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198
 
THE RAMAYANA
 
Then, having heard the words of
Surpanakha, fit to make the hair stand on
end, Ravana dismissed the ministers
and making up his own mind, saw the
Rakshasa Maricha by name, of regulated
diet.
 
मारीचेना चिंतो वावयमब्रवीद्वाक्यकोविदः ॥
 
Ravana, well versed in speech, spoke
these words, after being duly honoured
by Maricha :
 
मारीच श्रूयतां तात वचनं मम भाषतः ।
आतोऽस्मि मम चार्तस्य भवान् हि परमा गतिः ॥
 
"Maricha, my dear, hear these words
spoken by me. I am worried. To me
when worried, you are indeed the best
 
resort.
 
जानीषे त्वं जनस्थाने यथा भ्राता खरो मम ।
दूषणश्च महाबाहुः स्वसा शूर्पणखा च मे ॥
 
You know that in Janasthana, there
lived my brother Khara as well as the
mighty-armed Dushana and
my sister
Surpanakha.
 
ते त्विदानीं जनस्थाने वसमाना महाबलाः ।
सङ्गताः परमायत्त रामेण सह संयुगे ।