47. SON OF VAYU :

FROM Sampati the Vanaras learnt the
place where Sita was kept a prisoner in
the land of the Rakshasa, a hundred
yojanas across the ocean. But of course it
would not do to return to Sugriva at once
with this second-hand information. They
had outstayed the allotted time and only
outstanding success could save them from
punishment. They could not stop their
search till they saw with their own eyes
what Sampati had described only then
could they fulfil Rama's purpose.


But then they had to cross the sea.
They went to the edge of the water and
discussed matters. "How can we cross the
sea, enter Lanka, see Sita and return?"


Anxiety and fear overwhelmed them.
Angada said: "No matter how hard the
task, one should never lose courage.
Courage is the key to success. To lose
heart is to lose everything."
Then he asked each one of his
followers to state truly the maximum
length that he could jump.


"Oh Vanara warriors!" he said, "much
have I heard from Sugriva of your
prowess. Your strength and your
enterprise are beyond dispute. We should
fulfil this task. We cannot return to
Kishkindha without seeing Sita. That is
certain. It is better for us to end our lives
here than to be slain in disgrace by the
king. Therefore, tell me, one by one, the
longest jump you have the strength and
courage to attempt."


Gaja said modestly: "I can jump ten
yojanas." Gavaksha said: "I can do
twenty." Another Vanara leader claimed
he could do thirty.


And so each improved on the figure of
the other. At last Jambavan, the oldest of
the warriors, spoke:


"I am now old and infirm. Yet I would
gladly spend myself to fulfil our king's
command. But what will mere devotion
avail if not seconded by strength? I think I
can manage ninety yojanas, but this is not
enough to cross the sea and reach Lanka. I
can only regret my lost youth."


The Yuvaraja himself said: "I can do a
hundred yojanas and reach Lanka, I have
no doubt. But I wonder whether I shall
have the strength for another jump of
equal length for the return journey."
Jambavan answered, "O prince, you
need not doubt your strength. Your
prowess is as great as Vali's. Yet it is not
proper for the crown prince to undertake
this task while there are others to do it
under his orders. It is neither
statesmanlike nor safe for a king to act
directly."


Then Jambavan cast an appraising and
admiring look at Hanuman, who had sat
apart, listening to the talk, but saying
nothing.


"I feel that the son of Vayu, sitting
there in silence is the one best fitted by
strength and skill to do this deed," said the
old Vanara and walked up to Hanuman
and brought him to their midst.


Addressing Hanuman in the hearing of
the myriad's of gloomy Vanaras,
Jambavan said: "O warrior, learned in all
branches of knowledge, why are you
sitting silent and apart? You are the equal
of King Sugriva, are you not? In strength
and splendor do you not surpass all the
rest of us? Why, are you not the equal of
Rama and Lakshmana themselves? I have
seen Garuda, the king of birds crossing
the sea. The might of your shoulders is not
less than that of Garuda's wings. You are
not inferior to the son of Vinata in
strength or speed, but you are not aware of
your own prowess and intelligence. There
is no equal to you in the whole world.


Anjana, your mother, was a maiden
among the goddesses above. By the curse
of a rishi she was born as a Vanari. One
day, while she was wandering carefree on
a mountain slope, Vayu saw her beauty
and fell in love with her and embraced
her. She was wroth. 'Who are you, O
wicked one' she asked, 'who dares insult
me? The Wind-God answered: 'Be not
angry, your body is not tainted by my
touch and loses not its virgin purity. Not
in body but in my heart's desire did I
embrace you and out of this ethereal
embrace, a child will be born to you,
equal to me in strength and vigor. He will
be the mightiest and most intelligent
amongst the Vanaras.' Thus did the Wind-
God pacify Anjana. When you were a
little child, O Hanuman, you imagined the
rising sun to be a fruit and flew towards it
in order to pluck it. Seeing your effortless
and fearless flight Indra, king of the gods,
became concerned for the sun's safety and
hurled his thunderbolt at you. Struck
down by it, you fell on a, mountain and
your right jaw was broken. Enraged by
this, your father the Wind-God stopped
his movements and stood still. All living
creatures became breathless and felt
strangled in the stillness. The gods begged
Vayu to lay aside his anger and showered
blessings on you. Brahma and Indra gave
you boons. No weapon can slay you.


Death can only come to you at your will
and not other wise. You are immortal.
Born of Anjana and begotten of the spirit
of the Wind-God, you are equal to him in
splendor, intelligence and power. But, for
all your strength, you are virtuous and
modest. You alone can help us to fulfil
Rama's purpose. Crossing the sea is no
hard task to you. This great army of
Vanaras, struggling in a sea of distress,
you should rescue. You, who can cross the
sea, should not leave your power unused.


Increase your stature. You are the equal of
Garuda. Once I too was strong like you
and traversed the globe twenty-one times.
At the churning of the ocean of milk, I
fetched herbs from the four quarters at the
bidding of the gods. But now I am old and
weak. You are the sole hope of the
Vanaras. O, son of Anjana, we beg you,
noble one! With your heritage of divine
strength, delay no further. Realise your
true strength and spring forward. Like
Trivikrama, you can cross the sea at a
single jump. Do it and end our troubles."


The aged Jambavan thus praised
Hanuman, reminded him of his strength
and roused his dormant courage. At once
Hanuman's form began to swell like the
sea in high tide. Even as the Vanaras were
watching him, the son of Vayu grew in
size. The radiance of his body filled
Angada and his companions with wonder
and joy.


From now on, Hanuman is the hero of
the Ramayana. The devotees of Vishnu
lovingly call him the Junior Servant of
Hari. The Senior Servant is Garuda who is
always with Vishnu in personal
attendance.


How the Junior Servant of Hari ended
the grief of Sita, destroyed by fire the city
of Ravana and returned to the Lord and
told him: "I found have Sita," we shall
now proceed to relate. Reminded of his
might by Jambavan, Hanuman was now
determined to fulfil Rama's purpose. And
with fervor he uttered his faith:
"May your words come true. Flying
through the sky and alighting in Lanka, I
shall see Janaki. I have no doubt. I shall
return and bring you good news. To take
the jump I must press my foot hard
against the earth. This hill may stand it,"
he said and climbed up the Mahendra hill.
There for a while he threw his whole
strength into his foot and walked a few
steps. The creatures in the hill could not
endure it and came out.


Standing on the hill, Hanuman looked
at the sea and directed his yoga concentrated
mind towards Lanka. He
said to himself: "I shall search and find
Sita. I shall fly in the sky and cross the
sea."


With this resolve he offered worship
and prayer to Surya, Indra, Vayu, Brahma,
and all creation. Then facing east, he
made obeisance to his father Vayu and,
magnifying his frame still further, turned
towards the south.


He pressed the hill with his feet and
struck it with his hands. At this impact the
flowers fell from the trees and covered the
hill. Squeezed irresistibly by the pressure
of his feet the hill threw out springs of
water, like the rut flowing down the
cheeks of the elephant. Many colored
veins of ore burst out of the rock. From
the caves the beasts emerged with panicstricken
outcries. Hooded serpents
emitting venom bit the rock and sparks
flew out.


The hair of Hanuman's body stood on
end and he roared and lashed his tail on
the ground. He contracted his hind parts,
held his breath, pressed down his feet,
folded his ears and stiffened his muscles.


Then with a roar of triumph he rose into
the sky and like Garuda flew with the
speed of Rama's arrow. With the
momentum of his speed, many trees were
uprooted and followed in his wake. Like
friends who speed a parting guest, they
accompanied him a little way, showering
down their flowers, and dropped.


One by one the trees that followed
Hanuman fell into the sea like the
mountains which of old were pursued by
Indra and denuded of their wings.
Covered with bright-colored flowers the
sea shone like the sky with its stars.


Hanuman's arms with their outspread
hands as he flew through the sky appeared
like two five headed cobras. He seemed to
swallow the sky as he flew forward. His
eyes glistened like mountain forests on
fire. His red nose shone like the evening
sun.


His huge frame spanned the sky like an
enormous comet. The air roared as he
sped fast. Beneath him his shadow
travelled like a ship on the sea. It looked
as though a huge mountain with wings
was flying in the sky. Hidden at times by
clouds and again emerging from them, he
shone like the moon sailing across the
sky. The Gandharvas showered flowers.
The Devarishis blessed him.


With courage equal to every occasion,
with foresight, skill and resolution,
Hanuman met and survived the trials on
the way. Shooting up suddenly from the
sea, a mighty mountain rose and stood, in
his way. Hanuman struck it with his chest
and the Mynaka Mountain yielded, like a
cloud struck by the wind.


The mountain said: "My son, I am
Mount Mynaka. My king Ocean bade me
help Sri Rama, the descendant of the
Sagara race. The Ocean is an old friend of
that race. In honor of that ancient,
association, stay here on me for a while.


You will fulfil Rama's purpose all the
better for this rest. When Indra struck with
his thunder all the hills, I fled from his
persecution and hid myself in the ocean
and survived. The Ocean who gave me
shelter now bids me help you. The sons of
Sagara dug and deepened the ocean. Did
not your father Vayu help me to escape
from Indra's thunderbolt and find
sanctuary in the sea? Both the Ocean and
myself will be pleased if you will accept
my hospitality and rest here for a while."


But Hanuman could not yield to
Mynaka's importunity and said politely: "I
cannot stop, my friend. I have no time to
lose. My vow to fulfil Rama's purpose
permits no delay. Your kind words are
enough to please me."


He stroked the mountain affectionately
with his hand and took its leave.


Later, a huge form stood in his way
and said: "Enter my mouth. I have been
without food for a long time and am
eagerly waiting for you," and the monster
opened its mouth wide like a cave.


Hanuman answered: "I am bent on
doing Rama's purpose. Do not stop me."
"Impossible!" said the monster. "You
must enter my mouth."


Hanuman thought quickly and decided
what to do. Step by step he made his body
grow bigger and bigger. The Rakshasa
form (which had been assumed by Surasa,
the Naga maiden) opened its mouth
correspondingly wider and wider.


When the mouth was thus enormously
wide, all of a sudden Hanuman contracted
his body into a speck and, darting through
the demon's mouth and body, came out
again and resumed his former normal
shape.


He then laughed and said: "You have
had your wish, mother. I have entered
your mouth. What more do you need?"
And the Naga goddess blessed him
saying: "Your effort will be crowned with
success. I did this at the bidding of the
gods who wanted to test you. Rama's
purpose, which you seek to serve, will
assuredly triumph."


This was not the last of his trials. As he
was flying in the sky, for no reason which
he could discover, he found his speed
obstructed and he suffered like a ship
against a contrary wind. Some mighty
force, he felt, was holding him and
dragging him down.


He looked up and down and on all four
sides. Then he discovered the cause. It
was a huge she-demon in the sea holding
him by his shadow below, arresting his
speed, and dragging him down.


The demon, holding him by his
shadow, said: "Come, come! Long have I
been waiting for you. No longer can I bear
my hunger," and she opened her mouth
like a cave.


At once Hanuman entered her mouth
and ripped a way out through her entrails
and emerged. The demon died and sank
down in the water. Like the full moon
emerging from an eclipse, Hanuman
shone in the sky and resumed his journey.
Thus surviving many trials with the
help of his subtle wit, courage and
strength, he flew across the ocean and
approached the coast of Lanka covered
with plantain and coconut trees.


On the shore of the island he saw
groves and mountains and forests and the
mouths of rivers.


Hanuman saw the wealth of Ravana's
kingdom and the beauty of the fortified
city.


"I have reached the destination," said
Hanuman to himself. "Now without
letting the Rakshasas know who or what I
am, I must search the place and find out
where Sita is kept."


He reduced his huge form to the size of
a normal monkey and alighted on a hilltop
in Lanka.


Next : 48. THE SEARCH IN LANKA


Continues...