But SÍtÁ viewed with wild affright

The heroes hurried from her sight.

She tossed her shapely arms on high,

And shrieked aloud her bitter cry:

The princely RÁma as his prey,

Truthful and pure, and good and great,

And Lakshma? shares his brother's fate.

The brindled tiger and the bear

My mangled limbs for food will tear.

Take me, O best of giants, me,

Then, by avenging fury spurred,

Her mournful cry the heroes heard,

And hastened, for the lady's sake,

The wicked monster's life to take.

Then Lakshma? with resistless stroke

The foe's left arm that held him broke,

And RÁma too, as swift to smite,

Smashed with his heavy hand the right.

With broken arms and tortured frame

To earth the fainting giant came,

Like a huge cloud, or mighty rock

Rent, sundered by the levin's shock.

Then rushed they on, and crushed and beat

Their foe with arms and fists and feet,

And nerved each mighty limb to pound

And bray him on the level ground.

Keen arrows and each biting blade

Wide rents in breast and side had made;

But crushed and torn and mangled, still

The monster lived they could not kill.

When RÁma saw no arms might slay

The fiend who like a mountain lay,

The glorious hero, swift to save

In danger, thus his counsel gave:

No arms may take in battle strife:

Now dig we in this grove a pit

His elephantine bulk to fit,

And let the hollowed earth enfold

This said, the son of Raghu pressed

His foot upon the giant's breast.

With joy the prostrate monster heard

Victorious RÁma's welcome word,

And straight Kakutstha's son, the best

Of men, in words like these addressed:

By might that vies with Indra's own.

Till now my folly-blinded eyes

Thee, hero, failed to recognize.

Happy Kau?alyÁ! blest to be

The mother of a son like thee!

I know thee well, O chieftain, now:

RÁma, the prince of men, art thou.

There stands the high-born Maithil dame,

There Lakshma?, lord of mighty fame.

My name was Tumburu,408 for song

Renowned among the minstrel throng:

Cursed by Kuvera's stern decree

I wear the hideous shape you see.

But when I sued, his grace to crave,

The glorious God this answer gave:

Destroys thee and the fight is won,

Thy proper shape once more assume,

When thus the angry God replied,

No prayers could turn his wrath aside,

And thus on me his fury fell

For loving RambhÁ's409 charms too well.

Now through thy favour am I freed

From the stern fate the God decreed,

And saved, O tamer of the foe,