Now return, all of you, to your several homes; remember me and fear no one.’ The monkeys, distraught with affection when they heard these words, reverently addressed him with folded hands:

‘O Lord, whatever you say well becomes you; yet we are bewildered on hearing such words. You, O Raghunatha, are the Lord of the three spheres and know the low estate of us monkeys, which is why you have taken us under your protection.

When we hear our Lord’s words, we die of shame; is it possible for a mosquito to help Garuda, the king of birds?’ Observing how well disposed the Lord was towards them, the monkeys and the bear were lost in love and had no longing for their own home.

But in obedience to the Lord’s command the monkeys and the bears all went their way with mingled joy and sorrow and with many a humble prayer, enshrining Rama’s image in their hearts.

The Monkey King, Nila, Jambavan, Angad, Nala, Hanuman and all the other valiant monkey captains, together with Vibhishana,

were so overcome by their feelings that they could not utter a word. With eyes full of tears they stood facing Rama and gazing so intently on him that they had no time to wink.

When he saw their ecstatic devotion, Raghunatha took them all up with him into his car and, after only bowing his head before the Brahmans’ feet, directed the chariot towards the north.