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1. Angad Leads the Search Team to Search for Seetaa
2. Angad As Raam's Messenger

Anagd was very intelligent at such a young age of 16 years. When Raam's army landed in Lankaa, Raam's first step was to send a messenger to Raavan about peace. He chose Angad for this work. Angad went there and had a long talk with Raavan. Maanas gives a very interesting and elaborated description of this meeting, but Raamaayan finishes it in a few Shlok. We give the Maanas description here:

As Angad arrived in Lankaa, Raakshas started running away here and there thinking that the same Vaanar who burned Lankaa before had arrived there again. Somehow Angad found out Raavan's court and arrived there. He told gatekeepers that he wanted to see Raavan. Raavan permitted them to bring him in.

Raavan asked his courtiers to ask him who he was. He said - "I am the messenger of Raam. My father had a little friendship with you, that is why I have come to do your good. You come from a very good family of Maharshi Pulastya. You are a great worshipper of Brahmaa and Shiv, you have got Var also from them, but you have abducted the mother of Universe, Jaanakee Jee. If you will return Her saying "Protect me, please" Raam will pardon you.

Raavan said - "Mind your speech. You know about me but you didn't tell me about yourself? your name, your father's name so that I can establish the relationship between you and me." Angad said - "My name is Angad and my father's name is Baali." Raavan laughed and said - "Oh yes, there was a Vaanar named Baali. If you are Baali's son, then you are a black spot on your family by coming here as a messenger of a Tapaswee. Well, tell me the welfare of Baali." Angad said - "Well, You yourself are going there, so ask him his welfare yourself. He will tell the type of welfare an enemy of Raam can have. You are telling me that I am the black spot on my family, but what are you? The protector of your family? Nobody talks like this as you are talking to me. Not even a blind person, while you have 20 eyes."

Now Raavan was very angry, he said - "I am sparing you, because I know Dharm and diplomacy." Angad said - "Yes I know it. You know Dharm, that is why you have abducted other's wife." Raavan said - "Just see my arms which have won Trilok. You don't have any Vaanar like me in your army. Yes, you have only one Vaanar who came last time and burned our Lankaa."

Now Angad said amusingly - "Oh Raavan, tell me, did he really burn your Lankaa? Mighty Raavan's Lankaa? Who is going to believe it. And he is a very low-level servant of Sugreev. He is not brave at all, that is why we sent him here, just to find out about Seetaa. He destroyed your Ashok Vaatikaa, killed your son, burned your Lankaa, still you think that he didn't do much harm to you?"

Raavan said - "Your mind is like that that is why you think like that. And that is why you are the cause of your father's death." Angad said - "If I had been the cause of my father's death, I would have killed you too. But now I am thinking something else. How many Raavan are in this world? Whoever I know of, I tell you about them. There was one Raavan who went to win Raajaa Bali, and children tied him in their stable to play with. Then there was one Raavan who went to win Sahastrabaahu. He thought Raavan was a strange animal, so he caught him and brought him to his palace for fun. Then he kindly freed him on the request of Maharshi Pulastya. I remember another Raavan, I am very hesitant to tell you about him, he remained in Baali's armpit for some time. Now tell me, which Raavan you are among them?"

Raavan said - "Mind you, I am the same Raavan whose arms are mighty and whose bravery is known to Brahmaa and Mahesh too." Angad said - "Whose Pharasaa was enough to cut 1,000 arms of Sahastrabaahu, who had killed many kings, the same Parshuraamwas defeated by whoever, how He can be a human being?"

Then Raavan described his own family's glory - about Kumbhkarn and Meghnaad. Raavan said - "Shame to him who sends messenger to extend friendship with the enemy. When I offered my heads to Shiv, I read my destiny to be killed by a human being. I thought it was a lie, but Brahmaa was out of his mind at the time of writing this."

Angad said - "You never tell your qualities with your own mouth. You remember only Kailaash incident that is why you tell it repeatedly but what about Sahastrabaahu, Bali and Baali's incidents?" Raavan said - "Nobody becomes mighty by just cutting somebody's head." Angad said - "Now you just listen to me, I have not come here to extend friendship to you. You are the king of Raakshas and I am the servant of Raam. If I hadn't cared for Raam's respect then I could take Seetaa along with your other young women."

Raavan said - "Whom you are talking about, He doesn't know anything about my power, wisdom or glory." Angad immediately hit his both arms on the ground because it was sin to hear bad words about Vishnu. The ground shook, some courtiers fell and some ran away. Raavan also just escaped falling own, but his beautiful crowns fell down. Raavan restored some while Angad was able to throw four of them to Raam.

Seeing those crowns Vaanar got scared as if the stars had fallen down or Indra had thrown His Vajra. But Raam consoled them that neither they were fallen stars, nor they were Indra's Vajra. They were Raavan's crowns which Angad had thrown there. Hanumaan caught them in the air and brought them to Raam. Raavan ordered his people to arrest Angad and eat any monkey or bear wherever they found any.

Anagd said - "You are just shameless. How can you say Raam is a human being? Who killed Baali only with one arrow, how can he be a human being?" Raavan said - "Baali had never boasted like this as you are. It seems you have learned this from that Tapaswee?" Angad said - "If I don't take out your ten tongues out of your mouths then I am really boasting." And he stuck his one foot on the ground there and said again - "O fool, If you could move my foot, Ram will go back and I will lose Seetaa." Raavan ordered his brave people to lift him by his foot and hit him on the ground.

Hearing this Meghnaad and other mighty Raakshas got up and tried to move his foot but nobody was able even to shake it. All went back shamefully. Now Raavan got worried, so he himself got up to move it. As he wanted to touch his foot, Angad moved his foot back and spoke - "Nothing will happen by holding my foot. If you want to touch, go and touch Shree Raam's feet." Hearing this Raavan got embarrassed and went back to his throne.

Here Tulasee Daas Jee says it so beautifully - "Shiv Jee says to Umaa - "A single movement of whose eyebrow is able to create and destroy the whole Universe, how His messenger's vow can be broken?" Angad explained Dharm to Raavan but he didn't listen to any thing. Then Angad came back to his camp.

According to Vaalmeeki Raamaayan:
Vaalmeki Raamaayan does not describe Angad-Raavn dialog in such a detail as the Maanas does. Angad said to Raavan - "I am the messenger of Raam, and I am the son of Baali, if you have heard the name. Raam has sent the message that - "If you return Seetaa we will go back; otherwise I will kill you and your whole family today." Hearing this Raavan asked his people to catch him. Many Raakshas got up and tied him. To show his strength he let them catch him, then he flew up in the sky carrying them all. Raakshas could not tolerate his speed, so they all fell down. Angad then jumped over the top of Raavan's palace. The palace's top part got ripped apart. He again flew in the sky telling his name and came back to Raam.

Angad killed Mahaapaarshwa [ V-Raamaayan, 6/39/98], Vikat and Vajradanshtra [6/21/53-54], Naraantak [V-Raamaayan, 6/28/69]. Akampan, Shonitaaksh and Prajangh [V-Raamaayan, 6/31/76], in Raam-Raavan war.
[Valmiki Ramayan, 4/15]

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