Thursday 18 December 2014

211. Hanuman starts his search in the Ashoka grove.

            On reaching the Ashoka grove, Hanuman with a joyful mood, climbed on the enclosure wall saw various trees such as Sal, beautiful Ashoka, Champaka full of flowers, Uddalaka, Naga and mango trees with their fruit in the colour of the snout of a monkey, in full blossom at the start of the spring. Hanuman then flew like an iron arrow released from the bow string, toward the garden covered by mango trees which were surrounded by hundreds of creepers. He noted that garden was filled with happy humans, animals and birds with varied hues.
               Hanuman looked carefully for Seetha.
             Trees hit by the wings of groups of birds in flight shed showers of flowers of various colours and of various kinds. The son of Lord Vayu, Hanuman sprinkled with flowers shone like a mountain of flowers in the middle of that Ashoka garden. Seeing Hanuman running here and there and in the middle of trees, all living creatures took him to be Vasanta, the lord of spring, himself in disguise.
           There the Earth sprinkled by flowers of various kinds which fell down from trees shone like a well decorated woman. Then those trees, shaken by the might of Hanuman, showered wonderful flowers. The trees with their branches, which lost their leaves with fallen down fruits and flowers looked like defeated gamblers with their clothes and jewelry kept down. Some lovely trees shining with delightful and cute flowers fell down instantly flowers, leaves and fruits. Hit by Hanuman's tail, hands and feet, the Ashoka garden with broken trees looked like a young woman with disturbed hair, with effaced sandal paste, with a couple of broken front teeth, with her lips looking somewhat mutilated and wounded by nails and teeth.
             Hanuman broke circles of great creepers by his might like the wind during rainy season, breaking the groups of clouds of mountain Vindhya. Hanuman pacing there (i.e. the Ashoka grove) saw diamond studded floors, silver inlaid floors, and beautiful gold inlaid floors. He saw ponds filled with pure and crystal-clear water and the steps thereof  embedded with top quality diamonds, pearls and corals, with bottoms made of crystal and precious stones. There were trees of golden and  other wonderful hues at the banks containing beds of lotuses in full blossom and also lilies. The entire grove was resounded by chakravaka birds, sounded by water fowls, resounded by swans and cranes, together with tall trees, with nectar like waters, with hundreds of auspicious creepers, covered by the flowers of santaana trees, surrounded by various shrubs with middle regions of karaveera and also wells in various shapes.
           Hanuman saw there a mountain with high peaks looking extremely beautiful. The wonderful peaks thereof surrounded in all directions by peaks and caves and covered by different trees.
           Hanuman saw a river flowing down from the mountain like a beloved (young wife) who fell down after jumping from the lap of a loved one, shone by trees whose ends fell down in water. Sometimes it looked like a woman in anger being detained by her near and dear. Hanuman saw near that mountain, lotus ponds together with many groups of birds.
            He also saw an artificial pond filled with cold water, with steps embedded with lovely diamonds, shone by the sand of pearls, a wonderful forest with lofty buildings created by Vishwakarma, with groups of well decorated artificial trees. All the trees there without any exception had big platforms and also with a smaller golden platform. He saw one shimshupaa tree golden in colour covered with many groups of creepers with many leaves surrounded everywhere with platforms made of gold. He saw lands, mountain springs, and some other golden trees looking like fire.
         Hanuman climbing up that beautiful shimshupaa tree with well flowered ends, mature with young shoots and leaves and covered by leaves and perched comfortably on one of its branches. Then he speculated "I hope that this time, by God's grace, I will find Seetha here. She is very likely to be in great grief. This Ashoka garden of the evil-souled Ravana is definitely beautiful. It is well decorated by Champaka, sandal and Vakula trees. This pond served by groups of birds is beautiful, too. May be the wife of Sri Rama definitely will come to this pond. Used to living in gardens, she definitely will come to this garden. I was given to understand that the beloved wife of Sri Rama, earlier was always  interested in the denizens of gardens. The ever youthful one with a lovely complexion, Seetha interested in the rites of Sandhya time will definitely come to this river with the auspicious water for Sandhya rite. That Devi with the face like that of the moon, if alive, will definitely come to this river with auspicious water."
          Hanuman well concealed in the mass of well flowered leaves saw everything and observed everywhere.
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