The Valmiki Ramayana

by Amish Tripathi

  Hanumat, the great ape, worshipped the seniors and the aged, Jambavat and the others, and Prince Angada. He was worshipped by the two of them270 and honoured by the other apes. The brave one briefly stated, ‘I have seen the queen.’ He grasped the hand of Vali’s son and sat down in a beautiful spot in a spot on Mahendra. Happy, Hanumat told the bulls among the apes, ‘I have seen Janaka’s daughter in Ashokavana. The unblemished one is protected by extremely terrible rakshasis. Desiring to see Rama, the child has her hair in a single braid. She is tired because of her fasting. Her garments are soiled. Her hair is matted. She is emaciated.’ Maruti spoke these words, which were full of great meaning and like amrita. On hearing this, all the apes were delighted. Some whooped. Others yelled. Other extremely strong ones roared. Some cackled, Others roared back in response. Delighted, some other elephants among apes lashed their tails. Some raised their long and curved tails and waved them around. There were other apes who were like elephants. In their joy, they leapt down from the summit of the mountain and touched Hanumat. In the midst of the brave ones among the apes, when Hanumat spoke those words, Angada spoke these excellent words. ‘There is no ape who is your equal in spirit and valour. You have leapt across the extensive ocean and returned again. It is through good fortune that you have seen the illustrious queen who is Rama’s wife. It is through good fortune that Kakutstha will now abandon the grief that has resulted from his separation with Sita.’ Delighted, the apes sat down on large boulders and surrounded Angada, Hanumat and Jambavat. Those excellent apes wished to hear about the leaping across the ocean and the sight of Lanka, Sita and Ravana. All of them joined their hands in salutation and looked towards Hanumat’s face. The handsome Angada was surrounded by many apes. He was worshipped by them, like the lord of the gods surrounded by the gods in heaven. There was the illustrious and famous Hanumat. There was Angada, with armlets on his arms. Filled with those delighted ones, the large and tall summit of the mountain blazed in its prosperity.

  Chapter 5(56)

  On the summit of Mount Mahendra, with Hanumat at the forefront, the supremely strong apes were filled with great delight. Jambavat, rejoicing, asked the delighted great ape, the son of the wind god, about the details of the task he had undertaken. ‘How did you see the queen? What happened there? What is the conduct of Dashanana, cruel in his deeds, towards her? O great ape! I am asking you the truth about everything. After having heard, we will again decide about what course of action should be taken next. When we go to the one who has control over his soul271 and speak to him, tell us what we can reveal to him and what must be kept a secret.’

  Thus addressed, his body hair stood up. He bowed his head down in the direction of Queen Sita and replied, ‘In your presence, I came to the summit of Mahendra and leapt up into the sky. I controlled myself, desiring to reach the southern shore of the ocean. While I proceeded, a terrible impediment presented itself before me. A saw an extremely charming, golden and divine mountain. It obstructed my path and I thought the mountain was an impediment. I approached that divine, golden and supreme mountain. I made up my mind that I would have to shatter it. I struck that great mountain with my tail. The summit was like the sun and it shattered into one thousand fragments. Knowing what was my intention, the great mountain addressed me as a “son” and those sweet words delighted my mind.272 “Know me to be your father’s brother. I am the friend of the wind god. I am famous as Mainaka and I reside in the great ocean. O son! All the supreme mountains used to possess wings earlier. They freely roamed around the earth, causing obstructions everywhere. Hearing about the conduct of the mountains, the illustrious and great Indra, the chastiser of Paka, used his vajra to shatter their wings into thousands of fragments. O child! I was saved because your great-souled father, the wind god, hurled me into the great ocean. O scorcher of enemies! I must seek to help Rama. Rama is supreme among those who uphold dharma and he is like the great Indra in his valour.” I heard this from the great-souled Mainaka. I told the mountain about the task that was in my mind. Then, the great-souled Mainaka granted me permission. Resorting to excellent speed, I proceeded along the rest of the journey. For a very long period of time, I speedily proceeded along the path. I then saw the goddess Surasa, the mother of the serpents. In the midst of the ocean, the goddess addressed me in these words. “O supreme among apes! The immortals have indicated that I can devour you. Therefore, I must eat you. You have come to me after a long time.” When Surasa told me this, I joined my hands in salutation and stood before her. With my face pale, I addressed her in these words. “The prosperous Rama, Dasharatha’s son and the scorcher of enemies, has entered the forest of Dandaka with his brother, Lakshmana, and Sita. The evil-souled Ravana has abducted his wife, Sita. Following Rama’s command, I am going to him as a messenger. O one who resides in his dominion! You should seek to help Rama. Otherwise, after seeing Maithilee and Rama, unblemished in his deeds, I will present myself before your mouth. I am truthfully pledging this. Listen to me.” Surasa can assume any form at will and she was thus addressed by me. She said, “No one can transgress the boon that I received.” Surasa was ten yojanas wide and said this. In an instant, I extended myself to a size of fifteen yojanas. She extended her mouth to make it as large as my size. On seeing her extended mouth, I reduced my form. In an instant, I again assumed the size of a thumb. I quickly descended into her mouth and in an instant, emerged again. Assuming her own form, the goddess Surasa again spoke to me. “O supreme among apes! O amiable one! May you accomplish your objective. Go happily. Bring Vaidehi back to the great-souled Raghava. O mighty-armed one! O ape! May you be happy. I am pleased with you.” At this, all the creatures uttered words of praise to me. After this, like Garuda, I leapt up into the extensive sky. My shadow was seized, but I could not see anything. Having lost my speed, I looked around in the ten directions. I could not see anything that could have robbed me of my speed. I thought, “Who has caused this obstruction in my path? This kind of impediment has arisen, but no form can be seen.” While I was thinking, I cast my glance in a downward direction and I saw a terrible rakshasi lying down in the water. The terrible one laughed and roared loudly. Without the slightest bit of fear, the horrible one addressed me in these words. “O large one! Who are you and where are you going? I am hungry and you have been desired by me. Be my food and please my body. I have been without food for a long time.” I agreed to her words. I increased my size so that it became larger than what her mouth could hold. Desiring to devour me, the terrible one also started to increase the size of her large mouth. She did not understand me, nor the changes I brought about in my form. In an instant, I reduced my large size. Having seized her heart, I leapt up into the sky again. I extracted her heart, which was like a mountain. Extending her arms, the terrible one fell down in the salty waters. I heard the siddhas and charanas who were in the sky. “The terrible rakshasi, Simhika, has been quickly slain by Hanumat.” Having killed her, I again remembered what remained to be done. After having travelled a long distance, I saw the southern shore of the ocean, decorated by trees. The city of Lanka is there. I reached the city that was the abode of the rakshasas when the sun was about to set. Undetected by the guards, terrible in their valour, I entered. There, I searched throughout the night for Janaka’s daughter. Though I went to Ravana’s inner quarters, I did not see the slender-waisted one there. Finally, I saw Sita in Ravana’s abode. She could not see how she would reach the other shore of her ocean of grief. I saw her grieving, in a spot surrounded by walls. There was an excellent grove and a house constructed out of gold. Leaping over the wall, I saw many trees. In the midst of Ashokavana, there was a large shimshapa tree. Ascending that, I saw a grove of golden plantain trees. I saw the supremely beautiful one, not very far from the shimshapa tree. She was young and her eyes were like the petals of lotuses. Because of fasting, her face was emaciated. She was surrounded by cruel and disfigured rakshasis, who devour flesh and blood, like a deer by tigresses. I saw the lady, Rama’s unblemished wife. I
saw her, near that shimshapa tree. Then I heard an uproar, mixed with the sounds of girdles and anklets, in Ravana’s residence and it increased in volume. Extremely anxious, I reduced my own size. Like a bird, I hid myself in the dense growth of the shimshapa tree. After this, the immensely strong Ravana and Ravana’s wives reached the spot where Sita was. The beautiful Sita saw the lord of large numbers of rakshasas. She compressed her thighs and her thick breasts and covered them with her arms. Sita was supremely miserable and Dashagriva spoke to her. She did not say anything. He bowed his head down and said, “Treat me with a great deal of respect. O proud one! O Sita! Because of your insolence, if you do not welcome me, after two months, I will drink your blood.” She heard the words of the evil-souled Ravana. Extremely angry, Sita spoke these excellent words. “O worst among rakshasas! I am the wife of the infinitely energetic Rama. I am the daughter-in-law of Dasharatha, the protector of the lineage of the Ikshvakus. Having spoken something that should not have been said, how has your tongue not fallen down? O ignoble one! Where is your valour? You came to abduct me when my husband was not present. You committed that crime when you were not seen by the great-souled one. You are not Rama’s equal, not in serving, nor in fighting. Raghava performs sacrifices. He is truthful in speech. He prides himself in fighting.” When Janakee spoke these harsh words, Dashanana suddenly blazed with anger, like a fire on a funeral pyre. The cruel one dilated his eyes and raised his right fist. When he was about to kill Maithilee, the women present started to wail. From among those women, one of the evil-souled one’s wives rose up.273 This beautiful one was named Mandodari and she restrained him. He was afflicted by desire and she addressed him in sweet words. “What do you have to do with Sita? You are like the great Indra in your valour. O lord! Find pleasure with the daughters of the gods, the gandharvas and the yakshas. What will you do with Sita?” Together, the assembled women quickly raised the immensely strong roamer in the night and took his away to his own residence. When Dashagriva left, the rakshasis, with disfigured faces, censured Sita in cruel and extremely terrible words. Janakee reckoned that their words were like blades of grass. Though they censured Sita, they were unsuccessful in their attempts. After a while, those rakshasis, the devourers of flesh, refrained from their futile censure and roaring. They went and informed Ravana about Sita’s great resolution. All of them assembled together, having lost their hopes and enterprise. They surrounded her from all directions and came under the subjugation of sleep. When they fell asleep, Sita remained engaged in the welfare of her husband. She lamented in piteous and distressed tones and extremely miserable, grieved. I saw Sita in that extremely terrible state. Though I had rested, because I thought about it, my mind was not at peace. Thinking about a means to start a conversation with Janakee, I started to praise the lineage of the Ikshvakus, worshipped by large numbers of royal sages. Having heard the words I had spoken, the queen replied to me, her eyes overflowing with tears. “O bull among the apes! Who are you? Whom do you belong to? Why have you come here? Why are you affectionate towards Rama? You should tell me this.” Hearing her words, I uttered the following words. “O queen! Your husband, Rama, has an aide who is terrible in his valour. The brave one’s name is Sugriva and the immensely strong one is the Indra among the apes. Know that I am his servant. I am Hanumat and I have come here. Your husband, Rama, unblemished in his deeds, has sent me here. O illustrious one! The prosperous tiger among men, Dasharatha’s son, himself gave me this ring to give you, as a sign. Therefore, I wish that you should command me. O queen! What should I do now? Shall I convey you to Rama and Lakshmana’s side? What is your reply?” Sita, Janaka’s daughter, heard my words and understood. She said, “Let Raghava destroy Ravana and take me back.” I bowed my head down before the noble and unblemished queen. I sought a sign that would bring pleasure to Raghava’s heart. Thus addressed, the beautiful one gave me an excellent and supreme jewel. Having given it to me, she was extremely anxious and also gave me a message to convey in words. I controlled myself and bowed down before the princess. I circumambulated her and made up my mind to return here. However, having made up her mind, she again replied. She said, “O Hanumat! You must tell Raghava about what is happening to me here. Hearing that, the brave Rama and Lakshmana, with Sugriva, must quickly come here. Act accordingly. If that does not happen, two months of my life are left. Kakutstha will not be able to see me. I will die like one without a protector.” Hearing her piteous words, I was filled with rage. Thereafter, I thought about what remained to be accomplished of the task. I increased my size, so that it became like a mountain. Desiring to fight, I started to destroy that grove. The clumps in the grove were destroyed and the terrified animals and birds started to flee. Having woken up, the rakshasis, with disfigured faces, started to look around. Seeing me in that grove, they assembled from here and there. Having assembled, they quickly went and told Ravana about this. “O king! An evil-souled one has destroyed your impenetrable grove. O immensely strong one! The ape does not know about your valour. O Indra among kings! Because of his wicked intelligence, he has done this disagreeable act towards you. Quickly command that he should be killed, so that he can head towards his destruction.” Hearing this, the Indra among the rakshasas unleashed rakshasas named kimkaras. They were extremely difficult to defeat and they followed Ravana’s inclinations. There were eighty thousand of them, with spears and clubs in their hands. With a club, I killed them in that part of the grove. When these were killed, the remaining ones lost their valour. They went and told Ravana that I had killed his soldiers. I then thought of attacking the chaitya and mansion there. With a pillar, I again killed one hundred rakshasas who were there. This was like an ornament of Lanka and it was destroyed by me. He then commanded Prahasta, Jambumali’s son. He was with many rakshasas. They were fearful and terrible in form. That rakshasa possessed strength and was accomplished in fighting. However, with an extremely terrible club, I killed him and his followers. Hearing this, the Indra among the rakshasas sent an extremely strong son of one of his ministers. Ravana sent him, with a large army of foot soldiers. With the club, I conveyed all of them to Yama’s abode. Hearing that the son of the minister had been killed, Ravana sent four brave commanders, who were dexterous in exhibiting their valour in a battle. I killed all of them, with their soldiers. Dashagriva again sent his extremely strong son, Aksha. Ravana sent him to fight, with a large number of rakshasas. The prince, who was Mandodari’s son, was learned about fighting. He suddenly leapt up into the sky, with a sword and a shield. However, I seized him by the feet. Whirling him around one hundred times, I flung him down and crushed him. Dashanana heard that Aksha had been killed. Ravana’s second son is named Indrajit. Extremely angry, he commanded this powerful one, who is invincible in battle. In the encounter, I destroyed the energy of all those soldiers and that of the bull among rakshasas. Having done this, I was filled with great delight. However, the mighty-armed and immensely strong one made great and renewed efforts. He had been sent by Ravana with other brave ones, who were crazy and intoxicated. The extremely swift one bound me down with a brahmastra. The rakshasas bound me with ropes. Having seized me, they dragged me to Ravana’s presence. On seeing me, the evil-souled Ravana asked, “Why have you come to Lanka? Why have you killed the rakshasas?” I told him, “I have done everything for Sita’s sake. O lord! Desiring to see her, I came to your residence. I am the biological son of the wind god. I am the ape Hanumat. Know me to be the ape who is Rama’s messenger and Sugriva’s adviser. I have come here before you with Rama’s message. Listen to the message that I am conveying to you. It is full of dharma and artha. It is beneficial and is like medication. ‘While I dwelt in the mountain Rishyamuka, filled with large trees, I contracted a friendship with Raghava, who is valiant in battle.274 O king! He told me that his wife had been abducted by a rakshasa. I undertook a pledge that I would help him. The lord Sugriva had been deprived of his kingdom by Vali.275 With the fire as a witness, Raghava and Lakshmana contracted a pledge of friendship
with him. In the encounter, using a single arrow, he destroyed Vali. He made the lord of the apes the great king over all the apes. With all our souls, we must now endeavour to help him. That is the reason, following dharma, he276 is being sent to your presence. Swiftly bring Sita and hand her over to Raghava. Otherwise, the brave apes will destroy your army. From earlier times, who does not know about the power of the apes? They are invited to go, even to the presence of the gods.’ I have told you what the king of the apes told me to tell you.” When I said this, he looked at me with anger in his eyes, as if he was going to burn me down. He commanded the rakshasas, terrible in their deeds, to kill me. He has a brother named Vibhishana, who is extremely intelligent. For my sake, he beseeched the king of the rakshasas. “O tiger among the rakshasas. This should not be done. Abandon this thought. O rakshasa! The texts on royal policy have said that a messenger must not be killed. Instead, those who speak beneficial words say that the true message must be extracted from a messenger. O one who is unmatched in valour! Even if a messenger commits a grave crime, he can be disfigured. The sacred texts say that he must not be killed.” Having heard Vibhishasana’s words, Ravana instructed the rakshasas who were present to immediately set my tail on fire. Hearing his words, from every side, they bound up my tail in straw, bark and cotton cloth. Terrible in their valour, the rakshasas roared like lions. They struck me with staffs and fists and set my tail on fire. Tied up by the rakshasas with many ropes, I was like a puppet. However, I did not suffer at all and looked at the city during the day. The brave rakshasas bound me up and applied fire to me. They announced this along the royal roads and arrived at the city’s gate. After this, I assumed an extremely gigantic form and again contracted myself. I freed myself from those bonds and assumed my natural form. Seizing an iron club, I killed those rakshasas. After that, with great force, I leapt on to the city’s gate. With my tail, I set fire to the city and its mansions and turrets. Without any fear, I burnt down everything, like the fire of destruction does to subjects. Having burnt Lanka down, I again had a doubt. Having burnt Lanka down, I was unsure whether I had burnt Sita down in the process. Then I heard words spoken by the charanas, uttered in auspicious syllables. They said, “It is amazing that Janakee has not been burnt down.” Hearing those extraordinary words, I again had another thought. I went and saw Vaidehi again and took leave from her yet again. It is because of Raghava’s powers, your energy and to accomplish Sugriva’s objective that I have done all this. I have done all this there, properly. Now let us do all that which remains to be done.’