Sunday 8 February 2015

229. Hanuman reiterates his identity to Seetha.

    


   Hanuman was greatly relieved to hear the words of Seetha which confirmed beyond any doubt that the lady was that Seetha he was looking for. He then told her in his most kindly and affectionate tone and manner "O Seetha the daughter of the king of Videha Kingdom! I am an emissary  of your husband Shri Rama who bid me to find you. My lord Rama asked me to find out about your welfare, too. Your greatly splendorous brother-in-law Lakshmana, himself tormented with grief, performed salutation to you by bowing his head."
     Hearing the news about Rama and Lakshmana, the divine lady, Seetha, with all her limbs thrilled with joy, almost cried "O! My! My! You have brought such a news the kind of which will make even a man of One Thousand years old will jump with joy. This popular adage appears true and  auspicious for me."
     Seetha displayed a wonderful friendly disposition towards Hanuman. Both of them then conversed with each other in full confidence. During the thick of the friendly conversation with Seetha who was afflicted with grief, Hanuman endeavoured to draw nearer to her. This made Seetha suspicious; she got an aching feeling in her mind that this vanara may be Ravana in disguise. She thought "O shame! It was my guilt to tell him all this. He is indeed that Ravana, who is in another guise." That made Seetha  leave that branch of the tree and  sit down on that ground.
        Seeing the reaction of Seetha, Hanuman reared a step and simply saluted her. Seetha, trembling with fear, did not look towards him. Her mind was in a swirl. She argued with herself "If you are Ravana, who made use of this illusive guise, you are causing me a further agony. It is no good. You are indeed the same Ravana, who appeared to me in the guise of a vagrant religious mendicant in Janasthana. 
        "If you have come as Rama's messenger, may you be blessed! Rama's anecdote is very pleasant for me. Hence, I am requesting you to narrate it. You are eroding my mind as a rapid course of stream erodes a river bank. I, who was taken away long ago, is seeing a vanara sent by Rama in this way. Alas! It seems to be dream and how delightful this dream is!
      "If I have seen the eminent Rama together with Lakshmana in my dream, I would not have disheartened. In my case, even my dream is wicked! I do not deem it as a dream. Seeing a vanara in a dream does not bring about prosperity. But prosperity seems to have come to me!
         "It must be a delusion of my mind. May be it is the impending course towards the changing mental condition of madness. Is it a looming mirage? Otherwise, it is either madness or even a delusion, which is a symptom of madness."
        Thus deliberating upon the strengths and weaknesses in several ways, Seetha finally concluded him to be Ravana. Then, that slender waisted Seetha, the daughter of Janaka, thus having made up her mind, did not reply in return anything further to Hanuman.
       Guessing the contemplation of Seetha, Hanuman the son of Vayu started to tell her the following which, he was positive will convince her that he was not Ravana but Hanuman, the trusted emissary of her dear hubby "Rama has a great splendour like that of the sun. He is pleasing to all like the moon. As Kubera, the Lord of wealth, he is the lord to the entire world. Like Vishnu, he is greatly renowned and endowed with valour. Rama is a speaker of truth. Like Lord Brihaspati, he has a sweet voice. He is a handsome man, possessing good fortune and a royal dignity. He is a personified Manmadha, the lord of love.
        "Rama gets anger only at right time. He strikes a befitting person at a right time. He is an excellent chariot-warrior. The world is resting under the shelter of the arms of this high  man  par excellence. Showing an illusory antelope, Ravana detracted Rama and took you away from a deserted hermitage. You will see the consequence Ravana will get for this act.
      "Which valiant Rama with arrows strongly shining like sparkles released with anger, by the same Rama I was sent here as a messenger and I arrived at your presence. That Rama, agonised by your separation wishes to enquire of your welfare. That long-armed Lakshmana too, having a great splendour and who augments the happiness of Sumitra his mother, saluted you and inquired about your welfare. O princess! That vanara called Sugreeva, a companion of Rama and the king of all the vanaras, asked about your welfare.
        "Rama, together with Sugreeva and Lakshmana, is always recollecting you. O Seetha! Even though coming into the control of these rakshashies, you are somehow surviving by your good luck! Within a few days, you will see Rama, the mighty Lakshmana and the highly splendorous Sugreeva, in the presence of crores of vanaras. I am a vanara, a minister of Sugreeva, called Hanuman. I entered the city of Lanka, by traversing the great ocean.
        "I have come to see you. O Princess! I am not the one  you comprehend me (as Ravana). Let your suspicion be given up. Believe me what I say."
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