October 20 - Sargas 16 and 17 of Sundara Kanda.
Hanuman muses over the fate of a blemishless woman such as Sita. Then Valmiki describes all the rakshasis deployed around her.
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प्रशस्य तु प्रशस्तव्यां सीतां तां हरिपुङ्गवः ।
गुणाभिरामं रामं च पुनश्चिन्तापरोऽभवत् ॥
मान्या गुरुविनीतस्य लक्ष्मणस्य गुरुप्रिया ।
यदि सीता हि दुःखार्ता कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः ॥
"Hanuman, supreme among vanaras, praised in his mind the most laudable Sita. He also recalled the wonderful character of Sri Rama, and fell into a deep reverie."
Hanuman said to himself, " If a lady, regarded so highly by the ever-devoted Lakshmana, the dear wife of his esteemed elder brother, even such a lady as Sita, is now undergoing this indescribable hardship; indeed it shows how Fate seems to be unavoidable in its cruelty."
रामस्य व्यवसायज्ञा लक्ष्मणस्य च धीमतः ।
नात्यर्थं क्षुभ्यते देवी गङ्गेव जलदागमे ॥
"It is remarkable how Sita is surviving this adversity. It only shows how confident she is of the prowess of her lord, Sri Rama, and also of the great Lakshmana. She seems to be unflappable just as the mighty Ganga flows undisturbed even when deluges of water are portended by immense, dark, clouds overhead."
Hanuman muses how Sri Rama and Sita are made for each other in their glory. He recalls how Sri Rama killed Kabandha, Ravana's equal in terror, the redoubtable Vali, and Viradha, who was no less than any other rakshasa. Sri Rama, endowed with self-knowledge, also killed Khara, Dushana, Trishiras. All this was tied to Sita's presence by the side of Sri Rama.
Thanks to Sita I(i.e. occasioned by her abduction), Sri Rama forged the friendship with Sugriva and gave him the kingdom after killing Vali. Thanks to Sita, Hanuman had crossed the ocean in a giant leap and entered the impregnable Lanka. Looking at these incredible events and acts of Sri Rama, Hanuman is not surprised that the most wonderful lady Sita inspired so many events. Indeed Sri Rama may even turn the world upside down for her. Hanuman says even winning the lordship over the three worlds (Svarga, Patala, Bhuloka) would be only one-sixteenth in value in comparison ( सीताया नाप्नु्यात्कलाम् )!
Hanuman recalls the story of the divine appearance of Sita as an infant when King Janaka, the celebrated royal sage, was ceremonially tilling his paddy field. She was at the moment of her birth worshipped with pollen from the paddy crop and the sacred earth. She grew up to be won magnificently by Sri Rama who lifted the Shiva bow. Thus she became the eldest daughter-in-law of the unconquerable King Dasharatha who ruled the immense kingdom of Ayodhya. Out of her boundless love and dedication to Sri Rama, Sita relinquished all royal luxuries and security to accompany him to the forest in his banishment. This lady of divine beauty and royal lineage chose to live on humble roots and fruit and withstood the forest life smilingly by the side of Sri Rama. And now this is her fate!?!
That Sita is not moved by her predicament and her torture by the rakshasis only shows her deep devotion. Indeed, Hanuman muses, भर्ता नाम परं नार्या भूषणं भूषणादपि, a worthy husband's company far excels the best of ornaments a lady may wear.
अस्या हि पुष्पावनताग्रशाखाः शोकं दृढं वै जनयन्त्यशोकाः ।
हिमव्यपायेन च शीतरश्मिरभ्युत्थितो नैकसहस्ररश्मिः ॥
"What an irony it is that these glorious Ashoka trees laden with flowers and bending down, and the cool rays of the splendid moon risen in spring, only deepen Sita's sorrow at her separation from Sri Rama!"
***
After firming up his mind that this lady sitting forlorn under the tree is indeed Sita, Hanuman took a look at all the rakshasis surrounding her.
In the light of the brilliant moon just risen, Sita's face shone like the full-moon. But she looked burdened with sorrow like an overladen ship! (Today is Valmiki Jayanti! 🙏🙏🙏)
The rakshasis indeed had terrible appearances. One-eyed, one-eared, ears like those of asses and horses and elephants, nose but a mere hole in one rakshasi's head, one rakshasi with hair as thick and large as a blanket, long faces, drooping chests and stomachs and all, pygmies and dwarfs, some hooved like cows and asses and horses, some with pig faces, and so on. Enough work for a large 3D animation studio to illustrate.
नमस्कृत्वा च रामाय लक्ष्मणाय च वीर्यवान् ।
सीतादर्शनसंहृष्टो हनुमान् संवृतोऽभवत् ॥
"The valiant Hanuman silently prayed to Sri Rama and Lakshmana, and felt extremely glad that he had obtained the sight of the divine Sita, as he covered himself tightly with leaves while hiding in the Shimshupa tree. "
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
