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

Were I to slay a few Generals
Won’t that weaken Ravan’s force?
 
Found as I now Rama’s wife
What if I dent Ravan’s pride?
 
Why not eyes ’n ears I keep  
Wide open for task on hand?
 
Why fail assess relative strength
Of  Ravan’s men and us vanars?
 
Better I invite Ravan’s wrath
That he lets loose kinkar force.
 
Battle as I palace guards
Chance it gives to test their strength.

Oh, this garden of gardens
Could be dear to evil Ravan.
 
Were I to arson this garden
Spits fire enraged Ravan then.
 
Won’t he send his elite force
Alive or dead to take me soon?
 
Won’t I take on all of them
On my own in their own land?

All those high and mighty trees
Hurricane like then Hanuman mowed.
 
Bulldozed as he his way through
Birds there perched all lost their nests.
 
Set he as the place on fire
Seemed that like huge funeral pyre.
Birds there flew to save their lives
Sounds they made then reached the skies.
 
Fire as raged there thick and fast
Cried wildlife there then thus trapped.
 
Soon the scene turned inferno
Came dwellings all crumbling down.

Turned in no time burning coal
Garden meant for queens to cool. 
 
Hanuman in all eagerness  
Waited to take Ravan’s men
Expected to confront him. 

Canto 42

Panic in the Town 

To the sound of falling trees
Woke up Lanka from siesta.
 
Cried as flying birds all then  
Cuddled all Lankans in panic.
 
Reached as tongues of flame to skies
Rushed out Lankans from their homes.

So to put the fear of death  
In them into giant he turned. 
 
Ran to Seetha women in fright  
Hoping that she  throws some light.
 
Tell us Seetha what thee know
Why this fiend did came to us?
 
Fear thee have none to tell us  
What was that he spoke to thee?
 
Playing her cards close to chest
Countered Seetha them all thus:

How can thee ever expect me
Privy to thy demonic tricks? 
 
Find as serpents their kindred
Thou should know him from his ways?

If thou let me I surmise
Demon some could be on roll now.
 
Ran as some to Ravan then
Went round some to see debris.
 
Appraised Lankans then Ravan  
About the fiend that came to town.
 
O Lord Ravan came vanar

With whom Seetha spoke for long.
 
Pressed as we her long ’n hard
Preferred she not to divulge things.

It’s quite likely that vanar
Is one sent by her own man.
 
Garden that is Lanka’s pride
That is after thine own heart
Razed that vanar to the ground.
 
In spite of the fire he set
Sits as Seetha though unfazed, 
What else it’s but his miracle
Touch her none those tongues of fire?  
 
Clearly it was his intent
To see that Seetha was not hurt.
 
Sits still Seetha in cool shade
Right under the tree thus spared. 

That he conferred with Seetha
And caused arson in thy land
Feel that fiend hath doubly sinned.
 
Thus we feel O Lankan king
Spare thou must not that simian. 
 
Words those uttered by his folk  
Made then Ravan fume in rage. 
 
Scorch as if to all three worlds
Burned he like the mid-day sun. 

To restrain vanar on rampage
Committed Ravan his panzers.

Eighty thousand strong it was
Force he sent to take Hanuman.

On their way to pin him down
Armed they all were to the teeth.
 
Went they all to have a go
As if to keep date with death.
 
Came as he in striking range
Spears they threw all at him sharp.
 
Closed in they all soon on him
With their swords ’n clubs as well.
 
Itching for a fight with them
Hit the ground with tail Hanuman.
Grew then Hanuman all the more
Slapped he arms his to scare them.

 Sound that traversed to high skies
Made birds drop dead in their scores.

* Invoking Ram ’n Lakshman   
As well vanar Lord Sugreev,
Laid who store on Lord Rama
Thundered Hanuman at them thus:
 
Hanuman I’m Vayu’s son  
Privileged to serve mighty Ram
Lord of Koshal land there yore, 
None him in this world equals
Sent by him am errand boy
Smash I would now all thy heads. 

Ravans in their scores even
Match me not in battle skills,
Slabs ’n trees are all I need
For razing Lanka to the ground. 
 
Watch as thou in wonderment  
Find I Seetha unhindered
Leave then Lanka blessed by her. *

* These verses are the most

revered by the devout readers. 

In the face of Hanuman then
Saw there Ravan’s men nadir.
 
Being loyal to their Lord
Battle yet they gave Hanuman.
 
Unarmed as he flew in there
For use as his makeshift club
Pulled he latch of Lanka’s gates.
 
With that latch so thick and strong
Amuck he ran then amidst his foes.
 
In times yore as Indra did
Slew then Hanuman them in scores.
 Scanned he then the battleground
To take on them who stood the ground.
 
Managed who then to escape
Ran to Ravan with that news.
 
Slighting that as storm in teacup
So to throw the book at Hanuman
Sent then Ravan Prahastha’s son.    

Canto 43

Itching for Fight

None there left to give battle
Prahastha’s son as not yet reached 
Thought of future course Hanuman.

Thought he fit to despoil
Hill like palace found therein
Used for funeral pyres to lay.

Up the golden roof of it
Hop step and jump he went.
 
Perched on top of that terrace
Seemed he rivalled sun in skies.
 
Saw all those him stand up there
Wondered how he reached those heights.
 
Grew he so tall that he touched
Skyscape that was filled with clouds.

Slapped afresh he arms his strong
Sound that made the guards all there
Lose their consciousness en masse.

Prayed he Ram ’n Lakshman too
Invoked he Lord Sugreev’s grace.
 
Gaped as all those guards at him
Addressed Hanuman them all thus:
 
Come may Ravans in thousands
Won’t I mincemeat make them all.
 
Over thy dead bodies now
Go and I see Rama’s spouse.
 
So to unnerve them further
Roared he like thunderbolt.
 
Provoked by the daring of
Intruder who challenged them, 
Rose to one man guards all there
So to subdue who snubbed them.
 
Arrayed Ravan’s guards well built
Aimed they allied weapons at him.
 
Around the vanar thus they trapped
Whirlpool like look had those guards.
 
Enraged by their act Hanuman
Pulled he pillar of huge girth
Of that structure of sky high.
 
Like a rod he twirled it long
To ward off weapons they threw at him.

Sparks of friction emanated then 
Burnt that place all far and wide. 
 
Spoke thus Hanuman to those few
Survived then his great onslaught.
 
Force ours realize hath thousands  
Match who would me bone to bone.
 
Know they all to smash thy heads
Land would soon on Lankan shores.  
 
Know a weakling of vanar
Equals elephants ten no less.
 
Prowess elite force ours hath
Such is that thou can’t figure out.

Witness how all vanars would 
Come to kill thee with their nails. 

It’s thy ill fate that thy Lord
Snaring Seetha to thy land
Invited Ram’s wrath on thee
Hapless subjects of his State. 

Canto 44

Takes on Prahastha’s Son

Sent as he was by Ravan   
In time garden gate Prahastha’s 
Son had reached to slay Hanuman
Who by then came back to post. 

Came thus Hanuman face to face 
With Jambumali that Prahastha’s son
Savage fiend that slain all dared
Feared thus most the world over. 

Bow his rivalled Indra’s own
Sent shivers it down enemies’ spines.
 
Strung as he the string to test
Of his bow to serve his cause
Echoed its sound in high skies.

 
Driven in cart of four donkeys
Came as Prahastha’s son near him,
Greeted Hanuman him in scorn
Slapping hard his own thighs then.
 
Jambumali then lost no time
Aimed he arrows sharp at him.

 Missed no arrow its target
Tip to toe was hurt Hanuman.
 
Bloodied face of Hanuman then
Looked like flowering rose at dawn.
 
Hurt by arrows in their scores
Mouth of Hanuman’s coral red
Looked like lotus in full bloom.
 
So to launch a blitzkrieg on
Prahastha’s son by Ravan sent
Picked up some slab then Hanuman.

What he hurled at Prahastha’s son
Turned that then to pebbles latter. 
 
Enraged Hanuman plucked a tree     
And javelined hard at Jambumali. 
 
Aimed his arrows Prahastha’s son  
Tree that just left Hanuman’s hands.
 
Prowess such was Jambumali’s
Shot he arrows in their scores
Missed none of them its target 
Chipped to firewood tree all that.

With the shield of tree thus lost
To body blows of Prahastha’s son
Laid bare then all Hanuman frame.
 
Hanuman pulled a door latch then
Leapt he thus at Prahastha’s son.
 
Hit then Hanuman with that latch
Chest of Prahastha’s son that strong. 

Blow that Hanuman dealt was such
Broke all bones of fiend that strong.
 
Battered as by Hanuman then
Lay dead Ravan’s chosen one.
 
Heard as breaking news Ravan
Of the death of Prahastha’s son
Went he into rare frenzy.
So to bring to book Hanuman
Sent Ravan for seven Marshals
Heirs apparent of secretaries.

Canto 45

Marshals in the Mire

Like the balls of fearsome fire
Forthwith set out seven Marshals.
 
Famous for their fighting skills
Went thy all for Hanuman’s scalp.
 
Drawn by horses that were swift
Chariots theirs were made of gold.
 
Bows theirs were all gold plated
Quivers of theirs were made of gems.

Enraged they all at the thought
Scores of Lankans lost their lives
In their own land at alien hands. 
 
At the head of their force then
Attack they led all from the front.
 
Like the darts of pouring rain
Sent they arrows in their scores.
 
In the midst of that downpour
Stood then Hanuman like a rock. 
 
Rose as Hanuman to high skies
Made he null and void those 
Arrows thus they aimed at him.
 
Battled as he them from skies
Seemed he rainbow well therein.
 ,

Thundered as he from high skies
Shivered demons all there gathered. 
 
So to make all those Marshals
Bite the dust in battle dress
Needed Hanuman just bare fist.
 
By the scare thus caused by him 
Demons all in scores then and there
Died of stroke by awe they felt.
 
Those all at the fringes then
Retreated to save their skin.
 
Looked the battlefield in time
Like the burial ground to brim.
Formed as canals blood by then
Flowed with force to hinterland. 

Seeing backs of fleeing ranks
Stood well Hanuman to take on
Fresh forays of Lankan force
Ordained by king Ravan next. 

Canto 46

Generals in the Dumps

Pondered Ravan death over
Chosen ones all in their scores. 
 
Thought he then it fit to send
Four star Generals to take on
Vanar that was hard to beat.

Chose he Durdhar and his ilk
Wage who war with lightning speed.

Said Ravan to his Generals
Wise it’s not to take chances
With that vanar on rampage.
 
Use all thy wile to ensnare 
Him to bring thus to me live.
 
That he could slay best of us
Makes him mighty foe no less.
 
For the havoc he had wrought
Reckon I not him mere vanar.
 
Seems Indra with all his guile
Shaped this simian our equal.

Subdued as we for him long
Sense it makes to expect that
Try he might to hurt us thus.

Need thou tackle this vanar
With but joint move by thee.
 
Seems he ghost by Indra sent
Doubt have I none in my mind.
 
Know I Vali and his tribe
Give who can a hearty fight.