Once Hanuman reaches Lanka, he goes through every house and building looking for Sita. He finally finds her meditating under a tree, ready to commit suicide, thinking Rama is not coming for her. That's when Hanuman introduces himself and explains why Rama hasn't been able to come to her. He then presents Rama's ring as proof that he is Rama's messenger. Unfortunately, one of Ravana's guards finds him and ties him up and takes in front of Ravana and his chiefs. Ravan tells his chiefs to place cotton on the monkey's tail and set it on fire. Hanuman able to set himself free, sets the who city on fire except the tree that Sita was sitting under and returns back to Rama with the news.
Ravana upset with what happened, asks his commanders and chiefs what he should do. Most suggest that they should cross the ocean and fight Rama at his camp. In the end, they decide they shall wait because it might be a little pathetic if it seems Ravana and his army is scared of puny humans and monkeys.
Rama, on the other side, is trying to figure out how to get his army to cross the ocean. He meditates and fasts for seven days. Finally, the god of the ocean appears and asks Rama how he may be of help. When Rama asks if he can move the water so his troops can get through, the god says , unfortunately he has to play by the rules of nature. Angrily, Rama threatens to shoot the ocean dry. The ocean god scared, says that he will allow anything they throw in the water to float. So using this gift from the god of the ocean, they create a bridge.
When Rama reaches Lanka, Ravana's troops are waiting for him and start fighting him one by one. One by one Ravana loses his troops and chiefs. When Indrijit goes out to fight Rama he is able to wound Rama and Lakshmana with serpents venom, but the eagles the enemies of serpents come to their aide and revive them. Finally, Rama and Ravana come head to head in a fight and even though Rama cuts Ravana's head off, they just grow back. So with one last weapon that was Brahmashtra, he shot Ravana in the heart (the only vulnerable place).
I love how detailed your notes are. I might have to come back to read them if I don't understand part of the story. I'm glad you pointed out that the role of the eagles in the story. Also, I think that I missed teh fact that Ravana's only vulnerable place was the heart, so I'm glad that I read this because I easily could have missed that element of the story.
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