This is one of my most famous sections from the entire lore. Soon after, Rama and Lakshman made preparations for their march against Ravana; and on the day of Dasara — the tenth day of the bright half of Ashwin — they set out with their vast army.

Note: Dasara, also called Durga Puja, is observed in commemoration of the victory of Devi, the wife of Shiva, over the buffalo-headed demon Mahishasura. On this day, after nine days of worship, her image is immersed in water. Among the Kshatriyas, it is also the festival of weapons, when instruments of war are reverently worshipped, as the source of protection and victory.

Rama’s army consisted of eighteen padmas of monkeys (one padma equals ten billion), seventy-two kotis (one koti equals ten million) of warriors under the command of the old monkey Jambavan, and fifty-six kotis of other monkeys. When they arrived at the seashore — the same place Maruti had first crossed — they encamped there, finding no way to proceed farther.

This news soon spread throughout Lanka. Vibhishan, the youngest brother of the demon-king, entreated Ravana to restore Sita to her husband and to set the gods at liberty. He said, “If you do not listen to me, the whole of Lanka will be annihilated, and all the demons destroyed.”

But Ravana and his son Indrajit replied, “We do not care at all about it. Let Rama and all the monkeys come upon us; we shall kill them all in a second.”

Having failed to persuade the demon-king, Vibhishan, accompanied by four demons, went to where the monkeys were encamped and sought to meet the prince.

The monkeys were about to kill the demons when Vibhishan said, “I am the youngest brother of Ravana and have come here to see Rama. I hear that he killed Vali and gave his kingdom to Sugriva. In like manner, I wish him to kill Ravana and grant Lanka to me. My brother is wicked and has oppressed both the gods and the Brahmans.”

The monkeys looked upon him with suspicion and did not believe his words at first. But Maruti said, “Vibhishan is not a wicked demon. He is a devotee of Rama and has come with good intent.”

Whereupon Rama desired the monkeys to allow Vibhishan to see him. Sugriva went and brought him to Rama. The demon fell at the prince’s feet, and Rama blessed him, saying that he would be the king of Lanka and would reign there as long as the sun and moon endure.

Rama asked him what he should do to cross the sea with such a large army of monkeys. Vibhishan replied, “Pray to the sea, and he may make way for you and your army.”

Rama went to pray to the sea, and Vibhishan returned to Lanka.

Ravana was soon informed by a demon named Shardula that a large army of monkeys under the command of Sugriva had encamped near the shore and would invade Lanka within days.

Whereupon a demon named Shuka came to Sugriva on behalf of Ravana and said, “Rama is a wicked man. Why do you help him? What have you to do with Sita? Quietly return home with your army. If you do not listen to me, the heads of all your monkeys will be cut off, and Rama, Lakshman, and you will be slain.”

The monkeys were enraged at these words and beat him severely, until Lakshman intervened and let him go.

The demon again said, “You are all stupid donkeys and will soon be sacrificed here.”

Rishabha, one of the monkeys, replied, “Tell Ravana to restore Sita to Rama; and if he refuses, his ten heads shall be cut off.”

“Hold your tongue,” said Shuka. “Sita will never be restored to Rama. I again tell you to leave the prince alone here; if you do not, your days are numbered.”

The monkeys again caught him by the neck, belabored him, and bound him with a cord.

Rama prayed to the sea for three days without eating a morsel of food, but the sea did not respond. The prince, indignant, took up his dhanushaban (bow and arrow) to dry up the sea.

Alarmed, the sea appeared before him and said, “Kindly forgive me and do not dry me up. I am ready to do whatever you bid me.”

“Very well,” replied Rama, “but what shall I do with this arrow? It must be discharged, according to my solemn resolution, which cannot be broken.”

“There lives in the west,” continued the sea, “a demon named Maru. He devours all creatures in the waters. Please let off the arrow at him and cut off his head.”

Rama accordingly discharged the arrow and cut off Maru’s head*. When the head fell to the ground, it drank up a sheet of seawater in the west; and thereby the tract of land now called Marwad was formed.

The sea then regarded Rama as his son-in-law and presented him with a dress and ornaments, which he accepted at the request of the monkeys; and when he wore them, he looked very beautiful.

Rama then asked the sea what means he should adopt to cross the water with so vast an army. The sea replied, “You can have a setu — a bridge — built over me. Let it be built by Nala with stones and mountains, which will float on the surface only by his hands.

When Nala was young, he always worshipped shaligrams — black stones sacred to Vishnu — and threw them into the sea. A Rishi, pleased with him, blessed him, saying that by his hands, stones and mountains would float upon the water.”

So saying, the sea disappeared.

Immediately after, Rama called Nala and said, “To cross the sea, a setu must be built by you of stones and mountains, which will float by your hands only. I therefore beg you to order all the monkeys to procure stones and mountains and lay them in the water.”

Nala was puffed up with pride and said to himself that the bridge could not be built without him. So he ordered the monkeys to bring stones and mountains, which they did, and laid them in his charge.

Nala built a portion of the setu, but the fishes in the sea ate it away. He built it again, and again the fishes destroyed it. He was at a loss what to do.

Maruti said to him, “Pride goeth before destruction. You thought the bridge could not be built without you. What do you say now? Leave off your pride and be humble. Now write the name of Rama on each stone and lay it in the water. If you do this, you will be able to build the setu without difficulty.”

Nala did as directed by Maruti; and the setu was built — one hundred yojans in length and breadth — as far as Suvela, without any further trouble.

After the setu was completed, Rama crossed it with his army and came to Suvela, where he encamped his forces. 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.

*Sri Rama’s vow to dry the sea appears in Valmiki, but Ramavijaya adds the regional myth of Maru demon and the formation of Marwad, an etiological legend typical of Marathi and Rajasthani folklore.