reason also of our vow of starvation.
That king of birds then urged us (to give up our vow) by these words of
his: 'Ravana is, indeed, known to me. Lanka is his capital. I beheld it
on the other side of the sea in a valley of the Trikuta hills! Sita must
be there. I have little doubt of this!' Hearing these words of his, we
rose up quickly and began, O chastiser of foes, to take counsel of one
another for crossing the ocean! And when none dared to cross it, I,
having recourse to my father, crossed the great ocean which is a hundred
Yojanas in width. And having slain the Rakshasis on the waters, I saw the
chaste Sita within Ravana's harem, observing ascetic austerities, eager
to behold her lord, with matted locks on head, and body besmeared with
filth, and lean, and melancholy and helpless. Recognising her as Sita by
those unusual signs, and approaching that worshipful lady while alone, I
said, 'I am, O Sita, an emissary of Rama and monkey begotten by
Pavana![93] Desirous of having a sight of thee, hither have I come
travelling through the skies! Protected by Sugriva, that monarch of all
the monkeys, the royal brothers Rama and Lakshmana are in peace! And
Rama, O lady, with Sumitra's son, hath enquired of thy welfare! And
Sugriva also, on account of his friendship (with Rama and Lakshmana)
enquireth of thy welfare. Followed by all the monkeys, thy husband will
soon be here. Confide in me, O adorable lady, I am a monkey and not a
Rakshasa!' Thus addressed by me, Sita seemed to meditate for a moment and
then replied to me, saying, 'From the words of Avindhya I know that thou
art Hanuman! O mighty-armed one, Avindhya is an old and respected
Rakshasa! He told me that Sugriva is surrounded by counsellors like thee.
Thou mayst depart now!' And with these words she gave me this jewel as a
credential. And, indeed, it was by means of this jewel that the faultless
Sita had been able to support her existence. And the daughter of Janaka
further told me as a token from her, that by thee, O tiger among men, a
blade of grass (inspired with Mantras and thus converted into a fatal
weapon) had once been shot at a crow while ye were on the breast of the
mighty hill known by the name of Chitrakuta! And this she said as
evidence of my having met her and hers being really the princess of
Videha. I then caused myself to be seized by Ravana's soldiers, and then
set fire to the city of Lanka!'"

SECTION CCLXXXI

"Markandeya said, 'It was on