MADHWAVIJAYA PRATHAMAHA SARGAHA – SHLOKAS 20, 21, 22

Sa dAritArim paramam pumAmsam samanvayAseennaradEvaputryA|
VahnipravEshADhigatAtmashudhDhyA virAjitam kAnchanamAlayEva||20||

SUMMARY: Having killed the enemies and accompanied by Seetha Devi, who had proved her chastity and purity to the world by entering into the flames of fire, Srirama dazzled like gold purified in fire; Hanumantha followed Him.

It is indicated here that Hanumantha stayed with Srirama in Ayodhya. Earlier, he was with Sugreeva.

ShyAmam smitAsyam pruThudeerGhahastam sarOjanEtram gajarAjayAtram|
VapurjaganmangalamESha drugBhyAm chirAdayODhyADhipatEhe siShEvE||21||

SUMMARY: Looking at the physique of Srirama that bestows welfare upon the universe; a countenance that was adored in Shyamala Varna, a face that wears a pleasant smile always, long and strong arms, eyes that are reminiscent of lotus petals and a stoic movement that resembles the walking style of an elephant, Hanumantha served his Lord for a long time.

The scriptures mention nine types of Sevas or services that can be submitted or offered to the Lord and Hanumantha served the Lord by offering all these types of services, which include seeing, hearing, watching and so on. These services are:

ShravaNam keertanam ViShNOho smaraNam pAdasEvanam|
Archanam vandanam dAsyam saKhyamAtmanivEdanam||

RAjyABhiShEkE(a)vasitE(a)tra SeethA prEShThAya nastAm BhajatAm dishEti|
RAmasya vANyA maNimanjumAlAvyAjEna deerGhAm karuNAm babanDha||22||

SUMMARY: After the coronation, Srirama gave to Seetha a celestial necklace and asked her to “honour anyone you think has been our most ardent servant and devotee”. By putting that necklace of beads around the neck of Hanumantha, Seetha promised to him her incessant and infinite compassion, kindness and affection.

This incident amply proves that the thought waves of both Srirama and Seetha were one and the same. Srirama and Seetha also showed to the world that Hanumantha, an incarnation of Lord Vayu, is their most intimate, dedicated and convicted devotee.

This incident has been elaborately described in Sri Valmeeki Ramayana as well as Sangraha Ramayana.

(The devotion of Hanumantha towards Srirama needs no explanation. Yet remembering the various ways he conducted himself with Lord Hari and Sri Lakshmi is meritorious. Such remembrance eradicates our sins of past lives and earns the grace of the Lord. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

VISHWAMITRA CURVSES VASISHTHA’S SONS

(After hearing the grievance of Trishanku, Vishwamitra sends invitation to all Rishis and Maharshis to the proposed sacrifice. When Vasishtha’s sons refuse to come, Vishwamitra curses them too. Please read, comment and share. SDN) 

KShatriyO yAjakO yasya chaNDAlasya vishEShataha|
KaTham sadasi BhOktArO havistasya surarShayaha||13||

BrAhmaNA vA mAhAtmAnO BhuktvA chaNDAlaBhOjanam|
KaTham swargam gamiShyanti VishwAmitrENa pAlitAha||14||

‘Chandala is the performer of the sacrifice and the one conducting it is a Kshatriya. How can the deities accept the offerings and Rishis consume the food served in such an untraditional and insane sacrifice? Great Brahmins might lead a happy life in this world because of the bountiful charity they receive as they have been summoned by Vishwamitra. But, what will be their fate in the hereafter? Having consumed the food served by a Chandala, how will they secure heavens?’
Great sage, we repeated the same words you had asked us to tell with Mahodaya Muni and the infuriated, red-eyed sons of Vasishtha, without any bias or hesitation.
Vishwamitra was infuriated after hearing the words of his disciples. His eyes turned red and the lips began stuttering. Making a crackling sound from his jaws, he said:
“I am doing a very fierce penance and hence no defect or drawback can touch me2. Have those evil-souls abused a person of my stature? They should undergo appropriate punishment for their sin. All of them will be instantly burnt into ashes due to my curse. There can be lest doubt about this. Right now, they will be strangled by the God of Death with his strangle and dragged into the Yamaloka. Not merely this much. They will take seven hundred births in a community that indulges in bisecting carcasses and eating them. During those future births, their only food will be the mutton of dead dogs. They will be popularly known as Mushtikas in the world3. Always being very cruel and awkward-looking, they will continue to follow the community that follows similar bad practices. Did evil-minded Mahodaya also abuse me, along with Vasishtha’s sons, when I certainly cannot be criticized in that manner? Because of that, he will be despised in all the worlds. In addition, he will also become a Nishada4. Bereft of kindness, indulging in harming animals and always attracting the negative energy due to commitment of such sins, he will be in an insane situation for a long time.
After cursing the sons of Vasishtha and Mahodaya in the midst of other ascetics, most radiant and penance-bound Vishwamitra rested.

Vishwamitra agrees to help Trishanku

(This is the first part of Chapter 59, Balakanda, Sri Valmeeki Ramayana. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

UktavAkyam tu rAjAnam krupayA kushikAtmajaha|

AbraveenmaDhuram vAkyam sAkShAchChaNDAlarUpiNam||1||

AikshwAka swAgatam vatsa jAnAmi twAm suDhArmikam|

SharaNam tE BhaviShyAmi mA BhaiSheernrupapungava||2||

AhamAmantrayE sarvAnmaharSheenpudNyakarmaNaha|

YajnasAhyakarAnrAjamstatO yakShyasi nirvrutaha||3||

GurushApakrutam rUpam yadidam twayi vartatE|

AnEna saha rUpENa sashareerO gamiShyasi||4||

After hearing the words of Trishanku, Kushika’s son Vishwamitra showed empathy to Chandal-looking king and said these words directly:

“Oh descendant of Ikshwaku dynasty, my child, I offer you welcome. I am aware that you are a virtuous and cultured king. I am therefore giving you the shelter¹. Do not fear. I will personally invite deserving and eligible Rishis and Maharshis to be Artijyas and to assist in the sacrifice. Afterwards, you can perform the sacrifice without any inhibition. If the Chandal form you have secured due to the curse of Guru were to remain unchanged, then you will enter the heaven in the same form.

HastaprAptamaham manyE swargam tava narADhipa|

Yastwam KaushikamAgamya sharaNyam sharaNAgataha||5||

 I think that as soon as you surrendered to Kaushika, the protector of all those who surrender, your desire to enter heaven in human form is in your palm.”

After consoling Trishanku with these words, Rajarshi Vishwamitra assigned the duty of bringing the essential items needed for the sacrifice to his pious and knowledgeable four sons. Besides, he called all his disciples and told them:

“You should immediately bring Maharshis, their disciples, Vasishtha’s sons, their friends and Rutvijas, who are accomplished in Veda and Vedangas, as per my instruction. If anyone speaks something against my strict orders, come and report to me everything in detail, without hiding or ignoring anything.”

Hearing those words of Vishwamitra, his disciples went in various directions. Accepting the invitation of Vishwamitra, scholarly Rutvijas arrived from different countries. Disciples of Vishwamitra, who had gone to invite Maharshis, returned to the Ashram after completing the task, and began divulging the statements of ascetics about radiant Munis:

“Mahamuni, as soon as hearing your directive, Brahmins agreed to be Rutvijas and are on the way to this hermitage. Except a Maharshi called Mahodara and the one hundred children of Vasishtha, other sages from across different countries are on their way to this place. But, the one hundred sons of Vasishtha not only refused to join but also said some words with eyes that had turned red with fury. We will quote the exact words they spoke.

MADHWAVIJAYA PRATHAMAHA SARGAHA – SHLOKAS 17, 18, 19

(In these stanzas, the exemplary prowess, devotion and dedication of Hanumantha towards Srirama have been described by employing simple figures of speech. Please read, comment and share. – SDN)

Nibhadya sEtum RaGhuvamshakEtuBhrUBhangasamBhrAtapayODhimaDhyE|

MuShTiprahAram dashakAya SeethAsantarjanAgryOttaramEShakO(a)dAt||17||

SUMMARY: He (Hanumantha) built the bridge across the ocean, which had turned clueless with fear when the flagpost of the dynasty of Raghu, Srirama, raised his eyebrows in rage; he hit Ravana with his fist as a token of response for hurting and troubling Seetha Devi.

JAjwalyamAnOjwalarAGhavAgnau chakrE sa SugreevasuyAyajUkE|

AaDhwaryavam yudhDhamaKhE pratiprasThAtrA SumitrAtanayEna sAkam||18||

SUMMARY: Srirama, who was dazzling and radiant, was like the Fire God; Sugreeva was the good performer (of sacrifice) and with Lakshmana as the Rutwik named PratipratasThAstu, Hanumantha befittingly and effectively donned the role of an Adhwaryu in the sacrifice that was performed in the form of battle of Rama with Ravana.

Additional information: By comparing Hanumantha to an Adhwaryu, the poet has extolled the significant role that Hanumantha played in the sacrifice called battle.

Pratiprasthata is the title given to the priest conducting a sacrifice as per Samaveda. Same priest performing sacrifice under Rig Veda is called Hotru and under Yajur Veda he is called Udgata.

  

RAmArchanE yO nayataha prasUnam dwABhyAm karABhyAmaBhavat prayatnaha|

YEkEna dOShNAnayatO gireendram sanjeevAdyAshrayamasya nABhUt||19||

SUMMARY: Hanumantha did not so much difficulty or pain when he brought the giant mountain Gandhamadan that contained Sanjeevini and other medicinal herbs with a lone hand as he used to experience while fetching fragrant flowers in both palms for Rama to offer routine worship or puja.

Mount Gandhamadana was 100 Yojana high and 100 Yojana broad. It was situated at a distance of about 50,000 Yojanas from the battlefield. Hanumantha brought that huge mountain by one hand. What is more praiseworthy in this Shloka is that the poet has categorically stated that any service dedicated to the Lord is as easy as lifting a flower. Moreover, Hanumantha had brought Mount Gandhamadana on two occasions. Once it was to relieve Lakshmana and other monkeys from the stranglehold of Nagapasha and secondly to revive the life of Lakshmana after he was almost on the verge of death during his war with Ravana.

MADHWAVIJAYA PRATHAMAHA SARGAHA – SHLOKAS 14, 15, 16

KarNAntamAneeya guNagraheetrA RAmENa muktO raNakOvidEna|
SPhurannasau vairiBhayanakrO(a)BhUt satpakShapAtee pradarO yaThAgryaha||14||

SUMMARY: Srirama, who grasps others’ qualities instantly and is an inimitable warrior, drew Hanumatha near his ears, whispered a secret message and bade him adieu. Like an arrow shot from the bow after pulling its string till the ear, pro-virtuous Hanumantha shone like a terror of enemies.

Hidden meaning: Srirama asked Hanumantha to lend a close ear, whispered a message to him and this was like an arrow that Srirama was preparing to fire at Ravana by pulling the string of his bow up to his ear after setting the arrow on it to give it the force and velocity to reach and behead Ravana in the war that was imminent. In BalithThA Sukta it is explicit as:

Yadeemupa hwaratE sADhatE matirrrutasya DhEnA anayanta susrutaha||

This conveys the same meaning as the one Sri Narayana Panditacharyaru has explained here.

GOBhihi samAnanditarUpaseetaha swavahninirdagDhapalAshirAshihi|AhO HanUmannavavAridO(a)sau teerNambuDhirviShNupadE nanAma||15||
SUMMARY: Oh, the new cloud called Hanumantha made the rich plant in the form of Seetha Devi feel very happy by creating a rain that was in the form of sweet message of Srirama. With the fire in the tail, he burnt the tree that was in the form of demons, crossed the ocean and bowed in front of the feet of Lord Sri Hari (Srirama).
Additional point: By comparing Hanumantha to a special cloud, Sri Narayana Panditacharyaru has cryptically summarised the entire Sundarakanda in one Shloka. Seetha Devi has been compared to a plant and the demons to a tree.
ApakShapAtee puruShastrilOkyAmaBhOgaBhOktA patagADhirAjam|
VishwamBharam biBhradasau jigAya twarAkrAntiShu chitramEtat||16||

He is neither the Golden Eagle (Garuda) who has wings to fly; he does not prey on snakes either; yet he carried Srirama, who carries the entire universe on his shoulders, on his shoulders; he thus overtook Garuda in flying as well as bravery. What an astonishing sight it is!
Hanumantha is not desirous of luxury like Garuda because he does not feed on snakes and he is a pure Brahmachari, a chaste and characterful person. He was in the form of a monkey. Yet he became the vehicle of Srirama, though Garuda is the original vehicle of Lord Vishnu.
(These stanzas further establish Hanumantha as a devotee of Sri Hari beyond imagination, explanation and description. In status too, he is superior than Garuda. This point has been very well explained in these Shlokas. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

MADHWAVIJAYA - PRATHAMAHA SARGAHA - SHLOKAS 11, 12, 13

KarmANi kurvan paramAdBhutAni saBhAsu daiveeShu saBhAhitAni|

Sugreevamitram sa jagatpavitram RamApatim RAmatanum dadarsha||11||

SUMMARY: Displaying divine and miraculous deeds that were being hailed even in divine sessions, the intimate friend of Sugreeva, saw the beloved of Ramadevi, who had manifested as Srirama.

Significance of the word Sugreevamitram: Sri Valmeeki Ramayana amply presents several aspects of true friendship. Hnuman stood by Sugreeva whenever he was in trouble, distressed, despair, dejected and disappointed. Even when saint-clad Rama and Lakshmana appeared on the mountain where Sugreeva and his four associates, including Hanumantha, were residing, Sugreeva suspected Rama and Lakshmana to be messengers or killers sent by Vali in disguise. It was Hanumantha who went to Rama and Lakshmana, introduced himself first, enquired about the two saintly persons, got convinced that there was no danger from the duo to Sugreeva and then took them to Sugreeva. One point to be noticed here is that Lord Vayu or Hanumantha was well aware of who the saintly duo was. All his inquiry, process of ascertaining their whereabouts etc., were to show to the world how one should tackle a stranger.

In Geetabhashya, Sri Madhwacharyaru has cryptically described the deeds of Hanumantha:

KlEshasThAnam nirUpya nirUpya yO rakShAm vidaDhAti tanmitram|

This also tells how a friend should be to be called a ‘friend indeed’.

By calling Srirama as RamApatim, the poet has vehemently indicated that Srirama was never away from his wife Rama Devi. It was a pretext as Srirama was expected to kill Ravana. The killing of Ravana should be shown to the world as a punishment for abducting Seetha Devi.

PAdAravindapraNatO hareendrastadA mahABhaktiBharABhinunnaha|

AgrAhi padmOdarasundarABhyAm dOrBhyAm purANEna sa pUruShENa||12||

Driven by a spate of devotion did Hanumantha fall at the feet of Srirama, who lifted him with both hands that were reminiscent of lotus-bed.

AdAryasAlAvalidAraNEna vyApAditEndrapraBhavEna tEna|

PrAdyOtanipreetikrutA nikAmam maDhudviShA sandidishE sa veeraha||13||

He cut a garland of sal trees that none could ever cut, smashed son of Indra, Vali and anointed Sugreeva with happiness and joy; yet, he sent only this person (Hanumantha) to search for Seetha.

PradyOtana means son of Sun. Lord Hari came to be called as Madhusoodana after killing a demon called Madhu. This story finds mention in various Puranas.

(Please read, comment and share. SDN)

BACKGROUND OF TRISHANKU

(A peep into the background of Trishanku is essential to understand the Story of Vishwamitra better. Please read, comment and share. SDN)

Trishanku was the father of Harishchandra, who sacrificed his empire and even sold his wife and son to meet the demand of Vishwamitra and kept his own word, according to a legend. Harishchandra is, according to scriptures, the synonym of truthfulness. Trishanku was also known as Satyavrata and his wife was called Satyavrate. His father was called Nibhandana belonging to Surya dynasty. Nibhandana had two more names Tribandhana and Tridhanva. Once Satyavrata kidnapped a married woman and hearing his son’s sinful act, Nibhandana cursed Satyavrata that he should be among a community called Shwapakas (perhaps meaning cannibals). However, Satyavrata, probably because of the curse of his 

father, was roaming aimlessly in the royal capital. This further hurt the feelings of the king. He also thought of getting another son because one son had become corrupt and disobedient and the throne would remain without any heir to succeed. Vasishtha was a witness to all these happenings in the family and to an extent, he was supportive to the king in all his decisions a d moves. King Tribandhana decided to do penance to get a son and hence, handed over the kingdom to his council of Ministers and retired to forests to do penance. The kingdom was without a king and there was a severe drought for nine long years. The subjects became insane, dishonest and despicable. The time turned so wretched that people were struggling from hand to mouth. Taking advantage of this situation, Satyavrata also wanted to have his revenge on Vasishtha for he thought the sage and royal preceptor was the reason behind all his distress. He surrendered to the feet of Vishwamitra who had by then started hating Vasishtha and they had become foes. Satyavrata took upon himself to look after the family of Vishwamitra. A little later, Satyavrata killed the cow which Vasishtha was rearing and consumed its flesh without following any scriptures or tradition. Vasishtha, who came to know about it, cursed Satyavrata to become a Trishanku which means a person who had committed three sons namely, doing a thing that was against the wishes of his father, killing the cow that belonged to the royal preceptor, and thirdly consuming its flesh without performing the final rites to the cow as prescribed in the scriptures. What happened to the penance of Tribandhana, whether he got any more children or not are not known for sure. It is not clear how Trishanku transformed into such a right-thinking and sensible person from his original habits and practices are not clear. These details however are given in Mahabharata, Bhagavata and Brahma Purana.