LANKA ON FIRE.

LANKA ON FIRE.

then hanuman began to grow in size and soon looked fearful in sight. he roared angrily and began to uproot the trees in the beautiful garden and laid wast the asoka vana taking care not to touch the place where sita sit.the no ice attracted the attention of the rakshasis wno reported to ravana that a huge monkey had destroyed the beautiful asoka vana.ravan sent warriors to kill the monkey. he was even more angered when he learned that the monkey had killed them all.
so, he called his son, INDRAJIT, who had divine weapons, besides knowledge ofblackmagic and told him to capture the monkey in the asoka vana.after fitting with hanuman and finding out that he could not be capture ed easily, indrajit discharged the pworful brahmastra. at once hanuman lay bound and helpless.at once the rakshasa solders ran forward and bound hanuman with stout ropes from head to foot so that he could not move.'' alas! the fool do not know that the diven brahmastra loses its power the moment bounds of human nature like ropes comes in contact with it!''indrajit thought to himself with dismay.brahma had told him to submit to the brahmastra meekly for a priod of time after which it would lose its powers and he would be free .so, hanuman lay submissively as the rakshasas dragged him through the streets of lanka to ravana's court.

hanuman could have freed himself, but he did not do so. he wanted to further his role as rama's messenger and warn ravana and his rakshasas.they took hanuman to ravana's court, where his ropes chains were removed. he gazed at the majestic figure of rakshasa king ravana with pity mixed with admiration. as he was not offered a seat, he sat and faced ravana.the ten-hundred ravana did not address hanuman, directly, but asked his ministers to find out who he was and why he had come lanka.

'' my name is hanuman,iam sri rama's messenger and have come to search for sita who was kidnapped. ravana's eyes turned red with anger. ''put that impertinent monkey to death at once!''he shouted,'' no brother! it would be wrong to kill a massenger who is just delivering a message'' VIBHEESHANA pointed out''.''just punish him and sent him away!'''' all right! a monkey values his tail greatly. so,set fire to this animal's, beat him soundly and send him out!''ravana said.

the rakshasa soldiers at once wound rags around hanuman's tail which seemed to grow longer and longer! then they poured oil on the rags and set fire to it. hanuman was taken around the streets of lanka, followed by a crowd of laughing rakshsas.he enlarged his shape once again and jumped from roof-top to roof-top of all the houses,they were set on fire by his burning tail and the wind fanned the flames so that the whole of lanka began burning