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

Yet they make no patch on this
Simian shaped by Indra’s wile.
 
Looks he like a superman
Out to test our demonic strength. 
 
All of thee though severally 
Could win over this simian
Wisdom lies to take on him
With the combined strength of thine.  
 
Pays regardless though to press 
One shouldn’t fail to guard his flanks.
 
Spurred on thus by king Ravan
Pressed his Generals to the front. 
 
Seemed it as an exodus
Led as they their force varied.
 
Came they face to face in time
To face thus Hanuman lay in wait.
 
So that they could surprise him
Pounced they all at once on him. 
 
With no let the five all fought 
With their lightning arms to boot. 
 
First to hit him was Durdhar
With his arrows five so sharp
Managed which all but to scratch 
Frame that giant of Hanuman then.
 
Took that Hanuman as affront
Turned he skyward to confront.

 

So to engage in dogfight
Made chariot his then Durdhar 
Airborne like a fighter jet
 
Wind as toys with clouds all
Arrows all those of Durdhar
Managed Hanuman to scatter.

 Durdhar’s job to make difficult
Grew then Hanuman further more.
 
In time from high skies Hanuman
Landed straight on Durdhar’s cart.
 
Crushed as Durdhar therein lay
Saucer turned his chariot huge.
 
With the fall of Durdhar thus
Crushed he couple of more Generals.
 
Not to give up Ravan’s men
Hit all Hanuman in tandem
With their maces on his chest.

Withstood he then their assault
With no more than his bare first. 
 
Enraged in the end Hanuman
Plucked a tree large lay thereby 
With which he felled Ravan’s men.
 
With the death of his peers thus
Took on Hanuman Praghana then.
 
Bhasakarna too joined hands
So to aid then Praghana’s cause.

 

Threw as Praghana at Hanuman
Sword his sharp with all his strength
Bhasakarna sent lance his long.

Bled his body head to foot
Hurt as Hanuman by them both.
 
Plucked then Hanuman some hillock
With which he crushed them to bones.
 
Having killed all five Generals 
Slain he then the entire force.
 
In his fury then Hanuman
Looked like Indra on rampage.

 

Littered by the corpses then
Graveyard looked the battlefield. 
 
Amidst the ruins of Ravan’s hopes
Stood like colossus Hanuman then.

 

Canto 47

Akshay’s Life on Line

 

Heard as all of Durdhar’s fall 
Akshay truly itched for fight.
 
Fell as Ravan’s eyes on him
Bowed his son with golden bow. 
 
In his chariot made of gold
Rode as Akshay to Hanuman
Seemed he like the sun on move. 
 
Wind God it beats at his game
Akshay’s chariot drawn by eight. 
Custom built in heaven itself
Out-maneuvers it all on earth.

 Battles as he from that frame
None can ever face Akshay then. 
 
With such battle guard Akshay
Went to confront Hanuman then. 
 
Like the lion on hunt Akshay
Looked at Hanuman as his prey. 

Having met his match Akshay

Felt eager to fight Hanuman. 

 

To tease the vanar to fight him
Shot Akshay then three arrows.
 
Failed as they to hurt his foe
Saw the fight on hand Akshay.
 
Hanuman too then came to see
Makes Akshay hard nut to crack. 
 
Raged as battle between them
Stopped all worlds to witness that.
 
Bull’s eye hit those arrows three
Aimed by Akshay at Hanuman’s
Head that he held ever so high.
 
Blood as spilled on his frame thus
Made him seem the morning sun. 
 
Enthused by the fight on hand
Enhanced his frame then Hanuman.

 
So to account his foe’s affront
Destroyed vanar Akshay’s force. 
 
Angered at that Akshay then
Aimed arrows in scores at him,
Akin that was to downpour 
Of monsoon on mountain then.
 
Prowess at such of Akshay
Shouted Hanuman his salute.

Went as the praise to his head
Taunted Akshay Hanuman then
To fight the one whom angels dread.
 
Hurt though he was by arrows   
Sent in rows by Akshay’s bow,
To take then on the daring youth
Jumped up Hanuman high in skies.

With no respite to Hanuman
Aiming arrows thick and fast
As would hailstorm hill terrain
Chased him all the way Akshay. 
 
With his lightning reflexes
Escaped arrows all Hanuman.
 
Taking  Akshay’s tender youth 
Though he was no babe at arms
Felt like sparing him Hanuman.

 

But then Akshay was intent
To take the vanar his captive.
 
Matchless prowess of Akshay
Made the son of Vayu think
Youth he was not meant to die.
 
Lad this Ravan’s on his own    
Could bring gods ’n angels too
Knees on to theirs in battles.
 
Battle that’s on hand I now
Looks he’s gaining upper hand.
 
Fail if I now to confine him
Shame me he would in no time. 
 
No way out for me but now
Than slay Akshay Ravan’s son.
 
Killed as prelude then Hanuman
Stallions eight of Akshay’s cart.

 Broke as Hanuman his vehicle
Hors de combat turned Akshay.
 
Not the one to get daunted
Kept up tempo still Akshay.
 
Eagle as an would have its prey
Took hold Akshay’s legs Hanuman.
 
Handled Hanuman then Akshay
Washerwoman would as garments
On some stone by waterside.

With the impact that it took
Akshay’s frame there lay tattered. 
 
With the fall of Akshay thus
Even Indra felt surprised.

To slay more of Ravan’s men
Lay then Hanuman there in wait.

 

Canto 48

It takes Indrajit

 

Aggrieved as by Akshay’s death  
Thought then Ravan of sending  
Son his eldest who subdued
Indra himself in battle.

Addressed Ravan his eldest
Who could invoke that mantra
To make his arrow Brahmastra
And thus stun foes formidable.
 
With thy prowess at battle
Beat thou all in battlefield.

 
With thy mystic powers and all
None can harm thee in combat.
 
Is there any in all three worlds
Hath who not heard of thy fame.
 
In the art of waging war
Thou I know are my equal.
 
At the hands of this vanar
Dared who challenge Lanka’s might
Warriors in their thous did die
With the Generals at their head.
 
Wonder how did our Akshay
In spite of his combat skills
Come a cropper with vanar!

 Wise it not to take him light  
Saw who end of young Akshay
And such veterans from our ranks
 
Won’t thy sight in battlefield
Scare the mighty of all worlds.
 
Wiped as vanar our panzers
Akshay ’n the five Generals
Not to speak of seven Marshals
Makes it no sense to expose  
More of our men to the same.
 
Using arms of thine varied
Use there none to waste thy time
Looks like none but Brahmastra
Could take care of this vanar.

For the dharma of the land
Won’t let rulers fight the foes
Having men to fill that role
Constrained am I to send thee.
 
Takes as one the battlefield
Killer instinct he should have.

Ravan’s son then Indrajit

Rose to greet his revered dad.

 

Praised by all there to one man
Felt then Ravan’s son enthused.
 
On his errand Indrajit  
Seemed like tidal wave on move. 
 
Got he onto his chariot
Drawn by roaring lions all four.
 
With no further loss of time
Reached straight Indrajit target.
 
From his aura knew vanar
It was none but Indrajit
And that he had fight on hand.
 
Posited himself Indrajit  
To take the vanar in his stride.
 
With the dust the lions did kick
Filled was entire space in skies.

So to watch how Vayu’s son
Takes on one who subdued them,
With their fingers crossed in awe
Watched all gods there from high skies. 
 
Sight at that of Indrajit  
Itched then vanar to engage 
Him in single combat who
Done in Indra Lord of gods.  
 
Tested Indrajit his bow
Sound it made like thunderbolt.
 
In time Hanuman found himself
Engaged at war of his life.
 
As a ploy to stall his foe
Fought him Hanuman from the skies.
 
To make Hanuman his target
Sent Ravan’s son such arrows 
Wings which had to cruise in air.

Swift as Hanuman in escape
Arrows all those got past him.
 
Sparred with some more Indrajit
Managed Hanuman to thwart them.

 

As though to tease Indrajit
Neared as Hanuman ever so close
Shot then Ravan’s son arrows
With such aim to hit bull’s-eye
But swift as Hanuman in mid-air
Kept he ever thus out of range.

Sight all this made exciting
For all those who came to watch them.
 
Hanuman then was all at sea  
How to conquer Ravan’s son,
Latter too seemed have no clue
How to tackle foe his strange.
 
Worried all looked Indrajit 
For his failure to bring down
Foe of Lanka with his skills.
 
Realized Indrajit at length
Hard it was to slay Hanuman.

So he thought it fit to use
Brahmastra to stun Hanuman.

 Invoked Indrajit Brahma
Powers he arrow of his sharp
To stun Hanuman out of wits.
 
With the power of Brahmastra
Lay then Hanuman unconscious.
 
Hanuman by the blessings of
Brahma his own grandfather
In time regained consciousness.
 
Having realized Ravan’s son
Tied him with the Brahmastra
Recalled Hanuman boon he got
From Brahma to safeguard him.
 
How were Indrajit to know
Made me Brahma exempt from
Mantra invoked in his name?

 

Aware got he unshackled
From the grip of Brahmastra
Thought he fit to lay low then
Out of respect for the Lord
Brahma who gave birth to his
Father Vayu rules who skies.
 
Feared not Hanuman Indrajit
Blessed as he was by Brahma.
 
Taken he would be captive
All too well then Hanuman knew.
 
Feigned as Hanuman in coma
Sent men Ravan’s son to him.
 
Chose as he to turn captive
Lost no time then Ravan’s men
To tie his frame then tip to toe.  
 
Wanting then to meet Ravan   
Hanuman bore the insults all
Thrown at him by Lankans then.  
 
Soon as Lankans tied vanar
With ropes made of strong coir
Eased out its force Brahmastra.

Realized Indrajit in time
Foolishness it was to use  
Ropes to augment Brahmastra.
 

At loss was thus Indrajit
How to tackle Hanuman then
Got who freed from Brahmastra.
 
Pricked as Lankans all the way
Kept mum Hanuman in the hope
Led he would be to Ravan.   
 
Let thus Hanuman to take him
Though he could have freed himself.  
 
In time to the Lankan court
Brought was Hanuman tied in ropes. 
 
Took a hard look Ravan then
At that vanar who looked strong.  
 
In whispers then Ravan’s court
Wondered at the developments.

 

Angered were all those nobles
Slew that he their kith and kin,  
Soon as they saw Hanuman thus
Brayed all they for blood of his.  

  
At the sight of Ravan’s court
The like of which he never saw
Wondered Hanuman for his part. 

 

Ravan as he saw Hanuman 
Pushed  ’n prodded by his guards
Seemed too nonplussed as it were.  
 
Espied as he thus Ravan 
Had who aura of but God
Stunned no end was Hanuman then.
 
Lost as Ravan his cool soon
Wanted he to go to roots,
Bid he thus his men enquire
How come Hanuman did trespass.  

Council as then questioned him
Declared Hanuman that he came
Sent by vanar Lord Sugreev

On an errand of import.

 

Canto 49

Ravan’s Darbar

 

Stared as Ravan in dismay   
Looked at him in awe Hanuman.  
 
Studded as it with rare diamonds
Had king Ravan crown of crowns.
 
Garments Ravan wore were silk
Ornaments on him all were gold. 
 
Frills to its his dress scented  
Smeared with ash was his forehead.
 
Eyes of his so wide and sharp
Turned they red by his rage then.
 
Heads he sported ten in all
Seemed they all but as if one.
 
Wore as myriad chains of gems
Dangled which on his bare chest,  
Made they rays of mid-day sun