Chapter II: Section II

Having received the homage of the ascetics, Rama about sun-rise, having greeted them all, entered into the forest. And Rama, followed by Lakshmana, saw the heart of the forest abounding in various kinds of beasts,--ranged by bears and tigers, with its trees and shrubs torn and trampled, its pools turbid, and its birds crying. And, having in company with Sita arrived at that forest abounding in terrible beasts, Kakutstha saw a man-eater, resembling a mountain-summit, emitting tremendous roars, with hollow eyes, a huge face, frightful, having a deformed belly, disgusting, dreadful, Cyclopean, mis-shapen, of a horrible sight, clad in a tiger-skin, besmeared with fat, covered with blood, capable of frightening all creatures, with his mouth widely extended, like unto the Destroyer himself, and uttering loud shouts,--who stood piercing with his iron dart three lions, four tigers, two leopards, four Prishatas, and the huge tusked head of an elephant dripping fat. Having seen Rama and Lakshmana, as well as Sita the daughter of Mithila, he growing angry, rushed (against them), like the Destroyer himself rushing against creatures at the universal dissolution. Uttering a dreadful yell, and, as if making the earth tremble, he took Vaidehi on his waist, and, going a little distance, said, "O ye wearing bark and matted locks, O ye of feeble strength, that accompanied by your (common) wife, have entered the forest of Dandaka, bearing bows and arrows and scimitars, why, being ascetics, do ye wish to associate with a (single) woman? Ye wicked wretches, ye impious wights, who are ye that bring disgrace upon ascetics? I am a Rakshasa, Viradha by name. This forest is my fastness. Accoutred in arms, I range (here), feeding on the flesh of ascetics. This transcendentally beauteous one shall be my wife. And in battle I shall drink your blood, wretches that ye are." Hearing the wicked and vaunting speech of the impious Viradha, as he said this, Janaka's daughter, Sita, began to tremble from fear, like a plantain tree shaken by the wind. Seeing the graceful Sita on the waist of Viradha, Raghava with a blank countenance said unto Lakshmana, "O amiable one, behold the daughter of king Janaka, my wife of pure ways, an illustrious princess brought up in luxury--on Viradha's waist O Lakshmana, what had been wished for by Kaikeyi with reference to us, (hath taken place), and the dear boon (that she had asked) hath born fruit. That far-sighted lady--my second mother--who had not been satisfied with having secured the kingdom in the interests of her son, and by whom I that was dear unto her above all other creatures, had been banished to the woods, hath to-day her wishes crowned with success. O Sumitra's son, nothing can impart unto me greater anguish than the touching of Vaidehi by another-- which surpasses my father's demise and my having been deprived of the kingdom." As Kakutstha with his eyes flooded with tears was speaking thus, Lakshmana flying into a rage, spoke like unto a confined elephant: "Why dost thou, O Kakutstha, being the lord of all creatures and resembling Vasava himself,--and also backed by myself, thy servant,-- grieve like one forlorn? The earth shall drink the gore of this Rakshasa, Viradha, when deprived of life, after he hath been slain with a shaft by my angry self. That ire of mine which I had conceived against Bharata hankering after the kingdom, will I discharge on Viradha; even as the weilder of the thunder holt hurls his weapon at a hill. Let my mighty arrow acquiring velocity from the speed imparted to it through the energy of my arms, light on his huge breast, and force his life from forth his body; and let him whirling (at length fall down to the earth).