"Hanuman said, 'And after his wife was carried away, that descendant of
Raghu, while searching with his brother for his queen, met, on the
summit of that mountain, with Sugriva, chief of the monkeys. Then a
friendship was contracted between him and the high-souled Raghava. And
the latter, having slain Vali installed Sugriva in the kingdom. And
having obtained the kingdom, Sugriva sent forth monkeys by hundreds and
by thousands in search of Sita. And, O best of men, I too with
innumerable monkeys set out towards the south in quest of Sita, O
mighty-armed one. Then a mighty vulture Sampati by name, communicated
the tidings that Sita was in the abode of Ravana. Thereupon with the
object of securing success unto Rama, I all of a sudden bounded over the
main, extending for a hundred _yojanas_. And, O chief of the Bharatas,
having by my own prowess crossed the ocean, that abode of sharks and
crocodiles, I saw in Ravana's residence, the daughter of king Janaka,
Sita, like unto the daughter of a celestial. And having interviewed that
lady, Vaidehi, Rama's beloved, and burnt the whole of Lanka with its
towers and ramparts and gates, and proclaimed my name there, I returned.
Hearing everything from me the lotus-eyed Rama at once ascertained his
course of action, and having for the passage of his army constructed a
bridge across the deep, crossed it followed by myriads of monkeys. Then
by prowess Rama slew those Rakshasas in battle, and also Ravana, the
oppressor of the worlds together with his Rakshasa followers. And having
slain the king of the Rakshasas, with his brother, and sons and kindred,
he installed in the kingdom in Lanka the Rakshasa chief, Vibhishana,
pious, and reverent, and kind to devoted dependants. Then Rama recovered
his wife even like the lost Vaidic revelation. Then Raghu's son, Rama,
with his devoted wife, returned to his own city, Ayodhya, inaccessible
to enemies; and that lord of men began to dwell there. Then that
foremost of kings, Rama was established in the kingdom. Thereafter, I
asked a boon of the lotus-eyed Rama, saying, "O slayer of foes, Rama,
may I live as long as the history of thy deeds remaineth extant on
earth!" Thereupon he said, "So be it." O represser of foes, O Bhima,
through the grace of Sita also, here all excellent objects of
entertainment are supplied to me, whoever abide at this place. Rama
reigned for the thousand and ten hundred years. Then he ascended to his
own abode. Ever since, here Apsaras and Gandharvas delight me, singing
for aye the deeds of that hero, O sinless one. O son of the Kurus, this
path is impassable to mortals. For this, O Bharata, as also with the
view that none might defeat or curse thee, have I obstructed thy passage
to this path trod by the immortals. This is one of the paths to heaven,
for the celestials; mortals cannot pass this way. But the lake in search
of which thou hast come, lieth even in that direction.'"