The Complete Life of Rama

by Vanamali

  Ravana’s anger was mounting with every word uttered by Hanuman. He could hardly contain himself till the end of the talk and roared to the guards to kill the precocious monkey.

  Ravana’s wise brother, Vibhishana, now intervened and said, “My lord, please consider before you put this monkey to death. I admit that he has done a lot of damage, but remember he is a messenger and it is against all rules of etiquette to execute a messenger.”

  Ravana was in no mood to listen to such wise counsel and ordered that Hanuman be killed immediately.

  Again Vibhishana said, “He is here only to convey a message sent by the enemy and is himself guiltless. The rules are very clear on this point, that a messenger should not be put to death. You can torture him, shave off his hair, or whip him, but you cannot kill him or else there will be a blot on your fair name. Attempts should be made to attack the princes who have sent him. Only a small portion of your army need be sent to kill those two human beings, but do not kill this monkey.”

  At last Ravana was convinced and said, “Vibhishana, you may be right that a messenger shouldn’t be killed, but I have to punish this monkey somehow for the mischief he has done. The tail is a monkey’s dearest treasure, so let his tail be lighted and let him be dragged through the streets of Lanka and thus provide a joyous spectacle to the citizens.”

  The rakshasas were delighted at the order. All the time while he was being dragged to the court, they had been shouting fiendishly, “Kill him! Roast him! Eat him!” and now they fell on his tail with glee. They started to wrap it with cloth dipped in oil, but the more they tied, the longer grew the tail, so that they had to bring bales and bales of cloth from all the shops in Lanka and still it was not enough. Hanuman’s tail had grown so long that it encircled the city of Lanka about ten times. The confused demons ran around in circles trying to wrap cloth round the tail, and still it grew and grew. At last Hanuman took pity on them and allowed them to finish their job. After having wrapped the immense tail with cloth, they dipped it in oil and set fire to it. It was a colossal tail and it made a great conflagration. The people all ran out of their houses to watch the spectacle. Hanuman was angry. He slashed his tail at the rakshasas and they fell in heaps, but then he allowed them to bind him tightly and drag him through the streets of Lanka, which he had seen only during the night. He thought it would be a good idea to know the layout of the city, since the knowledge might come in handy when he returned with the army.

  This news was brought to Sita by some of the rakshasis, who were greatly elated. Poor Sita started weeping again. Hope had just started to creep into her heart, but now it looked as if it had all been in vain. She prayed with all her heart to Agni, lord of fire, and begged him not to hurt Hanuman. The fire god was prompt and became cool on his skin, while Hanuman’s father, the god of wind, blew softly round his son, thus cooling him. Hanuman was astonished at this miracle.

  Now that he had succeeded in talking to the king of the rakshasas and seen the whole of Lanka, Hanuman decided that it was enough. He was no mean monkey to be reviled and persecuted by these stupid monsters. In a minute he broke free by flexing his body. Giving a bloodcurdling roar, he sprang to the top of the city gates, and picking up a pillar as easily as if it were a piece of wood, he knocked down the guards. He considered what further havoc he could wreak before leaving for Kishkinda.

  “Ah!” he thought, “this fire that has been used to punish me has been denied its food, so I will give it some sustenance. So saying, he took an enormous leap into the heart of the city and jumped from mansion to mansion setting fire to each with his flaming tail. The pearl-and gem-encrusted palaces and houses started to crackle and crumble. At last he landed on Ravana’s palace and set it ablaze. The exuberance of the people gave place to panic. Screams and cries rent the air as the terrified citizens ran hither and thither in their effort to extinguish the flames and escape from the conflagration. The whole of Lanka was like a flaming torch. It was an awesome spectacle.

  At last his anger abated and his conscience suddenly pricked him. “What have I done?” he thought. “In a fit of anger, is it possible that I have even destroyed the very person I have come to save? How could I have become such a slave to my anger? People commit crimes easily while in the throes of anger. An angry man may kill even those who are to be respected. The truly great man is he who can control his wrath. If I have killed Sita, I have also killed my master.”

  Then he reflected awhile and thought, “No, this cannot be. If the fire could not harm me, surely it could not have harmed her. The radiance of her purity has safeguarded her. The strength of her austerity and her devotion to her husband will protect her.” As he was thus ruminating, he saw some astral beings winging their way toward him and they were talking among themselves and commenting on the fact that in the whole of Lanka, the only person who had been totally unaffected by the conflagration was Sita. Hanuman was thrilled to hear this and leapt toward the grove where she was sitting in order to take his leave. Sita was overjoyed to see him, gave him her blessing, and told him to speed back.

  Hanuman was eager to get back to Rama. He turned round to have a last look at the city. The fabulous city of Lanka that had appeared like a gleaming pearl in the moonlight the previous evening now lay in shambles at his feet. He felt a twinge of compunction but decided that Ravana deserved it. He then returned to the top of the hill and took a flying leap. He saw the sea surging beneath him as he turned his face north and sped on his way. He passed with ease through the crimson-tinted clouds and coursed through the sky like an arrow. The vanara host, who were eagerly awaiting his arrival, were thrilled by his war cry as he landed in their midst. They broke into joyous shouts as he approached. He told them all the news—how he had found Sita in the ashoka grove, how he had set fire to Lanka, and so on. As they heard the details, the monkeys danced about and jumped up and down excitedly. The crown prince Angada now boastfully declared that they should return to Lanka and he would quell Ravana’s army, and they could return with Sita. But Hanuman said that Sita was expecting her lord to come and rescue her, so they should head directly to Kishkinda.

  Their enthusiasm lent wings to their feet, and the monkeys made the return to Kishkinda in half the time. When they reached the outskirts of the city, they saw the garden called Madhuvana, which was full of fruit and laden with intoxicating honey. The monkeys begged Jambavan and Hanuman for permission to enter this garden and taste the wine. As a special treat they were given leave, and the whole crowd rushed in and enjoyed themselves until they were satiated. They were so drunk that they could hardly walk. Some were singing and others dancing. Sugriva’s uncle was the guardian of the grove and he tried his best to restrain them, but they paid no heed. The whole garden was filled with intoxicated monkeys reeling about in varying stages of stupor. The guard ran to report the matter to the king, but Sugriva, contrary to his expectations, told him not to worry about them; he was sure they had returned with good news or they would not have had the courage to ravish the king’s favorite garden. He told the guard to bring the monkeys to his presence immediately. He was with Rama and Lakshmana at the time in their retreat on top of Prashravana hill, and they were all thrilled by his words and waited anxiously for Hanuman’s arrival.

  The monkey host arrived with a great clamor. Each one strutted in as if he had personally achieved the impossible. Hanuman and Angada now came forward, and Hanuman bent low before Rama and said, “Seen have I Sita.” He phrased his sentence in this way because he knew that Rama’s heart was filled with expectation and until he heard the word “seen,” he would be in agony. Hanuman wanted to spare him even this one moment of pain if he could, and thus said, “Seen have I Sita.” Rama’s happiness can be well imagined. To hear that his beloved was alive and well, albeit unhappy, was the greatest news that he could hear. He hugged Hanuman and gave him all his blessings.

  The monkeys vied with each other in attempts to tell him the narrative they had heard from Hanuman. Rama looked lovingly
at them and said, “I would like to know more about Sita. What did she say? Did she send any message for me?” At this the monkeys turned sheepishly to Hanuman and begged him to continue the story. Hanuman bowed low to Rama and told him the whole story of his conquest of Lanka and his meeting with the lovely, lonely princess of Videha who was eating her heart out for her beloved husband. He narrated the story of the crow and the red dot. He did not leave out even a single word spoken by the bereft queen. Rama listened with tears coursing down his cheeks. Hanuman told him how happy Sita was to receive Rama’s ring and then he presented the hair ornament she had sent for Rama. He took it in his hands and pressed it to his heart. A flood of memories swept over him and he said, “This was given to Janaki by her father, Janaka, and she wore it for our wedding. How beautiful she looked!” So saying, he fell into a deep reverie thinking of his lovely young bride.

  Turning to Lakshmana he said, “How ironic that I can see her jewel but not the wearer of the jewel. If she says she will live for a month more, then her life will be longer than mine. I cannot live for a moment more without seeing her. Take me to her, O Hanuman!” Thus he lamented.

  Hanuman and Lakshmana tried their best to console him. At last he managed to attain a measure of composure and praised Hanuman for his fantastic effort. “You have accomplished that which no one else could have done. I am only sorry that I am unable to reward you in a fitting manner. I can only embrace you as a token of my gratitude.” With these words Rama enfolded his servant Hanuman in his firm clasp and pressed him to his bosom, while everyone looked on with pleasure.

  Vasishta says:

  “This Consciousness is not knowable. When it wants to be known, it becomes the universe. The mind, intellect, and egoism are all vibrations of the one Consciousness.”

  Hari Aum Tat Sat

  Setukrite Namaha!

  BOOK SIX

  Yuddha Kanda

  Book of Battle

  Dhanurdharaya Namaha!

  CANTO I

  March of the Monkeys

  Anetho bheshajadre lavanajalanidhe,

  Langane deekshido ya,

  Veera Sreeman Hanuman mama manasi vasan

  Karyasiddhim thanothu.

  O heroic Hanuman! Who brought the medicinal herb

  And crossed the ocean with ease,

  Please reside in my mind and enable me to

  Carry out all actions with equal success.

  Now that Sita had been found, Rama’s next worry was how best they could invade the island and rescue her. Sugriva told him not to worry about these minor problems, since his army was ready to obey his slightest command.

  “My dear friend,” said Sugriva, “this is not the time for sorrow. Please think of a way by which we can bridge the ocean, and my vanara army will do the rest. We are all here to help you. Remember, there is no one in the whole world who can defeat you, once you enter the battlefield with bow in hand. So now replace your sorrow with anger and then we can destroy the enemy in no time.”

  Rama listened to Sugriva and said, “If you can’t think of a way to bridge the ocean, the fire of my austerity will dry it up and make a path for the monkeys to cross. But first tell me about the city. How is it fortified, what is the strength of its army, how are the gateways guarded, and so on? Then we can plan our attack.”

  Hanuman bowed low to Rama and recounted every detail of the city and its barricades, which he had been astute enough to discover. He concluded, “Lanka is an exquisite city built on a hill. It is surrounded by a golden wall studded with gems. Down below is a moat filled with crocodiles. It has four massive gates with iron bars. Four drawbridges, one in front of each gate, are all fiercely guarded by the rakshasas. Ravana has fire-spewing machines and catapults that are capable of hurling enormous rocks to great distances. He is always alert. It is almost impossible to enter, but do not fear, I am sure we can do it.”

  Rama was pleased with this account and said, “I am sure we can destroy Lanka. The sun has reached its zenith and is entering the constellation called Abhijit. Any activity started at this time is sure of victory. Sugriva! Give orders to march immediately. The time is propitious. Let Neela take a section of the army and advance along a way that has fruits and roots. Let him be on his guard against the rakshasas, who might try to poison the water tanks and trouble us in many ways. They are sure to do this when they hear of our march. Let Hanuman carry me on his shoulder and Angada carry Lakshmana, so that we can move faster. Let the army be divided into sections, each led by one mighty warrior.”

  Sugriva did as commanded and the army lost no time in advancing. There was great excitement among the monkeys, who leapt from tree to tree, shouting and waving their tails in glee. They bounded and hopped and swung from branch to branch, plucking blossoms and waving banners of flowering creepers, sparring and playing pranks on each other and feasting on fruits and honey. They were all in high spirits. Mile after mile they covered effortlessly, the vanara hoard, camping beside lakes and traversing hills and forests, until they reached the southern ocean.

  Rama ascended the hill called Mahendra from which Hanuman had jumped, and surveyed the broad expanse of water below him. He decided to camp in the forest below the hill and plan their campaign. Thousands and thousands of monkeys arrived and camped on the shore. In fact, they appeared as another sea. They stared, fascinated, at the storm-lashed waves of the ocean and wondered how they could cross it.

  Rama sat apart with Lakshmana and said, “O Lakshmana! My heart is heavy when I see this ocean. It is said that time assuages all grief. It is not so with me. Every moment that I spend apart from my beloved increases my sorrow. Moreover, time is running short. She sent word that she will not be able to live for longer than two months, of which one month is already over. What shall we do?”

  Feeling the wind on his face he said, “O gentle breeze, please blow over my beloved’s face and then return and caress me, while her touch is still warm upon you. She must have called for me time and time again as she was being carried away over this ocean. I am tormented by the thought of her helplessness. Now that I know where she is, I am on fire to see her. I long for her smile, her gentle glances, and her caressing voice. She has always been slender and now with this continuous fasting, she must be weak and emaciated. I am aching for the day when I can kill that fiend and clasp her to my bosom.”

  In the meantime, in Lanka, Ravana had convened a council of ministers to discuss the events of that catastrophic day when Lanka had been burned. He was quite chagrined to find that a mere monkey could have destroyed in a few hours a city that had been built up with years of effort. His spies had informed him about the approach of the monkey contingent. He felt sure that Rama would succeed in crossing the sea. He thought it prudent to ask the opinion of the wise men of his assembly. Unfortunately, he was surrounded by sycophants. All they knew was to bolster his already bloated ego.

  “Your Majesty,” they said, “you have defeated the gods and even Lord Shiva himself. There is no one in the whole of the three worlds who doesn’t tremble at the very mention of your name. Why should you fear Rama? His army is composed of only monkeys and bears. How can it be compared to your army? Your son, Indrajit, has conquered the heavens. He can easily defeat this monkey army of Rama’s, single-handedly, without the help of the army.” These words of comfort by all his ablest men made Ravana very confident and happy. The only one who spoke against his wishes was his own brother, Vibhishana.

  “We should never underestimate an enemy. How has Rama offended you? It is you who stole his wife and are keeping her here against her will. Lusting after another man’s wife will lead to unhappiness and infamy. Sita will be the cause of untold misery for you and your subjects. Take my advice and return Sita to Rama. He is a dangerous opponent. If you do not act immediately, great danger will befall us. I have dared to advise you because you are my brother and I have great love for you. We all would like to live in peace and harmony, so please take my advice.”

  Ravana d
id not say a word and dismissed the council. The next morning Vibhishana went to his brother’s chamber and bowed before him. He was a gentle and noble soul, totally unlike his ferocious brother. Again he tried to reason with his brother and make him realize the effects of his folly. He spoke to him of bad omens that were to be seen throughout the city, all boding ill for their clan.

  Blinded by his lust for Sita, Ravana was in no mood to listen to these well-intended words and replied harshly, “We have nothing to fear from anybody. Even if Rama comes with all the gods in attendance, he will not be able to defeat me. You may go, O Vibhishana! I do not need the advice of cowards.”

  Vibhishana left sadly. Though he had not listened to his brother, Ravana was a little worried. He called a council of war once again. All his ministers, including Vibhishana, came.

  Ravana spoke, “I have called all of you today in order to ask your advice. I was waiting for my brother Kumbhakarna to wake up and give his opinion and now he also has come. You all know that I have a great attachment for Sita, but she refuses to look at me. Rama sent his emissary, who came here and set fire to this city. Now I hear that Rama has encamped on the opposite shore of the sea. I would like the opinion of the wise people assembled here as to what our next step should be. The princes of Kosala should be killed and the vanara army vanquished. How should we set about this?

  His brother Kumbhakarna, who was noted for his passion for sleep and knew nothing of Ravana’s doings, now bestirred himself from the fog of sleep and said in a thunderous voice, “We should have been consulted before you chose to abduct Sita and bring her here. At that time you listened only to your own lustful desires. Now that you are in trouble, why do you bother to consult us? The abduction of Sita is an act that has become like poisoned food. I am surprised that Rama did not come earlier! You started a chain of events without consulting any of us. Now it is up to you to see that no harm befalls any of us. Of course, I will fight Rama and kill him and then perhaps Sita will be yours, but remember I do not approve of this at all.”