They thus enraged fought with each other and for sometime there ensued an terrible encounter capable of making ones down stand on end. The highly powerful Rāvana and Rāma *fighting with each other in the conflict by means of sharpened arrows, the lord of Rākṣasas beholding his flag staff broken down became enraged with the foremost Raghus. Rāma and Rāvaņa thus opposing each other in battle all the animals beheld them, stricken with astonishment. And those two great heroes, highly angered, began to dash towards and assail each other; and being determined to slay each other they looked greatly dreadful. And their charioteers drove the cars on, displaying their skill by moving in circles, in rows and diverse other ways. and those two excellent heroes, discharging their shafts and influenced by illusions, assailed each other proceeding and receding, Rāma attacking Rāvana and Ravana withstanding him. And these two cars coursed the earth for sometime like clouds accompanied by showers. *The epithet in the text is Laksmana's elder brother.
एवं तु तौ सुसंक्रुद्धौ चक्रतुयुद्धमुत्तमम्। मुहूर्तमभवद्युद्धं तुमुलं रोमहर्षणम्॥ तौ तथा युध्यमानौ तु समरे रामरावणौ। ददृशुः सर्वभूतानि विस्मितेनान्तरात्मना॥ अर्दयन्तौ तु समरे तयोस्तौ स्यन्दनोत्तमौ। परस्परमभिक्रुद्धौ परस्परमभिद्रुतौ ॥ परस्परवधे युक्तौ घोररूपौ बभूवतुः। मण्डलानि च वीथीश्च गतप्रत्यागतानि च॥ दर्शयन्तौ बहुविधां सूतौ सारथ्यजां गतिम्। अर्दयन्रावणं रामो राघवं चापि रावणः॥ गतिवेगं समापन्नौ प्रतिवेगनिवर्तने। क्षिपतोः शरजलानि तयोस्तौ स्यन्दनोत्तमौ॥ चेरतुः संयुगमहीं सासारौ जलदाविव।