Beside Yama, the Lord of Death, lay the flawless nooses of Time, instruments of destiny that bind all beings. Nearby stood a solid, resplendent club, shining with the brilliance of fire itself. At that moment, the three worlds trembled in agitation, and the gods themselves were seized by fear, beholding Time enraged—an awe-inspiring and terrifying sight for all creatures. Then, urged on by his charioteer, the radiant and splendid horses of Yama—gleaming and swift—set forth with a dreadful roar, heading straight for the place where the lord of the Rākṣasas, Rāvaṇa, awaited. In a flash, those horses, equal in speed and power to the steeds of Indra, carried Yama, swift as thought, to the heart of the raging battle. As that fearsome chariot, accompanied by Death itself, drew near, the ministers of Rāvaṇa were struck with terror. Overwhelmed and losing their nerve, they cried out, “We are not able to fight here!” and scattered in all directions, fleeing in panic, their hearts faint with fear. Yet Rāvaṇa, though he beheld the dreadful chariot that struck terror into the worlds, stood unshaken; no fear entered his heart. As Yama approached, burning with anger, he hurled spears and javelins, aiming at Rāvaṇa’s vital points. But Rāvaṇa, undaunted, retaliated with a relentless shower of arrows upon Vaivasvata’s chariot, as a raincloud pours forth torrents. Struck upon his broad chest by those mighty, spear-like arrows, the Rākṣasa was tormented and unable to retaliate. Thus, by Yama, the destroyer of enemies, Rāvaṇa was battered with many weapons, rendered senseless, and driven from the fight for seven nights. During this time, a tumultuous and fierce battle raged between Yama and the Rākṣasa. Both warriors, heroes in their own right, were unyielding, each yearning for victory. The gods, Gandharvas, Siddhas, and great seers, led by the Lord of Creatures, gathered to witness the mighty conflict on the battlefield. Then, as if at the world’s ending, both Rāvaṇa, chief of the Rākṣasas, and Yama, Lord of the Dead, became filled with wrath. Rāvaṇa, drawing his bow that shone like Indra’s thunderbolt, released a ceaseless stream of arrows, filling the sky. With four arrows he wounded Mṛtyu (Death), with seven he struck the charioteer Sūta, and with a hundred thousand swift arrows he struck Yama at his vital points. Enraged, Yama opened his mouth, and from it arose a blazing fire of wrath, wreathed in flames and smoke, his breath fierce and terrible. Witnessing this wonder, the gods, Dānavas, Mṛtyu, and Kāla were at once delighted and fiercely agitated. Then Mṛtyu, even more enraged, addressed Vaivasvata, saying, “Release me in battle, so I may slay this wicked Rākṣasa. By his very nature, this Rākṣasa cannot survive today—his time has come. Hiraṇyakaśipu, glorious Namuci, Śambara, Visandhi, Dhūmaketu, Bali son of Virocana, Dambhu the great Daitya king, Vṛtra, Bāṇa, royal sages versed in scripture, Gandharvas with mighty serpents, sages, serpents, Daityas, Yakṣas, hosts of Apsarases, and at the turning of ages, the very earth with its oceans—all have been brought to destruction, along with mountains, rivers, and trees, and many other powerful beings. I have seen them all fall—what then of this night-wanderer? Release me, O righteous one, so that I may slay him; for none whom I have seen, however strong, survives. This is not my own strength, but the natural order: one whom I have seen does not live even for a moment.” Hearing these words, the mighty Lord of Dharma, Yama, replied to Mṛtyu, “Wait; I shall slay him.” With his eyes reddened in anger, Vaivasvata raised high the infallible staff of Time. At his sides, all the nooses of Time were arrayed, and a mace, blazing like fire and lightning, stood embodied beside him. By his very sight, Yama can draw out the life of living beings—how much more so when he strikes? Surrounded by flames, he seemed to burn the Rākṣasa; when struck by that mighty weapon, even the great foe shuddered. All those present on the battlefield, terrified, fled in fear, and even the gods were shaken at the sight of Yama raising his staff. As Yama prepared to strike Rāvaṇa with his staff, Brahmā himself appeared before Yama and spoke: “O Vaivasvata, mighty-armed one, this night-wanderer is not to be slain by you with that staff, for he is not within your power. I have granted him a boon, O foremost of the gods; you must not make false what I have declared. For whoever, whether god or human, would make my word false, would thereby make all three worlds false—of this there is no doubt. When released in anger, this fierce staff, making no distinction between friend and foe, destroys beings and brings fear to the three worlds. This staff of Time, unfailing and of immeasurable power for all beings, was created by me in the beginning, with Death as its forerunner. Therefore, gentle one, this staff must not fall upon Rāvaṇa’s head; for when it falls, no one survives even for a moment.” Thus, the gods, the worlds, and even Death itself stood witness to the unassailable power of destiny, the limits set by divine decree, and the awe-inspiring might of Time.