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Tren on account of the cries of birds and the sounds of breaking trees, all the denizons of Lank& were seized with trepidation in consequence of fright. And agitated with fear, birds and beasts hurried (on all sides) ; and omens * Promaddvanasya—gen.—occurs twice in this passage. The commestator, as usual, refines on the word,—to one he assigns a literal sense ; another he explains—of the grove belonging to the protector of the females —i. ec. th wood, which, by arousing their desire for Rédvana, assured their stay there !—T. ; ¢t There is a pun on the word soka—occuring twice. One of thes, originally acoka, but entering into a vowel combination with the precediag word, is the name of a tree ; and Soka means sorrow. The acoke trees being shattered, inspired the enlooker with seka—sorrow.—T.

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boding evil unto the Rakshasas, began to appear (everywhere). And grim-visaged R&kshasis, awaking from theit sleep, saw that wood devastated, and that heroic mighty monkey. And observing them, that mighty-armed and powerful monkey endowed with immense strength, magnified his dimensions, capable of striking terror into the Rakshasas. And beholding that exceedingly strong monkey resembling a mountain, the R&kshasis asked Janaka’s daughter, saying, —“Who is this? And whence, and wherefore, hath he come here ? And why did he carry on converse with thee ? Tell us this, thou of expansive eyes. O lucky one, entertain no fear. And, O thou having eyes with dark outer corners, what is the talk that this one hath held with thee ?’ Thereat, the chaste Sit, having all her parts perfect, answered,—"What is my power to read Rakshasas capable of wearing forms at will? Ye know who he is and what -he doeth. Serpents, without doubt, know the way of serpents. And, furthermore, I am very much frightened,— nor know I who that one is. I take him to be a Rakshasa,— who hath come here through his capacity to put on any shape.” Hearing Vaidehi’s words, the Rakshasis swiftly took to their heels. Some remained,—and some departed to inform Ravana of the matter. And before R4&vana, the Rakshasis of deformed visages informed him of the hide-. ous and dreadful monkey. “O king, in the heart of the agoka wood there is a monkey of a terrific body, who, possessed of immeasurable might, stayeth, after having carried on a conversation with Janaki. Nor, albeit questioned by us many a time and oft, doth Janaka’s daughter, Sita, having the eyes of a deer, intend to tell us who the monkey is. He may be the emissary of V&sava, or of Vaicgravana ; or he may have been sent by Rima himself from eagerness to get at the whereabouts of Sita. And he it is that, wearing a wonderful form, hath destroyed tliy charming arbour of the interior, filled with beasts of various kinds—And quarter there is

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none which hath not been destroyed by him ; and only that place where the exalted Janaki is, remaineth uninjured by him,—whether for preserving Janaki, or from fatigue—it doth not appear. But what is his fatigue ? She it is that hath been preserved by him. And that overgrown Singap% tree, affluent with elegant foliage, under which Sit& herself hath (always rested), hath been spared by him. It behoveth thee to order sharp chastisement to be inflicted on that one of a fierce form, who, having carried on converse with Sita, hath laid thy wood waste. Who, O Sovereign of the R&kshasas,that hath not his life severed from him,—converseth with Sita, who hath captivated thy heart ?’ Hearing the speeches of the Rakshasis, Ravana, lord of Rakshasas, with his eyes rolling in rage, flamed up like the fire of a funeral pyre. And as fall drops of lighted oil from a flaming lamp,fell drops of tears from the eyes of the enraged R&vana. And that highly energetic one ordered his heroic servants, resembling himself, to punish Hanum&n. And from that mansion speedily issued eighty thousand of those retainers, carrying in their hands maces and mallets*,—baving huge bellies, and large teeth, of dreadful forms, and possessed of unwieldy strength,—all eager to engage in the conflict and take Hanuman. And having come near that monkey staying atthe main entrance, those swelling spirits rushed on, even as insects rush into a flame. And equipped with variegated maces, and bludgeons, and golden angadas,t and arrows resembling the Sun, they approached that foremost of monkeys. And accoutred in maces,axes,and javelins, and bearing beard. ed darts and lances in their hands, they suddenly surrounded Hanumfn and remained before him. And the graceful and energetic Hanuman also, resembling a hill, flourishing his tail over the ground, sent up tremendous roars. And attain- * Kuta—hammer. The commentator, however,says that it means a weapen resembling a hammer.—T. + A bracelet worn on the upper arm.—T.

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ing mighty proportions, Hanum4n, son unto the Wind-god, brandished his tail, filling Lank& with sounds, And at the sounds of his flourishing, as well as with those resounding ones set up by himself, birds began to drop down from the sky. And he loudly proclaimed,—“Victory to the exceedingly strong Rima and to the mighty Lakshmana! And victory unto king Sugriva, protected of Raghava! Iam the servant of the Sovereign of Kogala, Rama of untiring deeds,— (Iam) Hanum§n, the destroyer of hostile hosts, offspring of the Wind-god. Anda thousand Ravanas cannot cope with me in conflict, when I shall hurl crags and trees by thousands. In the very presence of all the Rakshas, shall I, having desolated the city of Lanka and paid my reverence to Maithili, go away, my end being compassed.” They were struck with affright at his roars; and they beheld Hanumin elevated as an evening cloud. And now knowing for certain that the monkey had been despatched by his master, the Rakshasas commenced assailing him with various kinds of dire arms.* Environed on all sides by those heroes, that exceedingly powerful one, staying by the main entrance, took up a terrific bolt. And taking that bolt, like Vinat&’s offspring handling a darting serpent, he slew those rangers of the night. And grasping (the bolt), the Windgod's son began to range the welkin and destroy (the Rakshasas), like the thousand-eyed(deity)slaughtering Daityas with his thunder-bolt. And having slain those Rakshasas, who were the retainers of Ravana, the heroic offspring of the Wind-god—foremost of heroes—desirous of fight, stood at the gate. Then certain Rikshasas, getting off from the field in fear, informed RAavana of the destruction of all his servants. Hearing that a mighty host of the Rakshasas had been slain, the king, with his eyes whirling in ire, ordered * Swdmisandehanihgancdk—may also mean, having been assured by Révana as to his firm resolve—i.e. the Rdkshasas must fight with Hanumdn, however desperate the undertaking might prove.—T. 128

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Prahasta’s son of incomparable prowess, aud invincible in battle.