54. INVITING BATTLE :

AFTER taking leave of Sita, Hanuman
sat for a while on the top of the garden
wall and began to think:


"What can I do to put courage into Sita
and some fear into Ravana and his friends
to shake their arrogant confidence? It
would be good to leave them some
souvenir of my visit, some indication of
what the future has in store for them. It is
clear I must instill some fear into Ravana
to prevent him from troubling Sita in the
meantime. Fear is the only argument they
understand. Ravana has untold wealth and
one cannot part his friends from him.
Hence sama (conciliation), dana (buying
over) and bheda (sowing discord) are
useless in this case. I should therefore do
something terrible to frighten them, and
warn them, not to ill-treat Sita. Yes, I
must do this before I go away."


At once he began to grow and assumed
a huge form and began to lay waste the
grove. Trees fell cracking to the ground,
bowers collapsed, tanks and artificial hills
were disfigured and destroyed. The
beautiful Asoka Park soon became a mass
of ruin from which the deer and the birds
fled in fear. The slumbering Rakshasis
woke up and were bewildered to see this
unaccountable sight.


Hanuman sat on the top of the wall of
the garden, a huge figure of wrathful
menace, waiting for the answer to his
challenge. The Rakshasis quaked with
terror at the sight of this stranger and
some ran to tell Ravana the news. Some
approached Sita and asked: "How did this
huge monkey come here? You should
know who he is. Did he say anything to
you? Tell us the truth. Do not be afraid to
speak out."


"How do I know what can happen in
this charmed world of Rakshasas?" Sita
answered, parrying, the question. "This
monkey is probably one of the Rakshasas
and you are likely to know more about
him than I." The Rakshasis fled in fear
from the park and reported to Ravana
what had happened.


"O king! A huge monkey terrible to
look at has laid waste the royal garden. It
was in secret talk with Sita."


Of course they omitted to add that they
had fallen asleep and given a chance for
Sita to talk to the monkey.


"We tried our best to get some
information from Sita," they added. "We
asked her who he was, and how he came
there, and what he told her. But she
refuses to answer. You should seize and
slay this creature. Do send a strong foe.


The beautiful grove is completely
devastated except for the Simsupa tree
under which Sita is seated. Its spreading
branches have suffered no damage. The
monkey which laid waste the tanks and
bowers has spared the habitation of Sita.


There must be a reason for this. We
suspect that this is not an ordinary wild
animal. It must have been sent by some
enemy of yours, either Indra or Kubera.
Or could it have anything to do with
Rama? How did this monkey dare to talk
to Sita? He must be a messenger from
Rama. Do send your warriors to capture
this terrible beast."


Ravana was furious on hearing that his
favorite park, set apart for his queens, had
been destroyed. His eyes glowed like twin
torches and hot tears rolled down from
them like drops of burning oil.
He turned to the bodyguards standing
beside him ever eager to do his bidding
and ordered them at once to go and
destroy the monster-monkey. A strong
force started to execute the king's
commands, armed with maces and spears
and other weapons.


NEXT :55. THE TERRIBLE ENVOY


Continues...