Ramayana, Epic of Rama, Prince of India

X. The War in Ceylon - 138
Deem not that the king of Rakshas will permit her blood be shed,
Indrajit slays not the woman whom his father seeks to wed!
’Twas an image of thy Sita, Indrajit hath cleft in twain,
While our army wails and sorrows, – he performs his rites again,
To the holy Nikumbhila, Indrajit in secret hies,
For the rites which yield him prowess, hide him in the cloudy skies.
Let young Lakshman seek the foeman ere his magic rites be done,–
Once the sacrifice completed, none can combat Ravan’s son, –
Let young Lakshman speed through Lanka till his wily foe is found,
Slay the secret sacrificer on the sacrificial ground!”
Unto holy Nikumbhila, Lakshman with Bibhishan went,
Bravest, choicest of the army, Rama with his brother sent,
Magic rites and sacrifices Indrajit had scarce begun,
When surprised by arméd foemen rose in anger Ravan’s son!
“Art thou he,” thus to Bibhishan, Indrajit in anger spake,
“Brother of my royal father, stealing thus my life to take,
Raksha, born of Raksha parents, dost thou glory in this deed,
Traitor to thy king and kinsmen, false to us in direst need?
Scorn and pity fill my bosom thus to see thee leave thy kin,
Serving as a slave of foemen, stooping to a deed of sin,
For the slave who leaves his kindred, basely seeks the foeman’s grace,
Meets destruction from the foeman after he destroys his race!”
“Untaught child of impure passions,” thus Bibhishan answer made,
“Of my righteous worth unconscious bitter accents hast thou said,
[151] Know, proud youth, that Truth and Virtue in my heart, precedence take,
And we shun the impious kinsman as we shun the poisonous snake!
Listen youth! this earth no longer bears thy father’s sin and strife,
Plunder of the righteous neighbour, passion for the neighbour’s wife,
Earth and skies have doomed thy father for his sin-polluted reign,
Unto Gods his proud defiance and his wrongs to sons of men!