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

they would take me round
Through their streets in broad daylight
Chance I would have to assess
Strengths and weakness of the foe.
 
Falling as well in his trap
Led him Ravan’s men in chains
Through the streets of Lanka then.
 
Gloating over their success
Made they Hanuman their trophy.  
 
Unmindful of burning tail
Scanned all Hanuman as he moved.
 
Saw he dumps of ammos large
Found he bunkers there well manned.
 
Buildings he found camouflaged
Tunnels which had underground. 
 
As they taunted him a spy
Smiled to himself then Hanuman.
 
So to see his tail on fire
Came out Lankans then in droves.

 

Carried some then to Seetha
Tale of vanar’s burning tail.
 
For so long all in undertones
He’s the one with whom thee spake.
Hurt was Seetha by that news
Prayed she Agni to spare him.
 
Submit she did to Fire God 
That he might save Hanuman then.
 
Deem if thou me true to Ram
Spare then Hanuman from thy heat.
 
Goodwill of gods if I earned
For my goodness to mankind 
Be kind now to this Hanuman.
 
If Ram feels that I do yearn
For the embrace of his warmth
Pray go cool on Hanuman now.
 
Feel if thee that Lord Sugreev
Could help Rama take me out
From the darkness of Lanka
Pray thee comfort give Hanuman.
 
Lost no time then God of Fire
From his heat to spare Hanuman. 
 
Blew then Vayu his father
Icy breeze to cool Hanuman.
 
Wondered Hanuman how it was
Rags though on his tail on fire
Yet he felt no heat as such.
 
Tail as mine as thus burning
None I feel the pain for that!
 
For the soothing feel I have
Lay the reason somewhere else.
 
For the sake of Rama’s cause
Didn’t Mainaka offer seat
For me to rest on his peak?

 

Likewise Agni should’ve thought
Fits it Rama’s cause like glove
Were he to leave me unscathed.

 

Might I as well owe all this  
To the kindness of Lord Rama
And his faithful spouse Seetha. 

 
Or else Agni being friend
Of my father Vayu wind
Would have spared me this ordeal.
Knowing am on Ram’s errand
Gave as affront folks all these
So to keep up his prestige
And to make them well realize 
That they played all but with fire
Won’t I pay them in same coin? 
 
Houdini made as he then
Went he roaring up in skies.

With his burning tail and all
Landed then on Lankan gates.
 
Assumed simian form Hanuman
Slipped he through the chains on him.
 
Grew he then back into giant
Looked he all the while for mace.
 
Picked he latch of that huge gate
Slew he all the guards he faced.
 
Having none to restrain him
With his burning tail Hanuman
Shone he like the mid-day sun. 

 

Canto 54

Arson to Hurt  

 

Having had his way thus far
Thought of future course Hanuman.

Why not I give them in kind
For what they did all to my tail? 

Much is left to hurt the foe
Caused I might have some damage.
 
Why not I torch Ravan’s town
With the help of tail mine
That they set on fire themselves?  
 
For the favour of Agni
Make I Lanka his fodder.

Hovered as he in mid-air
Surveyed Ravan’s land he thus. 
 
Landed then on some dwelling 
Jumped he then from one another.

Chose he Prahastha’s own palace
With its sprawling compound then 
And made he bonfire of all there. 
 Next in line was Mahaparsva’s 
Mansion that met similar fate.
 
Not to content even then
Burnt he dwellings of nobles.
 
Leaned he then on that palace  
Owned by one who subdued him.
 
Set he fire then one by one
Houses of the following.
 
Jambumali’s ’n Sumali’s
Rasmiketha’s ’n Suryasathru’s
Damstra’s ’n so Duraatma’s
 
Romasa’s ’n Ghora’s as well
Mattali’s besides Yuddhonmatha’s
Karala’s and Pisaachas’s too. 
 
Kumbha’s as well Nikumbha’s
Yagnasatru’s ’n Brahmasatru’s
Not to speak of Kumbhakarna’s. 
 
But spared Hanuman that dwelling
Lived where Vibhishan who pleaded
Case his then in Ravan’s Court. 
 
Razed as fire in those places
Turned all therein to ashes. 
 Went he then to that courtyard
Where lived Lankan king Ravan. 
 
Set he Ravan’s fort on fire
With the fading flame on tail.
 
Spread as fire in Ravan’s court
Thundered Hanuman even more.
 
As if to aid his son’s cause
Unleashed Vayu his frenzy. 
 
Goaded thus by Hanuman’s dad
Spread tongues Agni far and wide.
 
In that towering inferno
Came all dwellings crashing down.

Looked then Lanka that lost soul
Thrown down from the heaven itself.
 
Lost their wits all then Lankans
Felt they Fire God turned vanar.
 
Filled all streets were with Lankans
Rent were skies there with their cries.
 
Jumped all over compound
From the debris of dwellings
Flowed then molten gold in streams.
 
Turned to ashes demonic frames
Turned grey landscape of Lanka.
 
In myriad shades of crimson red
Sprouted tongues of fire to skies. 
 
Burning Lanka seemed as if
Tripura of yore Shankar burnt.

 

To bring Lanka to its knees
Moved then Hanuman to outskirts.
 
With still burning tail of his
Set fire Hanuman there dwellings.
 
Raged as fire in those buildings
Heard all bursting sounds from them.
 
Smoke that embers emitted then
Rose in columns to high skies.
 
Wondered all those who survived
Came if death in Hanuman’s form.

 Brahma’s it was wrath felt some
Set what Hanuman to smash them.

 

Took some Hanuman for Vishnu’s 
Avatar to end Ravan’s reign.
 
It’s in no time fire got spread
To nearby jungles all so deep.
 
Trapped as such in jungle fire  
Died wildlife of forests there.
 
Rent was air with cries of all
Lost who then their kith and kin.
 
With the havoc that he caused
Lanka seemed an accursed land. 
 
Climbed up Chitrakoot Hanuman
Surveyed Ravan’s land ravaged. 
 

Felt glad Hanuman that Lanka
Lost its edge to fight Lord Ram.
 Tail as his was still on fire
Looked he still the rising sun.
 
Having done his job Hanuman
Prayed he in all reverence Ram.
 
Gods all for his one-man show
Showered then praises on Hanuman.
 
Amidst the ruins of Lanka then
Stood like victor there Hanuman. 
 
Felt on second thought gods all there
What they discerned was but dream, 
For how could Hanuman on his own  
Raze all Lanka at one go!
 
At the sight of Lanka thus
Rubbed all angels then their eyes.

 
At the havoc Hanuman caused
Worlds all trembled then dismayed. 
 
Sages at that in their scores
As well angels there gathered
Not to speak of Yakshas then
Thought it augured well for world.

 

Canto 55

What of Seetha?

 

Died as embers in Lanka
So to quench his burning tail
Went upto beach then Hanuman. 
 
Cooled as he tail by seashore
Felt then Hanuman thus in qualms.
 
Have I gone wrong by burning
Lanka to the last dwelling?
 
Was it all wrong on my part   
Lost I bearing in my wrath?
 
Of all what that afflicts man
Anger takes the pride of place.

 

Drives to extremes man anger 
Thought in his ’n deed as well.

 

Whoever can nip his anger
In the bud is man seasoned.
 
Reckoned as I not her welfare
On whom Rama stakes his life
Raison d’être of Odyssey mine
Doubt there none it’s foolhardy. 
 
Now that Lanka is on fire
Wouldn’t have Seetha lost her life?
 
What for came I to Lanka 
Is it to kill Rama’s wife?

 

While the going was so good
How come lost I my bearing!
 
Spared as fury of Fire God
Not a square inch of Lanka
Where was space for her to hide?
 
Were Seetha to perish in fire 
How am I to show my face
To her Lord who trusted me. 
 
Why not I now end my life  
Why to go to Ram with guilt.
 
How am I go back to them 
How to look all them in face?

 

How I subscribed to world-view
That vanars wouldn’t get focused!
 
To let him in spite all go wrong.  
Makes man passion imperfect    
 
Hear if they that Seetha died
Ram ’n Lakshman won’t live more.
 
At the death of their siblings
Bharat ’n Satrughn follow suit.
 
Reign if ends of Ikshvaakus
Orphaned would be world at large.

 

For the foolish act of mine
Won’t I turn the accursed soul?

As sunk Hanuman in sorrow
Omens he sighted all too good.
 
Felt he raging flames of fire
Won’t match power of Rama’s wife.
 
Won’t her aura keep at bay
Flames of raging fire from her? 
 
Won’t the Fire God himself know  
Touch he cannot Rama’s spouse?
 
How can ever be Rama’s wife
Destined to burn like some sack? 
 
As well Agni spared my tail
Would he ever touch Seetha then?
 
Mainak as did offer help
To sustain cause of Lord Rama
Wouldn’t then Agni follow suit?
 
Won’t her love for Rama make
Lakshman rekha for Fire God? 
 
Wavered as thus Hanuman then
Heard he angels speak in awe.
 
Gods too never dared to dream
Ever would Ravan get subdued,
With Lanka thus now on fire
Lankans have no place to hide. 

 

What did Hanuman to Ravan
Was like taming lion on heat
In its own den with bare arms. 

Turned though Lanka to ashes
Wonder what made tongues of fire
Leave out Rama’s spouse unscathed!
 
Having heard all those angles
Spoke of her escape from fire
Heaved a sigh of relief he then.
 
That Seetha was left unharmed
Made then Hanuman jump for joy.

 On the spur then felt Hanuman
Should go back to Rama’s spouse
So that he could take her leave.

 

Canto 56

Havoc of a Take-off

 

Finding Seetha in fine shape
To her Hanuman prostrated.
 
As bade Hanuman her goodbye
Spoke in fondness Rama’s spouse.
 
Wish I now thee in some nook
Take some rest for day or two. 

Well, O Hanuman thy advent
Made my sorrows turn their backs. 
 
Bring as and when thou my Ram
Know am not sure whether I live.
 
Leave as thee to fetch Rama
Wonder whether I stand agony
Replace that would joy thou gave.
 
Can ever Ram ’n Lakshman cross 
Sea this vast to reach Lanka
With the vanar force that’s large? 
 
In spite of thy words so bold
Find I linger doubts these mine.
 
Apart Garud ’n Vayu, thou 
Who else could cross sea this vast?
 
Tell me how thou would address
Problem this that confronts Ram. 
 
If thee take me back I know
Spares the bother for my man
To cross this sea with force of his,
But then Rama wouldn’t have it
Since it’s not the proper way
For him to reclaim his Seetha. 
 
It’s but proper for Lord Ram
That he takes me on his own. 
 
Measure of Ravan as thou got
Guide my Ram to subdue him.

 

Impressed as he by her words
Addressed Hanuman her concerns.
 
Vast is bear and vanar force
To help thy man sure rescue thee
Lord Sugreev mine hath at hand. 

 

Know our army is so vast
Once it lands on Lankan shores
Fills it to the last square inch.
 
Ram ’n Lakshman with arrows
Could kill Lankans to last man.
 
Once they thus end Ravan’s reign
Takes thee back Ram to thy town.
 
Having endured ordeals long
Time thou embrace hope from now.
 
Having Ravan seen thus dead
Walk thee would free to thy man. 
 
Know the day is not far off
Lands when Ram on Lankan shores.
 
Having said thus Hanuman took
Leave of Rama’s spouse Seetha.
 
That Hanuman had come and gone 
Seemed that all like