6.033. saramA, the good samaritan

Hari Om.

Let us begin the thirty third sarga of the yuddha kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.

The vAnara army dwarfed the ocean in its enormity and intensity. Moreover the leading warriors had impeccable records and past achievements in the battle. Even more so, they were protected by the redoubtable rAma and lakshmaNa. Beholding this and listening about their exploits, rAvaNa became anxious and his pulse raced. He thought his dream of winning sItA was dissolving. So he wanted to own her by hook or crook, more by crook, actually! So he called a trickster demon and created a head that resembled rAma’s and also a bow and went to sItA and narrating lies, told her that the enemy has been annihilated and as a souvenir and to make her believe they have fetched the severed head of rAghava and his bow. Although she knew his valour, in his love she forgot it momentarily and was distraught. She wailed and wailed cursing the root cause of all this – kaikEyI and wondering what would go through the heart of kausalyA when she learns this. As she wailed, in the meanwhile, with the battle round the corner, he received a message that the commander-in-chief has to meet him urgently. Since the enemy was fast approaching, rAvaNa abruptly left the grove to his palace. And as soon as he left, the trick ceased and the head and the bow vanished! However, the frightened spirits of sItA were refusing to rise. Onwards…

After rAvaNa left, seeing sItA so tricked, distraught and devastated by the demon king’s crooked schemes, a good Samaritan among the demons by name saramA approached her beloved, lovable and friendly vaidEhI and with gentle speech began to assuage her grief. Out of very friendly affection she revived her lost senses and spoke reassuringly –

“O vaidEhi, please be comforted. Let there be no pain in your mind. O frightened woman, I have eavesdropped and heard everything that rAvaNa said to you being invisible in the skies. Due to the kinship I feel with you I threw caution to the winds and didn’t care for rAvaNa. For your sake, O wide eyed beauty, I don’t value my life much. I found out why the demon king was confused and left in a huff.

It is impossible to lay rAma, the knower of the self, dead. It is simply absurd to imply that the lion among men can be vanquished.

न शक्यं सौप्तिकं कर्तुम् रामस्य विदितात्मनः ।

वधश्च पुरुषव्याघ्रे तस्मिन्नैवोपपद्यते ॥

The vAnaras who weaponize the trees cannot be killed since they are under the protection of rAma like the gods are protected by lord indra. The illustrious rAma, embodiment of dharma, the long and round armed, the wide chested, the valorous one, the wielder of the bow, the very famous one, the expert of state craft, the one of unimaginable prowess, the warrior who is a protector of himself and others, the one born in the hallowed lineage, O sItA, that scorcher of the foes along with his brother lakshmaNa has not been killed. The cruel (demon king) who tortures all the beings, who is of undue conduct has played this illusory trick on you.

Listen to the good tidings that will bring you much joy, auspiciousness is dawning on you and your grief is a thing of the past. rAma along with the vAnara army has crossed the ocean and is camping on the southern shore of the ocean.

शोकस्ते विगतः सर्वः कल्याणं त्वामुपस्थितम् ।

ध्रुवं त्वां भजते लक्ष्मीः प्रियं ते भवति शृणु ॥

I have seen both the fulfilled kAkutstha (rAma) and lakshmaNa who is under the protection of the vAnara army on the banks of the ocean. The swift moving spies of rAvaNa have reported this news to him. O viSAlAkshi (sItA), it is up on learning that, the demon king is conferring with his ministers”.

While she comforted sItA thus, both heard the loud trumpets blowed by the army and the beating of the drums and said –

“O timid one, listen to this frightening blast of the trumpet which is to excite the spirits of the army. Listen to this deep sounds which resemble the thunder. They are deploying wild elephants, yoking horses to the chariots, and thousands of warriors with spears are riding horses. The foot soldiers are also seen in some places on the royal roads. They are making noise like the waves of the ocean. The weapons, armours, shields, ornaments of the demons on the chariots and horses are strikingly brilliant and are radiant illumination like the fire god gutting an entire forest. This tumultuous sound raised by the chariots, bells, neighing of the horses and the roars of the followers of the demon king make the hairs stand on the end.

Auspiciousness, the remover of the grief will be yours. The fear has set into the demons. The lotus-eyed rAma, whose valour is unfathomable, who has restraint over anger, will vanquish rAvaNa like lord indra vanquishes the demons and will soon take you with him. He will latch onto the demons and torments them along with lakshmaNa like vishNu with indra. As soon as rAma approaches you, you shall unite with him and embrace him with tears of joy in your eyes and sit on his lap as your enemies fall. I shall behold you thus. Very soon, rAma will unbind your long tresses that extend to your thighs and have not been triply braided for a long time. Beholding his moon like countenance you will shed grief like the snake sheds its slough. As rAvaNa falls in the battle soon, you shall soon reunite with the valorous rAma and delight like the earth with good rain delights through excellent crops.

O dEvi, seek refuge of the lord who circumambulates the great mEru mountain like a horse going around it with great speed (in thirty muhurtas, 30 X 48 min = 1440 min =24hrs), who causes the day and is the source of all creation – the Sun”.

गिरिवरमभितोऽनुवर्तमानो हय इव मण्डलमाशु य करोति ।

तमिह शरणमभ्युपेहि देवि विदसकरं प्रभवो ह्ययं प्रजानाम् ॥