56. HANUMAN BOUND :

VALMIKI describes in beautiful verses
how the youthful warrior Aksha, the equal
of the gods, rode to battle in a chariot
drawn by eight horses.


Who can put up in a different tongue
Valmiki's poetry describing the beauty of
forests and the terrible fury of encounters
between warriors? The rhythm and
grandeur of his words convey the terror
and majesty of what he describes. This
power is Valmiki's special gift. We can
only summarise in pedestrian prose his
glowing account, of the battle between
Aksha, the beloved son of Ravana, and
Hanuman.


In a golden chariot acquired through
tapasya rode Ravana's young son. When
he saw Hanuman, seated on the stone
battlement above the gateway, and noted
approvingly the beautiful symmetry of his
mighty limbs, and the majestic intrepidity
of his look, Aksha felt that here was a foe
worthy of his steel. He summoned all his
strength and resolution to do him honor.
The young warrior aimed three sharp
arrows at Hanuman. They struck his body
and drew blood. But Maruti's strength
increased and his face shone with new
splendor. He too was pleased with the
prowess of the youthful Rakshasa.


Fierce grew the battle between the two.
Hundreds of arrows rose in clouds into the
sky and hit Maruti. Like rain falling on a
rock, they fell on Hanuman's body. Rising
in the air Hanuman dodged about evading
the arrows. Slipping as it were through the
meshes of that deadly network of missiles
and finding a favorable opening closed
with Aksha.


Hanuman admired Aksha's youthful
promise and heroism, and was sorry to
have to slay him, but there was no help for
it for the prince seemed to get more and
more formidable as the fight went on. And
it was unwise to take chances with him.
At last Hanuman hardened his heart and
decided to destroy the youth.
He rushed against Aksha's chariot and
broke it to pieces. The horses fell dead.


The Rakshasa prince stood on the ground
chariotless. Nothing daunted, he rose in
the air with bow and sword and attacked
Hanuman. A great battle took place in the
air. In the end Aksha's bones were crushed
and splintered and he fell down dead.
Hearing that the prince had been killed
by Hanuman, Ravana shook with rage, but
controlling himself he called his son
Indrajit, the conqueror of Indra.


"You have mastered all weapons," he
said. "You have vanquished the Devas and
Asuras in battle. You have by your
austerities called Brahma down and
secured from him the Brahmastra. There
is none in the world who can oppose you.
Fatigue cannot approach you. Your
knowledge of battle is unique. You have
attained strength through tapasya. Nothing
is impossible for you. None can equal
you in foresight. The Kinneras I sent and
Jambumali and the five generals of our
army, and your dear brother Aksha have
all been slain by a terrible foe who has
raided us in the form of a monkey and it is
yours now to avenge them. Do not
underrate him. It seems he cannot be
vanquished by weapons. He cannot be
brought down in wrestling. Consider well
therefore what needs to be done. Do it and
return victorious. The astras you have
secured through tapasya can serve you at
this moment. Without allowing your
mind to wander, fight with concentration
and return triumphant."


Indrajit, bright like the gods, accepted
his father's command with reverence and
receiving his blessings went with courage
and eagerness towards the Asoka Vana.


Standing in a chariot drawn by four
fierce lions and twanging his bowstring,
Indrajit proceeded towards Hanuman. His
chariot sounded like the wind off the
monsoon. His lotus-like eyes shone
victory.


As Hanuman saw the chariot coming
towards him, he was filled with joy.
Indrajit too, skilful in battle, bent his bow
and got his sharp arrows ready for
Hanuman. Knowing that a great battle was
at band, the Nagas, Yakshas and Siddhas
assembled in the sky to see.


At the sight of Indrajit Hanuman roared
and increased his stature still further.
Silently the Rakshasa warrior dispatched
his darts. Showers of arrows began to
descend as in the battle of the gods and
their cousins, the Asuras. Hanuman rose
in the sky and, moving with speed like
lightning, struck down the sharp arrows.
His roar made the quarters echo, drowning
the drumbeats and the bow-twangs of the
Rakshasa.


The battle raged with increasing fury
and filled all beholders with amazement.
In skill and strength the two warriors were
perfect equals. No matter how often he
was wounded, Hanuman's strength
showed no signs of lessening. Indrajit
therefore resolved: "My arrows cannot
vanquish this monkey. What my father
said is true. He can be bound only by
using the Brahmastra."


The Rakshasa Prince sent forth the
Brahmastra. At its touch the Vanara
warrior lay bound and helpless. Hanuman
realised what had happened. He said to
himself: "I have been bound by the
Brahmastra." Hanuman too had secured a
boon from Brahma, and this he now
remembered.


"This will keep me bound for only one
muhoorta (four fifths of an hour)," he said
to himself. "I run no real risk. Let me see
what the Rakshasas do to me while I lie
bound and helpless. I might find here a
further opportunity to function as a
messenger."


As instructed by Brahma when he gave
him the gift of immortality, he
surrendered himself to the Brahmastra and
lay down on the ground, inactive but in
full possession of his faculties.


When they saw Hanuman thus lying
helpless on the ground the Rakshasas who
till then stood at a distance in fear,
surrounded him and danced with joy and
called him insulting names and praised
their prince.


"We shall cut you to pieces!" they
shouted. "Let us eat him up. We shall drag
him to the throne of our Ravana." Thus
and in many other ways they shouted.
A few among them feared and said:
"This fellow is only pretending. He may
get up suddenly and attack us." So they
brought ropes of jute and coconut fibber
and bound him hard and shouted
exultingly: "Now we have bound him, let
us drag him to the Lord of the Rakshasas."
Indrajit, who discovered too late and
could not prevent this foolish mistake of
the Rakshasas, felt sad.


"Alas!" he thought with sorrow. "They
have undone all my work. These fools do
not know the secrets of supernatural
weapons. When they have thus used ropes
and jute for binding him, the astra
withdraws its power. The bound of the
mantra is undone when physical bonds are
added. Hanuman is now held only by the
ropes that he can burst asunder and the
Brahmastra cannot be used a second
time."


Hanuman too understood this, and
knew he could spring up free if he liked.
But he welcomed the opportunity to meet
and talk to Ravana and allowed himself to
be dragged to the king, patiently bearing
all their insults and cruelties in seeming
helplessness. They belabored and foully
abused him, and dragged him through the
streets and women and children came out
to look at him and jeer.
NEXT : 57. LANKA IN FLAMES


Continues....