1124 An abstract Translation from the Pudma Pooran. [No. 131. 



transform himself into a deer, and to appear before Seta, Rama, and Luch- 

 mun. The giant obeyed. Seta on beholding the deer asked Rama to catch 

 it, and bring it to her to play with. Rama said, " It is a giant and not a deer, 

 however, I will try to catch it for you." Taking his bow and arrows, he 

 followed the deer, which ran away as Rama approached. When out of sight 

 of the hut, Rama shot the deer with an arrow, when the giant resumed 

 his shape, and crying out " Oh Seta! Oh Luchmun!" gave up the ghost. 

 Seta hearing this, and believing it to be the voice of her husband, desired 

 Luchmun to go and see what was the matter. He said it was only the 

 giant, crying out on being killed by Rama. Seta not being satisfied, again 

 begged him to go ; so he went. Ravana immediately appeared before Seta 

 in the form of a dervise, (or kulundur,) and asked for alms ; on her bringing 

 him what he required, he seized her in his arms, placed her on his chariot, 

 and carried her away to Lunka. On the road a large kite attacked Ravana, 

 who, however, having placed Seta under a tree called Sensoopah, in the 

 orchard called Usoka, succeeded in wounding the kite. 



In the mean time Rama and Luchmun returned to the hut, and not 

 being able to find Seta any where, they were overcome with grief. Coming 

 to the place where the kite lay half-dead, the kite told them that Ravana 

 had carried her off to Lunka. They then came under the shadow of a large 

 tree, from the branches of which the giant Kubunda tried to seize them for 

 his prey, but the brothers slew him. At last they arrived at the dwelling 

 of a woman named Sabary, who offered them fruits, and hearing their tale, 

 said, she would introduce them to her friend Soogreva, lord of the mon- 

 keys, who would be able to assist them in recovering Seta. On the appear- 

 ance of Soogreva, Rama asked him why he lived in such a place where 

 there were no people to be seen. Soogreva answered, " My history is 

 this ; Vrooksha Ragasoo my father, once went to Nymes-arenneam, where 

 there are two tanks. There is one of them in which if any man bathe he 

 will be transformed into a woman, and in the other, if a woman bathe she 

 is transformed into a man. My father plunged into the first, and rose there- 

 from a beautiful woman. Indra and the Sun both descended from Heaven 

 to make love to her ; by the one she had a son named Vauly, and by the 

 other myself. Soogreva, my father, then bathed in the second tank, and re- 

 sumed his manhood. On arriving at Kiskinda, he appointed my brother 

 Vauly king, and then went to the mountain Himavunta. My brother hap- 

 pened to kill a giant named Magavee, by cutting him in two pieces, which 

 he threw at the penitent Muttunga Maha Moony, who with his eyes shut 

 was praying on the mountain Reshia Mooga Purvatum. At this unpleasant 

 interruption, the saint opened his eyes and cursed Vauly, saying, ' If he ever 

 comes here, his head shall be broken in a thousand pieces.' After this it came 



