December 11 - Sargas 27 and 28 of Yuddha Kanda.
Sarana continues to point out the vanara chiefs and narrate their exploits to Ravana. If you wondered how Ravana, Sarana and Shuka (he had also joined them) could see in detail the vanara army encamped some distance away, know that Valmiki wants us to realize that both the rakshasas and vanara chiefs, as well as Sri Rama, could see quite some distance away. More instances will follow.
तांस्तु ते संप्रवक्ष्यामि प्रेक्षमाणस्य यूथपान् ।
राघवार्थे पराक्रान्ता ये न रक्षन्ति जीवितम् ॥
"Oh King! I shall continue to point out more such wonderful vanara warriors whom we are able to see from here. They are all so committed to serving Sri Rama's cause that they do not hesitate to risk their lives."
Sarana mentions Hara, whose multicoloured long tail he flaunts as he walks, and says he is of awesome deeds. Then the really huge army of bears that roam the Vindhya mountains, seeking the best of honey, led by Dhumra and his younger brother Jambavan. Dhumra himself is of redoubtable power, but Jambavan excels him and served Indra and the gods once in their battle against asuras. He received many boons as his reward. The bears can pick up and throw cloud-like huge rocks.
Dambhana, a vanara chief, moves with such agility he is the object of envy of other vanaras. He is often enlisted by Indra for military support. Sannada is the elder vanara chief, huge enough to reach even a yojana-away peak with his hand. Once he invited Indra to battle and defeated him. Then there is Kratha, sired by Lord Agni in a gandharva maiden. He lives in proximity to Kubera near Kailasa usually. Then Pramadhi. Gavaksha, who leads the golongulas. Kesari, father of Hanuman, who normally inhabits Mount Meru, the haunt of rishis with plenty of a special kind of honey. Also the breed of kapila vanaras, who inhabit Suvarnameru. Their chief is Shatabali, who propitiates the sun. Shatabali is raring to attack Lanka and is ready to give up his life for Sri Rama.
Sarana concludes, 'Oh Lord, these huge and extremely powerful vanaras are capable of shattering all the mountains on this earth in an instant."
Now Minister Shuka takes over. He gives an astronomically large number as his estimate of the vanara and bear army numbers. He points to Mainda and Dvivida, blessed by Brahma and having partaken of amrita (nectar of immortality).
यं तु पश्यसि तिष्ठन्तं प्रभिन्नमिव कुञ्जरम्।
यो बलात् क्षोभयेत् क्रुद्धः समुद्रमपि वानरः॥ ८॥
एषोऽभिगन्ता लङ्कायां वैदेह्यास्तव च प्रभो।
एनं पश्य पुरा दृष्टं वानरं पुनरागतम्॥ ९॥
ज्येष्ठः केसरिणः पुत्रो वातात्मज इति श्रुतः।
हनूमानिति विख्यातो लङ्घितो येन सागरः॥ १०॥
कामरूपो हरिश्रेष्ठो बलरूपसमन्वितः।
अनिवार्यगतिश्चैव यथा सततगः प्रभुः॥ ११॥
उद्यन्तं भास्करं दृष्ट्वा बालः किल बुभुक्षितः।
त्रियोजनसहस्रं तु अध्वानमवतीर्य हि॥ १२॥
आदित्यमाहरिष्यामि न मे क्षुत् प्रतियास्यति।
इति निश्चित्य मनसा पुप्लुवे बलदर्पितः॥ १३॥
अनाधृष्यतमं देवमपि देवर्षिराक्षसैः।
अनासाद्यैव पतितो भास्करोदयने गिरौ॥ १४॥
पतितस्य कपेरस्य हनुरेका शिलातले।
किंचिद् भिन्ना दृढहनुर्हनूमानेष तेन वै॥ १५॥
सत्यमागमयोगेन ममैष विदितो हरिः।
नास्य शक्यं बलं रूपं प्रभावो वानुभाषितुम्॥ १६॥
Then he points out Hanuman. ज्येष्ठः केसरिणः पु्त्रः हनूमानिति विख्यातो लङ्घितो येन सागरः - "He is the eldest of Kesari, well known as Hanuman, who leapt over the ocean and came here."
Hanuman's childhood exploit when he attempted to swallow the sun, how he got hurt and developed a distorted jaw that was later blessed to be diamantine in hardness, and his multiple exploits are mentioned.
He can change form at will, he is supremely powerful, and can move unstoppably at the speed of the wind endlessly. Shuka concludes that no one can adequately describe Hanuman's beautiful form, his inestimable power, his ability to influence people around him. After all, Ravana has witnessed how he picked up and used the fire lit in Lanka to burn down the whole city.
यस्यैषोऽनन्तरः शूरः श्यामः पद्मनिभेक्षणः ।
इक्ष्वाकूणामतिरथो लोके विश्रुतपौरुषः ॥
यस्मिन्न चलते धर्मो यो धर्मं नातिवर्तते ।
यो भ्राह्ममस्त्रं वेदांश्च वेद वेदविदां वरः ॥
यो भिन्द्याद् गगनं बाणैर्मेदिनीं वापि दारयेत् ।
यस्य मृत्योरिव क्रोधः शक्रस्यैव पराक्रमः ॥
"Lord, standing near Hanuman is a warrior, dark in colour, with lotus-like eyes. He is the supreme hero of the Ikshvaku lineage, renowned around the world for his prowess. In him, Dharma is unshakeable. He never transgresses Dharma. He has mastered weapons like Brahmastra, and at the same time, he is supreme among the knowers of Vedas. He is fully capable of tearing up the heavens and shattering open the earth with his arrows. His rage spells death to the enemy. He is compared to Indra himself for his prowess."
Shuka says that because of Sita's abduction, Sri Rama is about to launch the war on Lanka.
Standing to the right of Sri Rama, points out Shuka, is Lakshmana, broad-chested, of a golden hue and reddish eyes. He is constantly and totally devoted to serving his brother Sri Rama. He is supreme among wielders of weapons and a great military strategist. He is quick to get angry, and unconquerable in battle. He is Sri Rama's alter ego. He can single-handedly defeat all the rakshasas.
To Sri Rama's left is standing Vibhishana. The king of kings Sri Rama has crowned him as the king of Lanka already. Vibhishana is angry with Ravana and is joining the attack on Lanka.
That mountain-like, obviously impressive vanara chief, the lord of all vanaras, is Sugriva. He sports a huge golden necklace with a hundred lotus-design.
Shuka gives a complex calculation of the enormous numbers of the vanara army. He concludes,
इमां महाराज समीक्ष वाहिनीमुपस्थितां प्रज्वलितग्रहोपमम् ।
ततः प्रयत्नः परमो विधीयतां यथा जयः स्यान्नपरैः पराभवः ॥
"Oh, Maharaja! Therefore take a good look at this enemy army. which is spread out and looks brilliant like a visiting planet! And please chart out the best plan that somehow ensures victory and averts defeat at the hands of the enemy."
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
Sarana points out
