Hari Om.
Let us begin the fifty eighth sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Having accomplished the mission, slaying powerful demons, sounding a stern warning to rAvaNa and pacifying and assuring sItA, hanumAn leapt back across the ocean to where his mates were and was accorded a rousing welcome reserved for heroes. The vAnaras who were in doubt of their own lives until the arrival of hanumAn surged in joy at the victorious body language of hanumAn and they went berserk when he announced – “Seen by me is sItA”. The usage of seen first is important! Elders are of the opinion that the verb was used first to convey the success at once as using sItA first would leave them in despair for a second more! The grateful vAnaras showered presents and felicitations on him for having saved their lives. They surrounded him squatting on the large boulders of the mahEndra mountain on the seashore and were curious to hear the details of the execution of a successful mission. Onwards…
All the mighty vAnaras along with hanumAn squatted on the mount mahEndra and were ecstatic. In great delight, jAmbavAn inquired of their object of delight – hanumAn about the details of how the mission was executed and asked –
“How did you see dEvI sItA and how does she survive there. How does the cruel ten-headed demon behave with her. What did she say to you? Please relate these to us in a matter-of-fact manner so that we can plan the further course of action. When we go back and report, what is that should be said and what is it that should be kept to ourselves. Please tell us in detail”.
स नियुक्तस्ततस्तेन सम्प्रहृष्टतनूरुहः।
प्रणम्य शिरसा देव्यै सीतायै प्रत्यभाषत।।5.58.6।।
As he was asked thus by jAmabvAn, hanumAn had horripilation in ecstasy, prostrated to sItA and began to narrate –
“As you have seen, in front of your eyes, I leapt into the skies from the peaks of the mahEndra mountain with a desire to reach the southern shore of the ocean. As I kept going, there was an obstacle as I see an attractive golden peak that stood on my way obstructing my path. Approaching the peak, I resolved that this obstacle needs to be demolished and I hit it with my tail. With that hit, the golden peaks shining like the sun shattered into a thousand pieces. Perceiving my resolve, the mountain addressed me sweetly and said –
‘O son, know me to be like your father, the wind god’s brother. My name is mainAka and I dwell in this ocean. Dear son, there was a time when the hills had wings and they used to fly over the earth at will causing much panic and havoc among people. The thousand eyed indra was livid at this and he cut off the wings of the mountains using his thunder bolt. I was helped by your father at that time and was flung into the ocean and thus survived the onslaught of indra. Since you are going on the mission of rAma who is the greatest among the sticklers to dharma and equivalent to indra in valour, I must offer you hospitality’.
I however respectfully told mainAka about the pressing nature of my work and took permission to move on. He obliged and withdrew into the ocean and removed the obstacle from my path. I went back to the skies and continued my journey swiftly for quite a while and then I see surasa, the mother of the nAgas. She obstructed me in the middle of the ocean and said –
‘I have got food after a long time. You have been ordained by the gods for me and so enter into my mouth and I shall swallow you’.
I was upset at this obstruction and with a long face and folded hands requested –
The illustrious rAma, son of daSaratha entered the danDaka forest along with his brother lakshmaNa and wife sItA. The crooked rAvaNa abducted his wife sItA and therefore I am going as the emissary of rAma upon his command. You ought to do this favour in the matter of rAma. Or I could see maithilI, report her whereabouts to rAma and then come and enter your mouth, I speak truth, believe me. But she flatly refused citing some boon she has to have me as her meal. When she insisted thus, I grew my size to fifteen yOjanas from the ten yOjanas I already was. She instantly widened her mouth to a bigger size than I was. I enhanced my size further and she outdid it. After a while, I instantaneously shrunk to the size of a thumb, entered her mouth and came out in a jiffy.
अभिपत्याशु तद्वक्त्रं निर्गतोऽहं ततः क्षणात्।
अब्रवीत्सुरसा देवी स्वेन रूपेण मां पुनः।।5.58.31।।
She assumed her real form and told me –
अर्थसिद्ध्यै हरिश्रेष्ठ गच्छ सौम्य यथासुखम्।
समानय च वैदेहीं राघवेण महात्मना।।5.58.32।।
सुखी भव महाबाहो प्रीताऽस्मि तव वानर।
‘O gentle giant, best among vAnaras, go forth as you please. Unite vaidEhI with the great rAgha. Wellness be to you, O mighty vAnara, I am pleased with you’.
All the beings that were watching me hailed me in glorious terms and then I took to the skies and moved swiftly with the speed of garuDa. Then as I continued, I felt that my speed was reduced by somebody as my shadow was seized. I could find no one all around. And then my eyes fell on the huge ogress beneath in the sea with a wide mouth ready to swallow me. She yelled, ‘O giant one, where are you headed to. This body has been deprived food for a long time. Come, get in and satiate my hunger’. I obligingly said yes and enhanced my size further. She also instantly opened her mouth wider to gobble me up. I shrunk to the size of a thumb, entered her wide open mouth swiftly and grabbed her heart and came out. She fell down dead on the sea and resembled a large mountain! The sky-borne sidhhas and chAraNas, the wandering sages hailed me and announced that the ogress simhikA has been vanquished. Having vanquished her, I immediately remembered the huge task ahead of me and took to the skies and soon spotted the southern shore of the ocean dotted with mountains where lanka was situated. As the sun set on lanka, assuming an inconspicuous form I sought to enter the city of lanka. As I was about to enter, the city rose in form of its guardian goddess with a thunderous laughter that resembled the thunder at the dissolution of the universe. I conquered her by charging her with my left hand. She was besieged and having revealed her identity told me that I was sure to win over the demons. Thus I entered the city of lanka by twilight and searched for sItA everywhere including the palace of rAvaNa. Not finding her in the palace anywhere I was submerged in the ocean of grief and found no way forward. As I worried thus, I noticed a big wall and climbed it. On the other side I found the aSOka grove and tall SimSupa trees. Seeing beyond the plantain plantation, not too far, under the SimSupa tree, I see the beautiful, young, lotus eyed woman who had emaciated by fasting. She wore the same cloth (as when she was abducted), her locks were soiled, immersed in deep sorrow, fixated on the welfare of her husband, encircled by crooked ogresses like a deer surrounded by blood thirsty tigresses. Tormented by the ogresses, she withered like lotus in the winter, wearing single braid, focused on her husband alone, determined to die to escape rAvaNa, squatting on the earth, I could see her somehow, the deer-eyed beauty.
तां दृष्ट्वा तादृशीं नारीं रामपत्नीं यशस्विनीम्।
तत्रैव शिंशुपावृक्षे पश्यन्नहमवस्थितः।।5.58.61।।
Having beheld the noble woman, the illustrious wife of rAma, I kept looking at her from the Simsupa tree when I heard the tumultuous noise mixed with jingling sound of anklets and armlets arising out of rAvaNa’s palace. I immediately withdrew my form to a very small size and was perched on the SimSupa tree like a bird. Soon rAvaNa along with his wives came to where sItA was. Seeing the demon king approaching her, the pious sItA contracted herself behind her thighs and she trembled and felt helpless not finding any help around. Bowing his head down to that distressed lady, the ten headed one requested her to be favourably disposed towards him. And he sternly warned her if she doesn’t do so out of conceit within two months, he shall see her blood.
Responding to the conceited rAvaNa, sItA replied befittingly and said – ‘O lowly demon, I am the consort of the lord of the ikshvAku dynasty, the illustrious rAma and am the daughter-in-law of daSaratha. Speaking condescendingly to me thus how is that your tongue doesn’t come off? You ignoble sinner, you have no courage whatsoever since you abducted me and fled when my husband was not around. You are not even fit to be the servant of rAma who performs yajnas, is truthful and is renowned in war’.
Responding to these harsh words of jAnakI, rAvaNa was outraged and he sprang up in anger like the fire on the pyre. He clenched his fist and wanted to hurt sItA when his wives around cried in despair. From among them came his principal wife mandOdarI who dissuaded rAvaNa who was spurred by lust. She enticed him with sweet words and said – ‘O king with indra like valour, what have you got to do with sItA? You revel with the daughters of the gods, yakshas, gandharvas, why insist on sItA? Then rAvaNa cooled down and with all those women retreated to his palace. The ogresses around her tried to pressurise her but she considered their and rAvaNas words as useless like a blade of grass and those words could not influence her at all. The ogresses reported the determination of sItA to rAvaNa and then fell asleep.
As sItA, lamented her disunion with her husband and cried desperately shedding copious tears, from among the ogresses one trijaTA came forward and admonished her mates and advised them to eat their selves rather than sItA since she was indestructible being one with great penance. Then she related the dream that she had that night which was terrible and made hair raising since it portended the destruction of the demons and the victory of sItA’s huband. She counselled her mates –
‘The torment caused to jAnakI was enough. We should seek her forgiveness. When such a dream is seen about someone who is deep sorrow, she is sure to relieved of that sorrow and get great comfort. The daughter of janaka can be propitiated if we bow down to her’.
Then the bashful lady who was thrilled by the indication of the victory of her husband assured her protection to them if the dream indeed turns true!
ततस्सा ह्रीमती बाला भर्तुर्विजयहर्षिता।।5.58.89।।
अवोचद्यदि तत्तथ्यं भवेयं शरणं हि वः।
Seeing sItA in such a pitiable state, I was clueless how to proceed and began to think of ways to strike a conversation with her. I sang the glory of the ikshvAku clan. Listening to the brief story of the sagely kings of the ikshvAku clan, the dEvI was in tears and spoke to me –
‘Who are you. How did you get here? How did you get dearer to rAma? Tell me all about it’.
Responding to her, I said –
‘O dEvi, the mighty and valorous warrior sugrIva has decided to be of help to your husband rAma. Know me to be the servant of that sugrIva. My name is hanumAn. I have been sent by your husband rAma for your sake. The illustrious dASarathi, best among men has asked me to give you this signet ring of his as a mark of identification, O lady of great glory. I would like to know O dEvi, what should I do? Should I take you right away to rAma and lakshamaNa? Let me know’.
The dEvI said, let rAma vanquish rAvaNa and take me from here. I bowed to noble and blemish-less lady and asked for a token to be presented to rAghava which will delight him. When I requested her thus, she provided this crown-jewel getting which she said rAma will be thrilled. Along with this jewel, she gave a me a moving message that rAma should come soon to save her. Knowing her intention to be saved only by rAma, I saluted her and circumambulated her. She asked me to convey her ordeal to rAma and lakshmaNa such that they should come at once for her sake along with sugrIva. She said if within a month, rAghava doesn’t save me from here, I shall end my life like an orphan here.
Listen to her pitiful words, I was outraged and I recognized some unfinished job. I grew in size to mountainous proportions and desiring to wage war against the demons began to destroy the grove. The crooked ogresses got up and watched me destroy their grove and the birds and beasts there running helter-skelter. They ran at once to rAvaNa and reported the matter. They told him that the vAnara was unaware of the might of the demon king and asked him to order my execution.
Upon their complaint rAvaNa dispatched eighty thousand invincible servants of his who were in tune with him. They came wielding spears and maces. I took an iron beam and vanquished them all. Those few who survived ran back to rAvaNa and reported the happening. Then the son of prahasta, jambumAli came with a large army of demons. I killed that mighty warrior who was well versed in war with the iron beam. Then followed the sons of the ministers who were experts in war with their armies. I sent them as well as the five army generals who followed them to the abode of death. They all were vanquished by me along with their armies.
Then the ten headed one sent the son of madodarI, young and adept at war, mighty along with a large army. He was fighting me standing in the sky. I went and grabbed his feet, spun him a hundred times and smashed him. Hearing about the loss of his son in the battle with me, rAvaNa ordered his other son by name indrajit who was raring for war and was mighty to restrain me. Even though he was very valorous and powerful, rAvaNa sent him with an army. I killed the key demons in his army and was happy. Realizing that his forces were dwindling, indrajit hurled the brahmAstra and captured me. The demons were tying me with ordinary ropes and took me to rAvaNa.
Looking at me, the evil rAvaNa inquired my reason for coming to lanka and killing the demons. I told him this was all for the sake of sItA whom I was keen to see and hence came to his mansion. I introduced myself as the son of the wind god. I told him, ‘Know me as the emissary of rAma, the minister of sugrIva. I have come here for to convey the message of rAma to you. The splendorous sugrIva inquired your welfare and has conveyed a righteous message to you that is good for you – While I was abiding on the RSyamUka, I met rAma and our friendship blossomed. He told me that the demon has abducted his wife and requested my all-out help find her. I told him about the need to eliminate vAlI and requested his help and came to an understanding. We became friends with fire as the solemn witness. rAma then eliminated vAlI with just one arrow and made me the king of the vAnaras. Therefore, to repay the favour, we have commissioned the search for sItA and hence this message comes to you in a righteous manner.
क्षिप्रमानीयतां सीता दीयतां राघवाय च।
यावन्न हरयो वीरा विधमन्ति बलं तव।।5.58.141।।
Immediately bring sItA and submit to rAghava before the vAnara army begins to decimate your forces. Who is unaware of the prowess of the vAnaras? Even the gods seek their help.
Thus when I conveyed the message of sugrIva, rAvaNa cast a death glare at me and unaware of my abilities ordered my execution!
तेन वध्योऽहमाज्ञप्तो रक्षसा रौद्रकर्मणा।
मत्प्रभावमविज्ञाय रावणेन दुरात्मना।।5.58.144।।
Then his supremely intellectual brother vibhIshaNa pleaded to rAvaNa for my sake and asked him to give up this thought of executing an emissary. This was against the principles of diplomacy, he argued. He said no one ever kills an emissary who just follows his duty by conveying the message that was give to him. Even if the emissary commits excesses, there are only precedents of punishing him and mutilating him but the killing of an emissary is prohibited by scriptures.
Listening to vibhIshaNa’s counsel, rAvaNa ordered the demons to light fire to my tail. The demons at once came and wrapped the worn out cotton clothes on my tail. They lit fire to it, tied me up with ropes and took me along the royal roads announcing me as a captive and spy. They rained blows on me with their fists and sticks. Then I shrunk my form, freed up myself and again growing big, vanquished them all with iron beam. Then I scaled the entrance gate of the city swiftly and using the fire on my tail set fire to the entire lanka and destroyed the demons like the fire during dissolution destroys people. After setting fire all over, I thought jAnakI must also have perished in this fire since the entire lanka burnt to ashes. I was very despondent that I failed rAma’s mission.
As I sunk in untold grief thus, I head the auspicious words of the wandering sages who exclaimed that jAnaki was not burnt! Only then it occurred to me that I was spared the burns by the fire on my tail only due to the power of sItA. I was overjoyed and sweet fragrance wafted in the air. Understanding the play of fire thus from those learned sages, I felt accomplished and very pleased. I went to see vaidEhI again and took leave of her. Then scaling the mount arishTa again I leapt into the sky keen to see you all. Then following the paths of the wind, the moon and the sun, I came here and met you.
राघवस्य प्रभावेण भवतां चैव तेजसा।।5.58.165।।
सुग्रीवस्य च कार्यार्थं मया सर्वमनुष्ठितम्।
I could accomplish all of this due to power of rAma and your best wishes for the sake of sugrIva. I have given you an as-it-happened account of all that was done by me and I exhort you to accomplish all that is yet to be done.
Here we conclude the fifty eighth 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: 5.59. The master communicator exhorts his mates
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
