Rama and Sita

Bhima asks the ape to reveal his true identity. The ape speaks: he was born from Kesari and Vayu, the wind god — the same wind that gave Bhima his own strength. He is Hanuman, the monkey who served Rama, who leaped across the ocean to find Sita, who burned Lanka and returned. He tells Bhima that he asked Rama for a single boon: to live as long as Rama's deeds were sung on earth. Rama agreed. And so Hanuman is still here.

Bhima, awestruck by his brother's power, asks why Hanuman did not simply kill Ravana himself and end the war before it began. Hanuman's answer is not about ability — it is about glory, and whose story this was meant to be.

Bhima asks to see the form Hanuman took when he leapt across the ocean to find Sita. Hanuman obliges — and grows into a mountain-sized being with copper eyes and sharp teeth, covering the plantain grove and darkening the directions, leaving even the mighty Bhima overwhelmed.

Markandeya begins to answer Yudhishthira's request by tracing the lineage of Rama from the Ikshvaku king Aja through Dasharatha and his four sons. Then he turns to Ravana's birth, describing how the god Prajapati's line passed through Pulastya, and how a father's anger created the sage Vishrava — the father of the rakshasa king.

Markandeya tells Yudhishthira the full story of Rama's exile: Dasharatha's plan to instate his eldest son, Kaikeyi's demand for Bharata's throne and Rama's banishment, Rama's departure, Dasharatha's death from grief, Bharata's refusal of the crown, and the events that led Ravana to set his sights on Sita.

To please Sita, Rama chases a jeweled deer deep into the forest, leaving Lakshmana to guard her. When the dying deer cries out in Rama's voice, Sita's fear turns to fury — and she drives Lakshmana away with words he cannot bear to hear.

Ravana arrives at Maricha's hermitage and demands his help to lure Sita away. Maricha knows Rama's power and refuses — until Ravana's anger forces his hand. He performs his own funeral rites, then follows Ravana to execute the plan that will destroy them both.

As Ravana carries Sita through the sky, the vulture king Jatayu — an old friend of Dasharatha — sees his daughter-in-law in the rakshasa's arms. He attacks with talons, wings, and beak, drawing blood from the lord of rakshasas. But Ravana draws his sword and slices off the vulture's wings, killing him. As she is carried away, Sita drops ornaments and a garment to leave a trail for Rama.

Rama returns after killing the magical deer, rebukes Lakshmana for leaving Sita, and rushes to the hermitage. There he finds the fallen vulture and mistakes him for a rakshasa — until Jatayu speaks, identifying himself as Dasharatha's friend and telling how Ravana killed him for Sita's sake. With his last strength, the vulture nods toward the south and dies. Rama performs his last rites, then heads south with Lakshmana into Dandakaranya.

Rama and Lakshmana encounter Kabandha, a rakshasa like a cloud or a mountain with a single eye on his chest and a giant mouth on a giant belly. He seizes Lakshmana in his arms. Lakshmana despairs, lamenting their misfortunes — Sita abducted, Rama exiled, their father dead — but Rama remains undaunted. He commands Lakshmana to slice off Kabandha's right arm while he severs the left, and they hack at the rakshasa until he falls dead. From his body emerges the gandharva Vishvavasu, freed from Brahma's curse, who tells Rama that Ravana took Sita to Lanka and advises him to seek Sugriva's help at Lake Pampa near Mount Rishyamukha.

Imprisoned in Lanka and guarded by terrifying rakshasis who threaten to eat her, Sita declares she will starve rather than accept Ravana. After the rakshasis leave, the rakshasi Trijata comforts her with a prophetic dream — Ravana will be destroyed, Rama will come, and Sita will be reunited with her husband.

Rama, despairing, asks the returning monkeys if they have succeeded. Hanuman steps forward and delivers his report: the cave of Maya, the vulture Sampati who revealed Lanka's location, the leap across the ocean, and the moment he found Sita in Ravana's inner quarters — alive, fasting, and waiting.

When two months have passed, the southern search party is seen enjoying Madhuvana — a sign of success. Hanuman and the monkeys prostrate before Rama, Sugriva, and Lakshmana, and Hanuman delivers his full report: the cave, Sampati, the ocean crossing, and Sita found alive in Lanka with her jewel as proof.

Rama's army has reached Lanka, and he sends Angada as his messenger to deliver an ultimatum to Ravana. Angada enters the city fearlessly, walks into the midst of Ravana's court, and speaks Rama's words directly: release Sita, or face destruction.

Ravana hears that Prahasta and Dhumraksha have been killed by the monkeys, sighs deeply, and arises from his seat. He declares the time has come for Kumbhakarna to act, uses musical instruments to awaken his brother from prolonged sleep, and instructs him to march out and kill Rama. Vajravega and Pramathi accept Ravana's orders, and Kumbhakarna leads them out from the city.

Sita has collapsed after Rama's public rejection. As she lies on the ground, the sky fills with gods — Brahma, Indra, Agni, Vayu, Yama, Varuna — and the radiant form of King Dasharatha descends in a swan-drawn chariot. Sita rises and calls upon the elements themselves to witness her truth.

Rama has killed Ravana and rescued Sita. But when she is brought before him, he does not embrace her. He tells her she is free to go — that he cannot accept a woman who has lived in another man's house, comparing her to oblations licked by a dog. Sita collapses as if struck dead.

After the gods depart and Sita is vindicated, Rama arranges Lanka's protection, crosses the bridge, and begins the journey home. He installs Angada as heir in Kishkindha, sends Hanuman ahead to Bharata, and arrives at Nandigrama to find his brother still living in bark garments with Rama's sandals before him.