Hari Om.
Let us begin the fifty fifth sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Throughout the sojourn on the lankan soil for the mission, hanumAn always exercised utmost restraint to ensure the mission doesn’t derail due to any kneejerk reaction on his part. He carefully thought over, calibrated and acted at every juncture including how measured his counselling to the demon rAvaNa was. The demon, however, chose to slight the vAnara and hurt him by putting his tail on fire without quite realizing what it could potentially lead to. His lack of thought was clearly exposed as the vAnara free and with access to fire went berserk and gutted the entire lanka! He spared no one’s house except that of vibhIshaNa’s. As the entire city was up in flames, the vANara reflected. Onwards…
Having set fire to the entire lanka using the fire at the tip of his tail, the mighty vAnara doused the fire in the sea. As he took a close look at the burning city and the tormented demons there, he began to feel jittery and nervous wondering about the destruction he has unleashed on lanka and thought –
“Blessed are those best among men whose anger is restrained by wisdom like the burning flame is controlled by water. What offence will someone possessed by anger not commit, he can kill his guru and he can slander against the noble ones. Someone possessed by anger will have no clue about what can be uttered and what is prohibited. For him there is no undoable deed or no unutterable word! The one who overcomes his anger by forbearance like the serpent discards its skin, he alone deserves to be called a purusha. Fie on me for being such a dumbhead bereft of shame and a committer of sin. Without understanding the repercussions of the fire, I have let sItA also burn into ashes and thus betrayed my master.
If the entire city is burnt, surely the noble jAnakI is burnt as well. Alas, she has been burnt down by me unintentionally. Alas, I have burnt down lanka without taking care to protect sItA and thus have foiled my very mission. Although I have achieved something through this, the accomplishment is at the expense of the very goal of the mission.
ईषत्कार्यमिदं कार्यं कृतमासीन्न संशयः।
तस्य क्रोधाभिभूतेन मया मूलक्षयः कृतः।।5.55.10।।
Since nothing in lanka seems unburnt, jAnakI must have burnt as well. Alas, since this is a result of my undiscerning act, it is appropriate for me as well; to give up my life here. Perhaps I must offer my body to the fire itself, or perhaps fire arising out in the ocean (vaDavAgni) and let the aquatic being feed on my burnt body. I have indeed displayed the fickle nature of a monkey by displaying uncontrolled anger. Alas, how am I to be alive and show my face to either the vAnara king or the two princes having brought their mission to a failure?
Fie on me for the uncontrolled sacrilege committed out of excitement and failing to protect sItA. Knowing sItA to have perished, those two princes shall not live. As the duo perish, sugrIva will also perish along with his kin. Once he hears this, how can bharata and Satrughna be alive? The entire populace will suffer badly due to the terrible loss of the ikshvAku clan. Alas, all this has been caused by the unfortunate me possessed by anger and bereft of a sense of dharma and artha”.
As he kept thinking thus, the previous accomplishments flashed on his mind and he thought again –
“Or perhaps that lady of charming limbs is protected by her own greatness. The auspicious lady cannot be destroyed by fire as fire cannot burn fire!
इति चिन्तयतस्तस्य निमित्तान्युपपेदिरे।
पूर्वमप्युपलब्धानि साक्षात्पुनरचिन्तयत्।।5.55.21।।
अथवा चारुसर्वाङ्गी रक्षिता स्वेन तेजसा।
न नशिष्यति कल्याणी नाग्निरग्नौ प्रवर्तते।।5.55.22।।
The wife of that dharmic and illustrious rAma who protects herself with her conduct cannot be touched by the fire! Certainly by the power of rAma and by the merit of vaidEhI, I have not been burnt down by the fire even though I used it to burn the entire lanka. How can that lady, goddess of the trio – Bharata, lakshmaNa and Satrughna and the dearest darling of rAma be destroyed? How can that fire which could not burn me burn vaidEhI”.
As he thought thus, hanumAn remembered the uprising of the golden mainAka in the middle of the ocean for his sake and was astonished. He was very sure now that by virtue of her penance, truthfulness and exclusive devotion to her husband, sItA was capable of burning fire and could not have been burnt down by fire!
तपसा सत्यवाक्येन अनन्यत्वाच्च भर्तरि।
अपि सा निर्दहेदग्निं न तामग्निः प्रधक्ष्यति।।5.55.28।।
As hanumAn reflected on the dharmic sItA thus, he overheard the chAraNas in the skies –
“Oh wow, what an impossible task which has been accomplished by hanumAn. He has unleashed terrible fire in the mansions of the demons. Old, young and women are running hither and thither and there is quite a commotion as they cry in despair at the burnt-out city along with its sky scapers. However, what a wonderful thing it is that jAnakI is not burnt”!!! Listening to these reassuring wordsw of the wandering sages and going by the omens, hanumAn was extremely delighted. Having accomplished his mission, knowing that the princess is unhurt, hanumAn wanted to catch a glimpse of her before returning from lanka.
Here we conclude the fifty fifth 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: 5.56. The accomplisher assures and leaps back
Previous: 5.54. lanka gutted by the gutsy vAnara
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
