Valmiki Ramayana -
Sundara Kanda in Prose Sarga 13
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Hanuma the leader of Vanaras crossed from pushpaka toward the
fort wall and became with speed like lighting in the middle of a cloud.
The
simian Hanuma went far from the house of Ravana and not seeing Seetha, the
daughter of King Janaka, said these words: “The city of Lanka has been mostly
explored by me attempting for the pleasure of Rama. But I am unable to see
Seetha, beautiful in all limbs, and the daughter of Videha. All
earth consisting of pools, ponds, lakes and streams, rivers and forest areas
filled with water, mountains difficult of access have been explored but I did
not see Seetha.”
“It has been said by the eagle King
Sampati that Seetha is here in the house of Ravana. I am unable to see her. Otherwise Seetha belonging to Videha born in Mithila and
daughter of king Janaka - Can she be helplessly together with the evil minded
Ravana.”
“I think while Ravana fearing Rama’s arrows flew quickly carrying Seetha, she might have fallen down in the middle of the journey. Or I think the heart of the noble Seetha being stolen in the path served by Siddhas must have sunk at the site of the ocean. I think due to great speed of Ravana and due to the torture of Ravana’s shoulders the life has been given up by that noble one with wide eyes.”
“Then while being flown upon the
surface of the ocean, Seetha definitely fell down in the ocean while wriggling.
Or has the austere Seetha been eaten by this Ravana, the
evil minded one while she was protecting her chastity without any relatives
near her.”
“Otherwise not being evil with
black eyes, She may have been eaten by the wives of Ravana with evil thoughts. The pitiable Seetha equaling full moon, with eyes equaling
lotus petals must have obtained death while meditating upon Rama’s
face.”
“The daughter of Videha, Seetha.
‘O Rama!’ ‘O Lakshmana!’ ‘O Ayodhya!’, thus
weeping greatly may have given up her body. I think
otherwise being put in the house of Ravana Seetha is definitely crying like a
caged myna. How can the daughter of King Janaka,
Rama’s wife Seetha with a beautiful waist, with eyes like black lotus
petals obtain Ravana’s capture.”
“To be let known becomes an error;
not to let know becomes an error how to perform the duty? To me this seems dire
situation. This task while it goes this way the time is
approaching. What becomes appropriate” thus Hanuma thought again this
view point.”
“If I go towards Sugreeva’s
city from here without seeing Seetha from that to what avail will this effort
be? My crossing of the ocean entering the city of Lanka the
site of rakshasas - all this will become waste. To me
reaching Kishkindha what would Sugreeva say or Vanaras there or those sons of
Dasharatha what would they say?”
“Going there by me for Rama,
‘Seetha has not been seen’ - thus if I say a very unpleasant word
thereafter Rama will give up life. Hearing bad word
belonging to Seetha that is harsh, horrible, cruel, sharp, sense agonizing, He
will not exist.”
“Seeing that Rama being with
troubles, being with a heart towards death, Lakshmana, one with great love and an
intellectual will not exist. Hearing brothers to be dead,
Bharata also will die. Seeing the dead Bharata, Shatrughana also will not
exist.”
“Thereafter seeing sons to be dead
the mothers Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi will not exist - there is no doubt. Grateful, true to pledge Sugreeva, the leader of Vanaras,
seeing Rama the leader of Vanaras seeing Rama die in that way will give up life
thereafter. Being tortured by the sorrow of husband, made
sad by a gloomy heart, disconsolate without happiness, to be pitied, Ruma will
give up life.”
“Being distressed from the sorrow
of Vali, being emaciated from grief, Tara also will not exist while the king
Sugreeva is obtaining death. The young Angada also from the
death of mother and father, from the grief of Sugreeva - why will he retain
life?”
“Vanaras being rejected by the
sorrow due to their lord will strike their heads with palms and fists. Vanaras loved by the famous king Sugreeva through good words,
through small gifts, through respect will give up lives. Best
among Vanaras will not enjoy together sport in forest, not on mountains, not
again in covered places.”
“Together with wife and children
and together with ministers being tortured by grief of their lord, they will
fall down from top of mountains on to flat lands and on to rugged lands. Vanaras will perform death by taking poison or getting hanged
or entering fire or fasting or a weapon.”
“While I am going I think about the
destruction of Ikshvaaku dynasty and destruction of Vanaras and there will be a
terrible wail. I will not go from here to the Kishkindha
city. I am not capable to see Sugreeva without Seetha. I
while not going, being here those virtuous ones, those great warriors those two
Rama and Lakshmana will live by hope. Vanaras also who are agile will
live.”
“Without
seeing Seetha subsisting on whatever falls on hand, whatever comes to mouth,
being self restrained I will become a hermit living on trees and herbs at a
region near ocean which has many roots, fruits and much water. Or
I will enter fire which is glowing after making a funeral pile or while sitting
performing fasting onto death my body will be eaten by crows and by beasts of
prey.”
“This way to giving up body has
been seen by sages. This is my opinion if I do not see Seetha, I will enter lot
of water. Not seeing Seetha, my garland of glory of long
time with a strong foundation, beautiful one together with fame has been destroyed.
I will become a hermit who is self restrained resorting to
trees and herbs, I will not go from here not seeing Seetha with black
eyes.”
“If I go back from here without
knowing that Seetha, there will not be Angada together with all those Vanaras. There are lots of blemishes in dying; one who is alive sees
auspicious things. For that reason I will keep my life. It is definite for the
meeting of people who are alive.”
Hanuma
carrying in mind sorrow of various kinds again and again did not get then the
crossing of sorrow.
“Otherwise I will kill Ravana with
ten heads, with great prowess. Whatever happened to the stolen Seetha, this
will be revenge to that. Otherwise carrying this Ravana
over the surface of ocean I will take him to Rama like an animal to the lord of
animals.”
Hanuma
not seeing that Seetha thus begetting sorrow, thought with a mind cluttered
with thoughts and sorrow.
“To wherever I see Seetha, the wife
of Sri Rama and one with fame, till there I will search the city of Lanka again
and again. Based on words of Sampati if I bring Sri Rama
then Sri Rama not seeing wife will burn all Vanaras. With
limited food and with restrained senses, I live here itself. By my deed those
men and vanaras - let they not be destroyed.”
“Whatever this Ashoka garden with
great trees is being seen this I will obtain. This has not been searched by me.
Saluting the eight Vasus, Rudras and Adityas, the two
Aswinis, seven Maruts, I will go to increase the grief of Rakshasas. Defeating all rakshasas, I will give Seetha, who gives
happiness to Ikshvaaku dynasty to Sri Rama as the fruit of austerity to an
ascetic.”
The
gloried son of Vayu that Hanuma got up with his senses tied by grief.
"Salutation
to Rama, together with Lakshmana Salutation to that Seetha, the divine lady.
Salutations to Rudra the god of destruction, Indra the lord of celestials, Yama
the lord of Death and the wind-god. Salutations to Chandra the moon-god, Arka
the sun-god and all the hosts of Maruts, the strom gods."
That
Hanuma saluting to all those and also to Sugreeva, observing all directions
went towards Ashoka garden. The son of Vayu, that Vanara
went by mind before itself toward that Ashoka garden. The auspicious one
pondered the task to be done later.
“The Ashoka garden definitely will
be with many rakshasas, filled with trees, adorned with various cultures and
sacred. There definitely guards will be protecting
assigned, trees, omnipresent Lord Vayu also will be blowing by without force,
and by me this body has been made small for the sake of Sri Rama and to avoid
Ravana.”
“Devas together with ascetics will
make success to me here, self born Brahma the divine one and devas and Agni and
Vaayu, Devendra wearing the weapon of Vajra and Varuna with Pasha in hand and
also the Sun and the moon and the aswinis. The great ones Maruts and Eshwara
may give my success. Whoever is the lord of all living creatures among all
living beings others who being unseen exist in the path may give success to
me.”
“When will I see that noble face
with a high nose, with white teeth without any injuries with a bright smile,
with eyes resembling lotus petals with sight equaling the splendor of clear
full moon? How that powerless Seetha, a helpless one,
forcefully taken away by the mean vile Ravana with a cruel action, with a
horribly decorated form will fall in the range of my sight today.”
Thus, this is the 13th chapter in Sundara Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
©
January 2003, [Revised July 2009] Kishore Kopalle