01Vibhishana Asks for Refuge
Vibhishana’s arrival creates a serious question for Rama’s camp. Sugriva fears that a brother of their enemy may be a spy and argues against trusting him. Rama listens but refuses to abandon someone who has asked for safety. He explains that protection must extend even to a former enemy who genuinely comes for refuge. Vibhishana is accepted into the alliance. Dhanushkodi’s local temple tradition places the memory of this surrender within the island’s coastal landscape.
02The Sea Must Be Crossed
The army still needs a route to Lanka. When Rama prepares a devastating missile against the unresponsive ocean, the sea deity appears and explains that the water cannot simply cease to behave as water. He identifies Nala, son of the divine craftsman Vishvakarma, as the builder capable of making a bridge. Nala organizes the work, and the Vanara army brings timber and rock, measures the line and constructs the crossing. The completed bridge allows the army to advance toward Ravana’s island kingdom.
