his Rakshasa followers. And having
slain the king of the Rakshasas, with his brother, and sons and kindred,
he installed in the kingdom in Lanka the Rakshasa chief, Vibhishana,
pious, and reverent, and kind to devoted dependants. Then Rama recovered
his wife even like the lost Vaidic revelation. Then Raghu's son, Rama,
with his devoted wife, returned to his own city, Ayodhya, inaccessible
to enemies; and that lord of men began to dwell there. Then that
foremost of kings, Rama was established in the kingdom. Thereafter, I
asked a boon of the lotus-eyed Rama, saying, "O slayer of foes, Rama,
may I live as long as the history of thy deeds remaineth extant on
earth!" Thereupon he said, "So be it." O represser of foes, O Bhima,
through the grace of Sita also, here all excellent objects of
entertainment are supplied to me, whoever abide at this place. Rama
reigned for the thousand and ten hundred years. Then he ascended to his
own abode. Ever since, here Apsaras and Gandharvas delight me, singing
for aye the deeds of that hero, O sinless one. O son of the Kurus, this
path is impassable to mortals. For this, O Bharata, as also with the
view that none might defeat or curse thee, have I obstructed thy passage
to this path trod by the immortals. This is one of the paths to heaven,
for the celestials; mortals cannot pass this way. But the lake in search
of which thou hast come, lieth even in that direction.'"

SECTION CXLVIII

Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed, the powerful Bhimasena of
mighty arms, affectionately, and with a cheerful heart, bowed unto his
brother, Hanuman, the monkey-chief, and said in mild words, 'None is
more fortunate than I am; now have I seen my elder brother. It is a
great favour shown unto me; and I have been well pleased with thee. Now
I wish that thou mayst fulfil this desire of mine. I desire to behold, O
hero, that incomparable form of thine, which thou at that time hadst
had, in bounding over the main, that abode of sharks and crocodiles.
Thereby I shall be satisfied, and also believe in thy words.' Thus
addressed, that mighty monkey said with a smile, 'That form of mine
neither thou, not any one else can behold. At that age, the state of
things was different, and doth not exist at present. In the Krita age,
the state of things was one; and in the Treta, another; and in the
Dwapara, still another. Diminution is going on this age; and I have not
that form now. The ground, rivers, plants, and