Bowing his head at the feet of Raghunatha, Lakshmana darted forth at once, accompanied by stalwarts like Angad, Nila, Mayand, Nala and valiant Hanuman.

Arriving there, the monkeys found him squatting and offering an oblation of blood an live buffaloes to the sacrificial fire. The monkeys upset the whole sacrifice; yet, when the demon would not stir, they then took to praising him (ironically).

When still he made no move, the monkeys went and caught him by the hair and, striking him with the foot again and again, ran away. He rushed forth, trident in hand, while the monkeys fled and came where Lakshmana stood at the head of his army.

On he came, maddened by the rage, and shouted again and again with a fearful roar. The Son of the Wind and Angad darted forward in seething wrath, but he smote them in the breast with his trident and flung them to the ground.

He then shot forth his fierce pike at the Lord (Lakshmana), but Ananta struck it with his arrow and broke it in two. Meanwhile Hanuman and Angad had risen again and smote him furiously, but he received no injury.

When the heroes withdrew thinking that nothing could kill the enemy, Meghanada, he rushed forth with a terrible yell. When Lakshmana saw him coming on like wrathful Death, he shot fierce arrows at him.

When the wretch saw the shafts coming on like bolts of lightning, he at once vanished out of sight and began to fight in various guises, sometimes revealing himself and sometimes disappearing.