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Havine reflected thus, that foremost of Vipras endowed with fleet vigor, bent his steps towards the abode of Yama, for the purpose of relating to him all that had taken place. And there (he) saw that god—Yama—sitting in front of fire, and offering into it the good and evil fruits of their actions.t And seeing the Maharshi Narada arrive there, Yama offering him arvghya according to the ordinance, addressed him saying, when he was seated at his ease: ‘O Devarshi, * Explains the commentator: ‘Time hath every thing under its control. Like the all-enclosing space, time pervades all that is. This being so, resorting what transcending Time, shall Ravana obtain victory over it.” + Ordaining happiness and misery to the lives of people according to their acts.’—T.

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is it well with thee? And doth virtue deteriorate.* And, why, O thou honored of deities, and Gandharvas, dost thou come ? Thereat the reverened sage, Narada, said; Hearken. I shall tell (thee); and (after hearing me out) do thou what is fit. O king of the Pitris, here cometh the nightranger named ten-necked, for bringing thee under his sway —thee who art. incapable of being conquered. And, O master, for this reason it is that I have come hither hastily,—doubtful what shall befall thee who hast the rod for thy weapon. Inthe meanwhile they saw the Raksha’s car approach from afar, flaming and like unto the rayfurnished (one) risen. And dispelling the gloom of that region with the effulgence of Pushpaka, that exceedingly powerful (Rakshasa) came forward. And the mighty-armed ten-necked one all around saw creatures reaping the consequences of their fair and foul acts. And there he saw Yama’s soldiery along with Yama’s followers, fierce-forms, grim-visaged and terrific. And he saw coporeal beings undergoing torments and pain, and emitting loud cries and sharp shrieks ; preyed on by worms and fell dogs: and uttering words capable of striking pain and terror into the heart (of the hearer): and people swimming in the Vaitaraini profusely running blood; and momentarily burning with hot sands ; unrighteous wights pierced in a wood of asipatra, (plunged) in Raurava, in the river of borate of soda; and (cut) with razor-edges; asking for drinks; and afflicted with hunger and thirst; converted into corpses, lean, woe-begone, and pallid with hair flowing loosely ; having dust and filth (on their bodies), and running about distressfully with dry forms ;—on * The original has: “Doth xot virtue wane.” This in English would imply the very reverse what Narada intends to say. He says: ‘Doth religion deteriorate ?’—z.e, ‘I hope, religion doth ot deteriorate.’ This is an idiom and natural usage accounts for ity although that usage must in the nature of things be based on a subtle ground of reason.—T.

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the way saw Ravana’by hundreds and by thousands. And Ravana also saw some in front of houses engaged in merrymaking with songs and strains of instruments,—as the fruit of their pious acts; and (saw) the giver of kine regailing themselves with milk; the dispenser of rice, feeding on the same, the bestower of abodes, enjoying mansions, as the fruit of their several acts; and persons living with damsels decked with gold and gems and jewels; and other pious folks, flaming in their native energy, all these saw Ravana lord of Rakshasas. And by his might that mighty one delivered those that were being tormented by their wicked acts. And on being liberated by that Raksha—the - ten-necked one, those creatures in a moment began to enjoy their release, that had come to them without thought or suspense. And on the dead being delivered by the magnanimous Rakshasa, the guards of the dead, getting enraged, rushed at the Rakshasa sovereign. And there arose a mighty tumult from all sides ; from the heroic warriors of the king of righteousness rushing (all around.) And those heroes by hundreds and by thousands assailed (Pushpaka) with prdgas, and bludgeons, and darts and maces, and spears and tomaras. And swiftly swarming lke bees, they began to break the seats, blocks, daises and gateways (of the car.) And in that conflict Pushpaka presided over by divine energy, incapable of being destroyed by virtue of Brahma power, being broken, resumed its former shape. Countless were the soldiers of that high-souled one consisting hundreds and thousands of heroic warriors, (ever) forward for fight. And according to the measure of their might his (Ravana’s) councillors— great heroes all, as well as the ten-faced one himself with might and main, faught with trees and crags and hundreds of blocks of buildings. And those councillors of the lord of Rakshasas, assailed with every kind of weapons, with their persons bathed in blood, faught fiercely. And O largearmed one the exalted councillors of Yama and Ravana sore .

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assailed each other with arms. And leaving the councillors alone the highly powerful warriors of Yama _ rushed against Dacanana* with a shower of spears. Andthen pierced through and through by those weapons, with his person covered with blood, the Rakshasa king appeared like a flowering Kinguka in Pushpaka.t And thereat that powerful one, by virtue of his mastery over weapons, began to hurl darts and maces, pragas and spears and fomaras and crags and trees. And that terrific shower of trees, rocks and arms, alighted on the army of Yama (fighting) on the earth. And snapping those weapons and resisting (those vollies of) arms, they smote at the Rakshasa fighting alone by hundreds and thousands. And encompassing him even as clouds encompass mountain, they rendered (Ravana) inert by means of Bhindipélas and darts. And with his mail torn open, his anger raging fiercely, and covered with blood streaming over his person, he, forsaking his car, stood upon the ground. And then furnished with his bow and holding his shafts, (Ravana) regaining his senses in a short time, increased in energy and stood in the field like the finisher. And now fixing the divine Pacupata on his bow, and saying unto them, ‘slay! slay !’ he drew that bow. And enraged, (Ravana) resembling Rudra himself, in fight drawing his bow to his car, discharged that shaft even as Sankara had discharged at Tripura. And the appearance of the shaft was like an extinguishing fire in summer with smoke with flames, burning up a forest. And garlanded with glory that shaft * RaAvana. . + This simile is peculiarly appropriate and beautiful. Pushpaka, the name of Ravana’s car, means composed of flowers; and this signification shining askance, as it were, over the direct sense of the sentence, heightens the delight the reader feels on imaginging the principal figure. ‘Ravana seated in Pushpaka, covered with blood, looked like a blossoming Kinsuka.’—T.

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followed by ghosts,* in that encounter ; rushed on, burning to ashes the loose bushes and trees lying in its way. And burnt up by its energy, the most of Vaivaswata fell down in the field like unto banners of Mahendra. And thereat the Rakshasa of terrific prowess along with his councillors began to set up tremendous shouts; as if making the earth tremble.