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

Epaulets he wore seemed to crown

Hands his both so strong and long. 

Sat thus Ravan on his throne
Had that for seat smooth carpet.
 
Posited as he on high throne
Fanned him damsels for comfort. 

With their advice to render
On call were his secretaries.
 
In the midst of those gathered
Seemed he island in high seas.
 
Ravan in his darbar seem
As though Indra held his court.
 
Stood then Hanuman gaping at
Ravan at his splendorous best. 
 
Though the pain of confinement
Made him feel thus out of sorts
Sight of Ravan made Hanuman
Stare at him in wonderment.

Bowled over by Ravan’s charm
Thought over then Hanuman thus:
 
Can there be a king on earth
Better who can the Ravan Great?

 
Were he not to foul dharma
Is he not the one to rule
In his right the heaven as well.
 
But that he is perverted
World all made to pay the price.
 
Were Ravan to set his mind
To destroy earth and heaven itself
Power he seems to have for that.

Canto 50

Cause of Loss

Seeing Hanuman unshaken
Smitten was Ravan by doubts then.

Wondered Ravan if bull god
Cursed him when he shook Kailash
Came in disguise to harm thus.
 
Or could he be that Banasur
Came in form of this vanar?
 
Clueless as was Ravan then
Prahastha he then addressed thus:
 
Wish I Prahastha thee find out
Wherefore came this simian fiend, 
What was at his back of mind 
Spoiled when he our garden? 

Trespass why did he Lanka
Made him what to give us fight?
 
Assured Prahastha then vanar
Harm him none would in Lanka.
 
Promised he then safe passage
To trespasser there thus lay trapped.
 
Have thou come to spy on us
Sent by gods from heaven itself? 
 
Clear it’s all from thy valour
That thou art no mean vanar.
 
Mince no words ’n bare the truth 
That we could thee free forthwith.
 
If  thou try to sidetrack us
Know that will be at thy risk.

 
Hanuman in turn told Ravan
That his trip had none to do
With the gods that Lankans scorned.
 
Am I from the vanar ranks
Came to see thee king Ravan.
 
Spoiled I know thy garden  
That thy guards would usher me
To thy court O Lankan king.
 
Came as thy guards to kill me
Slain  them just to save my life. 
 
Stunned as Indrajit me then
With the aid of Brahmastra
Blessed as I was by Brahma
Came I soon out of its spell.     
 
On my own I came to thee
None  as ever would contain me.  
 
Know me as the one sent by
Rama to make truce with thee.

Canto 51

Advice to Deliver

Unnerved continued Hanuman
With Ravan who scared all gods. 

Wishes Sugreev thou all well
With the message that follows.

Help as it would thee all now
Heed thee advice of my Lord.
 
Dasarath was a godly king  
Fame he earned for rule his fair.
 
Son his eldest Lord Rama
So to honour his dad’s word
Gave up lawful right on crown.

For the help his wife the third
Rendered him in some battle
Gave word Dasarath to her then
Honour bound he would be to  
Fulfill wishes three of hers,
Came when time to crown Rama
Sought as she crown for her son
Went Ram with his spouse Seetha 
In tow with his brother Lakshman  
To Dandak woods on exile then.
Janaka’s daughter that worthy
Woman that wed first Dasarath’s son
Kidnapped was she from those woods.
 
With his sibling Lord Rama
Went on searching for Seetha.
 
Came he soon to Kishkindha
Made he pact with Sugreeva.
 
Vow as per his Lord Rama
Slew the sibling of Sugreev
Vali who stole wife of his.
 
Vali’s valour world all knows
Felled him but Ram at one go.
 
Got as Sugreev Vanar Crown          
Besides hand of Vali’s wife
Apart from his stolen one
So to keep the word he gave
To Lord Ram to find Seetha  
Sent he vanars in their scores 
Covering earth and heaven as well.
Find thou in the vanar ranks
Valorous all in their thousands
Conquer who could on their own
Worlds all three there at one go.  

It’s me Hanuman, Vayu’ son
Flew the sea of hundred leagues
To reach Lanka in search of
Seetha kidnapped wife of Ram.
 
Scanned I Lanka’s width ’n breadth
Found I Seetha in the end.

O well learned king Ravan
Is it fair for thee confine
Wife of another in thy land?
 
It’s no dharma for the king
Breaks he rules of humankind.
 
Bodes it ill for all thy folk
That thee annoy Ram and his
Sibling who could destroy all
And sundry as well at their will.
 
For thine unfairness to Ram
In snaring loving spouse of his   
Sure to rue thy citizens all.

Send back Seetha to her man
Pray heed advice of this mine
Given in keeping thy interest.
 
Fail thou heed my Lord’s advice
Found as I now in thy land

Seetha faithful wife of Ram
Rest of it is left to him
How to book thee for thy foul.
 
Being such a learned king  
Wonder how thou fail to know
Seetha would prove thee costly. 
 
Pays it to know Rama’s wife
Is not the one to get seduced
By the vile of devil itself.
 
May thou live for ever so long
Boon thou got from God Himself 
Fail if thee to mend thy ways
Sure thou soon would come to grief.

 
Know the rider that God put
For thee to keep death at bay
Is on hand to see thy end.
 
In battles all with gods and such
Boon hath it that come thou clean. 

It’s thy fate that failed thee true 
To seek no harm from men and us,
It’s thus Ram and we vanars
Bring would thy end in combat.
 
Lay not as knives two in sheath
So’s the case with good and bad. 
 
Blessed as gods thee for good deeds  
Punish they would now for foul acts.
 
How thou fail to see writing
On the wall when Seetha’s man
Could slay Vali thy equal!
 
Rama if were to give nod
For that matter I would now
Sink thy Lanka in the seas.

Tied are my hands for Rama
Vowed he would slay well in time
Hands with his own who that dared 
Kidnap his dear spouse Seetha.

Spare would Rama not even
Indra were to harm his cause,

What would come of folk like thee
Were they to cross swords with him?
 
Know Seetha thou here confine
Would cause curtains to come down
On the Lankan stage of thine. 
 
She’s like the hangman’s rope
Brought by thyself to Lanka
On thine own to hang thyself.
 
With her power of chariness
Burn as well she might thy land.    
 
Why drag down them all of them
Hordes of wives and thy siblings. 
 
O Ravan the Lankan king
Heed thee advice of Sugreev.

 
Know Ram is no mere mortal
Power hath he to destroy all
Exists whatever in three worlds
And bring life back onto earth.

In all races of worlds all
None there equals him as man.

Makes it’s no joke to join
Battle with the god in him.

That thou hurt the god on earth
Hope there none for thee in life. 
 
In their bid to save thy life
All three worlds if ever combine
Yet Ram would make bite thee dust.
 
Destined if were one to die
At the hands of Seetha’s man
Gods themselves know wash their hands.
 
Treating Hanuman’s words ranting
Lost his cool then Lankan king.

Canto 52

Placates the Sibling

In rage Ravan then ordered
Hanuman be to put to death.
 
Stood up Vibhishan in dismay
The sibling fair of Lankan king. 

 To stall the folly of the court
Pleaded Vibhishan with Ravan. 
 
To set Ravan in right frame
Praised his sibling him to skies.
 
Heed me learned king Ravan
Fair it’s none to kill Hanuman.
 
Kill if we one on errand
Don’t all we earn infamy?
 
Remind none thee O learned
It’s not how the king should act. 
 
Swayed if thou by thine anger
What would come of thy learning?
 
Thus O Ravan unrivalled  
Better be prudent in thy act.
 Words at these of his sibling
Hissed in anger then Ravan.
 
The way he acted mala fide 
It’s no ill to kill Hanuman. 

Would not let go Vibhishan
Ravan on the path that’s wrong. 
 
Won’t thee realize O learned  
It’s no dharma to kill one
Brings that missive from rivals? 
 
Brief it’s not mine to plead for
Life of one who harmed us all
But to keep up thy fair name
Deal thou with him as ordained.
 
Severe a limb or lash him well
That’s the way to deal with him. 
 
It’s not wise to act in haste
Calm down so my great sibling.
 
Is there any better than thee
Knows who dharma in theory

Nuances as well in practice? 
 
Valour with thine unrivalled  
Conquer did thou all three worlds.
 
High such being thy position
Why let act such lower that?

Uphold honour of Lanka
Not by killing this vanar
But by slaying Ram who sent 
Him to act in foul manner.
 
How this vanar on errand
Could have acted on his own 
Without the goading of his Lord? 
 
Were he to be freed by thee
Fetch he would then his masters  
Itching  to land on our shores  
For thee to see the end of them. 
 
Falls if Rama at thy feet
Bites as and when he the dust 
It’s then but gods would realize
How thou made all cowards of them. 

 
With thy penchant to conquer
Were thee to slay this vanar now
Would thou lose the chance of life 
To slay that Ram ’n Lakshman too 
For they fail to come to know
Made thou captive Seetha thus.

To slay vanar hordes are all
Itching are our men at arms,
Slay if thee but one vanar
Won’t thou deprive them their chance?
 
So to let our foes to know
To face us death is no less scared
Force we may all foes to show
Backs of theirs in battlefield.
 
Takes it no more than a score
Of our men to settle all scores  
With Ram ’n Lakshman if they dare
Ever to set foot on our shores.

Averred as thus his own sibling

Changed his mind then king Ravan  
To kill Hanuman lay there tied. 

Canto 53

Tail on Fire

Sibling as his stood so firm
Spoke then Ravan changing tune. 
 
Spare as we may life of him
Let him not go scot-free now.
Pride as vanars at their tails
Set his tail on fire that hurts.
 
Goes as he back with burnt tail
Makes a scene to folk back home.
 
Burns as his tail like a log
Take this vanar round boulevards.
 
Having led him out of court
Set the palace guards all there  
Rags to tie on Hanuman’s tail.
 
Worked as guards on tail his long
Turned it Hanuman like tree trunk.
 
Pouring oil then on rags
Set they tail of his on fire.
 
Gathered in time Lankans all
To see Hanuman’s tail on fire.
 
Though he could have freed himself
Bore that Hanuman thus in thought.
 
Escape that I this ordeal
It’s not for me such big deal.
 
Isn’t it the trouble they give
Fraction of the hurt I caused? 
 
Can’t I on my own tackle
All these Ravan’s men at arms?
 
Bear I should well this ordeal
For the sake of my Lord Ram. 

Roamed I though the town at night
Failed I would have to grasp well
The ins and outs of its layout.
 
Now that