Part 5: Search for Sītā

Now Rāma passed some time somehow or other, comforted by Saumitri, suffering from the separation. Lakṣmaṇa himself, sent by Rāma who had instructed him, marched to Sugrīva, carrying his quiver, bow, and knife. Splitting open the earth by his footsteps, shaking the mountain, felling trees on the road by the touch of his arms’ swinging from speed, his forehead terrible from a violent frown, his eyes red, the road deserted by terrified door-keepers, he arrived at Sugrīva’s house. Hearing that Lakṣmaṇa had come, the king of Vānaras left the women’s apartments hastily and approached him, trembling from fear. Lakṣmaṇa said angrily:

“Have you performed your duties that you remain comfortable, fearless, surrounded by your queens, Vānara? Do you not know that your master, seated under a tree, passes days like years, and that your promise has been forgotten? Arise now to bring news of Sītā. Do not go Sāhasagati’s path. It (the road) is not closed.” Falling at his feet Sugrīva said, “Be gracious. Pardon my negligence alone since you are the lord.” Conciliating Saumitri thus and putting him in front, the lord of Vānaras went quickly to Rāmabhadra and bowed with devotion. He instructed his own soldiers, “Listen! All of you who have arms, search everywhere for Maithilī, unstumbling.” Thus ordered by him, the soldiers went to islands, mountains, rivers, chasms in the earth, and elsewhere in great haste. Then Bhāmaṇḍala heard of the kidnaping of Sītā, came to Rāma, and remained, exceedingly grieved like him. Virādha came with soldiers, pained by his master’s trouble, and remained there like a footman of long-standing, wishing to serve.

Sugrīva himself reached Kambudvīpa in his traveling and Ratnajaṭin, having seen him from afar, reflected: “Has Sugrīva, the lord of Vānaras, powerful, been sent to kill me by Daśamaulin who has remembered some fault of mine? Before, my vidyā was taken away by Daśāsya, powerful, and now Sugrīva, the lord of Haris^[1] will take away my life.” As he was absorbed in these reflections, Sugrīva came to him quickly and said, “Why have you not come to meet me in an aerial car? Why are you indolent?” He replied, “My vidyā was destroyed entirely by Daśāsya, for I was present at the fight when he kidnaped Jānakī.”

Then he was taken by Kapiketu (Sugrīva) to Rāma and at his request told the news about Sītā. “Your Majesty, the queen, the noble Sītā, was kidnaped by the cruel, evil king of Laṅkāpurī and my vidyā was taken from me angry (about it). ‘Oh! Rāma! Dear Saumitri! Brother Bhāmaṇdala!’ I was angry at Daśamauli, when Queen Sītā was crying out these words.”

Delighted by this news of Sītā, the chief of the Raghus embraced Ratnajaṭin, lord of Surasaṅgītapura. The descendant of Raghu asked again and again for the story of Sītā, and again and again he related it to satisfy his mind. Rāmabhadra asked the soldiers, Sugrīva, et cetera, “How far from here is Laṅkā, the city of this Rakṣas?” They replied: “What have we to do with this city near or far? We are all like straw, compared with Rāvaṇa, conqueror of the world.” Rāma said: “Enough of this hesitation about being defeated or not defeated. Dike a security for the sight (of him), just show him to us. You will soon know the power of him, merely pointed out, the blood of whose neck is being sipped by the arrow shot by Saumitri.”

Lakṣmaṇa said: “Who, pray, is this Rāvaṇa who has accomplished this by a worthless trick, like a dog? I shall cut off the head of the trickster in accordance with warrior practices. You look on, just spectators of the battle-drama.”

Jāmbavat declared: “Everything is suitable for you. But the man who lifts up Koṭiśilā will kill Rāvaṇa. That was declared by the wise sādhu Anantavīrya. To give us confidence lift up the stone.” “Very well,” said Lakṣmaṇa and they took him at once in an aerial car to Koṭiśilā. He lifted up the stone, like a creeper, with his arm and was hailed, “Well done! Well done!” by the gods with showers of flowers. With confidence inspired, they took Lakṣmaṇa in the aerial chariot as before to Kiṣkindhā into Rāma’s presence.

Then the elders of the Kapis said: “The destruction of Rāvaṇa is your business. First a messenger must be sent to the enemy. That is the custom of statesmen. If, the purpose should be accomplished by a messenger, then enough of aggressive action of kings themselves. Bet some messenger, capable and powerful, be sent there. For Laṅkā is known throughout the world as being difficult of entrance and exit. Having gone to Laṅkā, the messenger will talk to Bibhīṣaṇa for the surrender of Sītā. For he is the politic one in the Rakṣas-family. He will advise Rāvaṇa to release Sītā and, scorned by Rāvaṇa, he will go to you at once.”

This speech of theirs was approved by Rāma and, having sent Śrībhūti, Sugrīva summoned Hanūmat. Then Hanumat, like the sun in splendor, bowed to Rāma seated in council, surrounded by Sugrīva, et cetera. Then Sugrīva explained to Rāma: “In distress he is our best brother, the well-bred son of Pavanañjaya. There is no one else among all the Vidyādharas equal to him. Instruct him about obtaining news of Sītā, master.”

Hanumat said: “There are many Kapis like me. King Sugrīva says this from affection. Gava, Gavākṣa, Gavaya, Śarabha, Gandhamādana, Nīla, Dvivida, Mainda, Jāmbavat, Aṅgada, Nala, and many other Kapi-chiefs are here, master. Completing their number, I am ready to do your work. Shall I lift up Laṅkā with Rākṣasadvīpa and bring it here? Or shall I capture Daśakandhara and his relatives and bring them here? Or, after killing Daśagrīva and his household right there quickly, shall I bring the queen, daughter of Janaka, uninjured?”

Rāma said: “Everything is possible for you._t Therefore, go to the city Laṅkā and search for Sītā. Deliver this ring of mine to the queen as a token from me and bring here her crest-jewel as a token. Deliver this message from me: ‘Queen, the elder brother of Lakṣmaṇa, exceedingly grieved at separation from you, remains thinking of you alone. Do not abandon life because of separation from me, beloved wife. Soon, indeed, you will see Rāvaṇa killed by Lakṣmaṇa.”’ Hanumat said, “You remain here, lord, until I return from Laṅkā, after executing your order.”

With these words, Māruti bowed to Rāghava and went with his attendants to Laṅkāpurī in a very swift aerial car. As he went through the air, he saw the town, Mahendrapura, of his maternal grandfather, Mahendra, on the summit of Mt. Mahendra. Hanumat thought: “That is Mahendra’s city, by whom my mother, though innocent, was banished at that time.”^[2] Remembering this, angry, he had the battle-drum beaten, splitting the atmosphere, as it were, by the echoes from the quarters of the heavens.

King Mahendra, having seen an enemy army, having the strength of Indra, went forth with his sons with soldiers for the business of battle. A great battle between the armies of Mahendra and Hanumat took place, terrifying with a rain of blood like a portentous cloud in the sky. Prābhañjani destroyed enemy soldiers, like a wind destroying trees, in a moment, moving about in the battle rapidly. Prasannakīrti, son of Mahendra, fought with Hanūmat, striking him unhesitatingly, not knowing that he was his sister’s son. Though both were powerful and both were very angry, they acknowledged weariness from the close fight with each other. While fighting, Pāvani reflected: “Alas! I started this fight, delaying my master’s business. These men who will be conquered in a moment—they are my mother’s family. Nevertheless, they must be conquered to finish what was started.”

With these reflections, Hanumat, angered, instantly bewildered Prasannakīrti with blows and captured him, his weapons, chariot, and charioteer being destroyed. After a hard fight, Māruti took Mahendra, bowed to him, and explained: “I am your grandson, son of Añjanā. At Rāma’s command I am traveling to Laṅkā to set free Sītā. When I came here, I remembered my mother’s exile for a long time. From anger at that, you were made to fight, father. Pardon me. I shall go on the master’s business. You go to our master’s presence.”

Mahendra embraced him, powerful, and said, “I have heard of you before through popular report. By good fortune I have seen that you are strong, now. Go on your master’s business. May your journey be prosperous.” With these words Mahendra went to Rāghava with his army.

As Hanumat went through the air, he saw two munis standing in kāyotsarga on the island Dadhimukha. Not far from them he saw three maidens engaged in meditation, who had perfect forms, occupied with subduing a vidyā. Then a forest-fire blazed up on the whole island and the sādhus and the maidens were in danger from the fire. From friendliness toward them Hanumat took water from the ocean by means of a vidyā and extinguished the fire, like a cloud. Just at that time the maidens had the vidyā subdued and, after circumambulating the two munis engaged in meditation, they said to Hanumat: “You did well to prevent a calamity to the sādhus, devout layman. With your assistance the vidyā has submitted to us without wasting time.” “Who are you?” he asked and the maidens said:

“In this city Dadhimukha there is a king, king of the Gandharvas. We are his daughters by Kusumamālā. Many lords of Khecaras have asked our father for us. A Khecara, Aṅgāraka by name, became crazy on our account. Our father did not give us to him nor any one else, for he was very fastidious. Our father asked a muni, ‘Who will be my daughters’ husband?’ and he said, ‘Whoever kills Sāhasagati, he will be.’ Because of that speech our father is searching for him, but has not found him anywhere. To learn who he is, we undertook the subduing of the vidyā. The fire was made by Aṅgāraka to destroy the vidyā and was nobly extinguished by you, a disinterested friend. The vidyā, named Manogāminī, which submits (usually) in six months, has become subject to us at once because of your assistance.”

Hanumat told them about the slaying of Sāhasagati by Rāma from the beginning and his own going to Laṅkā. Delighted, they told their father the whole story and he went at once to the descendant of Raghu with them and with his army.

Hanumat flew up and, as he went to Laṅkā, he saw the vidyā Āśālikā, terrible as the night of the destruction of the world. “Hey, Kapi! Where are you going? You have become food for me.” Saying this tauntingly, she opened her mouth. Holding a club, Hanūmat entered her mouth, split her like the sun splitting a cloud, and came out. By the power of his vidyā the son of Marut destroyed quickly the wall of Laṅkāpurī which she had made, as easily as a potsherd. He, chief of those resorting to battle, killed also the guard of the wall, named Vajramukha, who was exceedingly angry, fighting with him. When Vajramukha had been killed, his daughter, Laṅkāsundarī, strong from vidyās, challenged Māruti to battle from anger. She behaved with skill in battle, like lightning in the sky, striking Hanūmat frequently like a mountain. The son of Pavanañjaya destroyed her weapons with his own weapons and soon made her stripped of weapons like a creeper stripped of leaves.

“Who is he?” she went to look at Añjanā’s son from amazement and she was struck by Kāma with arrows. She said to Hanūmat: “Hero, foolishly I made you fight, from anger caused by my father’s killing, without reflecting. A sādhu predicted formerly, ‘Whoever kills your father will be your husband.’ Therefore, lord, marry me willing. Who else in the whole world is a soldier equal to you! Then with you as a husband, I shall remain exceedingly proud among women.” Joyfully Hanumat married the maiden, who was so respectful, with a Gandharva-marriage with affection.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

I.e. monkey = Vānara.

[2]:

See above, p. 170.