In the battle-front, Rama and Lakshmana looked like they were knocked down senseless. Quite a lot of vanara leaders fainted. Sugreeva, Nila, Angada and Jambavan were in a daze. Those vanaras who escaped the arrows of Intrajit did not know what to do and ipso facto were worried. Seeing only worried vanara faces around him, Vibhishana made an effort to console them by “Honouring the spell of Brahma, Rama and Lakshmana allowed themselves to be knocked down by the missiles of Indrajit. Hence they were not defeated or killed. Therefore shed your fears.”
Hearing that Hanuman told Vibhishana “Okay boss! I suggest we go around and do our best to help in whatever way we could those vanaras who are affected by that vicious act of that heinous rakshash.”
Then both Hanuman and Vibhishana roamed around in the battle-field, with torches in their hands. They saw the battle-field was filled with quite a lot of vanaras fallen with one or more limbs badly affected or lost. The earth was also covered with flaming weapons lying around.
The pair of Good Samaritans saw Sugreeva, Angada, Nila, Sharabha, Gandhamadana, Gavaksha, Sushena, Vegadarshi, Mainda, Nala, Jyotimukha and Dvivida were affected and lying down. They all seemed stone dead.
The pair noticed that there were inert and mangled bodies of vanaras and bears all over the battle field. The pair reckoned that about sixty seven crores of vanaras were struck down by the cruel act of that rakshash.
The pair noticed that there were inert and mangled bodies of vanaras and bears all over the battle field. The pair reckoned that about sixty seven crores of vanaras were struck down by the cruel act of that rakshash.
Vibhishana wispered that Jamavan may have some useful suggestion in this matter. Hanuman agreed by a nod and the pair started look for Jambavan. Vibhishana was the first to find him and he told Hanuman so.
They went near the ancient and wise Jambavan, the son of Brahma, and found him to be in a pitiable condition with his body conspicuous of hundreds of arrows. To the surprise of the pair they heard from Jambavan “O Vibhishana! I recognize you by your voice. I am very severely hurt and as such I am not able to see. O my dear chap! Is Hanuman any where nearby?”
Vibhishana asked Jambavan “My dear Jam! I wonder why you are inquiring about Hanuman, but not Rama, Lakshmana, Sugreeva or Angada. I am sure there is some sound and valid reason for the same. Can you tell me the same? Please!”
Jambavan replied with a smile “O! my dear chap! Your are absolutely correct. I want Hanuman for a specific, strong and valid reason. Listen to me why I am inquiring about Hanuman. Now he and only he is the lifeline for this army. If he is alive, even if our entire army is killed, can be brought back to life. Without our dear Hanuman there is no hope. All those who are still alive will meet their maker sooner than later."
Hearing that, Hanuman went close to Jambavan, offered his salutation. Hearing the voice of Hanuman, the old face of Jambavan brightened visibly.
Jambavan asked Hanuman to come close to him and then he told Hanuman “My dear lad! The life of this entire army is in you hands. If you do what I say then all will come alive with enhanced vitality. Likewise those who are hurt will be cured of their wounds and become more strong and healthy. You and only you can do what I am going to ask you. That, beyond any reasonable doubt, will demonstrate your prowess to all the worlds. I could not think of any other person who is capable of doing it.
“You are to revive those vanaras and bears who are lying dead in the battle field and also completely cure those who are hurt, including Rama and Lakshmana. O Hanuman! To accomplish this you ought to go to the Himalaya, the foremost of mountains, by traveling higher and higher and farther and farther over the large ocean as well as the vast land beyond it. There, you will see the Mount Rishabha, and the very much powerful peak of Kailasa, with a golden hue.
“O my dear fellow! In the midst of these two peaks, you will see a blazing and unequally brilliant herbal mountain, containing all kinds of herbs. Sprouted on the head of that mountain, are four blazing herbs. You cannot miss them as they are illuminating all sides.
“There you will find the herb called Mrita Sanjivani which can restore the dead back to life, Vishalyakarani which will make the extraction of weapons easy without hurting and healing all wounds inflicted by weapons, Suvarnakarani capable of restoring the body to its original complexion and Sandhani, the great herb which is capable of joining severed limbs or fractured bone. O my hero! Bring all those herbs quickly. Bring back the vanaras and bears to life and completely cure and vitalize the wounded."
Hanuman readily agreed to do it and prayed Him for the strength and guidance to accomplish it. He them jumped up to the summit of the Trikuta mountain and was getting ready there by pressing that mountain with his feet. Our dear Hanuman appeared like a second mountain. When Hanuman jumped up from there that mountain was not able to bear the pressure and sank. The trees on that mountain fell to the ground and caught fire by friction. Its peaks got broken, too. The vanaras were unable to stand steadily on that mountain, which started to reel, while being pressed severely by Hanuman. And the trees on it and its rocks got broken.
The principal gates of the City of Lanka were broken, too. Many houses there and town-gates were shattered. The pressure created by Hanuman caused the earth along with the ocean to shake.
Beholding the sea, whose waves along with its water were made to agitate and all whose creatures were caused to whirl round, Hanuman accelerated his velocity which was much more than that of the fastest jet of the present time.
Hanuman was surprised to note that he did not have any fatigue now. All the stress and strain imposed on him during the fight seemed to have gone with the wind.
Hanuman saw the Mount Himalaya not far away. He reached the Mount Himalaya, the foremost of mountains, embellished with various kinds of cascades, many kinds of caves, mountain-streams and summits resembling an assemblage of white clouds as also many kinds of trees.
He noted there the great holy hermitages, inhabited by a multitude of sages who have access to Gods. He saw the abode of Brahma, the lord of creation, Kailasa the abode of Shiva, the lord of dissolution, the abode of Indra the lord of devas, the arrow-discharging place of Rudra, the worshipping place of Hayagriva, the horse-faced form of Vishnu, and many other divinities.
He saw the gigantic Mount Kailasa, and Mount Rishabha, the lofty golden mountain, which was highly illumined by the flaming herbs and the lord of mountains on which all types of herbs grew.
Hanuman quickly went to that great mountain of herbs and searched for the herbs. He made a thorough search there, but he could not find any herb.
Those herbs were bestowed with the power to disappear from the sight of any outsider coming there in search of them. Hanuman was terribly annoyed for his inability to see them. He shouted at the mountain “Hey mountain! I am sure that you know that I am the emissary of Rama. Still you have hidden the herbs from my sight. I am now going to take the whole of you along with the animate and inanimate beings residing on you to Lanka."
Fiercely seizing hold of the top of that mountain, with thousands of minerals, with its trees, elephants and gold shook it fiercely so that the base of that mountain was uprooted. This action amazed all the the divine beings living there. Grasping that mountain-peak, radiant as the sun, Hanuman sprang up almost near the orbit of the sun and proceeded back to Lanka with all the speed he could muster.
Seeing Hanuman coming from the sky, all the the living vanaras waving their hands shouted welcome happily. Seeing them, Hanuman in turn roared in delight. Hanuman then descended on that mountain Trikuta in the midst of that army of vanaras who were still living.
By inhaling that fragrance of those great herbs, both Rama and Lakshamana were instantly healed of their wounds. Likewise all the maimed vanaras were healed. Those vanaras and bears who were dead got up as if from sleep feeling very strong and happy.
Dear reader, you will be wondering about the maimed and dead rakshashas who may be lying in the battle field. At the start of the battle in Lanka, Ravana instructed that all rakshashas who were being maimed or killed should be thrown away into the sea as and when they were killed/maimed. This order was given not only for the sake of honour but also for the reason that the enemies should not know how many rakshashas were killed or maimed.
Then, Hanuman at the advise of Rama took that mountain of herbs back to the mountains of Himalayas and replaced it at its original place.
Then, Hanuman at the advise of Rama took that mountain of herbs back to the mountains of Himalayas and replaced it at its original place.
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