Ramayana of Valmiki and Kamban- sundarakanda

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9.anguleeyapradhaanam

 

In

the sloka describing the bird chirping as though comforting Seetha , the word pakshee

has been interpreted as denoting the acharyalakshanam, A pakshee, bird

has two wings which implies the acharya who is endowed with jnana and karmanushtana,

which serve as the two wings to reach the Lord. The knowledge gained from the

Vedas is indicated by the word Saakhaanilayah,

seated on the branch, which qualifies the bird, Saakhaa meaning the vedaSaakhaas. The reference to

the acharya here denotes Hanuman who acts as an acharya to the lost soul in order to unite it with

the Lord as explained at the outset of the kanda.

 

Hanuman

was listening to all that was going on and thought that if he delayed longer

Seetha might give up her life. Then he pondered how to draw her attention. If

he suddenly appeared she might get frightened and the rakshsas would be alerted

and a fight may ensue so that he would not get a chance to speak to her at all.

He felt that it was imperative that he should speak to her because he could not

tell Rama that he saw Seetha but did not speak to her and hence had no message

from her.

 

Being

budDhimaathaam

varishtaH, first among the astute, to borrow the words of Rajaji, Hanuman thought about the proper manner of

speaking to her so that she would trust

him and not suspect that it was Ravana, which would be the case if he talked in

chaste Sanskrit. Therefore he decided to speak in the common language of the

people of Ayodhya.

 

Here

Hanuman gives the qualifications of an ideal messenger. He should decide upon

his action depending on the time, place and the nature of the work. Those

messengers who think that they know everything spoil the work by their

impetuous actions.

 

Then

Hanuman decided to sing the glory of Rama, without appearing in front of Seetha

to create confidence.

 

Thus

thinking, he started to related the story of Rama from his birth ending with

his own arrival in Lanka and seeing Seetha. Thus Hanuman was the first who narrated

Ramayana because Valmiki related only the actual happenings which is what he visualized. Seetha hearing

the words of Hanuman was surprised and looked up the tree under which she was

standing with the intention of hanging herself. She saw Hanuman there, wearing

white garment, and yellow in colour like

a lightning. At first Seetha thought that it was a dream and she was hearing

the glory of Rama since she was thinking of him all the time. Then she got

worried because it is a bad omen to see a monkey in the dream which signifies

something bad happening to one's relatives. She feared for the safety of Rama

and Lakshmana or her father. Then she reassured herself that it was not a dream

since she never slept since she parted from Rama. She prayed to the devas that

it should be real and not a dream.

 

Hanuman

jumped from the branch of the tree and started to speak to Seetha with his

hands folded on his head. He asked about her identity wondering whether she was

Arndhathi separated from Vasishta or Sacheedevi parted from Indra but then said

that she looked like a human being and also a princess and hence she must be

Seetha whom Ravana abducted from Jansthana. Seetha replied that she was indeed

the wife of Rama and told Hanuman about the incidents that led to her coming to

the forest and the reason of her imprisonment in Lanka.

 

Hanuman

told her that he was the messenger of Rama and that Rama and Lakshmana were keeping

well but sorrowful due to her absence. Seetha was glad to know about the

welfare of Rama and Lakshmana and said that it is indeed true that if one

lives long enough he will get happiness

even after hundred years.

KalyaNee batha gaTheyam loukikee prathibhaathi me

Ethi jeevantham aanandho naram varsha

sathaadhapi

 

Then

Hanuman advanced towards her which made her suspicious that it was Ravana in

disguise and she sat down on the floor and stopped speaking. But then she saw Hanuman

standing with folded hands and was a little encouraged. Then she spoke to

him asking whether he was Ravana indeed

as he was known to take any form he liked, but at the same time feeling happy

on seeing him decided that he was really the messenger of Rama and asked him

about the qualities of Rama but again had doubts considering the impossibility

of Rama sending a monkey as the messenger

and became silent. Hanuman guessed her thoughts and started praising Rama. He

said,

 

aadhithya iva thejasvee

lokakaanthaH SaSee yaThaa

raajaa sarvasya lokasya

dhevo vaiSravaNo yaThaa

Rama was lustrous like the Sun and pleasant looking to the people

like the moon and king of kings like Kubera.

 

vikrameNaupapannaScha

yaThaa vishnuH mahaayaSaaH

sathyavaadhee

maDhuravaakdhevo vaachaspathiryaThaa

 

Rama was valourous like Mahavishnu and true and sweet in speech

like Brhaspathi.

 

roopavaan subhagaH

Sreemaan manmaTha iva moorthimaan

sThaanakroDhaH praharthaa

cha SreshTo loke mahaaraThaH

 

He was handsome and glorious resembling Manmatha, his anger and

punishment was just and he was the best in

the world.

 

Hanuman then told Seetha that Rama has sent him as a messenger and

soon Ravana would be destroyed. Hanuman said that Lakshmana and Sugriva have

sent her their salutations and reassured her about his identity.

 

Seetha felt glad to know that he was indeed the messenger of Rama

and asked him how did he meet Rama and how did the friendship between vanaras

and men came about and also asked him to describe the characterstics of Rama

and Lakshmana which Hanuman did with glee.

 

Hanuman related the incidents

which were the cause of the friendship of Rama and Sugriva, describing the

episode of Vali and also about his own birth and how he became the minister of

Sugriva, in fact repeating the whole of Kishkindhakanda. He described how Rama

lived in sorrow on being separated from her and Seetha hearing that had mixed

feelings, happy that Rama was keeping well and sad to know that he was

suffering due to her separation. She said that the words of hanuman were like

nectar mixed with poison, amrtham visha

samsprshtam.

 

Then Hanuman gave her the signet ring of Rama. Seetha seeing it

felt happy as though Rama himself had

come to her and praised Hanuman thus.

 

Vikraanthasthvam samarThasthvam

praajnasthvam

vaanarotthama

Yenedham raakshasapadham thvayaa

ekena praDharshitham

 

"You are valiant. Competent and intelligent and the best of

monkeys. You have overpowered this place surrounded by rakshasas by entering in

and searching everywhere."

 

sathayojanavistheerNaH

saagaro makaraalayaH

vikramaSlaaghaneeyena

kramathaa goshpatheekrthaH

 

"This sea 100 yojanas wide and the abode of crocodiles was crossed

by you with praiseworthy valour and became a puddle made by the hoof of a cow."

The title goshpadheekrthvaaraasiH was first given to Hanuman by Seetha.

 

She said that Hanuman was no ordinary monkey as he was not at all

afraid of Ravana and moreover Rama would not have sent any one to her without ascertaining their

worth.

 

Here there may arise a doubt why Hanuman did not give her the ring

at first in which case she would not have suspected him at all. But He wanted

to dispel her possible doubt that perhaps Ravana himself had created a similar

ring by his maya. Hence he talked about Rama and described him in detail to

instill confidence and then gave the

ring.