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

too.

 

For all they said to pander her
Hurt was Seetha’s aggrieved soul
Take she could no more of that.

 

Stop thy tirade of my man
Know it’s sin to belittle him
And to pander his spouse thus. 

 

Prefer I die as Rama’s wife
Than to live as Ravan’s queen.

 

Though he lost the crown of his
Sits he yet on my heart’s throne.

 

What if he lacks worldly wealth
Makes me rich his manly worth. 

 

Apart though are our bodies
Milk and water make our souls.

 

It’s thy foolishness to think
My man can’t ever make it here,
In the palanquin of my heart
Didn’t I bring him so long back?

 

Raged as were they by her sneer
Enraged they mobbed all her then.

 

Saw as he the scene Hanuman
Feared he then for Seetha’s life.

 

Frightful as all made themselves
Shivered then Seetha in her shoes.

 

Picked up they all pick-axes
Poked they Seetha with stick’s end.

  

At that Hanuman saw Seetha
Run for cover to where he was.

 

Chased all Seetha all the way
Nail they could her in the end.

 

Worked all single minded then
To make Seetha change her mind.

 

To floor Seetha for their Lord
Took then fiendish Vinatha floor. 

 

It’s as well thee stood by Ram
It’s time that thee shift thy base.

 

For thy steadfastness to Ram
Looks like gods all granted thee
Fortune that’s rare for fair sex
That of becoming Ravan’s queen.

 

Why to speak in equal terms
Can Ram match his little finger?

 

Block thy past as Rama’s wife
Gloat thyself as Ravan’s queen.

 

Why not take thee Ravan’s hand
And turn toast of all three worlds?

 

In time thy man in despair
Wander would he to deathbed.

 

Were thou fail to heed our words
Won’t we make a meal of thee?

 

With her sagging breasts that swing
Venomous Vikata came forward.

 

Spoketh as thee words such rash
It’s our goodness that spared thee.

 

Brought thee Ravan to this shore
Forget that Ram comes this far.

 

Dares none ever to eye Lanka 
Scope there none for thy escape.

 

Invoke and see Lord Indra
How he fears our king Ravan.

What’s the sense in thy crying
It’s time that thee jump for joy.

 

Surely thou pass prime in time

As the favoured of Ravan
Why not make the best of prime? 

 

In the garden of thy bloom
It’s all joy rides with Ravan.

 

At the beck and call we all
Come to serve thee all the time.

 

Fail if thee take Ravan’s hand
Fail we not to sever thy head.

 

Chandodari then put her mace 
On breasts daunting of Seetha.

 

Is it not to enjoy these
Assets ample of snow white
Brought thee Ravan all the way?

 

As thou let not Ravan lay
Hands his eager on thy breasts
Make I would them food for me. 

 

At that Praghasa spoken thus:

Why to waste our breath on her
Why not stuff out breath of hers. 

 

As she failed to lay with him
Learns as Ravan of her death
Won’t he let us feast her flesh? 

 

Set the pyre to roast her well 
And fetch I arrack in barrels. 

 

Surpanakha thus spoketh then:

Find I tiring all this grind
Guarding Seetha round the clock,

High time it’s all brought to end
In grand orgy with her flesh.

 

Put they thus the fear of death
In Seetha who then liked to live 
For the sake of Ram she loved.

 

Canto 25

Hapless Soul   

 

Guards as gave her no respite
Broke down Seetha in despair. 

 

Seetha in time pulled herself
And thus explained her position.

 

It’s no custom for humans
To get wed to the demonic folk.

 

Stick I would to our tradition
Leave the rest to thy decision.

 

Having stated her position
Sulked then Seetha in distress.

 

Cornered as would deer hunted
Crouched there Seetha in dismay.

 

Like a withered leaf on floor
Lovelorn Seetha thus there lay.

 

Tears those profuse as she shed
Passed her valley in thick streams.

 

In her fright then her frail frame 
Looked like banana plant in storm.

 

In her fear as shivered Seetha 
Snake like shrivelled then her black plait.

 

Ceased as Seetha not to sigh
Blouse her wet then turned all dry.

 

In her pain then Seetha wailed
‘Oh my Rama where art thou’!

 

Why not thou me give consent
Now to die though love to live
To spend the rest of life with thee. 

 

Won’t it prove the words of wise
One can’t time his death himself? 

 

Takes as leaking boat its time
To sink down to the ocean bed
What if my grief kills me slow?

 

Seems my sorrow cuts my heart
Erode as floods the banks there all.

 

What else it’s but misfortune
To lose such a good husband.

 

Suffer I like the one who took
Arsenic on one’s way to death.

 

Looks like I am paying price
For the misdeeds of last birth.

 

See none escape route to Ram
Better I draw the curtains now
On the accursed life of mine.
 
How I forgot as his wife
Until he doth give his nod
Right none have I to take life!

 

Canto 26

Wandering Thoughts

 

Sense of respect for her man
Made her position all the worse.

 

Having lost her nerve in time
Cried she like a hapless child.

 

With the intent to snare me
Cruel Ravan lured my man
With that golden deer I craved.

 

That thy canny Ravan made
Me the captive of thee folk
Taunt as thou by sadist pranks
Intent have I none to live.

 

Of what avail is my life now
Useless since it’s to my Lord.

 

Seems my heart is made of steel
Or else grief mine sundered same.

 

Sans Ram life is leper like
Since I nurse it nonetheless
What a worthless woman am I?

 

What a man is my Lord Ram
Sans him what doth life portend?

 

How I wish thou kill me now
Bear I can this pain no more.

 

Not even with mile long pole
Touch I would that wretched Ravan.

 

Scorned by me as all the way
What a shameless man is he
So to crave for hand of mine?

 

No way I would turn to him
Why thou waste thy time on me?

 

Wonder how my wondrous man
Came to spare this beastly man! 

 

On his own did slay my Lord
Demons fourteen thousand once. 

 

What threat Ravan would then pose
To my Lord who killed those fiends?

 

He who slain Viradha then 
Would he fail to save me now?

 

True it’s no mean task to come
To Ravan’s land in midst of seas
But can one ever stop my man?

 

Still I wonder why Rama 
Fails to come to my rescue!

 

Looks like my Lord is clueless
Where his beloved wife is held,
If not for that wouldn’t he chase 
Ravan all the way to hell?

 

When he took him in mid-air
Clipped as Jataayu’s wings Ravan
Who then Rama makes privy 
It was Ravan that snared me!

 

How I owe my gratitude
To that noble bird so old
Who fought Ravan for my sake. 

 

Should Rama get wind of me
Won’t he descend on this land
Whirlwind like to suck Ravan?

 

Won’t he turn on his wrath then
On the demonic Ravan’s force? 

Won’t thus Lankan women all get
Measure for measure of my pain then?

 

One and all of Ravan’s men
Would find too hot to handle 
Ram in battle with Lakshman.

 

Won’t all funeral pyres redden
Skies of Lanka for days on? 

 

It’s all Ravan’s mindlessness
Brings which Lanka to the brink. 

 

Won’t I see omens portend
Lanka’s fall in near future?

 

Bites as Ravan battle dust
Brings that Lanka to nadir.

 

As thy men all go to hell
Won’t thee then all pine for them?   

 

With no male to caress thee
Wail all thee in every hearth.

 

Comes all this true when Rama
Learns here Ravan confines me. 

 

Lands as Ram in hot pursuit
Ravan would have no respite.

 

Naïve is Ravan for he gloats
That he kept me on death row.

 

Won’t he shortly come to know
That he himself dug his grave? 

 

Deserve demons no more now
Graves than mass in barren lands.

 

Having put a brave face thus
Gripped was Seetha yet by doubts!

 

Can I come to see my Ram
Should vile Ravan keeps his word
And gets served me for breakfast?

 

Might my Lord have thought I died
Or else wouldn’t he scan all earth?

 

Taking me for dead and gone
Man mine would have given up life.

 

Won’t he gladden gods all there
Stay with his in heaven of theirs? 

 

Would a godly man like Ram
Need to keep his woman in mind?

 

Out of sight is out of mind
Maybe norm with all humans,
With his sense of fairness Ram
Won’t he cherish his life with me?

Wonder how I met this fate
Being wife of such great soul!

 

Turned as void for his loss
Why hanker for life I now?

 

Having lost the will to fight
What if Ram ’n Lakshman too
Penance to taken in despair!

 

Who knows wily Ravan didn’t
Contrive death of Ram and him.

 

See I no end of misery
Carry why now more of it?

 

Come I nowhere near yogis
For whom joys and sorrows
Meaning have none of their own.

 

But the rest all gloat fortune
And get shaken by hard times.

 

Ram as is not there to guide 
Why not I take my own life?

 

Canto 27

Dream of a Nightmare

 

Seetha’s intent to end life
Made some scurry to Ravan.

Stayed some back to turn their ire
On Rama’s spouse in despair then.

That thou would be put to death
No need for thee to end life.

Rose then Trijata one learned
Appraised thus the risks involved.

 
She’s Janaka’s daughter fair
Married young to Dasarath’s son
Reveres whom world as Lord Rama.

 

Slept off as I dream I had

Trouble that portends to us all.
 
Trijata’s prophesy of doomsday
Shell-shocked those on Seetha’s guard.

 

Detail now thou dream thy had
Makes thee speak thus so frightened.
Averred well Trijata that she saw
Heavenly palanquin in her dream.
 
Reclined therein Ram in white
Stood by Lakshman in blood red.
 
Found I Seetha in my dream
Sit on sky-high white mountain.

Mounted then Ram ’n Lakshman
Huge white elephant with four tusks.
 
Oh that elephant that unique
Made they to that mountain peak. 
 
Taken as if cue from Ram
Lowered its back that white giant.
 
For her to climb up to him
Gave Ram his hand to Seetha.

Having sat thus in Ram’s lap
Rose as Seetha so to probe
Saw I touch her sun ’n moon.
 
Took they chariot swift all then  
Drawn by bulls all eight snow white.
 
Drove it Lakshman to us straight
Ram and Seetha came our midst. 
 
In our land as they landed  
Reached out Pushpak in welcome.
 
Having took them on its board
Flew off Pushpak then northwards.
 
It’s as if gods beckon Rama 
Makes that risky for Ravan.

 

Saw I Ravan in my dream
Drunkard like lay on the floor. 

In his flight to save his skin
Seems he slipped from thus Pushpak. 
 
Saw I Ravan’s tonsured head
Peeping from that donkey cart.
 
Looked he like one out of mind
Madman like he played then pranks. 
 
In all fear then fell Ravan
On all fours in front of Ram.

Tore he all his garments then
Lost he coherence as he raved.
 
Went he then to hole so foul
Filled with filth and night soil.
 
Pushed as was he by some lass
Fouled he was from head to foot. 
 
All the way to that quagmire
Dragged was Kumbhakarna too
As though to share Ravan’s fate.
 
Saw I naked Ravan’s sons
Riding southward on wild beasts.
 
In that pell-mell in Lanka
Found I Vibhishan stand his ground
Waving that white flag at Ram.
 
All in white with his aura
Wore Vibhishan then Lankan crown.
 
Held as Vibhishan Court Royal 
Played then music Band Royal.
 
Climbed he up a white elephant
With his men wise four in tow.
 
Heard I demon folk of Lanka
Playing drums to funeral tunes.
 
To the brim of its gables
Saw I Lanka sink in seas.
 
With his burning tail I saw  
Came down Rama’s aid on us,
Torched as he thus one by one

Went up in flames homes of all.

Lanka as was thus burning
Wailing I saw women in streets.

Saw I men folk of Lanka
Apply cow dung on their wives.
 
So to escape