Seeing Prahasta coming to the battle field with such a confidence and nonchalance Rama became curious. He asked Vibhishana "Who is he with such a very huge body, with such a competent and insouciant outlook coming with a great speed along with a large army? Please tell me about this guy."
Vibhishana readily obliged by "He is the overall chief of about two-thirds of the army of Lanka. He is a rakshash of immense prowess, skilled in the use of mystic weapons and quite valiant. He is called Prahasta, the field marshal of Ravana."
The vanaras who were raring to fight, took hold of trees, rocks and lofty and thick stones. As they approached each other, a very great battle ensued between those combatants who showered down a hail of arrows and a bombardment of trees and stones. In that battle, many on both sides were killed.
In that tumultuous clamour between the vanaras and rakshashas, cries of pain and victorious leonine roars were bellowed.
The aids of Prahasta, namely Narantaka, Kumbhahanu, Mahanada and Samunnata killed hordes of vanaras. Seeing that, Dvivida, with a mountain-peak, struck down Narantaka. Durmukha on his part, uprooted a very large tree and crushed the rakshash Samunnata.
Jambavan with a great fury seized a huge rock and threw it on the chest-region of Mahanada. Then, the valiant Kumbhahanu was fighting with the valiant vanara General Tara, who with a huge tree, hit him hard and the rakshash fell down stone dead.
Prahasta, with brimming anger, killed very many vanaras with an immense avalanche of arrows.
Seeing Prahasta annihilating the vanaras swiftly and efficiently, Nila decided to put an end to that nuisance. Seeing Nila running towards him, like a rocking wind in the sky rushes towards a large massive clouds, Prahasta the Army general halted Nila with a countless arrows. Unfortunately Nila was not able to restrain those arrows. He, therefore just faced and took them with closed eyes.
Nila, with a great effort retaliated and killed Prahasta's horses by hurling a huge Sala tree on them. Then he quickly followed it by breaking the bow of Prahasta. Deprived of his bow, Prahasta, seizing a formidable mace, leapt down from the chariot. Those two courageous adversaries, with their limbs covered with blood, were standing like two elephants in rut.
Lion and tiger in gait, lion and tiger in gestures, those two warriors tore each other with their sharp teeth. Vanquishers of other heroes and intrepid combatants, both of them, thirsting for fame, resembled Vritra and Indra. With a good force Prahasta exerting himself struck Nila on his forehead with a mace and blood oozed from his forehead. Nila with his limbs smeared with blood, seized a huge tree and struck Prahasta full on his chest. Ignoring that blow, he took a huge mace and ran towards Nila. Seeing Prahasta briskly rushing towards him, Nila took a huge rock swiftly and quickly hurled that rock on the head of Prahasta. That huge and terrific rock hurled by Nila found its target viz. Prahasa's head splitting it into myriad pieces. That was the end of Prahasta.
It is needless to mention that without the leader, his army vanished.
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