1852. J Analysis of the Raghu Vans' a. 465 



two arms of Sita : but Rama soon left Chitrakote noted for its cuckoo 

 songsters, and proceeded to the south, dwelling on the way in hermits' 

 cells as the sun in the autumnal signs : his perfumed limbs emitted 

 such an odour as to allure the bees from the flowers. As Rahu ob- 

 structs the moon, so did a Rakhasa, brown as the cloud of evening ; he 

 was soon killed and buried, to prevent his polluting the land with his 

 stench. Rama remained in Panchavati not passing the prescribed limits — 

 a barrier like the Vindhya mount. As a snake tortured with heat draws 

 near to a tree in the Malaya mountains, so did Ravana's sister Surpa- 

 naka tortured by love approach to Rama, even in the presence of Sita ; 

 for woman's love when strong regards not time. Rama of bull-like 

 shoulders said, I have a wife, address my brother : she rejected by him 

 again went to Rama, like a river laving both banks. But the laughter 

 of Sita swelled her with rage as the rising moon excites ocean's waves 

 lying unruffled by the wind. She said, Your laughter is like the con- 

 tempt shown by a tigress to the stag : she who before spoke in sweet 

 accents like the cuckoo's voice now sent forth the howl of a she- wolf, 

 and suspended in the air, with fingers armed with crooked nails and 

 thick as a knotty reed, she menaced the brothers with her army of 

 Rakhasas, but from the showers of Rama's arrows the trunks of the 

 whole slept to rise no more in the shade of vultures. Surpanaka alone 

 escaped to tell the tale to Ravana, who thought the feet of Rama would 

 soon be on his ten heads ; in the form of a stag he snatched away Sita. 

 Rama formed a friendship with the monkey Sugriva for the rescue of 

 Sita. 



In the city of Lanka surrounded by Rakhasas, Hanuman discovered 

 Sita resembling the sensitive plant surrounded by poisonous herbs. Rama 

 through love of his wife thought that crossing the ocean to Lanka was 

 only passing a narrow trench. An army of monkeys accompanied 

 him along earth's back, and through the paths of air over the salt 

 waves he threw a bund and besieged the city Lanka, his apes making 

 as it were a second golden wall ; Rama mounted a chariot, the banner 

 of which was moved by the waters of the celestial Ganges, he grasped 

 the lance of India which repelled darts as easily as lotus leaves : the 

 arrow of Kama piercing Ravana's breast entered the earth as if to bring 

 news pleasing to the snakes ; as a mound between two infuriated enemies 

 so hung the power of victory poised between both. The gods and Asuras 



