Book VI

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939 The Goomtee.

940 The Anglicized Nerbudda.

941 According to a Pauranik legend Keśarí Hanumán’s putative father had killed an Asur or demon who appeared in the form of an elephant, and hence arose the hostility between Vánars and elephants.

942 Here follows the enumeration of Sugríva’s forces which I do not attempt to follow. It soon reaches a hundred thousand billions.

943 I omit the rest of this canto, which is mere repetition. Rávaṇ gives in the same words his former answer that the Gods, Gandharvas and fiends combined shall not force him to give up Sítá. He then orders Śárdúla to tell him the names of the Vánar chieftains whom he has seen in Ráma’s army. These have already been mentioned by Śuka and Sáraṇ.

944 Lakshmí is the Goddess both of beauty and fortune, and is represented with a lotus in her hand.

945 The poet appears to have forgotten that Śuka and Sáraṇ were dismissed with ignominy in Canto XXIX, and have not been reinstated.

946 The four who fled with him. Their names are Anala, Panasa, Sampáti, and Pramati.

947 The numbers here are comparatively moderate: ten thousand elephants, ten thousand chariots, twenty thousand horses and ten million giants.

948 The Kinśuk, also called Paláśa, is Butea Frondosa, a tree that bears beautiful red crescent shaped blossoms and is deservedly a favorite with poets. The Seemal or Śálmalí is the silk cotton tree which also bears red blossoms.

949 Varuṇa.

950 The duty of a king to save the lives of his people and avoid bloodshed until milder methods have been tried in vain.

951 I have omitted several of these single combats, as there is little variety in the details and each duel results in the victory of the Vánar or his ally.

952 Yajnaśatru, Mahápárśva, Mahodar, Vajradanshṭra, Śuka, and Sáraṇ.

953 Angad.

954 A mysterious weapon consisting of serpents transformed to arrows which deprived the wounded object of all sense and power of motion.

955 On each foot, and at the root of each finger.

956 Varuṇ.

957 The name of one of the mystical weapons the command over which was given by Viśvámitra to Ráma, as related in