Lakshmana Confronts Sugriva Who Explains Delay
Lakshmana enters Kishkindha in anger, believing Sugriva has forgotten his promise. The monkey king comes out humbly with his wife, welcomes him, and explains that he has already sent monkeys in all directions with a one-month deadline that will expire in five nights — and that the search for Sita is already underway.
On reaching the gates of Kishkindha, Lakshmana entered without anyone stopping him. Thinking him to be angry, the king of the monkeys went out to welcome him. With his wife, and humble in soul, Sugriva, the king of the monkeys, welcomed him and happily offered homage to the one who should be honoured.
Without any fear, Soumitri told him Rama's words.
On hearing all this, Sugriva, the lord of the monkeys, joined his hands in salutation. With his servants and wives, he spoke these words to Lakshmana.
"O Lakshmana! I am not evil in intelligence. Nor am I ungrateful, or one without compassion. Listen to the efforts I have made to find Sita. Skilled monkeys have been sent by me in all the directions. One month has been decided for all of them to return. O brave one! The entire earth, with its forests, mountains, villages, towns and mines, girded by the ocean, will be searched by them. That month will be complete in another five nights. Then, together with Rama, you will learn about the great service I have rendered."
Thus addressed by the wise Indra among monkeys, Lakshmana happily discarded his anger and returned the homage to Sugriva. Accompanied by Sugriva, he returned to Rama, who was on the slopes of Malyavan, and told him about what had been done towards their objective.
As had been said, the foremost among monkeys began to return in their thousands — those who had gone in the three directions, other than towards the south. They told Rama: "We have searched the entire earth, with the ocean as a girdle. But we have not been able to see Vaidehi or Ravana."
Though his heart was grief-stricken at this, Kakutstha was still hopeful and waited for the bulls among the monkeys who had gone in a southern direction. Aranyaka Parva, Chapter 563