रा
Lord Rama
The Covenant-Maker
Swears friendship in fire and fulfils it with arrow and counsel before asking anything in return.
॥ श्री राम ॥
The Book of the Vanara Kingdom — a friendship forged in the cavern of a mountain
Kanda 4 of 7
किष्किन्धाकाण्ड · The Covenant
Grief-stricken near the lake Pampa, Rama meets Hanuman — swift to appraise, eloquent in speech — who leads him to the exiled Vanara prince Sugriva. On the slope of Rishyamukha the two outcasts, a dethroned prince and a banished king, swear an eternal covenant of friendship before Agni: Rama will help Sugriva regain his kingdom, and Sugriva will help Rama recover Sita.
The Kanda turns on justice. Vali, the mighty emperor of Kishkindha, had wronged his own brother; Rama, standing behind a tree, brings him down with an arrow. Years of fratricidal wrong come to an end, and a weeping Vali — honoured even in death — is honoured by Rama's own words. Sugriva is crowned king, and his brother's son Angad is made heir.
Through the long monsoon the monkey armies rest at Prasravana, and then the search is launched to every quarter of the earth. The southern scouts, led by Angad and Hanuman, plunge into despair and near death by fasting — until the ancient vulture Sampati, brother of Jatayu, tells them what only a bird of the sky could know: Sita lives, captive across the sea, in the golden city of Lanka. The stage is set for the leap of Hanuman.
The Narrative
Hanuman, envoy of Sugriva, meets Rama by the lake Pampa and weaves the friendship of the two princes.
Rama and Sugriva swear before the sacred fire — mutual restoration, mutual rescue — and seals of truth are given.
The great emperor, misled by Sugriva's challenge, strides out and meets the arrow of Rama — his own injustices returned to him.
Sugriva ascends the throne of Kishkindha with Angad as his heir, in a kingdom reconciled to its new dawn.
When the rains end, Vanara armies pour into every quarter, each commanded by captains of valour.
The southern host learns from the vulture Sampati that Sita is held in Lanka beyond the southern sea.
Key Figures
The Covenant-Maker
Swears friendship in fire and fulfils it with arrow and counsel before asking anything in return.
The First Messenger
His eloquence and gladness win Rama's confidence and set the entire quest in motion.
The Exiled Prince
From a frightened exile to a restored king — his is a story of trust that redeems the kingdom.
The Fallen Emperor
His death is weighted with grief and justice, and Rama honours him as he falls.
Prince & Commander
Son of Vali, named heir; his southern expedition carries the fate of the search.
The Far-Sighted Vulture
Brother of Jatayu, his news from the sky reveals Sita's captivity in Lanka.
Verse of the Kanda
उपकारेण वीरस्तु प्रतीकारेण युज्यते।
अकृतज्ञोऽप्रतिकृतो हन्ति सत्त्ववतां मनः॥
"A hero is bound to requite a favour; an ungrateful one who never repays it destroys the heart of the virtuous."
Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 27 · Shloka 45