24. ENCOUNTERS IN EXILE (Part-5)

Soorpanaka said, "Bring that man alive. I will deal with

him." When he saw them approaching, Rama ordered

Lakshmana, "Guard Sita. Don't leave her side." He took out

his bow, slung his sword into position, girt himself for the

fight, and emerged from his cottage with the anger of a lion.

The battle began and ended quickly. Rama's arrows

knocked down the weapons the asuras bore and severed their heads.

Soorpanaka fled from the field and reported to

Kara the disaster that had befallen her chiefs.

Kara sounded his tocsin and gathered an army of

powerful rakshasas; they made their way to Panchvati and

surrounded Rama's ashram without any doubt that they

would end the career of the two foolhardy human beings.

They had plans to surround the cottage, fall on it at a given

moment, and wipe out the landmark with its occupants. With

shouts and screams calculated to shake the nerves of their

victims, they flourished their weapons and converged on the

cottage. This phase of the battle was a little more prolonged

but the result was the same as before.

Rama defeated Kara and his allies. Soorpanaka watched

from afar, understood the trend of events, snatched a brief

moment to approach and cry over the mangled corpses

strewn around, including that of her champion and brother

Kara, and decided it was time for her to leave the area. She

fled to Lanka to convey the news of the disaster to her

brother Ravana.