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

Know am but the son born to
Anjana Devi queen of queens.

Married though she king Kesar
Womb hers was by Vayu blessed. 

Valour of mine ’n conduct 
Spread far ’n wide fame of mine.
 
Brought I thee as good tidings
Time thee look for happy times. 
 
Ardour that she found in him
Made then Seetha trust Hanuman.
 
With the change of her mind thus
Rolled on her cheeks tears of joy.
 
With that bright look on her face
Shone she like a full moon then 
Freshly out of grand eclipse.

Knowing that he won her trust
Spoke then Hanuman to her thus: 
 
It’s time that I now start moving
Pray tell whatever in thy mind
Treat I would as Rama’s word.
 
Being none but Wind God’s son
Strength I have to fly all worlds.

Canto 36

More of the Same

Went on Hanuman in same vein  
So that Seetha trusts him more. 
O Lord Rama’s revered wife  
Gave thy man this ring of his
Me to pass on to thee now. 
 
Guessed thy man thy state of mind
Felt his ring would make thee trust
Me he sent in search of thee.
 
Grabbed then Seetha Rama’s ring
Fondled it for ever so long
As she would her husband’s hand.
 
Aided by that bright diamond 
Face her glowed like moon in bloom.

Reminisced as she Rama’s love
Turned then coyer her demeanour.
 
For the valour he had shown
Seetha in time praised Hanuman. 

One as would a small canal
Wonder how thou crossed the sea!
 
It’s but bravado O Hanuman 
For thou came to face Ravan.
 
That thou enjoy my man’s trust
Know thee have my trust as well. 
 
Came it when to judging men
Know my man is none to err.
 
That Rama is keeping fit
Take that as my good fortune.
 
Having lost his loving wife 
Wonder why it takes so long
For him to scorch all this earth! 

Looks like I am ill-fated
That Ravan could confine me
Wife of whom all gods give way.  
 
Hope not my loss made Rama
Lose his nerve to face Ravan. 

Despair in his at my loss
Hath it made him lose focus? 

Hath he in his forlorn state
Lost all interest in his mates? 
 
Came it when to foes of his
Hath he softened in his stance? 
 
Bid in his to rescue me
Can he count on his allies?
Doth he draw his plans with care? 

And yet to make it good in life
Need as men all gods’ blessings
Won’t he pray for his success?

Hope not year-long separation
Made him lose his love for me.
 
Knew he not what hardship is
Wonder how he bears all this!

Hope they are all doing fine
Won’t he get to hear from home?  

 
Beset by grief of my absence
What if Rama got bogged down
And goes he slow on my rescue?
 
Dutiful sibling that he is
To join battle with Ravan
Did Bharata send his army?
 
Would thy good Lord Sugreeva
Force his bring to fight my cause?
 
Know I Lakshman on his own
Can take Ravan and his men.
 
Hope the day is not far off
Ravan when is felled by Ram.
 
Doth the heat of his passion 
Stoked thus by my separation
Wont to wither his handsomeness?

Word to keep of his father
Left he crown with no regret,
With no bother in the world
Led me with him to the woods,
Now that I am not with him
Hath he lost the track of life? 
 
Loves as he me dear than self
Loves his people nonetheless.
 
Having reminisced her man thus
Hoping Hanuman picks up threads
Kept then silent Rama’s spouse. 
 
Having read her mind Hanuman
Made the position clear then thus:
 
In the know is not thy Lord 
Ravan it was who snared thee.

Report as I back to Ram
Ravan it’s thee made captive 
Won’t he descend on Lanka
With our vanar force to boot?

To help us land in Ravan’s land
Won’t he with his arrows make
Bridges across sea though vast?

Were the god of death to try
Stop to Rama in his tracks
Won’t he slain that god even?

Sans his consort to comfort 
Stirs Ram in bed restlessly. 

To espy thy man in Lanka
Takes it not long for thee now. 

On my word O Rama’s dear
Day that now is not far off.
 
Sees as Rama demeanour thine
Won’t his visage turn so bright?
 
Touches he not drink or meat
Partakes but a meagre meal.  
 
Fails he feel the flies on him
Lives as he lost in thy thought.  

Engrossed as ever in thy thought
Thought he hath none for the rest.

Forlorn in his eyes so deep
Barring eyelids from closing
Fills thy picture to the brim. 

Sees as he a flower or fruit
Wont it his to sigh for thee.
 
Sad though he in separation
None he slacks in preparation
To take thee back for reparation.
 
That her man would rescue her
Made the hapless Seetha glad,
But the plight of her beloved  
Made the spouse of Rama sad.

Canto 37

Aborted Move

In time Seetha gave Hanuman
The key to state of mind of hers. 

That my man is so constant
Lifts my spirits all well to skies
But the news of his despair
Pulls me down back to square one.
 
Vices if were to drag down
Man on road of his misery  
In the plenty of riches 
Forever loses man his course,
 
Can one really overcome
What is ordained by his fate?
 
Won’t my story underscore 
Aspect this of life on earth.
 
In the high seas of sorrows
Boat of my life as capsized
Can my man ever carry me
To the joyous shores of life? 
 
When Rama would bring nadir
Closer to the Lankan shores?

Tell Rama to beat deadline
Set by Ravan for my death.
 
For Ravan to snuff my life
Left are just but two more months. 
 
Plead did my case Vibhishan
But paid deaf ear his sibling.

Won’t make my man Ravan pay
The price for treating me badly?
 
Told me Anala in person
Daughter dear of Vibhishan.
 
Aid de Ravan Avindhya 
Advised his Lord in public
‘Better give Seetha to her man’.

 
Averred Ravan’s ablest aide
Lands when Rama in Lanka
That would be the end of it.
 
Sixth sense of mine seems to tell
That my man would come for sure.

It’s not in Ram to leave his wife
High and dry in enemies’ hands. 

Know I know that he did kill
Demons in thousands at one go.

Know I my man can tackle
Ticklish things as one trivia
 
Strike his arrows his enemies
As would lightning its targets.
 
Felt glad Hanuman he induced
Hope in Rama’s distressed spouse.

To cheer Seetha all the more  
Assured he then Ram would come.
 
Or else why not escape now 
Carry thee would on my back 
And  land thee in thy man’s lap.

Permit if thou I would pluck
Lanka from its roots in earth
And place it at the feet of Ram.
 
Either way it helps thee meet  
Man thine who is in thy wait.
 
Be that as it may thy man
Is all set to rescue thee.
 
Choose if thou to come with me
Cuts that short thy separation.
 
Make up thy mind Rama’s wife
Leave thus thou this Ravan’s den.
 
Rest as thou on my strong back
Fly I would at Mach two speed.
 
Thee as I fly back to Ram
None of Ravan’s could catch up.
Came as I here in flicker  
Won’t we slip back in whisker? 
 
Amused at what Hanuman said
Spoke then Seetha to him thus:

With due respect to thyself
To take me over sea this wide
More it takes than simian jumps.

Tell me how with tiny frame
Thou me carry on thy back?
 
Words those Seetha’s naïve uttered
Made great Hanuman feel slighted.
 
Why to fault good Rama’s wife
For she knows not my true worth.
 
So thought it fit then Vayu’s son
To show her all his innate strength.
 
For that he then chose a spot
Which wouldn’t restrict his full growth.

Tried as she to keep up pace
Glimpse to have of his face then
Seetha at length found herself
Staring at the stars themselves. 
 
Having shown her his prowess
Assumed normal form Hanuman. 
 
Told he then her that he could
Fetch her forthwith to her man.
 
Won’t that let her cut short all
Suffering of her beloved Ram? 
 
Splendorous Seetha then in awe
Spoke to wondrous Hanuman thus.
 
Seen O Hanuman with my eyes
What a mighty frame thou have! 

If not for thy skill Hanuman
Know I it’s no joke to reach
Lanka across sea this vast.

Sure I feel thou fly me back
For me to reach Rama’s feet.
 
But on second thought I wonder  
Whether I lose my self in flight.

Once in mid-air nerve I might
Lose and fall down from that height.
 
Then the hungry whales in seas
Won’t they make a meal of me? 
 
Slow down if thou for my sake
Won’t that make us sitting ducks?

Gives that Ravan’s loyal men
Time to spare in catching us.

Gherao as they us mid-air
Contrive how thou to escape?
 
Won’t that put thy life at risk
And mine as well in mid-flight? 

Fight as thee all Ravan’s men
Won’t in fright I lose balance?
 
Dares not one to ever engage  
Thee in dogfight in high skies,  
But then Ravan’s men in hoards  
Prevail might by hook or crook. 
 
Engage as thou all of them
Won’t that leave me unguarded?
 
For vile Ravan’s men to kill
Won’t that make me easy prey? 
 
Comes it if to such a pass  
Won’t thy toil go in vain?
 
In spite of the odds so great
Should thou take me to my man
Won’t that leave him feel slighted?
 
In case Ravan gets me back
Holds me tight in no man’s land
How on earth my man gets there?

Whichever way might one may look
Seems it sound that thou might fetch
Man mine here than other way round.
 
Turns it if our mission failure
Won’t that put the life of Ram
As well the rest all at risk?
 
Hear if they soon none of me
Ram ’n Lakshman both of them
For sure embrace death in time.
 
Credo it’s but of my soul
Touch I never another man
Than my Rama whom I love.

Held me Ravan in kidnap
Disgust it caused all the way.
 
Know I well my man doth hit
Bull’s-eye every time he aims.

Enters he once battle zone
Know his arrows like sun-rays
Cease they never from his bow.
 
To join battle with Ravan
It’s my request O Hanuman
Fetch thou my man with Lakshman.   

Canto 38

Story to Tell

Respect with all due to her
Addressed Hanuman thus Seetha.  
 
Surmise I can from thy words  
What a woman of virtue makes.
 
It was not a fair offer
For the fair sex on my part
Help I them as piggyback.
 
Intent that thine not to touch
Someone other than thy husband
Made I know thee stay thus put.
 
One so chastely as Seetha
Is there ever in all three worlds! 

Won’t I tell Ram in detail 
Spoke thee what and all I saw.
 
Urge it’s mine to bring an end
To the suffering of thee both
That was at the back of mind
Offered when I thee my back.

Thought I fit to offer help
Takes as it some time for Ram
Reach to Lanka with his force. 
 
Owing to my love for Ram
Without further loss of time 
Thought I would