in battle that offender of Pulastya's
race who had never before been vanquished by any foe. Indeed, the
mighty-armed Rama slew in battle that descendant of Pulastya's race with
all his kinsmen and followers, that Rakshasa who was incapable of being
slain by the gods and the Asuras together, that wretch who was a thorn
unto the gods and the Brahmanas. In consequence of his affectionate
treatment of his subjects, the celestials worshipped Rama. Filling the
entire earth with his achievements, he was much applauded even by the
celestial Rishis. Compassionate unto all creatures, that king, having
acquired diverse realms and protected his subjects virtuously, performed
a great sacrifice without obstruction. And the lord, Rama, also performed
a hundred Horse-sacrifices and the great sacrifice called Jaruthya. And
with libations of clarified butter he contributed to Indra's delight.[96]
And by these acts of his, Rama conquered hunger and thirst, and all the
diseases to which living creatures are subject. Possessed of every
accomplishment, he always blazed forth with his own energy. Indeed, Rama,
the son of Dasaratha, greatly outshone all creatures. When Rama ruled his
kingdom, the Rishis, the gods, and men, all lived together on the earth.
The lives of living creatures were never otherwise. The life-breaths
also, called Prana, Apana, Samana, and the others, when Rama ruled his
kingdom, all performed their functions. All luminous bodies shone
brighter, and calamities never occurred. All his subjects were
long-lived. None died in youth. The dwellers of heaven highly gratified,
used to get, according to (the ordinances of) the four Vedas, libations
of clarified butter and other offerings of food made by men. His realms
were free from flies and gnats; and of beasts of prey and poisonous
reptiles, there were none. And none was of unrighteous tendencies, none
was covetous, and none was ignorant. The subjects, of all the (four)
orders, were engaged in righteous and desirable acts. When the Rakshasas,
about this time obstructed the offerings to the Pitris and the worship of
the gods in Janasthana, Lord Rama, slaying them, caused those offerings
and that worship to be once more given to the Pitris and the gods. Men
were each blessed with a thousand children, and the period of their lives
was a thousand years. Seniors had never to perform Sraddhas of their
juniors.[97] Youthful in shape, of a dark-blue hue, of red eyes,
possessed of the