Rama sent Lakshman to Kishkindha. Maruti said to Sugriva, “It is a bad thing that you have forgotten Rama and left him alone in the forest. There stands Lakshman at the door of your palace. Take care — he will kill us all.”

Sugriva was alarmed and, having thrown himself at Lakshman’s feet with his wives and other monkeys, implored Rama’s pardon. He then came with all his monkeys to Rama to help him in recovering his wife, Sita. Rama put his ring on one of the fingers of Maruti as a mark from him. All the monkeys set out in search of Sita.

On their way, they came across a forest and could not proceed further, as they were bewildered there. This forest was cursed by a Rishi called Dandaka, saying that those who entered it would remain there bewildered. The Rishi cursed the forest because his infant son was devoured by the Goddess of the forest. The infant son became a demon and devoured all persons and creatures that went into the forest.

Angada, son of Vali, killed the demon; and as soon as he was killed, he was restored to his former form. All the monkeys escaped unhurt, as they were repeating the name of Rama all the time in the forest. They left the forest and, having searched for Sita at several places in vain, at last came to a very large cave.

The monkeys entered the cave but they all fainted owing to suffocation. Maruti lifted them up with his tail and came out of the cave to a place where there was a beautiful garden. All the monkeys climbed up the trees in the garden, laden with fruits, but they could not get a single fruit to eat.

A mare called Suprabha came where the monkeys were standing. Maruti asked her who had created the garden. The mare replied, “Brahmadev was pleased with Mayasur, a demon, and, having created the cave for him, said, ‘I have created this cave for you. I require you to be always in it and not to leave it under any circumstances; and if you come out of the cave, you will instantly die.’

While in the cave, the demon always prayed to Vishnu for the protection of the demons on earth. Indra was alarmed and implored Brahmadev to get the demon out of the cave. To get him out, the god created a very beautiful damsel called Hema and sent her into the cave. The demon looked at her and was captivated by her charms. Finding that the demon was very much taken with her, she came out of the cave, and he followed her, forgetting what Brahmadev had told him. As soon as he came out of the cave, he instantly died.

After the death of the demon, Hema was in possession of the cave and garden, and soon left for the kingdom of Vishnu, placing me here in this form to watch it. Hema told me that when monkeys would come into this garden, I would be restored to my former form,” said Suprabha.

Maruti said to her, “We have eaten fruits to our hearts’ content and must now leave this place as soon as possible. We cannot see the way to the cave through which we came here. Will you therefore be kind enough to show it to us?”

Whereupon Suprabha told all the monkeys to shut their eyes; and in a second they were all on a seashore. She was restored to her former form and, visiting Rama, went to her husband.

The monkeys were very anxious to cross the sea and go to Lanka, but they were unable to do so. However, Maruti, repeating the name of Rama, crossed the sea; but on the way he met with several accidents. The gods, in order to test his valour, sent a huge woman to devour him. She opened her mouth and stood in his way. He passed through her mouth and proceeded further.

In the meantime, the sea sent a mountain to block his way. The mountain said to him, “Good creature! Why are you not going to take rest on my bosom?” At these words Maruti got enraged and pressed down the mountain.

A little further on, a frightful demoness, Simhika, who was the mother of Rahu and Ketu, swallowed him up; but he tore off her belly and came out. At last he arrived at Upper Lanka, when the goddess of the place caught hold of his legs and knocked him down. He got up and gave her mortal blows, when she implored him to spare her life. He, having granted her request, was blessed by her, saying that he would be successful in his undertaking.

He then came to Lower Lanka, called Patal Lanka. Krocha, the youngest sister of Ravana, whose husband, Gargar, was killed by Indra, lived there. As soon as she was informed of his arrival, she went with a number of demons and demonesses to catch him, when he became a small and beautiful animal.

Krocha said to the demons and demonesses, “This is a very good and pretty animal. Let me have it for my breakfast. Just kill it and cook it for me.”

“My body,” replied he, “is full of water, and if you order me to be cooked for your breakfast, you will get nothing. I therefore tell you to swallow me up, so that you may have a delicious taste.”

Krocha accordingly swallowed up Maruti, who entered her heart and pulled off her flesh. The demoness tossed about with pain. Her companions gave her medicine mixed with the dung of a hog, but the monkey was so disgusted with the dirt that he let out his tail through her nose and ears.

All the demons and demonesses believed that the tail was a disease and began to pull it out, when Maruti, having torn off her belly, came out and threw all the demons and demonesses into the sea. From Lower Lanka he went again to Upper Lanka; and at sunset he entered Nikumbala, a county in Lanka, where Indrajit, the eldest son of Ravana, lived with his family.

He went into the palace of the demon-prince and saw him with his beautiful wife, Sulochana, there. Maruti said to himself, “No doubt this is Sita, and she has fallen in love with this wicked demon.” So saying to himself, he was about to kill both of them.

But in the meantime, she said to her husband, “Just think for a moment — is it not a bad thing that your father has unjustly brought Sita here? If she is not restored to her husband, a great calamity will befall him.” Having heard this conversation, Maruti was convinced that she was not Sita. Until next time, Jai Shree Ram!

|| OM SAI SHRI SAI JAI JAI SAI || 

|| SHRI SATCHIDANANDA SADGURU SAINATH MAHARAJ KI JAI ||

Note: This narration is based on Ramavijaya: The Mythological History of Rama (Bombay, 1891, Dubhashi & Co.), a public domain text shared here for free reading.

*This section from Ramavijaya mixes Valmiki and folk Puranic traditions, inserting stories of Suprabha, Simhika, and Krocha that don’t appear in Valmiki’s Ramayana. The mention of Indrajit’s wife Sulochana and her dharmic counsel anticipates her later role in South Indian and regional Ramayanas (e.g., Krittivasa Ramayana, Adbhuta Ramayana).