In this world, O Rāghava, there is one whose skill surpasses even those feared for eating human flesh; truly, there is nothing in existence unknown to him. As long as the thousand-rayed Sun continues to blaze in the sky, he will tirelessly search every river, traverse vast mountains, explore mountain fortresses, and delve into hidden caves. With the mighty-bodied monkeys at his command, he will join forces with them to find your wife. He will send these powerful monkeys in all directions to seek out Sītā, who grieves in your absence, and will search for the noble Maithilī even within Rāvaṇa’s own abode. Know this, Rāghava: even if your faultless beloved is hidden atop the golden heights of Mount Meru or concealed in the depths of the underworld, the foremost among monkeys will slay the demons and restore her to you. Now, listen, O Rāma, to the next part of the tale as told in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, the seventy-third sarga of the Araṇyakāṇḍa. Having shown you the way to search for Sītā, the wise Kabandha, who fully understood your plight, spoke again. “O Rāma, behold this auspicious path before you, where blossoming trees, beautiful to the eye, stand facing the west. Here grow Jambū, Priyāla, Jackfruit, Banyan, Fig, Tinduka, Peepal, Karnikāra, Mango, and many other splendid trees. There are also Nāga trees, Tilaka, Night-blooming Jasmine, Blue Ashoka, Kadamba, and flowering Oleander. You will find flaming Ashoka trees and the deep red Paribhadraka; by climbing these trees or shaking their branches, you may gather fruits as sweet as nectar and eat your fill before moving onward. Beyond this grove, O descendant of Kakutstha, lies another wondrous forest, filled with blossoming trees reminiscent of the northern Kurava groves, and resembling the divine gardens of Nandana. There, as in the celestial Caitraratha grove, all the seasons seem to dwell at once; the trees are heavy with fruit and their canopies spread wide, shining in every direction. Trees that resemble rain clouds and mountains stand everywhere; by climbing or shaking them, you will easily gather their fruits. Lakṣmaṇa will offer you these nectar-like fruits as you both wander from mountain to mountain and forest to forest. Then, O heroes, you will come upon the lotus-filled pond called Pampā. Its waters are undisturbed, level, and free from gravel and reeds. The sand along its banks is fresh, and the pond is adorned with blooming lotuses and water lilies. Swans, diving birds, cranes, and curlews dwell there, their melodious voices rising in song. These birds, innocent and auspicious, do not fear the presence of men, for no harm comes to them here. You may eat these birds, O Rāghava—large, fat, and tender as balls of clarified butter—some red, some with curved beaks, and also the reed-dwelling fish of Pampā. There, you will partake of excellent fish: freshly caught, without skin or fins, roasted, lean, and with a single spine. Lakṣmaṇa, devoted to you, will serve these fish as you sit amid the flowers gathered from Pampā’s banks. He will also draw for you water from Pampā—fragrant with lotuses, auspicious, pleasantly cool, pure, and shining like silver or crystal. He will offer you this water in a lotus leaf, and present to you the large, cave-dwelling monkeys who wander the forest. In the evening, as you wander, Lakṣmaṇa will show you those who, out of greed, have turned away from the water, bellowing like bulls. O best of men, you will see large yellow ones in Pampā, and in the twilight, behold trees adorned with garlands. The sight of Pampā’s auspicious waters will ease your sorrow, for the trees are adorned with flowers—tilaka, night jasmine, blooming lotuses, and water lilies—all untouched by human hands. These garlands, O Rāghava, neither wither nor fall. They are the fruit of the sages’ austerities—the disciples of Mataṅga—who reside there, deeply absorbed in their practices. In their devotion, as they carried forest offerings for their teacher, beads of sweat fell quickly to the earth. From these drops, by the power of their penance, the garlands sprang forth, and they do not perish. Even today, you will see their attendant, Śabarī, a long-lived ascetic, steadfast in righteousness and revered by all beings. When she beholds you, O Rāma, divine in form, she will attain the heavenly worlds. Then, O descendant of Kakutstha, you will come upon that incomparable and secret hermitage, situated on the western shore of Lake Pampā. By the ordinance of the sage Mataṅga, not even elephants may enter this hermitage or the surrounding forest. O delight of the Raghus, this forest, renowned as Mataṅga’s Grove, resembles the celestial Nandana and is like the gods’ own woodland. Within this forest, resounding with the calls of many birds, you will find delight, O Rāma, in perfect happiness. Before Pampā stands Rishyamuka, a mountain blossoming with trees. It is exceedingly difficult to climb, guarded by young elephants, and was nobly fashioned by Brahmā himself in ancient times. O Rāma, if a man sleeps upon the summit of that mountain, he attains upon waking whatever wealth he saw in his dreams. Yet, if anyone of wicked conduct and evil deeds dares to climb it, the Rākṣasas who dwell there seize him as he sleeps and strike him down. Thus, Kabandha lovingly guides you, lighting the path ahead as you journey onward in your search for Sītā.