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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

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 fetch his beloved.

Canst if thou come back with me

Bestow something that soothes him.

Moved to core as Rama's wife

Spoke with ardour to Hanuman.

Dost thou remind my man then

The story of that amorous crow.

It was during our outing

On the banks of Mandakin

Happened that in broad daylight.

Stayed we then at Siddhashram

Laid which was in thick garden.

Lay as I in Rama's lap

Having lapped up garden path,

Got a crow at my bosom

Dropped I pallu chasing it.

Pushed as that I in dismay

Back it came to try its luck.

Lord mine witnessed that tussle

In which my breasts got exposed.

Amused by its eagerness

Teased as Ram with innuendos

Kept I blushing all the while.

Scolded him as I roundly

Me he took then in embrace

Smiled he sweetly to soothe me.

Tears that gushed then from my eyes

Streams as they made on my cheeks

Wiped them he to comfort me.

Sapped as I lay in his lap

Slumbered I for so long thus.

Woke up as I my man took

Turn his to rest on my thigh.

Finding my man in deep sleep

Back came that crow to resume

Beaked it flesh from my bosom.

Bore all as I fearing that

Gets disturbed my man in sleep

Blood in streams from my valley

Made its way to Rama's chest.

Having woke up by its warmth

Saw my Lord then my torment.

Hurt as I was by that crow

Pearl like breasts mine turned corals.

Saw as Ram that eager crow

With its blood stained beak 'n all

Gripped was my Lord with anger.

Oh, that crow was Kakasur

Happened to be Indra's son

Known to cover the earth and all

With the matching speed of sound.

Seeing Rama's blood red eyes

Saw the danger Kakasur

Flew thus swiftly in panic.

Upset by the hurt it caused

To me beloved of his heart

Lost no time Ram to punish it.

Took he some reed lay nearby

Which with power of his mantra

Turned then into Brahmastra.

Chased that missile Kakasur

All the way to Indra's place.

Even Lord of heavenly gods

Felt he could not help his son.

Back came that crow to save life

Sought he pardon from my Lord.

Though Ram came to forgive him

The weapon in use was sure to hurt.

As a way to save his life

Pleaded Kakasur with Ram

Let the damage be limited

To the right eye that he bore.

Having owed his life to Ram

Left then one-eyed Indra's son.

Wonder how the one who used

Brahmastra on Kakasur

Fails to put the same to use

To punish the man who confines me?

Is it that Ram fails to know

Bitter would be his better half!

Having taken vow to help

All and sundry in distress

Is it fair for Ram to leave

His own one thus in the lurch?

Not the one to act in haste

Hath he patience of oceans.

Hath my suffering not tested

Patience his with vile Ravan?

Aims as he and shoots arrows

Escape none there for his foes.

If my Lord has some concern

For me forlorn spouse of his

Won't he come to my rescue?

What of Lakshman his sibling

Moves not one inch in spite of

The loss of sister-in-law his?

Surely my Lord and Lakshman

On their own can bring to knees

Gods all there in heaven at once.

Looks like it's my misfortune

That my Lord and his sibling

Should make no move to rescue

Me from clutches of this man.

Moved as Hanuman by lament

Of the hapless Rama's wife

Tried he thus to cheer her up.

Swear I to the fact that Ram

Swallowed was by thy sorrow.

Now that I would head to Ram

With the tidings of our meet

Know its beginning of the end

Of thy sorrows of all hues.

For these demons to rue in time

Count on Ram to bring curtains

Down on Ravan's Lankan stage.

It's no big deal for Rama

To make cruel Ravan meet

His nadir with all his men.

Let me hasten to thy man

So to convey news of thine.

In spite of the hope it gave

Spoketh in teras thus Seetha.

Tell my man that I live by

Hope of making life with him.

What else can I wish for him

Rama's dearest brother Lakshman

That he joins his wife soon

Whom he left to serve us both.

Sad it was that he gave up

Conjugal his life for long

So to take care of us both.

He is such a pet of Ram

For he is a handsome man.

Though he is my brother-in-law

Me he treats as mother no less.

If not for his loving care

In our exile in those woods

Life would have been hell for us.

Know that Rama loves Lakshman

Much more than me his own spouse.

Sees Ram their dad in Lakshman

And that helps him soothe himself.

To do the needful for my sake

Trust I would thou spur Lakshman.

Entrust I would thee the task

To goad my man to take me back.

Let my man know I wouldn't live

Day one longer than one month.

Surely Rama can save me

From the sin of my suicide.

As a token of her love

To be passed on to her man

Gave him Seetha her diadem.

Took that Hanuman in reverence

Matched which well with ring finger.

Felt then Hanuman truly blessed

For the trust that Seetha placed.

Being in front of Seetha

Bore he Rama in his mind.

At length he came out of trance

Made he move to take her leave.