Shirdi Sai Baba Stories,Leelas and Teachings.: Ram Vijaya-Chapter 42.

Dear all

Here is chapter-42 from the book Ram Vijaya. Readers who have missed out any chapter can read them by clicking on the link provided below this chapter . Jai Sai Ram.

Ram Vijaya-Chapter 42.

One of the arms of the demon-prince, when cut off, fell down in the compound of the palace of his wife, Sulochana, a daughter of Shesha, and the monkeys carried off the head to their camp with exultation. Rama rejoiced at the success and told the monkeys to preserve the head and hand it over to a woman, who would come hither to ask for if.

Sulochana came out of her room, and as soon as she identified her husband s arm, she took it up in her hands and lamented over it. She said to the arm with tears in her eyes, " My love, just let me know how you were killed. If I am faithful to you, let this your arm write a short account of the battle you had fought with Rama." So saying she placed a piece of paper, pen and inkstand before the arm.

The arm wrote the full account of the battle and informed her that the monkeys carried off his head to Suvela. As soon as Sulochana read the account, she grieved much and placed the arm and paper before her father-in-law, Ravana. Ravana read the letter and fainted away, when Mandodari came out of her room and, hearing the sad news of the fall of her brave son, violently cried and wept.

Sulochana said, " I am going to burn myself with my beloved Indrajit. I, therefore, implore you to get his head back from the monkeys. At the entreaties of his daughter-in-law the demon-king was saddened and pitied her ; and at the same time, he was boiled with rage at the monkeys, and exclaimed, "Daughter, I shall get the head back. Rest assured. I will now fight with Rama and never return, unless I kill him." So exclaiming he ordered his courtiers to make prepartions for march against the prince.

Then Mandodari said to Sulochana, " There is no necessity for fighting with Rama. If you go to him alone, he will give the head to you, as he is very kind." Ravana said, " She is helpless, what if any body commit outrage upon her. " There is not a single monkey with Rama, replied Mandodari, " who will covet another s wife. * As soon as Mandodari said these words, he hid his face with shame and confusion and allowed Sulochana to go alone to Suvela.

Sulochana came to the camp of the moakeys, when the latter took her to Rama. She said to the prince, " I am wife of Indrajit and have come hither to carry the head of my husband, as I am going to burn myself with him. I, therefore, implore you to give it to me." " How did you know that the head of your nusband was carried off by us," asked the monkeys. Sulochana told them what had happened but the monkeys said to her, " We can not believe what you say. It is impossible that a lifeless arm can write. Here is the head of your husband ; and if you were faithful to him, just make it laugh ; and then we will be convinced of, what you say."

Whereupon Sulochana, embracing the head, said, " My love, I am now in difficulty. These monkeys have met here together to judge of my fidelity towards you ; and if your head does not laugh, they will look upon me as a vile woman." Sulochana tried her utmost to make the head laugh but it did not listen to her.

At last she said, " I made a great mistake. If I had called my father, Shesha, to help you, nothing could have been done to you." As soon as she uttered these words, the head heartily laughed. The monkeys said, " Though Sulochana spoke to the head in so many pathetic words, it did not laugh but as soon as she took the name of Shesha, it heartily laughed.
" What is this mystery?" asked the monkeys.

" Sulochana is the daughter of Shesha," replied Rama, " and Lakshuman is an incarnation of Shesha. The head laughed, because his father-in-law killed his own son-in-law." No sooner did Rama inform the monkeys of this than Lakshuman much grieved for his son-in-law, Indrajit, when the former pacified and consoled him, saying that he would resuscitate the demon-prince, if he wished him to do so. But at the entreaties of the monkeys Rama did not resuscitate Indrajit.

The monkeys then handed the head over to Sulochana, which she took and brought on the sea-shore near Lanka, where she arranged a pile of wood and, having set fire to it, burnt herself with the head. Ravana,who was present there with his family according to the custom, was deeply affected at the sight, and returned home over-wiielined with grief.

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