Book V of the Ramayana, entitled Sundarakanda (Book of Beauty), includes Hanuman’s leap to Lanka, his interactions with Sita, and his destruction of Lanka with his fiery tail. In Lanka he locates Sita in a garden surrounded by rakshasis (female demons), earns her trust by praising Rama and showing her Rama’s signet ring, and reassures her that she will be rescued. After Sita declines to fly back on Hanuman’s back, he causes a ruckus that leads to the demons lighting his tail on fire, which he then uses to destroy the island kingdom. Of the seven books of the Ramayana, the Sundarakanda alone features a principal hero other than Rama, and that hero is Hanuman. Some devotees recite the Sundarakanda as part of their devotional worship of Hanuman and consider it the heart of the epic.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style