Sundar Kand

Sunderkand starts with proceeding of Hanuman to Lanka on a very tedious and challenging task. It was not within the possibility of a common man. It was not a simple question of wisdom, bravery or art of flying and crossing over the great ocean. It was much more tedious then commanding all these merits. The person who could have won himself and all his ten senses and one mind (mann) only could have attained this merit. The fortification of Lanka had been done in such a way that even though, a shadow of something crossing over the ocean could have been caught so, at the first step, Hanuman killed the demon to make his path through. The task was so difficult that even if Sugriv and Jamwant were confident of the merit of Hanuman still the Devas (gods) found it better to conduct confirmatory test and sent their representative Sursa to test velour and poweress of Hanuman. Sursa came in the way and obstructed the path of Hanuman. He earnestly requested to give path considering urgency of his task to search Sita but none the less she was agree to it. She told that she was hungry and for last a few days she did not get any thing so she could not let free her food and she opened her mouth to swallow Hanuman. Hanuman instantly doubled his size and then Sursa further doubled the volume of Hanuman and thus the strategy did not work so Hanuman immediately changed his strategy and shrunk to a size of mosquito and passed through the mouth of Sursa. Sursa admired Hanuman and found him competent enough to perform the tedious task allotted by Jamwant quite successfully. The entry point of Lanka was guided by a she demon named Lankeni. So, having killed Lankani, Hanuman made his entry into Lanka. Having entered into Lanka he thought out a plan that unless he got a competent spy and aid of a righteous person, he could have not been successful, so, he searched out Vibhisan and found him fit for his task ahead.
With the help of Vibhishan he met with Sita and presented the ring given by Ram to Hanuman as an introductory token. After meeting Sita, Hanumana made out a plan that it would not be enough that he should have returned back to Kishkindha and inform Sugriv and Ram about  the whereabout of Sita rather he must have explored some strategic information about the security aspect so he created some disturbances, killed some demons including one of Ravana's son Akshay Kumar. Ultimately Ravan sent his most capable son unparalleled in velour and poweress, Meghnad, to catch him and produce before Ravan. Hanuman found it a good opportunity to be produced before Ravan so that being face to face he could  further have more opportunities to disgrace him. When he was produced to Ravan he cautioned Ravan that Ravn should not be under false ego that he was caught and produced by his son Meghnad but out of sheer kin desire he wanted to see such a great foolish King of Lanka who had chosen encounter instead of adopting Rama as an ideal of life. However, he wanted to advice Ravan that he should correct blunder of  life by returning Sita to Ram and take a shelter in his feet, he would pardon for his guilt. Ravan became angry listening all these preaching. Hanuman further advised Ravan not to be angry because it evaporates wisdom and make people unworthy. When it was decided to burn his tail he laughed at the  foolishness of Ravan and his ministers. The strategy which was adopted by Ravan to burn the tail of Hanuman, it burnt Lanka and tail of Hanuman, remained itself. The incident was very-very demoralizing for the subjects and army of Lanka and also for Ravan. Ultimately having burnt Lanka to ashes and obtaining Chudamani (hair dressing ornament), Hanumana returned Kishkindha. The demoralizing effect of  that incident was so great that entire Lanka was afraid of the aftermath that if the messenger of Ram committed such a devastating destruction then what would happen if his master attacked Lanka. Mandodari the wife of  Ravan and his brother Vibhishan advised him to return Sita to Ram and save Lanka and Rakshas from a total catastrophe but Ravan did not pay any heed to it rather he ill-treated Vibhishana and he was compelled to leave Ravan. Vibhishan being ill-treated and abused took shelter to Ram who established friendship with him and performed his coronation ceremony taking oath of Agni-Dev(Fire God). Having performed coronation ceremony of Vibhishan, Ram proved his statesmanship by demolishing a very strong pillar of Lanka and arranging a safe in-road into Lanka. He became very popular for his generosity and all embracing power for whoever takes his shelter.
On getting whereabouts of Sita and establishing friendship with Vibhishana, Rama consulted Vibhishana about the way out of crossing over the great ocean and descending on the land of Lanka. Vibhishana advised that although Ram was powerful enough to create a path making the ocean dry, but it would be unethical so, Rama should request the ocean and ask for the path. The suggestion was not liked by Laxman. He believed in utilizing his power and creating a path through the ocean. Rama  worshipped the ocean for three days requesting to grant a path or suggest a way out, but the ocean did not respond then Rama became angry he told the ocean that requesting for a path should not be taken as  his weakness. He is capable enough to create a path through it by applying his power. Ultimately being afraid of, the ocean incarnated and gave a way out so that the propriety of conduct (maryada) should not get diluted. The ocean revealed the clue of building a bridge over the oceans and on getting clue from the ocean, bridge was build up under the supervision of Nal and Nil, the Civil & Architect Engineers of the time.