Hari Om.
Let us begin the twentieth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
How is rAma’s crowning of vibhIshaNa even before his conquest of rAvaNa to be viewed? Was it driving a wedge between the brothers? No, a bigger wedge had already been driven by rAvaNa’s conduct and his younger brother’s disapproval of it. Was it to incentivise vibhIshaNa into action? No. It was well articulated by rAma himself that the refuge was being offered for two reasons – one, vibhIshaNa was seeking it and two, rAma was supremely capable of offering it. He was so capable that even if vibhIshaNa turned out to be a spy and tried to cause trouble, rAma would be able to mitigate it simply by his ability. Therefore, it was purely dharma that dictated the grant of refuge to vibhIshaNa. Having got the assurance of his lifetime, the diligent vibhIshaNa joined the army ranks and offered a brief intro to the stars of rAvaNa’s lineup and their exploits. He also advised rAma to engage with the lord of the ocean and request him to show a way to cross it. Since the ikshvAku clan was responsible for the coming down of the river ganga from the heavens and filling up the oceans, vibhIshaNa was sure that the ocean would owe gratitude to rAma and help find a way. This idea was approved by sugrIva and lakshmaNa and rAma began his vow on the shores. But what was rAvaNa upto? Onwards…
While rAma camped on the northern shore of the ocean, a spy of the demon king rAvaNa, by name SArdUla stopped by at the camp of sugrIva that bore their flags and was flabbergasted after surveying the camp. He hurried to lanka, met the demon king rAvaNa and said –
“O king, the city of lanka is surrounded by the large army of the vAnaras and bears which resembles the large and the deep and immeasurable ocean by the side of the ocean. The handsome, noble duo, the sons of daSaratha, the resplendent rAma and lakshmaNa have almost reached sItA and are camping on the shore of the ocean.
पुत्रौदशरथस्येमौभ्रातरौरामलक्ष्मणौ ।।6.20.4।।
उत्तमौरूपसम्पन्नौसीतायाःपदमागतौ ।
एतौसागरमासाद्यसन्निविष्टौमहाद्युती ।।6.20.5।।
The forces are spread over an entire ten yOjanas. I have surveyed this from the sky and gathered this information. You have to at once, deploy your spies and find out the situation on ground there. You may have to think about either giving away sItA or reconciliation or create dissent in the enemy”.
Responding to SArdUla’s words, rAvaNa thought within himself for a while and immediately called an expert spy by name Suka and told him –
“O Suka, go at once to sugrIva and convey this message of mine in an articulate manner without getting anxious or nervous. Tell him – ‘O king of vAnaras, you are the son of the great and mighty Rksharaja. I have not caused the slightest harm to you and I am like your brother. If I have abducted and brought the consort of the prince, what is your problem in that, go back to kishkindhA. This city of lanka cannot be reached by the gods and the demons then what to speak of the humans and vAnaras”.
अहंयद्यहरंभार्यांराजपुत्रस्यधीमतः ।
किंतत्रतवसुग्रीव: किष्किन्धांप्रतिगम्यताम् ।।6.20.11।।
Pressed thus into service, Suka took the form of a bird and flying over the ocean reached the camp of sugrIva and conveyed to him verbatim what rAvaNa had said. No sooner they heard his audacious note, the vAnaras were enraged and immediately reached him and rained fists on him. They seiged him and put him down on to the ground. Being tortured by the vAnaras, Suka at once started praying to rAma and said –
“O kakutstha, a messenger ought not be killed, please restrain the vAnaras. Only such messenger may be killed who speaks his own mind instead of what the king has asked him to convey”. Respecting his words, rAma restrained his vAnaras. The messenger Suka again got airborne and with the vAnaras settled down, asked sugrIva about the message he wanted to be conveyed to rAvaNa.
The sugrIva of undiminished spirit spoke in a composed manner and said –
“O rAvaNa, being the enemy of my friend, you are my enemy too. You deserve no sympathy and you are not my friend. You deserve death just like vAlI. O night ranger, I shall soon kill you, your kin and your associates and soon burn the city of lanka into ashes. Whether you seek refuge in the solar orbit or hide in secrecy in the place of gods led by indra or enter the nether worlds or enter the greatest of the mountains, you are not going to be spared by rAghava.
तस्यतेत्रिषुलोकेषुनपिशाचंनराक्षसम् ।
त्रातारमनुपश्यामिनगन्धर्वंनचासुरम् ।।6.20.27।।
I do not see a saviour for you in the three worlds either in the gandharvas or in the demons. You abducted the wide-eyed sItA overcoming the old vulture jaTAyu. Why didn’t you try to abduct her in the presence of rAma and lakshmaNa? In fact the duo are mighty and benevolent and are invincible even for the gods led by indra. You do not get it, but rAma will soon drive the life out of you”.
Then prince angada said –
“O king sugrIva, this Suka seems like a spy to me rather than a messenger. I think he should be taken into captivity and not allowed to return to lanka”.
The king concurred and immediately the vAnaras again took him captive and tormented him. Wailing he approached rAma and said again –
“O rAma, if my wings are hurt and my eyes are pierced and I die in the process you will incur all the sins that I have committed in my life”.
Hearing his outpour of grief, rAma commanded the vAnaras to spare the messenger and let him go.
Here we conclude the twentieth sarga of the yuddha kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 6.021. Whose wrath even the gods fear!
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 