342. Indrajit kills the illusory living image of Seetha.

           Seeing the two brothers Rama and Lakshmana, despite heavily wounded by his arrows and blood flowing from the wounds, were not relenting in their retaliation action, Interjit thought that it would not be so easy to vanquish those princes as he thought earlier. He wanted some undisturbed time to think and evolve some strategy by which he can fool them and kill them. That apart, Indrajit sensed that the two brothers plan to act more impetuously their retaliatory action. He, therefore, coolly sneaked out to Lanka to think calmly.
             In a short time he got in his mind what he should do. Then he returned to the battle field. Seeing the two brothers, Rama and Lakshamana, who were perplexed as to why there is no action from Intrajit, who smiled and started to enact his conjuring tricks. Creating and placing an illusory image of Seetha on his chariot and a large army surrounding the chariot, Indrajit started to roll towards the direction of the vanaras, away from the two princes. Seeing him coming forth towards them, all the vanaras were enraged and bounced towards him, with rocks in their hands to hit him.

            Hanuman, our dear hero, taking hold of a very large mountain-peak, which was difficult to be handled by others, marched in the lead. Hanuman was totally aghast to see Seetha, the wife of Rama, wearing only a single braid of hair, looking absolutely miserable, with her face emaciated, dressed in a single worn-out clothing, unadorned and with all her limbs covered with dust and dirt, in the chariot of Indrajit.

          Hanuman compared the face of Seetha  and the one he saw in the Ashoka Vana, not long ago, in his mind. He was totally convinced that it was indeed Seetha and ipso facto became dejected. Seeing her stricken with grief and bereft of joy, looking distressed, miserable and sitting under the sway of Indrajit, Hanuman wondered what that rakshash was going to do. He, however, moved along with the vanaras towards Indrajit.

      When the vanaras reached near Indrajit, that cunning rakshash started executing his plan of action. Making his face excited with anger, he pulled Seetha by the hair on her head and unsheathed his sword. While all those vanaras witnessing that act were totally stunned, Intrajit began to strike that woman who was placed in the chariot by the dint of his conjuring trick and who was crying "Rama! Rama!"

         On seeing her seized by the hair Hanuman was confounded with affliction and shed tears, in agony from his eyes. Seeing that brutal, ruthless, callous, savage and vicious act, Hanuman, with tears in his eyes shouted at him "O evil minded one! Born in a dynasty of Brahmanical sages, your daring in touching a lock of her hair will surely lead you  to your ruin. O cruel, vulgar and mean fellow! O wicked rakshash of sinful prowess! O pitiless fellow! Woe be to you, of sinful conduct, in whom such a resolve has taken place. Such an act is worthy of a barbarian. There is no pity in you.

          "O pitiless one! Why do you want to kill her? For that action, you do not deserve to live any longer."

         Hanuman, then surrounded by the army of vanaras with their weapons and very much enraged, rushed headlong towards Indrajit. The army of Intrajit intercepted them.

       Intdrajit replied Hanuman "The purpose of Rama's coming over here along with Sugreeva, yourself and a huge army of vanaras and bears, is for the sake of this wretched woman, Seetha. If this woman ceases to exist, then there is no point to continue the battle for Rama. I am, therefore going to kill Seetha now, before you. After killing her, It will be easy for me to kill Rama, Lakshmana, Sugreeva, that vulgar Vibhishana and you. "

          Indrajit then killed that illusory Seetha, who had been sobbing all the while, with his sword. Split asunder by him diagonally, that miserable lady of broad hips and pleasant to the sight, fell down on the ground. After killing her, Indrajit told Hanuman "All of you have seen me killing Rama's wife. Now what is the use of your continuing your fight?"

         Indrajit, after performing the act he planned, was happily sitting in his chariot watching the reaction of the vanaras. As he was sitting in that tower of the aerial chariot, which was difficult of access for others, he was not overly  bothered about being attacked by any of the vanaras. Seeing that  brutal, ruthless, callous, sadistic, grim, vicious, atrocious, merciless and brutish act, all the vanaras retreated silently looking sad and dejected.

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