Valmiki Ramayana - January 10

January 10 - The 74th sarga of Yuddha Kanda. Hanuman brings Sanjivani! 🙏

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तयोस्तदासादितयो रणाग्रे मुमोह सैन्यम् 

"The two brothers having fallen and become still, the entire vanara army was in utter confusion."

ततो विषण्णं समवेक्ष्य सर्वं विभीषणो बुद्धिमतां वरिष्ठः 

"Seeing the dismay in the vanara army, the supremely intelligent Vibhishana addressed the vanara heroes."

"Oh great vanara warriors, fear not! There is no cause for anxiety as these two princes have merely shown reverence for the Brahmastra and therefore desisted from any countermove. They are merely unconscious. Indrajit covered them with arrows after immobilizing them with the Brahmastra."

The astute Hanuman joined Vibhishana and acquiesced, knowing how Indrajit had this Astra as a boon from Brahma and yet Sri Rama and Lakshmana had not been slain. "We should both go and instill confidence in the injured and fallen vanara heroes."

It was a dark night. As Vibhishana and Hanuman made their way holding torches (उल्काहस्तौ), they saw many heroes injured and lying with feeble breath surrounded by the terrifying remnants of a gruesome battle in terms of blood and body parts and weapons. All the big names among vanaras - you name them and they were lying down injured.

It is interesting that the Brahmastra had done nothing to Vibhishana and Hanuman. Sri Rama and Lakshmana had voluntarily lain down but were later enmeshed with new arrows by Indrajit.

Four periods of time had elapsed since the Brahmastra had been launched, and in the fifth period, it had lost its effect.

Hanuman started looking for Jambavan. Brahma's son, the aged Jambavan, was already fragile and was barely breathing now. His body was studded with arrows. He looked like a fire that had almost died down.

Vibhishana addressed Jambavan," Oh brave sir, I hope that you are still holding your life force together."

Jambavan replied haltingly, "Oh Vibhishana, I know you from your voice. Know that I am badly hurt and cannot see you. 

अञ्जना सुप्रजा येन मातरिश्वा च सुव्रत ।

हनूमान्वानरश्रेष्ठः प्राणान् धारयते क्वचित्!?

"Now tell me, noble sir, the one of whom lady Anjana and father Vayudeva are both blessed to be parents, is the glorious Hanuman still alive !?"

Vibhishana was surprised that Jambavan was enquiring first about Hanuman.

नैव राजनि सुग्रीवे नाङ्गदे नापि राघवे ।

आर्य संदर्शितः स्नेहो यथा वायुसुते परः ॥

"Oh indeed, sir! How come you have not asked about King Sugriva, or Prince Angada, or even about Sri Rama!!!? You have displayed your supreme affection for Hanuman alone!!?"

Jambavan replied in a meaningful tone, although in a mere whisper, 

अस्मिन्ज्जीवति वीरे तु हतमप्यहतं बलम् ।

हनूमत्युज्झितप्राणे जीवन्तोऽपि मृता वयम् ॥

'Oh Vibhishana, know that if Hanuman is alive, our army even though laid low right now, is still strong. On the other hand, if Hanuman has succumbed and given up his Prana, then our army, even if alive, is dead indeed."

धरते मारुतिस्तात मारुतप्रतिमो यदि ।

वैश्वानरसमो वीर्ये जीविताशा ततो भवेत् ॥

"Oh my child, Vibhishana, if Maruti is holding his Prana, the one who is equal to his father Marut (Lord Vayu- the Wind-god)) and is equal in prowess to Lord Agni, (The god of fire), then all our hopes of revival are very much intact!"

Hanuman, meanwhile, who had been going around in the darkness looking, with his blazing torch, for Jambavan, saw Vibhishana with him and came and held Jambavan's feet in respect. Hearing his voice, Jambavan felt great relief and spirit. He spoke:

आगच्छ हरिशार्दूल वानरांस्त्रातुमर्हसि 

नान्यो विक्रमपर्याप्तस्त्वमेषां परमः सखा

त्वत्पराक्रमकालोऽयं नान्यं पश्यामि कथञ्चन

"Come, oh great hero among vanaras, please save all the vanaras from death. You are unequalled, and you are their dearest saviour. None has your prowess. Your hour for the supreme, magnificent act of unparalleled prowess has come now!"

"Dear Hanuman, you can bring the vanaras and Sri Rama and Lakshmana back on their feet fully restored! Let me instruct you how.

"In the far north, after travelling thousands of yojanas over the sea and land, you shall proceed to the great Himalaya mountain range. You will arrive where the golden peak Rishabha and the sacred Kailasa peak are situated. You shall see between those two peaks a celestial mountain, radiant with medicinal herbs. Growing there are four luminescent, divine herbs - Mritasanjivani, Visalyakarani, Suvarnakarani, and Sandhani. 

"Mritasanjivani restores life in full to the dead. Vishalyakarani releases weapons stuck in one's body. Suvarnakarani fully restores health and sanguinity to the body. Sandhani is the divine herb that mends and joins damaged limbs and organs. By bringing these most critical and divine herbs at once, you can help restore our army back to their health and vigour, oh hero who are the son of the Wind-god!"

This was the second time in our story that the elderly and wise Jambavan had assigned to our hero Hanuman a supremely important task. The first was to cross the ocean, and find Sita in Lanka. Now at the critical juncture in Sri Rama's war with the rakshasas, Hanuman had been called up for duty on account of his supreme strength and capability.

Hanuman took charge of the task and swelled into his immensity as before. Uttering a roar that shattered the entire Lanka and its citizens, Hanuman took off from the Malaya mountain. This was a huge one being home to many rishis and celestials. Nature witnessed Hanuman's prowess wonderstruck and in fact was terrified to see such power on display. The rakshasas in Lanka were petrified by his deafening roar.

नमस्कृत्वा समुद्राय मारुतिर्भीमविक्रमः ।

राघवार्थे परं कर्म समीहत परन्तपः      ॥

स पु्च्छमुद्यम्य भुजङ्गकल्पं विनम्य पृष्ठं श्रवणे निकुच्य ।

विवृत्य वक्त्रं वडवामुखाभं आपुप्लुवे व्योम्नि स चण्डवेगः ॥

"Bowing down to the ocean ahead of him, the great hero of incredible deeds, Maruti, i.e. Hanuman, dedicating himself to the cause of Sri Rama, embarked on the supreme endeavour commissioned.

"Hanuman picked up his tail that resembled a huge python-like snake, tightened his rear muscles, turned his ears back to be more aerodynamic, opened his huge and fierce mouth that was terrifying like a huge blaze in the ocean, and then Hanuman leaped into the air with a huge roar with  breath-taking speed."

The force of Hanuman's take-off uprooted rocks and trees aplenty. Resembling Garuda, Hanuman moved at a fierce speed looking down at the ocean. His piercing leap across the sky stirred up huge whirling currents in the ocean. Indeed, the jewel among vanaras resembled Mahavishnu's Chakra itself as he streaked in the heavens towards the Himalayas in the north.

His rocketing forward stirred up the four quarters and the skies and all life below on earth.

Passing many forests, towns, and mountain ranges at express speed, Hanuman soon spotted the Himalayas. He clearly remembered Jambavan's instructions. He passed Brahma's quarters, the abodes of Indra, Rudra, Hayagriva, the very sanctum where Brahmastra was enshrined, and the abodes of Agni and Kubera. He saw Nandi. Presently he sighted both Kailasa and Rishabha. Then he sighted the peak in between them, which shone with an unearthly radiance with its divine herbs.

Hanuman landed on the medicine peak and started looking assiduously for the four herbs that Jambavan had asked for. He had traversed a very long distance at incredible speed, in the middle of the night. He was neither tired nor disoriented. He was so thorough in looking for the specific divine herbs that something strange happened. These herbs had the power to hide from poachers. 

विज्ञायार्थनमायान्तं ततो जग्मुरदर्शनम्  "Perceiving that a seeker was after them, the divine herbs disappeared from sight."

पश्यंश्चुकोप रोषाच्छभृशं ननाद "Hanuman was livid that the herbs were non-cooperative. He roared frighteningly."

किमेतदेवं सुविनिश्चितं ते यद्राघवे नासि कृतानुकम्पः "How dare you choose not to be kind and to help Sri Rama!!!?"

पश्याद्य मद्बाहुबलाभिभूतो विकीर्णमात्मानमथो नगेन्द्र "Now witness my prowess and how I will disperse your stubbornness, oh mountain of herbs!" 

स तस्य शृङ्गं सनगं सनागं सकाञ्चनं धातुसहस्रजुष्टम् ।

विकीर्णकूटं ज्वलिताग्रसानुं प्रगृह्य वेगात्  सहसोन्ममाथ ॥

"Thereupon, Hanuman forcibly and instantly uprooted the mountain with all its precious metals, elements, serpents, and rocks, together with its luminosity and divine herbs."

With his supreme act of prowess astonishing and terrifying all beings and deities of the quarters, Hanuman now launched himself into the sky, upholding the entire Sanjivani mountain. He sped like Garuda. He was being heralded for his unimaginable act of prowess and presence of mind, as well as his incredible speed and efficiency.

Hanuman looked like another sun adjacent to the sun who was rising.

स तेन शैलेन भृशं रराज शैलोपमो गन्धवहात्मजस्तु ।

सहस्रधारेण सपावकेन चक्रेण खे विष्णुरिवार्पितेन  ॥

"The glorious son of the Wind-god, who carries all the perfumes and scents in the world, shone like a mountain himself as he held aloft that Sanjivani mountain. He coursed in the air and resembled Mahavishnu himself holding his incomparable Chakra emitting thousands of fiery beams."

As Hanuman arrived in double quick time, the vanaras exulted in unprecedented ardour. He roared triumphantly from the sky as he saw them. Hanuman bowed low, displaying incredible humility, as he set down the mountain on the battlefield near the vanaras. He paid obeisance to Vibhishana.

Sri Rama and Lakshmana were instantly restored to their full glory.  The magical effect of the divine herbs was instantaneous.  The vanaras lying injured and fighting for life all sprang up at once!

Even those vanaras who had lost their lives were restored to life and full health. Their wounds and pains disappeared. They all woke up as if from a deep sleep. 

Unfortunately for the rakshasas, all those injured or slain in battle had been on orders from Ravana thrown into the sea to hide the true extent of the casualties. Hence those rakshasas did not benefit from the Sanjivani.

निनाय वेगाद्धिमवन्तमेव पुनश्च रामेण समाजगाम

Hanuman lost no time in completing his mission by flying back at the same speed to the Himalayas and setting down the Sanjivani mountain in its place in its full glory. Hanuman then came back and bowed low as he joined Sri Rama. 

जै महावीर हनुमान्! 

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॥         श्रीरामजयम्       ॥