself, ‘The gracious Lord would soon slay him.’

He rose and departed, uttering words of reproof. Then excalimed Meghanada in a fury: ‘Just see what wonders I work in the morning! My exploits will surely far surpass my ability to describe them!’

Confidence returned to Ravana when he heard is son’s boasts and he took him affectionately on his lap. While they were still deliberating, the day broke, and the monkeys mustered again at the four gates,

and in burning rage beleaguered the inaccessible citadel. This gave rise to an uproarious alarm in the city. The demons rushed into battle with their weapons of every description and hurled down mountain peaks from the ramparts.

The demons hurled down myriads of mountain peaks and fired missiles of every description, which came loud-roaring like a bolt from heaven, and the warriors thundered like clouds on the day of dissolution. The formidable monkey champions clashed with the foe and were hacked to pieces, but they yielded no ground to the enemy though their bodies were riddled with wounds. They seized rocks and hurled them at the fort and the demons fell to them where they stood.

When Meghanada heard that the monkeys had come again and besieged the fort, he gallantly left his stronghold and sallied forth with beat of drum to meet the enemy face to face.

‘Where are the two brothers, princes of Kosala, those archers celebrated throughout all the spheres? Where are Nala and Nila, Dvivida and Sugriva, Angad and Hanuman, whose might knows no limits?