Reading Notes: Ramayana Part C

 Reading Notes: Ramayana

Part C

Sources used: M. Dutt, R. Dutt, Gould, Griffith, Hodgson, Mackenzie, Nivedita, Oman, Richardson, and Ryder.

41. Rama and Lakshmana wander in the forest in pursuit of Sugriva, the ape king. Sugriva notices the two and sends his right hand man, Hanuman, to investigate. Hanuman meets the pair and after introductions, escorts them to Sugriva.

42. Rama and Lakshmana meet Sugriva. Sugriva tells the pair that he has been similarly exiled by his brother, Vali. Rama agrees to challenge Vali in combat to clear Sugriva's name. 

43. The wife of Vali, Tara, consults with her husband. She pleads with him to reconcile with his brother and not fight Sugriva and Rama. Vali, ever stubborn, plans to continue with the fight.

44. Vali and Sugriva fight. Rama is waiting for Vali, catches him off guard, and injures him. 

45. Vali mourns her dead husband. Sugriva mourns his brother. He is installed as the new King. 

46. Now that Sugriva is King, he agrees to use his new power to help Rama. However, they must wait until the rain is done. Rama must wait outside of the city due to the terms of his banishment. He gets anxious, as he wants to find Sita ASAP.

47. Sugriva eventually sends armies of monkeys and bears in all directions. The army that ends up being on the right track (headed South towards Lanka), is led by Hanuman and also features Vali's son, Angada, and Jambavan, the king of the bears. 

48. Hanuman's Expedition meets Sampati, the brother of Jatayu. Sampati informs them that they are headed in the right direction, since Ravana took Sita to Lanka. 

49. Sampati tells a side story about the time that he and his brother, Jatayu flew too high in the sky (similar to Icarus again, so it seems). 

50. At the gates of Lanka, the problem remains of how to get past the high walls. Jambavan, the leader of the bears, knows Hanuman's true power (Hanuman is thought to be an incarnation of Shiva). Jambavan tell Hanuman the story of his birth and motivates Hanuman to literally take a leap of faith. 

51. Hanuman has successfully breached the city of Lanka (built by Vishvakarman). Once inside, he finds Ravana's lair and he finds Mandodari, Ravana's wife. But he does not find Sita. 

52. Hanuman finally finds Sita in an ashoka grove, guarded by rakshasis.

53. Hanuman spies on Ravana as Ravana tries to convince Sita to be his wife. 

54. Sita and Hanuman finally meet in Lanka. At first, Sita rejects Hanuman, thinking that he is another one of Ravana's tricks or disguises. Eventually, she trusts Hanuman. She tells him that Ravana has given her two months to live. 

55. Before Hanuman could flee the city to relay the information to Rama, he is captured by Indrajita and rakshasas and taken before Ravana. 

56. Hanuman admits that he is a messenger working for Rama. Ravana's advisors remind him that he could not put a messenger to death. So Ravana has Hanuman's tail set on fire. 

57. With a little bit of luck prayer, Sita wishes for the fire to not hurt Hanuman. The fire no longer burns his, but will cause damage to whatever it touches. Hanuman goes ape (pun intended) with this and sets Lanka on fire. After he escapes, he meets Sita at the Ashoka grove. 

58. Hanuman and Sita regroup with Rama and Lakshmana. Together, they lead a siege onto the burning city of Lanka. 

59. Ravana convenes with his court to decide a plan of attack. Most of the court seems terrifies, but Nikumbha steps up and bids to fight Sugriva, Rama, and Hanuman.

60. Vibhishana becomes cross with his brother, Ravana. He does not want to fight Rama. He begs Ravana to make peace. Ravana refuses to listen and banishes his brother. Vibhishana then crosses the river and joins the fight on Rama's side. 

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(Hanuman's leap over the walls of Lanka - image credit)