Trishasti Shalaka Purusa Caritra Part 4

Author(s): Hemchandracharya, Helen M Johnson
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 290

BRINGING NEWS OF SĪTA
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wife. Shame on the hope of you whose hope is destroyed, seeker of the unsought (death), villain! How long will you live since Rāma and his younger brother are death to enemies?” Even though reviled by her in this way, again and again Daśānana spoke in the same way. Alas! the state of love is very powerful.
Just then, as if unable to look at Sītā plunged in disaster, the depository of light submerged in the western Lavaņa Ocean. Dreadful night began and Rāvana, possessing a terrible mind, blind with love and anger, launched attacks on Sītā. Huge owls hooting, jackals howling, wolves making various noises, cats fighting each other, tigers giving blows (on the ground) with their tạils, serpents hissing, Piśācas, ghosts, vampires, ghouls with drawn knives, leaping up, like badly behaved councilors of Yama, created by Rāvaņa, came to Sītā, terrifying. Sītā continued meditating on the formula of homage to the Five Supreme Ones and was unterrified in fact and, moreover, did not turn to Daśānaņa. At dawn Bibhīşaņa went near Daśagrīva, after hearing about the events of the night, and said to Sītā: "Fair lady, who are you? Where are you from? Whose daughter are you? Why are you here? Do not be afraid. Tell everything to me who am a brother to other men's wives."
Recognizing that he was a mediator, Sītā related with downcast face: "I am Sītā, the daughter of Janaka, sister of Bhāmandala, wife of Rāmabhadra, daughter-in-law of Dasaratha. I came with my husband and his brother to the forest Daņdaka. There one day my brother-in-law was wandering to and fro for amusement and saw a large sword in the air, and seized it from curiosity. He cut a nearby bamboo-thicket with the sword and unintentionally cut off the head of its subduer who was inside the thicket.
Oh! I have killed some innocent man who was not fighting,' as if remorseful he came to his brother. Some woman friend of the subduer of the sword came there in anger, after my brother-in-law. Seeing my husband, an
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