4.1. Scorched by the soothing spring

Hari Om.

Let us begin the first sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.

jaya SrI rAma.

At chitrakUTa, after bharata and his retinue returned post an unsuccessful bid to dissuade rAma from exile, rAma decided to enter the danDaka forest to avoid the memories associated with the place. As he entered the forest along with sItA and lakshmaNa, the sages of the various hermitages welcomed him wholeheartedly and saw a savior in him. He assured them protection and having slain the demon virAdha, they went from one hermitage to another, prominent ones being those of Sarabhanga and sutIkshNa. They roamed the hermitages stopping by in each for a few months up to a year and then moving onto the next. They spent ten years thus and at the end of it, returned to the hermitage of sutIkshNa. He directed them to sage agastya. Visiting the glorious agastya, rAma gets not only tips for spending the remainder of the exile but also certain divine weapons. The sage hails sItA and instructs rAma to fulfil every desire of her! He directs them to panchavaTI. They live there on the banks of gOdAvarI for quite some time (about three years).

The ogress SUrpaNakha comes there has her nose and ears chopped owing to her misadventure with sItA. She escalates the matter to her brother demon khara who attacks rAma with fourteen thousand demons. In a matter of seventy two minutes, rAma annihilates all of them single handedly! She then escalates it further to her brother in lanka – demon rAvaNa. She sows the seed of his destruction in his mind by encouraging him to abduct rAma’s wife sItA as the ten headed demon would be no match to rAma in conventional war! rAvaNa instantly falls for this fatal suggestion. He heads to mAricha and commands him to help him abduct sItA. The demon mAricha twice thrashed and spared by rAma tries his best to infuse sense into rAvaNa and warns in no uncertain terms that not only he will perish due to this indiscretion but the entire clan of demons will have to pay for it.

Consumed by his end and discarding the sage counsel of mAricha, rAvaNa forces him to don the guise of a golden deer and having diverted rAma and lakshmaNa away from the hermitage, he abducts sItA when she was alone. As she was being abducted, she blasted rAvaNa and hearing her screams for help, the vulture king jaTAyu came up to fight rAvaNa valiantly. The bird inflicted quite a damage to the demon, but in the end, his energy dwindled and the might of rAvaNa proved too much for him. The demon clipped off his feet and wings. As the vulture lay on the earth in a pool of blood, rAvaNa being warned all the while by sItA, took her all the way to lanka and tried to entice her to be her chief queen. She pooh-poohed him for having stolen her sheepishly and warned him that his end was upon him. He left an unyielding sItA in the aSOkA grove in the captivity of scary ogresses.

rAma on the other hand was worried when he saw the golden deer mAricha mimicking him in the dying moments to force lakshmaNa out of the hermitage. An apprehensive rAma met lakshmaNa on the way and as both headed to the hermitage their worst fears were confirmed. They couldn’t find her anywhere. rAma was mad in her search. He lamented and cried pitiably for her. This is when lakshmaNa played an elder brother and a father to rAma. He carefully controlled rAma and encouraged him to put efforts in her quest. They were helped by beasts who pointed to the southern sky and as they walked in that direction, they saw a dying jaTAyu. The giant vulture gave a bit of the information and breathed his last in rAma’s lap. Cremated by rAma with due honours, the vulture king was liberated. The bigger blow of jaTAyu laying down his life for him, softened somewhat the blow of sItA’s abduction.

Heading further south, they were apprehended by the demon of headless torso – kabandha. Resisting helplessness, they cut off his arms and then the demon recognized the hallowed duo! He was cremated as per his wish and rising up in to the skies in a glorious body shedding his cursed body, kabandha detailed the route they should take to find an able ally by name sugrIva who was a vAnara (monkey).

Following the path laid down by kabandha, the duo came to the banks of pampa where they met the woman ascetic SabarI. With the vision of rAma, SabarI felt fulfilled and shed her body and reached the heavens.

The duo beheld the hill RushyamUka where kabandha said they would meet sugrIva. Here we step into the kishkindhA kAnDam. Onwards…

Walking on the banks of pampa and heholding the great beauty of this lotus laden lake that was home to the aquatic life, his senses shook on account of the scenic lake and his passion was stirred. He wept having been reminded of sItA in those lovely surroudings and said to saumitri –

“O lakshmaNa, look at the lovely pampa, home to water lilies, lotuses and its scenic banks filled with fully bloomed and delightful trees, forests and hills. The abduction of sItA and being away from bharata ensure that I am being tormented by this spring season! In spite of being in gloom, the sylvan surroundings of pampa, delight me. The lake with its cool waters is filled with the bloom and fragrance of lotuses and lilies. The lake is supporting many a serpent and a variety of beasts and birds. The green grass on the banks with yellow and blue flowers scattered on it shines like a fine carpet.

The gentle breeze is indeed enchanting as in this surabhi month (chaitra, the first month of the lunar calendar) the breeze carries the fragrance of the flowers that have bloomed all over. The trees are laden with fruits. As the gentle breeze blows, the flowers that have bloomed on the tree tops drop like water drops from the clouds. As they fall, some of them fall on the lower branches. All this gives the feeling as if the wind is playing with the flowers. On yet other flowers, the bees sit and their buzz resonates with the winds. The swinging trees look as if their tops have been strung together. And again as the cuckoo coos and wind emerges from the mountainous caves making a wheezing sound, it appears as if the trees are dancing to its song. With the mountain peaks as the backdrop, bees buzzing around them, the towering trees rhythmically swinging to the wind seem like artistes ready for a performance. The karnikAra tree in full bloom of its yellow flowers appears like a human dressed in yellow silks and bedecked with golden jewels.

O saumitri, this is the glorious vasanta (spring season) and being away from sItA I am in utter anguish. The god of love enhances the grief of this sulking me. The cuckoo with its cheerful coos is teasing me as does the dAtyuhaka (marsh bird) with its joyous crowing. My beloved sItA used to love these coos and used to invite me to enjoy these with her while in the hermitage. In fact all the various birds are chirping joyously along with the buzz of the bees and the female birds are flocking to their male partners singing melodiously.

मां हि शोकसमाक्रान्तं सन्तापयति मन्मथः।

हृष्टः प्रवदमानश्च ममाह्वयति कोकिलः।।4.1.23।।

The spring is serving quite a fire with the cluster of the aSOkA flowers as the charcoal, the tender shoots as the flames, the buzz of the bees as the wind and it appears the passion kindled by this spring will consume me.

अशोकस्तबकाङ्गारष्षट्पदस्वननिःस्वनः।

मां हि पल्लवताम्रार्चिर्वसन्ताग्निः प्रधक्ष्यति।।4.1.29।।

O lakshmaNa, this life is indeed meaningless if I don;t find my beloved sItA of sweet speech, beautiful hair and gracious eyelashes! Indeed this vasanta was her favourite season being treated by the coo of the cuckoos all around. Not beholding sItA but beholding the enchanting trees all around, not beholding the deer-eyed sItA and beholding the enticing spring season that keeps the sweat at bay with its cool breeze indeed enhances my grief.

Look at the these peacocks. Their thrown open wings are shining like crystal windows! The peahen with its wings flung is dancing to woo the peacock and the peacock is running after her and dancing with her as if mocking her. Their dance enhances my passion. For sure, the peacock is enjoying so much because his beloved has not been abducted by the demons! O lakshmaNa indeed it is terrible being without my beloved in this spring, for, look even the birds and beasts seek their mates in this season. I would have also enjoyed this season with sItA if she were not abducted and she would have sought me similarly.

I wonder how she lives in this spring without me. She would be having identical thoughts as me beholding the spring and feeling as sad. In fact, she may not be able to survive the spring season separated from me. Or what could she do, being tortured by the enemies in this spring. that chaste woman may indeed not be able to live without me in this spring. Her thoughts are always fixed in me, just as my thoughts are always fixed in her.

मयि भावस्तु वैदेह्यास्तत्त्वतो विनिवेशितः।

ममापि भावस्सीतायां सर्वथा विनिवेशितः।।4.1.51।।

एष पुष्पवहो वायुस्सुखस्पर्शो हिमावहः।

तां विचिन्तयतः कान्तां पावकप्रतिमो मम।।4.1.52।।

This gentle cool breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers scorches me as I think of sItA. The same breeze that gave me comfort in her presence feels like fire now. O lakshmaNa, look at the crow, remember how it croaked in anguish the day sItA was abducted? The same crow is cawing happily on the branches now. This crow was keeping an eye on vaidEhI in the forest and I hope it takes me to her now. Ah, listen to the chirping of the birds on treetops, it surely intensifies the longing.

The tilaka tree swaying in the wind looks like it is intoxicated and the honey bees are eager to get to the bunch of flowers. The aSOka tree always enhances the SOka (sorrow) of those in love. The flowers from it falling on me seem like chastising me for being here. The mango trees in full bloom appear like men smeared with coveted scents.

O lakshmaNa, look at the beautiful waters of pampa, carrying the scent of the dashing lilies and lotuses. The red lotuses are sparkling like the rising Sun. They sway in the wind dashing against one another and the waters. The demi gods and the kinnaras wander here as do the swan and geese.

sItA, who has eyes beautiful like the lotus always loved lotuses. Without her in my sight, I have lost taste for life.

अहो कामस्य वामत्वं यो गतामपि दुर्लभाम्।

स्मारयिष्यति कल्याणीं कल्याणतरवादिनीम्।।4.1.67।।

Ah, look at how perverse the longing is! It reminds me constantly about sItA of auspicious speech even if she difficult to attain at the moment. Alas, whatever I found enjoyable in her presence feels like an eye sore in her absence. The beautiful petals around the lotus buds remind me of her eye lashes. The gentle breeze carrying the lotus fragrance is soothing like her breath. I could have withstood the onslaught of passion if it were not for the spring scorching me repeatedly with its beauty!

Hey lakshmaNa, look to the south of pampa, the lovely mountain ranges filled with varied minerals that confer variety of hues on it and raises dust of colour of the minerals. The karnikAra and the leafless forest flame trees in full bloom are flaming up the whole mountain range.

There are flowering shrubs, plants and trees like the mAlati, jasmine, karavIra, sinduvAra, kEtakI, vAsantI and a variety of other flowers permeating sweet fragrance of honey in the air. Then there are trees like the bilva, madhukA, vanjulA, vakulA, champaka, tilaka, nAga, nIpAvaraNa, dates, padma, aSOkA, lOdhra which have bloomed on the mountain tops and their bunches of flowers are reminiscent of the mane of a lion. And still there are ankOlA, kuranTa, chUrNaka, paribhadraka, mango, pATala, kOvidAra, muchukunda, arjuna, kEtaka, uddAlaka, RisIsha, SimSupA, dhava, SAlmalI, kuravakA, triniSa, naktamAla, sandalwood, syandana, hintAla, tilaka and a variety of other trees which are bearing beautiful and enchanting flowers of various hues. The colorful flowers that they have dropped on the slopes of the hills and the stony ground make a bed where one can relax happily.

The flowering climbers have twined around large trees. When the large trees sway in the wind, the climbers do too and they look like a well bedecked intoxicated woman following her lover. The bees are busy throughout, tasting every single flower and feeling its softness. They gather honey for a while seemingly merged in the flower, rest on them and continue. It seems as if the wind hops from tree to tree, hill to hill and forest to forest. As the winter recedes and spring dawns, it is as if the bloomed trees are competing with one another.

The beauty of these surroundings, the longing inflaming kAranDava birds splashing water on its mate, is equal to that of river mandAkinI. If only we find sItA and we can live here, I wouldn’t vie for even the lordship of gods or ayOdhyA. If I could delight with sItA here, there is nothing else that I would care for. Alas, how nice it would be to revel in these lovely surroundings with her. The blooms, the animals, the birds, the trees, the hills, everything around here would have enthralled me if she was here. They are only compounding my grief of separation from sItA now.

Alas, I wonder where she is and how she is surviving without me by her side. O lakshmaNa, I would live only if I get her back. How can I face the great janaka when he inquires about his daughter’s welfare? How can I face kausalyA when she wants to see her daughter-in-law. Alas, how can I be alive without sItA who was by my side in the most difficult times of banishment. She happily followed me to the forest and delighted me. Ala, how am I to live without her. O lakshmaNa, go forth and meet bharata in ayOdhyA. I cannot continue to live without jAnakI. I don’t know, lakshmaNa, when I will listen to the virtuous words of sItA laced with humor and sweetness”.

स्मितहास्यान्तरयुतम् गुणवन्मधुरं हितम् ।
वैदेह्या वाक्यमतुलम् कदा श्रोष्यामि लक्ष्मण ॥ 4.1.111

Thus rAma, devoid of sItA on those banks of pampa wailed like an orphan. Brother lakshmaNa addressed him and gently said –

“O best among men, forbear, grieve not, auspiciousness be to you, those like you who have a pure heart ought not become dull of intellect. Contemplate on the grief that separation causes and give up this excessive attachment on the kin. When there is too much oil, even a wet wick will burn! O rAghava, even if rAvaNa goes to the nether worlds or even beyond that, be rest assured, he cannot escape death. Once we find the whereabouts of this demon, he has to either submit sItA or die. Even if rAvaNa runs to the womb of ditI along with sItA, I shallnot spare him there also if he doesn’t return sItA.

स्वास्थ्यं भद्रं भजस्वार्य त्यज्यतां कृपणा मतिः।

अर्थो हि नष्टकार्यार्थैर्नायत्नेनाधिगम्यते।।4.1.120।।

उत्साहो बलवानार्य नास्त्युत्साहात्परं बलम्।

सोत्साहस्यास्ति लोकेऽस्मिन् न किञ्चिदपि दुर्लभम्।।4.1.121।।

O noble one, be composed, discard despondency. Those who have lost something cannot regain it without significant efforts. O Arya, having enterprising enthusiasm is a great strength and there is no strength greater than that. For the enterprising one, nothing is impossible in this world. The enterprising ones never discard action and so being enterprising, let us get sItA back. Leave this longing and the arising disappointment behind you. You do not remember the great accomplishments of yourself”.

Thus enthused by lakshmaNa, the disheartened rAma discarded his sorrow and delusion and rediscovered courage. The duo continued their journey scanning the forests, hills, caves and streams. At times, rAma got into bouts of melancholy, but the diligent lakshmaNa followed him dutifully like a mighty elephant and protected rAghava at every step.

तं मत्तमातङ्गविलासगामी गच्छन्तमव्यग्रमना महात्मा।

स लक्ष्मणो राघवमप्रमत्तो ररक्ष धर्मेण बलेन चैव।।4.1.127।।

The duo with the gait of a mighty elephant, as they roamed the forests of RshyamUka, the mighty vAnara king sugrIva sighted them from a distance and fell into despondency looking at their gait, might and valor. Even the other monkeys felt scared of their presence and swiftly took shelter in the sanctuary.