Hanuman Brings Sanjeevani Buti from the great Himalayas in order to heal the wounds of the monkey chiefs who were lying senseless as a result of the deadly weapons shot at them by Indrajit. After the death of Kumbhakarna at the hands of Rama, Ravana became utterly upset and at that time his son Indrajit came to him and promised to kill Rama and Lakshmana. But first Indrajit offered libations to the Fire god, and sacrificed a goat. Then the bright, smokeless Fire god came out of the sacrificial fire and rose up to take the offering, and he gave a Brahma weapon to Indrajit, and blessed his bow and car with charms. Thus armed with a Brahma weapon, Indrajit started killing countless hosts of monkeys, and laid low Sugriva and Angada and Jambavan and Nila and other chiefs, but he remained invisible. Seeing Indrajit thus weaponed and unassailable, Rama thought of a probable defeat and the son of Ravana returned victorious to Lanka.

Then Vibhishana and Hanuman inspected the field and found thousands of slain and wounded, a horrid sight and grim. They came close to the king of bears, Jambavan, and asked if he yet lived. Recognizing the voice of Vibhishana, Jambavan responded faintly and enquired if Hanuman was alive. Then Hanuman bowed to Jambavan and held his feet. Thus Jambavan rejoiced, and in spite of his severe wounds told the son of the Wind god that he could only save the host of monkeys and bears and requested him to fly over the sea and reach the great Himalayas and bring the four life-giving herbs or the Sanjeevani Buti that grow there. It is only the Sanjeevani Buti which could again give life and energy to those wounded in the battle against Indrajit.

Hanuman, after informed by Jambavan about the Sanjeevani Buti, roared, sprang, and passed across the sea and over the jungles, hills, rivers, and cities and at last he reached the Himalaya and searched for its hermitages. He looked here and there in the mountain, but the herbs were hidden from him. Thus angered and impatient, Hanuman rooted up the entire mountain and sprang with it into the air and returned to Lanka. When he reached Lanka, he was welcomed by the entire host. And the slain and wounded monkeys rose up whole, as if from restful sleep, healed by the savour of the four medicinal herbs. However, the slain rakshasas had been thrown into the sea. Then Hanuman took the mountain-peak again to Himalaya and returned to Lanka.

After the monkeys and bears regained their life and vitality with the help of the four healing herbs, Sugriva comprehending that few rakshasas still lived to guard the city, stormed the gates, and a host of monkeys bearing flaming brands entered and burnt and ravaged the kingdom of Lanka again. The second night in Lanka then came for the army of Rama, and the burning city radiated in the darkness, like a mountain blazing with forest fires. But Ravana sent out a host against the monkeys time and again. Kumbha and Nikumbha were dispatched by Ravana first, and were slain in deadly battle. Then the demon king sent Maharaksha, son of Khara, and he was killed, and then Indrajit went out again. He fought with his magical power and kept himself invisible all the time and sorely wounded Rama and Lakshmana. Then Indrajit retired, and came out again riding on a car with an illusory magic figure of Sita. He rode up and down the field, holding the illusory magic figure of Sita by the hair and striking her, and cut her down in the sight of the entire monkey host. Hanuman, unable to understand that it was the magic figure of Sita, left the battle and brought the news to Rama. Rama, after hearing this from Hanuman fell down, like a tree cut off at the root. But while they grieved, Indrajit went to the altar at Nikhumbila to make sacrifices to the god of Fire. But Rama was consoled by Vibhishana that the same was a trick of Indrajit to delay the monkey army till he had completed a sacrifice to Fire and had won as a boon to be invincible in battle.