FINDING THE MOTHER, sathyanarayana [the red fox clan TXT] 📗

and let him rest.
Not oft we do receive such grandest guests.”

39. “O’ towering friend! Rise up to the surface! There comes
the gallant warrior of apes! It’s time; become
his host; up rise; there zips the mighty Hanuman like breeze.
Adorn my bluish skin with golden shines; there he’s!”

40. With that appeal up raised the mountain head
with golden crests, spreading splendorous blaze
around as if a thousand Suns huddled
in skies, to gaze the Son of Winds, with daze.


41. With awesome grace and glow the Mount egressed
spilling aside the water mass, boundless;
the way the holy Shiva-Lingam rose; on that primeval day of genesis
impaling through the womb of dark Cosmos
and touched the deep blue yonder standing straight across
the speeding Hanuman to his surprise. He paused;
annoyed and banged his bosom hard against the rocks
about to break the mount into a million blocks.

42. The mount perceived his thought; anon appraised
“Oh wait the Golden Ape! I’m not for fight.
At the instance of Saagara I raised
above the waters blue, to offer you respite”

42. “My mount with golden crests is the favourite
abode of all celestials and saints
like Kinneras, Nagas, Kimpoorushas
siddas, rishis, yetis and Saranas.”

43. “You might have got weary in this long flight
oh towering Warrior of Apes! Just wait!
You can repose as long as you can here
and well regain some verve and lost vigour.”


44. “I have a lot of trees with fruits and pools
with waters sweet! Come quench your thirst with glee
and taste those fruits of rare array and cool
under the canopies of lofty trees.”

45. “This ocean owes to Rama’s ancestors
a favour, since it’s born by their efforts.
I too owe you O’ mighty Son of Gales
one favour good; listen to mountains’ tale.”

46. “Our Mountains once had wings and flew in skies;
enjoyed our avian powers, but unwise.
We flew across the world without restraints
and teased the Devathas, Rishis and saints
by threatening a crash lunge over them.
The worlds were scared; they cursed and did condemn.”

47. “Indra, the Lord of Devathas, irate
at our malice; began to clip our wings.
But swept me far away, your father great
and flung into the bowels of ocean king.”


48. “Remained I here in this enormous mass
of water, sans the fear of Lord Indra;
in passant, acting as a permanent
hindrance to the fell Daithyas of abyss
from raising up to the lay upper worlds
to the unsaid acquiescence of Indra.”

49. So pleased was Hanuman with those nice words.
“This Ram’s mission can never be deferred
O’ friend; sans stop I swore to reach the shore.
But happy I’m for the courtesy you’ve shown.”

50. So said the mighty Hanuman had touched
that rock in token of his thanks; and touched
was stoic Mound by his enormous charm.
Then took to skies that Maven, chanting “Ram
hey Ram, O’ Ram, my Ram, O’ Sita Ram.”

51. Both Mainaka and Saagara had praised and prayed
the mighty Hanuman with folded hands and stayed
unmoved with stares of disbelief at blue sky-line
disserved by golden shines of Hanuman, benign.


SURASA

52. The Devathas, so pleased, if not benumbed
at Hanuman’s exploits, his grit, aplomb
and tact, had thought of putting him to test;
this time, one tougher than, so far he met.

53. They called Surasa; mother sorceress
from Naga race and asked to play her charms
on Hanuman; to test his true finesse
and wits and devotion towards his Ram.

54. She donned a dreadful form and blew up jaws; vicious,
enough to take the worlds in single gulp, with ease.
Her eyes like burning balls of fire and size immense
stood intercepting Hanuman’s cruise, ambitious.

55. She yelled, “Oh ape you’re prized as my tonight’s
dessert by Devathas! Without a bleat
or shout, enter my mouth, O’ tasty meat.
Let me devour! Severe my appetite! ”

56. Amused; the wise and mighty Son of Winds
had said with folded hands, “Oh pretty fiend
I’m on mission of Ram, my master pious
in search of Sita, His spouse, virtuous.”


57. “Ram’s the King of Kings of earth and heavens.
He’s an epitome of Dharma, love and finesse,
born to save the saints from evil demons
subjects we’re in His kingdom, oh ogress!”

57. “In Ram’s domain, you too a citizen!
Allow me go and get His benison.
Let me fulfil my Ram’s mission, I will
return to fill your mouth, I vow; to full”

58. “Surasa had laughed and said, “Can none escape
who crossed into my realm, become my meal!
I got from Lord Brahma this boon, O’ Ape”
With those curt words opened her mouth with zeal.

59. Incensed, the Scion of Winds increased his size ten-fold.
Surprised, the witch of Nagas blew up her muzzle
by twenty-fold; then Hanuman bettered to forty-fold;
when spread the Nagin, hundred-fold, ready to guzzle.

60. “Enough of this pastime”, the mighty Ape had thought.
He shrunk into a finger sized gibbon and jumped
into her mouth and in a trice lunged out uncaught.
Then laughed and said to that astounded coiled lump:


61. “Oh beautiful Surasa, honoured I
your boon and honoured the Author of Fates.
On evil Ravana set are my eyes.
I have to reach Lanka before it’s late.”

62. Assumed Surasa her form real with pleasant mien
and said, “Kudos to you oh Hanuman, I am
so pleased by your good sense and mind serene.
Go find our Ma and bring good news to Ram.”

63. “Ye chant the sweetest name Ram, hey Ram, Ram,
Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram”
Thus chanting sweet and loud his Master’s name
“Hey Ram, hey Sita Ram, jai Ram, jai, jai Ram”
he raised and raised into the skies to claim
the vast expanse, with that name, a holy psalm.

With vigour new, anew, he swirled and whirred
in air with flair, whipping the winds as stirred
were cirrus clouds and sprinkled showers cold
as if carolling odes of thunderous bodes
ready to fast unfold of action bold.

The scared vultures and frightened erne were bared
off their feathers and thrown to far away
vistas. About the tender gulls, blue jays
the sweet little sparrows and doves, who cared?


He zipped and vroomed, fuming and zooming
with whizzing din, spitting fire, furious and wild
a solidus like, between the skies and earth
high and higher swooping and usurping
into the domains, deep and deeper,
of the welkin, touching and caressing
its upper and uppermost, unseen,
unknown and unravelled horizons
rocking, distracting and jerking
the Zodiac and the time gnomon,
brushing and buffing the heavens,
peeping and seeping into the grand Empyrean,
baffling the ascetics and blissful beings,
watching the Kinneras dancing,
Listening to the Gandharvas singing,
Yekshas tuning veenas, playing mridangas
and flutes, Nagas shaking their hoods
and Celestial saints immersed in rigorous
penance and deep musings
sometimes spiralling up like a rising star
splitting the vast expanse
anon, deigning to lows, like a meteor flash,
splashing the ocean waters,
Veer Hanuman, glided fast and faster
swift and swifter, excited and eager
followed by fame and backed
by the blessings of Ram

Jai Hanuman, jai, jai Hanuman

SIMHIKA

64. Simhika, a hungry ocean monster sighted
Hanuman, the flying ape and her eyes lighted
“For tonight’s repast, I got some fatty viands”
thought, licking her lips that ugly, hungry gourmand.

65. She started dragging Hanuman towards her nigh
By his dim shadow sailing on the ocean high.

66. Hanuman, surprised at his decreasing vigour
looked around to find that massy grisly spectre.

67. Recalled the warning king Sugreeva, hinted ere;
recognized that, as demon Simhika for sure.
Increased his size like a nimbus of the spring.
That giant as well had bared her mouth; a foul well-spring.

68. The astute Son of Winds observed that beast uncouth.
Suddenly shrunk in size and leaped inside her mouth.

69. Siddas and Saranas had gasped
in stunned silence as the Son of Squalls