was through my grace that he had hitherto been unslayable of all creatures.  And indeed, it was for some reason that I had tolerated him for some time!  The wretch, however, abducted Sita for his own destruction.  And as regards Sita, I protected her through Nalakuvera’s curse.  For that person had cursed Ravana of old, saying, that if he ever approached an unwilling woman, his head should certainly be split into a hundred fragments.  Let no suspicion, therefore, be thine!  O thou of great glory, accept thy wife!  Thou hast indeed, achieved a mighty feat for the benefit of the gods, O thou that art of divine effulgence!’ And last of all Dasaratha said, ’I have been gratified with thee, O child!  Blessed be thou, I am thy father Dasaratha!  I command thee to take back thy wife, and rule thy kingdom, O thou foremost of men!’ Rama then replied, ’If thou art my father, I salute thee with reverence, O king of kings!  I shall indeed, return, at thy command, to the delightful city of Ayodhya!’

“Markandeya continued, ’Thus addressed, his father, O bull of the Bharata race, gladly answered Rama, the corners of whose eyes were of a reddish hue, saying, ’Return to Ayodhya and rule thou that kingdom!  O thou of great glory, thy fourteen years (of exile) have been completed.’  Thus addressed by Dasaratha, Rama bowed to the gods, and saluted by his friends he was united with his wife, like the Lord of the celestials with the daughter of Puloman.  And that chastiser of foes then gave a boon to Avindhya.  And he also bestowed both riches and honours on the Rakshasa woman named Trijata.  And when Brahma with all the celestials having India at their head, said unto Rama, ’O thou that ownest Kausalya for thy mother, what boons after thy heart shall we grant thee?’ Rama, thereupon, prayed them to grant him firm adherence to virtues and invincibility in respect of all foes.  And he also asked for the restoration to life of all those monkeys that had been slain by the Rakshasas, and after Brahma had said—­So be it, those monkeys, O king, restored to life, rose up from the field of battle, and Sita too, of great good fortune, granted unto Hanuman a boon, saying, ’Let thy life, O son, last as long as (the fame of) Rama’s achievements!  And, O Hanuman of yellow eyes, let celestial viands and drinks be ever available to thee through my grace!’

“Then the celestials with Indra at their head all disappeared in the very sight of those warriors of spotless achievements.  And beholding Rama united with the daughter of Janaka, the charioteer of Sakra, highly pleased, addressed him in the midst of friends, and said these words, ’O thou of prowess that can never be baffled thou hast dispelled the sorrow of the celestials, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Asuras, the Nagas, and human beings!  As long, therefore, as the Earth will hold together, so long will all creatures with the celestials, the Asuras, the Gandharvas, the Yakshas, the Rakshasas, and the Pannagas, speak of thee.’  And having