Thursday 2 April 2015

249. Hanuman made a huge bonfire out of the entire Lanka.

   
        After accomplishing what he wanted, Hanuman, looking over Lanka, pondered what he should do now "I feel what I did is not quite enough. I should do something which will create panic and pandemonium in the entire Lanka. I should do something here that will further create anguish to all the rakshasas in Lanka. I have demolished the garden. I have killed some valiant rakshasas. I destroyed a portion of the army. The demolition of the fort is still remaining, of course. When the fort gets destroyed, Rama's winning over Ravana in the battle will be devoid of fatigue. By the grace of all my well wishers, the blazing flame on my tail is not at all bothering me. It will not be so for these rakshasas. I feel that it is my duty to satisfy Agni, in requital, by feeding him to the full, with these excellent houses in the city of Lanka."
       Having decided the next course of action, Hanuman, with his burning tail, strolled over the house-tops of Lanka, like a cloud charged with lightning. Surveying the gardens and lofty palatial mansions, our hero Hanuman, without fear, passed from one house to another of the rakshas. Jumping down on Prahasta's house, Hanuman, with great swiftness, having the strength equal to his papa, scattered fire on it, and then jumpping over from there to another house belonging to Mahaparsva and fed his house for the dear Agni
        Hanuman then leaping to the houses of Vajradamshtra, Shuka and Sarana, the intelligent and burnt them. Barring the house of Vibhishana, Hanuman went successively burning the houses of Rashmiketu, Surya shatru, Hrasvakarna, Damshtra, Romasha, Yuddhonmatta, Matta, Dhvajagreeva, the terrific Vidyujjihva, Hastimukha, Karala, Pishacha, Shonitaaksha, Kumbhakarna, Makaraksha, Yajnashatru, Brahmashatru, Narantaka, Kumbha as also the evil-minded Nikumbha. All the wealth in those mansions were fed to Agni as a requital.
         Hanuman then reached the house of Ravana and burnt it along with all the wealthy contents with great relish. Seeing the house along with all the riches in it, of that ten headed rakshash being burnt to ashes, Hanuman happily roared like a cloud thundering at noon-time in a rainy season.
          Hanuman's dear papa Vayu joined hands with his pal Agni to  escalate the fire with a great speed and intensity, blazing like a fire that is to destroy the world. Papa Vayu carried the blazing fire to other houses, suo moto.
     Those large lovely mansions, with golden windows, embedded with pearls, gems and precious jewels were shattered to pieces. Seeing their abundant wealth turned to ashes the proud owners now turned into pitiable paupers cried "Alas! Agni has come really in a form of this vanara!"
         Some female residents of those houses crying and carrying their suckling’s, with their hair disheveled, fell down from their houses that were being consumed by fire, and shone like flashes of lightning falling from clouds in the sky.  Hanuman was happily seeing molten metals mixed with diamonds, corals, cat's eye-gems, pearls and silver, surging from every marvelous house.
           Flames of fire glittered like Kimshuka flowers at some places, blossoms of Shalmali tree at some places and like saffron-flowers at some other places.
       Our hero, Hanuman scorched the city of Lanka, as Rudra scorched the city of Tripura. Then, Agni, with a terrific prowess, further diffused the fire diffused by the swift Hanuman, stretching out a circle of flames, blazed and rose up to the summit of the mountain on which the city of Lanka was located.
       That fire diffused on those buildings, together with the wind picked up a speed equal to that of a fire at the time of dissolution of the world. It grew taller, touching the sky with a smokeless splendour. Those flames of fire shot up, as inflamed by ghee. The great fire persisted, surrounding the entire Lanka, having a good splendour equal to that of millions of suns and blazed like a broken-up hemisphere  of the world, creating many kinds of sounds of a wide-spread thunderbolt.
         The fire there with a fierce splendour, extended fully to the sky, shooting flames like Kumshuka flowers. The clouds, bearing the colour of blue lotuses as covered by the smoke emanating from  the fire were shining.
          All the residents of Lanka looking agape at the holocaust were muttering "He is not a vanara. He is either Indra, the Lord of celestials wielding a thunderbolt or Yama the lord of death or Varuna the lord of water or the wind-god or the fire seated in the third eye of Lord Shiva or the sun-god or Kubera the lord of riches or the moon-god. He may be Kala (the Time-spirit) himself. It seems that the rage of four-faced Brahma, the grand father of all and the creator of all has arrived here in the guise of a vanara, playing the role of the destroyer of rakshasas.
          "Or is he the supreme bright energy of Vishnu, the lord of maintenance of the Universe, unthinkable, inconspicuous, infinite and peerless, assuming the form of a vanara has come for the destruction of all rakshasas?"
        Lanka having been scorched many of its rakshashas, horses, chariots, elephants, multitude of birds, animals and trees, cried pitiably with tumultuous noise. Making a very terrific noise with a dreadful sound, the rakshashas cried "O my dear beloved son! O my beloved husband! O my friend! O my very auspicious life, filled with enjoyments!"
         Lanka appeared as though afflicted by a curse and defaced by the fury of Hanuman, enveloped by the flames of fire, with many of its distinguished heroes killed and  its brave as well as cowardly warriors in retreat. Hanuman saw Lanka with its dazed, frightened and dejected rakshasas, tortured by the  blazing flames of fire and  by the fury of Brahma the creator of the universe.
       After destroying the  garden  full of excellent trees, killing many great rakshasas in battle and burning that city endowed with a series of excellent houses, Hanuman, the son of Vayu, stood at ease. Standing there on the wonderful flat summit of the Mount Trikuta, Hanuman, having a garland of flames formed by his blazing tail, shone like the sun wearing a garland of rays.
         Then our hero sought Rama with his mind. Then, all the multitude of  celestials eulogized Hanuman.
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