Sunday, September 3, 2017

September 3, 2017: Ramayana


śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇam - sundarakāṇdaḥ

yāṃ sītetyabhijānāsi yeyaṃ tiṣṭhati te gṛhe  |
kālarātrīti tāṃ viddhi sarvalaṅkāvināśinīm    ||   5-51-34
yo rāmaṃ prati yuddheta viṣṇutulyaparākramam |
sarvalokeśvarasyeha kṛtvā vipriyamīdṛśaṃ 
rāmasya rājasimhasya durlabhaṃ tava jīvitam  || 5-51-42

Re-ordered word-by-word meaning

yāṃ sītetyabhijānāsi  - The one whom you recognise as Sita (Rama's wife),
yeyaṃ tiṣṭhati te gṛhe - who is now in your palace ( as your kidnapped captive),
viddhi tāṃ  kālarātrīti  - know her, Oh Ravana, to be the all-demon-destroying Durga in the form of Kalaratri!
sarvalaṅkāvināśinīm    - who spells the destruction of all of Lanka, your kingdom!


yo prati yuddheta rāmaṃ viṣṇutulyaparākramam - (You=)The one who fights against Rama, the equal of Lord Vishnu in valour,
kṛtvā iha vipriyamīdṛśaṃ  - having done here by inimical actions towards
rāmasya sarvalokeśvarasya rājasimhasya - Rama, who rules all the worlds by his valour, like a lion among kings,
tava jīvitam  durlabhaṃ - Your living on is scarcely possible!


Hanuman, my eternal hero and an incomparable icon of Indian civilisation, combines all that is strong, good, wise, and effective in this world. As the ambassador of Rama, after discovering Sita's whereabouts in Lanka, he creates an opportunity to encounter Ravana, to assess him, and also to give Ravana sagely advice and an opportunity to repent and atone and surrender to Rama. Hanuman tells Ravana why what he has done is wrong, and how terrible will be the outcome to Ravana from Sita's abduction and Rama's retribution.

These shlokas represent that sentiment.