Then hearing the horripilating words of Surpanakha, Ravana took leave of the ministers and went thinking about the task ahead of him.

Deliberating on the task ahead, duly considering the pros and cons, demerits and merits, strength and weakness, of the issue and having firmly decided within himself, he left for the beautiful coachshed.

Deliberating on the task ahead, duly considering the pros and cons, demerits and merits, strength and weakness, of the issue and having firmly decided within himself, he left for the beautiful coachshed.

Ravana went covertly to the coachshed and to the charioteer to get a chariot harnessed.

Thus ordered, the smart charioteer got the chariot of his choice harnessed in an instant.

The younger brother of Kubera (Ravana), the prosperous lord of the demons ascended the chariot which could go where he desired. Embellished with gold, studded with gems, harnessed with demonfaced donkeys, the chariot rolled towards the ocean, rumbling like a cloud.

The younger brother of Kubera (Ravana), the prosperous lord of the demons ascended the chariot which could go where he desired. Embellished with gold, studded with gems, harnessed with demonfaced donkeys, the chariot rolled towards the ocean, rumbling like a cloud.

Ravana, enemy of the gods, slayer of towering sages, with white yaktail fans, and white parasols, shining like smooth vaidurya, wearing pure gold earrings, clad in attractive attire, ten necks with twenty strong hands, ten heads looking like ten mountain peaks, a cloud in the sky encircled by lightnings and accompanied by cranes, ascended the chariot that could go wherever he desired.

Ravana, enemy of the gods, slayer of towering sages, with white yaktail fans, and white parasols, shining like smooth vaidurya, wearing pure gold earrings, clad in attractive attire, ten necks with twenty strong hands, ten heads looking like ten mountain peaks, a cloud in the sky encircled by lightnings and accompanied by cranes, ascended the chariot that could go wherever he desired.

Ravana, enemy of the gods, slayer of towering sages, with white yaktail fans, and white parasols, shining like smooth vaidurya, wearing pure gold earrings, clad in attractive attire, ten necks with twenty strong hands, ten heads looking like ten mountain peaks, a cloud in the sky encircled by lightnings and accompanied by cranes, ascended the chariot that could go wherever he desired.

Valiant Ravana wentwatching the mountains full of thousands of trees bearing flowers and fruits on the shore of the sea.

(The area) surrounded on all sides with lotusladen ponds filled with cool, sacred water, sprawling hermitages with elevated altars.

The place covered with banana plants and coconut trees as well as blossoming sal and tamala trees was looking extremely beautiful.

The place looked charming with nagas, garudas, gandharvas, kinneras in their thousands and with the descendants of ajas, vaikhanasas, valakhilyas and with those who drink the rays of Sun and Moon for survival, with sages who were highly disciplined in the intake of food, spiritually accomplished and selfcontrolled hermits and charanas.

The place looked charming with nagas, garudas, gandharvas, kinneras in their thousands and with the descendants of ajas, vaikhanasas, valakhilyas and with those who drink the rays of Sun and Moon for survival, with sages who were highly disciplined in the intake of food, spiritually accomplished and selfcontrolled hermits and charanas.

(The place was) full of apsaras in their thousands and paragons of beauty adorned with divine ornaments and garlands, and experts in lovesports.

It was chosen by prosperous wives of gods as a reosrt. Hosts of gods and demons were wandering, there in the hope of tasting nectar.

(It was ) full of small floats, flocks of swans, kraunchas, sarasas cackling in the ponds, with great joy. It had stretches of vaidurya stones on the shore and shone with the radiance of the sea

Speeding along, the brother of Kubera (Ravana) saw palewhite, spacious aerial chariots on all sides controlled by those who had conquered the higher worlds by their penances. These chariots, decked with heavenly garlands, and ringing with divine music could fly where one desired. He saw gandharvas and apsaras as well.

Speeding along, the brother of Kubera (Ravana) saw palewhite, spacious aerial chariots on all sides controlled by those who had conquered the higher worlds by their penances. These chariots, decked with heavenly garlands, and ringing with divine music could fly where one desired. He saw gandharvas and apsaras as well.

He saw thousands of tree trunks with finesmelling resins and sandalwood trees.

(He saw) very fine aguru trees in the forest as well as pleasuregroves of takkola fruits, fragrant trees of a fine variety and fragrant nutmegs.

(He saw) tamala flowers in bloom, pepper shrubs in clusters and hoards of pearls kept for drying on the shores.

He saw stretches of conches, heaps of corals and mounds of gold and silver too.

He went watching fascinating waterfalls, pleasing ponds, cities filled with wealth and grain, looking splendid with beautiful women and full of elephants, horses and chariots.

It was a veritable heaven with the plain land flooded with the backwaters of the sea and gentle breeze blowing.

He saw a banyan tree with its branches spread on all sides measuring a hundred yojanas, looking like a cloud and providing shelter to the sages.

In the past, the mighty Garuda brought an elephant and a huge tortoise and sat on a branch of this tree to feed on them.

Due to the weight of this best of birds, the mighty Garuda, the leafy branch at once broke down.

Gathered together under the great tree were great sages like vaikhanasas, mashas, marichipas, valakhilyas, ajas and dhumras.

Out of compassion for the (endangered) seers Garuda carried away that hundredyojanalong branch along with the elephant and the tortoise with great speed.

Righteous Garuda, the best among the birds, stood on one foot and ate the flesh (of elephant and tortoise) and with the branch of the tree, destroyed the settlement of the demons. Over the destruction of the demons and deliverance of the great seers he felt immeasurable happiness.

Righteous Garuda, the best among the birds, stood on one foot and ate the flesh (of elephant and tortoise) and with the branch of the tree, destroyed the settlement of the demons. Over the destruction of the demons and deliverance of the great seers he felt immeasurable happiness.

Quite happy, his energy redoubled, wise Garuda made up his mind to obtain nectar.

Twisting and twirling the grills of the window, he broke open the room made of gems and quietly carried away the nectar from Indra's mansion.

Ravana, the younger brother of Kubera, beheld that banyan tree called Subhadram ,which was a favoured resort of the sages bearing the ensignia of Garuda.

Ravana crossed over to the other side of the sea, the lord of rivers, and beheld a hermitage in a beautiful, secluded, sacred place in the middle of the forest.

There he saw a demon Maricha, by name, clad in dark deerskin and bark ,with matted hair and living on restricted food.

When king Ravana reached there, Maricha received him in accordance with tradition and made worshipful offering to the king, fulfilling all his superhuman desires.

Maricha extended his hospitality with appropriate food and water and said with meaningful words:

O king O lord of the demons hope all is well in Lanka. What brings you here again so soon ?

Thus addressed by Maricha, the effulgent, eloquent Ravana replied with these words: इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अरण्यकाण्डे पञ्चत्रिंशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the thirtyfifth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.