lndrajit went outside and got a flying Rakshasa army chariot. He made a magic figure of Sita, lifelike and seeming to live, looking sad and thin and very beautiful. Then the chariot flew moving low over the Lanka wall, and in sight of Rama's army of monkeys he caught the false Sita roughly by her hair and drew his sharp sword.

Hanuman and many monkeys were near Lanka. Hanuman recognized Sita. The Sita on the chariot cried-Oh Rama Oh Lakshmana!-and burst into heartbroken tears.

Hanuman yelled, "What are you doing?"

lndrajit said, "I would do anything to give you pain." He smiled and raised his sword. A scream cut the air and lndrajit cut Sita apart. He struck her left shoulder while he held her hair and cut down across her body, carving her in two along the line of the sacred thread lying across her breast, and half her body fell to the chariot floor.

259