After Makaraksha's death, Ravan called Taranisen & told him, "Your father Vibhishon has left me, but I believe that you will help me in this danger! I know that you respect me, my son, save our Lanka!" Taranisen humbly replied, "I will try at my best."
Before going to the battle-field, Taranisen went to meet his mother Sarama (Vibhishon's wife Sarama was very kind & helpful to Sita, Sita addressed her 'Sakhi'). He bowed to Sarama & said, "Mother! To obey king's order I'm going to join to this war. I will see the Purna-Bramha Narayan today with these eyes! My body will be purified with Shri Ram's darshan! Will also see my father's feet! Mother! Please give me your permission to go there!"
Sarama became frightened, "No, my son! I can't permit you to join to this dangerous war. This war will burn the whole Lanka. I will leave Lanka with you. Your father is a follower of Dharm, he took shelter of Shri Ram. You must follow your father's footprints. Shri Ram is not a man; he is the Lord of Vaikunth. He has incarnated himself in order to destroy Ravan with his whole rakshas-kul. Your father knows this. Why should you want to fight with Shri Narayan?"
Taranisen replied, "I know well that Ram is incarnation of Vishnu. Still I decided to fight with him. I will be able to reach Vaikunth directly if he slays me! Why are you so sad, mother? I'm fortunate enough to be killed by His hands! But, if He denies killing His devotee's son, then I will return to touch your feet."
Taranisen became ready for war. He wrote the holy name of Ram on his chariot & flag with holy clay of Ganga! When he entered into the battle-field, Shri Ram asked Vibhishon, "Who is he. Dear friend?" Vibhishon replied, "My Lord! He is a nephew of Ravan, but he is a follwer of Dharm & also a great warrior." He didn't reveal that Taranisen was his own son!
On the other hand, Tarani was searching for Ram, he thought, "When will I see Him? Where is Shri Narayan? Where is my father?" but when he tried to reach to Ram, Neel stopped him, & said, "Where do you want to go? I will kill you at this moment." Seeing Ram naam on his chariot & flag, he laughed, "The demons are clever enough! He has come to fight in a disguise of devotee! Just like Makaraksha came with cows on his chariot! & now you want to cheet us with your false devotion! Is this a new plan of rakshas society?" Neel started war with Tarani, but Tarani easily defeated him, Neel became unconscious. Then Hanuman started to fight against him, but could not win! After Hanuman's defeat, most of the vanaras became afraid. Angad tried to stop Tarani but he failed too! Mahendra, Debendra, Sushen & also king Sugriv was defeated by Taranisen.
Then the son of Vibhishon appeared in front of Shri Ram & Lakshman. He offered his pranaam to Vibhishon with indication (just like Arjun's pranaam to Dronacharya with arrows) & openly bowed to Shri Ram & Lakshman.
Shri Ram asked, "Friend Vibhishon! This rakshas has come here to fight against us. Then why is he offering pranaam to me?"
Vibhishon replied, "Lord! He is your devotee; he knows nothing but your feet! He has to join this war only to obey the order of king Ravan."
Shri Ram told, "If he is my devotee, then I bless him. His desire will be fulfilled."
Lakshman became astonished, "Brother! What are you saying? He is a rakshas. His desire is Ravan's victory. Will you fulfill this desire?"
Shri Ram smiled, "No, Lakshman! My devotees can never keep a wish of wealth or victory in their mind! They only want me!"
Meanwhile, Taranisen made a sound by pulling his bow (tankar) & shouted, "I'm here. So don't expect to return your home!" Lakshman became angry with those words. He started to fight with Taranisen. He threw lots of arrows towards Tarani, but the great devotee destroyed all the arrows just by uttering 'Ram' in his mind. If Lakshman applied Agni-ban (fire-weapon) then Tarani destroyed it by Barun-ban (water-weapon). If Lakshman threw Pashupat astra, Tarani canceled it with Vaishnav astra. Lakshman's Parvat-ban (mountain weapon) was destroyed by Tarani's Pavan-ban (wind-weapon), & Sarpa-ban (snake-weapon) was destroyed by Garur astra. Then Lakshman applied the Gandharva-ban, it created numerous Gandharvas who killed the whole rakshas army of Taranisen. Being worried with his army's fall, Tarani threw a shakti on Lakshman & the later became unconscious.
Then Taranisen shouted, "Where is that vanavasi Ram?"
Ram came & told him, "Don't worry! I will surely send you to Yamlok very soon! But Tarani was silent. He could see viswa-roop of Ram! He saw the whole universe in Ram's body! He left his weapons, offered a 'bhumistha pranaam' (pranaam by lying the whole body on ground) & started a stuti of Ram,------
"You are the Lord of all Gods! You are the Lord of Vaikuntha! You are Bramha-Vishnu-Mahesh; you are Kuber-Barun-Yam-Indra; you are Chandra-Surya, you are day & night! You are the Lord of distressed people. You do the creation, protection & destroy. You have spread yourself in the whole universe. You have taken the forms of Matsya, Kurma, Baraha & Narasimha; you are the enemy of demon Hiranyakashipu, you are the Lord of Ksheer-Sagar! O Sun of Surya-dynasty! Give me shelter on your feet! I don't know how to worship you. Even Lord Shiv can't find the limit of your glory, how can I find it? Save me, Lord, I have no power to describe you, I'm a poor rakshas! It's the result of my tapasya in previous births that I could born in rakshas kul as your 'vadhya' (who has to be killed). I don't want swarg-lok. Kill me, & then I will reach to your lok directly! If you destroy my body with your own lotus-hands, I will surely reach Vaikuntha dham with a great pleasure!"
Hearing this stuti, Shri Ram wept, "Friend Vibhishon! He is my great devotee in Lanka! How can I hurt him?" he left his weapons, & told, "Vibhishon! All our efforts failed, I can't rescue Sita from Ravan's hand. I don't want Sita, I don't want to return Ayodhya, I only want my devotee! How can I apply arrows on my devotee? My heart breaks even if my devotee is hurt by a small pin! My devotee is equivalent to my parents & my life, they are my all!"
Now, seeing this, Taranisen thought, "Lord has been pleased with me, he will not kill me. Then how will I attain the 'Moksha'? Who will 'uddhar' this body of rakshas? If I want to be killed by him, the I have to fight with him, otherwise it's impossible to fulfill my desire! He took his bow & arrows & shouted, "Ram! If you think that I'm your devotee, then you are completely wrong. I just wanted to test you with some sweet words! Have you thought that I will not fight? I'll send you to Yamlok very soon. Today I'll kill you & your brother, then king Ravan will easily marry Sita."
That acting of Taranisen was enough to make Lakshman angry. Lakshman told, "He is false. He is not a devotee, uttered several stuti only for saving his life." He became ready for war with Tarani, but Tarani wanted to be killed by Shri Ram only! Vibhishon understood his mental condition, & told Ram, "He is a dangerous warrior of Lanka. He defeated Lakshman once, why are you sending Lakshman again? Only you can slay him."
Finally, war started between Ram & Taranisen. But Ram's weapons failed one by one! Then Vibhishon advised him to apply Bramhastra as it was the only weapon to kill Taranisen.
Shri Ram threw Bramhastra. Seeing it, Tarani uttered, "I'm sacrificing my life in front of you, O Lord! Give me shelter at your feet after my death!" meanwhile, Bramhastra hurt him, & his body was divided into two parts. After being separated from his body, his head started to utter 'Ram' again & again & fell on the ground!
Vibhishon started to weep bitterly. Shri Ram asked the reason of his cry. Then Vibhishon revealed the truth, "This Taranisen was my son who has just died!"
All who were present there broke down in immense grief. Tears rolled down from Shri Ram's eyes, he said, "Friend! Why did you not tell me this before? If you told me that he was your child,, I never fought against him! How merciless your heart is! You told me the way of his death (Bramhastra)! O Vibhishon! Why did you kill your own child? & why are you weeping now when it's impossible for him to return?"
Vibhishon replied, "Lord! I don't weep for my son. He has reached to your holy lok, who will weep for such a blessed son? But Lord! What will happen to me? All my relatives are attaining Moksha in spite of being your enemy! But I, your devotee, will fail to achieve it as I'm immortal!"
