SECTION CXXV.
Being commanded by Rāma, that excellent car, drawn by ganders, with a huge noise, rose high up in the welkin. And casting his looks on all sides, Rāma, the descendant of Raghus, spake unto Sitā, the daughter of the king of Mithilā, having a moon-like countenance, saying,—"O Vaidehi, do thou behold Lankā, situate on the summit of the mount Chitrakuta, resembling that of Kailāça and constructed by Viçwakarmā. And behold, O Sitā, that huge arena of battle, bathed in the blood and flesh of the monkeys and Rākshasas. Do thou behold, O thou having expansive eyes, Rāvana, the lord of Rākshasas, 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 Dumrāksha, were slain by the monkey Hanumān. Bidyutmāli was slain there by the high-souled Sushena—and Indrajit, the son of Rāvana, was slain there in the encounter, by Lakshmana. The Rākshasa named Bikata was slain there by Angadi—and Birupāksha, hard to look at and Mahaparsha and Mahodara. And the powerful Akampana was slain (there) and all other Rākshasas—Trishirā, Alikāya, Devāntaka and Narantaka—and the two leading and powerful Rākshasas, mad after conflict—the sons of Kumbhakarna—Nikumbha and Kumbha, Bajradanstra, Danstra and many other Rākshasas were slain and the irrepressible Makarāksha was slain (there) by me in the conflict. Akampana was slain—and the powerful Sonitāksha. And Yupāksha and Prajangha were destroyed (there) in the great conflict. The grim-visaged Rākshasa Viddutsjmha was slain there—and Yajnāsatru and the highly powerful Suptaghna. (And there was slain) Suryāsatru and Brahmasatru. (And there bewailed for Rāvana) 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 Hanumān. And on the bank of this ocean I halted with my soldiers. And here Mahādeva, 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 Rākshasas first came to me. Do thou behold, O Sitā, Kishkindhā, having beautiful gardens, the pleasant city of Sugriva, where Vāli was slain by me". And beholding the city of Kishkindhā, ruled over by Vāli, Sitā, incited by her love, addressed Rāma, with worthy words, saying—"O king, I wish to repair to Ayodhyā thy capital with thee, in the company of Tārā, the dear wife of Sugriva, as well as of the wives of other leading monkeys". Being thus addressed by Vaidehi Rāghava replied—saying, "this shall be done" and getting at Kishkindhā 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 Ayodhyā accompanied by their wives. O thou of great strength—they may all go with Sitā. Do thou hurry them on, O Sugriva. We shall (soon) go, O thou the lord of monkeys". Being thus addressed by Rāma, of unmitigated prowess—the beautiful lord of monkeys, encircled by them, entered speedily the inner apartment and beholding Tārā there, said—"O dear, at the command of Rāghava and the kind desire of Sitā, do thou soon go, taking with thee the wives of all the high-souled monkeys. We shall see Ayodhyā and the wives of Daçaratha". Hearing the words of Sugriva, Tārā, having a perfectly beautiful person, assembling all the wives of the monkeys, said—"You have been ordered by Sugriva to repair (to Ayodhyā) with the monkeys;—to behold Ayodhyā, is also a dear object of mine. (I shall behold) Rāma enter the city with the citizens and villagers and the wealth and riches of the wives of Daçaratha". Being thus commanded by Tārā, the wives of the monkeys, putting on all their ornaments and circumambulating (her) ascended the car, with a view to behold Sitā. And beholding the car going up with them all, Rāghava again spoke unto Sitā, near the mount Rishyamuka, saying,—"Do thou behold there, O Sitā, 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 Sitā, for the destruction of Vāli. And there is (the lake) Pampā 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 Yoyanavāhu. Behold there, O Sitā, a beautiful tree, in Janasthāna, where, O thou ever used to luxuries, for thee, the highly powerful and energetic Yatāyu, the foremost of birds, was slain by Rāvana. 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 Rākshasas. Do thou behold there the beautiful and sacred river Godāveri 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 Birādha by me. There thou didst behold, O Sitā, 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 Sumitrā. Behold the beautiful Yamunā, having picturesque forest on its bank and the pleasant hermitage of Varadwāya. 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 Sitā, the capital of my father. Do thou bow unto Ayodhyā, O Vaidehi". Thereupon all the monkeys and Rākshasas along with Bibhishana rose up delightedly and saw the city. Thereupon the monkeys and Rākshasas beheld the city abounding in white houses having spacious compartments, filled with elephants and horses and looking like Amarāvati, the capital of Mahendra.
⁴⁸⁸ This is still to be seen in the shape of a delapidated bridge near Rāmeswar 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.