5.14. hanumAn in the zone!

Hari Om.

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

Battling the disappointment and depression caused by failure to locate sItA’s whereabouts, hanumAn’s thoughts went wild. He speculated and suspected what could have happened to sItA and if she was still alive. Going down that spiral, a pall of gloom descended on him. That became more intense as he thought about the ramifications of him going back and cutting a sorry figure to rAma that sItA couldn’t be found. What will become of him, lakshmaNa and the entire ikshvAku race that was so closely knit? What would become of sugrIva and all other vAnaras if rAma doesn’t survive. The thought consumed him and he made up his mind that he would not go back and lead a low key life at the sea shore awaiting death or take his life by force. That way at least the ikshvAkus and the vAnaras would live in hope. Then, the warrior in him rose with vengeance. He thought he should capture rAvaNa and drag him all the way to rAma and throw him there to be punished. This brave thought reset his thinking and the beautiful aSOka grove was sighted by him. Realizing that he didn’t conduct the quest there, he immediately set foot in that direction after saluting, rAma, lakshmaNa, sItA, the guardian deities of the eight quarters, the sun and the moon and then resumed. Onwards…

Contemplating on the job ahead for a while in his mind, hanumAn left the palace and got onto the compound wall. With every part of his body energized with enthusiasm, from the top of that wall, the illustrious hanumAn saw in front of him sAl, aSOka, champaka, uddAlaka, mango, monkey orchids and a variety of other creepers and climbers in full bloom of the spring. Like an arrow released from the bow string, he jumped into the garden.

अथाम्रवणसञ्छन्नां लताशतसमावृताम्।

ज्यामुक्त इव नाराचः पुप्लुवे वृक्षवाटिकाम्।।5.14.4।।

Entering the delightful forest replete with silvery and golden trees, laden with blooms and fruits, on which cuckoos, peacocks and others lovely birds were singing melodious notes. The bees were buzzing. They appeared like the rising sun. Seeking to search for the lovely sItA, hanumAn went from tree to tree and in that process woke up the sleeping birds. As the birds flew away, their wings touched the full blooms and the flowers fell in a heap on hanumAn making him look like a mountain in full of flowers.

पुष्पावकीर्णश्शुशुभे हनुमान् मारुतात्मजः।

अशोकवनिकामध्ये यथा पुष्पमयो गिरिः।।5.14.11।।

As hanumAn ran from tree to tree in excitement and shook them, they shed flowers on the earth and the earth looked like a well decked maiden. All the beings thought he was spring-manifest. Shaken, the top branches of the trees shed their leaves, fruits and flowers and looked like gamblers who lost their all! Birds flew away from those trees and they stood completely bare. Tormented by vAnara, the trees looked like a woman with dishevelled hair and all the marks of having indulged in passionate sport.

निर्धूतपत्रशिखराः शीर्णपुष्पफला द्रुमाः।

निक्षिप्तवस्त्राभरणा धूर्ता इव पराजिताः।।5.14.15।।

The climbers and creepers on the trees lay scattered all over like clouds scatters by the wind as hanumAn shook them vigorously. There in the grove, hanumAn further saw lotus ponds, lakes and streams. The banks of the ponds and the beds were made of gems, jewels, gold and silver. The streams flowed gently as the trees stood on their banks. The waters were clear like crystals. Lotuses were in full bloom. The chakaravAka birds cackled in joy. There were creepers in hundreds and aSOka trees in full bloom everywhere.

There he beheld a beautiful mountain full of trees and caves. There was a stream that was falling from the mountain and that looked like a woman angry with her husband leaving him and as the waters were stopped by the trees and retraced their path, it appeared like the damsel returned her beloved placated by the kin!

He further saw a pool with its sides studded by gems and pearls. On the side of the pool stood delightful large mansions built by viSwakarma. There were artificial woods all around that. Every tree in there was laden with fruits.

लताप्रतानैर्बहुभिःपर्णैश्च बहुभिर्वृताम्।।5.14.36।।

काञ्चनीं शिंशुपामेकां ददर्श हरियूथपः।

वृतां हेममयीभिस्तु वेदिकाभिस्समन्ततः।।5.14.37।।

Then the best of the vAnaras beheld there a SimSupa tree, of golden hue. There were golden platforms raised all around that tree which was very dense with leaves. Then there were trees splendid as golden and imbued him in golden radiance just like the sun renders the mount mEru golden. These trees around the SimSupa tree gently swayed in the winds and produced melodious sound like that of the anklets. He was wonderstruck at this and gently climbed the SimSupa tree that had tender leaves and thought –

इतो द्रक्ष्यामि वैदेहीं रामदर्शनलालसाम्।

इतश्चेतश्च दुःखार्तां सम्पतन्तीं यदृच्छया।।5.14.42।।

“From here I shall look for vaidEhI who is soaked in grief, pining for a vision of rAma. She might be moving here hither and thither. The wicked fellow’s aSOka grove is delightful with champaka, Chandana (sandalwood) and bakula trees. Here is the lotus pond with a number of birds around. For sure, jAnakI, the queen and delight of rAma, expert navigator of the forests, will come here. She is used to these creatures in the forest and suffering separation from rAma, she might come here.

इयं च नलिनी रम्या द्विजसङ्घनिषेविता।

इमां सा राममहिषी नूनमेष्यति जानकी।।5.14.44।।

सन्ध्याकालमनाः श्यामा ध्रुवमेष्यति जानकी।

नदीं चेमां शुभजलां सन्ध्यार्थे वरवर्णिनी।।5.14.49।।

Or being aware of the dawn (prAtah sandhya kala), surely jAnakI will come to these auspicious waters to perform the morning ablutions and sandhyA. Indeed this very auspicious forest is a befitting place for the auspicious queen of rAma. If she is alive, she will certainly come during this time to this rivulet”. Reflecting thus, hanumAn firmly perched himself on the SimSupa tree. Inconspicuous in the dense foliage and blooms, hanumAn looked all around eagerly and waited there to have a glimpse of sItA.