57. LANKA IN FLAMES :

His captors took him to the court of
Ravana and placed him in front of the
King. Forgetting the pain and insults he
had borne, Hanuman gazed with wrathful
curiosity at the giant monarch. As he
gazed at him resplendent on his throne a
sort of pitying admiration of the doomed
Rakshasa entered his thoughts.



Clad in silk of golden hue, with the
royal crown on his head, the jewels inlaid
in it shining brilliantly, Ravana sat there, a
figure of dazzling splendor. The whole
court was brilliant with shining gold and
gems, pearls and silk. His dark body, lit
up by the marks of royalty, looked like a
great radiant hill.



"Alas!" thought Hanuman full of anger,
wonder and pity. "If only this great one
had not swerved from the path of dharma,
not even Indra could equal him. What a
form, what radiance, what strength!
Trusting to the boon he had secured, he
took to wicked ways and has lost his
happiness and forfeited his greatness."



As Hanuman was lost in thought thus,
Ravana addressed his ministers: "Find out
from this wicked fellow who he is, where
he has come from, who has sent him here
and why he entered Lanka. Tell him to
speak truthfully."



As ordered by the king, Prahasta
questioned Hanuman. "Do not be afraid,
monkey! If you speak the truth, you will
escape punishment. Did Indra send you
here? Or are you Kubera's servant? Whose
orders are you carrying out? Speak the
truth and save yourself. Why have you
come here thus disguised? Take care you
hide nothing!"



facing Ravana directly, said:
"Neither Indra, nor Kubera has sent me
here. I am a Vanara. I came here to have a
look at the Rakshasa king. That was why I
laid waste the garden. Otherwise I could
not get to the king's presence. And
because they attacked me and tried to kill
me, I killed them in self-defence. I have
come here as the messenger of Sugriva,
the Vanara king. O Rakshasa king my lord
looks on you as a brother and sends you
his greetings. Ramachandra, the famous
son of king Dasaratha of Ayodhya, has
become a friend of Sugriva and slaying
Vali has made Sugriva king. When
Ramachandra, heir to the throne of
Ayodhya, was living in the Dandaka
forest to fulfil his father's word, his
consort who had been left alone for a
while was lost and at the behest of Rama
and Lakshmana, Sugriva has sent his
servant to look for her throughout the
world. I came to Lanka on this search and
here I saw the good princess. O lord of the
Rakshasas, I speak to you with the respect
due from the messenger of a brother king.
I speak to you also as a devoted servant of
the Prince of Ayodhya. You know well it
was a cowardly act and totally contrary to
dharma to carry off the princess Sita. This
is sure to end in the destruction of your
race if you persist in your wicked folly.
Restore Sita to the prince and seek his
forgiveness. Know that Death has come to
you in the form of Sita. Do not mistake
poison for food. It is not wisdom to
oppose dharma and run into deadly
danger. You know well enough that the
sin of desiring another's wife will
consume utterly the merit you have earned
through tapas and destroy you inevitably.
Your only recourse now is to seek refuge
at Rama's feet. Do not make Rama your
enemy and bring about your own
destruction. The boons you have secured
will avail you nothing against the Prince
of the Raghu race. Consider well and
realise the danger you are in. Pay heed to
the words of this humble messenger of the
Vanara king. Turn to the right path and
find safety. These words from a brother
king are true and meant for your welfare."



Hanuman uttered this bitter warning in
a loud and clear voice. When the
Rakshasa king heard it, his eyes grew red
with anger, and he ordered that Hanuman
should be killed forthwith. But
Vibhishana pointed out that it would be
improper to kill a king's envoy.



"According to the law of kings it is not
permitted on any account to kill envoys
and messengers. You can have him
mutilated, whipped or branded, but not
killed," so counselled Vibhishana.



"What is wrong," asked Ravana, "in
killing one who has sinned so greatly?"
Answered Vibhishana with due
politeness: "No matter how grievous his
offence, it was done at the bidding of
others. To leave his royal masters alone
and to slay their instrument, a mere
messenger, what use or sense is there in
it? Let us by all means seek ways of
punishing those that sent him here. They
must be brought here and given due
punishment. If he is slain now, what
chance is there of our real enemies being
brought here? If, on the other hand, he is
sent back alive to them, they will come
here and attack us. Then they will receive
proper punishment at your hands."



Ravana agreed. "Very well," he said, "a
monkey's most cherished possession is his
tail. Set fire to his tail, flog him soundly
and turn him out."



At these words of the Rakshasa king,
his servants took Hanuman out. They
wrapped his tail in rags of all kinds. His
tail grew in size and, as it grew, they
brought more and more old rags and
wrapped them round. They soaked the
whole in oil and set it ablaze like a huge
flaming torch.



Thus bound by ropes and with tail
ablaze, Hanuman was taken through the
streets of Lanka.



"Here goes the thief that entered our
city!" cried the women and children. They
jeered at him as he was taken round by the
exulting Rakshasas to the accompaniment
of pipes and drums through all the
highways and byways of Lanka.



In the Asoka Vana the Rakshasis told
Sita: "The monkey with whom you had
secret talk, do you know what has
happened to him? They have wrapped his
tail in cloth soaked in oil and have set fire
to it. His tail is ablaze. They are taking
him in procession through the town."



They told Sita the tale and laughed in
scorn. She kindled a fire and offered a
prayer to the god of Fire: "O Agni! If
there be any goodness in me, any purity,
be cool to Hanuman; do not hurt him."



Hanuman endured the blows and the
insults heaped upon him, and proceeded
from street to street quietly observing
everything. The Rakshasas, to amuse
their women and children took him
through all the streets and bylanes of the
city. And he noted in silence, for future,
use all the secrets of that fortified city.
"But what is this miracle?" he thought.



"The rags soaked in oil burn brightly but
the fire does not hurt and is cool on my
tail. The elements themselves seem kind
to one engaged in Rama's purpose. Did
not the mountain rise above the sea and
offer me hospitality? Even so the god of
Fire is gracious to me now and does not
harm me. Or may be, Agni being a friend
of my father Vayu, is gentle with me.
Now, I think I should not let slip this
opportunity which has come to me
unsought to put the fear of God into these
Rakshasas."



Suddenly he shrank in size and shook
off the ropes that bound him and,
resuming his huge shape, jumped with his
blazing tail to the top of a tall building. He
plucked a pillar there and whirled it
round, striking terror in all beholders.



Then he jumped from mansion to
mansion, setting fire to them. In a little
while a strong breeze began to blow and
the whole city was in flames. The
Rakshasas and their women and children
shouted in terror and ran hither and
thither.



"This monkey is no other than Yama,"
said some. "No, he must be the god Agni,"
said others. And they all fled from their
burning houses.



Recallingthe insults he had suffered,
Hanuman was pleased when he saw the
flames rise. He sat on the summit of the
Trikuta hill and contemplated with
satisfaction the red glow of the burning
city. Then he went to the sea and,
plunging in, put out the fire in his tail and
came ashore.



"Alas! Alas! What have I done?" he
said with uncontrollable grief. "I have lost
my senses in my rage. What is the use of
strength and skill and all other gifts if one
cannot control one's anger? Sita too must
have perished in this great conflagration I
have raised. My angry deed has led to the
utter ruin of my whole purpose. Alas,
there is no fool, no sinner, like me on
earth. My rage against the Rakshasas has
ended in the death of Sita. Here and now I
must put an end to my life and to my
shame!"



Then he heard some voices in the sky.
The Charanas and Yakshas were rejoicing
and saying, "What a miracle! Glory be to
Hanuman's prowess! Except the spot
where Sita is, all Lanka is in flames!"



Hearing this ethereal conversation,
Hanuman was relieved. "Sita has saved
herself. She saved me, for it was her
purity and power that kept the fire from
harming me. How can fire help paying
homage to the goddess of chastity? What
can fire do to fire? This fire that I started
could not go near Sita. And is not all this
Rama's purpose? Did not the ocean king
and Mynaka Mountain come to my help?"



Thinking thus, Hanuman went straight
to the Asoka Park again. There, under the
Simsupa tree, he saw Sita who was greatly
relieved to see him alive and cheerful.
Rejoicing, he bowed before her and
said, "Oh mother! I have seen you safe
and sound. This is your power and my
good fortune. Now give me leave to go."



And Sita said, "You are indeed a hero.
For you there is nothing impossible. See
that my lord comes here soon and lays
low the Rakshasas and redeems me. I
depend on you. You alone can achieve
this."



"Be assured," said Hanuman. "Sugriva
will soon be here with Rama and
Lakshmana and the myriads of Vanaras.
Ravana and his wicked hordes will perish.
The happy prince will return with you to
Ayodhya. Grieve no more. God bless
you."



Thus consoling her, Hanuman took
leave of Sita. He went to the shore of the
sea and, climbing up the beautiful hill
called Arishta, rose into the sky.



On the way he saw Mynaka eagerly
awaiting him. He affectionately stroked it
with his hand, but did not stop. He flew
straight like an arrow shot from a bow. At
the sight of Mahendra hill he knew that he
was near the other shore and he roared.



The Vanaras, meanwhile, who saw
Hanuman flying towards them like a great
eagle across the sky, shouted: "He is
come. He is come!"


Till now their hearts had been full of
care and their eyes wet. Now they jumped
in their joy.



"It is certain he is returning in
triumph," said Jambavan. "Else he would
not roar in this manner."



They climbed up trees and hills and
stood watching with joy the approach of
Hanuman returning from Lanka.
And Hanuman rejoiced to see the
mountains and trees all covered with his
friends. Amid their glad uproar, he
alighted on the Mahendra hill.



NEXT : 58. A CARNIVAL


Continues....