"The firmness I was born with or was reared to, and rage, that fills my
heart, restrain my sorrows; but hard is the task to fit my soul to bear
unmurmuringly a husband's shame."
A cry of distress is now heard, and on looking out, the youths observe
Guha, the friendly forest monarch, assailed by the demon Kabandha, or a
fiend without a head. Lakshmana goes to his aid, and returns with his
friend Guha. In the act of delivering him, Lakshmana tosses away the
skeleton of Dundubhi, a giant, suspended by Bali, who, deeming this an
insult, presently appears. After a prolix interchange of civility and
defiance, Rama and Bali resolve to determine their respective supremacy
by single combat. Bali is slain. His brother Sugriva is inaugurated as
king and determines to assist Rama to recover Sita. A bridge is built
over the sea. Rama's army advance to Lanka. Kumbhakarna, a brother of
Ravana, and Meghanada, a son of Ravana, go forth to battle. Malyavan
wishes them prosperity in a phrase perfectly oracular. They are slain.
Ravana now takes the field himself. Malyavan resolves to follow him and
resign, on the sword, a life now useless to his sovereign. The king is
overthrown. Sita is recovered.
Rama with his wife and brother, accompanied by Vibhishana, the brother
of Ravana, and Sugriva, mounts the celestial car, which was once
wrested by Ravana from his brother Kuvera, and sets out to proceed to
Ayodhya.
On the way the travellers descry the Sumeru mountain, the Malaya
mountain, the Dandaka forest, the mountain Prasravana, the Godaveri
river, mount Malyavan, Kundinipura in the Maharashtra country, the
shrine of Bhimeswara, the city of Kanchi, Ujayin, the temple of
Mahakala, Mahishmati the capital of Chedi, the Jumna and Ganga rivers,
Varanasi, Mithila or Tirhut, and Champa near Bhagalpur.
They then proceed westward to Prayaga, and Antarvedi or Doab, when they
again follow an easterly course and arrive at Ayodhya.
Bharata, Satrughna, Vasishtha the priest and the people of Ayodhya await
the arrival of the party and receive them most cordially. Rama is now
crowned king.