As Sugriva stood before Rama, his palms joined in reverence, so too did the countless monkeys who had gathered around him. Sugriva, radiant and poised like a lotus bud in a tranquil pond, caught Rama’s attention. Seeing the vast army of monkeys assembled, Rama’s heart was filled with joy. With a gentle hand, Rama lifted Sugriva, who had bowed humbly at his feet, and embraced him warmly, expressing both affection and respect. After the embrace, Rama, ever righteous, invited Sugriva to take his seat. Once Sugriva was seated on the ground, Rama spoke thoughtfully, “A king who attends to righteousness, wealth, and desire at the proper time, dividing them wisely, is truly the best among monkeys, O hero. But one who forsakes righteousness and wealth to pursue only desire is like someone who falls from a tree while sleeping atop it, waking only after the fall. The king who destroys his enemies and protects his friends, enjoying the fruits of all three aims of life, stands firm in righteousness. Now is the time for effort, O destroyer of foes. Let this be considered carefully, O lord of tawny ones, together with your monkeys and counselors.” Thus addressed, Sugriva replied with gratitude, “By your grace, O mighty-armed one, I have regained my fortune, my fame, and the eternal monkey kingdom—all that had been lost to me. By the favor of the gods and your victorious brother, one who does not repay what has been done for him is a disgrace among men. O destroyer of enemies, here before you are the foremost monkeys by the hundreds, who have gathered, bringing with them all the powerful monkeys from across the earth. There are also heroic bears, monkeys, and langurs, fierce in appearance and well-versed in wild forests and mountain strongholds. Among them are monkeys born of gods and gandharvas, able to assume any form at will, each accompanied by their own armies. There are hundreds, hundreds of thousands, and millions, surrounded by tens of thousands and battalions, O scorcher of foes. There are monkeys and monkey chiefs in numbers of arbudas, hundreds of arbudas, in middling and final groups, even oceans and countless hosts. O king, those with the might of Mahendra, resembling clouds and mountains, dwelling on Meru and Vindhya, will come to you. They will come to fight the rakshasa in battle; having slain Ravana, they will surely bring back Maithili.” Seeing the preparations underway, led by the mighty chief of monkeys, Rama—the son of the lord of the earth—was filled with joy. His face shone like a blossoming blue lotus, radiant with hope. Listen now to the thirty-ninth sarga in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa. As Sugriva spoke, Rama, the best among upholders of dharma, embraced him with both arms and replied, his palms joined in gratitude. “It would not surprise me if Indra sends rain, nor if the sun with a thousand rays dispels the darkness from the sky. O gentle one, just as the moon makes the night pure and radiant, so too does a friend like you bring joy to friends, O subduer of enemies. I am not surprised by your noble actions; I know you, Sugriva, as one who always speaks kindly. With you as my ally, I shall conquer all my enemies in battle. You alone are my friend and companion, worthy to assist me. The vile rakshasa, for his own destruction, abducted Maithili, just as Anuhlada once deceived Shachi, the wife of Pauloma. Soon I shall slay Ravana with sharp arrows, just as Indra, the destroyer of foes, killed the proud father of Paulomi.” As they spoke, a cloud of dust rose in the sky, veiling the brilliance of the sun with its intense heat. The earth was suddenly covered by monkeys, countless in number, resembling mountain peaks, possessing sharp fangs and immense strength. In the span of a moment, the leaders of monkey troops, surrounded by hundreds of millions of monkeys, assembled there. There were monkeys whose voices thundered like clouds, some of mountain and ocean origin, others dwelling in forests, all mighty in strength. Their colors were as varied as nature itself—some like the rising sun, others pale as the moon, some the hue of lotus filaments, and some white as if made of gold. At that time, the illustrious and heroic monkey named Shatabali appeared, surrounded by ten thousand million monkeys. The valiant father of Tara, shining like a golden mountain, arrived with countless thousands and millions. Similarly, the mighty father of Ruma, Sugriva’s father-in-law, arrived with a thousand million monkeys. Another appeared, resembling a lotus filament, with a face like the rising sun—intelligent and foremost among monkeys, the best of all monkey warriors. The illustrious Kesari, father of Hanuman, was seen there, surrounded by countless thousands of monkeys. The mighty king of monkeys with a long tail, Gavaksha, of terrifying valor, arrived with a thousand million monkeys. Dhumra, destroyer of enemies and swift as a storm, leader of the bears, advanced with two thousand million fierce bears. The powerful leader Panasa, resembling a great mountain, arrived with three million monkeys. And Nila, leader with the appearance of a mass of dark collyrium and of great size, was seen surrounded by ten million monkeys. Thus, under the leadership of Sugriva, the earth was covered with a vast, formidable host of monkeys and bears, each ready to answer Rama’s call and to march forth in the quest to defeat Ravana and bring back Maithili.