Reading Notes: Ramayana Part C

Sugriva sees Rama and Lakshmana coming to see him, but he doesn't know who they are and thinks that they are double agents from his brother Vali. As a result, he sends his follower Hanuman disguised as a beggar, to find out their true intentions. Rama tells him about his exile and Sita's abduction, so Hanuman tells him that Sugriva experienced a similar situation at the hands of Vali. He tells Rasha that Vali fought a demon, running it down the earth, but didn't return after a year. Sugriva believed he was dead and ruled his people, but Vali came back and believed that Sugriva betrayed him, so Vali took his wife and exiled Sugriva. Sugriva asks for Rama's help to battle Vali. Tara, Vali's wife, asks him not to fight Sugriva, but he refuses. Vali fights Sugriva, but Rama ambushes him and kills him with his bow and arrow. Sugriva becomes king and vows to help Rama, but he can't help him until the rainy season is over. Eventually, Sugriva sends 4 armies of monkeys in all directions to help Rama find Sita. On the way, they meet Jatayu's brother Sampati and he tells them to keep heading south to Lanka. To confirm that Sita is in Lanka, they ask Hanuman to "leap" to Lanka using his special powers. Once he is in Lanka, he finds Sita in the Ashoka Grove, guarded by rakshasas. He sees Ravana approach a scared Sita, trying to convince her to take him as her new husband, but she refuses. Finally, Hanuman tries to save Sita, but Indrajit, Ravana's son, catches him and brings him to court. Ravana then decides to set Hanuman's tail on fire as punishment, but Lanka sets fire instead since Sita prays to the Fire for him. As Lanka burns, Hanuman returns to Sugriva and Rama and they plan their march on Janka. Meanwhile, Ravana's court wants to go to war with Rama, but Vibishana, Ravana's brother, opposes the war. He proposes that they return Sita to Rama, but Ravana refuses. As a result, Vibishana leaves to ally Rama.

I think a story I would be interested in retelling would be when Ravana tries to set Hanuman's tail on fire and instead sets fire to Lanka. I think it was an unexpected moment filled with a lot of tension, relieved by the "plot twist". I think it would be cool to explore Hanuman's fear as he seems to face a cruel death or punishment and his surprise at Lanka burning instead.

At this point in the story, it seems like we are nearing the story's apex and its eventual end. Will Rama and his friends win? Will he get Sita back after all of his strenuous efforts? I'm excited to see the "final battle" between Rama and Ravana and their fates in Part D.

Source: Rama and the Monkeys by Geraldine Hodgson (1903)

Rama and Lakshamana Meeting Sugriva 

Source: Wikimedia