Monday 2 March 2015

237. The first round was in Hanuman's favour.

         The ruckus created by Hanuman yielded the desired results. Those hearing the screaming sound of the birds and at the sound of the crash of falling trees, trembled with fear. Made to run to-and-fro and getting frightened, beasts and birds began to scream. Atrocious omens made their appearance before the rakshasas.
       The ugly-faced rakshasis, woken from their blissful sleep, found that grove demolished and saw that vanara, our James Bond of Ramayanam. Seeing their horrid and stupefied faces, our Bond of Ramayanam assumed a gigantic form which  terrified them.
          Dazed at the sight of a vanara the size of a mountain,  the rakshasis guarding Seetha asked Seetha "Who is he? Whose messenger is he? From where and for what purpose has he come here? Wherefore a conversation was held by him with you? O large-eyed Seetha! Tell us. Let there be no fear for you, O fortunate lady! What did he speak to you?"
      Thereupon Seetha the virtuous lady, having a complete beauty of all limbs, told them timidly "How do you expect me to know about that rakshash of a terrific form? On the other hand you  should be able to recognise who he is, what he does etc. A serpent only can recognise the feet of another serpent. There is no doubt about it. By seeing him, I too get frightened. I do not know who he is. I only know him as a rakshash, able to assume any form at his will."
       Hearing the words of Seetha the guards discussed inter se and some left and went to Ravana and told him "Your Majesty! A vanara having a ginormous and terrific body and a boundless prowess, is stationed in the middle of the Ashoka grove and made a conversation with Seetha. Eventhough questioned in many ways by us, Seetha, the daughter of Janaka, having eyes similar to those of a doe, was not inclined to tell us about that vanara. He may be a messenger of Indra, the Lord of celestials, or the messenger of Kubera, the king of riches or even a messenger sent by Rama to search for Seetha.
         "He, having a gigantesque form, has wiped off that grove attached to the gynaecium. There is no place whatsoever in that grove, which was not destroyed by him. Only that place, where Seetha the daughter of Janaka was sitting, was not destroyed by him. It is not known whether to protect Seetha or because of fatigue, he has left that place untouched.   He probably did it to protect Seetha as with that size of body he is not likely to get any fatigue. That well-grown Shimshupaa tree, abounding charming sprouts and flowers, under which Seetha  took shelter, has been spared by him. To that terrifying looking vanara, who talked with Seetha and destroyed that grove, well deserves a terrible punishment by your majesty."
         Hearing them, Ravana  flared up like a funeral fire, his eyes spinning with anger. Angry tears dropped from Ravana's enraged eyes, like drops of oil dripping from resplendent lamps. Ravana, with a great splendour, ordered a special troop of rakshashas called Kinkaras,  to catch hold of Hanuman. All the the eighty thousand  Kinkaras of that battalion started. All those Kinkaras were very strong and mighty despite their large bellies. They had long tusks and terrible forms, longing to fight with iron mallets and clubs in hand, eager to get hold of Hanuman, started.
     Approaching Hanuman who was standing near the arched doorway, they rushed towards him with a great speed, like locusts rushing towards a fire. They banged Hanuman with various kinds of maces, iron bludgeons plated with gold and arrows shining like the sun. Quickly surrounding Hanuman with clubs, sharp edged spears, iron pikes, lances, javelins and swords, they  confronted him.
      The highly splendorous, illustrious and dauntless Hanuman, looking like a mountain, hurled his tail  on the ground, making a thunderous noise. Hanuman, the son of Vayu, the wind-god, expanding his body to a further big size, clapped on his arms boldly, filling Lanka with that clapping sound.
       By that great sound made by Hanuman through the clapping on his arms together with its resound, birds fell down from the sky. Hanuman also then shouted with a clamorous voice "Long live the mighty Rama and the powerful Lakshmana! Long live the King Sugreeva, protected by Rama! I am Hanuman, the destroyer of the army of adversaries and the son of Vayu. I am the servant of Rama, the king of Kosala Kingdom, who is unwearied in action. Even a thousand of Ravanas will not be matching equally with me, who is capable of striking with thousands of rocks and trees, in battle. Here, before the eyes of all the rakshashas, I will annihilate the City of Lanka and after offering salutation to Seetha, I will go back after fully completing my task."
       Those fearless kinkaras became frightened by the clamorous voice of Hanuman who was seen by them as a giant. Nevertheless they rushed towards Hanuman, with their terrific and amazing weapons.
       Surrounded on all the sides by those strong rakshashas, our James Bond endowed with a great strength seized a huge iron bar attached to the arched gate. With that iron rod, Hanuman killed the kinkaras. That indomitable Hanuman strolled in the sky, taking that iron rod in his hand, as Garuda the eagle would carry a serpent in its claws. Killing almost all the valiant rakshashas called Kinkaras, our dear hero looking not a bit tired and ready and prepared to face any number of foes, returned to his pavilion, the archy gateway, like Don Bradman, after scoring a double.
       Some kinkara soldiers, who loved to live for some more time, somehow escaped from that terror, went to Ravana and informed him that all the Kinkaras were killed. Hearing that Ravana ordered Jambumali, son of Prahasta, with unlimited prowess and had not been conquered in any battle so far.
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