by Vanamali
“O Lakshmana,” he said, “We have lost Sita and now our poor friend is also dying. I am sure there is no one in the whole world who is so unfortunate as I. If I were to touch the waters of the ocean, I am sure they would dry up due to my misfortune. Fate has pushed me into this deep pit of pain and I know not how to escape it.”
Rama sat beside the dying eagle, stroking him with his loving hands. Life was ebbing fast from his body.
Once more Rama asked him, “Tell me, if you can, how this has happened. Why has Ravana done this to me? I have not harmed him in any way. What prompted him to commit such a heinous act? What does he look like? Where does he live?”
Rama scarcely expected the dying bird to reply. He was speaking from the depths of his own sorrow, but the bird, seeing Rama’s unhappiness, made a tremendous effort and whispered, “Child, my life is fast ebbing. All l can say is that he was carrying her away like a whirlwind toward the south. But take heart, for the time that he abducted her is called vijaya, and it is certain that anything lost during that time will be found again. Though he is a master of astronomy, Ravana seems to have misjudged the time. You will surely find Sita and kill Ravana, so please do not give in to grief. Now I beg of you to hold me in your arms, for my last moment has come and I will surely find release from this bondage of samsara if I am held in your holy hands.” He could speak no more and died in Rama’s arms, with his eyes looking tenderly into his and giving him salvation.
Rama was heartbroken and recalled to mind all the happy times they had spent with Jatayu. He told Lakshmana, “O Lakshmana! Jatayu was like a father to us. We must give him a fitting funeral. Collect some firewood. He died for my sake and I shall cremate him with my own hands.”
He carried him tenderly in his arms to the banks of the river Godavari. A spot was selected and covered with darbha grass. Lakshmana brought wood and made a pyre, on which Rama placed the bird with great love.
“O king of birds!” he said, “May you reach those heavenly regions that are reserved for those who have performed great austerities.” So saying, Rama kindled the fire by rubbing a fire stick, and lit the pyre himself. He then made offerings to the forefathers and recited the appropriate verses. After the cremation was over, the two princes purified themselves in the river and sadly proceeded on their way.
Vasishta says:
“When sleep is over the world-appearance arises.
When that ceases, there is Pure Consciousness.”
Hari Aum Tat Sat
Mahayogine Namaha!
CANTO VIII
The Painful Trek
Mandaramalam vachane rasalam!
Gunair vishalam hrithasapthathalam!
Kravyathakalam Suralokapalam!
Sri Ramachandram sathatam namami!
I bow to Sri Ramachandra who wears a garland of white
flowers and is the repository of all good qualities.
His speech is sweet and he is the succor of the gods.
He pierced all seven palmyra trees with one arrow.
The meeting with Jatayu seemed to have put some hope in Rama’s heart; at least now he knew where Sita had been taken. It was up to him to find her, and there appeared to be some justification for making an attempt. Lakshmana was greatly relieved at Rama’s change in attitude. He had never seen his brother angry and it had really frightened him. They walked quickly toward the south, since Jatayu had been quite definite about the direction taken by Ravana. It was a sad trek. Usually Sita walked between them and asked a thousand questions, and there were frequent stops to allow her to pick flowers or watch a deer or bird.
Rama could not speak at all and Lakshmana walked silently beside him. Each was absorbed in his own unhappy thoughts. They penetrated deeper and deeper into the dense forest inhabited by wolves and tigers. The darkness was deep and forbidding, and they were forced to pause frequently to allow Lakshmana to hack a path for them. This was not a place frequented by rishis. Soon they came to a cave. A rakshasi stood at the entrance, immense in size and fearful to behold. She approached Lakshmana and solicited him, as Shurpanekha had done earlier.
“My name is Ayomukhi,” she said, “and I want you as my mate. Come with me and let us be away.”
Lakshmana had just about reached the end of his patience. He was tormented by feelings of guilt about Sita, sorrowful at Jatayu’s death, and stunned by Rama’s bizarre behavior. Without bothering to exchange words with her, he simply lifted his sword and sliced off Ayomukhi’s nose, ears, and breasts. She roared with pain and rage, and ran from them. They walked on without a word.
Lakshmana sensed danger and warned Rama to be alert. Just then they heard a dreadful noise as if the whole forest were being felled. Soon they came upon an enormous figure of a rakshasa who appeared to have no head. His mouth was in his stomach. He was glaring balefully at them through his one eye, which was on his chest. His enormous tongue was lolling out of his cavernous mouth, as if licking his lips in anticipation of the approaching meal. He had arms as long as trees and there was no way they could bypass him. Stretching his arms he caught them both and pulled them toward his mouth on his stomach.
Lakshmana was stricken with fear and said, “Brother, please save yourself and go and look for Sita while this monster devours me.”
Rama told him not to give into despair. The creature was delighted at his prize and said, “It’s a long time since I ate human flesh. It’s so much tastier than the flesh of animals. You will never be able to escape me.”
Rama turned to Lakshmana and said, “Misfortune after misfortune has been heaped on us, and now it looks as if we are going to be eaten up by this monster. Fate is the one enemy that cannot be conquered.”
Lakshmana said, “Brother, let us cut off the arms of this monster.” Hearing this the rakshasa tried to cram them into his mouth as fast as possible, but quick as a thought Rama cut off his right arm and Lakshmana his left and the monster fell to the ground with a horrendous noise, crushing some trees as he fell. He realized that these were not ordinary mortals and asked them who they were. They recounted their lineage.
When he heard this Kabandha (that was his name) became very happy and said, “I became a rakshasa due to the curse of the rishis. I was once as handsome as the two of you but I used to play pranks on the rishis by taking on different forms in order to frighten them. At last one day I took on this monstrous form and they cursed me that I would remain like this for the rest of my life. When I begged them to release me from the curse, they said that I would be released when Rama, son of Dasaratha, came to the forest and cut off my arms. And now you have come. Rama, I beg of you to cremate me and thus release me from this dreadful curse, so that I can regain my old form.”
Rama said, “My wife has been abducted by a rakshasa called Ravana. Can you tell us anything about him?”
Kabandha said that he had lost his memory but would regain it with his old form and tell them everything they wanted to know. He asked them to dig a huge pit, throw him in, and make a bonfire with his body. As the huge body burned, there rose the figure of a handsome personage called Dhanu.
His memory returned and he said, “There is one person who can help you to get your wife back and his name is Sugriva. He is a monkey chieftain and the brother of Vali. Vali has driven him out of his kingdom, and at the moment Sugriva is living with four companions on a hill called Rishyamukha on the banks of Lake Pampa. He is brave and powerful and will be able to help you. Do not indulge in grief but proceed straightaway toward Pampa. Follow the path to the west. It will lead you to a park called Nandana and very soon you will reach the lake called Pampa. In that beautiful place at the foot of the mountain called Rishyamukha, on which Sugriva lives, you will find some solace. Go to him, O Rama, and you will succeed in your mission. A very old disciple of the old rishi Matanga is waiting there to see you before leaving her body. She is named Shabari. Now please grant me leave to return to my celestial abode.” So saying, that divine being disappeared from their sight.
/> The two princes felt very happy at this unexpected meeting and message of consolation. They decided to proceed straightaway to Shabari’s ashrama.
After two days’ journey they reached Lake Pampa and made their way to Shabari’s ashrama on the shore. Shabari was a very old woman, bent and wrinkled with age. Her long, matted gray hair fell almost to the ground. She had been awaiting Rama’s arrival for many years and recognized him at a glance. Rama made kind inquiries about her welfare and her austerities.
Shabari bowed humbly before him and said, “My lord, the fruit of my austerities is now standing before my eyes. The moment your glance fell on me, I was purified. I am now certain to attain salvation. The rishis I served for many years all went to their heavenly abode. They asked me to wait here for your arrival. All these years I have been waiting for you. Every day I have been collecting fruits from this forest and preserving them for you.”
She brought forth her cherished store of fruit. She had tasted each berry and kept only the most delicious of them. It is considered very bad manners to offer another person something that has been defiled by another’s mouth, but being a woman of a lower order, she was not aware of this rule. All Shabari knew was that she should give only the best to her beloved lord. Rama knew her heart and much to Lakshmana’s astonishment, he sat and ate all the fruits that the old woman offered to him. She made Rama sit down, and squatting beside him, she lovingly placed the fruits one by one in his mouth while Lakshmana watched, fascinated. Rama smiled reassuringly at him and continued to eat the fruits with apparent relish. After this she begged him to give her permission to depart to another world.
Rama said, “You are indeed a highly realized soul. May all your desires be granted. You will surely attain the world of the rishis you served so faithfully.” Hearing these words of Rama, she was very happy. She sat in meditative pose and was consumed by the fire of her tapas.
After Shabari shed her body, the two brothers walked along the shore of the lake and were amazed at the holiness of the spot. The vibrations left by the rishis were so powerful that tigers and lambs strolled about without fear of each other. Rama found much solace for the pain in his heart, but they had no time to waste and they hurried forward, impatient to reach the mountain of Rishyamukha and meet Sugriva.
Soon they reached the banks of another lake. Nature was lavish in her gifts to this place. Flowering trees and bushes abounded. The grassy banks were strewn with flowers, peacocks danced, and birds sang melodiously. Rama was so overcome with sorrow once again that he asked Lakshmana to carry on and meet Sugriva, for he could go no further. Lakshmana was surprised. “What is the matter, brother?” he inquired.
“The beauty of this place makes me ache for Sita. I cannot live without her. How she would have loved this place! I can have no peace until I am reunited with her. Please go on and meet Sugriva on my behalf. I will sit here with the memories of my beloved wife. This is the vernal season, O Lakshmana. It makes me long for my love. My love for her has grown with every passing day. Look at the beauty of this lake filled with lotuses. I used to love to pluck them for her and decorate her hair. My mind is pierced with the arrows of the god of love. I cannot concentrate on anything, but think only of the princess of Videha. The wind is filled with the perfume of flowers, scattering petals on my face as she used to do sometimes to tease me. It seems to be dancing to the tune of the cuckoos. Look at the branches of these trees, how they are entwined. They seem to be embracing each other. The perfume of sandalwood is wafting all over my body. Sita used to love it. I am drowning in sorrow and only Sita can comfort me and she is far, far away. Look, Lakshmana, at those birds. They are all flying in pairs. Ah! My little dove. Where is she now? O Lakshmana! I am on fire with desire for Sita. My whole body burns. I miss her large black eyes, her sweet voice, and her caressing touch. How can I continue to live apart from her? She used to love this season and she must be pining for me, as I am for her. Lakshmana, I am consumed with worry about her. I hope she will not kill herself. My life is in her keeping and hers in mine. We cannot exist without each other. Everything about this place makes me long for her, and I am unable to bear this pain.”
Lakshmana had thought that Rama was recovering from his sorrow, but now he realized that was not so. He did not know what to say. He had never realized the extent of his brother’s feelings for Sita. He felt relieved that he had never felt such a depth of passion for his own wife, Urmila; he had been able to leave her without a pang. His whole life was bound up with his brother Rama, and he was happy that he could be with him all the time. At last, in order to comfort Rama, he said, “I know, brother, what a jewel Sita is and how impossible it would be to find another like her, but how can you let yourself be overwhelmed by this storm of feeling? Without a second thought you threw away a kingdom and went to the forest, serene and unmoved. You have the courage of a lion. How can you give in to grief like this? Let us keep going, find the one who stole Sita, and punish him as he deserves to be punished. Moreover, don’t you think that Sita will be waiting for you to rescue her? She will not expect you to sit here bemoaning your loss. She will be expecting you to forge ahead to discover her whereabouts. Be firm and strong. The pain of separation becomes greater when you dwell on it. Abandon this grief and let us begin our search for Sita. Wherever he has imprisoned her, in this world or the next, we will find her. Come brother, shed this sorrow and become your own self—undaunted, firm, and serene under all circumstances. Enthusiasm coupled with effort will bring us anything we desire.”
Rama found great comfort in these words of Lakshmana. Shaking off his despondency, he rallied himself and they proceeded to walk toward the mountain of Rishyamukha with firm steps. Rama’s eyes looked longingly at the waterfalls tumbling in delight, and at the profusion of flowers and songbirds. But he set his lips in a firm line and refused to let his mind be swayed by thoughts of his beloved. The most important thing was to save her at all costs. Very soon they reached the mountain and started climbing, looking about for anyone who resembled Sugriva.
Rama is the veritable garden of wish-fulfilling trees.
He beguiles the world and ends our miseries.
He alone is our lord.
Hari Aum Tat Sat
Saptatala-pranetre Namaha!
BOOK FOUR
Kishkinda Kanda
Book of Kishkinda
Sadahanumadaasritaya Namaha!
CANTO I
The Famous Encounter
Buddhir balam yasho dharyam
Nirbhayatwam arogatha.
Ajadyam vakpaduthwam cha
Hanumad smaranad bhaveth.
By thinking of Hanuman we can acquire intelligence,
fortitude, fame, fearlessness, health, energy,
and cleverness in speech.
Sugriva was seated on one of the peaks of Rishyamukha with his four ministers, anxiously watching the ascent of the two strangers. He had been beaten so badly by his brother Vali that he lived in constant dread of Vali’s spies. He had chosen a vantage point on one of the peaks to have a bird’s-eye view of everything that went on within a distance of ten miles. As soon as he saw the two handsome young men at the foot of the hill, he became consumed with anxiety, for he feared they had been sent by Vali to kill him. Hanuman was his chief minister and he tried his best to pacify his master and allay his fears, but Sugriva could not rest.
“They are dressed as anchorites, but look, Hanuman, they carry bows and arrows, and I can see the flash of swords at their waists. I am sure they must have been sent by my brother Vali to kill me. I request you to go and meet them and find out their intentions. Speak to them sweetly and try to find out their real intention in having come to this lonely spot.”
Hanuman was the son of the wind god, Vayu. His strength was proverbial and he was astute as well. He could assume any form at will, so he took on the form of a brahmachari and approached Rama and Lakshmana, accosting them with sweet words. This was indeed a momentous meeting. Next to Ganesha, Ha
numan is the most loved of all the demigods in the Hindu pantheon, known for his selfless devotion to Rama. But this was their first meeting.
One of Rama’s endearing qualities was that no one could resist the charm of his personality. At this meeting Hanuman approached them and said, “Tell me who you are. You appear to be hermits but you are carrying weapons. How is it that you are wandering about on this lonely mountainside, when obviously you are meant to be living in palaces? I have been watching you for some time and you seem to be constantly searching for something. Though you are both so handsome, there is a lurking shadow of sorrow on your faces. But first let me tell you who I am. I am Hanuman, son of the wind god. I am one of the ministers of the vanara king, called Sugriva. He was thrown out of his kingdom by his brother Vali and is now living in exile on this mountain. He desires to make friends with you and has sent me to determine your intentions. I am actually a monkey but I can assume any form I wish.”
Rama was thrilled when he heard the words of Hanuman. Turning to Lakshmana he said, “Lakshmana, this Hanuman seems to be very sincere and well versed in the Vedas. He has come with the very project we had in mind—that is to make friends with Sugriva. Please talk to him and find out more details.”
Lakshmana said, “We have come here with the express purpose of making friends with your master. We will be happy to do whatever you say.”
Hanuman was pleased with this answer and asked them the reason for their having crossed the fearful forest of Dandaka and come to that lonely region, and why they wanted to befriend Sugriva.
Lakshmana told them their lineage, as was the custom, and also their reason for coming. “I am the younger brother of Rama, eldest son of King Dasaratha of Ayodhya. Rama was banished to the forest for a period of fourteen years. For me, my only god is Rama and my only religion is complete obedience to his wishes, so I accompanied him. His wife, Sita, also came with him but she has been abducted by the rakshasa king, Ravana. We have come to this place because we were told that your master Sugriva would be able to help us find her. It is indeed one of the quirks of fate that Rama, who is the refuge of all those in trouble, is now forced to seek the help of another to achieve his purpose.”