Chayagrahi

(“shadow grabber”) A demoness in the
Ramayana, the earlier of the two great
Hindu epics. Chayagrahi lives in the
ocean and catches birds flying overhead
by grasping their shadows in the water
and pulling the helpless creatures down
to her waiting jaws. This method brings
her a steady food supply, but her big
mistake is trying to capture the monkeygod, Hanuman, in this way. Hanuman
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Chau
tries to leap over the ocean to Lanka, the
capital of the demon-king Ravana, to
search for his abducted mistress, Sita.
Chayagrahi grabs him and drags him
down, but he quickly kills her and continues on his way.