Attracted by the incense of fire-worship (Havana), the demons would come to the sacrificial pit and would eat the materials of Yajna, snatching it from the performer.62.
Seeing the loot of the materials of the fire-worship and feeling himself helpless, the great sage Vishwamitra came to Ayodhya in great anger.
On reaching (Ayodhya) he said to the king. “Give me your son Ram for a few days, otherwise I shall reduce you to ashes on this very spot.”63.
Visualising the fury of the sage, the king asked his son to accompany him and the sage accompanied by Ram went to begin the Yajna again.
The sage said, “O Ram! listen, there are two routes, on the one the Yajna-spot is far away and on the other it is quit near, but on the later route there lives a demoness named Taraka, who kills the wayfares.64.
Ram said, “Let us go by the small-distance-route, abandoning the anxiety, this work of killing the demons is the work of the gods.”
They began to move on that route and at the same time the demoness came and laid obstruction on the path saying, “O ram! how will you proceed and save yourself?”65.
On seeing the demoness Tarka, ram held his bow and arrows in his hand, and pulling the cow discharged the arrow on her head.
On being struck by the arrow, the heavy body of the demoness fell down and in this way, he end of the sinner came at the hands of Ram.66.
In this way, after killing the demoness, when the Yajna was started, two large-sized demons, Marich and Subahu, appeared there.
Seeing them, all the sages ran away and only Ram persistently stood there and the war of those three was waged continuously for sixteen watches.67.
Holding firmly their arms and weapons, the demons began to shout “kill, kill” they caught hold of their axes, bows and arrows in their hands.