ny mythical protagonists before him).Vasu, however, eventually meets his end by his own hand. In trying to squash a mosquito that had landed on his head, his incredible strength crushes not only the fly, but Vasu himself by causing a fatal concussion. Vasu had, in a way, revealed his weakness when he said earlier "Night or day, I run when a mosquito is mentioned," . The death of Vasu is compared to the death of the demon Bhasmasura who is tricked into placing his hands on his head by Krishna (disguised as a dancer) and is scorched to death by his fatal touch. Vasu's death mirrors that of Bhasmasura in more than just that respect. Rangi's name (which comes from Ragna or Ragnatha ) means Krishna, she is the temple dancer, and she is present at the death of Vasu (whether a direct cause or not). Vasu is like a Rakshasa in many ways. His extraordinary strength and appearance are obvious indicators that Vasu is not a normal man. Nataraj also describes Vasu as possessing a "sixth sense" . Vasu seems to leave devastation in his wake, whether it be leaving the man who taught him crippled, turning Nataraj's attic into a tanning factory, or annihilating the wildlife of Mempi forest. His killing of the sacred animals shows his disrespect for the gods, another feature of demons. When Vasu "kidnaps" Nataraj and leaves him stranded far from home, we can see a parallel between that event and the kidnapping of Sita by Ravana in the Ramayana . As well, he is seen as a super-human creature, a giant, by the town children (who are often the ones who identify disguised demons in myths and legends, because of their purity). He is also suspected to have poisoned Kumar, causing his illness. In the Vedas, illness is attributed to demons. If these indications were not enough to tell us that Vasu was a demon figure, there are the direct comparisons of Vasu to various demons that Sastri makes on pages 72-73.Sastri is the character who seems to link m...
