By 
The tale narrates Lord Rama's encounter with Varuna, the god of the ocean, and is an important segment of the epic Ramayana. It emphasizes Lord Rama's remarkable attributes of unwavering determination, perseverance, and extraordinary powers.
Characters in the story:
Lord Ram: Lord Rama is one of the most revered deities in Hinduism and is the seventh avatar of Lord Vishnu. He is known for his virtues of righteousness, courage, and devotion, and is considered a symbol of ideal human behavior and the victory of good over evil.
Lord Varun: Lord Varuna is a Vedic deity associated with water, oceans, and the celestial ocean. In the Ramayana, he is depicted as a powerful god who helped Lord Rama in his quest to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana.
Nala: Nala is a character in the Hindu epic Ramayana. He was a skilled architect and craftsman who helped Lord Rama build a bridge to Lanka to rescue his wife Sita from the demon king Ravana.
After reaching Rameshwaram, the southernmost point of India, Lord Rama and his vanara army were faced with a problem: they had no way to cross the sea in their quest to find Sita. In an attempt to overcome this obstacle, Rama appealed to the lord of the oceans, Varuna, to create a path for his army, but unfortunately, the ocean remained unresponsive and seemingly indifferent.
After skillfully strategizing and embracing devotion, Rama reclined on the shore facing east. Using his arm, which resembled the form of a snake, as a pillow, he waited for three nights beside the lordly ocean.
Rama’s patience wore thin as he waited, causing his eyes to turn red with anger towards the ocean. He vented his frustration to Lakshmana, declaring his intention to defeat the ocean and its inhabitants, including conchs, oyster shells, fishes, and crocodiles, in a fierce battle, for its arrogance in not appearing before him.
Rama strung his bow with the Brahmastra (the most powerful divine weapon) and aimed it towards the sea. As he did so, the force was so intense that it appeared as if the heavens and earth were splitting apart. The mountains quaked, and their peaks shattered under the strength of the wind.
Soon after, Varuna emerged from the middle of the water and came before Rama with folded hands. He spoke, “O Rama, the elements of earth, wind, ether, water, and light remain in their own nature and follow their eternal paths. I am boundless, and no one can cross me by swimming. Nevertheless, I will make arrangements for your army to safely traverse me.”
The sea-god advised Lord Rama to get a bridge constructed by Nala across the ocean. Nala was a great vanara, the son of Vishvakarma, who was equal to Visvakarma and had been given a boon by his father.
Varuna provided guidance to Rama regarding his problem and explained that summoning the divine weapon, brahmastra, without a specific purpose was not advisable. Varuna advised Rama to direct the weapon towards the north, where a place called Drumatulya is situated.
According to his explanation, there is a gang of ruthless thieves who inhabit that area and even drink from its waters. Ram wielded his weapon, causing the formation of the Maru desert, which is presently situated in Rajasthan. Furthermore, Lord Rama bestowed a blessing and a boon upon the newly created desert.
As a result of Rama’s blessings, the once arid Maru desert transformed into an ideal environment for raising cattle and yielding delicious fruits, roots, clarified butter, milk, and fragrant herbs. Furthermore, the creation of the freshwater source Pushkar, surrounded by Marukantara, added to the abundance of resources in the area.
