RamaayaN by Valmiki - 6
MadanMohan Tarun
The impossible jump of Hanuman
Hanuman has no parallel as a mighty character in the whole world.
He is worshipped as God among Hindus.
He performs impossible comfortably.
He alone is mightier than any army.
He can uproot any mountain and can run with flying speed, carrying it on his palm.
He is wise; he is kind; he is humble equally he is ruthless.
Wonders are never performed only by physical strength. It needs highly charged mind with some strong reason.
Hanuman could not approve a woman abducted forcefully by an evil force.
Right from the moment he heard the story of Ram, he was not comfortable.
He had seen almost a similar incident happening with Sugreeva for no valid reasons.
Only by virtue of being powerful his elder brother Bali not only deprived him from his normal rights but he also took away his loving wife Roma.
He made him to leave his territory for ever.
Hanuman could not digest this injustice done to Sugreeva for his no fault.
When he came to know that Sita was abducted by Ravan, the king of Lanka, situated next side of the ocean, his anger was doubled.
While leaving for Lanka, to search Sita, he stood on the peak of mountain Mahendra, gave a look at the ocean and started becoming larger and larger and covered all the directions and his height touched the sky.
Now it was only Hanuman and hanuman everywhere.
The ocean appeared like water kept in a pot.
He roared loudly with the strength of thousands and thousands of loins and took the classic mega jump over the ocean which was never repeated by anybody else.
When he reached in the mid of the ocean, mountain Mhendra requested him to rest a while and make his life fruitful. Hanuman accepted his request and descended on it for a while to oblige the mountain. In order to judge his capabilities, gods sent Sursaa, mother of snakes to him on the mountain .she ran to him opening her huge mouth, as if to finish his story for ever but Hanuman became more than double of her in size. Sursa again extended her body .Now brilliant Hanuman did not allow her to play any more games with him. He turned himself into the shortest form and came out through her ear .Sursa confirmed his unparallel physical and mental capacities to carry on the great job assigned to him. Hanuman proceeded ahead paying his respect to Sursaa.
Within no time he was on the mountain Trikut, on which Lanka was situated. He had a glimpse of it. It was reflecting golden light from all around. It was protected by huge bodied and mightiest monsters. It was not possible to make entry into Lanka with his normal body. He turned himself in shortest size which was almost invisible to normal eyes.
While entering into Lanka, he was stopped by huge bodied women. She was huge and horrible. She introduced herself as goddess of Lanka, named Lankini.Nothing can remain invisible to her. Hunuman, very humbly requested her to allow him to make entry into Lanka. She did not agree, but was ready to kill him. Hanuman waited a second and hit her hard. She fainted and vomited blood from her mouth.
When she came back to senses, she folded her both hands before him and told him that the ending point of Lanka has arrived. Long back lord Brahma had told me that when you will be moved by the hit of a monkey, you should realse that the end of Ravan has arrived. Lankini bowed her head before Hanuman and said ‘no one can stop you anywhere. Move to Lanka and do your duties.’ Hanuman paid respect to here and proceeded ahead.
Hanuman found Lanka highly protected by mighty monsters and felt that it cannot be conquered by a normal war –fare. He felt only four of them - he, Neel, Angad and the king Sugreeva- are capable to inter into Lanka.
The beautiful city was full of six- seven storied mansions. They were all made of gold and studded with gems and decorated with strings of pearls.
He heard the sound of delighting music coming from some houses, from some he heard sound of mantras being chanted .He saw charming ladies laden with precious ornaments and producing jingling melody from their anklets with their every glorious foot-fall.
In some of the houses he saw huge bodied, arrogant and intoxicated ogres. Their houses were packed with chariots, horses having seats of gold.
Now he was in the center of Lanka.
He saw a unique palace made of gold and precious jewels fitted around. It was reflecting hypnotizing light from all around. It was so high as if touching the sky. It was heavily guarded by huge bodied and mighty giants. Nobody could dare to move around its huge and heavenly complex. It was the palace of Ravan, the mighty ruler, the king of Lanka. Hanuman entered inside the palace. Nobody could see him. Now he was in a glorious, cozy and highly decorated hall. Its floors were covered with slabs of crystal inlaid with figures of ivory, diamonds, corals, silver and gold. Its highly decorated pillars were huge and high. It looked like paradise. There he saw women with incomparable beauty sleeping deeply. Their garlands were lying disordered on their silky bodies. Precious jewels of their shining ornaments were scattered around due to the force of their dance under the effect of heavy drinks taken by them. They were in deep sleeps. Their bodies waved like full stream when they breathed deep.
There were many women, but Hanuman could not find Sita there.
Hanuman saw huge bodied Ravan sleeping on an exceptionally excellent and highly comfortable couch decorated with rarest possible jewels available on the earth. He looked gallant and mighty. He was deep black like a huge piece of shining coal. He looked like a huge elephant sleeping comfortably. His face reflected enormous power, energy and command with glowing charm. His shoulders were well formed and he looked like a ten hooded serpent with great glory.
Hanuman saw a most attractive woman, full of charm with no comparison, sleeping there. At first glance he took her as Sita. But he dismissed his idea finding no sign of sorrow on her face. Sita cannot sleep with some other male, so comfortably. No, no, no, she can never be Sita!
Disappointed Hanuman in searching Sita till now, entered into the remaining buildings. He visited the picture galleries, dormitories, basements, shades of cross-roads, pleasure -hedges, he saw many other charming women there, but could not find Sita anywhere.
A thought flashed in his mind- ‘is she killed? In case she is killed, he will carry Ravan from here and put up him before Ram.
In the mean time night ended and the east-side sky started appearing blackish red. He heard the chanting of Vedas from Brahmin ogres.They were well versed in Vedas including the six auxiliary sciences, grammar, prosody ,etymology, phonetics, astronomy and sciences of rituals. The mighty Ravan was awakened by playing musical instruments and ritual songs written for him particularly.
Hanuman thought it better to change his place and jumped down in the boundary of Asoka garden. He still had not lost his faith in finding Sita. He climbed up on of the Asoka tree.
Down at the roots of the same tree, he saw a woman, surrounded by ogresses. She was clad in a single yellow colored cloth which was almost dirty. Though she was looking miserable with tears in her eyes, she reflected unparallel beauty. She looked like flame enveloped by smoke.
She was different from all the women he had seen so far in Lanka. He saw the same ornaments the woman wearing which was mentioned by Ram. Same earrings in her ears and same ornaments around her arms. They were darkened due to thick cover of dust on them.
He saw her -
resembling as hope which was frustrated;
faith which was tearful with contempt;
a great renown which had grown feeble;
a prospect which was blasted;
a full moon eclipsed by the demon Rahu;
a lotus blighted by the frost;
an army whose warriors were killed;
the sunlight obscured by darkness.
In the mean time he heard sound of some music nearing to the tree and some voices .This sound alerted the entire demon- woman sitting around Sita. He marked; these voices deepened the sadness of Seta’s face.
Within no time, the grandson of Pulsthya, Ravan was there. Ravan addressed Sita in many sweet and enchanting words to impress her. But Sita remained unmoved. She did not shed her look even once on him. Instead, she praised Ram in various words and told him that a day will come soon and he certainly be killed by mighty Shri Ram and he will take her back. These words made Ravan angry. He gave her two months more to change her mind and threatened her to kill if she did not behave accordingly.
He returned back with these words.
Hanuman flashed with enormous happiness-‘this is the Sita, wife of Shri Ram for whom he made mega jump, crossed the ocean and came here.’ He felt like jumping down from the tree, but he reserved himself with great effort as many ogresses were still sitting there. He waited for the proper moment to arrive.
