They being thus engaged in conversation regarding his achieving victory without any danger Shatrughna in no time passed the night. The clear morning having arrived, the heroic Lavana issued out of his city to collect food. In the meantime having crossed the river Yamunā, the heroic Shatrughna, with bow in his hands, stood at the gate of Madhu’s city. Thereupon returning in the noon with many thousand animals, the night-ranger Lavana, of dreadful actions, espied Shatrughna standing at the gate with a weapon in his hand. Thereupon he said: — “What shall thou do with this weapon? O vile wight, enraged I have devoured many thousand persons holding weapons like thee. I now perceive thou hast also been possessed by Kāla. O vile man, I am fully fed. How shall thou, of thy own accord, enter into my mouth?” Lavana having said this again and again laughing the great hero Shatrughna shed tears in anger. The high-minded Shatrughna being beside himself with rage, from all his person issued burning lustre. Greatly enraged he said to the night-ranger “O thou of a vicious intellect, I wish to enter into a duel encounter with thee. I am the son of the great king Dasharatha, brother of the intelligent Rāma and my name is Shatrughna. I slay all my enemies and have come here to destroy thee. I wish now to fight with thee—do thou enter into a duel conflict. Thou art the enemy of all animals. Thou shall not be able to survive at my hands.” He having said this, the Rākshasa, laughing aloud, replied unto that foremost of men: — “Thy understanding is bewildered. By the influence of destiny thou hast come under my control. The Rākshasa Rāvana was the brother of my aunts, o thou of vicious understanding, O vile wight, it is for his wife that Rāma did slay him. It is out of hatred that I have tolerated the destruction of Rāvana’s family and have pardoned you all. You are all vile men; I have slain and defeated all of your family that have passed away and shall destroy all that are living and shall come into existence. O thou of vicious intellect, if thou wishest I shall fight with thee. Do thou wait here so long I do not bring my weapon. Do thou remain here as long as I with that shall not kill thee.” Whereto Shatrughna immediately replied “Where shalt thou go while I am alive? The practical men should never let off the enemies who come out of their own accord. He, who inviteth an enemy into battle under the influence of perverted understanding is slain like a coward. Do thou behold this world of creatures to thy hearts’ content for I shall by various sharp weapons despatch thee to Yama’s abode who is the enemy of the three worlds and Rāghava.”
Hearing the words of the high-souled Shatrughna Lavana was greatly enraged and again and again asked him to wait. And clashing his hands and grinding his teeth he invited that foremost of Raghus, Shatrughna, to fight. And Shatrughna, the slayer of celestial’s enemies, said to the dreadful Lavana, giving vent to those words: — “Shatrughna was not born when thou didst defeat other kings; do thou therefore proceed to Death’s abode being assailed by shafts. O thou of a vicious soul, as did the celestials behold Rāvana slain so shall the Rishis and learned Brahmans behold thee, destroyed by me. O Rākshasa, forsooth shall good crown cities and villages when thou shalt fall down burnt by my arrows. As the rays of the sun enter into lotus so shall arrows, hard as lightning, discharged by my hands, shall enter into thy heart.” Being beside himself with ire on hearing those words of Shatrughna, Lavana threw a huge tree against his breast. And Shatrughna too sundered it into a hundred pieces. Beholding his own action baffled the Rākshasa again took up many trees and hurled them at Shatrughna, who, with three or four hundred bent arrows, cut them all, one by one, into pieces. Thereupon when the powerful Shatrughna assailed him with arrows the Rākshasa was not the least pained. Rather laughing aloud, the valiant Rākshasa uprooted a tree and struck him with that on the head. With that stroke he was wounded and slain. And that hero falling there arose a terrible uproar amongst the Rishis, celestials, Gandharvas and Apsarās. Thereupon considering Shatrughna slain the night-ranger did not enter his house albeit he got the opportunity; and moreover beholding him fallen and destroyed he did not take up his dart. He then began to carry his collected food. Regaining his sense within a moment, Shatrughna, with a weapon in his hand, stood at the city gate and the Rishis began to praise him. Thereupon, he having taken up an excellent arrow of unfailing aim the ten quarters were filled with its native brilliance. Its face was like lightning and its velocity the same and it looked like Meru and Mandara; its joints were all bent. None could defeat it in battle. It was pasted with red sandal resembling blood and its feathers were beautiful. Beholding that dart like unto the fire of dissolution, and dreadful like unto the lords of Dānavas, mountains and Asuras, the creatures were greatly terrified. What more, being disturbed, the celestials, Asuras, Gandharvas, saints and Apsarās and all other creatures of the world approached the Great Patriarch, the conferrer of boons and said: — “The fear of the celestials and the destruction of the creatures hath arrived.” Hearing those words, the Patriarch Brahma replied “Although it is a source of great fear still it is not dreadful unto the celestials.” Thereupon with sweet accents he said: — “Hear, O ye celestials, Shatrughna hath taken up this arrow for the destruction of Lavana. By the energy thereof we have all been overwhelmed. This effulgent, ever-existing arrow was made by the Primeval Deity Vishnu—the lord of creatures. My children, the burning arrow, of which you are afraid, was made by the high-minded Vishnu for slaying the demons Madhu and Kaitabha. And Vishnu alone is cognizant of its energy. This Shatrughna is the first portion of Vishnu’s person; do ye all go hence and behold the destruction of the foremost Rākshasa, Lavana, by the high-souled, heroic Shatrughna, the younger brother of Rāma.” Hearing the words of the Patriarch Brahmā, the celestials arrived at the battle-field of Shatrughna and Lavana and saw that the arrow, held by Shatrughna’s hands, was burning like the fire of dissolution. Beholding the welkin covered by the celestials, Shatrughna, the descendant of Raghu, emitting leonine roars, again and again looked towards Lavana. And being again excited by the high-souled Shatrughna and enraged Lavana arrived for encounter. Thereupon expanding his bow up to ears, Shatrughna, the most accomplished archer, discharged his arrow against the spacious breast of Lavana. And piercing his heart that arrow entered speedily into Rasātala And having entered Rasātala that arrow, honored by the celestials, again came to the descendant of Raghu. And being pierced by that shaft the night-ranger Lavana fell down on earth like a mountain clapped by a thunder-bolt. The Rākshasa being slain that celestial, huge arrow came into the possession of Rudra before the gods. Having removed the fear of the three worlds with one shaft, that heroic Raghu, Shatrughna—younger brother of Lakshmana, holding excellent bow and arrow, appeared like the Sun of thousand rays removing darkness. Thereupon chanting the glories of Shatrughna, the celestials, Rishis, Pannagas, Apsarās, said “O son of Dasharatha, it is really fortunate, that thou, renouncing fear, hast acquired victory and that the Rākshasa Lavana hath been vanquished like a serpent.”