Entering the extensive forest of Dandaka, the irrepressible and self-composed Rāma saw the collection of asylums belonging unto the ascetics, strewn with Kuça and bark, and environed by spiritual energy; incapable of being beheld; like the solar disc in the heavens,—the refuge of all creatures—with their ornamented yards; filled with a great many deer, and abounding in multitudes of birds; in which Apsarās always danced and which they held in respect; (asylums) beauteous with spacious rooms for fire-sacrifice, with sacrificial necessaries, deer-skins, Kuça, faggots, water-pitchers, fruits and roots; surrounded by mighty and sacred forest-trees; crowned with lucious fruits; honored with Vāli1 and Homa2; holy; resounding with the sounds of Vedic recitations; scattered with divers blossoms; and containing tanks filled with lotuses; with ancient ascetics living on fruits and roots, having their senses under control, wearing bark and black deer-skins, and possessing the splendour of the sun or fire; and adorned by great and holy sages living upon regulated fare. Beholding that collection of asylums belonging unto the ascetics, resembling the regions of Brahmā, resonant with the voices of Vedic recitations; and grateful; with highly pious Brāhmanas versed in the Vedas,—the exceedingly energetic and graceful Rāghava entered the same, having first unstrung his mighty bow. Thereupon, seeing the righteous Rāma resembling the moon risen, as well as Lakshmana and the illustrious Vaidehi, those Maharshis endeued with spiritual intuition, came forward (to meet the incomers); and, having uttered benedictions, those persons of rigid vows, received them. And those dwellers of the wood, struck with wonder, beheld Rāma's tender grace and lovliness and elegance of dress. And struck with astonishment, those inhabitants of the woods of pre-eminent piety saw Vaidehi, Lakshmana and Rāma, with winkless eyes. And those persons of exalted virtue, engaged in the welfare of all creatures, made Rāghava, their guest, sit down in their thatched cottage. Then, having received Rāma respectfully according to scriptural prescription, those virtuous ones of eminent piety, resembling fire, procured water (for Rāma). And, experiencing great delight, those high-souled ones, uttering benedictions, procured wild fruits, flowers and roots; and, having assigned an asylum (unto Rāma), those persons cognizant of righteousness, said with joined hands, "Possessed of high fame, thou, the protector of righteousness, art the refuge of these people. Thou shoudst be honored and worshipped, being their king, holding the rod, and their superior. O Rāghava, it is because he that governs his subjects, is a fourth part of Indra himself, that the king, being bowed down unto by all, enjoys the choicest things. And we, being in thy dominions, ought to be protected by thee. Whether living in the city or in the woods, thou, lord of men, art our sovereign. We have renounced chastising others; and, O monarch, we have conquered our anger, and subdued our passions. Therefore, even as a child in its mother's womb (should be protected by her), should we be protected by thee." Having said this, they entertained Rāghava, along with Lakshmana, with fruits and roots and flowers and diverse other edibles procurable in the woods. In the same way, other ascetics of accomplished purposes, living lives of integrity, duly pleased that lord, Rāma, resembling Vaiçyānara.

Having received the homage of the ascetics, Rāma about sun-rise, having greeted them all, entered into the forest. And Rāma, followed by Lakshmana, saw the heart of the forest abounding in various kinds of beasts,—ranged by bears and tigers, with its trees and shrubs torn and trampled, its pools turbid, and its birds crying. And, having in company with Sitā arrived at that forest abounding in terrible beasts, Kākutstha saw a man-eater, resembling a mountain-summit, emitting tremendous roars, with hollow eyes, a huge face, frightful, having a deformed belly, disgusting, dreadful, Cyclopean, mis-shapen, of a horrible sight, clad in a tiger-skin, besmeared with fat, covered with blood, capable of frightening all creatures, with his mouth widely extended, like unto the Destroyer himself, and uttering loud shouts,—who stood piercing with his iron dart three lions, four tigers, two leopards, four Prishatas, and the huge tusked head of an elephant dripping fat. Having seen Rāma and Lakshmana, as well as Sitā the daughter of Mithilā, he growing angry, rushed (against them), like the Destroyer himself rushing against creatures at the universal dissolution. Uttering a dreadful yell, and, as if making the earth tremble, he took Vaidehi on his waist, and, going a little distance, said, "O ye wearing bark and matted locks, O ye of feeble strength, that accompanied by your (common) wife, have entered the forest of Dandaka, bearing bows and arrows and scimitars, why, being ascetics, do ye wish to associate with a (single) woman? Ye wicked wretches, ye impious wights, who are ye that bring disgrace upon ascetics? I am a Rākshasa, Virādha by name. This forest is my fastness. Accoutred in arms, I range (here), feeding on the flesh of ascetics. This transcendentally beauteous one shall be my wife. And in battle I shall drink your blood, wretches that ye are." Hearing the wicked and vaunting speech of the impious Virādha, as he said this, Janaka's daughter, Sitā, began to tremble from fear, like a plantain tree shaken by the wind. Seeing the graceful Sitā on the waist of Virādha, Rāghava with a blank countenance said unto Lakshmana, "O amiable one, behold the daughter of king Janaka, my wife of pure ways, an illustrious princess brought up in luxury—on Virādha's waist O Lakshmana, what had been wished for by Kaikeyi with reference to us, (hath taken place), and the dear boon (that she had asked) hath born fruit. That far-sighted lady—my second mother—who had not been satisfied with having secured the kingdom in the interests of her son, and by whom I that was dear unto her above all other creatures, had been banished to the woods, hath to-day her wishes crowned with success. O Sumitra's son, nothing can impart unto me greater anguish than the touching of Vaidehi by another— which surpasses my father's demise and my