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RĀVANA'S EXPEDITION OF CONQUEST
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to Mt. Aṣṭāpada and practiced käyotsarga, his arms hanging down, like a tree to which swings have been fastened. Abandoning kayotsarga at the end of a month, he broke his fast and again and again he broke fasts in this way at its abandonment.
Now Sugrīva gave Śrīprabha1 109 to Daśakantha, like a water-canal for the tree of former affection which was drying up. Then Sugrīva, his glory brilliant as moonlight, made Valin's son, powerful Candraraśmi, heir-apparent. Daśānana, whose command was acknowledged by Sugrīva, married his sister, Śrīprabhā, took her and went to Lankā. Rāvana married by force beautiful daughters of other Vidyadhara-kings, also. Then he set out to marry Ratnavali, daughter of the Vidyadhara-lord, Nityaloka, in Nityalokapura. As he was going above Mt. Aṣṭāpada, his car Puspaka stumbled suddenly, like an army of enemies against a wall. When Daśānana saw that his car's progress was hindered, like a boat with the anchor dropped, like an elephant tied, he became angry.
"Who wishes to resort to Yama's face because of the stumbling of my car?" saying, he descended and looked at the top of the mountain. Beneath the car he saw Välin standing in pratima, like a new peak of the mountain that had arisen. Rāvaṇa said in anger: "Even now you are hostile to me. You observe the vow hypocritically, wishing to deceive this world. Before, by some trick you carried me around, like a vāhīka.110 You became a mendicant, fearing requital for that act from me, certainly.
There
Now, indeed, I am here and these are my arms. fore I shall requite you for your act at the proper time.
109 231. Called Suprabhā, above.
110 241. Vähika is, to me, doubtful here. It is defined in the Lexs. as the name of a people of low standing. However, in 5. 5. 504 it is used clearly of litter-bearers. Possibly the tribe engaged in such occupations. It seems to me a similar meaning would suit here, 'porter." But Muni Punyavijayaji favors taking the tribal name to mean a rough, low person, something like a goonda,
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