Sundara Kãnda: Hanuman's Odyssey, BS Murthy [classic book list txt] 📗

Canst if thou come back with me
Bestow something that soothes him.
 
Moved to core as Rama’s wife
Spoke with ardour to Hanuman. 
 
Dost thou remind my man then
The story of that amorous crow.

It was during our outing
On the banks of Mandakin
Happened that in broad daylight. 
   
Stayed we then at Siddhashram
Laid which was in thick garden.
 
Lay as I in Rama’s lap
Having lapped up garden path,
Got a crow at my bosom  
Dropped I pallu chasing it. 
 
Pushed as that I in dismay
Back it came to try its luck.
 
Lord mine witnessed that tussle
In which my breasts got exposed. 
 
Amused by its eagerness
Teased as Ram with innuendos
Kept I blushing all the while.
 
Scolded him as I roundly
Me he took then in embrace
Smiled he sweetly to soothe me.

Tears that gushed then from my eyes
Streams as they made on my cheeks
Wiped them he to comfort me.   
 
Sapped as I lay in his lap
Slumbered I for so long thus.
 
Woke up as I my man took
Turn his to rest on my thigh.
 
Finding my man in deep sleep
Back came that crow to resume
Beaked it flesh from my bosom. 

Bore all as I fearing that
Gets disturbed my man in sleep
Blood in streams from my valley
Made its way to Rama’s chest.  
 
Having woke up by its warmth
Saw my Lord then my torment. 
 
Hurt as I was by that crow
Pearl like breasts mine turned corals.
 
Saw as Ram that eager crow 
With its blood stained beak ’n all
Gripped was my Lord with anger.

Oh, that crow was Kakasur
Happened to be Indra’s son
Known to cover the earth and all
With the matching speed of sound.
Seeing Rama’s blood red eyes
Saw the danger Kakasur
Flew thus swiftly in panic.
 
Upset by the hurt it caused
To me beloved of his heart
Lost no time Ram to punish it.

Took he some reed lay nearby
Which with power of his mantra
Turned then into Brahmastra.

Chased that missile Kakasur
All the way to Indra’s place.

Even Lord of heavenly gods   
Felt he could not help his son.
 
Back came that crow to save life
Sought he pardon from my Lord.  
 
Though Ram came to forgive him
The weapon in use was sure to hurt.

As a way to save his life
Pleaded Kakasur with Ram
Let the damage be limited
To the right eye that he bore.
 
Having owed his life to Ram
Left then one-eyed Indra’s son.
 
Wonder how the one who used
Brahmastra on Kakasur
Fails to put the same to use   
To punish the man who confines me?
 
Is it that Ram fails to know
Bitter would be his better half!
 
Having taken vow to help
All and sundry in distress
Is it fair for Ram to leave 
His own one thus in the lurch? 
 
Not the one to act in haste
Hath he patience of oceans.
Hath my suffering not tested
Patience his with vile Ravan?

Aims as he and shoots arrows
Escape none there for his foes. 
 
If my Lord has some concern
For me forlorn spouse of his
Won’t he come to my rescue?
What of Lakshman his sibling
Moves not one inch in spite of 
The loss of sister-in-law his?

Surely my Lord and Lakshman
On their own can bring to knees
Gods all there in heaven at once. 

Looks like it’s my misfortune
That my Lord and his sibling
Should make no move to rescue
Me from clutches of this man.
 
Moved as Hanuman by lament
Of the hapless Rama’s wife
Tried he thus to cheer her up.

Swear I to the fact that Ram
Swallowed was by thy sorrow.

Now that I would head to Ram
With the tidings of our meet
Know its beginning of the end
Of thy sorrows of all hues.
 
For these demons to rue in time
Count on Ram to bring curtains
Down on Ravan’s Lankan stage.
 
It’s no big deal for Rama
To make cruel Ravan meet
His nadir with all his men.
 
Let me hasten to thy man
So to convey news of thine.
 
In spite of the hope it gave
Spoketh in teras thus Seetha.
 
Tell my man that I live by
Hope of making life with him.
 
What else can I wish for him
Rama’s dearest brother Lakshman 
That he joins his wife soon
Whom he left to serve us both. 

Sad it was that he gave up 
Conjugal his life for long
So to take care of us both. 
 
He is such a pet of Ram
For he is a handsome man. 
Though he is my brother-in-law
Me he treats as mother no less. 
 
If not for his loving care  
In our exile in those woods  
Life would have been hell for us.  
 
Know that Rama loves Lakshman
Much more than me his own spouse. 
 
Sees Ram their dad in Lakshman
And that helps him soothe himself. 

To do the needful for my sake
Trust I would thou spur Lakshman. 
 
Entrust I would thee the task
To goad my man to take me back. 

Let my man know I wouldn’t live
Day one longer than one month. 
 
Surely Rama can save me
From the sin of my suicide. 
 
As a token of her love
To be passed on to her man
Gave him Seetha her diadem. 
 
Took that Hanuman in reverence
Matched which well with ring finger. 
 
Felt then Hanuman truly blessed
For the trust that Seetha placed. 
 
Being in front of Seetha
Bore he Rama in his mind.  
 
At length he came out of trance
Made he move to take her leave.  

Canto 39

Doubts to the Fore

In her new found hope Seetha
Voiced then her feelings thus: 
Once Rama sees this diadem  
Warmth of my love fills his heart. 

It’s all left to thee Hanuman
How thou make it back to Ram. 
 
Hope thou slip not on thy way  
So that I could come out clean. 
Having assured her Hanuman
Inclined was he to take leave. 

Lost her nerve then Rama’s wife
Leave would Hanuman all too soon. 

In the choking tone of hers
Encored she her feelings thus:

Tell O Hanuman my concern
To my man and his sibling. 
 
Protocol by thou deem it fit 
Regards mine pay to thy folk
One by one to each of them. 
 
Feel I thou art the right one
To goad my Lord to save me true. 

Fetch thou Rama for my sake
Earn thee goodwill of us both. 
 
Like a rock thou stand by Ram
Hurricane like stir his conscience.    
 
Roused if Ram by thee Hanuman
Know he would turn typhoon then.  
 
Having heard thus Seetha speak
Assured Hanuman Rama’s spouse. 
 
At the head of vanar force
In no time would land Lord Rama.  
 
Declares as Ram war on him
Face would Ravan wrath his then. 
 
Surely thy hurt would impart
Cutting edge to thy Lord’s wrath.  

Know thy Ram is all eager
To make thee empress of this world. 

Felt then Hanuman Seetha’s words   
Worthy they all woman of note 
So he addressed her nerves thus:  

How thee fail to reckon Sugreev’s 
Resolve to win this war for Ram? 
 
To take on Ravan and his men
Know brings Sugreev to Lanka
Tens and thousands of vanars. 
 
Know our vanar force excels
Man to man all Ravan’s men. 
 
Creed it’s that of us vanars
Not to show our backs to foes. 
 
Bears in our force in numbers 
None the less than our vanars. 
 
Deem if thou me fit and strong  
Know my folk score more than me. 
 
Came as I here all the way
For the rest all it’s child’s play. 

Thus O Seetha in no time
Land would vanars in Lanka.  
 
On my shoulders take I Ram
As well Lakshman to fly them. 

Once they set foot in Lanka
Know that would end Ravan’s reign. 
 
Perish as Ravan and his men
Take thee back would Rama home. 
 
Lurks as Ravan’s end in corner  
Come to quick end thy sufferings.  
 
As would Ravan bite thus dust
Reach thou thy Lord as free soul. 
 
Bound as Ravan to exit
Bid all sorrows thee adieu. 
 
Though he felt he said it all
Resumed Hanuman on second thought. 

Mark my word O Rama’s wife
Man thy would soon kill Ravan.  
 
So to slay all Ravan’s men
Vanars know need no more than 
Mere their nails ’n teeth of theirs.  
 
Won’t the war cries of vanars 
Make all Ravan’s men stone-deaf? 

 Piqued as by pain in groin  
Caused by longing for thee long 
Heat thy man turns on Ravan
Caused who thus thy separation. 

Thus O Seetha be certain
Bound is Ram to take thee back.  
 
Man as thy hath his sibling 
Face to Ravan’s force in tow
What is there for thy worry? 
 
With the end of Ravan thus
Turn thou new leaf in thy life.

Canto 40

Repeats the Dose

Spurred as Seetha by pep talk
Spoke she then with fortitude. 
  
Words thy no less drops of rain
Land on that so parched for long.  
 
In the despaired heart of mine 
Seed like words as sowed by thee
Seem they turned all sprouts of hope.  

Ever I cherish the time I spent
With my beloved spouse Rama,
Keep in mind to remind my Lord
The tale of crow that lost its eye. 
 
In that night-long lovemaking
Smudged as dot my vermillion
Remind my Ram that he fashioned
Dot on my cheek not forehead. 
 
How a valorous man like Ram
Fails to wreck his vengeance on
Man who came to snare his wife? 
 
Let him know that this diadem
Which I got at our wedding
Helps me think of him fondly. 
 
Now that I have parted with
Let him know that have I none
Helps that to soothe my torment.
 
It’s the hope of meeting him
With which I bear slights all these.
 
Live I thirty days in hope
Fails if my Lord me by then
Left I with but no option
Than to take my life on own.

 
Ram if fails to come in time
With no reason to live more,
Ogles at me as Ravan  
Bear I won’t his lustful look. 

Sank as Seetha in sorrow  
Spoke thus vanar to cheer her.
 
Swear I do now by thy man
Fond he is no less of thee.
 
Now that I traced thee at last
For the end of thy sorrows
Note the count down hath started.   
 
As and when I let him know
Though art confined by Ravan 
To land in Lanka with vanars
Wastes not Ram a second even.
 
Battle Royal that follows
Ensures Ram would slay Ravan.

To spur on Rama even more
Why not give me something more?
 
Show if thou him my diadem
To spur him on to fight for me
Need there none for something else.
 
Enthused by her words Hanuman
Stirred his frame to fly back home.
 
Grew as he in size Hanuman
In awe Seetha gazed at him.
 
At the prospect of his loss
Spoke to him in tears Seetha.
 
Tell my man ’n his sibling
Suffering am in anxiety.
 
How to rescue me in time
Counsel Rama O Hanuman.
 
Fare thee well O dear vanar
Know I wish thee bon voyage.
 
To journey back to Kishkindha
All set Hanuman to leave her.

Canto 41

Rampage in the Park

Bid as adieu Hanuman soon
Exuded warmth Seetha then.

 
As he left her felt Hanuman -  

Were I to fail to probe Lanka
Won’t my trip be incomplete?
 
How to test the guys all these
Than ride