Chapter CXXIV: Section CXXV

Being commanded by Rama, that excellent car, drawn by ganders, with a huge noise, rose high up in the welkin. And casting his looks on all sides, Rama, the descendant of Raghus, spake unto Sita, the daughter of the king of Mithila, having a moon-like countenance, saying,--"O Vaidehi, do thou behold Lanka, situate on the summit of the mount Chitrakuta, resembling that of Kailaca and constructed by _Vicwakarma_. And behold, O Sita, that huge arena of battle, bathed in the blood and flesh of the monkeys and Rakshasas. Do thou behold, O thou having expansive eyes, Ravana, the lord of Rakshasas, the repressor of people and who obtained a boon, lying there, slain by me on thy account. Kumbhakarna was slain there, the night-ranger Prahasta, as well, and Dumraksha, were slain by the monkey Hanuman. Bidyutmali was slain there by the high-souled Sushena--and Indrajit, the son of Ravana, was slain there in the encounter, by Lakshmana. The Rakshasa named Bikata was slain there by Angadi--and Birupaksha, hard to look at and Mahaparsha and Mahodara. And the powerful Akampana was slain (there) and all other Rakshasas--Trishira, Alikaya, Devantaka and Narantaka--and the two leading and powerful Rakshasas, mad after conflict--the sons of Kumbhakarna--Nikumbha and Kumbha, Bajradanstra, Danstra and many other Rakshasas were slain and the irrepressible Makaraksha was slain (there) by me in the conflict. Akampana was slain--and the powerful Sonitaksha. And Yupaksha and Prajangha were destroyed (there) in the great conflict. The grim-visaged Rakshasa Viddutsjmha was slain there--and Yajnasatru and the highly powerful Suptaghna. (And there was slain) Suryasatru and Brahmasatru. (And there bewailed for Ravana) his spouse Mandodari, surrounded by his thousand other wives. O thou having an excellent countenance, do thou behold the descending place of the ocean, where I spent the night after crossing the deep for thee. O thou having expansive eyes, for thee, this difficult construction of the bridge was made by me over the deep by the help of Nala. Do thou, O Vaidehi, behold the unagitated deep--the abode of Varuna, appearing as if without the other end, roaring and abounding in conchs and pearl oysters. O Maithili, do thou behold the golden mount, which rose above the deep for affording a resting place unto Hanuman. And on the bank of this ocean I halted with my soldiers. And here Mahadeva, the lord of the celestials, was propitiated with me. It behoveth thee to behold this descending place of the high-souled Ocean, known as _Setubandha_,[488] worshipped of the three worlds, highly sacred and destroying even the worst sin. There, Bibhishana, the king of Rakshasas first came to me. Do thou behold, O Sita, Kishkindha, having beautiful gardens, the pleasant city of Sugriva, where Vali was slain by me". And beholding the city of Kishkindha, ruled over by Vali, Sita, incited by her love, addressed Rama, with worthy words, saying--"O king, I wish to repair to Ayodhya thy capital with thee, in the company of Tara, the dear wife of Sugriva, as well as of the wives of other leading monkeys". Being thus addressed by Vaidehi Raghava replied--saying, "this shall be done" and getting at Kishkindha he stopped the car. And having beheld the car stationed he spoke unto Sugriva, saying--"O foremost of monkeys, do thou speak unto all the leading monkeys that they may go to Ayodhya accompanied by their wives. O thou of great strength--they may all go with Sita. Do thou hurry them on, O Sugriva. We shall (soon) go, O thou the lord of monkeys". Being thus addressed by Rama, of unmitigated prowess--the beautiful lord of monkeys, encircled by them, entered speedily the inner apartment and beholding Tara there, said--"O dear, at the command of Raghava and the kind desire of Sita, do thou soon go, taking with thee the wives of all the high-souled monkeys. We shall see Ayodhya and the wives of Dacaratha". Hearing the words of Sugriva, Tara, having a perfectly beautiful person, assembling all the wives of the monkeys, said--"You have been ordered by Sugriva to repair (to Ayodhya) with the monkeys;--to behold Ayodhya, is also a dear object of mine. (I shall behold) Rama enter the city with the citizens and villagers and the wealth and riches of the wives of Dacaratha". Being thus commanded by Tara, the wives of the monkeys, putting on all their ornaments and circumambulating (her) ascended the car, with a view to behold Sita. And beholding the car going up with them all, Raghava again spoke unto Sita, near the mount Rishyamuka, saying,--"Do thou behold there, O Sita, the huge and foremost mount Rishyamuka abounding in gold and various metals, like unto clouds accompanied with lightnings. There I was joined by Sugriva, the lord of monkeys. And there I entered into an agreement, O Sita, for the destruction of Vali. And there is (the lake) Pampa abounding in lilies and skirted by picturesque forest where separated from thee, I bewailed piteously. And on its bank I beheld the pious _Savari_. And there I slew _Kavandha_ and _Yoyanavahu_. Behold there, O Sita, a beautiful tree, in Janasthana, where, O thou ever used to luxuries, for thee, the highly powerful and energetic Yatayu, the foremost of birds, was slain by Ravana. Do thou behold there, O thou of a beautiful person, O thou of auspicious looks, our hermitage and the beautiful cottage of leaves, wherefrom thou hadst been carried away by force by the lord of Rakshasas. Do thou behold there the beautiful and sacred river Godaveri having clear water and the hermitage of Agastya, surrounded by plantain trees. Do thou behold there, O Vaidehi, the great hermitage of _Sarabhanga_, where came the thousand-eyed, Sakra, the subduer of enemies' cities. O worshipful dame, O thou having a middle stature--amongst all those ascetics, thou beholdest, there lived Atri, the lord of our family--resembling the fire of the Sun. There was slain the huge-bodied Biradha by me. There thou didst behold, O Sita, the female ascetic (the wife of Attri) ever performing pious observances. There cometh in view, O thou having a beautiful person, the king of mountains, Chitrakuta, where to propitiate me, came the son of Sumitra. Behold the beautiful Yamuna, having picturesque forest on its bank and the pleasant hermitage of Varadwaya. Behold there the sacred river Ganges, dividing itself into three branches. Behold there the city of Sringabera, where I made friendship with Guha. Behold there, O Sita, the capital of my father. Do thou bow unto Ayodhya, O Vaidehi". Thereupon all the monkeys and Rakshasas along with Bibhishana rose up delightedly and saw the city. Thereupon the monkeys and Rakshasas beheld the city abounding in white houses having spacious compartments, filled with elephants and horses and looking like Amaravati, the capital of Mahendra.

[488] This is still to be seen in the shape of a delapidated bridge near
_Rameswar_ a place of pilgrimage. Pilgrims go there Via Madura, a
district in South Madras. The Raja of Ramnud in whose Zemindari it
is situated is called Setupati.--T.