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VIRĀDHA A fierce Rākṣasa (giant) whom Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa killed in the Daṇḍaka forest. Virādha was the rebirth of Tumburu, a Gandharva who had been cursed to become a Rākṣasa. The story about Śrī Rāma's liberating the Gandharva from the curse and sending him back to the world of Gandharvas, occurs in [Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Araṇya Kāṇḍa, Sargas 2 to 4] , as follows. In days of old, Tumburu, a Gandharva had been serving Kubera. Once Tumburu was asked by Kubera to bring Rambhā. Tumburu failed in bringing Rambhā at the stipulated time. Kubera got angry and cursed Tumburu to become a Rākṣasa. Tumburu requested for liberation from the curse. Kubera granted his request and said “In Tretāyuga, Mahāviṣṇu will incarnate as Śrī Rāma, who with his sword will change your Rākṣasa form. You will regain your former form and will come back to the world of Gandharvas.” Accordingly Tumburu took birth as the son of giant Jaya. This child born to Jaya by his wife Śatahradā, grew up and came to be known by the name Virādha. Two extra-ordinarily long hands and the outward appearances of a giant aroused fear in every living creature. He lived in the forest Daṇḍaka. It was at this time that Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa came with Sītā, to live in this forest. As soon as Virādha saw them he ran to them with a loud cry. “With sunken eyes and swollen stomach, widened mouth and an enormous body, with a fierce appearance, of very great height an uncouth figure, body wet with fat, clad in the hide of a leopard, looking like Yama with open mouth, with three lions, two wolves, four leopards, ten spotted deer and the head of a big tusker with tusks smeared with fat, all these caught pierced in an iron trident, and shouting in a roaring sound”, he ran to them and after taking Sītā, he began to run. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa followed him. Virādha placed Sītā down and, taking Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa on each of his shoulders he began running. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa cut off each of his hands. But Virādha did not die. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa decided to bury him alive. Virādha recognized Śrī Rāma and told him his story. Instantly his demoniac form changed and he regained his original form of a Gandharva. Thus Tumburu returned to the world of Devas. [See under Tumburu].
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