Page:The Rámáyana of Tulsi Dás.djvu/476

412 king, valiant monarch of Lanká; how are we to cross the deep ocean, full of alligators, serpents and different kinds of sea monsters, of fathomless profundity and absolutely impassable." Vibhíshan replied: "Hearken, Raghu-náyak; your arrows could burn up a thousand seas, but still it would be better policy to go and make petition to the god of ocean.

For being your family priest, my lord, he will take thought and suggest some scheme, by which the whole host of bears and monkeys may cross the deep without any trouble."

"Friend, you have suggested a good idea; let us try it and may fortune be with us." This invocation did not please Lakshman; he was much annoyed at Ráma's words. "Why trust fortune, my lord? give vent to your indignation and dry up the ocean. It is the one resource of a coward in soul to sit still and pray fortune to help him." Raghu-bír laughed to hear this and said: "I shall do it all the same; but never you mind." So saying he went to the shore of the salt sea and there took his seat on grass that he had strewn. Now after Vibhíshan had joined Ráma, Rávan sent spies of his own,

who disguised themselves as monkeys, and so saw all that was going on. In their profound admiration of the Lord's generosity and his tenderness to suppliants,

they loudly extolled his magnanimity and in the intensity of their devotion forgot their disguise. When the monkeys perceived them to be spies from the enemy, they seized them and took them to their chief. Said Sugriva, "Hearken, all you monkeys: just mutilate them and let them go." On receiving this command, the monkeys ran and paraded them in bonds all through the camp, ill-treating them in every possible way and refusing to let them go for all their prayers for mercy, till they cried: 'We adjure you by Ráma not to rob us of our nose and ears.' When Lakshman heard this, he called them all to him, and, being moved with compassion, smiled and had them at once set free: "Give this missive into Rávan's hands and say 'Read, destroyer of your race, what Lakshman says.'