विभीषणेन लङ्कारक्षाया निवेदनं रामेण सेनापतीनां नियोजनं च

Rāma, king of men, and Sugrīva, king of the monkeys; the monkey Hanūmān, son of the Wind; Jāmbavān, king of the bears; the rākṣasa Vibhīṣaṇa; Aṅgada, son of Vālin; Lakṣmaṇa, son of Sumitrā; the monkey Śarabha; Suṣeṇa with his kinsmen; Mainda and Dvivida, Gaja and Gavākṣa, Kumuda, Nala and Panasa — having reached the enemy's land, all these gathered and took counsel together. "There is the city of Laṅkā, guarded by Rāvaṇa," they said, "which not even the immortals with the asuras, serpents and gandharvas could conquer. Rāvaṇa, lord of the rākṣasas, lives there always. Let us take counsel and decide about it, keeping the success of our undertaking before us." While they were speaking, Rāvaṇa's younger brother Vibhīṣaṇa spoke words polished in expression and rich in meaning. The roll of heroes shows all the leaders gathered in one place — men, monkeys, bears and a rākṣasa together. To take counsel before the battle shows that Rāma's army lived by sound policy: its valour too was guided by thought. They admit that Laṅkā is hard to take, even for the immortals, but they are not afraid. It is Vibhīṣaṇa who speaks next, because he knows the inner arrangements of Laṅkā; even on Rāma's side he is introduced as Rāvaṇa's younger brother, and his birth is an asset here, for he knows the enemy's ways.

"My ministers Anala, Panasa, Sampāti and Pramati went to Laṅkā and have come back here. They took the form of birds, went into the enemy's forces, saw the dispositions that have been made, and returned. Hear from me, Rāma, as I tell you exactly how they describe the arrangements of the wicked Rāvaṇa. Prahasta with his force has taken up position at the eastern gate, and the mighty Mahāpārśva and Mahodara at the southern. Indrajit holds the western gate, surrounded by many rākṣasas with spears, swords and bows, pikes and hammers in their hands; Rāvaṇa's son is ringed by heroes bearing every kind of weapon. Rāvaṇa himself, skilled in counsel but deeply agitated, has taken his stand at the northern city gate with many thousands of rākṣasas, weapons in hand. And Virūpākṣa, with a great force armed with pikes, swords and bows, holds the central encampment with his rākṣasas." Vibhīṣaṇa's ministers put the rākṣasas' magic to good use by entering Laṅkā as birds: Rāvaṇa's spies were caught by the monkeys, but Vibhīṣaṇa's came and went unseen. The plan Rāvaṇa made in the previous sarga is reported here exactly, and the thread of the story is unbroken. "Deeply agitated" is telling: proud on the outside, Rāvaṇa is inwardly in turmoil. Vibhīṣaṇa addresses Rāma directly by name, a sign of trust and friendship. These four ministers had left Laṅkā with him, so they knew its ways. The long list of weapons around Indrajit shows how fearsome his force was, for Vibhīṣaṇa knows he is Rāvaṇa's best warrior. And the central encampment shows that Laṅkā's defence was divided five ways — the four gates and the centre.

"When they had seen these troop positions in Laṅkā, all my ministers came straight back here. Rāvaṇa has ten thousand elephants, ten thousand chariots, twenty thousand horses, and more than a crore of rākṣasas. These night-rovers are valiant and strong, ready with raised weapons in battle, and always dear to the king of the rākṣasas. And here, lord of the people, each rākṣasa has a retinue of a thousand thousands standing by him for battle." Having told Rāma the news of Laṅkā that his ministers had brought, mighty-armed Vibhīṣaṇa presented those rākṣasa ministers to him, and with them reported everything about Laṅkā. Then, wishing to please the lotus-eyed Rāma, glorious Vibhīṣaṇa spoke further: "Rāma, when Rāvaṇa fought against Kubera, six hundred thousand rākṣasas marched out, each equal to the wicked Rāvaṇa himself in valour, might, energy, steadfastness and pride. Do not be angry at this. I say it to rouse you, not to frighten you, for in valour you are able to subdue even the gods. So draw up this monkey host, with a great army of four divisions around you, and you will crush Rāvaṇa." Vibhīṣaṇa speaks with skill: he gives the true size of the enemy's force, not to frighten Rāma but to fire his spirit — "I rouse you, I do not frighten you." His figures sound real — ten thousand elephants, ten thousand chariots, twenty thousand horses, more than a crore on foot — quite unlike the exaggerated numbers given for the monkey army in earlier sargas, though "a thousand thousands for each" still suggests the rākṣasas' immense strength. The victory over Kubera recalls Rāvaṇa's former might, and such rākṣasas stand beside him now. That memory carries a sharp meaning: Kubera was Rāvaṇa's brother, from whom he seized Laṅkā, and now another brother, Vibhīṣaṇa, stands on Rāma's side. With "do not be angry" Vibhīṣaṇa forestalls any offence, for news that sounds like praise of the enemy might make a friend suspicious. The monkey army has no horses or chariots, yet he calls it a four-division army, as good as any royal host; and "draw up" reminds us that the right battle array is the root of victory.

When Rāvaṇa's younger brother had finished, Rāghava gave his orders for repelling the enemy: "At the eastern gate of Laṅkā, let Nīla, bull among monkeys, with many monkeys around him, fight Prahasta. Let Aṅgada, son of Vālin, with a great force, hold back Mahāpārśva and Mahodara at the southern gate. Let Hanūmān, son of the Wind, of immeasurable spirit, force his way through the western gate with many monkeys and go in. That petty one, strong through the power of his boon, who delights in harming the hosts of daityas and dānavas and the great seers, and who roams all the worlds tormenting their creatures — I myself am resolved to kill that lord of the rākṣasas. With Lakṣmaṇa I will force the northern gate of the city and go in where Rāvaṇa is with his army. And let mighty Sugrīva, lord of the monkeys, the valiant king of the bears, and the younger brother of the rākṣasa king stay in the centre." Rāma's dispositions are a direct answer to Rāvaṇa's: against each rākṣasa commander, a fitting monkey hero. Nīla, the Fire's son and commander, faces Prahasta, the commander; Aṅgada, Indra's grandson, faces the two brothers; Hanūmān faces Indrajit the magician — he knows Laṅkā and has been inside it before, so he is the one fit to counter Indrajit's magic. Against Rāvaṇa goes Rāma himself, as his vow requires, so that leader will meet leader, and Lakṣmaṇa goes with him, for the brothers are never parted. His orders are brief and firm — for each a name, a place and an opponent in a single sentence — and the verbs differ with the tasks: Nīla is to fight, Aṅgada to hold back, Hanūmān to force his way in. In the centre stand three kings: the king of the monkeys, the king of the bears and the future king of the rākṣasas. And by naming Rāvaṇa's crimes — his delight in harming others, his pettiness, his reliance on a boon, his tormenting of the worlds — Rāma establishes that his vow to kill him is righteous.

"In the battle the monkeys must never take human form; let that be our sign in this monkey army. Among our own people, being monkeys will be the mark; only seven of us will fight the enemy in human form — I myself, my brother Lakṣmaṇa of great might, and my friend Vibhīṣaṇa here with his four ministers." When he had said this to Vibhīṣaṇa to secure the success of the enterprise, wise Lord Rāma saw how lovely the slopes of Suvela were and decided to climb the mountain. Then, covering the whole earth with his great army, great-souled Rāma, his mind set on killing the enemy, advanced joyfully towards Laṅkā. The sign is a shrewd piece of tactics: rākṣasas can take any form, human form included, so the monkeys must keep their own shapes, and friend will easily be told from foe. The seven are Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Vibhīṣaṇa and his four ministers. With his plan made, Rāma set out for Suvela; in the next sarga he climbs it and looks upon Laṅkā.