The Princes and Seeta, following Agastya's instruction, took the way to Panchavati.

On the way they met a huge figure perched on a big tree. They took it to be a Raakshasa.

"Who are you?" asked Rama in an angry tone. The vulture however answered in a voice full of mildness and affection: "My child, I am your father's aged friend." Then he proceeded to tell his story.

Jataayu was the brother of Sampaati, the son of Aruna the dawn-god, who was brother to Garuda the great Eagle-vehicle of Vishnu.

He said: "When you leave Seeta alone and go hunting in the forest, I shall be looking after her safety."

The prince was pleased and accepted the offer of the bird with gratitude. They then proceeded on their journey.

Rama was thrilled by the beauty of Panchavati and gratefully offered praise in his thoughts to Agastya for recommending the spot to them. He told Lakshmana: "We can build our aashrama and enjoy our stay here for any length of time. Those hills are near and yet not too near. Look at those herds of deer. The trees with their flowers and the sweetly singing birds, the river, the clean sand- everything is beautiful. Choose for us a good site and build a cottage.

Lakshmana did as he was told. He constructed an aashrama, Vaalmeeki pauses here to explain the skill and swiftness of Lakshmana's workmanship. He describes in detail how the mud walls were raised and the thatched roof was made. Rama admires Lakshmana enthusiastically.

"You are more than a father to me," said the Prince shedding tears of love and joy".

We, too, may pause to think how the noble prince Lakshmana acquired this skill. We may infer that in those days education even of princes included a knowledge of the realities of life and development of manual skill such as could enable one to collect materials in a forest and put a neat cottage for oneself.

In the aashrama at Panchavati, Rama and Seeta lived happily, lovingly served by Lakshmana.

One morning in early winter the three went as usual to tie Godaavari for their bath and to offer their morning prayers and fetch water for the day's needs. They walked conversing about the beauty of the season. Lakshmana thought of Bharata and how he would then be busy performing the ceremonies appropriate to the month.

He said: "Bharata is entitled to live in ease but he has taken on himself a life of hardship because we live a life of hardship in the forest. My heart is full of sorrow for him. Even in this cold weather poor Bharata no doubt eats sparingly and sleeps on the bare floor. This cold morning he too is probably walking towards the Sarayu. How fortunate we are to have such a noble brother! Pure in mind and speech and conduct, renouncing all pleasures, he lives a life of austerity for our sake. He is exactly like our dear father and quite the opposite of his mother. How could so cruel a woman as Kaikeyi bear so good a son?"

Rama stopped him, saying, "Talk as much as you like of Bharata and our father, but stop condemning Kaikeyi. All that you say of Bharata is true and my thoughts too today go to him in love. How long yet to see him again? When shall we have that pleasure, Lakshmana? When shall we four brothers live together again? Bharata's loving words are still sweetly ringing in my ears."

Thus thinking longingly of home and Bharata they bathed in the Godaavari on that early winter morning.

After offering ablations to their ancestors and prayers to the sun, Rama rose transfigured like the Lord Siva and returned to the aashrama with Seeta and Lakshmana.

Their morning duties over, they sat whiling the hours with wistful talk of old days and tales of long ago.

While they were thus recapturing the past in sweet companionship suddenly there came a Raakshasa woman and saw them. She was Sooprpanakha, Raavana's sister who was roaming the forest thoughts full of the idle thoughts of well-fed ill-taught youth. She was horribly hugly, but had the magic power to assume any lovely form at will. When she saw the godlike beauty of Rama, she was filled with uncontrollable desire for him and accosted him.

"Who are you, dressed like an ascetic but accompanied by a woman and carrying warlike weapons and arrows? Why are you here in the forest that belongs to the Raakshasas? Speak the truth."

On such occasions it was the courtesy of those days for the person accosted to announce himself and recite his name, city and history and enquire of the newcomer conserning his or her family and the purpose of the visit.

Rama began, "I am the eldest son of the great King Dasaratha. My name is Rama. This is my brother Lakshmana. And this, my wife Seeta. Obeying the behests of my father and mother and in fulfillment of dharma, I am now in the forest. And now please announce who you are. What is your family? You look like a woman of the Raakshasa race. What is your purpose in coming here?

She answered, "Have you heard of Raavana, the heroic son of Visravas and the king of the Raakshasas? I am his sister. My name is Soorpanakha. My brothers Kumbhakarna and Vibheeshana are also renowned warriors. The lords of this region, Khara and Dooshana, are also my brothers. They too are mighty men at arms and wield great authority in these regions. But I am subject to their control, but am a free person-free to do what I like and please myself. Everybody in this forest is, as a matter of fact, afraid of me." She said this to strengthen her wooing position.

"The moment I set eyes on you", she continued, "I fell in love with you. You are now my husband. Why do you wander around with this midget of a woman? I am the mate worthy of you. Come with me. Let us wander at will through the forest. I can take what shape I please. Do not mind this girl of yours. I shall eat her up in a trice and dispose of her, Do not hesitate."

Under the influence of lust, she thought in the manner of he race and prated thus.

All this amazed and amused Rama. He smiled and said: "Oh beautiful one! Your desire for me will end in trouble for you. My wife is here with me. I do not care to live the life of a man with two wives. But my hefty brother here is untrammeled with a wife, and is as good-looking as myself. He is the proper husband for you. Offer your hand to him and leave me alone."

Rama said this, being confident that Lakshmana would deal with Soorpanakha suitably.

The Raakshasi took Rama's advice seriously and approached. Lakshmana saying, "Oh, my hero, come with me. Let us together wander at will in joy through this Dandaka forest."

Lakshmana entered into the humour of the situation and said, "Do not be foolish. He is trying to cheat you. What is your status and what is mine? I am here a slave to my brother. While you are a Princes. How could you become my wife and accept the position of a slave's slave? Insist on Rama's taking you as his second wife. Do not mind Seeta. Soon Rama will prefer you to her and you will be happy with him."

Some critic might ask whether it was proper thus to torment a woman, especially a woman in love. But if we exercise our imagination and have before us a monster of ugliness we can understand the situation. It is true that she could assume charming form she chose, but in the intoxication of lust, she seems to have omitted even this allurement,

"This ugly, corpulent and paunchy Raakshasi, with leering eyes blood-shot with lust, her red hair all disheveled and her voice hoarse with passion, accosted the handsome, beautifully built and smiling Rama", says Vaalmeeki. The Tamil poet Kamban varies the situation by making Soorpanakha assume a lovely shape from the outset.

Impelled by brute passion, the raakshasi did as she was by Lakshmana and went again to Rama. She thought and like a Raakshasi for she knew no other way of life.

The sight of Seeta enraged her. "It is this wretched little insect that stands between you and me. How could you love the girl without a waist? Look, I shall finish her off this instant, I cannot live without you. Once I have put her out of the way, you and I shall live together happily." Saying this, she sprang on Seeta.

Rama intervened just in time to save Seeta. The farce had gone too far and threatened to become a tragedy. Rama shouted to Lakshmana, "Look, I have just been able to save Seeta. Attend to this monster and teach her a lesson.

Lakshmana at once took up his sword and maimed Soorpanakha and drove her out. Disgraced and mutilated, Soorpanakha uttered wail and disappeared into the forest.

Bleeding and mad with pain and rage, she flung herself on the ground before Khara, as he sat in state with his colleagues. Yelling with anguish, she related the story of her wrongs. The scorn and mutilation she had suffered was an insult to the Raakshasa only blood could efface.

She said, "Look at me. Rama and Lakshmana have done this and they are still alive and roaming in your domain. And you sit here doing nothing."

Khara stood up and said: "My dear sister, what is all this? understand nothing. Calm yourself and tell me what has happened. Who dared to do this thing to you and is he in this forest? Who is he that wants to become food for crows and vultures? Who has stirred up the black cobra? Who is that fool? Where is he? Tell me, and he shall die at once. The earth is thirsty for his blood. Stand up and tell me everything as it happened."

"Two handsome young men," said Soorpanakha, "have come into the forest, dressed like ascetics and accompanied by a girl. They say they are the sons of Dasaratha. These two together, making an excuse of the girl attacked me and have hurt me thus shamefully. I am thirsting for the blood of these villains. Slay them first everything else can wait."

Khara ordered his generals: "Go at once, slay these men and bring their lifeless bodies. Drag hither the woman also. Delay not."

Fourteen generals set out to do his bidding