Sundara Kandam is the fifth section of the Ramayana and is composed of 2885 verses and 68 chapters. “
Summary of Sundara Kandam :
Hanuman at the suggestion and encouragement given by Jambhavan decided to cross the ocean and reach Sri Lanka. He promised his friends that he would search and find Sita in Sri Lanka. To help Hanuman, the God of the sea asked his friend the Mainaka Mountain to rise above the sea and help Hanuman to relax and take rest. Hanuman however refused the offer and went ahead. The assembled Devas wanted to test the efficiency of Hanuman and sent Devi Surasa to test him. She took the form of a Rakshasi and informed him that he should enter her mouth and become her food; Hanuman increased his size to a very mega form. Surasa also made her mouth sufficiently big to swallow Hanuman. At that time Hanuman reduced his body to a thumb size jumped in and out of Surasas’s mouth. Surasa blessed him and the devas were very sure that Hanuman could do the job assigned to him. After this a Rakshasi called Simhika caught hold of his shadow and started dragging him to her mouth so that she could eat him. Hanuman again increased the size of his body and killed Simhika.
After this Hanuman reached the city of Sri Lanka. There he took a small midget form before entering the city, to avoid detection. However the Lanka Devatha stopped him and challenged him. He hit her with his clenched fist and she fell down. She realised that the end of the city of Sri Lanka was nearing and blessed Hanuman in his endeavour. Hanuman then searched all over the city including Ravana’s harem. Though on seeing Mandodhari he thought that he had seen Sita, he concluded immediately that she who was living a life of luxury could not be Sita. Later he located Sita in the Asoka forest which was attached to the harem of Ravana. She was sleeping on the floor, and had not taken bath nor changed her dress. She also had removed all non-essential ornaments and hung them on a tree.
Hanuman is described to be one for whom nothing is impossible and who is the embodiment of faith, devotion, fearlessness, self-confidence, and loyalty. Valmiki goes on to point out that success is the outcome of such an attitude.