‘O son of Bali, I am very curious to know, answer truly, my friend, when I ask you. Ravana is the glory of the demon race and renowned throughout the world for his incomparable might of arm.

You tossed four of his crowns to me; pray tell me, my friend, by what device did you lay your hands on them?’ ‘Listen, omniscient Lord,’ said Angad, ‘who bring joy to the suppliant: they were not crowns but the four virtues of a king -

- viz., sama (conciliation), dana (gift), danda (physical force or coercion) and bheda (division), which dwell in the heart of a king, so declare the Vedas, my Lord; they are the noble pedestals on which kingly polity and religion stand; realizing this, they came to themselves to my Lord (who is a true repository of all statesmanlike virtues).

The ten-headed Ravana has no religion; he bears a settled aversion to the Lord’s feet and is death-doomed; and – mark me, monarch of Kosala – that is why these virtues have deserted him and sought refuge in you.’

The noble-souled Rama smiled to hear Angad’s quaint conceit. Bali’s son then gave him all the news of the fort of Lanka.

When Rama had received his report of the enemy, he called to him all his counsellors and said, ‘Consider how we may assail the four massive gates of Lanka.’

Then the Monkey King (Sugriva) and the king of the bears (Jambavan) and Vibhishana, with their thoughts fixed on the jewel of the Solar race, took counsel together and resolved upon a definite plan. They divided the monkey host into four companies