Sundara Kãnda: Hanuman's Odyssey by BS Murthy (best time to read books .txt) 📕

Sundara Kãnda - Hanuman’s Odyssey

BS Murthy

ISBN 81-901911-7-9

Copyright © 2005 BS Murthy

Originally published by Self Imprint in 2005

This improved E-book edition is of 2013

Cover designed with Madhubani painting

F-9, 1-10-234, Ashok Nagar

Hyderabad – 500 020

Other books by BS Murthy

Benign Flame- Saga of Love

Jewel-less Crown – Saga of Life

Crossing the Mirage – Passing through youth

Glaring Shadow - A stream of consciousness novel

Prey on the Prowl – A Crime Novel

Stories Varied – A Book of Short Stories

Onto the Stage – Slighted Souls and other stage and radio plays

Puppets of Faith: Theory of Communal Strife (Non-fiction)

Bhagvad-Gita: Treatise of self-help ( A trans-creative work in verse)

Dedicated to -
Childhood friends,  Nittala Rama Rao, who envisaged that I transcreate in English this momentous episode of the adi kavya and Erramilli Rohini Kumar, who, besides encouraging me to undertake the challenge, came  up with  the book jacket besides Katlin Darnall of the World Public Library for the enriching editing."  

Cantos of the Kanda

1 - Hurdles in Skies

2 - City in Clouds 

3 - Prelude to Entry

4 - Foray into Fort

5 - Life in Lanka

6 - Precincts to Beat

7 - Palace in the Plane

8 - Pushpak’s Prowess

9 - Harem at Night

10 - Women in Want

11 - Qualms of Celibate

12 - At Wits End

13 - Errand in the Bend

14 - Garden of Grief 

15 - Withered Flower

16 - She is Seetha

17 - Guards all Hideous

18 - Ravan on Heat

19 - Dame in Despair

20 - Womanizer at Work

21 - Steadfast in Love

22 - Deadline to Death

23 - Guards that Pander

24 - Carrot and Stick

25 - Hapless Soul    

26 - Wandering Thoughts

27 - Dream of a Nightmare

28 - On the Verge

29 - Good Tidings

30 - Hanuman’s Dilemma

31 - Rama’s Ballad

32 - Is it True?

33 - Genesis of Exile 

34 - Swings in Mood

35 - Winning the Trust

36 - More of the Same

37 - Aborted Move

38 - Story to Tell

39 - Doubts to the Fore

40 - Repeats the Dose

41 - Rampage in the Park

42 - Panic in the Town 

43 -Itching for Fight

44 -Takes on Prahastha’s Son

45 - Marshals in the Mire

46 - Generals in the Dumps

47 - Akshay’s Life on Line

48 - It takes Indrajit

49 - Ravan’s Darbar

50 - Cause of Loss

51 - Advice to Deliver

52 -Placates the Sibling

53 - Tail on Fire

54 - Arson to Hurt  

55 - What of Seetha?

56 - Havoc of a Take-off

57 - Flight sans Hassles

58 - Odyssey in a Nutshell

59 - Pep Talk to Peers

60 - Angad on Rebound

61 - Eying the Madhuvan

62 - Orgy in the Garden

63 - Sugreev’s Reading

64 - Return of the Platoon

65 - News in Brief

66 - Tears in Torrents

67 - Hanuman’s Replay

68 - Times of Hope

Yuddha Kanda

(War on Ravan)

1. Embrace of a Gift

2. Coronation and After

Canto 1

Hurdles in Skies

Egged on by peers Vayu’s son
Enshrined by man as Hanuman
Enthused himself to shoulder
Search of Seetha, Rama’s spouse  
Snared whom Ravan to Lanka
Sea across that hundred leagues. 

With his head then held so high
Gained he size for task on hand.   

On that Mahendra mountain then
Colossus like he sauntered there.  

Uprooted were trees all those
Brushed as with his chest that strong. 

Varied hues of elements there
Made that mountain resplendent. 

Grace angels those hill ranges
For their honeymoon so near moon. 

At length he reached that hilltop 
Lay where elephants in their scores. 

Besides Brahma ’n Surya 
Prayed he Indra and Vayu.   

Facing east he sought blessings
Of Vayu then his Wind God dad  
And grew more by turning south. 

Grew as Hanuman more and more
To cross that sea vast as it roared
With full tides of full-moon night
Came he face to face with clouds. 

As though to test that mountain
Whether it’s right for his take-off  
Tapped it Hanuman with his feet.   

Shook that mountain his impinge 
Shed trees flowers of hues varied. 

Flowers all fell then covered it full
Spread they fragrance far and wide. 

Welled out water in thick springs 
Such was pressure of Hanuman’s feel. 

From the cracks it developed thus
Creaked out molten metals varied.  

While huge boulders slid in scores
Out came smoke in thick columns. 

With that squeeze it came under 
Cried all creatures in their caves. 

Frightened was no less wildlife  
Heard were their howls world over. 

In their state of confusion
Serpents with all fiery fangs
Marks of swastik on their hoods  
Spewed then venom in profusion. 

Venom they spit was fireball like
Turned to tiny stones there rocks. 

Herbs of anti-venom were there  
Turned though antidote none of them.  

Felt all yogis spirit at play
Took to their heels demigods then. 

Not to speak of vessels of gold
In their fright gods left all goods.  

In panic they left mid-meal 
Thought they none of gold armour. 

In their sodden demeanours then 
Reached they all their heavenly homes.  

Amorous angels in their scores 
Built their love-nests in those skies.

Ascetics of earth ascended
For bird’s eye view of Hanuman’s feat. 

Heard all averments of siddhas 
As well seers all stationed there. 

Hill like Hanuman is all set
Agile as ether to cross seas. 

It was vanar Lord Sugreev 
That sent him on Ram’s errand.

Angels there who heard those words 
Looked at Hanuman then wide-eyed. 

Raring to go then Hanuman
Slapped his thighs and roared like clouds. 

Stretched he full then his long tail
Jerked it like would eagle its prey. 

Circled Hanuman his tail then 
Looked that eagle-clawed serpent.  

Set to take off on that flight 
Stance he took for task that tough. 

In that as he shrugged himself 
Seemed he eager and vigorous.   

Stared he long at his flight route
Deep breathed he for take-off then. 

All set to go Hanuman then
Thought it fit to them address
Folks his who were so anxious. 

Spoke he thus to assure them:
Won’t I dart like Ram’s arrow
To Ravan’s land there lay yonder?

No sooner than I set foot
Find I Rama’s spouse Seetha. 

Were I to happen to fail there
Won’t I rush to heaven itself? 

Were I to land in blind alley
Won’t I go back to Lanka? 

Prevail I over Ravan then 
And fetch Seetha unfettered
With him in tow but in chains. 

As he took-off he declared
Comes it ever if to the brink
Uproot he would all Lanka  
And bring it as gift to Lord Ram. 

By the thrust of his take-off
Sucked in were trees into flight. 

As he flew at jet speed then
Tailed him trees with birds on them
And buds that flowered in between.

In truck with him all of them 
Seemed they relatives at send off.   

Sal trees then too followed suit 
Seemed he spearhead of large force. 

With the flowers and birds in tow
Made then Hanuman wondrous sight. 

In time weakened as the pull  
Dropped all trees in those waters.  
  
Covered as he by flowers and all 
Hanuman flew then glowworm like.   

As he shrugged off in mid-air
Fell some flowers on salt waters.  

Turned as flower-bed sea that vast 
Seemed it then like star filled sky. 

Flowers of varied hues on him
Rainbow on move made him seem. 

Sonic boom of Hanuman’s flight  
Scattered flowers on those waters
Seemed then that sea sky at dawn. 

Arms his outstretched in his flight
Looked like serpents with five hoods. 

Filled his shadow shore to shore
Though he picked up Mach two speed. 

Sparkled his eyes as in flight
Seemed some lava there in flow.  

Wide open were his bright eyes  
Seemed they sun ’n moon in skies. 

With his rosy nose-tip then 
Looked he like the setting sun. 

In flight his tail that was long
Banner then of Indra seemed. 

With the sparkling teeth of his
And the tail thus well coiled 
Sun like aura Hanuman had.   

Blood red as those Hanuman’s hinds  
Seemed they red hills well sundered. 

Wind as passed through his armpits 
Roared it then like lightning clouds. 

Mistook him then sky watchers 
For some meteor that was rare. 

In flight he looked like elephant
With its tail spread round its waist.

Shadow that he cast on seas 
Seemed to all a speeding boat. 

Concord like he moved in skies 
Caused he whirlpools in the seas. 

With his broad chest Hanuman did 
Ward off sea tides that reached him. 

As he speeded in his flight
Formed a cyclone in the skies
Caused that storm then in the seas. 

Mean sea level as rose to skies  
Made he light of all those tides. 

As he sped he seemed to count 
Mountain tides that so neared him. 

Splash from tides as foamed the skies 
Gave that silver coat to space.   

Torn as thus the water sheet  
Felt all fish as turned naked. 

Water snakes as sighted skies 
Feared they eagle was on prowl. 

Thick and wide was his shadow 
Seemed so symmetric to one’s eyes. 

Sped as he past in high skies 
Seemed his shadow like a cloud. 

Looked then Hanuman in motion 
Like a mountain with huge wings.

 
Split as that sea in columns  
Cruisers they seemed in his chase.  

Coursed as he thus Garuda like  
In those skies that filled with birds
Wind like then he scattered clouds.   

Clouds as all then went askance
Shone they well in colours varied. 

In and out of clouds Hanuman 
Seemed he like the moon on course. 

In awe celestial beings then
Myriad flowers they showered on him.  

Filtered Surya his heat then 
While made easy breeze Vayu.   

Sang his praises seers all there 
Awestruck angels his prowess. 

Wondered at his endurance
Angels all who watched him then.  

Felt thus Sagar, Lord of Seas 
For whom Rama’s cause came first. 

Were I to fail to help Hanuman 
Make I myself blameworthy.   

Won’t I owe my reign and all 
To Ram’s forebear, my namesake? 

For he exerts for Ram’s cause
Bound am I to help Hanuman.

Spoke then Sagar to Mainak  
Prince of hills with golden peaks
Made who ocean bed his home. 

Confined were thou by Indra   
On my bed for ever so long
Barrier though as to netherworld.

Demons all for that lay therein 
Block thou approach to this world.   

Prowess such is unique thine 
Expand thou the way thy wish. 

Behold Hanuman as he flies 
Head over mine for Ram’s sake.  

Owe that I his ancestor
Seek I now thy helping hand
To let our Hanuma serve Rama.  

Fail if we to help him out 
Enrage we might angels all. 

Shoot up forthwith in his path 
To let him rest on peak thy high. 

Hanuman is so long in flight 
Feel I time he rests a while. 

Lighten if thou his burden 
Brings it end to Rama’s plight 
Agony as well of his spouse. 

Shoot up now O golden hill 
Graced by varied vegetation. 
 
Came out then as Mainaka 
Depths of sea from that so deep 
Scene it made like mid-day sun
Came out as it from thick clouds. 

In the midst of sea that vast  
Shone then Mainak like Surya.  

Lovers all there as lay languid
Skimmed its peaks the rim of skies. 

With his golden peak Mainak 
Shone he then like rising sun. 

  
In time as he showed up full
Dazzled he like suns in scores. 

Mistook Hanuman for hurdle
Mainak who rose to the skies. 

Not the one to get daunted
Hanuman toppled Mainaka 
With his bare chest that was strong. 

Turned as he all turtle then
Mainaka was so dumbfounded.

So as a way to woo Hanuman 
Assumed Mainak human form. 

It’s my request O Hanuman 
That thee rest on my