Standing on the mountain, Lord Hanuman folded his hands to the Sun, to Mahendra, to the Wind, to the Self-create and to all beings, and set his heart on the journey. Facing east, he saluted his father and began to grow for the journey south. Pressed by his arms and legs, the mountain shook, and its blossoms rained down.1
He told the vanaras that as an arrow shot by Lord Rama flies like the wind, so he would fly to Lanka, ruled by Ravana. If he did not find Janaka's daughter there, he would go with the same speed to the regions of the celestials; and if, after so much trouble, he did not find Sita in Lanka, he would bring the rakshasa king back bound.2
As he flew, trees borne up by the force of his flight followed him for a while, like friends following a friend who sets out for a far country. The Sun did not burn him, and the Wind served him, for the success of Rama's work.3
The Ocean, who had been reared by Sagara of the Ikshwaku race, thought that all would blame him if he did not help Hanuman, the counsellor of that race. He told the golden mountain Mainaka to rise, and Mainaka rose at once from his watery bed.4
Taking the form of a man on his own summit, Mainaka offered Hanuman rest, since he was engaged in so hard a task. He told how, when the lord of the celestials came at him in anger with his thunderbolt, the Wind had thrown him down into the sea. Hanuman was pleased, but declined: his business was urgent, the time was nearly spent, and he had promised not to halt anywhere on the way.5
The celestials asked Surasa, mother of the serpents, to put obstacles in his way for a while; they wanted to know whether he would overcome her or come to grief. Surasa barred his path and said that the gods had ordained him as her food, so he must enter her mouth. Hanuman answered that he was going to Sita as Rama's envoy; she should help Rama, or else, once he had seen Sita and Rama, he would enter her mouth, and this he promised truly.6
Angry, Hanuman told her to open her mouth wide enough to hold him. Each time she widened her mouth he made himself larger still, until her mouth measured a hundred yojanas. Then he shrank to the size of a thumb, entered her mouth and came out again. Surasa blessed him: he should go at his ease, and meet Vaidehi with tidings of Raghava.7
Then Sinhika, a very old rakshasi who could take any form, saw him flying and thought that after so long she would at last have her meal. She seized his shadow, and Hanuman felt his prowess held back, as a ship is held back by an adverse wind.8
Concluding from her act that she was Sinhika, Hanuman grew huge, and she opened her mouth as wide as the sky and the nether regions. Hard as a thunderbolt, he shrank in a moment and threw himself into her mouth, tore her apart with his sharp claws and sprang out. Her heart crushed, Sinhika fell lifeless into the water.9
Nearing the far shore, Hanuman shrank his mountain-like body and took his natural shape. Bounding over the ocean by main force, he alighted on the shore and beheld Lanka, like Amaravati.10