When he saw the most dreadful spear coming and realizing that he had sworn to put an end to the distress of his suppliants, instantly Rama set Vibhishana behind him and exposed himself to the full force of the missile.

When the dread spear struck him, the Lord swooned for a while, a feint which filled the gods with dismay. When Vibhishana saw that the Lord had been hurt, he seized his club and rushed forward in a rage.

‘You ill-starred wretch! You fool! Vile and perverse dullard!’ he cried, ‘you’ve shown hostility to gods, human beings, sages and serpents alike! And just because you devoutly offered your heads to Lord Shiva, you’ve received millions of heads in exchange for every one!

It is for this reason, O wretch, that you’ve been spared so far, but now death is dancing on your pate. Fool, do you hope to prosper in a quarrel with Rama? So speaking, he struck Ravana full on the chest with his club.

At the hard dread stroke of the mighty club on the chest, he fell to the ground all his ten mouths spouting blood; but he picked himself up again and darted forward full of fury. The two mighty combatants closed with each other in savage wrestle, each mauling the other; proud in the strength of Raghubira, Vibhishana deemed his adversary as of no account.

O Uma, could Vibhishana have dared of himself to look Ravana in the face? Armed with the might of Raghubira, however, he now closed with his brother like Death himself.

When Hanuman saw that Vibhishana was sorely exhausted, he rushed forward with a rock in his hand; overthrowing the chariot with its horses and the charioteer all at once, he gave Ravana a kick full in the breast.