5.49. The captive has a good look at the captor

Hari Om.

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

All of a sudden the mood and weather in lanka changed! The great vAnara who at first despondently entered the well-guarded city of lanka, assuming an inconspicuous form searched for sItA all through, finally located her in the aSOkA grove after many a discouraging, disappointing and distracting moments, keeping his focus sharp. He even saw rAvaNa there who came to lure and plead with sItA to accept him. She dismissed him. Then having convinced sItA of his being an emissary of sugrIva and servitor of rAma, hanumAn, having secured her identification mark, sought to grasp the strength and weakness of lanka and incited the demons for a duel. He destroyed the aSOkA grove except the place that housed jAnakI. His planning was perfect. The news reached the demon king and he kept sending ever more powerful warriors to vanquish or capture hanumAn. The demon king lost his own son aksha as well in hands of hanumAn. The loss was getting personal now! He then sent Indrajit who could do no harm to hanumAn and finally took recourse to the supreme missile, the brahmAstra. Of course hanumAn was not to be harmed by even the brahmAstra as per the boon conferred on him by lord brahma himself. However, hanumAn, having grasped the strengths of the demons thought it was time to get to the next stage and see rAvaNa and counsel him. He was tied up using normal ropes, an affront that made brahmAstra futile and there was not another astra that could contain hanumAn that day. If only he willed, he was capable of annihilating lanka that day. But his was not about showing personal valour, it was about serving the mission of rAma. The captured hanumAn was subjected to insults and insinuations in the hands of the demons. But he bore it all for the greater cause which was to see the ten headed demon and give him one last chance at redemption. He has seen the demon king in his private chambers and once from the tree top when he came to lure sItA in the aSOkA grove. Now hanumAn came face to face with him. Onwards…

The supremely valorous hanumAn was awestruck and stared at the king of demons with his reddened by rage eyes. The demon king had a glowing personality, studded with gold, his crown had pearls fixed on it. He was decked with finest jewels with exquisite gems. He was dressed in excellent silks and was smeared with red sandal paste. He wore many a mark on his body made with different unguents. The demon king looked terrifying with his sharp teeth and dropping lips, his ten heads resembling the ten peaks of the mandara mountain inhabited by a number of beasts.

A pearl necklace on his chest illumined him like a cloud illumined by the moon and formation of white cranes flying across. His shining armlets resembled five-hooded serpents. He sat on majestic throne that was exquisite and studded with rare gems. He was surrounded by women who wore magnificent jewelry and attended on him.

With four learned, mighty and proud ministers durdhara, prahasta, mahApArSva and nikumbha flanking him on four sides, he appeared like the earth surrounded by the four oceans.

दुर्धरेण प्रहस्तेन महापार्श्वेन रक्षसा।

मन्त्रिभिर्मन्त्रतत्त्वज्ञैर्निकुम्भेन च मन्त्रिणा।।5.49.11।।

सुखोपविष्टं रक्षोभिश्चतुर्भिर्बलदर्पितैः।

कृत्स्नं परिवृतं लोकं चतुर्भिरिव सागरैः।।5.49.12।।

There were other ministers also of high intellect who were present in his court and he seemed like lord indra. Beholding the splendorous king of the demons who resembled a large water bearing cloud hanging on the mount mEru, hanumAn was taken by astonishment and certain awe even though he was being prodded harshly by the demons. He was wowed by the glow of rAvaNa and thought –

“ Oh wow, the king of the demons is very well and aptly endowed with an awe-inspiring form, and his valor, substantiveness and splendor. If only he had no practiced adharma, this demon king would have been a protector of the gods and indra. However his cruel and crooked deeds make the world abhor him. Everyone fears him including the demons and the gods. When angry he can inundate the whole world with the oceans”.