Valmiki Ramayana -
Sundara Kanda in Prose Sarga 56
|
|
|
Thereafter, having offered his salutation to Seetha, who was present at the foot of Ashoka tree, Hanuma spoke: "Thank heaven! I am seeing you uninjured here!"
Then, beholding again and again, that Hanuma, who had made ready for his return journey, Seetha spoke the following words, filled with affection towards her husband. "O Hanuma, the annihilator of enemies! You are yourself surely sufficient single-handed completion of this task. Your elevated energy is creditable indeed. But, it will be appropriate for Rama, who destroys the hostile forces, to take me with him, after routing Lanka with his arrows."
"Therefore, you act in such a way that the high-souled Rama, valiant in battle, may exhibit prowess worthy of him.” Hearing those humble, reasonable and meaningful words of Seetha, Hanuma spoke the following words in reply. "Rama, accompanied by the leaders of monkeys and bears, will come soon and after conquering the enemies in battle, will take away your grief."
Hanuma, the son of wind-god, thus consoling Seetha and making up his mind to go, saluted Seetha with reverence. Thereafter, that Hanuma the foremost among the monkeys, and the annihilator of enemies, with an anxious desire to see his lord, ascended the Mount Arishta of excellence.
That mountain was covered as it were with dark green rows of gardens inhabited by towery elephants with red spots on their skin and with its clouds hanging between its summits, as with an upper garment. By metals scattered here and there, looking like eyes drawing up the eye-lids, the mountain looked like being awakened, as it were, with love by the bright rays of the sun.
The mountain looked resembling the one which has started reciting the scriptures clearly in the form of the deep sound of running streams of water, singing as it were at a high pitch, in the form of roaring sound of various cascades. The mountain stood as it were with uplifted arms in the form of very lofty deodars and which started crying loudly as it were, on all sides, in the form of the sound of its cascades.
The mountain seemed to be trembling in the form of waving dark automnal groves, which was piping as it were, in the form of hollow bamboos shaken up by the wind and whistling. The mountain was hissing as it were with fury, in the form of its terrible and most poisonous snakes and which sat absorbed in meditation as it were, in the form of its deep caves covered with mist. It seems to be setting out on a journey on all four sides, with feet of the mountain, looking like rising clouds, which with its peaks having a lining of clouds, seemed to stretch its limbs in the sky.
The mountain was embellished with a number of summits and adorned with numerous caves scattered at many places and endowed with many sal, palmyrah, karna and bamboo trees. The mountain was adorned with clusters of creepers having plenty of flowers, filled with a number of summits and adorned with numerous caves scattered at many places and endowed with many sal, palmyrah, karna and bamboo trees.
The mountain was endowed with many cascades, crowded together with heaps of rocks and frequented by great sages, Yakshas, Gandharvas, Kinnaras and celestial serpents. The mountain was exquisite with creepers and trees, having caves inhabited by lions, spread over with a number of tigers and endowed with sweet roots and fruit-trees.
Hanuma, the son of wind-god, in a hurry to see Rama, ascended that mountain, excited as he was with an extreme joy. Then, the rocks in the charming table-land of the mountain, on which the soles of Hanuma lied heavily, were crushed with noise and fallen to pieces.
Desirous of reaching the northern shore from the southern shore of that ocean, Hanuma ascended that mountain and enlarged his body. Then, the valiant Hanuma after ascending the mountain, saw the terrific ocean inhabited by fishes and water-snakes.
Hanuma, the foremost among the monkeys and the son of the wind-god, entered the sky towards northern direction, like a wind, from southern direction. Pressed at that moment by Hanuma, that excellent mountain sank into the bowels of the earth along with the various living beings and made a noise with its shaking summits and toppling trees.
Shaken by the impetus of the thighs of Hanuma, trees in blossom were broken and fell down on earth, as though struck by a thunder-bolt. When the lions of great prowess dwelling in the midst of caves were tormented and roared terribly, that roaring noise was heard as it was piercing the sky.
The females of Vidyadhara class of supernatural beings, with their raiments in disorder through fear and their ornaments fallen off, went up all of a sudden from the mountain. Large poisonous serpents of immense size, possessing vigour and having fiery tongues with their hoods and necks severely pressed lay coiled.
Then, leaving that tormented mountain of excellence; Kinnaras, Nagas, Gadharvas, Yakshas and Vidyadharas ascended to the sky. Pressed down by that strong Hanuma, that beautiful mountain having its elevated summits crowned with trees entered the bowels of the earth.
That mountain, with a width of ten yojanas (or eighty miles) and a height of thirty yojanas (or two hundred and forty miles) got level with the earth. With a desire to cross easily the terrific ocean, whose shores were being lashed by its waves, which Hanuma jumped up into the air.
Thus completes 55th Chapter of Sundara Kanda of the glorious
Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© June, 2006, K. M. K. Murthy