dressed by Vali, Sugriva, that slayer of foes, as
if addressing Rama himself for informing him of what had happened,
replied unto his brother in these words of grave import, 'O king, robbed
by thee of my wife and my kingdom also, what need have I of life? Know
that it is for this that I have come!' Then addressing each other in
these and other words of the same import, Vali and Sugriva rushed to the
encounter, fighting with Sala and Tala trees and stones. And they struck
each other down on the earth. And leaping high into the air, they struck
each other with their fists. And mangled by each other's nail and teeth,
both of them were covered with blood. And the two heroes shone on that
account like a pair of blossoming Kinshukas. And as they fought with each
other, no difference (in aspect) could be observed so as to distinguish
them. Then Hanuman placed on Sugriva's neck a garland of flowers. And
that hero thereupon shone with that garland on his neck, like the
beautiful and huge peak of Malya with its cloudy belt. And Rama,
recognising Sugriva by that sign, then drew his foremost of huge bows,
aiming at Vali as his mark. And the twang of Rama's bow resembled the
roar of an engine. And Vali, pierced in the heart by that arrow, trembled
in fear. And Vali, his heart having been pierced through, began to vomit
forth blood. And he then beheld standing before him Rama with Sumatra's
son by his side. And reproving that descendant of Kakutstha's race, Vali
fell down on the ground and became senseless. And Tara then beheld that
lord of hers possessed of the effulgence of the Moon, lying prostrate on
the bare earth. And after Vali had been thus slain, Sugriva regained
possession of Kishkindhya, and along with it, of the widowed Tara also of
face beautiful as the moon. And the intelligent Rama also dwelt on the
beautiful breast of the Malyavat hill for four months, duly worshipped by
Sugriva all the while.

"Meanwhile Ravana excited by lust, having reached his city of Lanka,
placed Sita in an abode, resembling Nandana itself, within a forest of
Asokas, that looked like an asylum of ascetics. And the large-eyed Sita
passed her days there in distress, living on fruits and roots, practising
ascetic austerities with fasts, attired in ascetic garb, and waning thin
day by day, thinking of her absent lord. And the king of the Rakshasas
appointed many Rakshasa women armed with bearded darts and swords and
lances and battle-axes and maces a