Untold Stories from Ramayan-part 8

CHAPTER 6 BIRTH AND YOUTH OF HANUMAN (cont'd)

In this way, Hanuman had so many wonderful pastimes. Then he told Ketari, "I want to get education. I have so many benedictions, but I need some education too, I need vidya. I am very much hankering for vidya." Ketari said, "But who could give you vidya? You have so many benedictions, but you also have uncontrollable behaviour. I can't find a guru for you, because you are so strong, and so naughty also." Hanuman said, "This means that you are not going to perform the duty of the father. You're not giving me any education." Ketari said, "I have to give you education, but you do one thing. You go to the Sun-god. He is the most powerful. Some time ago he was suppressed by you, but I can't think of anyone else. So you go to him." Hanuman went to see the Sun-god, and when the Sun-god saw Hanuman coming, he said, "It's Hanuman again. What is he here for? He's grown up now, so he must have stopped playing his mischief." Hanuman came up and paid his obeisances. The Sun-god said, "What are you here for now? Whom are you going to swallow?" Hanuman objected, "No, no, all that was because I was in ignorance. I still have so much ignorance, but I want to get some knowledge. I've heard that you are a great pandit, so please teach me. I've come to join your gurukula." So then the Sun-god looked down. He has a big sitting place in the front of his chariot.

There, there are six million rishis sitting, and they are constantly reciting Yajur-veda, Rg-veda, Sama-veda and Atharva-veda to the Sun-god. So he looked to see if there was any vacant seat, but the whole place was filled up, so he said, "Sorry, but no admission." Hanuman said, "If there is no seat then I will stand and learn from you." The Sun-god said, "But I have to keep moving. If you stand in front of me then I won't be able to move and the seasons won't be there. I will be in trouble."Hanuman said, "Then I will move and learn." The Sun-god said, "All right. But you have to face me and move backwards. In this way you have to listen to me, and whatever I say you have to learn. I won't repeat it." So Hanuman was there in front of the Sun-god, and he was walking backwards. He was so sense-controlled that he could join the orbit of the sun. In 60 orbits he learnt everything, Rg, Sama, Yajur and Atharva. The Sun-god spoke it, he heard it and immediately he knew it. And then he said, "Now I have finished. Everything you have said I have heard and I remember it." The Sun-god said, "Very good, but you have to give me some dakshina." Hanuman said, "Well what do you want? Do you want Indra's crown? You tell me anything and I will get it for you in a second." The Sun-god said, "No, I don't want any of that. Only one guru-dakshina I need from you. I have a monkey friend. You must become his minister. You must always protect his life." Hanuman said, "Oh? You have a monkey friend, and I should protect him? This is only glory for me. I will do it, I will protect him as my life." And then the Sun-god told him who was that monkey. It was Sugriva, and he is the son of the Sun-god. How Sugriva became the Sun-god's son is a wonderful story.

There was one lady who was known as Narayani, and her husband was called ugra-tapas. That means "ferocious austerities," but he never did any austerities. He was only engaged in sense gratification. He became so diseased and paralysed that he had to be carried in a basket. Narayani would carry him in a basket so that he could go to different places and get sense gratification. Ugra-tapas told Narayani, "You must take me to such and such prostitute today." So she was carrying him. While Ugra-tapas was in the basket and Narayani was carrying him, there was one rishi whose name was Bishmanda Rishi, and he had been put on a trident by a king because of some misunderstanding, and was suffering in that condition. He had tri-kala-jnah, knowledge of past, present and future, and when he saw Ugra-tapas he knew he was going to a prostitute's place, and that he was crippled and being carried by his wife. So he got so upset, and forgot about his pain. He called out, "Hey Ugra-tapas, what are you doing? Your name is Ugra-tapas, and what is your life like? And now you are asking your wife to carry you to a prostitute's when you are paralysed. What kind of a person are you? You should die immediately. When the sun rises tomorrow you will die." When Narayani heard this she said, "When the sun rises tomorrow my husband will die? Then I curse that the sun will not rise." She cursed the sun. So the sun became motionless. The Sun-god's charioteer Aruna was getting ready, packing the horses etc, and then he looked back and saw the sun had become static. "Oh? It is a vacation for me. I never got any holiday, because there was never any chance. Let me have some fun."

So he went and asked the sages that sit on the Sun-god's chariot, "How come the sun is not moving any more?""This is the curse of a chaste lady," they replied. "How long will this curse last?" Aruna asked."At least one day." "That's good," Aruna said. "One day is good. I can enjoy nicely." So Aruna got one day's holiday. He was thinking, "How can I enjoy this day? It never happened in the creation before, and it will probably never happen again. The sun never goes on holiday. I only have one day, so I must get the highest enjoyment." So he took a book, like a tourist guide for the heavenly planets, and he found out that Indra was having a special feast and dinner in respect of some great personality, and Menaka was dancing at that festival. "Oh I must go and see that," he said. But in this party, only the invited guests were allowed. You had to bring an invitation, and you had to be dressed in a special design. It was only Indra's close friends. So he was wondering, "How will I go? I know, I will also become a dancer." So he turned into a woman, Aruna became Aruni. And this Aruni was so beautiful, because he always sat with the sun and he was shining so brightly. He came in front of Indra's palace.  The gateman said, "Hey, who are you?" "I am Menaka's make—up assistant," she said.

She forgot to put one line on her face, so I have to do it. I am the only one who is expert enough." "All right, you may come." So then Aruni entered. Menaka was dancing on one side and Aruni was hiding. And then Indra was looking through the crowd, and suddenly he saw Aruni. "She is more beautiful that Menaka," he said. So he immediately cancelled the party, and started showing everyone out. Aruni was going to leave, but Indra caught hold of her and said, "Wait a minute! Who are you?" Aruni said, "I am Menaka's make-up assistant. Leave me alone! I am going." "No you are not going, you are staying," Indra said."I'm staying where?" "With me," Indra said. "No, I am not staying with you. I know your history," Aruni said. Indra said, "No, no, I will keep you next to Indrani." Aruni objected, "Even if you keep me more than Indrani, I cannot be here because I am a man." Indra said, "Don't play these games with me, I know you are a woman." Aruni said, "No I am not a woman! I am a man! I just turned myself into this form." Indra said, "Even then, you are the most beautiful woman that I have seen." Aruni said, "If you were to give me a conception, who would bring up the child? I am the charioteer of the Sun-god." Indra said, "Whatever or whoever you are, and whatever will come out of it, I'm going to enjoy you." Aruni agreed, and immediately there was a conception, and a demigod was born.

And then Aruni ran, because it was getting late already, and the Sun-god was slowly getting his movement back. At the last moment Aruna jumped on the chariot and grabbed the reins. The Sun-god said, "You're sure cutting it fine. Where did you go?""Oh, no where," Aruna answered. "Tell me!""Oh, I went to Indra's planet." "What did he do to you?" the Sun-god asked."He gave me a conception." "How did he give you a conception?" Aruna said, "It's getting late now, we only have a few moments." The Sun-god said, "A few moments is alright. It needs only one moment. Let me see that beautiful form." Aruna objected, "No, no. This will only cause more trouble." "No, I must see," said the Sun-god. "You are my servant." "Alright," said Aruna, and he became Aruni. In the next moment there was another conception. So this is demigod life. Only a very few of them are thinking of Visnu. The bulk of them think of Visnu only when the demons come, and then when the demons leave they go back to their sense gratification. It is mentioned in the Visnu Purana that one who hears this story loses the attraction for going to the heavenly planets. So now two babies were crying. This was not usually the way that birth happened in the heavenly planets, so all the demigods were disturbed in their sense gratification.

They all went to Brahma and Brahma approached Indra, saying, "You are the cause of this problem. You settle this down." "I can't have babies in the heavenly planets," Indra said. "We'll have to give them to someone." Then he remembered the king of Varanasa, Riksharaja, who had no children. He was performing austerities to please Indra so he could get a son. A benediction from the demigods is usually something that demigods don't want in the heavenly planets, so they give it away. So Riksharaja was standing on one leg to get some children, and Indra came and said, "Why are you standing on one leg? Here are two babies you can have." So they had two sons, Bali and Sugriva. Bali was the son of Indra, and Sugriva was the son of the Sun-god. And the Sun-god got the benediction of guru-dakshina from Hanuman that he would always protect Sugriva. In this way, when Bali was anointed the king after Riksharaja, Sugriva became his minister, and Hanuman became the counsellor or minister of Sugriva.

Transcribed from lectures given by His Grace Atma-tattva dasa during Gaura-purnima in Sridham Mayapura

Untold Stories from Ramayan- part 7

BIRTH AND YOUTH OF HANUMAN

Hanuman is originally the son of Vayu, the air god. And he is also an expansion of Lord Siva. All the demigods were helping Lord Ramacandra in his battle. Lord Siva was thinking, "I must also help him." So long before Lord Ramacandra incarnated, Lord Siva had a pastime. Once Siva and Parvati were playing in Kailash, and they saw a monkey. Lord Siva, by looking at this monkey, he also took the form of a monkey. Parvati also took the form of a monkey, and they played. During that time, Lord Siva gave Parvati a conception. Then immediately she became Parvati again and said, "I'm not going to give birth to a monkey." So Siva said, "Well you have a conception so now you have to give birth to it." Parvati said, "No no, when you gave the conception you were a monkey, so my son will become a monkey. Already I have an elephant, that is enough. I can't have this." So Siva said, "All right then, I will make some arrangement." Siva then called Vayu, and Vayu came there. Once before Siva had given a conception and Agni had carried it, and Agni had said that he would never do it again.

So Vayu came, and Siva said, "Vayu, you have not done anything to me up till now, so please do this for me. Take this conception and look after it." Vayu said, "But you are the most hot person, and I am going to be carrying this around when I am supposed to be cooling everything. The wind will be hot." Siva said, "You make some arrangement." So Vayu was carrying this conception wondering what to do, and then he saw the sapta-rishis going somewhere. He went before them and asked, "This is a conception from Lord Siva. This has to be preserved until the Supreme Lord incarnates as Ramacandra. That is a long time away, but it has to be kept. Please make some arrangement." The sapta-rishis said, "Oh we will make some arrangement." So they went to origin of the Mandakini river and they took a leaf which was made of metal, and put the conception there. In this way it was preserved, and Vayu was supposed to come and see that nothing happened to it. And then Brhaspati, the spiritual master of the devas, he had a maidservant in his house, and she was supposed to bring flowers for worshipping Salagram. One day when she went to get flowers, she saw some gandharvas having conjugal pastimes, and she was very attracted. So instead of collecting flowers, she came back early and Brhaspati was sitting on a deerskin in his ashrama.

Suddenly this lady jumped on him and began covering him with kisses. Brhaspati had not expected this, because he was doing puja, and he said, "What is this? You are behaving like a monkey! Therefore become a monkey!" When she became a monkey she cried, "I'm very sorry. Some ignorance came in my mind, and I have insulted you. But you have made me a monkey, so when will I again become normal?" Brhaspati said, "Why have I cursed you like this? I did not lose my temper." Then he thought for a while, and said, "Oh, I know. There is some arrangement. So now you must go to Kishkinda, and you get married to a great monkey warrior king. His name is Ketari, and you become his wife. There is a big plan for you." She came down, and she met Ketari who was jumping for some fruits, and she appeared on top of the tree. Then they had some talk, and they got married. When she was in the body of a monkey she was known as Anjana. They were living for a long time, but they were having no children. Ketari went on performing austerities to please Lord Indra so that he could get a son. He wanted a very powerful son, so he was doing meditation. While he was doing meditation, Vayu came, and somehow or other, in his invisible form, he managed to give the conception to Anjana. Anjana felt someone holding her, and she said, "Who is this person? You must come before me otherwise I will curse you." So then Vayu came before her and said, "Your curse will be gone only when you deliver a strong person, and I am giving you that person. So close your eyes and take this conception. Then deliver your baby and you can return to the heavenly planets. You do not want this?" And then she remembered all her previous activities.

She took that conception, and what was this conception? It was originally conceived by Lord Siva, carried by Vayu for so long, and Vayu gave it to her, so it was Vayu's son and it was Siva's angsha, or expansion. And then Anjaneya was born. As soon as he was born he grew into a sixteen year old boy. That was the potency of Lord Siva. So then Anjana immediately rose up to go to the heavens, and Anjaneya caught hold of her cloth and said, "Wait a minute, where are you going? You gave birth to me, and now you are leaving? What will I eat?" She was looking around, and it was sunset so she said, "Any fruit which is as red and as ripe as the sun planet, you can eat it." Then she left, and he was very hungry. He thought and then said, "Why as red as sun and as ripe as sun? Why not just eat sun?" So he jumped up, and straight away went to the sun planet and jumped on the chariot of Lord Suryadeva. He was extending his hands, and he took the whole sun planet and reduced it to a small ball and put it in his mouth. Just then he looked and saw Rahu coming. "I am going to eat the sun," Rahu said. Rahu always says this but he only ever half eats it.

So then Anjaneya said, "Oh you are going to eat the sun? Well I have already eaten the sun and now I will eat you also." So then he swallowed Rahu. Indradeva had been sitting in his seat discussing politics, but suddenly everything had become dark. Agni was there, so due to his light he could see. He asked Agni, "Why is this? Why is there no light?" Agni replied, "Somebody has taken the sun away." "What? Somebody has taken the sun away?" Agni said, "Why are you wondering who has taken it? Just use your shabda-viddhi." Shabda-viddhi means that just by hearing the sound you shoot your weapon. So he threw his vajra. While throwing it he was already jumping on his white elephant, Airavata, and he was coming. Anjaneya looked this way and that and he saw that everything was dark, and then he saw this white elephant coming. "Oh, I will eat that also," and then he jumped on Airavata. While he was jumping on Airavata, the vajra came, and hit Anjaneya on his teeth. Anjaneya quickly caught hold of it. Indra turned around and saw Anjaneya holding the vajra, and he thought, "This must be some big Visnu avatar. I'd better keep quiet. Out of living entities, only Indra can hold this thunderbolt, so he must be some incarnation with a tail." So Indra went back. Now Anjaneya had the sun, Rahu and this vajra weapon, and he went back to his place in Kishkinda to eat it. He sat down looking at this vajra, and thought, "Should I bite it or chew it?" At that time everyone went to Brahma and asked him, "What is happening in this universe? Rahu is gone, sun is gone." Brahma said, "Don't worry. This is the potency of Lord Siva, and this person is a great devotee of Lord Rama." Brahma lives for a long time, and so many Ramayanas are happening. So he knows that it is almost the same every time, but the pastime is a little different in each kalpa. So he said, "This is Hanuman. All of us have to go there and touch his feet and beg him. If you do that you will get the sun, otherwise no sun."

So all the demigods came, thirty three crores of them. They all came there with folded hands. "Please Anjaneya, open your mouth." He was upset because Indra's vajra had hit him on his teeth. "You have already broken my jaw. If I open my mouth you will just break my other jaw." So then Brahma said, "My dear boy, I will give you anything you like. You can live as long as I live." Anjaneya was not satisfied. Then Agni came forward and said, "Fire will not burn you." Still he was not satisfied, so Indra came forward. "You are already holding my Vajra, so what benediction can I give you? But I tell you this, you will become the most famous, as famous as me." Still not satisfied. Then Vayu came. "You will be as fast as me." He smiled a little bit. One by one they all came and offered benedictions, and after everyone came and offered benedictions, still Anjaneya was not satisfied. Brahma said, "Don't worry, I will use my mystic powers." And he read Anjaneya's mind. Anjaneya was thinking "Why is there no fruit in this world?" Brhaspati came to know of his desire and he came forward and said, "Anjaneya, I will give you all the fruits in this world, and I will give you the knowledge of Ayurveda by which you will know all the fruits, all the plants, and all the trees. Any plant in the creation, you will know it, and what is the use of it you will know, and what is the medicinal effect of it you will also know. This is my benediction to you." Then Dhanvantari spoke, "I will be at your command. You put any medicine on anyone and they will come alive."

So Anjaneya opened his mouth, and the Sun-god was there, and the demigods were very much satisfied. So then Brahma called him "Hanuman." Hanuman means one who has got some kind of a defect in his teeth. That is the meaning of Hanuman. Hanuman is also known as Vajranga, which means the same thing. Vajra means teeth and anga means missing one part. One other name for him is Marut-suta, the son of the wind god. He is known as Anjaneya, the son of Anjana. And lastly he is known as Mahavira, or a great king. These are some different names of Hanuman. And then Brahma gave him a diamond necklace, and told him, "This is the highest benediction you can get. You will be the eternal servant of the eternal Lord, and only the eternal Lord will be able to recognize this necklace. That means you will be recognized by him, and he will be recognized by you as the one who recognized the necklace." When Ramacandra asked the beggar, "What kind of a beggar are you? You have a wonderful necklace on your neck." So Hanuman immediately recognized, that this is my worshippable Lord. And he immediately surrendered to Him. In this way he went to Sugriva, and Hanuman had so many other exploits too, when he was a small boy. After the sun-swallowing pastime there were so many other pastimes. He used to take elephants and tigers and play with them. One day he caught hold of a very wise elephant. He was holding it by the tusk, and he was also holding a tiger by the tail, and swinging them around. They were making some sound. This was Hanuman's fun. And then he saw an ashrama. The sage who lived here had never gotten angry in his life. He was known for his sense control. Hanuman thought to himself, "Now we will test his sense control." So he put the tiger and the elephant tied up together in front of his ashrama. This was early in the morning, during the brahma-muhurta time. 

So the rishi slowly opened the door and took his lota for taking bath. And then he looked out and saw this tiger, so he closed the door quickly. Up to that time he had constipation, but when he saw this tiger suddenly he felt nature calling. So he had to go out. But what could he do? There was a tiger outside his door. He looked out the door again, and this time he saw the elephant as well, so he quickly shut the door again. He had to pass. But how could he pass inside? He had to go out of the window, and there was a tree outside of the window, and he looked up and saw Hanuman at the top of the tree. "So you are the cause of this mischief. Come here!" Hanuman thought, "He's becoming angry. I must go." So he came down, and he became small and entered the window. The rishi gave Hanuman a curse that limited his strength. "Why did you curse me like this?" Hanuman asked. "This is only good for you. You are having your strength controlled so you can use it only for the Lord's service. And when the service is coming, the Lord will arrange for someone to remind you."

So then Hanuman said, "I will never tie an elephant to a tiger any more. And I will certainly not put it in front of your ashrama. I'll put it somewhere else." So then he came back, and he did not play for a whole week. Ketari was asking, "Hanuman, how come there have been no complaints from anyone for a whole week? Have you become a good boy?" Hanuman said, "I don't want to give trouble to anyone." Then they heard a sound, a very nice sound. Ketari said, "What is this? It is Narada Muni coming!" Hanuman asked, "Who is this person?" Ketari replied, "He is a very great soul. He doesn't need any introduction. You just go to him and you will find out the greatness of this man."Immediately Hanuman jumped up and Narada was just on his way past their place, going to see some rishi, so Hanuman jumped in his way and paid pranams. "Narada Muni, I heard that you are a very great person, so you must bless me. Without blessing me, you are not allowed to go." Narada said, "What blessing do you want?" Hanuman said, "Already the demigods have given me so many blessings. I cannot think of anything else, so you think of a blessing, and you give it to me." Narada thought, "What blessing does Hanuman not have?" And so he said, "You will become expert in music." That was the only benediction left to give. So Hanuman got that benediction, and Narada Muni said, "So I have given you the benediction, and now I am going." Hanuman said, "One minute, one minute." "What do you want?" Narada asked. "How will I know that I am the most expert in music?" Hanuman inquired. "My father told me that you are the most expert in music, so you must do me a favour today. Give me the benediction that I will be more expert than you."

So Narada said, "All right, I will sit somewhere and listen to you." "Shall I start singing?" Hanuman asked. "Yes." Narada Muni put his vina on a rock, and he sat down on the ground. So Hanuman selected that tune which would melt the rock, and he began to sing it. The rock melted, and the vina was in the liquid. He was singing and singing, and the vina was floating in the liquid rock. Narada was closing his eyes and enjoying, and he said, "All right Hanuman, you are the best musician. You can stop singing now." Hanuman said, "You open your eyes and tell me if I should I stop singing." Narada said, "How do you mean?" Hanuman replied, "You open your eyes." So Narada opened his eyes and looked around. He didn't notice the vina floating in the stone water. "Yes, you can stop singing." So then Hanuman stopped singing, and the liquid stone became rock, and the vina got stuck. Narada said, "I am going," and he took his vina, but it wouldn't move. "What did you do, Hanuman?" Hanuman said, "I only sung a song. You told me to sing a song, and you also gave me the ability. Now you are complaining. I have been a good boy for a whole week." Narada said, "One week of doing nothing means that before that week you did too much." And then Hanuman told him all about what he had done, swallowing the sun etc, and Narada became very pleased.Then he said, "Now whatever it was, you please sing the tune again, so I can get my vina." Hanuman said, "Well, I don't know...." Narada Muni said, "Please do it!" "No I won't," Hanuman said, and he jumped up and ran inside the palace. Narada Muni came in there and called out, "Hey Hanuman, come and get my vina out! I have to go." Just then Ketari came out, and when he saw Narada Muni he touched his feet. "What is my son doing, he is giving you some trouble?" Narada said, "Oh no, no trouble, just that he got my vina stuck in the rock." Ketari said, "Oh no, he has started his mischief again. Hanuman, get Narada's vina out of the rock!" And then Hanuman said, "I want Narada Muni's feet to touch every room in this palace, that’s why I was doing this. Now he has touched all the rooms, and I will release his vina. The dust from his lotus feet is so rare that what is the use of just having it in one part of our kingdom? We should have it all over." Narada said, "You are already blessed, because you are Lord Rama's eternal servant." So Hanuman went and sung for Narada, who quickly took his vina and left.

Untold Stories from Ramayan- part 13

CHAPTER 9: HANUMAN'S ADVENTURES IN SRI LANKA 

All these stories were going through Hanuman's mind as he stood there before Shri Lanka, how Ravana got cursed in many places, and how he is so foolish.  Hanuman actually felt very compassionate, and he was thinking, "If I see Ravana, by any method, I will give him good advice.  I will tell him that he is very intelligent, and that maybe he could use his intelligence.  Just give back Sita, and everything will be alright."  Hanuman went into the city, and it was just before midnight.  The moon was present, and he could smell wine all over the city.  Practically 99.9% of the population was drunk.  Everyone was in the enjoying mode, and in Shri Lanka there was plenty of enjoyment to be had.  These demons went all over the world, and brought women from all over the world.  Ravana had more than 12,000 wives. 

All of them liked him, although he was a demon.  He had a brownish colour, but the form of his body was next to the beauty of Upendra (the brother of Indra, not the dwarf incarnation of Vishnu).  He had a very broad chest and a beautiful face.  Sometimes he is depicted as very ugly, but actually he was not ugly.  When he got angry or lusty, he could produce such ugly forms, but Ravana's true form looks very beautiful.  Vishnu Purana, Valmiki and all the narrators describe as a person of great granduer.  When Hanuman and Sugriva, or anyone for that matter saw him for the first time, they would think, "This cannot be Ravana, because his body is so beautifully designed.  This man must be full of good qualities.  He cannot be a demon.  We must have made a mistake."  He was so beautiful. 

He had this hole in his chest which was from the tusk of Airavata.  He had other holes in his body from Sampati, but he covered these with his silk cloth.  He had a beautiful hairstyle.  His speech of course was so excellent that he could speak and make day look like night.  These are the glories of Ravana.  Amongst his queens were nagas, and there were princesses from Satyaloka, Siddhaloka, Caranaloka, Gandharvikas, every species of life was present in his palace as queens.  They all liked him and respected him.  Ravana's country was so good.  There was plenty of fruit and food, and they had dharma which was followed.  Ravana was ruling wonderfully, and no-one had any fear in Shri Lanka.  They had no fear even from Indra, Candra or Agni, because Ravana was so respected.  So Hanuman was going from room to room.  "Is Sita here?  Is Sita there?"  In every room he found about ten beds and so many queens sleeping.  Hanuman was a naisthika brahmacari, and he was thinking, "Oh God, I have to do this.  All these queens of Ravana are sleeping here, and most of them are drunk."  It is not good for a brahmacari to see a woman while she is sleeping, and Hanuman had to do this.  At first he thought, "Should I do this?"  And then he concluded, "I am serving Rama, and if I don't look at all of them, Sita may be somewhere in between, and I will miss her."  So he made up his mind, "I'm not going to be attracted.  How will I not be attracted?  I won't stop chanting Rama's name."  So he was chanting, "Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama," and he was looking everywhere.  When Hanuman saw so many queens, their make-up and dress, their beds and their silk, he was completely shocked.  "What kind of place is this?  It is like a heavenly planet."  They had false eyelashes, they had shaven their eyebrows, and they had coloured in 12 tones from the eyelash up to the eyebrows.

 Hanuman actually saw this.  He got scared by looking at them.  He said, "If they are so beautiful, why do they have to put false eyelashes on?"  Hanuman saw all this, and he was very happy.  "This man, whatever he has done, is enjoying his senses very nicely.  At least he is good at that."  And then he came and saw in the middle of a room a wonderful bed made of coral and diamonds, and on top of it was white silk covering the bed.  There was a brown figure lying there with big shoulders and wonderful bodily beauty, and he was snoring.  Hanuman said, "So beautiful, but he is snoring and his mouth is wide open.  He must be very ignorant person."  Although Ravana has so much knowledge, still there is ignorance."  Then Hanuman looked around and saw that there was a white umbrella on the side of the bed.  That means he is the king.  So Hanuman looked at him, and then he walked backwards to get a better look.  And then closer and closer.  He looked from all angles.  "Oh!  What a great fighter."  Then he saw the hole, and he said, "I have heard about this hole.  This man would have fought with Airavata."  Hanuman was getting fired up, and he thought, "I would like to fight with him.  But if I wake him up everything will be spoiled."  And then he looked around on the other side, and he saw a very beautiful woman laying down on the bed.  The smell of wine was coming from her mouth.  Hanuman had never seen Sita.  He inspected the woman and said, "Oh!  A heavenly body.  This person must be Sita.  No, how can it be Sita?  She is the chaste wife of Ramacandra.  Here she is brought by the demon, and she is dressing herself nicely with silk and ornaments, and she's laying there with wine on her breath.  I am a monkey, but I do have some discrimination.  How can this be Sita?  Sita would be lean and skinny and crying with demonesses around her.  That is Sita, not this.  This is not Sita."  Then he looked everywhere but he couldn't find Sita.  So he came out of the palace, and he was thinking, "What should I do?  I was preaching to Angada, `Don't give up your body.  And don't try for some security.'  But now it looks like I will have to do that, jump in the ocean and die.  How can I go back and tell them, `Yes, I went across the ocean, I saw Ravana, but no Sita'.  What will they do to me?  If I go to Sugriva he will kill me.  Even Angada himself may kill me.  And If I see Ramacandra's dissatisfied face I will die myself.  What is the use of my existence?  Let me die."

 And then he was walking and crossing the gardens and coming to the ocean.  He thought, "Let me check once more."  He looked at the garden.  It was Ashoka-vana, Ashoka trees.  Very thick garden.  He thought, "Sita must be in this forest.  Why?  Because Ravana would have kept her in a nice garden, but she will be thinking of these Ashoka trees.  In Pancavati where Ravana lifted Sita from, there were Ashoka trees.  I remember Ramacandra telling me that he was going to the Ashoka trees and crying, "Oh Ashoka trees, please tell me where is my wife?"  So she must be remembering that when she sees these Ashoka trees.  She must have walked in here.  At least she must have been through here at some stage.  Let me ask the Ashoka trees, they may tell me"  In this way, Hanuman, with some little glimmer of hope came into the Ashoka forest.  There was a very tall tree which he climbed up, and when he got to the top he looked down.  To his surprise, under the same tree was Mother Sita. 

She was sitting there with Vibhisana's daughter, Trijata.  Trijata was consoling her.  "I had dreams that Ravana was smearing oil all over his body and drinking oil with his two hands, and he was sitting on a chariot driven by monkeys.  This chariot was being driven through the southern side.  This means he will die.  I also saw that Shri Lanka was burning, and a monkey was flying over.  I also saw that Ramacandra was sitting in the coronation ceremony with you.  So don't lose faith.  Don't give up your body.  One day or other Ramacandra will come here."  Hanuman was listening to all this and he was so happy.  Then Ravana came and gave so much preaching to Mother Sita.  "You must marry me!"  She refused and he said to the demonesses, "You kill her if she won't listen to your advice."  The demonesses were preaching to her, and then when she wouldn't listen they decided, "We will kill her."  Exactly at that point, Hanuman jumped. 

As soon as they saw this monkey jumping, they all fled this way and that.  Sita looked at him and she said, "Ravana, you can take any form, but I'm not going to be attracted.  Why did you think that if you took a monkey form I would be attracted?"  Hanuman said, "Wait wait, I am not Ravana!  I am the servant of Rama, and I have come here to serve you."  So she said, "I don't believe it.  If you are from Rama, then how did you cross the ocean?"  Hanuman said, "Oh, that is very interesting.  I grew big."  "You grew big?  How can monkeys grow big?"  Hanuman said, "I will show you," and then he grew, and he touched the skies.  Sita got so scared, she said, "Maybe this is another demon."  While he was growing he was chanting, "Rama, Rama, Rama, Rama," and she thought, "Ravana would not chant so many Rama-namas.  It is not possible.  He can't be a demon."  Then Hanuman reduced this form, and said, "Here I have the sakshi, the evidence that I am coming from Ramacandra.  This is his ring."  Hanuman talked with Mother Sita and she gave him the hair ornament.  Hanuman took it, and after taking it he said, "I am a monkey.  I cannot just come like a saintly person and go, I want to do some naughtiness here in this forest.  You won't be affected, don't worry.  Some nonsense must be there.  You just watch."  So he put the cudamani hair ornament somewhere safe, and then he started uprooting the Ashoka trees, throwing them here and there.  There was a rock waterfall, and he destroyed it, and the water flooded all over the place.  He took the creepers and threw them this way and that. 

Then he took the demonesses and put them in his mouth, biting them and spitting them out.  He was shouting and slapping his shoulders.  He was yelling, "I am the servant of Rama!  Who will stop me?  I will destroy Shri Lanka!  I will swallow Ravana!  Anyone who is as powerful as me should come for a fight!  Challenge!  Challenge!"  And then he jumped up on the entrance of Ashoka-vana, and he was eating fruits and spitting everywhere.  The minister for Ravana in charge of the Ashoka forest came in front of Hanuman.  It had been a long time since he had landed in Shri Lanka, gotten in the gate, checked everyone, seen and spoken to Sita, but he had not passed water the whole time.  It had been six or seven hours.  When the minister came and opened his mouth yelling, "What are you doing?" he got Hanuman's blessing.  The minister said, "Hey!  Hey!  Stop!"  Hanuman said, "I am a monkey, what do you expect?"  The minister felt very bad, and he went into the forest and asked the demonesses, "What are you doing?  A monkey is doing so much harm."  They said, "What are you doing?  The monkey is doing so much harm, but why are you telling us?"  "Yes, what am I doing?" the minister said, and then he went to Ravana.  He said, "A monkey has passed urine in my mouth."  Ravana said, "You came to report this?"  And he gave him a slap.  "What kind of a caretaker are you?  You come and tell me that a monkey passed water in your mouth."  The minister said, "What was I supposed to do?  I was speaking to him."   Ravana said, "Don't you know that you never open your mouth when monkeys are around?"  The minister said, "Well you have  to do something, he has destroyed the whole Ashoka forest."  Ravana said, "What?  One single monkey?"  Vibhisana closed his eyes and he was thinking, "Hm, monkey.  Monkey.  Monkey smashing Ashoka forest.  I remember this."  Then he left the palace, and went to his place and he was sitting and thinking.  "Monkey, Ashoka forest.  Monkey, Ashoka forest. 

I heard it somewhere."  And he was trying to figure it out.  It took him two days to understand it.  He understood it.  Ravana said, "You call Prahasta's son Jambumali.  He is the first card."  This Jambumali is in a big lake of wine.  He is sleeping there, and whenever he wakes up he drinks a little bit.  And then again he sleeps, and he wakes up and drinks more.  He can't wait to go fill up the cup and drink, it takes too much time.  So he is in a lake of wine, and he is kept like that so that whenever war comes he can be used.  Jambumali was woken up.  They had some anti-liquor medicine, so they gave him that and he woke up.  He asked, "Why are you calling me?  You want to change the lake or put me in another one?"  They said, "No, a fight!"  Jambumali said, "Fight?  Aargh!  Yes, I am going!"  He came to Ravana and said, "With whom should I fight?  With Indra, with Agni?"  Ravana said, "No no, with a monkey."  "I'm going back," Jambumali said.  "No no, it's not an ordinary monkey.  It's a very great monkey.  He has finished our Ashoka-vana, so we must finish him.  Take 80,000 soldiers and go."  So 80,000 demon soldiers and Jambumali walked up.  He was a very young demon, Jambumali.  Hanuman was still sitting on top of the arch, and he was saying, "I am the servant of Rama.  Who is there to fight with me?  I can swallow Ravana.  Come on, challenge!  Challenge!"  Jambumali said, "Hey monkey, you are talking too much!  Do you understand that Ravana's son has tied Indra to a flagpost here?  Do you know that the nine planets are serving in the kitchen cutting subji?  What do you know?  You don't know the power of Ravana. 

You don't know the power of my father Prahasta.  He has eaten mountains and digested them."  So then Hanuman said, "All past.  What about now?  This has happened, that has happened.  But now you look, I can also tell you that the whole Ashoka-vana has been destroyed.  That has happened, and now something else is going to happen.  Don't waste time."  Jambumali said, "What?  You think you can fight with me?"  Hanuman said, "Why are you talking?" and he began to pick up rocks and throw them at him.  The rocks were coming so fast and furious, and he couldn't fight them.  Then he got on the chariot and started shooting arrows.  Hanuman said, "Oh, these demons are very cultured.  He is sitting on the chariot doing acaman, chanting mantras and firing astras."  All these astras were coming, and Hanuman was holding them, breaking them and giving them back.  No astra can affect Hanuman, that is a benediction.  Jambumali saw this and said, "Now I will have to do some magic," and he started growing, and he became so big.  Hanuman was only up to his ankle.  That is what Jambumali was thinking.  He was thinking, "That big?  All right, I will grow more." 

He closed his eyes and grew more.  Then he thought, "Now I have grown so much, Hanuman will be this big."  And then he opened his eyes.  He saw some big round thing in front of him.  He looked at it, and he thought, "What is this?  It is not Hanuman's face.  There is no mouth and no teeth.  It's just a big round thing."  He looked to the other side, and it was just another round thing.  "What is this one?" he thought.  He was looking, and he was so confused.  Then he heard a sound from way way above, "They're my knees Jambumali!"  He looked up, and Hanuman was way up there.  Jambumali thought, "My God, what a growth!  This is the topmost I can do, and I am only up to his knees."  So then Jambumali looked back, because he didn't want to discourage the soldiers.  Hanuman said, "What are you looking at?  I finished them all."  He had finished the 80,000 soldiers already.  There was a beautiful parliament hall called Caitya, belonging to Ravana.  This hall had very huge marble and diamond pillars.  Ravana took one of the pillars, and he just put it on top of the army.  They were nicely organized so that simply by a little work Hanuman could finish them all.  This happened while Jambumali was growing.  Jambumali was alone.  His chariot had been smashed and his horses killed.  Jambumali was standing there alone.  Hanuman said, "What are you going to do?  If you want to take shelter of my feet, they are way down there.  You will have to look for them."  So Jambumali was very insulted, and he said, "No!  This is maya!  You come before me in your original form!"  Hanuman said, "What are you doing then?  That is also maya.  You come in your original form."  So he came down, and then Hanuman came down also.  Hanuman said, "All right Jambumali, there are three minutes for you.  There is one nice mantra I will teach you.  If you chant this mantra while dying you will attain the Supreme Lord.  There is only two syllables in it.  Ra-ma.  Chant."  Jambumali said, "What?  I didn't come here to learn mantras.  I am here to fight with you.  I want to finish you." 

Hanuman said, "You cannot do that, so you might as well do this.  You cannot finish me, so why don't you do something within your means.  Just chant Rama, and then go back home."  Jambumali screamed, "Aaarghh!" and jumped on Hanuman.  Hanuman put his index finger in his navel and lifted him up, and then he circled and threw him.  All his liver and everything came out of his mouth, and then he died.  When the news came that Jambumali was finished, immediately Ravana's son Indrajit got up and said, "This must be a demigod, so he must be fought nicely."  So Indrajit came.  With Indrajit there were some scenes, and then Indrajit said, "I am going to use Brahmastra on you."  So he threw the Brahma rope.  Hanuman thought, "I have done enough harm now, so I must see Ravana.  If I get bound by this rope, I can see Ravana."  He looked at the rope and thought, "I will respect Brahma."  Then the rope came and tied him.  Indrajit was pulling the rope, and he pulled Hanuman to the court of Ravana.  As they entered there, Ravana said, "Hey, you mischievous monkey!  Who are you?"  Hanuman said, "I am a servant of Rama, and a messenger.  You please give me a seat."  Ravana scoffed, "A seat for a monkey?  You can climb up in the tree if you want."  Hanuman said, "No, that is not proper.  I have come here to talk politics, and I have come here to give you a message.  You must give me a seat."  Ravana said, "In my assembly, I don't give a seat to animals."  Hanuman said, "You mean that to get a seat in your assembly I have to be less than an animal?"  Ravana said, "Hey, you are talking too much."  By that time Hanuman had extended his tail and made a big big seat.  It was above Ravana's head, and he jumped up and sat on that.  Then he said, "So Ravana, I think this is a good seat for me." 

So then Ravana was looking up.  Then they had a discussion, and Hanuman gave a very good piece of advice.  "You please give up Sita.  I saw your palace.  You have so many beautiful queens.  Why do you want to take Sita?  I can tell you, Sita is not that beautiful."  Hanuman was using some sama dhana bheda danda.  He said, "Sita is not that beautiful.  Vandudari is a much more beautiful dancer.  Surely you must satisfied with that.  You can have so many others.  I will myself procure women for you if you want.  Just give up this Sita, for your own benefit."  Ravana said, "No, I won't listen to this.  I will keep Sita, and not only that, I will finish you."  Hanuman said, "Finish me?  How can you finish me?"  And Ravana said, "You are tied up."  Hanuman said, "I am not tied up, I am just holding myself.  And then he lifted his hands and Brahma's rope broke.  Indrajit's jaw dropped.  "What is this?  This monkey has broken Brahma's rope."  So then Hanuman said, "If you want you can use ordinary rope and tie me.  Only if I want to be tied can you tie me.  Now I allow you, tie me.  Let me see what sort of punishment you will give me."  So then they tied him with ropes, and great demons were pushing him on both sides with tridents.  He made no objection.  Ravana said, "Put fire to his tail."  So they set his tail on fire, and Hanuman said, "Wonderful, you gave me an idea.  I was just wondering what to do.  I wanted to do so many things, but I didn't want to do it myself, because Ramacandra will say, `Why did you do it?'  Now I have no problem.

 They put fire, and I was just jumping around and things happened to catch on fire.  I didn't want to burn Lanka.  Why should I? I am just a messenger.  A messenger cannot attack the opponent.  But what can I do?  They put fire on my tail, and I am a monkey so when I jump the tail goes this way and that way."  So in this way Hanuman was jumping from roof to roof, window to window, and everywhere he put fire.  Even in Ashoka-vana he put fire.  Everything was burning.  Hanuman was jumping up and down.  "Aah, wonderful!  Wonderful!"  And then suddenly he thought, "Maybe Mother Sita is also burnt!  What have I done?  Oh no!"  So he went into the Ashoka forest and he was looking, and he saw Mother Sita sitting in the Ashoka forest under a tree.  No harm was there.  So then he told her, "Why should you wait?  Just climb on my shoulder.  You know I crossed the ocean here, so I can also cross the ocean back.  You sit on me, and I will take you.  Before I fly from here, I will kill Ravana."  So Sita said, "No!  What are you doing?  You already told me that Ramacandra promised He will kill Ravana and take me back.  If you do this, my husband's promise will go in vain.  Ramacandra has one word, one wife and one arrow.  He uses only one arrow, he has only one wife, and if he says a word, he keeps it.  So don't do this, you are not supposed to do it.  Even if you are supposed to do it, I'm not going to sit on your shoulder.  On the way you may see some fruit that you like, and you will shake the tree and I will fall into the ocean.  I don't trust you completely.  So you enjoy yourself, and go back and tell my Lord that I am waiting.  And if he doesn't come in this many days, then I will leave my body." 

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