Indrajeet's Illusions and the Quest for Sanjeevani

Indrajeet, well-versed in illusions and magic, arrived at the battlefield in his chariot. He sent thousands of monkeys to the Land of the Dead. Several monkeys attacked him with uprooted trees and boulders, but these efforts didn't distract him. When he realized he couldn't defeat Ram and Lakshman in a direct battle, he resorted to magic. He surrounded himself with demon soldiers and created an illusory Seeta in the middle of the army.

He attacked this illusory Seeta, who began to call out "Ram, Ram." Hearing this angered Ram. Hanuman couldn't bear to see Seeta insulted in this way. He warned Indrajeet that he would face terrible consequences for this action. But Indrajeet shouted, "First, I will kill Seeta. After that, I will kill Ram, Lakshman, Sugreev, Hanuman, and everyone else." After making this announcement, he killed the illusory Seeta to destroy the morale of the monkeys. Believing the illusory Seeta to be real, anger spread throughout the monkey army. Several monkeys were heartbroken and withdrew from the war.

Hanuman's anger knew no bounds as he attacked the demons with all his might, leading to a bloody battle. However, he soon realized the futility of the fight, as Seeta, the very reason for their struggle, was believed to be dead. Heartbroken, Hanuman returned to Ram and Lakshman, tears streaming from his eyes, and recounted the tragic news of Seeta's death. Overwhelmed, Ram collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Upon regaining consciousness, Vibheeshan informed Ram and Hanuman that Seeta's 'death' was likely an illusion created by Indrajeet's magical powers. Indrajeet aimed to deceive them to complete his yagya without interruption, which would render him invincible in battle. Vibheeshan had learned this from his spies. Soon after, Indrajeet entered the battlefield with the intent to kill Ram and Lakshman. Skilled in magic, he turned invisible and launched a barrage of arrows at them, spreading fear among the monkey army.

To bolster the monkeys' morale, Lakshman launched an attack on Indrajeet, who had made himself visible again. Though they were equally matched, Indrajeet possessed several powerful arrows. Using the Brahmastra, he struck Lakshman, rendering him unconscious. Waves of grief swept through the monkey army, but Vibheeshan reassured them that Lakshman would only be unconscious for a short time.

"Is Hanuman alive?" asked Jambavan. "If Hanuman is alive, there is no need for panic. He will find a way out of this."

Encouraged by Jambavan's words, Hanuman bowed to him. The monkeys and Vibheeshan discussed how to revive Lakshman. Finally, Vibheeshan suggested that the royal physician of Lanka, Sushen, could resuscitate him. Hanuman immediately set out and returned with the demon doctor a short while later. After examining Lakshman, Sushen declared that he could be saved if someone fetched the Sanjeevani herb ('the herb of immortality') from the Himalayas before daybreak.