Hanuman

by Vanamali

  Hearing the tread of his feet as he approached, Sita quivered with fright and loathing. Despite her pitiable condition, her beauty shone like the full moon seen through a cloud. One single braid fell over her left shoulder as she tried to cover herself with the pitiful remnants of her clothes, and she crossed her arms in front of her in a desperate attempt to cover her breasts from Ravana’s piercing, lustful gaze.

  Looking at her pitiable efforts to cover herself, Ravana said, “O Princess of Mithila! Why do you try to hide your beauty from my eyes? I am sure there is no one in all the worlds here as exquisite as you. Why do you shun my gaze and turn away from me? You should be clad in the finest of silks and adorned with costly jewels, yet you sit on the ground, wearing only a soiled rag, eating nothing and trying to hide your beauty from me by crossing your arms. Even thus, you put all the other ladies of my harem to shame. I would exchange all of them for one smile from you! I abducted you only because I fell prey to your unbelievable beauty. Pray listen to my appeal. Your husband is a coward; otherwise, he would have come to rescue you long before this. Don’t waste your youth and beauty in pining for him. Accept me, and I will make you my foremost queen and give you the whole world if you so desire it! Your lovely hair is matted, your silk garment is soiled and torn, and you are half-starved and emaciated, yet you continue to fascinate me. Night and day I am haunted by your face. Can’t you see that I am crazy with love for you? After having met you, I cannot bear to look at my other wives. Youth and beauty are short-lived. Do not waste both in unnecessary sorrow. Come, shake off your grief and accept my love. Rise up, dress yourself in lovely silks and satins. Wear jewels and perfumes. This bare ground is not a fitting couch for your flaming beauty. You have seen me and my glory. What has Rama got to compare with this? He is only a mendicant, clad in bark, with not even a kingdom to call his own. Take it from me that you will never see him again. You probably consider my action to be unrighteous. But in the code of the rakshasas, it is quite acceptable to take another man’s wife for his own. Why are you torturing yourself like this? I can easily force you to comply with my will, but I have been patient because I want you to come to me of your own accord. I want your love and not just your body. I have never said this to any other woman. But your time and my patience are running short. I gave you one year in which to make up your mind and the time is almost up!”

  Not once did Sita look at Ravana during this impassioned speech. Though she was terrified of Ravana and sickened by his sensual talk, she clutched at the remnants of her tattered pride along with her tattered clothes. Without raising her eyes, she picked up a straw from the ground, placed it before her and spoke to it as if addressing the king of Lanka! It was a graphic reminder to him of her attitude—that she cared two straws for him!

  With utter scorn, she said, “O you of poor intellect! Know me to be the beloved of Rama, scion of the race of Raghu. Do not keep your mind on me. Fix it on your own consorts. Having one of impure heart as its ruler, the city of Lanka as well as the whole rakshasa clan will perish in the flames of my husband’s wrath. He is the repository of all virtues. How can I who am his wife bear to even look at another man? If you want to save yourself and your clan, try to propitiate him. He is kind and compassionate to those that surrender. But he is as severe as he is compassionate, and if you don’t surrender to him, his arrows will descend like serpents on you and destroy you completely! Remember how he destroyed your whole garrison in Janasthana single-handedly. Why are you bent on destroying your race? An entire kingdom can perish if its ruler becomes the slave of his passions. Lanka is doomed. What a fool you are to think that you can tempt me with gold and riches. Rama is to me what sunlight is to the sun. Restore me to him and thus earn my gratitude, if you will, but never hope to earn my love, for that is irrevocably given to Rama! How will he not destroy you, who have dared to abduct his beloved wife? You boast of your courage, yet you crept into the hermitage in disguise and stole me away when my husband was not there! Was this the action of a brave man? Soon shall my Lord come and rescue me and shoot deadly arrows at you, which will suck your life’s blood. So beware! You and your clan will be totally wiped out!”

  Ravana was furious at her words and retorted angrily, “The kinder I am to you, the more intolerable you become. It’s only my love for you and the fact that you are a woman that makes me refrain from killing you straightaway. I have given you twelve months to make up your mind. Out of that only two months remain. After that, you either share my bed or become my breakfast. If you still refuse, death shall be your lot! My cooks will make mincemeat of you for my breakfast!”

  Despite the fact that she was quaking inside, Sita retorted angrily, “O vile wretch! Your days are indeed numbered. Is there no good man here to advise you? I wonder why your tawny eyes do not drop off when you gaze at me lustfully. Why does your tongue not drop off when you speak such words?”

  Ravana looked at her with his amber eyes smouldering with anger. “O woman, you are devoted to a man who is beset with ill luck and devoid of resources. I shall get rid of you today itself. You do not deserve any compassion!”

  Then turning to the rakshasis who were stationed there to guard Sita, he spoke harshly. “It’s your duty to see that this woman submits to my will before the day is over. Threaten her, cajole her, and if all fails, use force or whatever you think is necessary, but see to it that she submits to my will!” With these words, Ravana angrily strode off to his own palace to be fawned over and waited upon by his numerous wives, all of whom were distasteful to him now.

  A few of the women who had followed Ravana felt sorry for Sita but none dared say anything. Some took the opportunity to ingratiate themselves in his favor. They entwined their soft arms round his neck and offered themselves in lieu of Sita, but he shook them off angrily and strode off, making the ground tremble with the force of his strides.

  You possess the elixir of Rama bhakti,

  And remain eternally his true servant.

  SRI HANUMAN CHALISA BY TULSIDAS

  Aum Sri Hanumathe Namaha!

  Aum Sita Shokavinaashakaaya Namaha!

  14

  Sankata Mochana

  Dispeller of Sorrow

  Markadeya mahotsaha,

  Sarvashoka vinashaka,

  Shatrun samhaara mam raksha,

  Shriyam dapaya-me prabho.

  O Lord! Pray give me all auspiciousness.

  Thou art the greatest among simians,

  One who can take away all sorrow,

  Save me from being troubled by enemies.

  HANUMATH STHUTI

  The rakshasis who had been asleep when Ravana came were now wide awake and eager to do as he told them. All this time they had desisted from doing any harm to Sita since that had been his bidding, but now that they had got orders from him to act as they wished, they rushed to her. All of them were deformed and ugly, and they pounced on Sita gleefully and started to torment her with their sharp tongues.

  “What a stupid woman you are that you will not listen to a great soul like Ravana. He is prepared to put aside his own wife, Mandodari, and make you his favorite consort. Yet, stupid fool that you are, you refuse his kind offer. At his command, the trees scatter flowers and the clouds release rain. The sun and the moon would stop shining if he did not wish it. You are a brainless idiot not to agree to his wishes!”

  Sita replied angrily, “You are giving me cheap and sinful advice. Destitute and deprived of his kingdom though he is, I will ever remain faithful to my husband. You may kill me and eat me if you will, but I will not budge from my resolve!”

  Another declared loudly, “Ever since I saw her, I have had an irresistible desire to feast on her luscious breasts and berrylike lips, and her delicious liver and spleen. Come, let us have an orgy. Bring out the wine, and we will chop her into little bits and feast on her!” So saying, she licked her chops and drooled from her thick black lips. Sita shrunk back in fear and disgust and started to weep uncontrollably.

  Ha
numan, who was hiding in the foliage, could not contain his anger and sorrow to hear the rakshasis upbraiding and torturing Sita like this. But he knew that this was not the right time to reveal himself.

  Sita was now crying like a stricken deer. All the pent up feelings that she had repressed before Ravana now broke loose and she burst into heartrending sobs. “O Rama! O Lakshmana! Where are you? When will you come for me? This heart of mine must surely be made of iron that it doesn’t break even though I’m in agony. What a vile wretch I am to keep on living even though separated from my beloved and leading such a miserable existence. I realize now that death will not approach a person until the appointed time has come or else how can I continue to live in the midst of these cruel creatures, in the palace of this lecherous man, parted from my beloved Rama?” So saying, she sank to the ground and burst into uncontrollable sobs.

  Again she raised herself, for she was filled with doubts. “How will my Lord know that I am here, and how will he cross the ocean and come here? My death grows near. But I’m not afraid. Far better for me to die than fall to the lures of this wicked Ravana! It looks as if I will see Yama before I see the lotus-eyed Rama!”

  Hearing her laments and the cruel words of the rakshasis, an old ogress called Trijata now approached Sita. She kept the others at bay and told all of them of the dream she had.

  “Listen, O rakshasis ! I just had a dream in which I saw Rama coming in a golden palanquin, clad in white raiment and wearing celestial garlands. Sita was then reunited with her beloved husband. I saw Ravana with shaven head, falling from his aerial car. He was dripping with oil, attired in black, and had a red garland round his neck. Again I saw him being pulled by a woman on a chariot drawn by asses. He was totally intoxicated and out of his wits. The woman in black was drawing him in a southerly direction. His son Indrajit and brother Kumbhakarna were also following him. Only his youngest brother Vibhishana was left here. I saw Lanka being burned up by an agile monkey who was Rama’s envoy.”

  “Therefore, I adjure you to take care of Sita. See that no harm befalls her or else you will also suffer the same fate as Ravana and his clan!”

  Hearing this, the rakshasis disbanded and returned to their posts, and Sita sat alone under the tree. She had reached the end of her tether. She felt she just could not go on anymore. Physically and mentally, she was at her lowest ebb and decided to make an end of her life before Ravana came again. Taking out the cloth that was wound round her waist, she decided to hang herself with it before Ravana could torture her to death. However, just at that very moment, she felt some auspicious omens on her body. Her left eye, arm, and thigh started to throb. These are considered to be extremely favorable omens for a woman, so Sita’s heart took courage and she desisted from her desperate attempt.

  Hanuman had been watching everything from his vantage point and decided that the time had come for him to reveal himself and try to comfort Rama’s wife.

  He thought to himself, “I have been told to find out her whereabouts and also ascertain the strength of the enemy, but I would be failing in my duty if I did not give her some comfort before leaving or else the daughter of Janaka may well give up her life before Rama comes. I might frighten her if I jump down in my monkey form for she is already terrorized by these misshapen rakshasis.”

  Hanuman thought deeply over the matter and then decided on a plan to allay Sita’s fears. In a very sweet voice he started singing the whole story of Rama’s life, ending with his being sent as an envoy. Sita was thrilled to hear his tale and looked around anxiously to see where the voice came from. Brushing her disheveled hair aside, she looked up at the tree and tried to find the person who was responsible for bringing this ray of hope into her stricken heart. The thick foliage hid him from her sight. Her eyes roved in all directions, but she couldn’t find him. Meanwhile, the rakshasis had given up their efforts to persuade her. Some had gone to tell Ravana and the rest were snoring under the trees in ungraceful postures.

  Hanuman took this as an opportune moment and jumped lightly down to a branch where he could be seen. At last her anxious eyes spied him—the messenger of Rama, harbinger of hope and happiness. She beheld a small, cute monkey with white fur and red face closely watching her from among the leaves. His eyes were like liquid gold and he was smiling at her. He looked harmless, but she still had her doubts. She had been cheated and tormented so many times in the past few months that she was always suspicious of everything and everyone. Sita was sure that she was dreaming and cried out to Rama to save her.

  “What can be the cause of this apparition? Surely it must be another trick of the wicked Ravana.”

  Hanuman guessed what was going on in her mind and decided that it was high time for him to appear before her. He nimbly leaped down and stood with folded palms before her. He then raised his palms above his head and extolled her.

  “Who are you, O fair lady of exquisite limbs? Are you a goddess or a celestial being?

  Tell me, for whom are you grieving? If you are indeed Sita, the wife of Rama who was stolen by Ravana, please tell me.”

  Sita was elated when she heard these words and cried out, “Yes, indeed, I am the daughter-in-law of the great Dasaratha and the wife of the noble Rama. My father is the king of Videha, and I am called Sita. I accompanied my husband to the forest and was kidnapped by Ravana and brought here. He has given me two more months to succumb to his passion. If Rama does not come before that, I will end my life. But tell me who you are, who has brought me the nectar of Rama’s name that has put new life into me?”

  Hanuman tilted his head, listened attentively to these words, and then spoke humbly to her. “My lady!” he said. “I have come as an envoy of your husband. He is alive and well and is waiting for me to tell him of your whereabouts. He grieves for you night and day and has sent me, as his messenger, to tell you that he will come for you very soon and kill Ravana and rescue you.”

  A thrill of pure joy shot threw Sita when she heard these comforting words of Anjaneya. She had been living in the darkness of despair for so many months that she had almost given up all hope of rescue. However, when he tried to get closer to her, she who had been cheated so many times by Ravana began to suspect that he was Ravana again, coming in another form to seduce her. Her mouth went dry, her limbs grew weak, and she sank to the ground, unable to cling to the branch she was holding.

  “O Ranger of the Night! I know you are capable of assuming many forms. Yet I feel that you are not he. Somehow I can’t explain it, but for once delight has sprung in my heart, which makes me believe that you are actually what you claim to be, in which case may good befall you. Speak to me once again of Rama. Let me hear it even though it might be a dream. The very thought of Rama brings delight to the universe, so what does it not do to me?”

  In order to put her mind at rest, Hanuman prostrated himself full length before her and refused to look up.

  “My sweet lady! Have no fear. I have been sent by your noble husband to comfort you. He will come shortly, accompanied by the heroic Lakshmana. They are always thinking of you and talking about you. They have made a pact with Sugriva, the king of monkeys, and I am his minister Hanuman.”

  At last she was convinced that he was indeed a messenger from Rama. Sita then asked him to describe the features of Rama and Lakshmana. When Hanuman gave these details, she was highly gratified.

  “Rama has broad shoulders, mighty arms, a charming countenance, and lotus-petal eyes. He has a voice deep as thunder and a dark blue complexion. He is full of splendor, is greatly adored by all who meet him, and is steadfast in his vow of chastity. He is devoted to truth and righteousness. His brother Lakshmana is equal to Rama in strength and charm and has a golden color. They had been ranging the earth searching for you before they came to the mount of Rishyamukha and met Sugriva. When Rama saw the jewels that had been dropped by you, he nearly swooned with joy. He had to be revived by me. My Lady! That scion of the race of Raghu burns for you as much as you burn for him. Have no fe
ar, for that tiger among men will surely come and rescue you. Now tell me, what may I do for you before I return?”

  Sita was delighted to learn of her husband’s grief at her loss, even though she was upset that he had to pass through such tortures of the mind. She was thirsty for news of her husband and asked Hanuman to tell her everything that had happened to him after she was abducted—what did he do and where did he go and how long would it be before he reached Lanka, and so on. Eagerly she lapped up every scrap of news that Hanuman gave her. He was only too happy to speak of Rama his god. He told her of how the monkeys had seen her being carried off by Ravana and had picked up her jewels, which she had thrown to them, and all the other incidents ending with his finding her. At the end of the recital, he stood respectfully with folded palms before her. Sita’s joy knew no bounds. She was now convinced that he had indeed come from her beloved. Tears of happiness replaced the tears of sorrow that had been flowing in torrents down her cheeks. Hanuman now handed over to her the precious signet ring that Rama had given him to inspire confidence in her. She took the ring that had adorned her husband’s finger and pressed it to her bosom. She was speechless with delight. Her whole demeanor now blossomed like a plant that had been watered after long months of no rain. With eyes filled with gratitude, she looked at this adorable little monkey who had brought new hope to her barren heart.