Page:The Rámáyana of Tulsi Dás.djvu/461

Rh fain see this monkey and where he has come from." Indrajit sallied forth, a peerless champion, full of fury at the tidings of his brother's death. When the monkey saw this formidable warrior draw near, he ground his teeth, and with a roar rushed forward and tore up a tree of enormous size, with which he swept the prince of Lanká from his car. As for the mighty men of war who accompanied him, he seized them one by one and crushed them by his weight. Having finished them off, he closed with their leader. It was like the encounter of two lordly elephants. After striking him a blow with his fist, he went and climbed a tree, while for a moment a swoon came over his antagonist. But again he arose and practised many enchantments; still the Wind god's son was not to be vanquished.

On his making ready Brahma's magical weapon, the monkey thought within himself, "If I do not submit to Brahma's shaft, its infinite virtue will have failed."

He launched the magic dart against the monkey, who overthrew a host as he fell. When he saw that he had swooned, he bound him with a running noose and carried him off. Observe, Bhaváni; the messenger of the god, by the repetition of whose name wise men cut the bonds of existence, himself came under bondage, or rather in his lord's service submitted to be bound. When the demons heard that the monkey had been bound, they all rushed to the palace to see the sight. The majesty of Rávan's court on the monkey's arrival there struck him as being beyond all description. The gods and regents of the air, standing humbly with clasped hands, were all in dismay, if they saw him frown. But the monkey's soul was no more disturbed at the sight of his majesty than Garúr would be frightened by any number of snakes.

When Rávan saw the monkey, he laughed aloud and mocked him; then again he remembered his son's death and his soul grew sad.

Said the King of Lanká: Who are you, monkey, and by whose might have you wrought the destruction of the grove? What, do not you hear me?