66697602-The-Ramayana-R-K-Narayan

his neck, whirled him about and flung him high into the air;
and the carcass flew through the sky, and fell down at this
spot, where Sage Matanga was performing some sacred
rites. The sage moved off after cursing Vali for defiling his
prayer ground.
Rama ordered Lakshmana, “Push away those bones,” and
Lakshmana kicked the whole heap out of sight, restoring to
the spot its original sanctity.
Sugreeva now said, “I must tell you this; long ago we saw
Ravana carrying off Sita in the skies. We were attracted by
her screams and as we looked up, she bundled her jewellery
and threw it down. Perhaps to indicate the way she
passed”—and Sugreeva placed before Rama a bundle of
jewellery. At the sight of it, Rama was grief-stricken. Tears
came to his eyes and he swooned. Sugreeva revived him
and promised, “I will not rest till I find where she is and
restore her to you.”
Rama grieved that he had not protected his wife—the
ornaments reminding him again and again of his lapse.
“Even a common stranger when he see a helpless woman
taunted or ill treated will give his life to save her but I have
failed to protect my wife, who trusted me implicitly and
followed me into the wilderness; and I have failed her
woefully.” Thus he lamented, breaking down again and
again.