38. Rama Reached Lanka (Devotional)

      After Hanuman Burning Lanka, he came back to Rama and explained everything happened in Lanka. Everyone was very happy and proud of Hanuman for achieving this. Rama asked Hanuman about Lanka's details and Ravana's strengths and weaknesses. After discussing with Sugreeva and Hanuman Rama fixed an auspicious time for departure. Rama started his journey to Lanka with all vanaras to fight with Ravana and get Sita back. After Hanuman's visit to Lanka, Ravana expected that Rama may attack on Lanka. He called all his ministers for a meeting and asked their suggestions. Demons encouraged Ravana and told him that Indrajit alone is sufficient to defeat entire Vanarasena (Troop of monkeys) and Rama. One of Ravana's half brothers, Vibhishana advised Ravana to return Sita back to Rama and save Lanka. Ravana was too arrogant to accept his advise and decided to fight with Rama. Ravana instructed Prahasta, chief of his army to defend the city of Lanka carefully. Prahasta positioned the army for defense accordingly at suitable places both inside and outside the city.

      Mahaparsva, one of his ministers advised Ravana to take charge of Sita by force. Ravana told him about Brahma's curse on him. Once Ravana saw a celestial nymph, Punjikasthala who was proceeding towards the abode of Brahma. Ravana enjoyed her forcibly which was known to Brahma when she reached his place. Enraged Brahma cursed Ravana that if he revel with any other woman forcibly, his head will break into hundred pieces. Ravana was planning with ministers how to kill Rama and Lakshmana. Vibhishana was continuously explaining the power of Rama and advised Ravana to return Sita back. All demons including Indrajit were not ready to listen to him. Finally Ravana got angry on Vibhishana for praising his enemy before him and refuses to listen to Vibhishana. Vibhishana couldn't save his family by giving advises and sets off to leave Ravana.

      Rama and others started their journey to Lanka and reached ocean. Now they were thinking of ways to cross the ocean. Vibhishana together with four of his companions reached there. Halting in the sky itself, Vibhishana asked Rama to give a refuge to him. Rama asked advise from his vanara ministers. Angada, Jambavantha etc ministers advised not to trust a demon but Hanuman told Rama about how Vibhishana treated him when he was in Lanka. After hearing this, Rama accepted Vibhishana to be one of his associate. A demon named Sardula who was a spy of Ravana, came there without any one's notice and observed Rama and his army. He went to Ravana and explained about vanarasena and advised him to send Shuka as a messenger to Sugriva. As per his advise, Ravana sent Shuka to Sugriva as an ambassador with a message. Shuka approached Sugriva and told him Ravana's message that Sugriva is no way related to what Ravana did to Rama so instead of fighting with demons, it is better to go back to Kishkindha.  After hearing this, vanaras pounced on him and started torturing him. Rama stopped them as messengers should not be killed. Sugriva gave Shuka a message to Ravana that Ravana is no way related to him and as he is enemy of Rama, he must be killed. Sugriva warned Ravana that he with his entire army will be coming to Lanka and destroy everything to ashes. Shuka left to Lanka with Sugriva's message.

      Rama and his ministers were thinking of ways how to cross the ocean to reach Lanka. Rama thought of speaking to ocean to give way and requested ocean to come into personal form. Ocean had no response to which Rama got angry and left fierce arrows which caused a terror among the creatures inside the ocean. Rama took an arrow and said that he will make the whole ocean dry up such that he and his army can walk to other side of ocean. When he stretched the arrow, Sea god appeared before Rama with joined palms and advised to build a bridge on ocean. Sea god told him that he will make the stones float on ocean if Rama's name is written on them so that they can build a bridge with them. He promised them that no crocodiles will be aggressive to them while crossing ocean. Rama told Sea god that his arrow should not go in vain which is stretched and asked him to advise where should it be descended. Sea god advised to leave the arrow towards it's northern side where numerous robbers were living. Rama left his arrow as advised killing all robbers at that place.

      Sea god appointed Nala, son of Vishvakarma to help Rama's troop to build a bridge. Vanaras started collecting big stones and wrote Sri Rama's name on them. When they throw them in the ocean, they started floating. On Nala's supervision they were building a bridge on ocean to reach Lanka. Ravana had a mermaid daughter by name Sovann Matcha. When Ravana saw that vanaras building a bridge to cross the ocean, he ordered his daughter to take her companions and destroy the bridge. So Sovann Matcha along with her companions were removing the stones one by one with out vanara's notice. One day some of the vanaras called Hanuman and explained him that the stones thrown by them were being missed with in some time. Hanuman took some vanaras with him and went inside ocean and observed that a large number of mermaids were taking the rocks and carrying away as soon as they tossed by vanaras. Hanuman looked for their leader and found Matcha. He tried to attack her but being mermaid she was very skillful in swimming. She was evading him very easily. Finally Hanuman gave up and asked her why she is doing this. She explained him that she is daughter of Ravana and she is following Ravana's orders. Hanuman explained her how Ravana kidnapped Sita and Matcha decided to help them. All mermaids returned the rocks and the bridge was built with in seven days. Once bridge is built, Rama and his vanarasena reached Lanka through it.