The episode begins with Sugriva having forgotten his promise to Lord Rama to help search for Sita. Lord Rama reminds Sugriva of this commitment, leading Sugriva to realize his mistake. Sugriva mobilizes his armies and journals to begin the search. The monkeys search every forest extensively, asking Brahmins, sages, and passersby for information. They become tired and thirsty during their quest but cannot find water. Hanuman climbs a mountain peak and spots a cave in the distance where many birds are entering. He leads the monkeys into the cave, where they find a beautiful garden with a pond and a temple. A lady is sitting there, and the monkeys drink water and eat fruits. The lady instructs everyone to close their eyes, and when they open them, they find themselves transported to the other side of the cave on a sea shore. The monkeys worry because a month has passed with no news of Sita. A vulture named Sampati sees them and initially considers eating them. However, upon hearing from Angad about the death of his brother Jatayu, Sampati changes his intentions. He decides to help the monkeys by using his sharp vision. Sampati informs them that he can see Sita on the other side of the sea. Sita is described as sitting tense in Ashokavan, which is in Lanka, the kingdom of the demon king.
