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 to come.

Sighted then I Ravan there

With his queens 'n keeps in tow.

Seetha who sat in sorrow

Changed her posture to cover more.

Neared as Ravan her in lust

Cowered all the more then Seetha.

In his bid to gain her love

Fell then Ravan at her feet.

Snubbed by Seetha even then

Gave her Ravan two more months

For her to choose from him or death.

At that Seetha seethed in rage

Spoke she to him with disdain.

How thou fail to know Ravan

Spouse am I of godly Ram?

Snared as crooked way by thee

Don't I know how coward are thou?

What if thou are Lankan king

Measure thou none to Ram's valet.

Slighted as by Rama's wife

Burned in anger Ravan then.

Having thus lost his bearing

Moved Ravan to throttle her.

Stopped him in his tracks his queen

With these words that pleased him well.

Measure as thou to Lord Indra

Makes she no patch ever on me.

Why run after Seetha then

With me at thy side for fun?

Won't thou have in thy harem

Women ever eager to please thee?

Having massaged ego his

Led she back him to harem.

Turned guards all then too hostile

To Rama's spouse who snubbed Ravan.

Though they scolded her loudly

Paid them deaf ear then Seetha.

Seeing Seetha unmoved thus

Ran some then to brief Ravan.

Rest of them in exhaustion

Fell asleep all one by one.

In spite of that sans respite

Wept then Seetha for her man.

Woke up in trance Trijata then

From their ranks to address them.

Dream I had that bodes all ill

To Lanka 'n our Lord as well

Of course owing to this dame.

Better we make up with her now

So that she would save our lives.

For the suffering women like her

Dreams such as those portend well.

Better we seek now her mercy

So that we could come out clean.

Having heard what Trijata said

Assured Rama's spouse them help.

Seeing her in such a plight

Felt I wretched for her sake.

Contrived I then to be heard

By her as I praised her man.

Having heard me tell her tale

Moved as she then spoke to me.

O little vanar who art thou

Who did send thee to Lanka?

Got as thee so close to Ram

Tell me how thou met my Lord?

Then I said to soothe her thus:

Made Lord Rama friend my Lord

Sugreev king of vanar world.

Hanuman am I sent by Ram

In search of thee in Ravan's land.

Gave me Rama to show thee

Ring this he wears ever on him.

At thy beck and call am now

Bid me to take thee to Ram?

Such was Seetha's perspective

Thought it would be fit for Ram

If he were to slay Ravan

And then take her back with him.

Wanted then I from Seetha

Something dear to both of them

So that I could show that Rama.

Thus she gave me this diadem

That she said would please her man.

Then she told me that episode

Wherein a crow turned eager

All to savour Seetha's charms

That too when she was with Ram!

She was not to let me go

Wished as I to take her leave.

Wanted Seetha I tell Ram

Suffering hers for want of him.

Bid me she to fetch her man

Soon with Lakshman 'n Sugreev.

Were thou fail to bring Rama

And the rest in just two months

Live I not a day longer.

Spoke as she in such despair

Seized I was with burning rage.

Then and there I turned a fiend

Ravaged the grove that held her.

Cowered all beasts there so varied

Woke up in fright Seetha's guards.

Seeing me thus in fury

Ran they all to tell Ravan.

Pictured they then to Ravan

Havoc I wrought in garden.

Were Ravan to give orders

Boasted they would make me pay.

In his bid to subdue me

Sent Ravan then his kinkars.

Eighty thousand strong they were

Slew I them all to last man.

'Lost Lanka its vast army',

Told Ravan his spies on prowl.

Chose I then their funeral place

Slew its guards with just one stroke.

With huge force to capture me

Sent then Ravan Prahastha's son.

Spared I not then one even

Broke their backs with iron latch.

With the death of Prahastha's son

Dispatched Ravan ministers' sons.

One by one to hell all them

With that latch I then dispatched.

Not the one to give up soon

Sent Ravan his five Generals.

As I made them bite the dust

Chose Ravan to send his son.

Akshay though of tender age

Astute was he in warfare.

Yet I caught him by his legs

Flung him thus to Ravan's court.

Enraged Ravan by all that

Sent his first born to battle.

That he subdued Lord Indra

Knows him world as Indrajit.

All his valour came to naught

When it came to me subdue.

Realizing I matched him well

Stunned me he with Brahmastra.

At his behest his flock then

Tied me with all sorts of ropes.

As they took me to Ravan

Fumed at me then he in rage.

Wanted he to find out then

Why thus I played spoilsport.

Him I told for Seetha's sake

Caused I all that destruction.

Moreso made it clear to him

Sent I was by Lord Rama.

Gave thee counsel I told him

Lord Sugreev too for thy good.

Sent Sugreev thee his greetings

Words these with to caution thee.

In my exile I met Ram

Vow I took to stand by him.

Ram then wanted me to help

Him to fight who snared Seetha.

Thereby had I that barter

Whereby he would slay Vali

Stole who my wife unfairly.

To his vow to kill Vali

Made Ram Lakshman bear witness.

With that single arrow Ram

Brought an end to Vali's reign.

Made as he me vanar king

Owe him I to stand by him.

'Send back Seetha to Lord Ram'

Advice this mine to thee now

Come would Hanuman to deliver.

That thou know the vanar force

Could well conquer all three worlds

Hope thee heed this advice mine.

Slighted as he by these words

Lost his cool then Lankan king.

Gave he go by to dharma

Ordered I be put to death.

Spoke then sibling of Ravan

Revere all there as Vibhishan.

Goes thy diktat O my Lord

Not with grain of thy dharma.

In the annals of state craft

Sent are men to mend fences

Ill behoves the recipient king

Kills if he the one thus sent.

Punish if we must this vanar

Sever we could a limb or two.

At that Ravan gave orders

Tail mine be then set on fire.

Having hit my tail with sticks

Tied it they with jute and all.

Poured they tons of oil then

Set they thus my tail on fire.

So to slight me all the way

Taken was I round the streets.

That they could make fun of me

Led I was then to Main Square.

Vanar then I turned tiny

Slipped out of the ropes they tied.

Grew I then to touch the skies

Slew them all there at one go.

Set I fire to buildings all

There in Lanka one by one.

Burnt as Lanka to the core

Worried I was for Seetha.

Took I Seetha's death for sure

Sank in sorrow to my knees.

Cried then as I unceasing

Heard I Yakshas talk in skies.

From their talk I learnt for sure

Came no harm to Rama's spouse.

Felt it's all but grace of hers

Gave that respite to my tail.

Reached I then the Lankan beach

Quenched there well my burning tail.

Went I straight to Seetha then

Took her leave to fly back home.

Took-off then I from Lanka

To head home to see thee all.

There in high skies I flew past

Sun with trillion stars 'n moon.

With the blessings of Rama

And the wishes of our folk

Bring I could thee good tidings.

In brief that's all what happened

Much is left for us to do.