September 17 - Sarga 28 of Kishkindha Kanda.
Let's just take up this one sarga today... We see the poet in Sri Rama!
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Sri Rama and Lakshmana are camping out in a cave on Prasravana mountain. Monsoon breaks out in all its glory. One can infer from the descriptions so far of forests, mountains, animals, and rivers that this had to be somewhere in Deccan plateau. The present-day Hampi, the medieval capital of Vijayanagara empire, was Pampa in Ramayana times.
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Sri Rama the poet describes the glory of monsoon and how it makes him miss his beloved Sita very much.
अयं स कालः सम्प्राप्तः समयोऽद्य जलागमः ।
सम्पश्य त्वं नभो मेघैः संवृतं गिरिसन्निभैः ॥
नवमासधृतं गर्भं भास्करस्य गभस्तिभिः ।
पीत्वा रसं समुद्राणां द्यौः प्रसूते रसायनम् ॥
"Dear Lakshmana, witness the skies occupied by mountains of dark clouds! Indeed the time of monsoon has arrived.
"It seems that the sky has become impregnated, through the rays of the sun, with the juices from the oceans and borne its pregnancy for a full nine months (the months from October to June) and is now delivering the baby - the most precious life-giving juice of rain that it bestows on the whole earth!"
There are over sixty verses in which Sri Rama describes the monsoon and its ramifications. I shall translate but a few as a sample, to show you how great a poet we have in our divine hero, Sri Rama!
"Lakshmana, I think we can climb these clouds as a staircase and garland the sun with kutaja and arjuna flowers!"
"The sky sighs in its gentle-blowing winds. The clouds are tinged with the golden-red colour of the setting sun, like a blushing lover!"
"Lakshmana, indeed the earth has been burnt dry in the summer before it is getting flooded with rain. The rising steam is akin to Sita's hot tears of grief..."
"This mountain has been bathed fresh in the fragrances of arjuna and ketaka flowers, much as Sugriva was consecrated in the ceremonial bath..."
"The mountains, covered in dark clouds, with rainwater coursing down in rivulets, appear like brahmacharis sitting on dark antelope skins and wearing their sacred thread as they recite the Vedas (the chant of the wind)".
"Oh, look, Lakshmana! That streak of lightning against the dark cloud is like Vaidehi held in the grasp of Ravana as he flew away..."
Sri Rama very much feels the passion of lovers, what with the rain and the flowers dripping wet...He points to swans making their way back to Manasasarovar and chakravaka birds coming to join their mates. He remarks how the monsoon cries a halt to royal expeditions and even the trader's carts unable to negotiate the muddy and slushy roads. He notices the jambu and mango fruits falling from the trees in season.
The peacocks are having a dance and singing festival. He says the white herons flying in formation seem like garlands of flowers bedecking the clouds. The fresh grown tender green grass speckled with red insects multiplying in the season remind him of a woman with a green veil speckled with a red dye.
Sri Rama says this is the season when Lord Vishnu goes into Yoga Nidra. He notices how elephants are roaming and trumpeting happily, except those separated from their mates. The rumble of clouds seems like battle cries of tuskers fighting over a mate.
There is a musical concert in the forest. The humming of bees are its vinas (strings), the croaking of frogs its hand drums, the clouds make noises like kettle drums.
It seems the rivers filled with flowers and surrounded by birds making their way enthusiastically to the ocean are indeed women hurrying to their lovers carrying flowers as their gifts.
Bhadrapada...the month for reciting the Sama Veda has come. Sri Rama remembers Bharata in Ayodhya. He also remembers the noise of a swelling Sarayu river, comparing it to the noise of the citizens of Ayodhya when they will receive him on his return.
Again Sri Rama descends into despondency. Will Sugriva keep his promise and help bring back Sita? Lakshmana reassures him, "let the rainy four months pass, and you will see that Sugriva will do the needful without fail."
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
