Chapter III: Section III

Then Viradha again spoke filling the forest, "Do ye tell me who ask you,--who are ye and whither are ye going?" Thereupon, the highly energetic Rama answered the Rakshasa with a flaming face, when he had thus asked (Rama)-- that he belonged to the Ikshwaku race. "Know us that are in ihe forest, for Kshatriyas of respectable character. I also am anxious of knowing who thou art, that goest about the Dandakas." Viradha answered Rama having truth for his prowess, "Ah! I will tell thee, O king. Do thou, O Raghava understand! I am son unto Java, and my mother is Satarhada. All the Rakshasas of the earth have called me Viradha. Having gratified Brahma by my asceticism, I received (this boon) that none in the world would be able lo slay me by mangling my body with weapons. Forsaking this fair one, do ye renouncing all hope (of either recovering her or vanquishing me), speedily flee away to that place whence ye had come;--else I shall deprive you of your lives." Thereat, Rama with his eyes reddened through wrath replied unto that Rakshasa of a deformed shape, the wicked Viradha--saying, "Little! shame on thee of base purposes! Thou surely seekest thy own death; and (death) thou shall get in battle. Stay! Thou escapest me not with life." Then stringing his bow, Rama, speedily aiming at the Rakshasa, pierced him with sharpened shafts; and (then) from his bow-string let go seven shafts, having their feathered parts plaited with gold, furnished with great velocity, and coursing like Suparna or the wind. Thereat, resembling flames, those arrows furnished with peacocks' feathers, pierced Viradha's body, and fell to the earth, covered with blood. On being thus pierced, the Rakshasa set Vaidehi down, and, upraising a dart, rushed in wrath towards Rama and Lakshmana. And sending forth a mighty roar, he took up a dart resembling the banner of Sakra; and he then appeared like the Destroyer[3] with opening mouth. Then the brothers showered a blazing volley of shafts on the Rakshasa, resembling the Destroyer himself. And stationing himself at a spot, the Rakshasa, laughing terribly, yawned, and as he yawned the flest-coursing shafts fell off from his person. And by virtue of the bestowal of the boon (by Brahma), the Rakshasa Viradha drew up his vital energies, and, lifting up a pike, darted at the descendants of Raghu. That best of those bearing arms cut off with two arrows that dart resembling the thunder-bolt and flaming in the sky. And the dart severed by the shafts of Rama, fell to the earth, as falls a crag severed by the thunderbolt. Thereat, swiftly raising up a sword, resembling a black snake, each (of the Raghavas) approached his antagonist, and began to assail him hastily. Thus hard beset, that terrible one, seizing them both with his arms, attempted to make away with those foremost of men, who, however, retained their calmness. Reading his purpose, Rama spake unto Lakshmana, "Let the Rakshasa bear us by this way. Not use of letting him. Sumatra's son, let the Rakshasa bear us wherever he likes. Even this, by which the ranger of the night is proceeding, is our way." And lifting up (Rama and Lakshmana) by his might and prowess, as if they were striplings, that haughty ranger of the night laid them on his shoulders. And having deposited the Raghavas on his ihoulders, Viradha--ranger[4] of night--sending up dreadful shouts, directed his course towards the forest. And he at length entered the forest resembling a mighty mass of clouds, furnished with various kinds of trees, picturesque with diverse species of birds, and abounding in jackals, serpents and beasts.

[3] The North-West Province text has an additional _Sloka_:--Having
said this the graceful Lakshmana spoke unto Viradha as if
jestingly, "Who art thou that going to the forest, art ranging it
so pleasantly?"--T.

[4] The text has _Kalantakoyamopame_--_abl._--resembling _Kala_,
_Antaka_, or _Yama_. The commentator cites a _sloka_, which
assigns three several functions to the three,--_Kala_ executes his
office on the occasion of the separation of life from the body;
_Antaka_ compasses the end; and _Yama_ finally sits in judgment
upon the departed soul. But this strikes me as misplaced
erudition. I, however, give the commonsense rendering.--T.

[5] Another reading is:--_That ranger of the night laid on his
shoulders, those ones, who were puffed up with their exceeding
prowess._--T.