The Battle Against Khara and Dushana

Shurpanakha's eyes blazed with anger. She stepped forward to catch the beautiful-eyed Sita. Rama swiftly stopped her. "Lakshmana, you should not have spoken sarcastically to this wretched creature," said Rama. "See how scared Sita is." The demoness began to roar. Lakshmana immediately produced a dagger and cut off her nose and ears.

Shurpanakha howled in pain and hurried back the way she had come. A stream of blood was flowing from her face, causing her to look more dreadful than she did before. She went straight to her cousins Khara and Dushana, surrounded by an army of demons. Khara and Dushana were the twin sons of Kaikasi's sister Raka. 

"What happened to your face?" Khara asked Shurpanakha. "I will kill whoever mutilated you with my fatal arrows."

Shurpanakha, with her blood-soaked face, informed Khara everything she knew about Rama and Lakshmana. He and Dushana set out with an army of fourteen thousand monsters to battle Rama and Lakshmana. When Rama saw this enormous army marching toward Panchavati, he sensed danger. He told Lakshmana and Sita to hide, nocked an arrow on his bow, and got ready to thwart the demons' attack.

The demons attacked Rama from all four directions. However, Rama remained motionless, like a mountain struck by lightning. Some monsters' weapons injured Rama and his blood shone like the sun. Rama shot thousands of crescent-shaped arrows, which killed numerous demons. He also shielded himself from the demons' weapons. The demons ran helter-skelter, but Dushana recalled them to the battlefield.

Rama attacked Dushana's army, and demons kept falling dead. Their armor and weapons were strewn on the battlefield. In the end, all fourteen thousand demons were killed by a mere mortal. Dushana was also killed. Rama then used a powerful arrow gifted by Maharshi Agastya to pierce Khara's heart, killing him.

The gods in heaven were pleased by the deaths of these two powerful demons and showered flowers on Rama. Lakshmana and Sita came out of hiding. Maharshi Agastya and various other sages congratulated Rama on his victory. Sita was glad that her husband was safe and sound.