Valmiki's Ramayana

by Vālmīki,Sattar, Arshia

  ‘Which master would speak like this?’ said the monkeys. ‘Drunk with their sovereignty, most would think they are masters of all! No one other than you would be so humble. We are ready to leave immediately and return to Sugrīva! But we cannot take a single step without your command. Tell us what we should do!’

  ‘Let us go!’ said Angada and leapt into the sky. The monkeys followed him, filling the sky like smoke from the sacrificial fire, thundering like clouds driven by the wind.

  Sugrīva saw Angada coming and said to Rāma, who was still overcome with grief, ‘Have faith, Rāma! They would not have returned unless they had seen Sītā, for the stipulated time has long passed! Prince Angada, best of all the monkeys, would never have come back to me if he had not been successful! His face would be woebegone and his mind troubled if he had failed. That grove has been in my family for generations. He would never have destroyed it in celebration if he had failed.

  ‘I am sure Hanumān is the one who has seen Sītā. No one else was equal to the task! Don’t worry, Rāma!’

  The sky was filled with the sound of the monkeys roaring as they came back to Kiṣkindha, as if announcing their success. Sugrīva was delighted and curled and uncurled his tail with joy. Led by Hanumān and Angada, the monkeys returned, eager to see Rāma.

  Hanumān bowed his head and told Rāma that Sītā was a prisoner but that she was unharmed. Then they all went to the pleasantly wooded summit of Mount Prasravaṇa and honoured Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sugrīva. They began to tell him all about Sītā’s trials, her imprisonment in Rāvaṇa’s palace, the harassment by the rākṣasīs, her love for Rāma and the two-month period that Rāvaṇa had given her to live.

  ‘Where is Sītā? What is happening to her? How does she feel about me? Tell me everything about her!’ said Rāma anxiously as the monkeys were recounting their exploits. They pushed Hanumān forward and urged him to tell Rāma everything.

  ‘I leapt over the ocean that was one hundred yojanās across because I wanted to see Sītā,’ began Hanumān. ‘Rāvaṇa’s city is called Lankā and it is situated on the southern shore of the southern ocean. There, in Rāvaṇa’s inner apartments, I saw the chaste Sītā. She lives there with her mind firmly fixed on you, Rāma!

  ‘I saw her surrounded by hideous rākṣasīs in the pleasure garden. They guard her and torment her all the time. That virtuous woman, who is not used to suffering, is now overwhelmed by discomfort. Her hair in a single braid, vulnerable and terribly anxious about you, she is pale and thin and lies on the ground like a lotus in winter. She ignores Rāvaṇa and has decided to end her life, Rāma.

  ‘I somehow managed to locate Sītā, who is so devoted to you. I gained her confidence by reciting the glories of the Ikṣvāku clan and then I told her everything. I told her about the alliance between you and Sugrīva and she was very happy. Restrained, chaste and devoted to you is how I saw Janaka’s daughter. She occupies herself with the practise of austerities. She gave me a story as a token of recognition for you. She told me about the incident with the crow in Citrakūṭa, Rāma.

  ‘She said to me, “Tell Rāma all that you have seen here in great detail. While you are speaking in front of Sugrīva, give Rāma this jewel which I have taken great pains to look after. Tell Rāma that I have preserved this jewel I wear in my hair and tell him that when I see it, even in my misery, I feel better, for I feel as if I am seeing Rāma. Tell him I can stay alive only for another month because I am a prisoner of the rākṣasas.”

  ‘I have told you everything, Rāma!’ said Hanumān as he gave Sītā’s jewel to Rāma. ‘Let us prepare to cross the ocean!’

  Rāma pressed the jewel to his heart and wept aloud with Lakṣmaṇa. Tears streamed from his eyes as he said to Sugrīva, ‘My heart melts at the sight of this jewel, as a loving cow spills milk at the thought of her calf! Sītā’s father gave her this jewel when she got married and it shone all the brighter when she fixed it in her hair. My beloved’s beauty enhances the splendour of this jewel and today, when I look at it, I feel as if I am looking at her!

  ‘What did Sītā say? Satisfy my thirst for her by telling me what she said. Tell me again what she said. Tell me again and again! What could cause me greater sadness than seeing this jewel born from the ocean and not seeing Sītā? Sītā can survive for another month, but I cannot live for another second without my dark-eyed beloved!

  ‘Take me to where she is! I cannot live without her for another moment now that I have news of her! How does my shy and gentle darling survive among those terrifying rākṣasa? Her face must be as pale as the autumn moon released from darkness but covered by clouds! Tell me, Hanumān, what did Sītā say? Tell me!’ begged Rāma.

  Hanumān repeated what Sītā had said. He recounted the incident with the crow in Citrakūṭa that Sītā had told him about. ‘Then she asked me to say to you, “Rāma, you are the best of all warriors, why do you not employ your weapons against the rākṣasas? No one, not the nāgas, gandharvas, asuras nor the troops of māruts, can face you in battle. If you have any feelings left for me, Rāma, kill Rāvaṇa with your arrows quickly!

  ‘“Why does Lakṣmaṇa not protect me under the orders of his brother?” she asked me,’ continued Hanumān. ‘“Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa equal Vāyu and Agni in splendour. Even the gods cannot defeat them. Why have they forsaken me? I must have done something terrible since they do not rescue me even though they are together!”

  ‘I heard Sītā’s sad words and said to her, “I swear to you that Rāma is overwhelmed with grief for you. And Lakṣmaṇa is also very upset. I have found you! This is not the time for sorrow! In a short while, your troubles will be over! Those magnificent princes will turn Lankā to ashes in their eagerness to see you! Rāma will kill vile Rāvaṇa and his family in battle and take you back to his own city. Give me something that Rāma will recognize and that will make him happy!”

  ‘Sītā looked all around her and then pulled this jewel which she used to wear in her hair from her clothes and gave it to me. I took it for you, Rāma. Then I bowed and prepared to return. As I expanded my body, the lovely woman said to me with tears streaming down her face, “Hanumān, give my good wishes to the heroic princes and to Sugrīva and all his minsters! Act in such a way that Rāma helps me cross this ocean of grief! Go to Rāma and tell him about my pitiable state and the insults of the rākṣasīs! May you have a safe journey, monkey!”

  ‘This is what Sītā said to me in her grief, Rāma! Consider what I have said and have faith in her virtue!’ said Hanumān.

  ‘Before I left, she said more to me out of her love for you,’ continued Hanumān. ‘She said, “Tell Rāma all this so that he will come here quickly and kill Rāvaṇa. Or, if you think it’s all right, rest here for the night and return in the morning. Your presence makes me feel better, even for a while. I have had so little to be happy about lately! I doubt if I will still be alive when you return! Your absence will add to the grief that already overwhelms me.

  “I have some doubt about your companions, the monkeys and bears. How will the princes and the monkey army cross the boundless ocean? How do you think they will accomplish this difficult task?

  “I know you can do all that needs to be done on your own. But then, the merit and fame it brings will go to you alone! If Rāma destroys Rāvaṇa and his army and takes me away from here, then the success will be his. It is not worthy of Rāma that he carry me off stealthily, as the rākṣasa did, out of fear. Destroying Lankā and the enemy army and taking me away would be a feat worthy of Rāma. You should act such that Rāma can display his might.”

  ‘I assured her that splendid Sugrīva was determined to rescue her and that the monkeys and bears under his command were strong and resolute. I said the monkeys were equal to me in their skills and strength and that they could reach Lankā even more easily than I did. I said, “Enough of this sadness! The monkeys will reach Lankā in a single bound. Rām
a and Lakṣmaṇa, who are like the sun and moon, shall soon be here and you shall see them along with the army of monkeys who fight with their teeth and nails. Before long, you will hear the monkeys roaring like thunder on Lankā’s mountains. And soon, you shall see Rāma returning from his forest exile and consecrated in Ayodhyā!”

  ‘Sītā was comforted by my words and she felt better even though she suffered terribly at the thought of your grief.’

  War

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  Rāma was delighted to hear about all that Hanumān had done. ‘Hanumān has done the most difficult thing in the world. No one else could have done this, not even in their imaginations! I cannot think of anyone other than Garuḍa, Vāyu and Hanumān who could have crossed the great ocean. Hanumān entered that impregnable and inaccessible city, a city that not even celestial beings can enter! The servant who is assigned a difficult task and who fulfils it with energy is surely the best of all beings! And the servant who does not complete the task assigned to him is the worst!

  ‘Now that the mighty Hanumān has seen Sītā, myself, Lakṣmaṇa and the entire family have been saved. But I am ashamed of the fact that there is nothing I can do in return for Hanumān that would please him as much as he has pleased me. This affectionate embrace is all I possess now and all I have to offer.

  ‘I am terribly disheartened when I think of the ocean. How will the monkeys reach the southern shore of that boundless mass together? The news of Sītā lightens my heart but what is the solution to the monkeys crossing the ocean?’ And once again, Rāma began to brood.

  ‘How can you give in to your grief in this way, Rāma, like other ordinary mortals?’ said Sugrīva. ‘What is the reason for this sorrow? We now know where Sītā is, we know where our enemy lives. You are far-sighted and skilled in the arts of rulership. You are capable and able to tell right from wrong. You should not give in to such destructive doubts and fears. We shall cross the ocean, filled with sea monsters, with millions of monkeys, and destroy your enemy!

  ‘The man who succumbs to dejection and misery never achieves his ends and the only thing he gains is more grief. All our monkey leaders are strong and brave and they would not hesitate to jump into the fire for your sake. Do whatever is necessary for me to kill Rāvaṇa and rescue Sītā.

  ‘Ensure that we can build a bridge over the ocean, Rāma, so that we can approach Lankā, the city of the rākṣasas. You can rest assured that Rāvaṇa is as good as dead from the moment we set eyes on the city. Without a bridge over the ocean, even the gods led by Indra would not be able to reach Lankā. But once we have built a bridge and the monkey army has crossed over, I promise you, we shall be victorious. My troops consist of brave and skilled warriors!

  ‘Low spirits will ruin our hopes! Stop grieving, that would diminish all our efforts. Call up your valour and the power you need for the performance of great deeds. Men like you should never succumb to sorrow, no matter how great the calamity. That could only lead to them not achieving their ends.

  ‘You are bound to be victorious with the help of advisors like me. I can think of no one in the three worlds who can face you in battle when you are armed with your bow! You shall see Sītā again before long. Call up your anger, Rāma, for kṣatriyas who are calm are doomed to failure! The world fears an angry man.

  ‘We shall cross the ocean in some fashion or other. What is the point of talking on and on like this? You will certainly be victorious for I have seen many good omens and my mind is filled with peace!’

  ‘Tell me about Lankā’s fortifications,’ said Rāma to Hanumān. ‘I want to know everything, as if I had seen it all with my own eyes. How strong is the army? How have the city gates been fortified? What are the ramparts like? And the houses of the rākṣasas? You had time enough to see every inch of Lankā and I know that you are capable of making these judgements!’

  ‘Listen and I will tell you everything about Lankā’s fortifications, her hidden defences and about the army that protects the city,’ replied the eloquent Hanumān. ‘I will tell you about the opulence of the city and the formidable ocean that surrounds it, about the divisions of the army and the number of their mounts and vehicles.

  ‘Lankā is a city of joy and celebration. It is filled with elephants and chariots and teeming with rākṣasa clans. It has four enormous gateways that are secured with massive doors. There are huge catapults stationed there to hurl arrows and stones at an attacking enemy force. There are hundreds of vicious spiked machines and rākṣasas standing by, ready to operate them. There are impregnable ramparts made of gold and studded with lapis and pearl and all kinds of other gems. They are surrounded by deep moats of ice-cold water which are filled with fish and crocodiles. There are four bridges that lead to the four gates and they are raised and lowered mechanically. They prevent the invading army from entering the city for they can toss enemy soldiers into the surrounding moat.

  ‘Rāvaṇa himself is a mighty warrior, Rāma! He is strong and alert and monitors his army. He is eager to fight. Lankā cannot be penetrated even by the gods. It has the perfect fourfold protection of water, mountains, forest and forts. It stands on the southern shore of the vast ocean. There are no sailing routes or paths or any means of communication with any other place. Lankā is situated on the top of a mountain and it is filled with horses, elephants and chariots. It is as well fortified as the city of the gods.

  ‘Mechanical weapons and war machines adorn this city that belongs to Rāvaṇa. The western gate is manned by hordes of rākṣasas armed with spears. They are formidable warriors and can even go into battle with swords. The southern gate is guarded by an entire four-divisioned army of mighty warriors. The eastern gate is protected by swordsmen who are capable of using any weapon at all. The northern gate is guarded by the finest and noblest warriors who are renowned for their skills as horsemen and charioteers. And there are hundreds of smaller groups of warriors in the middle of the city and they, too, are brave and invincible.

  ‘I have already smashed the drawbridges, filled up the moats, breached the ramparts and burned the city. If we can manage to cross the ocean somehow, you can be sure that the monkeys will destroy Lankā!’

  ‘Hanumān, you have told me all that I need to know about Lankā and the terrible rākṣasas,’ said Rāma. ‘I swear to you that I will destroy it!

  ‘Sugrīva, this is a good time for us to leave. The sun is in a position that is auspicious for victory. I see other good signs, too. I know I will kill Rāvaṇa and bring Sītā back. My right eye twitches which means that I shall have my dearest wish, victory!

  ‘Let Nīla go ahead with hundreds and thousands of monkeys. Let him scout a path for us, a path that is abundant in roots and fruits and cool water and honey. It is possible that the wicked rākṣasas have polluted the water sources and the roots and fruits along our path. The monkeys must be constantly alert and keep their weapons at the ready. Let them search the forests and the valleys for the enemy. Let hundreds of millions of monkeys form an advance guard that is as vast as the ocean.

  ‘I myself shall ride on Hanumān’s shoulders in the middle of the army, like Indra upon Airāvata. Lakṣmaṇa shall ride upon Angada’s shoulders. Jāmbavān, Suṣeṇa and Vegadarśī can bring up the rear.’

  Sugrīva called the monkey troops together and they emerged from caves and from mountain peaks, leaping around in their eagerness to fight. Righteous Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa set out for the south, surrounded by thousands of millions of monkeys that were the size of elephants. The monkeys were thrilled at the prospect of battle and they laughed and roared and played and jumped around. They ate the honey and fruit they found along the way and they broke off trees and flowering shrubs. They carried each other and threw things at each other as they went, shouting, ‘We shall kill Rāvaṇa and all the rākṣasas!’

  The monkey army surged forward, rumbling like the ocean at high tide. They marched
behind the sons of Daśaratha like trained horses controlled by their bits. Riding on the shoulders of the monkeys, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa looked like the sun and the moon in conjunction with the planets. ‘I see auspicious omens everywhere. I have no doubt you will kill Rāvaṇa and return to Ayodhyā with all your goals accomplished!’ said Lakṣmaṇa.

  The monkeys covered the earth as they marched forward as swift as the wind and the cloud of dust they raised darkened the sun and hid the world from view. Eager to perform great deeds on the battlefield for Rāma’s sake, they boasted and bragged in their youthful enthusiasm about all the things they could do with their strength. Some raced ahead, others galloped. They talked and laughed, they gouged the earth with their feet and tails, they broke off rocks and uprooted trees with their mighty arms. They climbed to the tops of mountains yelling and shouting, they crushed creepers into a tangled mass with their powerful legs. They drew themselves up to their full height and played with treetops.

  Driven by the desire to see Sītā, the army marched day and night and did not stop for a single moment. Soon, they reached Mount Sahya, covered with trees and frequented by deer and other animals. The monkeys ate the sweet fruit and honey they found there and continued on their way. When they came to Mount Mahendra, Rāma climbed to its summit and looked out over the roaring, swelling ocean that was filled with fish and turtles.

  Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa and Sugrīva were the first to reach the pleasant forest on the shore. ‘Here we are at the ocean, the abode of Varuṇa,’ said Rāma. ‘Now we must once again consider the matter that concerned us earlier. From here, the ocean seems endless. We cannot hope to cross it without a proper plan. Let us make camp here and consult the others about the best way for the monkeys to cross to the southern shore.’