Hearing this excellent Paurānic theme in the company of his brothers,
Rāghava was greatly surprised. Thereupon hearing the words of the Rishi
he said:—"By thy favour I have listened to the highly sacred theme. O
foremost of Munis. I was greatly worked up with curiosity in this
matter. I am not the least surprised to learn, O twice-born one, that
those two sons of the celestials would be two highly powerful leading
monkeys since their origin is divine." Rāma having said this Agastya
said:—"O thou having long arms, thus in the days of yore the birth of
Vāli and Sugriva was brought about. O king, I shall now again relate to
thee another divine theme. O Rāma I shall now describe to thee why did
Rāvana steal Sitā. Do thou hear it attentively. O Rāma, in the golden
age, having bowed unto the Patriarch’s son, the truthful Rishi
Sanatkumar, highly effulgent, resplendent like unto the sun, shining in
his native brilliance and seated at his own place, Rāvana, the lord of
Rākshasas, said:—’Who is now amongst the celestials brave and powerful,
by whose help the celestials can vanquish their enemies and whom the
twice-born ones daily worship and the devotees meditate upon. O thou
having piety for wealth, O thou gifted with six sorts of wealth, do thou
describe this to me kindly.’ Being apprised of Rāvana’s intention, the
saint Sanatkumar, who saw every thing through his devotion, said to him
out of love—’Hear my son. The learned duly, in their sacrifices, worship
that Hari, respected of people and drinking nectar, who is the lord of
the universe, whoso origin we do not know, who is daily worshipped by
the celestials and Asuras, who is highly powerful Nārāyana from whose
navel has sprung Brahmā, the creator of the world, and who has created
the universe consisting of mobile and immobile beings. The Yogis
meditate upon him and celebrate sacrifices in his honor according to the
Purānas, Vedas, _Pancharātra_ and other rituals. He always vanquisheth
in encounter Daityas Danavas, Rakshasas and all other enemies of the
celestials and every one of them worships him.’ Hearing those words of
the great ascetic Sanatkumar, Rāvana, the lord of Rākshasas, bowing,
replied:—’Being slain by Hari to what station do the Daityas, Danavas
and Rākshasas attain? And why doth Hari destroy them?’ Whereto
Sanatkumar replied:—’Whoever are slain by the celestials do eternally
reside in their region. And being banished therefrom, they again take
their birth on earth. Thus by the misery and happiness acquired in their
pristine existence, they go through births and deaths. O king, all the
monarchs, slain by Janarddana, holding discus and the lord of the triple
world, attained to his own region; even his anger becometh like a boon.’
Hearing those words given vent to by the great ascetic Sanatkumar the
night-ranger Rāvana, being worked up with delight and surprise, began to
meditate how he should enter into conflict with Hari."