Hari Om.
Let us begin the twenty ninth sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Crossing the ocean which was hundred yOjanas long, hanumAn reached lanka. He combined wit, might and persuasiveness to win over a variety of obstacles, overcame a guilt trip, scanned through every inch of lanka and finally found sItA in the aSOkA grove. Before he could decide about how to approach sItA, rAvaNa came with his retinue of women and tried to entice sItA. She blasted him in no uncertain terms and served him with ultimatum to return her to rAma respectfully if his life was dear to him. The demon king also served her an ultimatum which was to accept him as her lord in two months or face death. She had no doubt at all about her choice but was devastated that she was going to have a disgraceful end to her life and was grieving that rAma was not coming to save her. In the meanwhile the ogresses stepped up the pressure on her and tortured her threatening to swallow her. She would not budge and wanted to end her life herself tying her braid as a noose around her neck. In the meanwhile the elderly good demoness trijaTA recalled her vision and warned the demonesses that sItA was about to be protected by rAma and the doom of rAvaNa was well upon him. She asked them to beg forgiveness of her. The dream applied some balm but didn’t deter sItA from thoughts of ending her life. As she went near the SimSupa tree, she began to see some good omens. Onwards…
Even as the blemish-less sItA stood under the SimSupa tree, devastated, dejected, devoid of any joy and deeply hurt, good omens began appearing just like all the well wishers converge upon a man on whom fortune was smiling. Her lotus like beautiful left eye throbbed like a lotus that was struck by a fish!
तस्याः शुभं वाममरालपक्ष्म राजीवृतं कृष्णविशालशुक्लम्।
प्रास्पन्दतैकं नयनं सुकेश्या मीनाहतं पद्ममिवाभिताम्रम्।।5.29.2।।
Her left hand that bore the head of her lord rAma for long throbbed at once. Her elephant trunk like thighs and limbs trembled lightly as if rAma was present in front of her. The golden hued saree of the graceful woman, albeit soiled, loosened a bit as she stood up, heralding union with her lord. The lady with lovely eyebrows was absolutely ecstatic at these good omens which have been propounded and validated by the accomplished seers of the past as harbinger of good times. She felt like a seed that was almost rendered useless by heat and wind which was revived by showers.
एतैर्निमित्तैरपरैश्च सुभ्रूः
सम्बोधिता प्रागपि साधु सिद्धैः।
वातातपक्लान्तमिव प्रणष्टं
वर्षेण बीजं प्रतिसंजहर्ष।।5.29.6।।
Her moon-like countenance with red lips resembling the bimba fruit, eye lashes extending upto her hair, beautiful eyes, lovely lines of teeth, looked as if it had emerged from the clutches of rAhu and the eclipse had ended. She was free of grief, devoid of fatigue, her agony quelled and delight descended on her. As the good omens were felt she shone brightly like the rising moon of the waxing fortnight.
Here we conclude the twenty ninth sarga of the sundara kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 5.30. hanumAn deliberates and decides to sing rAma’s glory
Previous: 5.28. With remorse come good omens
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 