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

Assured that he Ravan’s end
Made Seetha pray Ram no end.
 
For his take-off to go back
Arishta mountain climbed Hanuman.
 
Passing clouds made Arishta look    
Like the shy bride that was veiled.

Caressed by those sun rays thus
Seemed it woke up then from sleep.
 
Water falls of rivers on that
Sounded they like Vedic chants.

Seemed all trees of Arishta then
Like raised arms of scores of those
Ascetics engaged in prayers there.   
 
Orchestra of magic flutes
Breeze made Arishta’s bamboos turn.
 
Covered by snow from tip to toe
Seemed Arishta then blissful soul.

Peaks sky high ’n caves all deep
Made Arishta seem cover all worlds.
 
Flowers varied of myriad trees  
Gave that touch of bridal ware.

 Beasts in woods all in their scores
Sauntered in groves that were thick.
 Home it made all Gandharvas  
Home away home for all of them.
 
Herbs it all had so myriad
Made they medicines that varied. 
 
Set as Hanuman his huge foot
Rocks all got to pebbles reduced. 
 
In his bid to sail across
Grew he further frame his large. 
 
Sighted Hanuman sea across  
Crossed that he to reach Lanka.
 
On his return trip to home
Veteran like he then took-off.  

With the pressure it came to bear
Sank then Arishta deep in ground.
 
Pressed as Arishta to its core  
Caved in with groan ocean bed. 
 
Lost as Arishta its bearing
Trees then there got uprooted.
 
With their fate as thus got sealed
Roared lions all there in distress. 

Flew as Gandharv women all there
Slipped their pallus off their breasts.
 
Serpents there lay furlongs long
Curled in pits of square foot then.
 
Angels all then came to rest
On its lovely peak foremost,
With that havoc of take-off
Took flight all of them in fright. 
 
In time only seen was tip
Of that Arishta of great girth.

Left no trace of its glory
At length that peach of mountains. 

Unmindful of that havoc
Had a smooth sail back Hanuman. 

Canto 57

Flight sans Hassles 

Airborne as he so he seemed
Like a mountain with huge wings.
Nagas all from stratosphere  
Saw him then in his flight route. 
 
Stars all in their resplendence
Saw him as he passed them by. 
 
Hanuman got a feeling then
Was he there in another world. 
 
Moved as he thus in high skies
Seemed he swallowed clouds all there.
 
Picked as up he speed in flight
Seemed as if skies shrunk in size. 
 
Formed then rainbow in mid-air
Looked that like a welcome arch. 
 
Clouds as darkened in mid-course 
Played he hide ’n seek like moon.
 
As and when he came in view
In his vest he shone like moon. 

Acquired as if Garuda’s grace

With such ease then Hanuman flew. 

Seemed then ether spread to world
Words those Hanuman spoke to self
About the valorous deeds of his
Done by grace of Lord Rama.
 
Approached when he Mainaka
Touched him Hanuman in reverence.
 
Sighted as he Indra’s hill
Roared then like a lion Hanuman.
 
Induced by the roars of his
Thundered all the clouds in skies.

Sighted as he home shore soon 
Waved his tail in triumph Hanuman.

 
Sounded as he his comeback
Seemed all worlds then shook to roots.
 
With such chaos in the skies
Guessed his peers all his approach.
 
Waited they with bated breath
For Hanuman to come then in sight.
 
Soared their spirits as with his roars  
Reached they shores to see him land.
 
Urge of theirs to see Hanuman
Made them all jump up and down.
 
Jambavan it was then addressed
All the vanars there gathered. 
 
Doubt there none that our Hanuman
Is well on his way back home. 
 
Neared as Hanuman southern shore
Raised sea mean level in welcome.
 
For the sight of Hanuman then
Climbed all vanars then treetops. 
 
Jumped for joy as those vanars
Fell all leaves from their branches.

Heard they roar of their hero

Raised those decibels all over.
 
Sighted as all Hanuman soon
Raised they hands in salute then.
 
Folks as his lay awestruck then
He on Mahendra’s peak landed. 
 
Jumped he down to rejoin
All those vanars whom he left.
 
In their joy then vanars all
Ran to mob their own hero.
 
Finding him in pink of health
Sigh of relief heaved they all.
 
Looked at him all in reverence
Fetched they rare fruits all for him.

Sounding welcome for Hanuman
Gave their throats then vanars all.
 
To elders all and Prince Angad
For his part then bowed Hanuman.  
 
Knew as he their eagerness
To hear the story in detail,
As though to save all for Ram
Gave he brief as ‘Seen Seetha’. 
 
Having embraced Prince Angad
Squatted Hanuman there on lawn.
 
Goaded by the vanars then
Told he how he found Seetha.
 
In her lament for her man
Found I famished her to bone.
 
That he himself saw Seetha
Cheered the vanars there gathered.
 
Roared as vanars with one throat
Shocked were birds all in their flight.
 
Raised as vanars tails their long
Looked like ladders they to skies. 

Pachyderm like as sat Hanuman

In their joy they hugged him all. 
 
Bringing order then Angad
Addressed Hanuman thus in praise.
 
None can equal thee on earth
Flew who over sea this twice.
 
Swore as all of us to die
Had thee failed to find Seetha
It’s thy valour saved our lives.
 
It’s thy reverence to Sri Ram
Made thee as the chosen one
To discern Seetha there yonder. 
 
News of Seetha in his wait
Sure to gladden Rama’s heart.
 
Clapped all vanars to one man
At what all Angad just then said.

Kept they silence of pin drop

So that Hanuman could go on.
 
So to let him unfold then
With their hearts in mouths they sat.
 
So to catch his every word
Sat next Angad to Hanuman.
 
With the vanars there thus sat
Seemed the place then royal court. 

Canto 58

Odyssey in a Nutshell

Where to start and what to tell 
Felt like Buridan’s ass Hanuman. 
 
For their part then all his folk
Sat there tight to catch his words. 
 
As though to help him in script
Addressed Jambavan Hanuman thus:
 
Tell O Hanuman where and how
Found thee Seetha Rama’s spouse.

Tell us how thou zeroed on
Rama’s spouse in wilderness.
 
Brief us now of odyssey thine
So that we can plan ourselves.
 
At the request of his peer
Spoke then Hanuman in loud tone.
 
Of course thee all bear witness
That I flew off from these shores.
 
Came across I in mid-seas 
Mountain that was made of gold. 
 
Sky high grew it in no time
Blocked it my way all the way.
 
To the errand on my hand
Saw it as I then hindrance.
 
Lashed it as I with my tail
Went it crashing down on knees. 
 
Assumed form it then human
And in warmth thus spoke to me:

For my friendship with thy dad
Thou should take me as thy kin. 
 
Am king of mountains Mainaka
Dwell in seas these underneath.
 
Mountains all in times of yore 
Had we wings to circle worlds
Afraid of our crash landing
Complained all to Lord Indra.

Chose as Indra to clip wings
Of the mountains there are all
It’s thy father but who saved 
Wings of mine from being clipped.
 
Bound am I to extend help
To thee now on this errand
With the intent to serve Ram
That he reclaims his lost spouse.  

Offered though he me to take
Rest on golden peak of his
Wanting not to waste my time
Wished I none of that for me.
 
Having grasped my urgency
Pressed he none more Mainaka. 
 
Bid as I him adieu then
Slipped he back then to sea bed. 
 
Resumed then I unhindered
Journey mine that seemed so long.
 
Came across I then Surasa
Mother of serpents of all seas.
 
Oh how she made clear her intent 
That she would make meal of me!
 
Not to rub on her wrong side
Pleaded my case with her thus:
 
Lived with Seetha ’n Lakshman
For long Ram in Dandak woods.
 
Snared as Ravan fair Seetha
Sent me her man to find out.
 
For thy being his subject
Dharma it’s thine aid his cause. 

As and when I find Seetha
Convey I would to that Ram
And come back to thee forthwith
So that thou me have for meal. 

But she would have none of it
And said none can escape her.

Mouth as she hers wide open
Gained I size to thwart her move. 
 
Pulled as she jaws her so wide
To thwart her then I turned tiny. 
 
So to beat the boon she got
That none can ever detour her
Went in and I came out swift
Brought as she her jaws to close.

 In spite of the fact I tricked
Yet she wished me all the best.
 
Bade as she me then adieu 
So all creatures of the seas.
 
Hardly had I flew a league 
Felt as if was slowing down.
 
Surveyed as I all over
Found no hindrance in my route. 
 
In awe then I continued
Straining every nerve of mine.
 
To get to the roots of problem
As saw I down from high skies
Found a fiend at my shadow.
 
Though she saw the giant of me
Yet she challenged me that fiend. 
 
Said the fiend then all in glee
Glad I’ve found a giant in thee
Sure thou make full meal for me.
 
Like I did with that Surasa
Grew up in size all the more.
 
Rose as it to swallow me
Made I myself then puny.
 
Deftly then I entered her
Came out swiftly with her heart.

With her heart thus in my hand
Fell its corpse on high seas then. 
 
From the talk of Siddhas then
Witnessed who all that from skies
Simhik was the fiend I slain
 
Killed as I the fiend that weird
Came to know that pulls its prey
Clutching at but their shadows. 

Sank at length as sun in seas
Set then I foot on those shores.

As I reached the Lankan gates

Found there a fiend to confront.    
 
Having tongues of fire for hair
Tried that fiend to slay me straight.
 
Needed as I no more than
Fist of mine to pin her down 
Spoke that terrified fiend to me.
 
O great vanar thou may know
Me as Lanka’s main deity
That thee could well beat me true
All else here would bite the dust. 
 
In spite of the guards all there
Covered I Lanka all that night
Yet I found not Seetha there.   
     
Searched I Ravan’s palace then
Came a cropper there even.

 
Sauntered as I in and out
Found I to my wonder there
Garden with all golden walls.
 
Entered then I in great hope
Garden that was out of world.

In the midst of that garden
Found a dame I there squatted.
 
Unkempt all her pitch dark hair
Wide-eyed she was of middle age.
 
Downcast was she by demeanour
On guard there were women garish.
 
Taunted her all in their turns
Looked she like a trapped creature.
 
Ceased she not to pray her man
Cared she none fore self-upkeep. 
 
Cursing Ravan in between
Wished she then to end her life.
 
By the virtue of her soul
And the beauty of her self
Felt I she could be Seetha.

 Heard I tinkles of anklets
Sensed I women were nearby there.
 
Hiding myself on high branch
Waited for those women