INSTRUCTIONS
The brothers learned a lot from the Sage.
They were initiated into two mantras:
These were known as balā and athibala.
These mantras were celestial weapons
That kept the young men quite free
From hunger, thirst and tiredness too.
The brothers rested with the rishi for a night
In a hermitage at the confluence
Of the rivers Gaṅga and Sarayū.
The Sage spoke to them about the River.
TĀTAKĀ
Vishvāmitra explained to the young men
Who the Yakshī (ogress ) Tāḍaka was,
And why this evil one had to be killed.
The rishi told she was wed to the ogre Sunda,
And also about their offspring Mārīcha.
Sage Agastya had declared both as evil.
Vishvāmitra urged Rāma to exterminate them.
So Rāma killed Tāḍaka right away.
Delighted by what Rāma had done
The Sage imparted to Rāma knowledge
Of a variety of esoteric ballistic weapons.
Furthermore, Rāma and Lakshmaṇa learned
The technique of getting back sent missiles.
SIDDHĀSHRAMA
Then they arrived at Vishvāmitra ‘s hermitage
which was known as Siddhāshrama,
Rāma enabled the rishi’s spiritual project
By getting rid of the ogress that had been
A major obstacle and veritable nuisance
To Sage Vishvāmitra’s project all along.
That was why he had come with the Sage.
Spurts of Thought 