Hari Om.
Let us begin the forty eighth sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
As one after the other of rAvaNa’s men kept knocking the abode of the god of death at the hands of hanumAn, the battle was inching close to rAvaNa’s family. The great vAnara was in full control of the situation. He shrugged off the sharp arrows that were hurled at him. He bled but didn’t fret. He was hit but didn’t feel pain. He was so focused on the job of rAma that he soldiered on. On the other hand, he actually had part pity part admiration for aksha, the young prince of rAvaNa who was pitchforked into the battle with him. The young demon fought valiantly and showed all the signs of enhancing valor and a vanquisher. Recognizing that he was upping the ante, hanumAn upped his as well, descended on his chariot, broke it, killed the horses and brought the demon down to earth. And then as aksha rose to the skies with his weapons, hanumAn with his brute force, grabbed him by his feet and violently struck him on the ground and killed him! The battle had reached the enemy camp! Onwards…
As his son aksha perished at the hands of hanumAn, the mighty rAvaNa came to terms with his demise and seething in anger ordered his son Indrajit and said –
“You are very well versed in the usage and the science of weaponry. By inflicting misery on the gods and demons at will using the weapons you have received from lord brahma, you have proven your mettle. The gods and maruts led by indra do not fancy their chances against you and shy away from you in the battle. You are very discerning in assessing the appropriateness of time and place. You have never got tired in a battle and have always protected us by your might and penance. Nothing is impossible for you in a battle and you are famous for pulling off even impossibilities. There is no one in the three worlds who is unaware of your felicity with weapons. Your penance, might and valor are equal to mine and so when you go to battle I am always worriless as the result is certain. The eighty thousand kinkaras, jambumAli, the sons of the ministers, generals and finally your brother aksha have succumbed to hanumAn’s might. But I am not as confident of them as I am of you. Assess the might of the valiant vAnara, estimate your own strength and accordingly get into attack against him. Do a relative assessment of his strength and yours and ensure that you restrain him without causing further damage to our army.
न वीरसेना गणशोच्यवन्ति न वज्रमादाय विशालसारम्।
न मारुतस्यास्य गतेः प्रमाणं न चाग्निकल्पः करणेन हन्तुम्।।5.48.11।।
The vAnara is tricky, he has agility of the wind and vigorous. He is like fire to which no harm can be done. Therefore, do not go with a large army. Remember to use your weapons and the mantras appropriately and ensure that no harm comes to you. You are of course well versed in the weaponry and have sound judgment. Although it doesn’t reflect on me very well to send you to this battle, it is the duty of a king to protect and has the approval of the learned. You have great expertise in the science and handling of weaponry and hence I must remind of you that and seek only your victory”.
Having heard the exhortation of his father, indrajit, capable like the son of daksha and never the one to shy away from battle, prostrated and circumambulated his father. He was felicitated by his ilk and he headed to the war, his enthusiasm surging like the waves of the ocean during the full and new moon days. He boarded his chariot that was yoked by four sharp-teethed tigers which were swift like garuDa. That great warrior, best among archers twanged his bow and riding his chariot reached the place where hanumAn was. The great vAnara was delighted to hear the twang of the bow and the tumult of the chariot!
स तस्य रथनिर्घोषं ज्यास्वनं कार्मुकस्य च।
निशम्य हरिवीरोऽसौ संप्रहृष्टतरोऽभवत्।।5.48.20।।
As the expert warrior set off with his bow and arrows towards hanumAn, darkness enveloped the quarters, animals howled, nAgas, yakshas, Rshis, sidhhas and others gathered in the skies to watch the combat. Birds took the skies and screeched loudly and happily. While hanumAn grew in size and let out a loud roar, Indrajit sat in his glorious chariot and twanged his bow.
ततस्समेतावतितीक्ष्णवेगौ महाबलौ तौ रणनिर्विशङ्कौ।
कपिश्च रक्षोधिपतेस्तनूजः सुरासुरेन्द्राविव बद्धवैरौ।।5.48.26।।
The two warriors, the vAnara and the demon, rivals like the gods and demons, uninhibited in battle faced each other. As indrajit unleashed arrows at hanumAn, the great vAnara took to the path of his father, the wind god, expertly navigated in the spaces between the arrows and rendered all the arrows, long and short, shot at him by indrajit, futile.
हनुमतो वेद न राक्षसोऽन्तरं न मारुतिस्तस्य महात्मनोऽन्तरम्।
परस्परं निर्विषहौ बभूवतुः समेत्य तौ देवसमानविक्रमौ।।5.48.33।।
The demon found no loophole to hit hanumAn with his arrows and equally, hanumAn found no scope to attack indrajit. The two extremely skilled warriors thus engaged in a great combat that was absorbing for all the beings to behold. The demon warrior, whose arrows never miss the target and are infallible, seeing none of his arrows hit mAruti became reflective and began pondering of other means to catch hanumAn since he didin;t seem to be yielding to any of his attack. The illustrious indrajit, with his vast repertoire of weapons, realizing the infallibility of hanumAn aimed at him with the brahmAstra, the supreme weapon conferred by lord brahma and apprehended hanumAn. The vAnara was bound by that astra and being motionless fell down on the earth.
hanumAn reflected on his reduced speed and restraint imposed on him and realized that he was bound by the astra of the grandsire, the brahmAstra. He remembered the boon conferred on him by the lord brahma himself about his invincibility even against the great brahmAstra. However, he thought it fit to obey the supreme power of the lord and respecting it didn’t free himself from it, even though he was conferred the knowledge to do so by the lord himself.
अस्त्रेणापि हि बद्धस्य भयं मम न जायते।
पितामहमहेन्द्राभ्यां रक्षितस्यानिलेन च।।5.48.43।।
He thought – “ even though I am bound by this astra, I have no fear since I am protected by the lord brahma, indra and anila, the wind god. I should remain bound and be caught by the demons so that I can see around the city of lanka and also have an audience with the king of the demons”.
ग्रहणे चापि रक्षोभिर्महन्मे गुणदर्शनम्।
राक्षसेन्द्रेण संवादस्तस्माद्गृह्णन्तु मां परे।।5.48.44।।
Seeing him unable to move, the demons slowly approached and held him. He just roared as they abused him. As he offered no physical resistance, the demons tied him up with ropes and bark clothes. The vAnara put up with all the insult and the arrest with a hope that he will be able to see the king of the demons. As the demons tied him up with ordinary ropes, the brahmAstra untied itself since it would brook no inferior bondage.
स बद्धस्तेन वल्केन विमुक्तोऽस्त्रेण वीर्यवान्।
अस्त्रबन्धः स चान्यं हि न बन्धमनुवर्तते।।5.48.48।।
Indrajit saw hanumAn being tied up by the ordinary ropes and thought –
“alas! The demons have rendered my achievement futile. hanumAn has been freed of the brahmAstra since they tied him up with ordinary ropes. Since this is a supreme weapon that has been rendered futile, no other weapon has the power to act on him now and it is indeed a grave risk”.
अहो महत्कर्म कृतं निरर्थकम्कं न राक्षसैर्मन्त्रगतिर्विमृष्टा।
पुनश्च मन्त्रे विहतेऽस्त्रमन्यत्प्रवर्तते संशयिता स्स्मसर्वे।।5.48.50।।
hanumAn didn’t realize he was free of the brahmAstra as the demons dragged him to rAvaNa. Only Indrajit knew that hanumAn was free of the bramAstra now and he presented the arrested hanumAn who resembled a captured elephant in the royal court to rAvaNa.
कोऽयं कस्य कुतोवात्र किं कार्यं को व्यपाश्रयः।
इति राक्षसवीराणां तत्र सञ्जज्ञिरे कथाः।।5.48.55।।
The demon warriors began talking about his identity, where he came from, what business he had here. Othe demons kept sledging him and angrily yelled to hit him and kill him! hanumAn saw the ministers of rAvaNa. The demon king beheld hanumAn who was being dragged into the court. The vAnara also beheld the resplendent rAvaNa who was glowing like the sun.
Livid with rage, rAvaNa, glaring at hanumAn asked his elderly ministers to interrogate and find ut who he was. As they asked hanumAn about who he was and his business there, hanumAn replied – “I have been sent by the king of vAnaras and I have come as his emissary”.
Here we conclude the forty eighth sarga of the sundara kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Click on the above link for word by word meaning from IITK website
Click on the above link to listen to the audio by SrIrAma ghanApATi
Next: 5.49. The captive has a good look at the captor
Previous: 5.47. Fear reaches rAvaNa’s doorstep
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 