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288
JAİN RAMAYAN
Not only this; even her friend, Vasant Tilaka remained by her side throughout those long years sharing her sorrows; taking care of her with deep interest; and thus she, by her affection for her friend, exemplified a lofty kind of friendship.
One day a messenger came from the mighty hero, Ravan, the King of Lanka, to the court of King Prahlad, the Vidyadhar king. He bowed to King Prahlad and conveyed to him Ravan's message thus :
"King Prahlad, the greatest of the Vidyadhars! You know very well that Varun, the King of Varunpur has been defying the authority of King Ravan, and has been rejecting his authority. He is indeed the very embodiment of egoism and a false sense of prestige”.
"Infuriated by his insolence, when King Ravan sent a messenger with the message that he should surrender himself to him and accept his overlordship. Varun reprimanded the messenger and sent him back humiliated. He is very proud of his powers and abilities.
"Then is king Varun ignorant of what happened to Indra, Nalkuber and others at the hands of Ravan ? Were they not routed and humiliated by King Ravan ?" King Prahlad said remembering the thrilling story of King Ravan's stupendous achievements in warfare.
"Oh king ! He knows all that. But he says haughtily," I am not Indra or Nalkuber; nor am I Sahasrakiran! You should not commit the mistake of equating me with Maruth. I am Varun! I am Varun, the brave hero ! If Ravan is proud of his powers and of the supernatural weapons which he has obtained from heavenly beings let him come to Varunpur and show his strength and abilities. I am ready to put down his pride and his intoxication of imagined superiority”. That is what he said to the messenger".
. "Did the mighty Emperor Ravan hear this message ?" King Prahlad asked anxiously.
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