Indrajit went to battle again. With his magic he became invisible and rained arrows on the vanaras. He tormented his opponents and tried to frighten Lakshmana. In the middle of the fight he took time off to perform a fire sacrifice, which would make him unconquerable. Lakshmana, with the help of the vanaras, prevented Indrajit from finishing the sacrifice. …
Kumbhakarna sallied forth into the battlefield. The vanaras were terrified when they saw the huge monstrous form advancing towards them. The mighty rakshasa killed hundreds of vanaras and spread panic in their ranks. Lakshmana tried to stop his progress but in vain. Kumbhakarna tore a peak off a mountain and hurled it at Rama. But even while the huge boulder was in the air, Rama …
The great war began badly for the rakshasas. Their chieftains met with many ill omens on the way to the battlefield and few returned. Enraged at the course of the war, Ravana himself took the field. He struck down Lakshmana with a deadly weapon and went up to Rama. With powerful astras (weapons) Rama smashed Ravana’s chariot, horses, weapons and crown. As Ravana …
Millions of vanaras were at work. They brought huge boulders from the hills and tall trees from the forests. Skilful workers laid them side-by-side and built a long powerful bridge across the sea, which would bear the weight of the army of vanaras and other creatures. In great jubilation the vanaras crossed the bridge to Lanka. They camped within sight of the …
Meanwhile many things were happening in Lanka. Ravana was disturbed by the havoc wrought by a single vanara. The rakshasas urged Ravana to raise a. huge army and rout Rama and his vanara hordes. Vibhishana, who had only his brother’s good at heart, advised Ravana to surrender and restore Sita to Rama. Ravana was angry when he heard this counsel and ordered Vibhishana to leave the kingdom …
Back among his own kind, Hanuman had a gripping story to tell. The vanaras were jubilant that the mission had succeeded. Hanuman gave Rama an account of all that had happened in the island of Lanka. He gave Rama the crest-jewel and the message he had brought from Sita. At the sight of the jewel, thoughts of Sita surged in Rama’s mind and …
Hanuman heard the two incidents narrated by Sita with rapt attention, so that he might repeat them verbatim to Rama and so that, on hearing them, Rama would not have any doubt about the identity of the person met by him (Hanuman) at the Asokavana in Lanka. Sita then handed to Hanuman her choodamani, the crest-jewel and asked Hanuman to inform Rama that …
Maruthi of matchless intellect, climbed upon a lofty simsupa tree that was nearby and hid behind its leaves. Expecting the appearance of Sita from any quarter he gazed intently all round. And sure enough he saw her on a terrace beneath a tall simsupa tree. All around her, rakshasis were on guard with great watchfulness. Sita was lean and …
In Lanka, Hanuman began his search examining every mansion and scanning every nook and corner. He entered the palace of Ravana and saw therein the Pushpaka Vimana, the magic vimana of Kubera, which could fulfil the desires of those seated on it. In the private apartment of Ravana, Hanuman beheld Mandodari whom, for an instant, he mistook for Sita. Then, however, he returned to sober thoughts …
Hanuman met many obstacles on the way but so great was his strength and so deep his devotion to the task ahead that nothing could stop his progress. One of the obstacles encountered by Hanuman was the monstrous form of Surasa. She, in fact, was the naga maiden. The gods, to test the abilities of Hanuman, asked her to …
