Ramayana of Valmiki and Kamban- sundarakanda

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11.Lankadhahanam

 

In

Valmiki Ramayana one of the reasons Seetha gave Hanuman that she would not

allow him to carry her on his shoulders and take her to Rama was that it would

be befitting to the valour of Rama only if he came and killed Ravana and

rescued her. In kamban, besides telling him that she would not touch the body

of another male, instead of saying as in Valmiki that when Ravana touched her

she was helpless, said that she would have died if he had touched her and also

said Ravana took her along with the

ground because he was cursed by Brahma

that if he touched any woman without her will his head would break into pieces

and this she had heard from the daughter of Vibheeshana.

 

She

further said at this juncture, what she had told Ravana in Valmiki Ramayana,

that she would have burnt him but could not do so without the command of Rama.

In kamban the words are more beautiful.

 

She

says,

 

ellai

neettha ulagangal yaavaiyum en

 

sollinaal

suduvEn; adhu thooyavan

 

villin

aatRaRku maasu enRu veesinEn

 

"I

will burn all the worlds with words alone. But left it because it is dishonour to the power of the bow of

Rama." This idea was reflected by the words of Thyagaraja, sree nayaka yasamu neeke

kalgajeyaledhaa.

 

The

description of Rama by Hanuman is also , more beautiful in Kamban. To cite an

example, Hanuman says,

 

aNNal

than thirumugam kamalam aam enil

 

kaNNinukkukku

uvamai vEru yaadhu kaattuvEn?

 

thaN

madhi aam ena uraaikkatthakaadhO

 

veNmadhi

polindhadhu melindhu thEyumaal

 

"

If the face of Rama is compared to the lotus, what shall cite as the comparison

to his eyes? Is the face equal to the full moon as the moon wanes and waxes?"

 

Riverting

to Valmiki, Hanuman thought that there was some more to be done before he left

Lanka. He has seen Seetha and Ravana and his harem etc. But he wanted to find

out the strength of the army of Ravana. Hence he decided to destroy the

Asokavana which was the pride of Ravana. He started pulling the trees and the

birds became frightened and flew here and there chirping loudly and the

raksahsis woke up with the noise. Seeing Hanuman with a frightful form they

asked Seetha about him. Seetha told then

that she did not know who he was and it

was probably some rakshasa and they should only know as a serpent alone knows

the feet of another serpent. Ahireva hi

aheH paadhaan vijaanaathi.

 

The

question whether it was right for Seetha to tell a lie , being the follower of

dharma, is answered by the sastras that one can tell a lie. at the time of a

marriage, vivaahakaale, to one's

consort, rathisamprayoge, at the

time of danger to life, praaNaathyayae,

when someone wished to steal the wealth,

sarvaDhanaapahaare, and to protect a friend, mithrasya cha arThe. This does not mean telling any lie but only he

lie which will be beneficial to some one.

 

The

rakshasis went to Ravana and told him that the asokavana has been destroyed by

a monkey who was seen talking to Seetha and she did not want to divulge his

identity. Ravana , shedding tears of anger sent his men to punish Hanuman but Hanuman

killed all of them with a pillar he uprooted from the decorative mansion in the

Asokavana which he completely demolished. He announced himself as the messenger

of Rama and the servant of Sugriva and said that he was going to create terror

in Lanka. Then Ravana sent Jambumali the son of Brhastha who as also killed by

Hanuman in battle . Similarly he killed the five sons of the minister of Ravana

and seven commanders of army , Then Ravana sent his son Akshakumara.

 

There

was a fierce fight between Akshakumara and Hanuman. Finally Hanuman grasped him

like Garuda does a snake and rotated him

and flung him on the floor and he died. The Ravana sent his son Indrajith who

was a renowned warrior who had conquered even Indra and got his name as

Indrajith. Ravana cautioned him against

Hanuman because he knew very well the might of the vanaras like Vali, Sugriva

and Jambhavan. He told Indrajith that Hanuman could be conquered only by

missiles and not by ordinary combat.

 

Hanuman

was excited to face some one equal to him and they fought for along time

without any gain or loss for either of them. Finally Indrajith sent brhamastra to bind Hanuman, who knew

that the missile could not harm him due to the boon by Brahma, who along with

other devas granted him immunity from all the missiles which had the power of

all devas. But Hanuman allowed himself to be bound just out of respect for

Brahma. Then the exuberant vanaras started to tie him up with ropes and other

devices by which he was released from the brhamastra as it does not

tolerate binding by other means . Inrajith seeing that regretted the folly of

his men but as Hanuman did not get himself free from the ties, he thought that Hanuman

did not realize that the brahmastra had lost its power. But Hanuman kept quite because he wanted to see Ravana

and allowed them to take him to the court of Ravana.

 

The

rakshasas took Hanuman to Ravana who asked Brhastha to find out who he was and

why did he act as he did. Hanuman first marveled at the grandeur of his court

and his majesty and thought that if he was not unrighteous , no one could conquer him in all the three

worlds. Then he told Ravana who he was

and conveyed the message from Sugriva to return Seetha to Rama. Hanuman told

Ravana about Rama and his valour saying that Rama could destroy the whole

universe and create it again. He told Ravana about the slaying of Vali to

instill fear in his heart because Ravana had

a reason to fear Vali who tied him with his tail and took him to

Kishkinda once and released him when he begged forgiveness and became friends

with him. In Kamban, Hanuman says, Venjina vaali meeLaan vaalum pOyviLindhadhu

anRe, meaning, Vali has gone and so did his tail.

 

Hanuman

advised him to give Seetha back warning him that she who resides in his city by

name of Seetha is the fire which was going to burn Lanka and the embodiment of

death to Ravana. But Ravana, angered by his words ordered his death but he was

prevented from doing so by Vibheeshana who reminded him about the justice of

the kings who knew the sastras and a

messenger could be punished and not killed. Ravana persuaded by him commanded

that the tail of Hanuman should be set on fire. Hanuman hearing this grew in

size and the rakshasas tied lots of cotton cloth to his tail and set it on fire

and took him all round Lanka. Hanuman

was not perturbed and thought that they could induce pain only to his tail and

not to him and decided to see the city in broad daylight as he could reduce his

size and free himself anytime.

 

In

the meanwhile rakshasis told Seetha about it and Seetha was upset and prayed to

the god of fire to be cool to Hanuman.

Valmiki narrates her prayer by

four slokas ending with Seetho bhava

hanoomathaH, meaning be cool to Hnauman. She said if she was really a chaste

and dutiful wife and if she was destined to get better luck in future and of

Rama considered her pure and knows her anxiety to attain him and if Sugriva was

going to save her from the sea of sorrow the fire should be cool to Hanuman.

 

As

a result, Hanuman felt that the fire was cool and fragrant and was surprised.

Then he thought it was probably due to the power of Rama or seetha or the

friendship of the god of fire with his father. Then Hanuman thought that the

god of fire should be given offering in the form of the splendid buildings of

Lanka. And he suddenly shrank in size and freed himself . He killed the guards

and flying from house to house, set fire to the city of Lanka. He set

fire to all houses except the house of Vibheeshana and the cries of people

who tried to save themselves and their property rose everywhere. The big

mansions made of gold silver and

precious gems created various colours in the flames when they melted in the

fire.

 

Finally

Hanuman went to the sea and dipped his tail in the sea but suddenly he felt

desperate about his action thinking that Seetha also would have been burnt in

the fire. He chided himself for his hasty action and said that fortunate are

those who could control their anger as the angry one will even slay his preceptor. He was shocked at his own action and wondered

what he could tell Rama and others and then he saw some good signs and heard

some celestial beings saying that it was wonderful that Hanuman burnt the whole

Lanka yet Seetha was not harmed. Hanuman , his hopes raised went and saw that

Seetha was unharmed and took leave of her and started on his return journey.