o Rama,
I all of a sudden bounded over the main, extending for a hundred yojanas.
And, O chief of the Bharatas, having by my own prowess crossed the ocean,
that abode of sharks and crocodiles, I saw in Ravana's residence, the
daughter of king Janaka, Sita, like unto the daughter of a celestial. And
having interviewed that lady, Vaidehi, Rama's beloved, and burnt the
whole of Lanka with its towers and ramparts and gates, and proclaimed my
name there, I returned. Hearing everything from me the lotus-eyed Rama at
once ascertained his course of action, and having for the passage of his
army constructed a bridge across the deep, crossed it followed by myriads
of monkeys. Then by prowess Rama slew those Rakshasas in battle, and also
Ravana, the oppressor of the worlds together with his Rakshasa followers.
And having slain the king of the Rakshasas, with his brother, and sons
and kindred, he installed in the kingdom in Lanka the Rakshasa chief,
Vibhishana, pious, and reverent, and kind to devoted dependants. Then
Rama recovered his wife even like the lost Vaidic revelation. Then
Raghu's son, Rama, with his devoted wife, returned to his own city,
Ayodhya, inaccessible to enemies; and that lord of men began to dwell
there. Then that foremost of kings, Rama was established in the kingdom.
Thereafter, I asked a boon of the lotus-eyed Rama, saying, 'O slayer of
foes, Rama, may I live as long as the history of thy deeds remaineth
extant on earth!" Thereupon he said, 'So be it. O represser of foes, O
Bhima, through the grace of Sita also, here all excellent objects of
entertainment are supplied to me, whoever abide at this place. Rama
reigned for the thousand and ten hundred years. Then he ascended to his
own abode. Ever since, here Apsaras and Gandharvas delight me, singing
for aye the deeds of that hero, O sinless one. O son of the Kurus, this
path is impassable to mortals. For this, O Bharata, as also with the view
that none might defeat or curse thee, have I obstructed thy passage to
this path trod by the immortals. This is one of the paths to heaven, for
the celestials; mortals cannot pass this way. But the lake in search of
which thou hast come, lieth even in that direction."

SECTION CXLVIII

Vaisampayana continued, "Thus addressed, the powerful Bhimasena of mighty
arms, affectionately, and with a cheerful heart, bowed unto his brother,
Hanuman, the monkey-chief, and said in mild words, 'None is more
fortunate than I am;