The skies darken for the exiles, who have taken figure in forest hermitages. First one demon, then another, attempts to harm or corrupt them. When these efforts fail, an army of demons is sent,
and then a bigger one, but each time Rama defeats them. Finally Ravana, the supreme lord of the demons, decides to cripple Rama by capturing Sita; he traps her, and carriers her off under heavy
guard to the island fortress of Lanka. Rama is distraught with grief, and searches everywhere, without success.
'The Forest' contains the narrative center of the epic, the abduction of Sita by the demon king Ravana. It provides a profound meditation on the paradox of the hero as both human and divine.
