"Shatrughna, Many are the warriors killed by Lavana with that Shula. I shall narrate only one story, that of an earlier king of Ikshwakus by the name of Mandhata.
"Mandhata was a powerful warrior hailed in the three worlds. He was interested in taking over even Indra's heaven. Indra was concerned. Mandhata went to Indra and proposed that he be given half of heaven and half of Indra's seat of power. Indra decided to end the threat from Mandhata.
"Oh, king, indeed, you have not become the undisputed monarch of even the entire earth. I think you should first conquer the earth and later venture to rule the other worlds." Mandhata was surprised. "Which part of the earth has been unconquered by me?"
"Oh, Mandhata, there is an asura king by the name of Lavana, son of Madhu. He rules over Madhu vana. He has not even heard about you and therefore does not serve under you."
"Mandhta returned, highly insulted. He decided to attack Lavana with a huge army. He went and provoked Lavana through an emissary that he should surrender. Lavana promptly devoured that hapless man. When his messenger did not return even after a long time, Mandhata attacked Lavana with a rain of arrows. Lavana seemed least affected as he roared in laughter. Then he picked up his Shula and hurled it at Mandhata who was surrounded by his army. That Shula glowed like the sun, shooting light beams, as it went and reduced Mandhata and his entire army to ashes in an instant, before returning to Lavana's hand.
"Shatrughna, go and attack Lavana early tomorrow before he gets hold of his Shula. Then your victory would be certain."
***
The next morning, Lavana started off for his terrible routine of hunting down animals and humans. He left the palace and went into the forest. Shatrughna bided his time and stood in front of the gate when Lavana returned after some hours, laden with the carcasses of all his kill.
Lavana was irritated to see an armed kshatriya warrior blocking his way.
"Oh, you trivial human, who are you, what do you want? If you want me to eat you, come and fall directly into my mouth!" And then Lavana roared with his famous laughter.
Shatrughna was enraged. Boiling tears came out of his eyes to be addressed thus. His body radiated light beams. He shouted, योद्धुमिच्छामि दुर्बुद्धे द्वन्द्वयुद्धं त्वया सह "Oh, monster, I want to fight you one on one!"
"I am the son of King Dasharatha and am the younger brother of Sri Rama. I have come here only to fight you. I am renowned as a warrior by my name of Shatrughna (the destroyer of foes). You are a menace to all creation and I will not let you escape alive today."
Lavana roared again and said, "Well, it is my good luck that you have landed in front of me. I am the nephew of Ravana and know how he was killed by Rama on account of a woman. Now is my welcome opportunity to avenge his death. You should know that those who came before you to fight me perished like blades of grass. It shall be so in the future too. Wait, let me go and get my Shula."
Shatrughna said, क्व मे जीवन् गमिष्यसि? "How can you cross me and go now? "
"Do you take me for a fool to let my enemy go like this when we are facing each other, ready for battle? I shall attack you right now. Take it. Soon, you will be on your way to Yamaloka."
Lavana gnashed his teeth, wrung his hands in utter rage and shouted, "Come, come!" Shatrughna was witnessed by all celestials and sages as he said, "Oh, you evil one, when you won all those battles before, this Shatrughna had not yet been born. Now is your scheduled trip going to happen to Yamaloka. Let every one of the sages and the celestials witness your destruction like they witnessed Ravana's death in the past."
Lavana plucked a huge tree and hurled it directly at Shatrughna. Shatrughna cut that tree down with his arrows. Lavana now rained more such missiles, non-stop, at Shatrughna, who was able to cut them all down easily with his arrows.
Then Shatrughna attacked Lavana with his rain of arrows. But Lavana was least perturbed. Lavana was roaring in laughter as he picked up a very huge tree now and struck Shatrughna on his head with it. Shatrughna rolled to the ground. All the celestials and sages raised a huge cry of despair to see Shatrughna struck down. Lavana was sure Shatrughna had been killed. He started picking up all those carcasses he had dropped at the start of the fight.
But Shatrughna recovered very quickly. He picked up that divine arrow of Mahavishnu that Sri Rama had given him. It emitted a blinding light in all directions. Its tip looked like Indra's thunderbolt. That arrow had never been futile. It was beautifully decorated, too. All creatures shuddered in distress on seeing that arrow being launched by Shatrughna. It seemed to spell the end of all creation. The sages and gods rushed within themselves to Lord Brahma, saying a divine and unprecedented weapon was being deployed by Shatrughna and could cause universal destruction. Lord Brahma spoke:
"Oh, gods, listen to this. That arrow being set to his bow by Shatrughna is the famous one that belongs to the primordial Purusha Mahavishnu. Vishnu used it to kill Madhu and Kaithabha long back. Now see it at work as Shartughna kills Lavana."
Shatrughna seemed to blaze like the final conflagration of dissolution. He set the Vishnu arrow to his bow, pulling the string far back right up to his ear. He pointed it at Lavana's chest and released it. The arrow went, pierced through Lavana, went right down to Rasatala, and before anyone could blink, was back, safely ensconced in Shatrughna's quiver! Lavana rolled to the ground, shattered like a mountain by Indra's thunderbolt. Suddenly the skies lit up in the three worlds with the great celebration of the end of Lavana.
Shatrughna was hailed by all the gods, apsaras, celestials, and sages as a matchless hero for ending the universal menace of Lavana. Meanwhile, everyone saw how Shiva's great Shula escaped with a fiery light from Lavana's palace and reached back to Shiva.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
