245. Hanuman announced that he was a messenger of Rama.

          Ravana,  who caused people to cry, looking down at that vanara standing agape in front of him, got very angry. He was wondering "whether this animal is that Nandi  who was very sour with me when the Mount Kailasa was moved by me, has now come here in this form for retaliation or whether he is Bana the great rakshash."

      Turning to Prahasta, his chief of minister, Ravana told him “Ask this wicked animal from where did he come, for what reason did he come to this place and for what purpose did he frighten the rakshashis by destroying our garden. Ask this evil-minded vanara as to what really is his purpose in coming over to my invincible City and for what purpose he killed many of my able warriors.”

           Prahasta in turn told  Hanuman, “Take courage! Happiness to you! You need not get frightened. If Indra has sent you to the abode of Ravana, tell me the truth. Do not have any fear. You will be released. Are you, the one who has entered our city assuming the guise of a vanara, sent by Kubera the god of riches or by Yama the god of death or by Varuna the lord of the sea or  by Vishnu the lord of preservation, as a messenger?

        "O vanara! Your form alone is that of a vanara. Your splendour, however, is not that of a vanara. Now, tell me the truth. Thereupon, you will be released. If you tell a lie, your survival will be doubtful. Also tell me the purpose of your entry into Ravana's abode."

          Hanuma replied "I am not a messenger of Indra or Yama or Varuna. I have no friendship with Kubera the god of riches, nor was I instigated by Vishnu. This is just my form of existence, by my very birth. I am a vanara who came here. Then, those strong raksshashas came with a desire to fight with me and kill me. Just for protecting my body and life, I had to retaliate them. I am incapable of being bound by missiles and nooses even by celestials and rakshashas. This boon has been bestowed to me by none other than Lord Brahama himself.

        "With a desire to  meet your king, I surrendered to the missile. Soon after bound by the rakshashas, I was promptly released from the missile. I came to your presence, prompted by some mission of Rama. Know me to be a messenger of Rama who is possessing unlimited splendour. I am telling you a beneficial word. Listen to it."

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