Then he saw the mainland, Lanka, the kingdom of Ravana. How much joy in his heart!
He landed on a peak that stood right next to the beach. Hanuman hit the ground noisily, and looked around to see if he had been spotted. Nobody, thank goodness! It contracted its majestic form into that of a small monkey and headed for the city walls. And he saw it, that city he had already heard of as a fabulous fortress. The walls were huge, indestructible, and ramparts and gates were constantly guarded by hundreds of heavily armed soldiers. It seemed impregnable. He waited for the night and then, with great caution, headed for the city walls. Being so small, it was easy for him to go unnoticed. But as soon as he entered the deity of Lanka a powerful Rakshasi stopped him and asked with a sharp voice:
“Where are you going? I have a feeling you’re an enemy of the Rakshasas. You will not enter this city; I’ll prevent you.”
At that moment, Lanka, armed with her trident threw herself against her antagonist, trying to pierce him. Hanuman dodged the blow and slapped her. In his heart, he felt the sorrow of having struck a divinity and specially, a woman, but he felt he could not help it. Although the blow was not very violent, the impact threw Lanka to the ground. Hanuman passed by, not caring about her anymore. Lanka thoughtfully watched Hanuman enter the city.
«I knew this day was coming», she thought. «It can’t be anyone but him. One day Brahma told me that the destruction of my city would be imminent when I were defeated by a monkey. Today I was defeated; the time for the destruction of my city has come».
This is a section of the book “The Ramayana”, in English.
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