Reading Notes: The Divine Archer, Section B

Photo Information: Source

Pg 48, Section 7

Sugriva fights Bali and Rama strikes the mortal blow with his arrow. Sugriva, now the monkey king, begs Rama to rest. Rama takes in the beauty of the forest, but pines for Sita. Once the rains stops, Rama reviews the monkey armies and they set out to search for Ravana and Sita. The last monkey to leave Rama is Hanuman. Rama gives him a golden bracelet to show to Sita if he should find her, so that she will know that Rama is looking for her. Hanuman travels to the southern shore and looks across the waters to Lanka. There he spies Sita. Hanuman jumps from rock to rock to cross the 30 mile wide water that separated Lanka from the main land. While traveling across the water he is tested by a serpent who tries to swallow him. The monkey evades the serpent and lands on Lanka. Once in Lanka, Hanuman discoveries an ally in Vibishan. Vibishan is the brother of Ravana, but longs to be away from Lanka and to be a comrade of Rama in Ayodhya. Vibishan points Hanuman to a mansion where Sita is kept. In the mansion, Sita is asked by Ravana for her to be his queen. She refuses and askes him to kill her. He does not. After he leaves, she tells the house mistresses of a dream she had where a monkey destroys the city with his tail, Ravana’s head is cut off and Vibishan is made king of Lanka.

Pg 56, Section 8

Ravana (Ravan) has discovered Hanuman and wants to kill him. Vibishan intercedes asking Ravana to spare him since he is just a messenger. Ravana settles on setting Hanuman’s tail on fire. The minkey shrinks himself and escapes capture, then he runs through the city setting everyplace on fire with his flaming tail. Hanuman then returns to the mainland and Rama. He reports finding Sita. Rama gathers armies of bears and monkeys to advance on Lanka. Ravana’s spies are sent to Rama’s camps and they are caught. Rama releases them to go back to their master and report all that they have seen. Once back in Lanka, Ravana’s advisors council him to return Sita, but agree that if he wants to fight Rama, they will stand with him. Rama shoots and arrow into the ocean and the Old Ocean responds by telling Rama to build a causeway for his armies to cross. Rama prepares to attack Ravana’s city.

Pg  63, Section 9

Battle ensues and Rama defeats Ravan. Rama is reluctant to see Sita until she has proven her purity while she was absent from Rama. Lakshmana builds a fire. Sita stands in it un comes out unscathed. Music and flowers fall from heaven as Rama and Sita are together again. Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Hanuman, and others ride a flying chariot back to Ayodhya. A flying genie goes ahead of the victors to tell Bharat of the victory and return of Rama. Bharat retrieves the sandals from the throne and lays them at the feet of Rama on his return.

Pg 71, Section 10

After their return, people of the kingdom question the chastity of Sita. Rama listens to their concerns and exiles Sita once more to the forest. There, she bars him two sons who are raised by the hermit Valmiki. One day the two boys enter the city and recite the poems of the Ramayana. Rama learns that they are his sons and he rejoices. He calls for Sita, wondering if she still loves him. As Sita approaches the palace, she is worn and frail from life in the forest. She calls out for mother earth to take her. A golden thrown appears out of a crack in the ground and she sits in it as it takes her to the under world.

 
Bibliography:
F. J. Gould, The Divine Archer, p3-47