|| om tat sat||

Sundarakanda
Sarga 57

Tattvadipika
"सर्वथा कृतकार्यः"

"सर्वथा कृतकार्यः"
Means one who has successfully completed all tasks.
Who is that?
"असौ हनुमन्"
'It is Hanuma'.
Who is saying that?
Jambavan, on hearing the roar of Hanuma from the skies.

When the Vanaras in search of Sita were facing a daunting task,
the daunting task of crossing an ocean hundred Yojanas long,
It is Jambavan who encourages Hanuma.
And that was the beginning of Sundarakanda.

Hearing the roar of Hanuma in the return journey
Jambavan knew that success was achieved.

Jambavan's faith in Hanuma is immense.
This can be seen in another instance.
That was during the war between the armies of Rama and Ravana.

During the war, Indrajit deploys the Brahmastra.
All except Vibhishana and Hanuma are struck down unconscious.
The whole army is knocked off.

In that darkness of the battle,
Vibhishana and Hanuma set about looking for survivors.
They see the injured Jambavan in the battlefield.

Jambavan recognizes Vibhishana by his voice and ask him.
'How is Hanuma?'
Vibhishana was surprised by the question.

The key people in the battle are Rama and Lakshmana.
After them it is Sugriva, the Vanara King.
So Jambavan's question was surprising.
Surprised Vibhishana asks the same from Jambavan.

Jambavan's reply is illuminating.
Jambavan says,
'If Hanuma is alive, we will live even if we are half dead.
If Hanuma is no more, we are as good as dead even if we are alive'
Such is the confidence in Hanuma.
So as soon as he heard Hanuma's roar,
he was sure Hanuma succeeded in his mission.

There are some more events in the return journey.
The poet says "पर्वतेन्द्रं सुनाभं च समुस्पृश्य वीर्यवान्"
That means he touched the king of mountains by way of paying respects.

In the first Sarga, Hanuma saying
"प्रतिज्ञा च मया दत्ता "-
meaning that he has taken a vow not to stop,
Hanuma does not stop for resting on Mainaka,
and proceeds like the arrow of Rama.

In the return journey Hanuma remembers,
and pays his respects to Mainaka.
That is the way of Hanuma.

Hanuma was matter of fact about his achievement.
After landing on the Mahendra mountain,
Hanuman tells the assembled Vanaras simply "दृष्टा सीतेति"
That he has seen Sita.

That was enough for the other Vanaras to rejoice.
There was no boasting of his conquests.

Now we will see how it happened in Valmiki's words.

The first line of the Sarga is as follows.
स चन्द्र कुमुदं रम्यं..' (57.1)
'the moon was like a beautiful lotus'

With all anxieties set aside, the poet too was in exuberant mood.
He starts the Sarga with a description of the sky through which Hanuma was flying.
It goes as follows.

Hanuman moved across the skies
like a huge boat on the ocean.

With sky as ocean,
the moon was like beautiful lotus.
Sun was like auspicious waterfowl.
Stars Tishya and Sravana were like sweet voiced swans.
Clouds were like duckweeds and grassy spots.
Star Punarvasu was like a large fish.
The planet Mars was like a crocodile.
Airavata was like a large island.
Star Swati was like swan in water.
The waves produced by wind for its billows.
The cool moon beams for cold water.
Nagas, Yakshas and Gandharvas in the skies together were like fully blossomed lotuses.

Hanuma, the son of wind god, flying in the sky looked as if,
he was swallowing the space,
he was joyfully touching the moon,
he was seizing the sun along with the stars.
It was as if he was dragging clusters of clouds along with him.

The white and black colors,
blue and yellow colors
greenish red colors
made appearance in the skies shining brilliantly.

Entering the clouds again and again disappearing,
Hanuma appeared like the bright moon,
who also appears and disappears among the clouds

Making way through the clouds again and again,
disappearing and roaring like great clouds,
Hanuman, the delight of Vayu, shone like Garuda in the skies.

The brilliant Hanuman having killed eminent Rakshasas,
having made his name known,
having made the city disoriented,
having struck fear in the mind of Ravana,
having tormented the terrific army,
having offered salutation to Vaidehi again
is flying back over the ocean.

Remembering the encounter while going to Lanka,
Hanuman flying north, touched the lord of mountains from skies fondly.
He moved at great speed like an arrow released from a powerful bow string,
just as he said he would, when he started the journey.
"यथा राघव निर्मुक्तः शरः श्वसनविक्रमः" (1.39)

Hanuman, the best of Vanaras thundered
coming a little near the Mahendra mountain
which resembled mass of clouds

The roar of the Vanara
which is like the thundering noise of clouds,
filled all the ten directions.

Having sighted that mountain,
anxious to see his friends,
the tiger among Vanaras roared and shook his tail in joy.

Travelling the path of Suparna,
the roar of the roaring Hanuman seems to split the skies.

The powerful Vanara warriors
waiting on those northern shores,
waiting to see the son of wind god,
then heard that roar of Hanuman.
They heard too the thundering sound of the clouds
produced by sweeping motion of Hanuman's thighs.

The Vanaras who were anxious and waiting,
heard the roar of Hanuman that sounded like thundering clouds.
Realizing Hanuma as the one making the sound
all the Vanaras were filled with enthusiasm and stood to welcome Hanuma.

Jambavan, the best of Vanaras
delighted and very happy at heart,
called all Vanaras and said the following words.
'This Hanuman is always successful.
If he is not, then his sound will not be like this'.

The joyful Vanaras jumped in joy.
The delighted Vanaras longing to see Hanuman,
jumped from one peak to another,
from top of one tree to another.

The delighted Vanaras jumped from the treetops holding branches.
They shook the branches like the clothes.

Hanuman the powerful son of wind god roared,
roaring like the wind traversing the mountain caves.

Seeing the approaching Hanuman
who was resembling a heavy cloud,
the Vanaras stood with folded hands.

Speedy Hanuma resembling the mountain.
then descended on the Mahendra mountain full of trees.

Hanuma full of joy dropped down on the banks of a mountain stream,
looking like a mountain with its wings cut off,

Then all the delighted Vanara leaders surrounded Hanuma.
All of them were extremely happy seeing the one who returned.
All the Vanaras with happy faces,
brought fruits roots and gifts for the best of Vanaras,

Then the great Vanara Hanuman too bowed to elders,
respected Jambavan and prince Angada.
The valiant Hanuman worthy of worship having been honored and pleased
revealed in brief "दृष्टा सीतेतिÓ, that he saw Sita.

Then holding the hand of the son of Vali,
Hanuma sat down at a beautiful place
in the gardens on the mountain Mahendra.

Then the delighted Hanuman addressed the Vanara leaders.
"I saw the young princes, Sita,
seated in the Ashoka grove,
protected by fearsome Rakshasis.
Blameless and wearing hair in a single plait,
covered with dust and emaciated due to fasting
she is longing to see Rama."

Then hearing those words,
"saw Sita" of great meaning,
which were like nectar,
all the Vanaras were delighted.

Then some powerful Vanaras howled in delight.
Some chattered. Some roared.
Some others screamed.
Some others echoed the roaring.

Delighted some of the Vanaras lifted their tails and hit the ground.
Other equally delighted jumped down from the peaks of the mountains,
and touched the elephant like Hanuma, expressing their joy.

Then Angada spoke to Hanuman,
with appropriate words in front of all the Vanaras.

'Oh Vanara! You have leaped across such a wide ocean and returned.
There is none to equal you in strength and valor.
What great devotion for the master!
What courage! What fortitude!
Fortunately for us you have seen the illustrious wife of Rama.
Fortunately, you can remove the sorrow of Kakutstha born out of separation from Sita'.

Then the delighted Vanaras sat on the spacious rocks,
around Angada, Hanuman and Jambavan.

Then all the Vanara leaders,
eager to hear from Hanuma
about the leap across the ocean,
visiting Lanka as well as meeting Sita and Ravana,
waited with folded hands.

There surrounded by many Vanaras,
Angada was shining like Indra,
the lord of gods attended by the Devas.

The mountain top graced by the famous Hanuman,
and Angada bedecked with armlets,
seated gracefully appeared like a center of great joy and splendor.

Thus, ends Sarga fifty seventh Sarga in Sundarakanda of Ramayan

|| om tat sat||
|| This is what we understood from Tattva Dipika of Shri Bhashyam, Appalacharyulu garu"||
|| om tat sat||