Tuesday 16 December 2014

210. Hanuman decided to try at Ashoka grove.

       Hanuman searched again here and there but he could not find Seetha. He was at the end of his tether. He ruminated "What the heck! I believe I have searched this city of Lanka thoroughly; but there is no trace of Seetha. Where that lousy chap Ravana would have or could have hid her? Fearing Rama, has he shifted Seetha somewhere else? Or finding her adamant and not agreeing to his wishes, has he killed her? Or has the austere Seetha been eaten by this Ravana, the evil minded one, while she was protecting her chastity without any relatives near her. Otherwise not being evil with black eyes, she may have been eaten by the wives of Ravana with evil thoughts.
           "How can I go back to Sugreeva without seeing Seetha? My crossing  the ocean and entering the city of Lanka seems to have become futile. How can I face Sugreeva or Vanaras there or those sons of Dasharatha? If I report Rama that his dear wife could not be found by me, then he surely will give up his life. And then Lakshmana will follow him.
          "Hearing the news of the death of his brothers, Bharata also will die. Seeing the dead Bharata, Shatrughana also will cease to exist. Thereafter seeing sons dead the mothers Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi will cease to live - there is no doubt. Grateful Sugreeva, the leader of Vanaras, seeing Rama die in that way will give up his life, too. Tara also will not exist then. Then Angada and all other vanaras will follow.
            "The total extinction  of Ikshvaaku dynasty and the extirpation of Vanaras will generate a terrible wail. Nooo. I will not go back to the Kishkindha city. I cannot see Sugreeva without an auspicious information about Seetha. If I do not go back to Kishkindha then those virtuous and great warriors Rama and Lakshmana will live on hope. Vanaras who are agile will also  live. Without seeing Seetha, subsisting on whatever falls on hand, whatever comes to mouth and with self-restraint I will like a hermit live on fruits, vegetables and herbs at a region near ocean which has many roots, fruits and much water.
             Or I will kill myself by making a funeral pile and jump into it or sit fasting onto death and my body will be eaten by crows and by beasts of prey. This way of giving up body has been adopted by sages. Or I will kill myself by drowning in a lot of water. My not locating Seetha will surely cause  my garland of glory of long time with a strong foundation, beautiful one together with fame will be destroyed. I will become a hermit who is self restrained resorting to trees and herbs. If I go back from here without a good news about Seetha, there will not be Angada together with all those Vanaras. O! dear God! My imagination is running riot! There are lots of blemishes in dying; one who is alive sees auspicious things. For that reason I think I will keep my life. Let me think hard the next best course of action."
       Hanuman could not control his mind. He continued to think "Shall I kill Ravana? Whatever happened to the stolen Seetha, this will be revenge to that. Otherwise carrying this Ravana over the surface of ocean I will take him to Rama like an animal to the lord of animals."
         Discording it as a bad idea Hanuman dropped it and continued to ponder "I have a gut feeling that Seetha is somewhere here in Lanka. I will search the city of Lanka again and again till I find her."
         Suddenly he thought of something and cried softly "Hey! stupid me! That bird chap Saampaati mentioned about seeing Seetha in a garden! Didn't he? YES! HE DID. Where that garden would be?"  He then looked around and saw the Ashoka garden yonder with great trees. Then he said softly to himself "May be this is the one Saampaati saw. I have not  searched this. Let me try there."
          After praying Rama, Lakshmana and gods Rudra and others, Hanuman started sauntering towards the Ashoka grove. He thought "I am sure that the Ashoka garden definitely will be with many rakshasas, filled with trees, adorned with various cultures and sacred. Guards must be protecting the trees, omnipresent Lord Vayu, I guess will be blowing by without force. And me make my body small for the sake of Sri Rama and to avoid Ravana. I pray Devas together with ascetics, the self born Brahma, Agni, Devendra wearing the weapon of Vajra  Varuna and  Yama with Pasha in hand and also the Sun and the moon and the aswinis to make my this endeavor a success.
            "The great ones Maruts and Eshwara may bless my success. Whoever is the lord of all living creatures may give success to me. When will I see that noble face with a high nose, with white teeth without any injuries with a bright smile, with eyes resembling lotus petals with sight resembling the splendor of clear full moon? How that powerless Seetha, a helpless and hapless  one, forcefully taken away by that mean vile brute named Ravana with a cruel action and with a horribly decorated form, will look when my sight falls on her today."
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