SUNDARAKANDA CHAPTER 1 (contd...)

―It is surprising that giant Vayuputra Hanumantha has decided to cross this vast habitat of Lord Varuna, the great sea. He has taken this stupendous and perilous decision of reaching the other end of this sea only to accomplish the task assigned by Sri Rama and to protect the Vanaras. The Vidyadharas became very curious after hearing the conversations of Siddhas, Charanas and ascetics and looked at unmatched, indescribable super Vanara Hanumantha, yet again with bewilderment, standing on Mount Mahendra. At that moment, the brightness of great Anjaneya was reminiscent of Lord Yajneshwara. The hair on his physique were erect. He shook his body vigorous ly at once. Like the monsoon cloud, he rumbled aloud. Like the golden eagle lifts snakes and forci bly crush them on the ground, Hanumantha lifted his hair-ridden tail up as it was fully masked with flowers, and crushed it on the ground, powerfully. The tail that was erect from the back of Han umantha was looking like a serpent being carried by the golden eagle with its claws.4. 3In this shlOka, Sri Valmeeki has described the manner in which Hanumantha prepared himself for the long journey and the way his physique appeared just on the verge of his jumping into the sky. Even in the modern times, athletes, while starting their run or jumpers while about to jump pre- pare in the same manner as Hanumantha has done, explain the scholars. The runners and jumpers loosen up their arms, legs and limbs and prepare their body and mind for the start up. While jump- ing, the fists are held tightly. The knees are bent. Bending the body slightly, the entire weight is transferred on to the waist. Therefore, it is a natural posture that everyone assumes at the time of jumping up, especially so for Hanumantha because he had a very long distance to travel in air un der trying conditions with the sea the hind side. Sri Hanumantha tightened both his arms as soon as he prepared himself to jump to the sky. He transferred all his weight to the portion of the body above the waist. He brought his two legs closer and contracted his neck. He bent his knees and folded his arms. He integrated all his spirit, valor, strength and power into a single force5. Assessing the distance to be covered from the place where he was standing, he looked once again at the sky and consolidated his breath in one position just be- fore jumping to the sky. Set to embark on a grueling long journey across the vast ocean, bracing himself up to the task of jumping into the sky, Hanumantha stood firmly on the ground, folded his ears back and addressed the Vanaras, who were standing at the bottom of the mountain, in an assured voice: ―Oh great Vanaras, I will directly go to the Ravana-protected Lanka like the arrow shot by Rama that travels like air6. If I fail to see the daughter of Janaka in Lanka, I will travel to the heavens with same arrow-pace. If, even after all that arduous journey, I fail to find Seetha in the heavens, I will return to Lanka at same speed, seize the king of asuras, Ravana and bring him here. However, there is no need to be so much perturbed. At all events, I will return to this place with Seetha. Perchance, I am unable to see Seetha anywhere in Lanka, I will pluck the entire city from the ground and come here along with Ravana. Therefore, there is no need for you to be worried. You can remain without any apprehension (42-43). Great Vanara Hanumantha, after assuring his fellow ape-men in this manner, jumped swiftly into the sky, without bothering about any impediments that were likely to disturb his journey. At that moment, Hanumantha thought himself to be the celestial golden eagle, Garuda (44). Owing to the pres sure created in the air when he jumped, several trees were uprooted and with their broken branches, they followed him into the sky. Maruthi drew away the trees covered with white cranes and blossomed flowers merely with the force of his thighs and began his journey in the clear sky. The trees that had come out of the earth along with their roots because of the force created in his vicinity when Maruthi jumped up, followed him like members of a family accompanying their guests up to a reasonable distance before bidding adieu and returning to their homes (48-49). The trees that had followed Hanumantha for a long distance, appeared like soldiers following their king on an expedition. As the top portions of trees that were following Hanumantha were covered with blossomed flowers, he too looked like a mountain, especially because he had expanded his body hugely. Just as some mountains drowned in sea some time ago owing to the fear of their wings being cut by Mahendra, the trees that had followed Maruthi too fell into the sea because of their weight, after some distance (50). (to be continued)