||Sundarakanda||
|| Sarga 46 ||
Completion of Thirteen Thousand Slokas.
|| Tattva Dipika ||
Sundarakanda
Sarga 46.
Tattvadipika
कृत क्षणः काल इव प्रजाक्षये'
This is a unique Sarga.
This Sarga has the first Sloka of the fourteenth thousand (13001st Sloka).
That also means it has the fourteenth Gayatri syllable 'Dhi".
The corresponding Sloka is as follows.
सवाजिरथमातङ्गाः स कपिः शास्यतामिति।
नावमान्यो भवद्भिश्च कपिः धीरपराक्रमः॥
The meaning is as follows.
"Go along with an army of chariots horses and elephants.
Punish the Vanara.
the Vanara is a great warrior,
do not disrespect him".
Govindaraja in his commentary records as follows.
अत्र त्रयोदश सहस्रश्लोकाः गताः।
अयं चतुर्दशसहस्र आदिः।
धीति गायत्या चतुर्दशाक्षरम्।
According to Govindaraja the thirteen thousand Slokas are completed here.
This is the beginning of the fourteenth thousand of slokas.
That means this sloka number is 13001.
The fourteenth syllable of Gayatri "धी" is embedded in this Sloka.
As stated earlier, the sloka with the gayatri syllable ("गायत्रि बीजाक्षराः") is considered as a Mantra.
This Sloka comes in the context of the Ravana's advise to the Generals.
Being the Sloka with the fourteenth Gayatri syllable and
being the first Sloka of the fourteenth thousand,
this sloka is also treated as a Mantra.
The Sarga starts with poet saying,
रावणः संवृताकारः चकार मतिमुत्तमाम् ।
संवृताकारः - means the one who conceals his feelings.
Who is the one concealing his feelings?
रावणः Ravana.
Kinkaras have been killed.
Jambumali has been killed.
The seven sons of the ministers have also been killed.
Ravana knew of Vanaras Vali and Sugriva.
He knew of Nila and Dvivida.
But the Vanara destroying the Ashok van seemed to be different.
Ravana did not want others to know that he is concerned.
So, hiding his feelings, Ravana "चकार मतिमुत्तमाम्
" applied his best thoughts".
Ravana decide to ask the generals who were with him in earlier battles.
So, the ten-headed one commanded the five army generals,
Virupaksha, Yupaksha, Praghasa, Bhasakarna and Durdhara.
They are warriors skilled in warfare.
They are to capture Hanuman who equals wind god in speed.
Ravana spoke to the five generals.
"Oh, generals of the army, all of you,
accompanied by a large army,
along with horses, elephants, and chariots, punish the Vanara.
The Vanara is a great warrior.
Do not underestimate him
.
Approaching the forest dweller,
he should be engaged with all efforts
which are as per the time and place and actions done by him.
Judging by his actions,
I do not think he is a Vanara.
That great being is endowed with great strength".
' He might have been created by Indra,
only to fight us, with his powers of penance.
With your help I have defeated all
The Nagas, Yakshas, Gandharvas,
as well as the Devas, Asuras and Maharshis.
They might have created this problem for us.
There is no doubt.
The Vanara may be captured with force.
The warrior of heroic strength should not be insulted'.
'Earlier I have seen immensely powerful mighty Vanaras.
Vanaras like Vali, Jambavan, and Sugriva.
Vanaras like Nila Dvivida and other army generals too'.
Here Ravana says why he thinks this Vanara is different.
"नमतिः न बलोत्साहौ न रूप परिकल्पनम्"
They do not have his speed or valor.
Neither that intellect, nor that strength and energy
or the ability to change form at will.
Ravana continues.
'This great being has taken the form of a Vanara.
You must put extraordinary efforts to capture him.
Along with Indra and all Suras, Asuras and Manavas,
there is none in the three worlds
who is competent to stand in front of him'.
'Even so desiring victory in the battle
make all efforts to protect yourself.
The result of a battle is uncertain'.
With Kinkaras, Jambumali and
even the seven ministers' sons being killed,
Ravana is wondering about the Vanara,
who seems to be more powerful than Vali or Sugriva.
Those powerful generals,
resplendent like the sacrificial fire,
following the leader's words,
moved together with their army of chariots,
intoxicated elephants, as well as horses of great speed,
and many kinds of sharp weapons,
Then the five generals saw Hanuman.
The mighty intelligent being,
shining by his own effulgence was perched on the archway.
Looking at Hanuma who is highly intelligent,
who is speedy, mighty and is with a huge form,
they positioned themselves with different fearsome weapons in all directions.
Then they attacked him.
Durdhara aimed five arrows made of iron,
with powerful sharp steel shafts and polished yellow tips at Hanuma.
That Vanara hit by the five of them in the head,
jumped up into the sky making a loud noise in all directions.
Then the powerful Durdhara mounted on his chariot
hit him with hundreds of sharp arrows.
That Vanara in the sky kept away the shower of arrows,
like wind keeps clouds from raining showers.
Being attacked by Durdhara,
the son of wind god fought the battle.
Hanuma again increased his size speedily.
That Vanara having risen very high,
fell on the chariot like a lightning on a mountain.
Then having lost the chariot with all the eight horses killed
Durdhara lost his life and fell on the ground,
The unassailable crushers of enemies
Virupaksha and Yupaksha enraged
seeing Durdhara fallen to the ground, jumped up.
The two having leapt hit the Vanara, with powerful arms, standing in the sky.
The great Vanara was quickly hit on the chest by both with iron hammers.
The mighty one with the speed of Suparna
swooped on the ground and seized a Sala tree.
Uprooting the same, the son of wind god killed the two heroes.
Then knowing that the three generals have been killed by the Vanara,
Praghasa who moves with great speed violently attacked Hanuman.
The courageous Bhasakarna brought the spear to attack Hanuman.
The tiger among the Vanaras was attacked by Praghasa with sharp crowbar,
Bhasakarna too attacked Hanuma with a spear.
Attacked by both, with his body smeared with blood
the Vanara was shining like a rising Sun became angry.
Hanuman, the best of Vanaras,
plucked the peak of a mountain along with all animals and trees,
using the same killed both the Rakshasas.
After the five generals were killed,
The Vanara then started to destroy the rest of the forces.
like Indra destroying the Asuras.
Poet describes the destruction wreaked by Hanuma
"अश्वैः अश्वान् गजैः गजान् (*)
योधैः योधान् रथैः रथान् ।".
The Vanara destroyed the horses with horses,
the elephants with elephants,
the warriors with warriors,
the chariots with chariots.
(*) Notes: Some texts read
"गजैः नागान्" instead of "गजैःगजान्"
Both have the same meaning.
The whole ground was filled up
with dead elephants, horses, broken chariots, and the dead Rakshasas.
Then the hero Vanara having killed the generals
along with their forces and vehicles
and reviewing the same went back to the archway.
Ready to face more who are yet to come
Poet says Hanuman was like
कृत क्षणः काल इव प्रजाक्षये'
He was like the inexorable time bent on destroying the humanity.
|| om tat sat||
|| This is what we understood from Tattva Dipika of Shri Bhashyam, Appalacharyulu garu"||
|| om tat sat||