Ramavijaya - 2

A few days after he had left for Ayodya, the Brahmans, who lived at Chitrakuta, said, " Rama, your wife is very handsome and attractive. If you stay here with us any longer, the demons will come here and devour us all. We are informed that the demons, Trishira, Khur, and Dushan, will shortly come here to carry off your Sita. We, therefore, request you to leave this place at once." Rama replied, " You need not be afraid. Let all the demons on earth come here, I shall kill them all and defend you. The Brahmans, having no faith in what Rama had said, left the hills with their wives and children.

Soon after, Rama moved to the Dandakaranya ; and on his way to the forest, he killed a demon called Viradha. Viradha was a gandharv called Tumbar. One day Kuber, having called him in his presence to sing for him, the demi-god got tipsy and went before him. Kuber got enraged at his conduct and cursed him, saying that he would be a demon and would wander in the forest for ten thousand years but that he would be released from the curse, when he would be killed by the hands of Rama. As appointed, the gandharv was killed by Rama and released from the curse.

Rama spent thirteen years with Sita and Lakshman in visiting holy places. And during his pilgrimage he visited the abode of Atri, a Brahman, where he worshipped the three headed god, Datatreya. Thence he visited Agasti, a very powerful Rishi. The story of the power of the Rishi is as follows : " There lived three demons called Atapi, Vatapi, and Alva. They were blessed by the god, Siva, with the art of enchantment, by means of which they devoured the innocent Brahmans. Vatapi became food and Alva water. Atapi became a benefactor and invited every Brahman to partake of the food and water. The Brahman came; and as soon as he ate the food arid drank the water, Atapi cried aloud the names of Vatapi and Alva, who, having responded to the call of their brother, tore off the body of the Brahman and came out. Thus they killed every Brahman and ate his flesh.

One day Agasti was invited by Atapi to partake of the food and water. The Rishi complied with his invitation ; and as soon as he ate the food and drank the water, Atapi cried aloud as usual the names of his brothers but to his great surprise, they did not respond to his call, as the Rishi burnt Vatapi in his stomach. Alva, who had escaped from the belly of the Rishi, and his brother, Atapi, assumed different forms and began to run away, when the Rishi cut off the head of Atapi. Alva escaped and mixed himself with the ocean, when Agasti drank off the whole ocean and killed the demon."

Rama stayed with Agasti for a month ; and during his stay there he presented him with an arrow to kill Ravana. From the Dandakaranya Rama set out for Panchavati. On the road he saw a huge bird called Jatayu, who asked Rama who he was. " I belong to the solar race," replied Rama," and am son of the king, Dasharatha. I am called Rama." "I am son of Kasha," said Jatayu, " and the name of my uncle is Suparna, and I am called Jatayu. Your father was my great friend. I helped him during the battle which he had fought with Shukra and, therefore, he called me his brother." Having embraced Jatayu, Rama proceeded on his journey and reached Panchawati, where he lived with Sita in a parnakutika built by Lakshman. Lakshuman gathered fruits and kandamuls* for Sita and Rama, which they ate and passed their days there. He guarded the hut every night for fear of the demons and he himself remained without food.

One day Lakshuman went near a thicket to collect fruits and kandamuls, where he saw a deadly descending from above. The weapon fell where he was standing; and it having looked sharp and powerful, he tried it on the thicket, but, to his great astonishment, the thicket was cut into two parts, and there flowed a large quantity of blood. Lakshman was afraid that he killed some ascetic, while meditating in the thicket; and in order to satisfy himself about it he immediately went to Rama with the khadag and informed him of what had happened, when Rama said, " Brother, do not be afraid. The blood which flows through the thicket is of a demon called Shabari. This demon is the son of Surpanakha, a sister of Ravana. He was meditating in the thicket unobserved with a view to get the weapon from Siva. The god had sent the weapon for him. If the weapon had gone to the hands of the demon, he would have annihilated the whole of the universe with it. Thank God that you have got it; and I tell you to take a particular care of it." Lakshman was glad at this information and cheerfully attended to his duties.

On the day Shabari was killed by Lakshman, Surpanakha found in her dream that some calamity had befallen her son; and having been awakened, she, accompanied by four demonesses, immediately started for the forest to look for her son. She wandered in the forest and at last came to the thicket ; and seeing the blood there she searched the whole wood and at last found that her son was cut into two pieces. As soon as she saw her son, she fainted and cried violently for him. The other four demonesses condoled with her ; and immediately after, they

burnt the body of Shabari and went in search of the enemy who had killed the demon. They traced Lakshman from his foot-prints ; and in order to revenge the killing of her son, Surpanakha formed herself into a beautiful damsel ; and taking with her the four demonesses, who had also formed themselves into very good maid-servants, she went to Lakshman and said, " I have travelled all over the earth in search of a husband ; but I have not found a young man as beautiful as yourself. I have become mad after you, and unless you consent to marry me, I shall not live. I, therefore, implore you to take me for your wife. Do not you see how I look ? Can you get elsewhere a quite young girl like me ?" Lakshman was not at all captivated with her charms, but she having much insisted upon his giving her an answer, he replied, * I have got my brother and sister-in-law. There they live in a hut. I cannot do any thing without their consent." " I shall go to your brother," said the demoness, and get a letter from him consenting to our match. So saying she went to Panchawati with her maid-servants and said to Rama, " I like your brother from the bottom of my heart. I have made up my mind to marry him, and he has also promised me to take me for his wife subject to your approval of the match. I, therefore, pray that you will kindly pity me and give me your letter or any other sign signifying your consent to our marriage. Sita was moved with her manner of address, and requested Rama to comply with her request. Rama surveyed her from head to foot ; and finding her eye- balls upside down, he knew that she was Surpanakha in the form of a human being. Rama, therefore, said, " I have no objection to give you my consent but I shall write it on your back." " How can you do it," replied she, " I feel bashful to show you my back. "It does not matter, continued Rama. " There is no one here." At last Surpanakha told Rama to write his con sent on her back, which the latter wrote and sent her away. The demoness hastened to the place where Lakshman was standing and said, " You see, your brother has consented to our marriage with much pleasure. If you like, you may go and ask him about it. I am not a liar, you know. He has given me no letter or any sign but he has simply told you to marry me." " That will not do," replied Lakshman, " I must have a letter or sign from my brother signifying his consent to our marriage." Surpanakha, having known his mind, showed the letter written by Rama on her back. The letter stated that as soon as Lakshman read it, he should at once cut off the nose and ears of the demoness. Lakshman read the letter and, having seized her by her hair, flung her down and cut off her nose and ears as directed by Rama . When her nose and ears were thus cut off, she and her maid-servants assumed their original forms and fled for fear of losing their lives, screaming hideously.

Listening to her yells Trishira , Khur and Dushan came to help her with fourteen thousand demons. " Look at my nose and ears," she said to them, " There live three human beings, two males and one female. The man, who called himself Lakshman, has disfigured me at the instigation of his brother and sister-in-law. You must now go there and cut off their heads, so that I may drink their blood and refresh myself with it Trishira, Khur and Dushan, having thought it below their dignity to go and fight with those human beings, selected fourteen powerful demons and sent them to Panchawati with Surpanakha, but Rama cut off their heads with one arrow. Surpanakha fled in alarm and informed Trishira Khur and Dushan of what had happened. Whereupon they marched against Rama with an army of demons but they were also killed by the prince with his arrow in a moment. Surpanakha fled to Lanka in consternation and, showing her nose and ears to her brother, Ravana, informed him that Trishira, Khur and Dushan had been killed by Rama with fourteen thousand demons. Ravana was greatly alarmed at the sad news and, having called upon his uncle, Maricha, said to him, " You see, Rama has killed Trishira, Khur and Dushan and disfigured Surpanakha If this enemy is allowed to go unnoticed, he will even kill me one day or other. I have, therefore, made up my mind to carry off Sita, his wife, to Lanka and kill Rama and Lakshman. Please, therefore, be a beautiful

hiran and frolic at the paranakutika of Rama ; and when he comes with his dhanushaban  to kill you, rim to the heart of the forest. Rama will pursue you ; and as soon as he is separated from Sita, I shall carry her off to Lanka." "It is sinful to covet one s wife," replied Maricha, " and if you carry her off, you will lose your life and everything. I, therefore, advise you to change your mind and attend to your affairs." At this advice Ravana got enraged and said, " It is a bad thing to advise me that way. It is your duty to help me on such occasions. I, therefore, command you to come with me and do what I tell you to do."

Whereupon Maricha accompanied Ravana to Panchawati with the greatest reluctance. On their arrival there Ravana stood behind a thicket near the abode of Rama, and his uncle, forming himself into a stag, played tricks in front of it. Sita saw the stag and said to Rama " Dearest, look at that stag. What a beautiful creature it is. I wish I would get its skin for my waistcoat. Please take this dhanushaban and kill it for me, so that I may have its skin for my waistcoat. To comply with the wishes of his wife Rama took up his dhanushaban and aimed at the stag. The animal began to run, and Rama went after it. When he went far off from the paranakutika, Ravana who was standing behind the thicket unobserved, imitated the voice of Rama and cried out with a view to separate Lakshman from Sita, " Lakshman help me. Lakshman help me. I am in distress. * Sita heard this voice and said to Lakshman in alarm, ^Rama is in distress. I have just heard him cry out for help." " You need not be afraid," said Lakshman. " None can hurt Rama. I am sure some demon has done the mischief with some bad motive." " Is this your affection towards your brother?" exclaimed Sita. " While Rama is actually in distress, you refuse to help him. Methinks you wish your brothers death and marry me after him." At this accusation Lakshman shed tears and, having drawn a line around the parnakutika with his dhanushaban, said to her, " I am now going to help Rama. Look at this line. I beg you not to go behind it, and if you go,. you will be in distress." So saying Lakshman left the parnakutika with his dhanushaban ; and when he went far off, Ravana disguised himself as a Fakir,* peeped at Sita through the door of the hut and cried out in a plaintive tone, " Is there anybody in? I am a fakir here and dying of hunger. It will be a great meritorious act, if some one comes out and gives me something to eat." Sita, who was full of kindness, came out and said, " Please sit down there. Rama will be presently here; and as soon as he comes, he will attend to your wants. " I shall not live until Rama comes here. If you now give me something to eat, I shall bless you.* So saying he threw himself on the ground and pretended to be worse. Sita was alarmed and left the line to give him succor, when Ravana immediately caught hold of her and said, " Do not be alarmed. I am Ravana, the king of Lanka. I am now going to take you to my kingdom-. Quietly follow me. Sita rolled on the ground and violently cried, imploring him to leave her where she was. Her tears and entreaties did not move him in the least. He seated her in a chariot and set out for Lanka.

Sita all the time cried aloud the name of Rama, which Jatayu heard and went to her rescue. " Ravana, said Jatayu, " I command you to set Sita at liberty; and ifyou disobey me, I shall instantly kill you." " Who art thou," replied Ravana. " What thou hast to do with this lady ? Thou fool. Go and mind thy business." Jatayu insisted and Ravana let off arrows at him. The bird cut off with his bill all the arrows of the demon-king, broke the head of his charioteer and killed his horses. Ravana alighted, when the bird pounced upon him and pulled off his hair. He was alarmed and stood there bewildered, not knowing what to do.

The bird broke his chariot, when the demon-king said, " Speak the truth. Just tell me how you will die. I shall also tell you how I shall die." Jatayu, who was a simpleton, replied " If you pull off my wings, I shall die instantly." " Now just tell me, continued Jatayu, " how you will die." " If you break my toes," said Ravana, I shall die in no time." As soon as this secret was disclosed by Jatayu.  Ravana went to catch him. The bird broke one of the toes of his enemy, when the latter pulled off his wings. Jatayu, saturated with blood, fell there rolling; and the demon-king, taking Sita on his shoulders, proceeded towards Lanka.

When he reached the hills, called Matang, five powerful monkeys, Sugriva, Nala, Nila, Jambuvant and Maruti, who lived there, found the ornaments thrown by Sita on the ground. Looking at the ornaments Maruti said, "Pity, some wicked demon must have been carrying off a poor woman. I shall kill the demon and rescue her.  So saying he jumped in the sky but, in the meantime, Ravana entered Lanka with his prize and despatched eighteen huge demons to search and kill Rama.

A few days after his return to Lanka the demon-king said to Sita, " I beseech you to marry me. I am very powerful and have made all the gods my slaves. There is not a single soul on earth who can equal me in wealth, strength and valour. If you be my wife, you will be very happy." "Thou art wicked and a villain," replied Sita. " Thou wilt soon die. I shall never be thy wife. I loathe thee. Begone, thou fool. Having heard these words of Sita, Ravana said to himself, " Sita is very much excited; and unless she becomes calm, I shall not be able to win her heart." So saying to himself he placed her in the Asoka forest and posted five crores of demonesses with his sister,. Trijata, as their head to watch her there with instructions to frighten her and make her marry him at any rate. The demonesses often showed their teeth and opened their hideous mouths as if they were going to devour her, but Sita was calm and did not heed them. Trijata, who was kind, encouraged her and told her not to frighten herself.

Lakshman joined Rama in the forest and informed him of what had passed between Sita and himself. Lakshman wept and Rama pacified him. They then returned to panchawati ; and finding that Sita was not in the parnakutika, they were alarmed and went in search of her. They could not find her. They then went to the Rishi, Agasti, who informed them that Sita was carried off by Ravana. They returned to their abode and saw the footprints of the demon and Sita. They immediately set out in search of Sita in the forest.

On the road they met Jatayu, who informed them of what had happened. " I," said Jatayu, mustered up all my strength and courage to rescue her from the wicked demon, but as soon as he cunningly knew my secret, he pulled off my wings and left me here in a dying state." So saying Jatayu breathed his last. Rama grieved for him and performed the funeral ceremony of his death .The princes proceeded on their journey. On the road Parwati, the wife of Siva, took the form of Sita and stood before him; but he did not receive her, as he knew that she was Parwati. A little further on, a huge demon called Kaband, stretching his arms for some eighteen yojans and with his head separated from his trunk, sat in the forest. Rama having found that he was a demon, cut off his arms and killed the monster on the spot. Kaband was the son of Kashyapa, a Rishi. One day he got drunk and frightened another Rishi, Stulashira, who cursed him, saying that he would be a demon but that he would be released from the curse when Rama would kill him. As soon as he was killed by Rama, he assumed his original form and stood before him. He said that his head was separated by Indra from his body with his vajra, as he was performing a severe penance to enable him to take the kingdom of the god. On the road Rama killed the eighteen demons whom Ravana had sent, and  came to the Pampa sarovar^ where Rama and and Lakshman sat down for rest under the shade of a banian  tree. From the hills, called Rishimukha, the five monkeys saw them. Sugriva was afraid and said,  I think, Vali, my brother, has sent those two warriors to kill me.* So saying he was to flee, when Maruti said, " Do not be afraid. I will ascertain who those warriors are. So saying Maruti jumped upon the tree and, having plucked off the branches of it, threw them at Rama, who cut them off with his dhanushabans. Maruti then threw large stones and mountains at him but he broke them in a minute, and hurled the monkey in the air. His father, the wind, supported him, while he was falling down, and bade him worship Rama. He came down and, having thrown him self at the feet of the prince, implored his pardon, which was readily granted by him.

He became a great devotee of Rama ; and one day while he was shampooing the feet of the prince he said to him, " I shall be very glad to introduce you to Sugriva, brother of the king of this place, if you promise me that you will protect him." "Just tell me who that Sugriva is," replied Rama. Whereupon Maruti related the story of the life of Sugriva, which is as follows :

" One day while Bramhadev was performing a penance, a drop of his tears fell on his hand ; and it bore a king, called Raksharaj. He was a monkey. While he was going from forest to forest, he came to a river in Kayalasa, the kingdom of Siva. He bathed in the river ; but immediately after, he became a very beautiful female. It was appointed by Parwati, wife of Siva, that any man, who would bathe in the river, would be a female. Indra and the sim were enamoured of the woman. By Indra she got Vali, and Sugriva by the sun. Having heard that Raksharaj became a female, Brahmadev came to the river, and prayed to Parwati to restore his son to his former form. Parwati listened to his prayer and made Raksharaj a man again. The god then created a country called Kiskinda and gave it to him. Raksharaj ruled in the country for some time and, having placed his eldest son, Vali, on the throne, proceeded to heaven. Vali and Sugriva lived together and loved each other. Vali was very powerful and invincible, as he was presented by Indra with Vijayamala* After some time both the brothers became mortal enemies, and Vali carried off his beautiful wife, Tara. For fear of his brother, Sugriva made his abode on the hills called Rishimukha Parvat.

They both fought together every six months." Rama bade Maruti tell Sugriva that he would kill Vali and restore his wife to him. Maruti immediately went to Sugriva and said to him, " You are in grief for your wife, so also Rama for his wife, Sita. Rama has promised to help you in recovering your wife and you will have to help him also in recovering his wife, Sita." Sugriva was glad at what Maruti had told him and set out with his army of monkeys to see Rama. On his arrival the prince cordially received Sugriva and told him all about Sita. Sugriva said that yesterday he heard screams of a woman and showed the ornaments found by the monkeys to Rama. The prince identified the ornaments as belonging to his wife and shed tears, when Sugriva said, " Do not be afraid. I shall help you with my able ministers, Nala Nila and Jambvant in recovering Sita from Ravana. Let us kill Vali first and then we shall set out in search of Sita." As soon as Sugriva spoke these words, Rama took his arrow, when the former stopped him and said, Vali is my mortal enemy and will fight with us to his last gap. Whereupon Rama asked him the cause of the enmity with his brother.

" Dudhumbi, son of the demon, Maishasur," continued Sugriva, " was very powerful, and oppressed the gods in heaven and the people on earth. Nobody could fight with him. At last the demon went to Yama and challenged him to fight with him. Yama said, I cannot fight with you. I, therefore, tell you to go to Vali at Kiskinda and he will fight with you to your satisfaction. The demon immediately came to Kiskinda and challenged Vali to fight with him, when the latter killed the former and hurled his body in the air which fell on the hills called Rishimukha Parwat. All the Rishis on the hills were killed by the weight of the corpse, when a Rishi called Matang cursed Vali, saying that if the latter touched the hills, he would instantly die. Mayasur, son of Dudhumbi, came to avenge the death of his father but he fled to patal through a cave, when Vali gave him blows. Vali pursued him, having posted me at the mouth of it. For many months he did not return, though I was at the cave all the time watching it. During this time demi-gods entered Kiskinda and sought to take possession of it. I, therefore, placed a mountain at the mouth of the cave and drove all the demi-gods from the kingdom. Vali did not return to Kiskinda for twenty months, and from this fact all concluded that he was no more. Whereupon the people of Kiskinda proclaimed me as their king against my wishes. In the meantime, Vali returned to the cave with the head of Mayasur and, having seen the mouth of it blocked up, he was alarmed on account of me. He immediately removed the mountain and directly came to Kiskinda. As soon as he saw me on the throne, he, boiled with rage, said,  You blocked up the mouth of the cave with a view to kill me and take my kingdom. So saying he attacked me but with the assistance of Nala, Nila, Jambuvant and Maruti I escaped and made my abode on these hills, because he would not come here for fear of the curse." Sugriva then showed the body of Dudhumbi to Rama, who flung it at a distance with his toe. "Now do one thing," said Rama, Just go and challenge Vali to fight with you." Sugriva accordingly went to Kiskinda and challenged him to fight with him, when Tara said to her husband, "I implore you not to meet Sugriva today. He comes to fight with you every six months but he has now come to combat with you three clays after the battle you have fought with him. I think, Rama and Lakshman have promised to help him. I, therefore, pray that you will not go to fight with Sugriva today." "That will not do replied Yali, " I must fight with him and cut off his head. If I am killed in the fight, Angada will protect you." So saying Vali went and attacked Sugriva, when Rama killed the former with one arrow. Tara, his wife, violently cried for her husband, when Rama consoled her and advised her to marry Sugriva. At first she hesitated; but soon after, she married him. Sugriva began to rule and forgot all about Rama in his luxury.

Rama sent Lakshuman to Kiskinda. Marati said to Sugriva, " It is a bad thing that you have forgot Rama and left him alone in the forest. There stands Lakshman at the door of your palace. Take care he will kill us all; Sugriva was alarmed and, having thrown himself at his feet with his wives and other monkeys, implored the pardon of Rama. He then came with all his monkeys to Rama to help him in recovering his wife, Sita. Rama put his ring on one of the fingers of Maruti as a mark from him. All the monkeys set out in search of Sita. On their way they came across a forest and could not proceed further, as they were bewildered there.

This forest was cursed by a Rishi, called Dandaka, saying that those who- entered it would remain there bewildered. The Rishi cursed the forest, because his infant son, was devoured by the goddess of the forest. The infant son became a demon and devoured all the persons and creatures that went into the forest. Angada, son of Vali, killed the demon; and as soon as he. was killed, he was restored to his former form. All the monkeys escaped unhurt, as they were repeating the name of Rama all the time in the forest. They left the forest and, having searched Sita at several places in vain, at last came to a very large cave. The monkeys entered the cave but they all fainted owing to suffocation. Maruti lifted them up with his tail and came out of the cave to a place where there was a beautiful garden. All the monkeys climbed up the trees in the garden, laden with fruits, but they could not get a single fruit to eat. A mare, called Suprabha, came where the monkeys were standing. Maruti asked her who had created the garden when the mare replied, " Brahmadev was pleased with Mayasur, a demon, and, having created the cave for him,, said, I have created this cave for you. I require you to- be always in it and not to leave it under any circumstances; and if you come out of the cave, you will instantly die. While in the cave the demon always prayed to Vishnu for the protection of the demons on earth. Indra was alarmed and implored Bramhadev to get the demon out of the cave. To get him out of the care the god created a very beautiful damsel called Hema and sent her to the cave. The demon looked at her and was captivated with her charms. Finding that the demon was very much taken with her, she came out of the cave, and he followed her, forgetting what Bramhadev had told him. As soon as he came out out of the cave, he instantly died.  After the death of the demon, Hema was in the possession of the cave and garden, and soon left for the kingdom of Vishnu, placing me here in this form to watch it. Hema told me that when monkeys would come into this garden, I would be restored to my former form." Maruti said to her, " We have eaten fruits to our hearts content and "we must now leave this place as soon as possible. We cannot see the way to the cave through which we have come here. Will you, therefore, be kind enough to show it to us ?" Whereupon Suprabha told all the monkeys to shut their eyes; and in a second they were all on a seashore. She was restored to her former form and, visiting Rama, went to her husband. The monkeys were very anxious to cross the sea and go to Lanka, but they were unable to do so. However, "Maruti, repeating the name of Rama, crossed the sea; but on the way he met with several accidents. The gods sent a huge woman to devour him. She opened her mouth and stood in his way. He passed through her mouth and proceeded further. In the meantime, the sea sent a mountain to block up his way. The mountain said to him, " Good creature ! Why are you not going to take rest on my bosom ?" At these words Maruti got enraged and pressed down the mountain. A little further on, a frightful demoness, Ishihika, who was mother of Rahu and Ketu, swallowed him up; but he tore off her belly and came out. At last he arrived at upper Lanka, when the goddess of the place caught hold of his legs and knocked him down. He got up and gave her mortal blows, when she implored him to spare her life. He having granted her request, she blessed him, saying that he would be successful in his undertaking. He then came to lower Lanka, called Pudalanka. Krocha, the youngest sister of Ravana, whose husband, Gargar, was killed by Indra, lived there. As soon as she was informed of his arrival there, she went with a number of demons and demonesses to catch him, when he became a small and beautiful animal. Krocha said to the demons and demonesses, " This is a very good and pretty animal. Let me have it for my breakfast, Just kill it and cook it for me." " My body, replied he, " is full of water, and if you order me to be cooked for your breakfast, you will get nothing. I, therefore, tell you to swallow me up, so that you may have a delicious taste." Krocha accordingly swallowed up Maruti, who entered her heart and pulled off her flesh. The demoness tossed about with pain. Her companions gave her medicine mixed with the clung of a hog, but the monkey was so disgusted with the dirt that he let out his tail through her nose and eats. All the demons and demonesses believed that the tail was a disease, and began to pull it out, when Maruti, having torn off her belly, came out and threw all the demons and demonesses into the sea.

From lower Lanka he went again to upper Lanka; and at sunset he entered Nikumbala, a county in Lanka, where Indrajit the eldest son of Ravana, lived with his family. He went into the palace of the demon- prince and saw him with his beautiful wife, Sulochana, there. Maruti said to himself, " No doubt this is Sita, and she has fallen in love with this wicked demon. So saying to himself he was about to kill both of them but in the meantime, she said to her husband, " Just think for a moment. Is it not a bad thing that your father has unjustly brought Sita here? If she is not restored to her husband, a great calamity will befall him."

Having heard this conversation, Maruti was convinced that she was not Sita, and went to the palace of Vibhishan, the youngest brother of Ravana, where he was much pleased, because the demon was the devotee of Rama, and every thing there was clean He also saw there an idol of Rama, which Vibhishan worshipped every day. Thence he went to the palace of Kumbhakarna, where he was in deep sleep snorting all the time.

Maruti was disgusted with the sight of the heaps of bones and the flesh of human beings and animals scattered around his palace. When he failed to find Sita there and at other places, he was enraged; and, assuming an invisible form, he began to trouble the demons and demonesses of Lanka in various ways. When they carried water in, their pots, he broke them with his tail. He dashed to pieces the chariots of the princes who happened to drive in the streets.

One day a barber began to shave the beard of Ravana, when Maruti stood behind him in an invisible form and thrust his tail into the nose of the former. The barber was startled; and in confusion he shaved the mustaches of Ravana. Ravana got angry and slapped the barber in the face, when the monkey also gave a slap to the demon-king. Maruti pulled down the houses of the demons with his tail, while their families were asleep. One day in a minute he extinguished all the lamps in Lanka, and consequently all of a sudden, were in confusion and alarm. The inhabitants of Lanka said to themselves, " Sita, whom Ravana has brought here, has created the devil to annoy and trouble us."

Maruti then entered the palace of Ravana, where he and his wife, Mandodari were fast asleep. On beholding Mandodari Maruti thought that she was Sita and that she fell in love with the demon-king. He got much enraged, and was about to carry them where Rama was staying with Lakshman. But, in the meantime, Mandodari was awakened in alarm and said to her husband, " I have dreamt a dream which indicates that Indrajit and you will be killed, that the Asoka forest will be destroyed, and that.Lanka will be burnt, because you have unjustly brought Sita here. I, therefore, implore you to restore her to her husband." " You need not be afraid of it in the least, replied Ravana. " I have posted five crores of the demons and demonesses to watch the Asoka forest and they will not allow Rama to kill us and destroy the forest." So- saying Ravana despatched his servant to the Asoka forest to see whether Sita was there.