As the search for Sītā continued, Sugrīva, the wise king of the vānaras, described the path that lay before the monkey warriors. He spoke of a wondrous river, which, like a beautiful maiden embracing her beloved, flowed into the vast ocean. There, at the ocean’s edge, the vānaras would behold a divine golden gate, resplendent with pearls and sparkling gems, a gateway belonging to the noble Pandyas. Sugrīva urged the vānaras to reach this place and, upon arriving at the ocean, to carefully consider their purpose. In the midst of the ocean, he said, stood the splendid Mahendra mountain, established by the great sage Agastya. Its many peaks rose gloriously, marking it as the foremost of mountains. Not far from there, deep within the mighty ocean, lay a radiant island of pure gold. This island was adorned with blossoming mountains and lush creepers, and it shone with the presence of eminent gods, sages, yakṣas, and apsarases. Assemblies of siddhas and cāraṇas gathered there, making the place exceedingly delightful. Sugrīva revealed that Indra, the thousand-eyed king of the gods, visited this island at every festival. Beyond this place, on the far shore, stretched an island a hundred yojanas wide—dazzling and inaccessible to ordinary humans, blazing with supernatural radiance. Sugrīva instructed the vānaras to search this place thoroughly, for Sītā must be sought there with utmost effort. He warned them that this region was the abode of the wicked Rāvaṇa, the slayer and lord of the rākṣasas, whose brilliance rivaled that of Indra himself. In the midst of the southern ocean dwelled a fearsome rākṣasī named Aṅgārakā, renowned for seizing and devouring the shadows of beings. Sugrīva urged the vānaras to resolve all doubts and, with minds free from uncertainty, to search for the wife of the illustrious king. Beyond that island, another hundred yojanas into the ocean, stood the splendid Puṣpitaka mountain, a haunt of siddhas and cāraṇas. Its peaks, illuminated by the rays of the moon and sun, seemed to embrace the ocean’s waters and scratch the very sky. One golden peak was worshipped by the sun, while a white, silver peak was adored by the moon; yet these sacred summits remained unseen by those who were ungrateful, cruel, or faithless. Sugrīva instructed the vānaras to bow their heads in reverence at this mountain before continuing their search. Beyond Puṣpitaka lay the formidable mountain Sūryavān, with a path stretching fourteen yojanas and difficult to traverse. Past this, they would reach the mountain Vaidyuta, where trees bore every desired fruit and the land was delightful at all times. Sugrīva encouraged the vānaras to savor the finest roots and fruits, to drink the excellent honey found there, and then to proceed further to the mountain called Kuñjara, pleasing to both eyes and mind. Upon Kuñjara stood the abode of the sage Agastya, constructed by Viśvakarman, rising ten yojanas high and one yojana wide. There was a divine golden sanctuary, adorned with various jewels, and nearby lay the city of Bhogavatī—the dwelling of the mighty serpents. Its broad streets were formidable and well-guarded by fierce serpents with sharp fangs and deadly venom. In this city resided the dreadful serpent king Vāsuki, and Sugrīva commanded that the vānaras search Bhogavatī as well. Beyond Bhogavatī and its adjacent regions, where many beings were gathered, lay the great abode of the bull. There stood the illustrious mountain Ṛṣabha, made entirely of precious gems and covered with gośīrṣaka, padmaka, hariśyāma, and sandalwood trees. In the terrible forest nearby, the Gandharvas called Rohitās kept watch, and five Gandharva chiefs—Śailūṣa, Grāmaṇī, Śikṣa, Śuka, and Babhrus—dwelt there, radiant as the sun, moon, and fire, and renowned for their virtuous deeds. At the very edge of the earth, these unconquerable Gandharvas, who had surpassed even heaven, were established. Sugrīva warned that beyond this point, the world of the ancestors was exceedingly dreadful, and the city of Yama, shrouded in intense darkness, lay there. He told the vānaras that only up to this point could they search; beyond it, there was no path for living beings. Sugrīva instructed them to observe all these places, and whatever else was visible, and, upon learning the whereabouts of Vaidehī (Sītā), to return. He declared that whoever returned within a month and announced, “Sītā has been seen,” would be rewarded with pleasures and wealth equal to his own, and would live happily. Such a one would be dearer to Sugrīva than his own life; even if that person had committed many offenses, he would become like family. He reminded the vānaras of their immeasurable strength and valor, their noble birth, and their great virtues. He urged them to strive with all their abilities to find the daughter of the king of men. With these instructions complete, the narrative turned to the next chapter of the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa. Sugrīva, having dispatched the search parties, now addressed Suṣeṇa, a monkey as mighty as a rain cloud, assigning him to lead a search in the southern direction. Approaching with joined palms, he spoke respectfully to his formidable father-in-law, Tārā’s father, the king, and also to Marīca, the son of a great sage—a mighty monkey radiant as Indra, surrounded by heroic leaders. Sugrīva entrusted the sons of Marīca—gifted with wisdom and valor, shining like Garuḍa—to search the western direction. Under Suṣeṇa’s leadership, two hundred thousand foremost monkeys set out. He instructed them to search for Vaidehī in the regions of Saurāṣṭra, Bahlikā, and Chandracitra, as well as in flourishing and delightful lands, vast ancient cities, dense forests of puṃnāga, the region of Kukṣi, and groves thick with bakula and uddālaka trees. They were also to search the thickets of screw-pine and the rivers that flowed directly against the current, whose cool waters were considered auspicious. Thus, with reverence and determination, the vānaras set forth, following Sugrīva’s wise and detailed instructions, in their noble quest to find Sītā.