November 19 - Sargas 59 and 60 of Sundara Kanda.
Hanuman, our hero, is the quintessential organization man. He is not going to beat his chest and proclaim his achievement and depict all the dangers he overcame. He knows fully well that the major task pending is of the army going to Lanka and defeating the rakshasas.
He prepares the vanara army for this action. Angada, inspired, chips in, and says they should go, release Sita and bring her back and present her to Sri Rama. Jambavan avers otherwise, and rightly so, too.
***
Hanuman, the best among heroes with intelligence, now moves on to the task of motivating the vanaras for the essential action ahead.
***
सफलो राघवोद्योगः सुग्रीवस्य च सम्भ्रमः ।
शीलमासाद्य सीताया मम च प्रीणितं मनः ॥
"It is well that Sri Rama's mission of discovering Devi Sita's whereabouts has been accomplished. It is well that King Sugriva's enthusiastic order has been fulfilled. Indeed, personally, I am most happy that I had a first-hand experience of the great character and nobility of Devi Sita."
Hanuman goes on to describe how Ravana, with all his rakshasa character, had only imprisoned Sita and employed psychological pressure but had not touched her. Hanuman then offers an explanation of great significance:
आर्यायाः सदृशं शीलं सीतायाः प्लवगर्षभाः ।
तपसा धारयेल्लोकान् कृद्धा वा निर्दहेदपि ॥
सर्वथातिप्रकृष्टोऽसौ रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः ।
यस्य तां स्पृशतो गात्रं तपसा च विनाशितम् ॥
न तदग्निशिखा कर्यात् संस्पृष्टा पाणिना सती ।
जनकस्य सुता कुर्याद् यत् क्रोधकलुषीकृता ॥
"Oh, most valiant vanaras, I must tell you that Devi Sita is of an exemplary purity of character. Her tapas power is sufficient to maintain and sustain this world. At the same time, if she is angry, she can reduce the world to ashes!
"You can see what I mean. Here we have this Ravana, supreme lord of rakshasas and with everything at his command. But he has not even touched Sita during her imprisonment - knowing well that his body will be burnt if he so much as touches her.
"That lady, daughter of the royal sage Janaka, being a volcano of spiritual purity and power, would have destroyed Ravana and Lanka too if he had tried to molest her."
There is also one more reason why Sita has not used her own power. To teach Ravana a lesson, she wants Sri Rama himself to come and tackle the rakshasa and release her.
***
Hanuman goes on to describe the extreme suffering Sita has been withstanding. She is weak, emaciated, poorly dressed, unkempt, and extremely pitiable considering her physical condition. She is barely surviving, sitting and sleeping on bare ground.
Hanuman states that he is quite confident that he alone will suffice to go and destroy all of Lanka and all its rakshasa army. He alone can tackle everyone including Ravana, his brothers, his generals. Even Indrajit with his magical and divine weapons will not be able to stop Hanuman. Hanuman will unleash an unassailable avalanche of rocks on them and flatten them in no time.
Hanuman narrates how in every street of Lanka people are mentioning his name - "Hanuman", after seeing the havoc he has unleashed on them for provoking him. He says all that is because of the power he possesses being the son of the Wind-god, and the blessings and good intentions of the entire vanara army entrusted in him.
He now says Jambavan is also unassailable in war. So also Angada can single-handedly deal with Ravana and his army. What about Mainda and Dvivida!? Unconquerable warriors. They are Ashwini's divine offspring, blessed by Brahma, and have partaken of the nectar of immortality.
King Sugriva has immense powers. Sri Rama and Lakshmana have no equals in battle. All this augurs well.
Coming back to what he started with, Hanuman emphasizes that Devi Sita needs to be rescued at once, whatever it takes.
एवमास्ते महाभागा सीता शोकपरायणा ।
यदत्र प्रतिकर्तव्यं तत् सर्वमुपकल्प्यताम् ॥
"Thus languishes that glorious, divine, lady Sita, immersed in indescribable sorrow. You have heard everything. Now it may please be decided what is to be done next."
***
Prince Angada is a young man of hot blood and great enthusiasm. He has heard enough.
"Look, all of you, it is not proper on our part to return to Sri Rama without rescuing and taking Devi Sita with us. I don't see anyone among gods or demons challenging us successfully in battle. Hanuman has done enough. Now let us all go and rescue Devi Sita. Take her triumphantly and present her to Sri Rama and Sugriva and Lakshmana."
Jambavan interjects.
नैषा बुद्धिर्महाबुद्धे यद् ब्रवीषि महाकपे ।
विचेतुं वयमाज्ञप्ता नानेतुं कपिराजेन नैव रामेण धीमता ॥
"Oh, Prince Angada, you are one of great intelligence. However, I would say your suggestion is not correct. Remember that our assignment was to go and discover where Sita is. We were not told to bring back Sita, either by King Sugriva or by the valiant and intelligent Sri Rama.
राघवो नृपशार्दूलः कुलं व्यपदिशन् स्वकम् ।
प्रतिज्ञाय स्वयं राजा सीताविजमग्रतः ॥
सर्वेषां कपिमुख्यानां कथं मित्थ्या करिष्यति ।
विफलं कर्म च कृतं भवेत् तुष्टिर्न तस्य च ॥
वृथा च दर्शितं वीर्यं भवेद् वानरपुङ्गवाः ।
तास्माद् गच्छाम वै सर्वे यत्र रामः सलक्ष्मणः ।
सुग्रीवश्च महातेजाः कार्यस्यास्य निवेदने ॥
"Dear Prince Angada, you know that Sri Rama, supreme among men of valour, holds in highest regard the reputation of his lineage of Raghus. He has personally taken an oath that he will himself liberate Sita and claim victory. This he did in the presence of all the foremost vanaras. That oath of his cannot be nullified. If we do as you suggest, that will be considered a failure and Sri Rama will certainly not be pleased.
" It will instead be interpreted that we have needlessly demonstrated our valour. Therefore it is better that we all go at once and report to Sri Rama and Lakshmana. We should also debrief King Sugriva of our endeavours."
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
