erceives that he has been deluded. Kuvera by his
father's advice, gives up the city of Lanka to Ravan."(1031) Ravana
marries (Sect. 12) Mandodari the beautiful daughter of the Asur Maya whose
name has several times occurred in the Ramayan as that of an artist of
wonderful skill. She bears a son Meghanada or the Roaring Cloud who was
afterwards named Indrajit from his victory over the sovereign of the
skies. The conquest of Kuvera, and the acquisition of the magic
self-moving chariot which has done much service in the Ramayan, form the
subject of sections XIII., XIV. and XV. "The rather pretty story of
Vedavati is related in the seventeenth section, as follows: Ravana in the
course of his progress through the world, comes to the forest on the
Himalaya, where he sees a damsel of brilliant beauty, but in ascetic garb,
of whom he straightway becomes enamoured. He tells her that such an
austere life is unsuited to her youth and attractions, and asks who she is
and why she is leading an ascetic existence. She answers that she is
called Vedavati, and is the vocal daughter of Vrihaspati's son, the rishi
Kusadhwaja, sprung from him during his constant study of the Veda. The
gods, gandharvas, etc., she says, wished that she should choose a husband,
but her father would give her to no one else than to Vishnu, the lord of
the world, whom he desired for his son-in-law. Vedavati then proceeds: 'In
order that I may fulfil this desire of my father in respect of Narayana, I
wed him with my heart. Having entered into this engagement I practise
great austerity. Narayana and no other than he, Purushottama, is my
husband. From the desire of obtaining him, I resort to this severe
observance.' Ravana's passion is not in the least diminished by this
explanation and he urges that it is the old alone who should seek to
become distinguished by accumulating merit through austerity, prays that
she who is so young and beautiful shall become his bride; and boasts that
he is superior to Vishnu. She rejoins that no one but he would thus
contemn that deity. On receiving this reply he touches the hair of her
head with the tip of his finger. She is greatly incensed, and forthwith
cuts off her hair and tells him that as he has so insulted her, she cannot
continue to live, but will enter into the fire before his eyes. She goes
on 'Since I have been insulted in the forest by thee who art
wicked-hearted, I shall be born again for thy destruction. For a man of
e