As Hanuman, endowed with supreme strength, prepared for his mighty leap, the mountain upon which he stood became a spectacle of wonder. All around, fragrant blossoms showered down from the trees, covering Mahendra Mountain in a mantle of flowers, so that it appeared to be made entirely of blooms. Pressed by Hanuman’s immense power, the mountain responded as if it were a great elephant in rut, releasing streams of water that cascaded down its slopes. But the mountain’s response did not end there. Under the force of the powerful monkey, streams of gold, collyrium, and silver burst forth from its sides, glittering in the sunlight. Massive boulders tumbled free, and the mountain’s central blaze, glowing bright, made it look like a fire wreathed in curling lines of smoke. The pressure of Hanuman’s presence sent all the creatures hidden in the mountain’s caves into a panic, their strange cries echoing through the air. The tumult of these beings—animals, spirits, and more—rose up, filling the earth, the directions, and the groves with their clamor. From the depths emerged broad-headed serpents, their bodies marked with the sacred svastika. In their fury, they spewed forth fierce fire and sank their fangs into the rocks, their venom so potent that the very stones blazed and shattered into thousands of pieces. Even the clusters of potent medicinal herbs that grew upon the mountain, usually powerful against any poison, could not subdue the deadly venom of these enraged serpents. Witnessing the upheaval and thinking that supernatural forces were breaking the mountain, the ascetics who dwelled there, along with their companions and groups of women, were seized with fear and fled. In their haste, they abandoned golden vessels of liquor on their drinking grounds, leaving behind precious cups, golden goblets, various sweets, foods, meats, bull hides, and swords with golden hilts. Some among them, adorned with crafted necklaces, intoxicated and smeared with red garlands and ointments, their eyes reddened or lotus-like, rose up into the sky. The women, wearing necklaces, anklets, bracelets, and other ornaments, stood amazed and smiling in the heavens with their lovers. The great sages among the Vidyādharas, displaying their mighty powers, gathered in the sky and gazed down at the mountain, marveling at the scene. From above, the voices of purified sages, as well as the Cāraṇas and Siddhas, resounded in the clear sky. They spoke of Hanuman, son of the wind, whose form resembled a mountain and whose speed was tremendous. “He seeks to cross the ocean, the abode of Varuṇa,” they said. “Wishing to accomplish a most difficult task for the sake of Rāma and the monkeys, he aims to reach the far shore of the ocean, which is so hard to attain.” Hearing these words of the Vidyādharas and ascetics, all eyes turned to Hanuman, the immeasurable monkey-chief, standing atop the mountain. His hair bristled, he trembled like fire, and he let out a great roar, as mighty as a thundercloud. His tail, thick with hair and curved in succession, swung behind him as he prepared to leap, resembling the king of birds, Garuda, with a serpent in his grasp. As he moved with great speed, his tail, wound behind him, appeared like a mighty serpent being carried away by Garuda. Hanuman braced his massive arms, as strong as great iron bars, drew them close to his waist, and contracted his legs. Gathering his strength, glory, and valor, he centered himself in his own might. Surveying the path ahead, his gaze fixed upward, he restrained his breath within his heart and looked toward the sky. Planting his feet firmly, Hanuman, foremost among monkeys, pressed down his ears in readiness for the leap. Then, the best of monkeys spoke to his companions: “Just as an arrow released by Rāghava, swift as the wind, flies forth, so shall I go to Lanka, ruled by Rāvaṇa. If I do not find Janaka’s daughter there in Lanka, then, with this very speed, I shall go to the abode of the gods, though my efforts be spent. Or I will bind the king of the rakshasas and bring Rāvaṇa back; in every way, I will return with my task accomplished, together with Sītā. Or I will uproot Lanka itself, along with Rāvaṇa, and bring it here.” Having spoken thus, Hanuman, the best of monkeys, leapt forward with great speed, his mind firmly resolved. In his heart, he imagined himself as Garuda, the king of birds. As he sprang up with tremendous force, the trees on the mountain, drawing in all their branches, leapt up all around him. Carrying with him trees laden with blossoms and birds intoxicated by honey, Hanuman sped through the clear sky with immense speed. The trees, lifted by the force of his mighty thighs, followed the monkey for a moment, like relatives accompanying a kinsman setting out on a long journey. These great trees, uprooted by his power, followed Hanuman like an army follows its king. Accompanied by many trees with blossoming tops, Hanuman, mountain-like in form, became a wondrous sight to behold. Soon, those trees with firm roots fell into the salty waters below, as if in fear, like the mountains of Mahendra sinking into Varuṇa’s abode. Hanuman, now covered with various flowers and fresh buds, shone in the sky like a cloud adorned with fireflies, radiant and resplendent. As he sped onward, the trees released their flowers, which scattered and floated upon the waters below, like friends taking their leave after a visit.