Page:The Rámáyana of Tulsi Dás.djvu/453

Rh and slew her, hero as he was, and all undismayed crossed over to the opposite shore. Arriving there, he marked the teauty of the wood, with the bees buzzing in their search for honey, the diverse trees all resplendent with simultaneous flower and fruit, and multitudes of birds and deer delightful to behold. Seeing a huge rock further on, he fearlessly sprang on to the top of it. But, Umá, this was not at all the monkey's own strength, but the gift of the Lord, who devours even Death himself. Mounted on the height, he surveyed Lanká, a magnificent fortress that defies description, with tho deep sea on all four sides around its golden walls of dazzling splendour.

Its golden walls studded with all kinds of jewels, a marvellously beautiful sight, with market-places, bazárs, quays, and streets, and all the other accessories of a fine city. Who could count the multitude of elephants, horses and mules, the crowds of footmen and chariots, and the troops of demons of every shape, a formidable host beyond all description. The woods, gardens, groves, and pastures, the ponds, wells and tanks were all superb; and the soul of a saint would be ravished at the sight of the fair daughters, both of men and Nágas, of gods and Gandharvas. Here wrestlers, of monstrous stature like mountains, were thundering with mighty voice and grappling with one another in the different courts, with shouts of mutual defiance. Thousands of warriors of huge bulk were sedulously guarding the city on all four sides; elsewhere horrid demons were banqueting in the form of buffaloes, men, oxen, asses and goats. Tulsi Dás for this reason gives them a few words of mention, because they lost their life by Ráma's hallowed shafts and thus became assured of entrance into heaven.

Seeing the number of the city guards, the monkey thought to himself, 'I must make myself very small and slip into the town by night.'

Thereupon he assumed the form of a gnat and entered Lanká after invoking Vishnu. The female demon, by name Lankini, accosted him: "How