webnovel

Sundara Kānda: Hanuman's Odyssey

Whereas Mahabharata's Bhagvad-Gita is taken as a philosophical guide, Ramayana's Sundara Kãnda is sought for spiritual solace; many believe that reading it or hearing it recited would remove all hurdles and usher in good tidings! Miracles apart, it's in the nature of this great epic to inculcate fortitude and generate hope in man for it’s a depiction of how Hanuman goes about his errand against all odds. Besides, it portrays how Seetha, on the verge of self-immolation, overcomes despair to see life in a new light? With rhythm of its verse and the flow of the narrative this sloka to sloka transcreation of the canto beautiful of Valmiki's adi kavya - the foremost poetical composition in the world, Hanuman's Odyssey that paves the way for Rama to rescue his kidnapped wife is bound to charm the readers and listeners alike. Interestingly, as the following verse illustrates, this epic was the forerunner of the magic realism of our times – “Gripped she then him by shadow / Cast which Hanuman coast to coast, Recalled he in dismay then / What Sugreev said at outset / That one fiend had aptitude / To grip its prey by mere shadow.” On a personal note, my paternal grandfather, Bulusu Thimmaiah-garu, like many in his time, was a life-long practitioner of Sundara Kãnda parayana (the epic’s daily recital in part or full), whose spirituality could have providentially guided me in this, rather an effortless, trans-creative endeavour.

BS_Murthy · Fantasy
Not enough ratings
70 Chs

Advice to Deliver

Unnerved continued Hanuman

With Ravan who scared all gods.

Wishes Sugreev thou all well

With the message that follows.

Help as it would thee all now

Heed thee advice of my Lord.

Dasarath was a godly king

Fame he earned for rule his fair.

Son his eldest Lord Rama

So to honour his dad's word

Gave up lawful right on crown.

For the help his wife the third

Rendered him in some battle

Gave word Dasarath to her then

Honour bound he would be to

Fulfill wishes three of hers,

Came when time to crown Rama

Sought as she crown for her son

Went Ram with his spouse Seetha

In tow with his brother Lakshman

To Dandak woods on exile then.

Janaka's daughter that worthy

Woman that wed first Dasarath's son

Kidnapped was she from those woods.

With his sibling Lord Rama

Went on searching for Seetha.

Came he soon to Kishkindha

Made he pact with Sugreeva.

Vow as per his Lord Rama

Slew the sibling of Sugreev

Vali who stole wife of his.

Vali's valour world all knows

Felled him but Ram at one go.

Got as Sugreev Vanar Crown

Besides hand of Vali's wife

Apart from his stolen one

So to keep the word he gave

To Lord Ram to find Seetha

Sent he vanars in their scores

Covering earth and heaven as well.

Find thou in the vanar ranks

Valorous all in their thousands

Conquer who could on their own

Worlds all three there at one go.

It's me Hanuman, Vayu' son

Flew the sea of hundred leagues

To reach Lanka in search of

Seetha kidnapped wife of Ram.

Scanned I Lanka's width 'n breadth

Found I Seetha in the end.

O well learned king Ravan

Is it fair for thee confine

Wife of another in thy land?

It's no dharma for the king

Breaks he rules of humankind.

Bodes it ill for all thy folk

That thee annoy Ram and his

Sibling who could destroy all

And sundry as well at their will.

For thine unfairness to Ram

In snaring loving spouse of his

Sure to rue thy citizens all.

Send back Seetha to her man

Pray heed advice of this mine

Given in keeping thy interest.

Fail thou heed my Lord's advice

Found as I now in thy land

Seetha faithful wife of Ram

Rest of it is left to him

How to book thee for thy foul.

Being such a learned king

Wonder how thou fail to know

Seetha would prove thee costly.

Pays it to know Rama's wife

Is not the one to get seduced

By the vile of devil itself.

May thou live for ever so long

Boon thou got from God Himself

Fail if thee to mend thy ways

Sure thou soon would come to grief.

Know the rider that God put

For thee to keep death at bay

Is on hand to see thy end.

In battles all with gods and such

Boon hath it that come thou clean.

It's thy fate that failed thee true

To seek no harm from men and us,

It's thus Ram and we vanars

Bring would thy end in combat.

Lay not as knives two in sheath

So's the case with good and bad.

Blessed as gods thee for good deeds

Punish they would now for foul acts.

How thou fail to see writing

On the wall when Seetha's man

Could slay Vali thy equal!

Rama if were to give nod

For that matter I would now

Sink thy Lanka in the seas.

Tied are my hands for Rama

Vowed he would slay well in time

Hands with his own who that dared

Kidnap his dear spouse Seetha.

Spare would Rama not even

Indra were to harm his cause,

What would come of folk like thee

Were they to cross swords with him?

Know Seetha thou here confine

Would cause curtains to come down

On the Lankan stage of thine.

She's like the hangman's rope

Brought by thyself to Lanka

On thine own to hang thyself.

With her power of chariness

Burn as well she might thy land.

Why drag down them all of them

Hordes of wives and thy siblings.

O Ravan the Lankan king

Heed thee advice of Sugreev.

Know Ram is no mere mortal

Power hath he to destroy all

Exists whatever in three worlds

And bring life back onto earth.

In all races of worlds all

None there equals him as man.

Makes it's no joke to join

Battle with the god in him.

That thou hurt the god on earth

Hope there none for thee in life.

In their bid to save thy life

All three worlds if ever combine

Yet Ram would make bite thee dust.

Destined if were one to die

At the hands of Seetha's man

Gods themselves know wash their hands.

Treating Hanuman's words ranting

Lost his cool then Lankan king.