The Son of the Wind, Hanuman, leapt up and caught them in his hands; he then brought them to the Lord and set them before him. The bears and monkeys gazed in astonishment at the spectacle, for their blazing splendour was like that of the sun.

Meanwhile the Ten-headed in his fury indignantly shouted to one and all, ‘Seize the monkey, seize him and slay him.’ Angad heard and smiled.

‘After killing him, my mighty warriors, sally forth at once and devour every bear and monkey wherever you may find one. Go and rid the earth of monkeys, but capture the two ascetic brothers alive.’

The monkey prince (Angad) was seized with fury and cried, ‘Aren’t you ashamed to wag your tongue like this? Cut your throat and die, you shameless destroyer of your race! Doesn’t your heart crack even on seeing my strength?

Ah! adulterous woman-stealer, compound of impurities, sense-bound dull-witted brute! You babble such filthy abuse in a state of delirium, which shows that death has you in his toils, wicked cannibal!

You’ll reap the fruit of this later on when the monkeys and bears belabour you; but when you thus speak of Rama as a mortal, it’s strange that your tongues, O proud demon, do not drop off.

Assuredly, your tongues will drop off to the ground, heads and all, on the battlefield!