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

across
Ocean this vast to reach there
And slay Ravan and his men.
 
Then we could bring Seetha back
And make Rama meet his spouse.
 
Slain as Hanuman Ravan’s men
What is left for us to do
Than lead Seetha back to Ram? 
Why to bother folk back home
For what we could do on our own?
 
When he expects her the least
Won’t it be a pleasant surprise
That we fetch her to him thus. 
 
Having heard thus Angad speak
Said then Jambavan in response: 
 
Sent we were to find Seetha
Not to take her back with us.
 
Exceed if we Rama’s brief  
Might we earn his ire as well.

Better we mind all Rama’s vow
That he would slay with his hands
The one who dared to snare his wife.
 
Should we go by route thee show
Won’t we make him fail his word?

 

Sounds it prudent that we might
Go back to Ram with her news. 
 
Move thine surely saves bother
For the rest of folks back home
But know Ram would like it not. 

 

Canto 61

Eying the Madhuvan

 

At that Angad retracted
Agreed he to fall in line. 
 
Thought it fit then vanar folk
To let Hanuman lead them back. 
 
Moved as they like cloud in skies
Played the sun then hide and seek.
 
Kept all vanars their eyes on
Hanuman at the head of them.

 

Felt all they were indebted
For him having saved their lives. 
 
Buoyed were all by the thought
That Ram would be pleased with them,
Proud all felt that they could help
Lord Rama who helped their Lord.
 
In that mood they saw Madhuvan
Garden like which nowhere there
Full of honeycombs on huge trees.
 
Garden that was Sugreev’s own
Dared none ever to step in there. 
 
Aided by all well-built guards 
Dadhimukh, Sugreev’s own uncle
Guarded that place round the clock.
 
Tempted as were vanars all
Licked their fingers all of them.
 
Pleaded all with Prince Angad
To let them have a glassful each
Of honey in plenty in Madhuvan. 
 
Nod as he got from elders
Gave nod Angad to vanars.
 
Swarmed then simians all over
Honey they savoured to last drop.
Left they not a fruit or root
Fill to the hilt they had all. 
 
In their mirth then those simians
Danced they all till legs them failed.
 
Sang some then in sonorous tunes
Blabbered others as in small groups.
 
Pranks they played of every sort
Spared they none of one another.
 
Leapt as some from tree to tree
Others did jump from branch to branch.  
 
Lost they all then their bearings
Poked some of them their noses.
 
Turned they naughty all in end
Spread they all then far and wide.
 
Wretched as made they garden rare
Warned then Dadhimukh all of them.
 
Heeded but they not his words
Made that Dadhimukh think over.
 
Took he then them all to task
And that spoiled their party.
 
Swarmed all vanars then Dadhimukh 
As would bees when stirred from comb
And that frightened Dadhimukh then.

With their nails all long and sharp
Scratched as some the garden chief 
Dug their teeth strong others in him. 

 

Canto 62

Orgy in the Garden

 

At length on the same coin 
Paid as Dadhimukh trespassers
Went then Hanuman to save them.
 
Sending Dadhimukh then packing
Goaded Hanuman them for more.
 
With that go by from Hanuman  
Beseeched Angad then his flock
That they could have more of fun.
 
Vanars at that hailed Hanuman
As well Angad their young prince.
 
Having got the license thus
Indulged they in wild orgies. 
 
Cared they two hoots for the guards 
And chased them out of that garden.

 

Having had their fill in time
Vanars then had their siesta.
 
To take the vanars then to task 
Guards all regrouped in their scores.  
 
Drove but vanars all of them
Back to their posts in no time.
 
Fought then vanars mock battles
Honeycombs with those they emptied.
 
Vanars some were high by then
Made they beds of leaves to sleep.
 
Faltered they all in their steps
Tried as some to walk a while.
 
Stumbled as some in mid-course  
Stepped them over rest of them.
 
Inhaled as though laughing gas
Went on laughing some of them. 
 
Twice shy being bitten for once  
Staid put guards all in their posts.

 

Yet vanars all itched for fight
And threw them all in mid-air. 
 
Injured as they fell on ground
Limped all in pain to Dadhimukh.
 
Annoyed as he with vanars
Addressed thus the chief of guards.
 
Time it’s not to lose our hearts 
Better we regroup ’n fight them.
 
Bucked up as all by his words
Back they went to trespassers.
 
Uprooting a tree Dadhimukh
Signalled he the fight on hand.

Lined up guards all then in files
Marched on rampant vanars there.
 
Followed suit as some their chief
Lifted boulders others there large.
 
Angad’s vanars there scattered
Turned they sitting ducks all then.

So to save his men Angad
Took on Dadhimukh on his own. 
 
Half drunk by then as Angad
Gave no quarter to Dadhimukh
And hit him hard with fist his strong.
 
Fell on floor as then Dadhimukh  
Who was none but his grandad
Ceased not Angad to hurt him.
 
Beaten thus by his grandson
Lost his consciousness Dadhimukh.
 
Woke up Dadhimukh thereafter
Guards he led back to barracks. 
 
Lost no time the Guards-in-Chief
Addressed his men thus aggrieved.
 
Serves no purpose to fight back
Appraise we might vanar Lord  
Of the havoc wrought by these
To the Madhuvan loves he most. 
 
Be it Angad for such foul
He’s not the one to spare.
 
Got this garden vanar Lord
As a bequeath from his dad
Who in turn got from his dad.
 
Treats as Madhuvan as his child
Sure this carnage would outrage
Sugreev our Lord no end now.   
 
Count on me to tell Sugreev
That they be all put to death.
 
Having spoken thus Dadhimukh
Flew to Sugreev with his flock. 
 
In no time did Dadhimukh sight
Lord his Sugreev with his folks. 

 

Having with his aids landed
Headed Dadhimukh to his Lord. 
 
Saw then Sugreev his uncle
Approach him with dull demeanour.
 
Led then by the boss of theirs  
Guards of Madhuvan saluted
Vanar Lord all one by one.  

 

Canto 63

Sugreev’s Reading

 

Fell as Dadhimukh at his feet
Spoketh vanar Lord perplexed.
 
What’s thy fault that makes thee fall
At the feet of thy nephew?
 
Fright thine makes me worried man
Harmed might’ve been my Madhuvan.
 
Ardour thus by Sugreev showed
Moved then Dadhimukh to speak thus: 

Though all knew it out of bounds
Trespassed vanars some Madhuvan.

Ignored they all my warnings
Ate they every fruit and root.
 
Swarmed as by all bees out there
Yet they squeezed out honey in tons.
 
Having got drunk to the hilt
Mocked they my guards who cautioned.
 
Guards as there did try to stop
Beat them to pulp those vanars.
 
Makes me sad that Prince Angad  
Aided as well abetted them.
 
Lay as wounded men of mine
Flung some vanars them sky high.
 
In thy reign O Lord Sugreev
That’s how folk thine slew our guards.
 
Having sensed then some import
Enquired Lakshman then Sugreev
What could have gone awry them.

 

What’s the matter vanar Lord
Why thy folk all look depressed? 
 
Having by then smelt the rat
Appraised Sugreev Lakshman thus:
 
Complains Dadhimukh my uncle
That Prince Angad and his flock
Ravaged Madhuvan to its roots
As well slew its guards in scores. 

If not for the happy end
To the errand on their hand
Would have Angad ever condoned
Deeds those vandal of vanars?
 
Strong as Dadhimukh ’n his folks
Failed to stop them all in tracks
Would mean spirits of Angad’s flock
Could have soared to skies all high.
 
Feel I Angad and party
Having by then found Seetha 
Would have indulged in orgies. 
 
It’s but Hanuman who could have
Found out Seetha in spite of
Hurdles all there to reach her. 
Fails he never to deliver 
Backed by Jambavan ’n Angad
Leads when Hanuman from the front.
 
Turned as joyous by the news
Brought by Hanuman from Seetha
Lost they could have their bearing.
 
Had not Hanuman sighted her 
Dare how they would ever enter
Madhuvan after mine own heart? 
 
It’s but their joy that gave cause
For their pranks all with those guards.
 
It’s this grasp of their action
Made that Dadhimukh rush to us. 
 
Feel I certain from all this
Found was Rama’s spouse Seetha.
 
If not Angad would not have
Let his flock thus play havoc
With the Madhuvan of our clan. 

With the way Lord Sugreev spoke
Pleased no end was Lakshman then.
 
Happy was Ram at the turn
Of the tide in Seetha’s search.
 
Turned then Sugreev to Dadhimukh 
Thanked him for the news he brought.
 
Dispatched Sugreev his uncle
So he sends back Angad’s flock. 
 
No less eager all of us 
To hear where Hanuman found Seetha.
 
Made the joyous look of Ram
Joyous Lakshman and Sugreev. 

 

Canto 64

Return of the Platoon

 

At the diktak of his Lord
Took leave Dadhimukh of them all.
 
Flew he back then to Madhuvan
With his flock to fetch Hanuman. 
 
Speeded as he to his Lord
Rushed he so back to Madhuvan. 
In the garden he left them  
Found he vanars turn sober.
 
Went he straight to Angad then
Spoke he thus with folded hands.
 
Pardon my flock and me too
For we tried to stop thee all
From thy having fun of life.
 
At thy pleasure O Prince Angad  
Let thy folk have some more fun.
 
Like thy dad in days of yore 
Sugreev ’n thou make our Lords. 
 
Told we Sugreev thy uncle
Landed thou all in Madhuvan.
 
Felt he so glad hearing that 
Found I safe ’n sound all thee. 
 
Flared up he not as I told
Spoiled all of thee Madhuvan.

 Now he sent me here to fetch
Thee all back to him forthwith.
 
At this Angad told his flock
Rama could be in the know.
 
Inclined am to think so
Seeing joyous Dadhimukh’s face. 
 
Now that all of us had fun
Why not go back to our Lord.
 
Wish I none have to dictate
Like to follow what thee say.

 

Brought as thou us this glory
Honour me thou as thy Prince
It’s no time that’s opportune
For me to thee dictate terms.
 
Spake as Angad to his flock
Made that happy one and all.
 
Spoke they in turn to Angad
All of them in one voice,
Like thou take us as equals
Who else would treat his subjects?
 
Bow as thou to thy subjects
Take thee that to top of world.
Think as thee of thy uncle
We too wish to see our Lord.
 
Lead us all to where thee go
None of us would drag his feet.
 
Gave as Angad green signal
Rose then his flock to the skies.
 
Angad thus with at the head
Flew they flying saucer like.   
 
Thus in tow with Hanuman then
Pulled his flock all back Angad. 
 
Sighting Angad in the skies
Spoke then Sugreev to Rama.
 
See our vanars flying back
Portends that well for Seetha.
 
Espy speed at which they fly
Would they do so had they failed?
 
To me if he were to fail
Would ever Angad show his face?
 
Besides fouling my Madhuvan  
Were he failed to find Seetha
How dare Angad come to me?
 
If not that they found Seetha
Would have Angad let