4.4. hanumAn visualizes a win-win alliance

Hari Om.

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

The suggestions given by kabandha and the detailed plan that they should adopt for a successful quest of sItA sprang hope in rAma’s heart. Traveling south, they stepped onto the banks of pampa and met SabarI. It was unfolding as kabandha had suggested. Now the redoubtable duo whose presence sent ripples of anxiety in the inmates of the forest were beheld by sugrIva, constantly on the move tormented by vAlI. The vAnara sugrIva conferred with his four mates as to who the duo were and expressed his anxiety at the possibility that the duo were sent by vAlI. His minister hanumAn, the intelligent one, asked sugrIva not to worry on that count and upon sugrIva’s command adopted the guise of a mendicant and approached rAma and lakshmaNa. Inspired by their appearance, gait and majesty and also with an eye to extract information about their identity, hanumAn began eulogizing them! The duo however were not floored by the eulogies and maintained a unfathomable calm! Clearly they had more depth than hanumAn initially anticipated and revealed the purpose of his mission and his identity! rAma was impressed at the way hanumAn articulated himself, his choice of words, the tone and tenor of his speech and identified that surely here was an able minister who can enable his king to succeed. He asked lakshmaNa to convey to hanumAn about themselves. lakshmaNa briefly told hanumAn that they were indeed in search of sugrIva. Onwards…

hanumAn was thrilled to hear these words and the success of his mission. Estimating the possibilities, his thoughts went to sugrIva. He thought to himself that it was very likely sugrIva can regain his kigdom, now that they have found an accomplisher. Then he delightfully asked the articulate rAma about the reason for him roaming in the treacherous and dense forests on the banks of pampa along with his brother lakshmaNa. Questioned thus, lakshmaNa prodded by rAma, narrated the sory of rAma, the son of daSaratha –

“There lived a king by name daSaratha who was resplendent, dhArmic and by virtue of his dharma, he took care of the four fold classes of the society, verily like how the grand sire lord brahma cares for the creation. He had performed many yajnas and gave away lots in charity. He had no hatred for anyone nor did anyone exist who hated him. He is the eldest son of daSaratha, best among his sons in virtues, valorous, replete with the qualities of a king and is the refuge of all beings. He is a stickler to the command of his father and was exiled from the kingdom and hence he came here to live in the forest. He is radiant and self-restrained. His wife sItA and me followed him like the rays follow the sun to the end of the day. My name is lakshmaNa and I have the accepted to be his servitor inspired by his virtues. I am the brother of this grateful and well read rAma.

While this great man, who deserves comforts, greatness, engaged in the welfare of all beings, lived in the forest bereft of the wealthy kingdom, his wife was abducted by a demon when she was by herself. We are not able to trace her whereabouts. The son of diti by name danu who had assumed the form of demon due to a curse, told us to meet sugrIva, the very capable leader of vAnaras. danu told us that sugrIva will be able to know the whereabouts of sItA and (freed from his curse), he ascended the heavens resplendently.

I have narrated to you everything factually and rAma and myself are seeking the favor of sugrIva.

The illustrious rAma who has given away wealth in charity in the yore and earned great reputation and was the lord of the world seeks to be obliged to sugrIva!

Whose father was fond of dharma and was the refuge of everyone, his son, my guru and elder brother, the righteous rAma who is everyone’s refuge seeks the refuge of sugrIva!

He by whose grace the populace were blessed in the yore seeks the grace of sugrIva!

The eldest son of daSaratha who was acknowledged by the entire clans of kings on the earth now seeks to be obliged to sugrIva!

The chief of vAnaras, sugrIva should come to the rescue of rAma who is overtaken by dejection and sorrow”.

Responding to the heart-rending and moving account by the teary-eyed lakshmaNa, hanumAn said –

“sugrIva ought to seek the duo like you who are intelligent, self-restrained and have conquered anger. By his great good fortune you have come here and will see him. He fell out with his brother vAlI, was shorn of his wife, was banished from the kingdom and is constantly tormented by him. That son of the sun god, sugrIva, shall certainly carry out the task of finding out the whereabouts of sItA by our help”

करिष्यति स साहाय्यं युवयोर्भास्करात्मजः।

सुग्रीवस्सह चास्माभि स्सीतायाः परिमार्गणे4.4.28।।

Thus speaking softly and sweetly, hanumAn said they should all now go and meet sugrIva. lakshmaNa offered his felicitations to the great vAnara hanumAn for his sweet and reassuring words and told rAma –

“This vAnara, the sun of the wind god talks delightfully. O rAghava, we have met one of action and I believe your action is fulfilled. His countenance is pleasant and he speaks causing great cheer and so it is clear that he is not telling an untruth”.

Hearing these affirmative words, hanumAn gave up the guise of the mendicant and assumed the great form of a vAnara. He lifted the duo onto his shoulders and left for the hill of RshyamUka.

स तु विपुलयशाः कपिप्रवीरः

पवनसुतः कृतकृत्यवत्प्रहृष्टः।

गिरिवरमुरुविक्रमः प्रयात

स्स शुभमतिस्सह रामलक्ष्मणाभ्याम्4.4.35।।

That greatly famed vAnara warrior felt fulfilled in his mission and carrying the duo rAma and lakshmaNa, the clear thinking hanumAn of mountainous might headed for RshyamUka.