CEYLON BRANCH ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY, 151 



to wander with her as an exile in the forest of Dandaka at 

 the sources of the Godavery — 



The pure Godavery, which wins her way 



Stately and clear, through ancient trees that shade, 



Impervious tangling, her majestic course. 



Maha Vira Ckeritra, Act 5. 



Here he encountered and discomfited various members of 

 the Rakshasa tribe, a demon race; and having also injured 

 Surpanakha the sister of Ravana the demon prince, the latter 

 in revenge seized little Sita and carried her off to his residence 

 at Lanka. In this extremity Rama got assistance from the mon- 

 key king Sugriva, who had been dethroned by his own brother 

 Bali but restored again to his kingdom by Rama, and now from 

 a sense of gratitude despatched his chiefs in all directions to 

 find out Sita's abode. Hanuman was successful. He jumped over 

 the current which runs between this island and the continents 

 and saw and spoke to the disconsolate Sita : — then setting fire 

 to Lanka, he returned and conveyed the intelligence to Rama s 

 who immediately proceeded to the southern point of the land, 

 where the apes are feigned to have flung into the sea the islands 

 pf Manaar and Ramisseram and the other masses of rock which 

 now lie across the strait, and by which a passage to the island 

 was to be effected,, The allied forces were met by the mon= 

 strous bands of Lanka, a fearful conflict ensued, — but at length 

 the demons were defeated, Ravana fell by the hand of Raraa, 

 and Sita was restored in purity to her lord who afterwards 

 returned to Ayodhya, received from his brother Bharata the 

 dominion to which he was entitled, and reigned in peace and 

 prosperity a thousand years. 



This old legend, which forms the subject of the Ramayana ? 

 an epic poem of remote date, is a great favourite with the Ma- 

 labars both here and on the coast, in much the same way as 

 was the tale of Troy and the house of Agamemnon among the 



