The painter/performer Moyna Chitrakar follows a tradition of retelling Rama epic stories in chant or song while unrolling an illustrated scroll and pointing to the scenes being described. Copyright © 2011 Tara Books.

This is a Javanese (Indonesian) rod-puppet performance of a scene from the Rama epic.

This episode includes the moment when Hanuman tears open his chest to reveal Rama and Sita in his heart.

This central Javanese (Indonesian) classical dance-drama depicts Ravana seizing Sita from the Rama epic.

This episode depicts Hanuman leaping over the mountains where Shiva and other gods dwell. Reaching the mountains’ peak, he spies the magic medicinal herbs. Unsure which herbs are the right ones, he breaks off the entire mountaintop and flies back with it.

In this Thai classical dance-drama, at 2:21:48 we see Rama caring for his injured brother Lakshmana. Hanuman is dispatched to fetch the magic healing herbs, leaping off at 2:23:43. At 2:25:18, he flies and cartwheels through the air, then has an encounter with the sun god. He lands (2:32:03) and begins to catch glimpses of the magic herbs, which seem to be hiding and tantalizing him. Eventually, he grows to a huge size and grasps the entire mountaintop. He returns with the herbs, which are then crushed into a potion and applied to Lakshmana’s wound. Hanuman is able to pull out the spear that had caused Lakshmana’s injury, and Lakshmana recovers.

In this excerpt from an Indo-Japanese animated movie, Hanuman searches for healing herbs. Unsure which herbs are the right ones, he breaks off the entire mountaintop and flies back with it to cure Lakshmana.

Rama laments over his gravely injured brother. Finally (at 18:38), Hanuman flies in with the mountaintop of magic healing herbs. The herbs are rubbed onto Lakshmana’s body and he recovers.