Hanuman Nataka (critical study)

by Nurima Yeasmin | 2015 | 41,386 words

This page relates ‘Hanuman-Nataka, Act 9 (Summary)’ of the English study on the Hanuman-nataka written by Shri Damodara Mishra in the 11th century. The Hanumannataka is a Mahanataka—a fourteen-act Sanskrit drama dealing with the story of Rama and Hanumat (Hanuman) and presents the events in the lifes of Rama, Sita, Ravana and Hanuman (the son of Anjana and Vayu—the God of the Winds) based on the Ramayana story.

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Hanuman-Nāṭaka, Act 9 (Summary)

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In the 9^th Act, it is found that Mandodarī, having seen the group of monkeys, Hanumat, Aṅgada and Rāma, suggested Rāvaṇa to make Sītā free and to send her to Rāma.^[1] But Rāvaṇa refused. Hearing the words of Mandodarī, Rāvaṇa sent Śuka and Sāraṇa as messengers to the tent of Rāma.^[2] Then minister Virūpākṣa said Rāvaṇa that Rāma was very powerful and he tried his best to get Sītā, so it was better for him to make Sītā free.^[3] Mahodara, another minister of Rāvaṇa also agreed with Virūpākṣa. Rāvaṇa, having heard all this, made the decision to send Kumbhakarṇa first to the battle.^[4] At the end of this Act there is found the comparison of the beauty of Sītā and Mandodarī. This Act is called as Mantrivākya [Mantrivākyam].^[5]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

mandodarī añjaliṃ baddhvā rāvaṇaṃ vairividrāvaṇaṃ vijñāpayati deva!
tvaṃ bāhūddhata candraśekharagirirbhrārtā jagadbhakṣakaḥ
putraḥ śakrajayītyavetya raṇadhīrnūnaṃ balī vālijit/
tadrājannabalā balādapahṛtā deyāsya sā jānakī
laṅkāyāṃ rahasītyuvāca vacanaṃ mandodarī mandire// ibid., IX.5

[2]:

(mandodarīkathanena kiñcitsabhayo rāvaṇaḥ) śukaṃ ca sāraṇaṃ vīraṃ dūta prasthāpya rāvaṇaḥ/
rāmadevasya śibiraṃ mantraṃ cakre’tha mantribhiḥ// ibid., IX.8

[3]:

yāvaddāśaratherna paśyasi mukhaṃ yāvanna pāthonidhiṃ baddhaṃ yāvadimāṃ na pāvakavaśāṃ laṅkāṃ nirastālakām/
yāvannaiva nijānujaṃ sucaritaṃ yātaṃ kulāṅgāratāṃ tāvadrāvaṇa lokapāla tarasā sītāṃ prayacchānadhām// ibid., IX.10

[4]:

rāvaṇaḥ—
(sabhayaṃ saśiraḥkampaṃ svagataṃ vā svagatamevocyate) nītiśāstramidaṃ śrutvā kumbhakarṇaḥ kvacidbalī/
hanti cenmāmato yuddhe prathamaṃ preṣyatāmayam// ibid., IX.30

[5]:

digvāsā yadi tatkimasya dhanuṣā śastraṃ ca kiṃ bhasmanā bhasmāthāsya kimaṅganā yadi ca sā kāṃaṃ paraṃ dveṣṭi kim/
ityanyo’nyavirodhikarmanirataṃ paśyannijaṃ svāminaṃ bhṛṅgī sāndraśirāvanaddhaśakalaṃ dhatte’sthiśeṣaṃ vapuḥ// ibid., IX.37

Last Updated: 01 July, 2023