November 13 - Sargas 52 and 53 of Sundara Kanda.
Vibhishana advises Ravana to withdraw his order that Hanuman should be put to death, using arguments of diplomacy and fairness. After all, Hanuman is just an emissary and not the real enemy.
Ravana relents but asks that Hanuman be punished by his tail being set on fire. This is carried out and Hanuman is taken in a procession to shame him. Hanuman goes along with this as he is not feeling the pain of fire. He also wants to study the layout of Lanka in the daytime as a preparation for the ensuing attack on Lanka.
Meanwhile, Sita hears that they have set fire to Hanuman's tail. She prays fervently to the Fire god to avoid hurting Hanuman.
***
वधे तस्य समाज्ञप्ते निवेदितवतो दौत्यं नानुमेने विभीषणः - The younger brother of Ravana, Vibhishana, was a man of wisdom and righteousness. "Vibhishana did not approve of killing someone who had declared that he had come as an emissary of Sri Rama and Sugriva."
उवाच हितमत्यर्थं वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदः "After thinking through how to placate an enraged Ravana, Vibhishana, who was adept in diplomatic speech, spoke these good words."
क्षमस्व रोषं त्यज राक्षसेन्द्र प्रसीद मे वाक्यमिदं शृणश्व ।
वधं न कुर्वन्ति परावरज्ञा दूतस्य सन्तो वसुधाधिपेन्द्राः ॥
"Oh, Ravana, supreme lord of rakshasas, please give up your wrath. Kindly deign to hear my words. Righteous men such as yourself who are powerful rulers of the earth do not put to death emissaries."
Vibhishana says Ravana is a learned man and a famous king. He knows what is right and wrong. He cannot commit the grave mistake of killing an envoy. That will set a bad precedent. It will nullify all his learning from the holy scriptures.
Ravana is adamant that Hanuman has committed a grave offence by speaking harshly and so deserves death. Again, Vibhishana appeals to Ravana's higher sense. In fact, he says for envoys and emissaries, other types of punishment are advocated, relevant to their transgressions.
वैरूप्यमङ्गेषु कशाभिघातो मौण्ड्यं तथा लक्षणसन्निपातः एतान् हि दूते प्रवदन्ति दण्डान् - "Oh, Lord, the wise suggest these alternative modes of punishment for envoys- disfigurement. flogging in public, shaving off their head, and deforming their limbs. "
न धर्मवादे न च लोकवृत्ते न शास्त्रबुद्धिग्रहणेषु वापि विद्येत कश्चित्तव वीर तुल्य - "Oh, Ravana, the glorious warrior! There is no one known to equal you in Dharmic knowledge, understanding of worldly matters, or insights into the scriptures. So, at your level, you should not commit this mistake of handing out death punishment to an envoy. "
Vibhishana also says that the real enemies are those two princes. No doubt Hanuman has committed many offences, but if he is killed, nobody from their side would be able to cross the ocean and come to Lanka. It is better he goes back alive with the message to the brothers Rama and Lakshmana so that they come and try to wage a war. That would be the right time for Ravana to teach a lesson to those brothers.
Alternatively, Ravana should send his soldiers to go and capture the brothers and bring them over as prisoners.
Ravana sees sense at last in what Vibhishana has stated.
***
अवश्यं तु वधादन्यः क्रियतामस्य निग्रहः ।
कपीनां किल लाङ्गूलमिष्टं भवति भूषणम् तदस्य दीप्यतां शीघ्रं तेन दग्धेन गच्छतु ॥
Ravana says at last, "Surely, brother, you have suggested the right action. We shall punish this monkey other than by death. After all, for monkeys, their tails are much loved. Let this vanara's tail be set on fire at once and let him roam with his tail aflame."
Ravana says that Hanuman will keenly feel the pain and punishment as he suffers the disfigurement and is paraded in public in Lanka to be ridiculed at by all. He will also be seen thus by his own people.
***
In quick time, the rakshasas brought rags of cloth and oil and wrapped Hanuman's tail with cloth, soaked it in oil, and set it on fire. Meanwhile, Hanuman swelled in size enormously, like a fire being fed much firewood and his tail also grew accordingly.
Hanuman was paraded thus by women, men and children, mocking him, all over Lanka.
***
Hanuman muses, छित्वा पाशान् समुत्पत्य हन्यामहमिेमान्पुनः "I shall break free from these bonds, and kill these rakshasas again as I did before." Hanuman is quite angry about all the humiliation that has been done to him. He says to himself that when he is on Sri Rama's mission, this humiliation has been done to him. He shall not forgive these rakshasas. He is simply biding his time, as he is serving the cause of Sri Rama.
रात्रौ हि सुदृष्टा मे दुर्गकर्मविधानतः ।
अवश्यमेव द्रष्टव्या मया लङ्का निरीक्षये ॥
"I studied this Lanka well only at night before. It is opportune that I study its fortifications and layout in daylight now."
***
As Hanuman shrank within himself and allowed himself to be paraded, the rakshasas celebrated, beating drums and blowing conches, announcing how they had captured and punished the intruder. Hanuman managed to get a detailed view o all the mansions, secure buildings and laid-out town squares. He also studied the secret passages and escape routes.
***
The rakshasis took the news of Hanuman's humiliation to Sita with much glee.
Vaidehi was most distressed to hear that Hanuman's tail had been set on fire and he was being paraded. She considered this as bad as her own abduction.
यद्यस्ति पतिशुश्रूषा यद्यस्ति चरितं तपः ।
यदि चास्येकपत्नीत्वं शीतो भव हनूमतः ॥
Devi Sita prayed to the Fire god, " If I have been indeed dedicated to serving my husband Sri Rama, if I have led a life of austerity and prayer, if I have been singularly faithful and chaste in my marriage to Sri Rama, Oh, Lord, be so kind and be cool to Hanuman and not burn him."
"If Sri Rama has some compassion on me, if my stock of punya is there, please do not burn Hanuman."
"If Sri Rama is righteous, if I am pure and having the deep longing to reunite with him, be cool to Hanuman."
ततः अनलः जज्वाल मृगशाबाक्ष्या शशंसन्निव शिवं कपेः "The Fire god responded, reaching out to Sita and assuring her that he will take good care of Hanuman." Valmiki says even Vayu, the Wind god, blew cool to quell the heat. The Fire god complied with Sita's prayer. They both calmed the mind of the divine lady.
Hanuman meanwhile wondered how he did not feel the burning heat when fire was all around him and his tail was ablaze.
शशिरस्येव सङ्घातो लाङ्गूलाग्रे प्रतिष्ठितः "Wonder of wonders, this fire is on my tail but it feels like wintry cold!"
Hanuman silently offers a prayer of thanks to Sri Rama, saying to himself that the one who enabled him to fly over the ocean was again coming to his rescue. He remembers how the Ocean god and Mainaka wanted to serve Sri Rama. No wonder the Fire god is also eager to serve Sri Rama!"
Hanuman silently offers a prayer of thanks to Sri Rama, saying to himself that the one who enabled him to fly over the ocean was again coming to his rescue. He remembers how the Ocean god and Mainaka wanted to serve Sri Rama. No wonder the Fire god is also eager to serve Sri Rama!"
सीतायाश्चानृशंस्येन तेजसा राघवस्य च ।
पितुश्च मम सख्येन न मां दहति पावकः ॥
"So that is it! The steadfast chastity and devotion of Devi Sita, the glory of Sri Rama, and the abiding friendship between my father the Wind god with the Fire god - these are the reasons that he is not burning me!"
***
Hanuman now leaped up. He gave a loud roar. He jumped on to the impressive gateway at the entrance to Lanka. He simply shrugged off the rakshasas. He shrank himself in a moment to slip through all the ropes. Again he became mountainous in size. He noticed an iron club lying nearby. He picked it up and with one stroke destroyed all the armed guards there.
As Hanuman stood gazing at Lanka, his tail ablaze looked like a garland of fire around him and Hanuman looked like the radiant sun.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
