At no distance from where on the banks of the river Nerbuda, that dreadful lord of Rākshasas collected the flowers, Arjuna, the King of Mahismati, and the foremost of the victorous, was sporting with his wives in the water. And being encircled by them the king Arjuna appeared like a leading elephant surrounded by a thousands of she elephants. In order to measure the strength of his thousand arms the King of Haihayas obstructed the course of Nerbuda. Being obstructed by the arms of Kārtavirjarjuna and having flooded the banks with her pure waters, Nerbuda flowed in an opposite direction. And the currents, rising high as during the rainy season flowed with fishes, and crocodiles. And that stream, as if driven against Rāvana by Kārtavirjarjuna, carried away his collection of flowers. And having given up his worship which was half-finished Rāvana looked towards Nerbuda looking like an unwilling damsel and saw that she, with rising currents, was flowing towards the east from the west and the waters beyond that were in a natural state like a quiet lady and the birds were seated there without any anxiety. Thereupon being anxious to learn the cause of the rise of the river, the Ten-necked demon, with his right finger, hinted Shuka and Shārana. Being commanded by Rāvana, the two brothers, the heroic Shuka and Shārana proceeded towards the west by the aerial way. And going half a league, the two night-rangers espied a man sporting in the waters with some females. He was huge as a Sāla tree, his hairs were floating on the water, he was inebriete and his eyes were reddened in consequence thereof. Like unto Sumeru holding the earth with his thousand feet he obstructed the current of the river with his thousand arms. And he was surrounded by a thousands of beautiful damsels like an elephant by a thousands of she-elephants. Beholding that dreadful spectacle, the Rākshasas Shuka and Shārana came back and approaching Rāvana communicated (all) unto him. ‘O lord of Rākshasas, an unknown person, huge as a Sāla tree, is sporting with females obstructing the course of Nerbuda like unto a dam. And being withheld by the thousand arms of that man the waters of Nerbuda were continually throwing up high waves.’ Hearing the words of Shuka and Shārana, Rāvana exclaimed ‘This is Arjuna’ and proceeded to fight with him. Rāvana, the lord of Rākshasas, having set out with a hostile intention against Kārtavirjarjuna, the wind mixed with dust began to blow high with tumultuous sound. And the clouds began to mutter with a downpour of rain. And the lord of Rākshasas proceeded against Arjuna with Mahodara, Mahaparswa, Dhumrākshya, Shuka and Sairana. Within a short time the dreadful Rākshasa, powerful as the elephant Arjuna, reached the banks of Nerbuda and espied there Arjuna encircled by females as an elephant surrounded by she-elephants. At the very sight the eyes of the lord of Rākshasas, proud of his prowess, grew red and addressing the councillors of the king Arjuna he said ‘Do ye communicate unto the king of Haihayas that Rāvana, the lord of Rākshasas, hath come to fight with him.’ Hearing the words of Rāvana, the ministers of Arjuna stood up with arms and said ‘O good Rāvana, thou art well cognizant of the proper time for fighting. Now our king is drunk and is sporting with the females in the waters. And now dost thou wish to fight with him. Therefore, O Ten-necked one, do thou spend the night here, if thou art bent upon fighting. Or even if thou art anxious to enter speedily into conflict with Arjuna do thou slay us all at first, and then fight with the king.’ Thereupon the hungry councillors of Rāvana slew some of the ministers of the king and devoured some. There arose a dreadful uproar on the banks of Nerbuda, of the councillors of Rāvana and Arjuna. The warriors of Arjuna assailed Rāvana and his ministers with hundreds of arrows, Prashas, darts, Tomaras, thunder-bolts and Karpanas. The warriors of Arjijna became dreadfully furious and emitted cries like the roaring of the deep infested with crocodiles, fishes and other marine monsters. Thereupon being enraged and displaying their own prowess Shuka, Shārana and other ministers of Rāvana began to destroy Arjuna’s soldiers. Thereupon the emissaries, stricken with fear, went to the sporting king and communicated unto him the proceedings of Rāvana and his ministers. Hearing those words and saying unto the females ‘Do not fear’ he rose up from the waters like an elephant. The eyes of that fire-like Arjuna were reddened with ire and he shone dreadfully like the fire of dissolution. And taking up speedily his club, that one, always using golden clubs, pursued the Rākshasas like unto darkness following the sun. Holding up the huge club and hurling it with his arms, Arjuna, resorting to the velocity of Garuda, went on. Thereupon stood there obstructing his course the Rākshasa, worked up with anger and with a mace in his hand, like unto the Vindhya range standing in the way of the sun. And throwing down off his hand the iron mace, he, in anger, began to roar, like Yama. And the top of the mace was ablaze like the tips of Asoka flowers. Not the least agitated on beholding that mace, the king Arjuna, by his club, baffled its action. Thereupon uplifting the huge club, five hundred hands long, the king of Haihayas pursued Prahasta. And within a short time being struck down by that club gifted with great velocity Prahasta fell down on earth like unto the summit of a mountain clapped down by the thunder-bolt of Indra. Beholding Prahasta fallen, Māricha, Shuka, Shārana, Mahodara and Dhumrākshya fled away from the battle-field. All the councillors having thus fled away and Prahasta being slain Rāvana speedily proceeded towards Arjuna, the foremost of kings. Thereupon there ensued a terrible encounter capable of making down erect between the thousand-armed Arjuna, the king of men, and the twenty-armed Rāvana, the king of Rākshasas. And taking up their clubs Arjuna and Rāvana began to fight with one another emitting cries like the mutterings of clouds, like unto two huge bulls fighting for a cow, two agitated oceans, two moving mountains, two effulgent Adityas, two burning flames, two proud elephants, two proud lions and like the very Rudra and Kāla. As the mountains suffer many clappings of thunder-bolts so did they bear many strokes. And all the quarters were resounded with the sound proceeding from the stroke of their clubs like unto the sound of thunder-bolts. Being placed against the breast of Rāvana Arjuna’s club rendered, for a moment, the welkin look like the burning gold as does the lightning. And striking again and again against Arjuna’s breast Rāvana’s club looked like a huge fire-brand. Arjuna was not worn out nor was Rāvana. And the conflict went on between them like the encounter between Bala and Vasava in the days of yore. The King of men and the King of Rakshasas assailed and wounded one another with their clubs like unto two bulls striking one another with their horns and two elephants with their tusks. Thereupon worked up with rage, Arjuna, with his full might, smote Rāvana on his breast, with his club. But Rāvana was well protected by the boon of the celestial, so the club fell on earth sundered into two pieces like one hurled by a weak wight. Still wounded by the mace of Arjuna, Rāvana, shedding tears, ran away at a distance of four feet and sat there. Beholding Rāvana thus over-whelmed Arjuna sprang up and caught him like Garuda holding a serpent and Vishnu binding Bali. Dashagriva being thus bound, the Siddhas, Charanas and the celestials exclaiming ‘Well done! Well done!!’ showered flowers upon Arjuna. And the king emitted leonine roars again and again as a tiger joyous roars like a cloud, holding a deer under his grasp. Regaining his sense and beholding Rāvana bound, Prahasta, in great anger, pursued the King of Haihayas. And the Rakshasa force grew tempestuous like unto the rising of the ocean during rains. Thereupon exclaiming repeatedly ‘Leave him off! Leave him off!! Wait! Wait!!’ The Rākshasa host hurled hundreds of Musalas and darts in the battle-field. Not the least moved thereby the king Arjuna, the slayer of enemies, bore those weapons of the enemies of the celestials. Thereupon baffling the weapons of the Rākshasas by means of many a dreadful and excellent one, Arjuna, the king of Haihayas, drove them away like winds scattering the clouds. Having thus struck terror unto the night-rangers, he, encircled by his own kinsmen, repaired to his own city with Rāvana, carrying him bound like unto Indra carrying Bali bound. Thereupon flowers and fried paddy were showered upon him by the Brāhmanas and citizens.