Indrajit Renders Lakshmana Unconscious

Indrajit, well-versed in illusions and magic, arrived at the battlefield in his chariot. He sent thousands of monkeys to Yamaloka, the land of the dead. Several monkeys attacked him with uprooted trees and boulders, but these efforts didn't distract him. When he realized he couldn't defeat Rama and Lakshmana in a direct battle, he resorted to magic. He surrounded himself with demon soldiers and created an illusory Sita in the middle of the army.

He attacked this illusory Sita, who began to call out "Rama, Rama." Hearing this angered Rama. Hanuman couldn't bear to see Sita insulted in this way. He warned Indrajit that he would face terrible consequences for this action. But Indrajit shouted, "First, I will kill Sita. After that, I will kill Rama, Lakshmana, Sugriva, Hanuman, and everyone else." After making this announcement, he killed the illusory Sita to destroy the morale of the monkeys. Believing the illusory Sita to be real, anger spread throughout the monkey army. Several monkeys were heartbroken and withdrew from the war.

Hanuman's anger knew no bounds as he attacked the demons with all his might, leading to a bloody battle. However, he soon realized the futility of the fight, as Sita, the very reason for their struggle, was believed to be dead. Heartbroken, Hanuman returned to Rama and Lakshmana, tears streaming from his eyes, and recounted the tragic news of Sita's death. Overwhelmed, Rama collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Upon regaining consciousness, Vibhishana informed Rama and Hanuman that Sita's 'death' was likely an illusion created by Indrajit's magical powers. Indrajit aimed to deceive them to complete his yagya without interruption, which would render him invincible in battle. Vibhishana had learned this from his spies. Soon after, Indrajit entered the battlefield with the intent to kill Rama and Lakshmana. Skilled in magic, he turned invisible and launched a barrage of arrows at them, spreading fear among the monkey army.

To bolster the monkeys' morale, Lakshmana launched an attack on Indrajit, who had made himself visible again. Though they were equally matched, Indrajit possessed several powerful arrows. Using the Brahmastra, he struck Lakshmana, rendering him unconscious. Waves of grief swept through the monkey army, but Vibhishana reassured them that Lakshmana would only be unconscious for a short time.