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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
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70 Chs

Times of Hope

Said then Hanuman to Rama

Came as thy spouse to trust me

Spoke she further thus with me.

Stress the need to do needful

Speak as thou to my Lord Ram.

How I wish thou gone by now

Yet I feel thou need some rest

Stay so back for one more day.

It's thy coming O Hanuman

Set the mind of mine at rest.

Leave as thee the Lankan shore

High 'n dry me that would leave.

In contrast to strength thee gave

Won't thy absence make it worse.

Be that as it may Hanuman

Reach to Lanka as thee did

Can all vanars cross this sea?

To slay Ravan for my sake

How my Lord 'n his sibling

Can cross over sea this vast?

But for Vayu, Garud 'n thou

Who else could cross Lankan seas?

How to bring all to these shores

Thus O Hanuman give a thought.

Surely on thy own Hanuman

Make can Ravan bite the dust

Yet that leaves no role for Ram

In the rescue of his spouse.

If my Lord doth declare war

And downs Ravan in combat

That would enhance his prestige

And earns me honour in reclaim.

Ravan as did snare me then

Spirit if thou me from Lanka

Won't it go down well with Ram.

Proper thus it's for my Lord

Comes he here 'n takes me back.

Keeping all this in thy mind

For my rescue by my man

Need there is for thee to come

Up with foolproof plan some now.

Seeing how she lays in store

Honour of her beloved man

Spoke I to her in reverence.

Goddess like O Rama's spouse

Know Sugreev is committed to

Help thy man to set thee free.

Know we vanars in millions

Stake our lives to keep the word

Lord our thus gave to thy lord.

Choose if vanars to breach earth

Is there someone to stop them?

Blessed are all of us with skills

Roam we may all worlds are there.

Falls none ever as short of me

Vanars in scores better me true.

As I could do what I did

What to speak of rest of them?

Now it's time thee feel easy

Soon we vanars land in droves

With thy Lord to set thee free.

Discount if thou vanar strength

Don't thee know that I could fly

Ram 'n Lakshman on my back

Shores to these to fight Ravan?

Thou well know that thy man with

Sibling his would come out trumps.

Nevertheless we all vanars

To fight the forces of Ravan

Would be there on hand to Ram.

Land as we on Lankan shores

To hear the roars of vanar force

Won't it take thee now so long.

Slays when Ram the evil Ravan

Won't thee hand in hand in time

Ascend Ayodhya's throne with him?

Having heard my words Seetha

Said she would ever live in hope

That thee would soon set her free.