Valmiki Ramayana

by Arshia Sattar

  ‘This mighty bird died for my sake!’ said Rāma to Lakṣmaṇa. ‘Even among the lower orders of beings there are those who are virtuous, honourable and brave, who are the refuge of the weak and helpless. Even the sadness of Sītā’s abduction does not match the grief I feel at the death of this bird who died for me!

  ‘He is as worthy of honour and respect as my father Daśaratha. Collect some wood, Lakṣmaṇa, and I shall start a fire. We must cremate the king of the vultures. Mighty bird, you shall enjoy worlds of incomparable bliss with the last rites that I perform for you!’ Rāma placed the bird’s body on a blazing pyre and cremated him, mourning as he would for a member of his family.

  The two brothers went further south through the forest, looking for Sītā. Secure in their prowess, they scoured the forest when, suddenly, there was a huge sound that seemed to tear the forest apart. The trees were agitated as if by storm winds and the huge sound filled the sky.

  Armed with their bows and arrows, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa tried to find out where the sound had come from and came upon an immense rākṣasa with a huge chest. As they came closer, they saw what appeared to be a headless torso. Its mouth was on its belly and it was covered with short spiky hair. The size of a mountain and dark as a rain cloud, the torso rumbled like thunder. There was one huge yellow eye with a red eyelid in the middle of its forehead which was stuck on its chest.

  The rākṣasa, Kabandha, had enormous arms, each of them one yojanā long, and he swept the air with them, gathering bears and flocks of birds and herds of deer into his mouth. The rākṣasa stretched his arms to their fullest extent and grabbed Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. Even though they were strong and brave and armed with swords and bows, the brothers were utterly helpless against this powerful force.

  Kabandha saw that the brothers were trapped in his arms as if they were in the noose of death and said, ‘Why are you standing there, mighty kṣatriyas? Can’t you see that I am ravenous? Fate has sent you to me. Consider yourselves dead!’

  The two brothers knew what was appropriate for time and place and they hacked off his arms at the shoulder, experiencing great delight as they did so. Rāma faced no resistance as he swiftly cut off Kabandha’s left arm. Lakṣmaṇa took off his right arm with his sword.

  The rākṣasa fell to the ground and his howls filled the earth, the sky and the four quarters. Looking at his bloodied, severed arms, the rākṣasa asked humbly, ‘Who are you?’

  ‘This is the famous Rāma, born in the line of the Ikṣvākus,’ said auspicious Lakṣmaṇa, ‘and I am his younger brother Lakṣmaṇa. While this god-like man was living in the deserted forest, his wife was abducted by a rākṣasa. We have come here in search of her. But who are you and what are you doing in the forest, a headless torso, struggling on the ground?’

  ‘Welcome, best of men!’ the rākṣasa responded with joy, and proceeded to tell Lakṣmaṇa all that Indra had told him. ‘It is my great good fortune that you came here. These arms were my bonds and you have severed them. Listen and I will tell you how I came to have this terrifying form because of my arrogance and pride.

  ‘Long ago, Rāma, I was handsome and strong and famous in all the three worlds. I was as beautiful as the sun and the moon, as beautiful as Indra, even! But I would take on this hideous shape and harass the world, especially the ṛṣis of the forest. One day, when I was in this form, I angered the sage Sthūlaśiras while he was collecting food in the forest. He looked straight at me and uttered this terrible curse: “This cruel and wicked form shall stay with you!” I pleaded with him to pronounce an end to the curse which I had brought upon myself and he said, “When Rāma cuts off your arms and cremates you in the deserted forest, then your original beauty will be restored to you.”

  ‘And so I would eat all that I could in the hope that one day I would find you. I will help you in any way that I can. When you have cremated me, I shall tell you where to find an ally!’

  ‘When my brother and I were away from Janasthāna, the rākṣasa Rāvaṇa carried off my lovely wife with facile ease,’ said Rāma. ‘I only know the rākṣasa’s name. I do not know what he looks like, where he lives or how powerful he is. It would be wonderful if you would sympathize and help us. We have no allies and we have been wandering from place to place in search of Sītā, overwhelmed with grief.

  ‘We will return the favour. We shall gather dry wood which has been brushed off trees by passing elephants and cremate you in a big pit that we shall dig. Tell us who abducted Sītā. It will be a great favour if you tell us where she has been taken.’

  ‘I have no divine knowledge now and I know nothing about Sītā,’ said Kabandha. ‘But when you cremate me and I regain my original form, I will be able to tell you about someone who has all this information.’

  The brothers carried Kabandha to a hollow and there, with flaming torches, Lakṣmaṇa lit the pyre. It soon broke into a roaring blaze. Kabandha’s enormous body was like a mound of fat and the fire consumed it slowly. Scattering the pyre, Kabandha rose like a flame, wearing shining white clothes and a garland of celestial flowers, adorned with jewels all over his body. He leapt off the pyre joyfully, blazing with splendour.

  ‘Listen, Rāma, and I will tell you how to get Sītā back!’ he said. ‘You and Lakṣmaṇa are vulnerable and have fallen into adverse circumstances. That is why it was easy for your wife to be abducted. You must acquire a friend and ally. I can see no way for you to achieve your ends without one.

  ‘There is a monkey named Sugrīva who was displaced by his brother Vālī, the son of Indra, in a fit of anger. With his four monkey companions, he lives on the Ṛṣyamūka mountain whose beauty is enhanced by Lake Pampā. Sugrīva is strong and brave.

  ‘Leave here immediately, Rāma, and make friends with Sugrīva, with fire as a witness to your mutual loyalty. That mighty king of the monkeys is brave and he can change his shape at will. Do not slight him, Rāma. He needs your help and he will be ever grateful for it. Together, you can achieve his ends, but he will help you even if his task is not accomplished. He knows all there is to know about any place over which the sun shines. He will search the rivers, the mountains and the deep caves with his monkeys and he will find your wife. He will send his mighty monkeys in all directions to find Sītā who is pining in her separation from you!’

  ‘Go west from here, through the forest and over the hills, until you reach Pampā, the lake which teems with fish and is surrounded by flowering trees. Mount Ṛṣyamūka lies to the east of the lake,’ continued Kabandha. ‘There is a cave in that mountain which is impossible to enter, for its mouth is closed by a rock. On the eastern side of the cave is a large pool of cool water. The area abounds in roots and fruits and all kinds of animals gather there. That is where Sugrīva lives with his monkey companions. Sometimes, he can be found on the summit of the mountain.’

  These were the directions that splendid Kabandha gave Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa as he stood in the sky with his celestial garland. ‘Go forward,’ he said, ‘and may your mission be successful!’ Shining like the sun in his rightful form, Kabandha called out again from the sky, ‘Make an alliance with Sugrīva!’ and went on his way.

  Eight

  Finally, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa arrived at lotus-covered Pampā, but Rāma was still depressed. Even though a tremor of delight ran through his body when he saw Pampā, he found that his thoughts turned to his beloved.

  ‘Ah, Lakṣmaṇa! How beautiful these trees are that surround Pampā,’ he said. ‘They are as tall as the mountains, their heights as dazzling as mountain peaks! I am already grieving over Bharata’s sadness and Sītā’s abduction and I find that this lovely place makes me even more unhappy. This gentle breeze! This season! The mind turns to thoughts of love, Lakṣmaṇa! The spring air is fragrant and all the trees burst forth in fruits and flowers. Look at how the woods bloom! The wind scatters flowers all over the ground and the trees shower blossoms like clouds shower rain! But this same breeze can be gentle and soothe us with its
touch, cool and fragrant as sandalpaste!

  ‘The spring-time air, filled as it is with the songs of birds, sharpens my sorrow at the separation from Sītā. My body is consumed by passion and the koel mocks me with its happy song! And that bird that calls from near the waterfall! It fills me with sadness, for I am caught in the grip of passion! I am already so oppressed by my grief, yet doe-eyed Sītā torments me further with her absence, like this cruel breeze. The peahen who walks with her mate on the hillside overwhelms me with emotion.

  ‘Ah! My sweet-voiced beloved must be suffering as much as I am! The cool, gentle breezes burn me like a fire, they make me think of my beloved Sītā. These birds that brought me the news of Sītā’s abduction should lead me to her now. When I look at the petals on the blossoming lotus buds, I think of Sītā’s eyes. The breeze that has brushed against flowers as it comes through the trees reminds me of Sītā’s sweet breath!’

  Thus did Rāma lament as he and Lakṣmaṇa looked everywhere for Sītā, even inside caves and behind waterfalls, and his heart grew heavier with sorrow and despair.

  Sugrīva saw those two mighty heroes as they approached the vicinity of the Ṛṣyamūka mountain and his mind was filled with dread. He noticed that the brothers were well-armed and that made him very suspicious. Deeply disturbed, he looked around him but could not find a place to hide. Keeping an eye on the heroes, he found that he was restless, unable to sit in one place or decide what to do, and fear gripped his heart. Agitated and confused, Sugrīva discussed the matter with his companions and explained to them why he was so frightened.

  ‘Those two men have definitely been sent here by Vālī to spy on us! They are wearing these rough clothes and wandering in the forests just to hide their identity!’

  Sugrīva’s companions looked at Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa armed with their bows and arrows and fled to another peak. There, they gathered around their leader, the best of monkeys, and together, they leapt from peak to peak, shaking the earth with the force and speed of their movements. The powerful monkeys toppled flowering trees on the slopes as they raced all over the mountain, disturbing deer, wild cats and tigers. They reassembled on the very top of the mountain and stood before their leader with their palms joined in respect.

  Sugrīva was quaking with fear at the thought of what Vālī might have planned, but the eloquent Hanumān spoke to him reasonably. ‘Bull among monkeys, I cannot see cruel and fierce Vālī anywhere here! And yet, you have been running all over the place in fear of him! Your wicked brother, whom you fear so much, is nowhere to be seen, my friend, and I see no cause for alarm! Unfortunately, you have just displayed your essential monkey nature! Your mind is so flighty and distracted that you cannot even sit in one place and consider the situation calmly. You are wise and intelligent and should be able to read the motives of other people and act accordingly. A king who does not use his intelligence cannot rule his people properly.’

  Sugrīva listened to Hanumān’s sensible words and his response was equally well-reasoned. ‘Those god-like men with their mighty arms, their lotus-petal eyes and their bows and arrows and swords would make anyone apprehensive! I feel sure that Vālī has sent out these mighty men. Kings have many friends and we should not become complacent! One must be able to detect disguised enemies. Men such as these are always alert, they strike the complacent when the right moment presents itself.

  ‘Mighty Hanumān! Disguise yourself as an ordinary man and go and meet them! Find out all you can through their mode of dress and speech, their manners and their conduct. Examine their feelings and attitudes. If they seem friendly, gain their confidence by flattering them with praises and pleasant words! Position yourself such that I can see you and then ask them why they have come to this forest armed with bows and arrows.’

  Hanumān leapt off the Ṛṣyamūka mountain, fully understanding what Sugrīva wanted, and landed close to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa. He threw off his own form and approached them in the guise of a mendicant. He addressed them in a sweet voice, praising them, as had been planned. ‘Your glowing skin makes you look like kings, or royal sages, or resolute ascetics! What brings you to this region? You disturb the deer and other forest animals as you wander along the wooded shores of Pampā. You enhance the brilliance of these sparkling waters with your shining skin! But who are you, dressed like this in the clothes of ascetics? You seem to have the valour of lions. You are armed with bows that rival Indra’s, you are as handsome and powerful as bulls, your arms are as mighty as elephants’ trunks, and you radiate energy!

  ‘Your splendour lights up the mountain. But you, who are comparable to the gods, should be ruling a kingdom. What are you doing here? You are clearly warriors, but your eyes are like lotus petals and you have the matted locks of ascetics! You bear a close resemblance to each other and seem to have come from the realm of the gods, like the sun and the moon come to earth by chance! Why is it that your massive arms are not adorned with jewelled ornaments as they should be? You seem capable of ruling the entire earth with the oceans and forests and mountains like Meru and Vindhya that adorn it! Why are you so silent despite my many questions?

  ‘There is a righteous monkey here named Sugrīva and he is the lord of the monkey clans. He was unfairly treated by his brother and now wanders the earth in sorrow. My name is Hanumān and I have been sent here by Sugrīva who is regarded as king by many of the important monkeys. I am the son of the Wind, and I am Sugrīva’s advisor. Honourable Sugrīva wishes to make friends with you! I can take any form that I choose and I can go anywhere I want! I have come here from the Ṛṣyamūka mountain in the form of a mendicant to carry out Sugrīva’s instructions!’ Knowing that Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa were perceptive enough to understand his meaning, the eloquent Hanumān fell silent.

  ‘This is Sugrīva’s minister!’ said Rāma in delight to his brother who stood beside him. ‘I have been looking for that great king of the monkeys and he has found me instead! This advisor has been friendly and eloquent. He is well-spoken and knows what to say and when to say it. Speak to him, Lakṣmaṇa!’

  Hanumān was thrilled when he heard what Rāma said and his thoughts flew immediately to Sugrīva. ‘Sugrīva is bound to regain his kingdom soon since Rāma has obviously come to him with a purpose!’ he thought.

  ‘What has brought you and your younger brother to these dense forests that surround Pampā, that are filled with wild animals and beasts of prey?’ he asked Rāma. Lakṣmaṇa told Hanumān all about the great-souled Rāma, son of Daśaratha.

  ‘There was a great and celebrated king named Daśaratha who loved dharma. This is his renowned eldest son, Rāma. This hero is the best of all Daśaratha’s sons because of his many virtues. He is the refuge of all beings and he is devoted to carrying out his father’s wishes. Having been deprived of his kingdom, he came to live here with me and his wife Sītā, who accompanied him like rays follow the sun at the end of the day. I am Rāma’s younger brother and my name is Lakṣmaṇa. I am devoted to Rāma because of his many virtues, his graciousness and his immense learning. Rāma, who deserves glory and every kind of happiness and is intent on the welfare of all creatures, has been deprived of his royal majesty and has come to take refuge in the forest.

  ‘A form-changing rākṣasa abducted Rāma’s wife in our absence. We have no idea who that rākṣasa was. Kabandha, who had become a rākṣasa because of a curse, told us that Sugrīva, the king of the monkeys, was capable of helping us. “Sugrīva is mighty and strong and he will know how to find the rākṣasa who abducted your wife” is what he said to us as he went to heaven, radiant and shining.

  ‘I have now answered your questions and told you everything. Rāma and I have come here to seek Sugrīva’s help. In the past, Rāma distributed huge amounts of wealth, won great fame and was the lord of the earth. Now he comes to Sugrīva for refuge. He is overwhelmed with grief and utterly distraught. Sugrīva and his monkey hordes should be gracious to him!’ said Lakṣmaṇa sadly, with tears in his eyes.


  ‘It is Sugrīva’s good fortune that such wise and disciplined men as you, whom he should have sought out, have come to him!’ replied Hanumān. ‘He, too, has been deprived of his kingdom and Vālī has become his sworn enemy. Separated from his wife, Sugrīva wanders sadly through the forests, all because his brother treated him so unfairly. Sugrīva, son of the Sun, and all of us monkeys will definitely help you in the search for Sītā! Let us go and meet Sugrīva!’ Hanumān said in his sweet and mellifluous voice.

  Lakṣmaṇa honoured Hanumān and then turned to Rāma. ‘This monkey, son of the Wind, is obviously very pleased with what he has heard. His happy face shines brightly and he seems to be telling the truth. Sugrīva also needs help to achieve his ends and so you can consider your mission as good as accomplished!’

  Hanumān took the two princes to meet the king of the monkeys. Shining with his own splendour, the famous Hanumān was delighted with his success and reached the top of the mountain on the strength of his powerful thighs. From Ṛṣyamūka, Hanumān went to Mount Malaya and introduced Sugrīva to Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa.

  ‘This is the wise and resolute Rāma, exceedingly brave and honourable. He has come here with his brother Lakṣmaṇa. Born into the family of the Ikṣvākus, Rāma is the son of Daśaratha. He is known for his righteousness and for his devotion to his father’s wishes. While Rāma was living a life of discipline and restraint in the forest, a rākṣasa abducted his wife. Now Rāma has come to you for help. Son of the king who performed all the important sacrifices correctly, who paid generous fees and distributed cows by the hundreds of thousands, a king who ruled the earth wisely and well, such a man had to come into the forest because of a woman! Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa are here to make an alliance of friendship. Treat them well, for they are the best among those who should be honoured!’