After Bharata had left for Ayodhya with his retinue, Rama decided to move to a safer place in the Dandaka forest, as the area near Chitrakoot was often made unsafe by the attacks of demons. They reached the ashrama of Rishi Atri, a wise and learned sage, whose wife Anasuya, known for her wisdom and purity, gave Seeta some beautiful garments and jewellery as gifts. Seeking a new place in the forest, they were attacked by a huge, ferocious demon. This was Viraadha, a gandharva who had been cursed to become a rakshasa. The arrows of Rama and Lakshmana had no effect on him! They had a furious combat. As Rama’s feet touched him, his brain cleared. He told them of the curse and Brahma’s boon that weapons could not kill him. So, the princes killed him without weapons and he was set free, becoming a gandharva again.
Viraadha’s Salvation
