The valiant princes Rama and Lakshmana now stood ready to avert the marauding demons from disrupting the sacrifice. Pleased at their eagerness to repel the rakshasas, the sages commended the royal brothers and told them that Visvamitra would remain in silence until the conclusion of the yagna and that they were to stand guard for six nights.

Bowing to the ascetics, the famed Ikshvaku princes watched over the hermitage for six days and nights forgoing sleep to protect Visvamitra. On the sixth day Rama warned Lakshmana to be on guard and doubly vigilant andwaited impatiently to combat the demons. Just then thesacrificial fires tended by Visvamitra and other sages suddenly leaped into a great blaze enhancing the radiance of the altar adorned by the greatest of sages Kausika. Ritual articles like the Kusa grass, ladles, vessels and flowers, showed up starkly in the brightness of those flames. Suddenly a loud noise frightening and thunderous was heard. And Out of the blue sky blotting out the blue of it, came Maricha and Subahu. Threatening as rain clouds they came with their dreaded followers who poured down torrents of blood.Furious at the desecration of the holy altar, Rama rushed forward and seeing the demons hurling towards him called out to Lakshmana, "watch, as I scatter these evil, flesh eating rakshasas, like wind blown clouds, with the weapon, Manava". That weapon hurled Maricha into the ocean flood, a hundred yojanas away where he lay crushed and unconscious. Rama then told Lakshmana,that though stunned Maricha was not dead but he would kill all the other blood-thirsty rakshasas who destroyed holy yagnas."

Rama took up the immensely powerful Agneya astra and shot at Subahu who pierced to the heart fell to earth, dead. The remaining demonsfell prey to the power of Vayavya astra. Having slain those evildoers thwarting yagnas and yagas, Rama received worshipful tribute from the seers, like Indra on the occasion of his victory over rakshasas. Visvamitra lauded Rama beholding the four directions cleared and cleansed of all evil. He said "I have achieved my purpose and you have honored your father's word. With victory over the rakshasas the name of this sanctuary, as Siddhashrama has been justified".