Hari Om.
Let us begin the fifty third sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
There was no way rAvaNa was going to pay heed to hanumAn‘s counsel. Let alone pay heed to, he was not going to brook such calling of his bluff in the full assembly. So he flew into a rage and ordered his execution right away. No one in the assembly had the guts to demur. Except his younger brother vibhIshaNa! The younger brother used logic and good counsel in equal proportions to dissuade rAvaNa from the decision to execute the emissary. While it might appear like he was being partisan towards hanumAn, in fact by dissuading rAvaNa he saved lanka that day. The great vAnara was irrepressible. On top of that, even the brahmAStra was not going to trouble him that day. Whatever the reason, the wise counsel prevailed and rAvaNa pronounced the punishment. Onwards…
The ten-headed demon paid heed to the words of diligent vibhIshaNa and said –
“Yes, it is despicable indeed to kill an emissary. But we must restrain this vAnara in some way other than his execution. The vAnaras are fond and proud of their tail which they flaunt. So, light fire to the tail of this vAnara and set him free. Let his friends, kin and others notice his handicapped tail”.
Following the order at once, the angry demons dragged hanumAn to the square and started rolling old worn out cotton clothes to his tail. As they wrapped his tail with cottons, the vANara grew in size like the wild fire was fed wood! The demons soaked the tail in oil and set fire to the tail. hanumAn who was possessed by anger and humiliation at this unsavory act shone like the rising sun and he charged at them with his burning tail. Women, old and young flocked to watch the fun of vANara whose tail was on fire. The demons tied hanumAn again and he condoned it even if they stood no chance in fighting him and thought it was appropriate to lie low at the moment for the sake of the benefit of rAma. He could free himself at will and strike them and so endured the insults and the burning for the sake of the mission.
यदि भर्तुर्हितार्थाय चरन्तं भर्तृशासनात्।।5.53.12।।
बध्नन्त्येते दुरात्मनो न तु मे निष्कृतिः कृता।
He reflected that since he had carried out the search of sItA by the night he had not carefully noted the planning and fortification of the city. Therefore he put up with the pain and humiliation, as much as he was capable of vanquishing them all in order to gather mission critical information by the day time. He told himself that he was not dispirited and drained even if the demons lit fire to his tail and tortured him. The demons in the meanwhile were ecstatic. They trumpeted their achievement with blowing of trumpets and conches and announced his captivity to all as they took him around. The great hanumAn continued spying as the demons followed him! He noted the high rises, magnificent mansions, secured fields and well laid out paths, less beaten paths, skyscrapers. At the junctions the demons would announce that he was a spy and was a captive as the citizens including women, old and young watched in curiosity.
While this was going on, certain ogresses with crooked eyes ran to sItA and told her –
“O sItA, that copper faced vAnara you spoke to is being taken around with his tail lit by fire”.
This news was as distressing to sItA as her own abduction and in that distress, desirous of auspiciousness and welfare of the vAnara, she invoked the fire god and said –
“O fire god, if indeed I have the good fortune to serve my husband and if I have performed any penance and if rAma continues to be interested in me as his wife, then be cool to hanumAn.
If the wise rAma has some empathy for me and I have some good fortune left in me, then be cool to hanumAn.
If the dharmic rAma is aware that I am of good conduct and eager to unite with him, be cool to hanumAn.
If the noble sugrIva is truthful and committed to take me across the ocean of grief, then be cool to hanumAn”.
मङ्गलाभिमुखी तस्य सा तदाऽसीन्महाकपेः।।5.53.27।।
उपतस्थे विशालाक्षी प्रयता हव्यवाहनम्।
यद्यस्ति पतिशुश्रूषा यद्यस्ति चरितं तपः।
यदि चास्त्येकपत्नीत्वं शीतो भव हनूमतः।।5.53.28।।
यदि किञ्चिदनुक्रोशस्तस्य मय्यस्ति धीमतः।।5.53.29।।
यदि वा भाग्यशेषो मे शीतो भव हनूमतः।
यदि मां वृत्तसम्पन्नां तत्समागमलालसाम्।।5.53.30।।
स विजानाति धर्मात्मा शीतो भव हनूमतः।
यदि मां तारयेदार्यस्सुग्रीवः सत्यसङ्गरः।।5.53.31।।
अस्माद्धुःखाम्बुसंरोधाच्छीतो भव हनूमतः।
As she invoked the fire god thus, her eyes lit up with the flames of the fire that she was circumambulating. The father of hanumAn, the wind god also blew cool air and calmed both sItA’s agitated mind and hanumAn.
With tail on fire, hanumAn began to think –
“How come the raging flames can be seen but are not burning me off? In fact, instead of hurting me all over, the fire feels like coolness is enveloping my tail!
अथवा तदिदं व्यक्तं यद्दृष्टं प्लवता मया।।5.53.36।।
रामप्रभावादाश्चर्यं पर्वत स्सरितां पतौ।
यदि तावत्समुद्रस्य मैनाकस्य च धीमतः।।5.53.37।।
रामार्थं सम्भ्रमस्तादृक्किमग्निर्न करिष्यति।
Or due to the sheer grace of rAma, I have been witness to the mountain emerging from the ocean to facilitate me. There what can the fire not do when there is the grace of rAma! Surely, I am not being burnt down by the fire due to the power of the chastity of sItA, the greatness of rAma and by virtue of the friendship that the fire god has with my father”.
Thus several thoughts ran through the mind of the vAnara and he suddenly sprang up and let out a loud roar. The great son of the wind god reached the entrance gate of the city which was towering like a huge mountain, first grew into gigantic proportions and then became very small to shrug off the shackles. With the shackles falling off, hanumAn grew to gigantic and mountainous size, picked an iron beam and vanquished all the demons who were accompanying him. Having vanquished them all, hanumAn stood at the high point surveying the entire lanka and encircled in his tail which was on flames, he shone like the sun garlanded by the rays!
Here we conclude the fifty third 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: 5.54. lanka gutted by the gutsy vAnara
Previous: 5.52. Flatter to counsel and it works!
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
