The Slaying of Sahasagati

Grieving for Queen Sutara, the true Sugriva wanders onto the battlefield strewn with the dead vassals of Kharadushana and learns that Kharadushana, the mighty lord who might have ended his sorrow, has been slain. Unwilling to seek refuge with Ravana, a man blind with lust who might kill him, or kill both look-alikes and carry off the queen, he resolves to turn to Kharadushana's slayer, since only one who suffers knows another's pain, and sends an envoy to Viradhita.

Viradhita rejoices that so great a king seeks his friendship, and when the thunder of Sugriva's drums alarms the people of Patala Lanka, Viradhita, son of Anuradha, explains to Lakshmana that Suryaraja of Kishkindhapura had two sons: the elder, Bali, refused to bow to Ravana, gave the kingdom to the younger, Sugriva, and renounced the world, and Sugriva now rules with his queen Sutara and their virtuous son Angada. Rama and Sugriva meet joyfully in the golden courtyard, and Sugriva's elderly Vidyadharas tell Rama that a wicked Vidyadhara has taken Sugriva's form by magic to seize his queen and his kingdom.

At Lakshmana's request the chief minister Jambavanta (Jambunada) tells the story: lusting after Sutara, the impostor entered her palace in Sugriva's form, but she, a true sati (faithful wife), warned her servants not to honour him; he then sat boldly on Sugriva's throne, and when the real Sugriva came home to find his people downcast, the two roared at each other and were about to fight until Shrichandra and the other ministers held them back. Sutara declared that the stranger matched her husband in body, strength and speech but lacked the marks of a great man, as a donkey is no horse, yet only some of the ministers believed her.

Holding that a woman's chastity must be guarded, the ministers barred both from the royal apartments; Angada sided with the true Sugriva at his mother's word, and so did Jambunada, the army split into seven akshauhinis (great army divisions) on each side, the impostor camped south of the city and Sugriva to the north, and Bali's son Chandrarashmi vowed to cut down with his sword whoever entered Sutara's palace. Hanuman, called to help, came in his vimana (aerial car) Apratighata blazing with anger, but, unable to tell which Sugriva to kill, went home dejected.

Moved, Rama reflects that this man's grief equals his own and promises to win back Sugriva's kingdom and wife if Sugriva will then find Sita; Sugriva vows that if he brings no news of Sita within seven days of his own deliverance he will enter fire, and in a Jina temple the two swear lasting friendship and never to betray each other. In the first battle outside Kishkindhapura the impostor fells the real Sugriva with a mace and returns to the city, and Rama explains that, unable to tell them apart, he held back lest he kill his own friend.

When Rama challenges the impostor again, Lakshmana holds back the true Sugriva, and at the very sight of Rama the Vaitali vidya (shape-shifting magic) leaves the impostor's body like a shed snakeskin, revealing Sahasagati, dark as a mountain of sapphire. The half of the Vanara army that had followed him returns to Sugriva, Sahasagati scatters the Vanaras like dust before the wind and showers arrows on Rama, but Rama pierces his armour with small arrows, riddles his body like a sieve with sharp ones, and Sahasagati falls dead.

Sugriva praises Rama and Lakshmana, is reunited with Sutara, and lodges Rama in the Ananda garden, where Rama and Lakshmana worship in the temple of Chandraprabha and the whole army camps. His thirteen daughters, Chandrabha, Hridayavali, Hridayadharma, Anundhari, Shrikanta, Sundari, Suravati, Charushri, Madanotsava, Gunavati, Manovahini, Padmavati and Jinamati, who had resolved from birth never to wed Vidyadharas, choose Rama for his virtues and are married to him, though Gautama tells Shrenika that Rama's mind stays detached from pleasures and that he will renounce the world in time.