Ramavijaya. 20

simply told you to marry me," " That will not do,'* re-
plied Lakshuman, " I must have a letter or sign from
' my brother signifying his consent to our marriage." Sur-
panakha, having known his mind, showed the letter written
hy Rama on her back. The letter stated that as soon as
Lakshuman read it, he should at once cut off the nose and
ears of the demoness. Lakshuman read the letter and,
having seized her hy her hair, flung her down and cut off
her nose and ears as directed by Rama. When her nose
and ears were thus cut off, she and her maid-servants as-
sumed their original forms and fled for fear of losing their
lives, screaming hideously. Listening to her yells Trishira,
Khur and Dushan came to help her wifcft fourteen thousand
demons. " Look at my nose and ears," she said to them,
" There live three human beings, two males and one
female. The man, who called himself Lakshuman, has
disfigured me at the instigation of his brother and sister-3
in-law. You must now go there and cut off their heads»
so that I may drink their blood and refresh myself with it/
Trishira, Khur and Dushan, having thought it below their
dignity to go and fight with those human beings, selected
fourteen powerful demons and sent them to Panehawati
with Surpanakha, but Rama cut off their heads with one
.arrow. Surpanakha fled in alarm and informed Trishira
Khur and Dnshan of what had happened. Whereupon
they marched against Rama with an army of demons but
ihey were also killed by the prince with his arrow in a mo-
ment. Surpanakha fled to Lanka in consternation and,
showing her nose and ears to her brother, Ravana, inform-
ed him that Trishira, Khur and Dushan had been killed
Ivy Rama with fourteen, thousand demons, Ravana was
greatly alarmed at the sad news and, having called, upon
Ms rode, Maricha, said to him, " You see, Rama has kill-
ed Trishira, Khur and Dushan and disfigured Surpana-
kha « If this enemy is allowed to go unnoticed, he will