Tuesday 14 April 2015

254. Hanuman describes the plight of Seetha.

          After a pause for a few moments Hanuman continued “I think that it is the power of the virtuousness of Seetha, Rama’s effort and Sugreeva’s zeal are accomplished. No wonder my mind too is devoted to her. Ravana, the king of Rakshasas, who is strong in every way, can burn away all the three worlds. When he is enraged, he can scorch away his adversaries. His body, which touched Seetha the daughter of Janaka, was not destroyed because of his askesis.
        “I have reported to you about everything that has happened from the time I left for Lanka to the time I returned here.
      I think it would be good idea to see those two princes Rama and Lakshmana along with Seetha. If all of you agree Jambavan may take over the command of our party. I feel that I alone may be able to destroy that City of Lanka together with those troops of rakshashas as also the mighty Ravana. It being so, when this whole party under the command of Jambavan marches to Lanka, Ravana and his cronies will have no chance.
       "When accompanied by you, who is strong, whose spirit is disciplined, who is proficient in the use of arms, valiant, longing for victory and moving by jumps, no one in this world will be able to match us in a battle. In the battle, I on my part will kill Ravana along with his army, his forerunners, his sons and his brothers.
        “I can blow out the missiles presided over by Indra the lord of celestials, Brahma the creator, Rudra the god of destruction, Vayu the wind-god, Varuna the god of water and even those missiles which are difficult to be faced, employed by Ravana’s mighty and redoubtable son Indrajit. My prowess, when permitted by you, will frustrate that Ravana. The shower of rocks, which will be unequaled and incessant, discharged by me, can kill even celestials.
       “The ocean may overflow its shore. Mount Mandara may move from its position. But, in battle, no army of adversaries can stagger Jambavan. The heroic Angada, the son of Vali alone, is more than adequate to destroy all the troops of rakshasas and even the rakshasas who were their progenitors.
        “All of us know about the rapid movement of the thighs of Neela and  Panasa. There is no doubt that the Mount Mandara can be shattered by them. Tell me any one, even among Gandharvas the celestial singers, Uragas the serpents, Pakshis the birds, the celestials, rakshasas, Yakshas, the semi-divine beings who can face Mainda or Dvivida.
      “These two illustrious sons of Ashvini Kumaras, Mainda and Dvivida are the foremost among the vanaras. In the battle-field, no one will dare to face them. Proud of having received boons from Brahma, the creator and their grandfather, these two foremost among all the vanaras, abiding with a supreme confidence, live on Amrita.
      "Long ago, Brahma the grandfather of all the worlds, honoured the Ashvini Kumaras with    unequalled and inviolable boons. Armed with such boons, those two vanaras harassed many celestials.
        "I am sure that these Mainda and Dvivida alone are capable of destroying the entire city of Lanka together with its horses, chariots and elephants.
        “I alone burnt and destroyed the City of Lanka. In all its royal high-ways, I proclaimed proudly 'Victorious is Rama, the exceedingly strong and the mighty Lakshmana too! Victorious is King Sugreeva, protected by Rama. I am Hanuman, a servant of Rama and the son of Vayu.' In this way, the names of Rama and others were heralded by me.
       "In the midst of Ashoka garden of the evil-minded Ravana, underneath a Shimshupa tree, the virtuous Seetha was seen staying dejected, encircled as she was with rakshasis, agonized with grief and anguish, lusterless like the first night after the new moon night of the moon encircled by a line of clouds and disregarding that Ravana, who is arrogant of his attractive personality.
       "Seetha, a devoted and virtuous wife has been placed under restraint. The auspicious Seetha is devoted to Rama in all ways, giving her undivided thought to Rama like Shachi the goddess giving her concern to Indra, the destroyer of strong holds. Wearing that single piece of cloth, which she had on her person when being borne away by Ravana, and was covered with dust, she was seen by me in a miserable condition with her grief and anguish.
        "I saw Seetha in a royal pleasure garden, amid the rakshasis. Seetha was being frightened time and again by those ugly rakshasis. Seetha, wearing a single braid of hair and looking depressed, was always thinking about her lord. Looking like a lotus with a discoloured figure in winter, she had determined to die, to escape the persecution  from Ravana.
            "With great difficulty, I infused confidence in that fawn-eyed Seetha. I told her everything her dear hubby and his bro were doing to find her. She was delighted to hear the camaraderie cropped up between Rama and Sugreeva. That the most chaste wife of Rama, Seetha does not kill Ravana who has committed an offence because she conducts herself well with restraint. Seetha, who is by her own nature was emaciated because of separation from her lord, seemed to have further emaciated like the learning of a scholar continuing his studies even on the first day of lunar fortnight which must be observed as a complete holiday by students. Thus, the illustrious Seetha remains immersed in grief beyond any comparison. I feel that we should do something immediately to relieve her from her misery as quickly as we can."
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1 comment:

  1. Why is Lanka referred to as the city of Lanka? Was it not an island nation then? What was the capital of Lanka?

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