The demon stood his ground but trembled violently all over. Meanwhile, Vibhishana withdrew into the presence of Rama, the protector of his servants. Then Ravana challenged and assailed Hanuman, who spread his tail and flew into the air.

Ravana caught hold of his tail, but Hanuman flew on, carrying him aloft with him. Then the valiant Hanuman turned and closed with him; there in the sky they fought, the two well-matched warriors, each smiting the other in great fury.

As they employed all their strength and stratagem in the upper air, it looked as though Sumeru had come into collision with a mountain of soot. When the demon could not be overthrown either by wit or by force, the Son of the Wind invoked his Lord.

Invoking Raghubira, the resolute Hanuman shouted defiance and smote Ravana. The two fell to the ground, rose up again and resumed fighting, and the gods shouted, ‘Victory!’ ‘Victory!’ to both. Seeing Hanuman in such desperate straits, the monkeys and bears sallied forth in furious haste; but Ravana, battled-mad, crushed al their champions with the might of his dread arms.

Then, rallied by Raghubira, the monkeys, fierce and dauntless, rushed forward. Seeing them to be so overwhelmingly strong, Ravana put forth his magic power.

For a moment the wretch became invisible, then again revealed himself in multitudinous forms; on all sides were manifest as many Ravanas as there were bears and monkeys in the army of Raghunatha.

At the sight of such an infinity of Ravanas, the bears and monkeys fled in every direction. They had no courage to stay, but all fled, crying, ‘Save us, O save us, Lakshmana and Raghubira!’