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THE KIDNAPING OF SITA
243 The fight increasing, in order to strengthen her husband's army in the rear, Rāvana's sister hurried to Rāvana and said: "Two men, Rāma and Lakşmaņa, have come to Dandakāraṇya. Devoid of wisdom, they have led your sister's son to the sphere of Vama. Hearing of that, your sister's husband with his younger brother and an army went there and is now fighting with Saumitri. Proud of his younger brother's strength and his own strength, Räma has stood apart, amusing himself with Sītā. Sītā, the crest of women, as it were, from her wealth of beauty and grace, is not a goddess, not a Nāga-maiden, not a mortal. She is something else. Her beauty, without parallel in the three worlds, by which all the women of gods and demons are reduced to slavery, is beyond the realm of speech. You whose commands extend from ocean to ocean-whatever jewels are on the earth, they all belong to you alone, brother. If you do not take this jewel of a woman, who stops winking of the eyes by her wealth of beauty, you are not Rāvana."
Daśakandhara got into Puşpaka and gave orders, "King of aerial cars, go quickly where Jānakī is.". The aerial car went with very great speed to Janaki as if in rivalry with Daśagrīva's mind going there. Daśakandhara was afraid of Räma's very strong brilliance, when he had seen it, and stopped at a distance, like a tiger fearing a fire. He reflected, "Alas ! On the one hand is Rāma, difficult to approach; on the other hand, the kidnaping of Sitä; on the one hand, a tiger; on the other, a bank.” Then he recalled the vidyă Avalokani and she was present immediately like a servant, her hands joined together. Daśānana ordered her immediately, "Give me assistance at once. I am on the point of kidnaping Sītā." She said: "Väsuki's head-jewel can be taken easily, but not Sitā, even by gods, and demons, when she is near Rāma. However, there is a means by which he would go to Lakşmaņa, namely, a lion's roar from him (Lakşmaņa). That is a signal between them." He told her, "Give one,"
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