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CHAPTER THREE
Pavana and Pratisūrya started out, Hanumat, the sole mountain of self-importance, said:
"Fathers, you remain here. I shall conquer the enemy. Who would fight with his arm, if a sharp weapon were at hand? I am not to be pitied because of my youth, since in the case of the members of your families, age is no standard, when the time for heroic actions has been reached."
After persuading them persistently with such talk and after taking leave of them, kissed ardently on the head by them, an auspicious ceremony of departure having been made, surrounded by hundreds of great vassals, generals, and armies, he, whose strength was irresistible, went to Rāvana's camp. Seeing Hanumat who had come, like victory itself, Dasakandhara set him joyfully on his lap, when he bowed. Rāvana halted for battle near Varuņa's city and Varuņa and Varuna's hundred powerful sons went forth. Varuņa's sons came and fought with Rāvaņa and Varuņa fought with the heroes, Sugrīva and others. The sons of Varuņa, powerful, red-eyed, worried Daśakandhara in battle, like well-bred dogs a boar.
Just then Hanumat, cruel, hard to restrain from anger, came and attacked Varuņa's sons, like a lion attacking elephants. Hanumat transfixed the sons of Varuņa by the power of vidyâs and bound them like cattle, his jaw red from anger. When Varuņa had seen them, he attacked Hanūmat angrily, shaking down Sugrīva, et cetera, like an elephant trees on the road. As he attacked, Rāvaņa made him stumble on the way, like a mountain blocking rivers, raining a succession of arrows. Blind with anger, Varuna fought hard with Rāvaņa for a long time, like a bull with a bull, an elephant with an elephant. Crafty Rāvana bewildered Varuņa with all his strength and, flying up, bound him like Indra.188 Craft. is equal to strength
· 188 297. See above, p. 159.
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