Hanumanji walked
upstairs to the terrace at the top floor of the palace overlooking the waves of
the river Sarayu and the nearby groves. It was a beautiful moonlit night, and
Hanumanji took a seat and started finger-snapping to the rhythm of the chants
of the Holy Name of Sri Sita Ram.
Night
vigil was no problem for Him. The problem was how to save Oneself from failing
in One's duty. So Hanumanji thought of a plan. Even if Sri Ram yawns in His
bedroom, Hanumanji would already be doing mantra and finger snapping for Him,
and He could easily do it for the whole night. That was easy for Him.
But very soon a great
problem arose in the palace. The gatekeepers became restless and the
maidservants began to run all over the palace. Soon all three mothers were
called, all three brothers came, a few ministers came, and ultimately the Royal
physician was called, but he could not understand the disease.
All of them were sitting
and lamenting, while surrounding Sri Ram, Who was sitting on an elevated chair.
His mouth was wide-open and He was unable to close it. He was not able to speak
or convey anything. It was as if His mouth was forcibly kept open by some invisible
power.
Nobody understood what
the matter was and there was no limit to the anxiety of Lakshmana, Bharata and
Satrughnaji. Empress Sita had tears pouring from her eyes and her face became
very red. At last Lakshmana rushed to the hermitage of the spiritual master
Brahmarshi Vasistha.
Immediately the master
came in his chariot. He hurriedly climbed the stairs. Sri Ram saw him from a
distance and He stood up, walked out and offered His obeisances -His mouth
remained open all the while.
The master blessed Him
and felt very sorry to see His condition. Such a handsome Figure, a great
Warrior, a most successful Emperor. What great love He had for religion and the
spiritual master. What wrong today had happened to His mouth? The tears came to
his eyes. He asked all to sit in their places and then he asked the Empress
Sita about the matter.
"I am extremely
sorry, Master, I will never complain again in my life," Empress Sita said
sobbing."We had just taken off our Royal dress, washed our feet, hands and
face, and we were wearing our night clothes, desiring to relax.
"Somehow the
memories arose in my mind of those days when I used to pass my days and nights
sighing and sobbing under the tree in Lanka. The remembrance of my Lord alone
was the reason for my survival. I was tormented, and now today I feel that Sri
Ram was not so uncomfortable without me. He killed Ravana just to save the
dignity of His race and my deliverance was optional.
"It
was not the main concern, so tonight I was mad at Him and I said, `You don't
know love till You possess such loving features that everybody that looks at
You begins to love You -You never bother for anybody else's love. When I was
abducted and alone, I was so tormented and You came comfortably at Your own
time. I even heard that You were playing with Ravana in the battlefield. Why
didn't You burn him with one single arrow? If You had possessed any love for me
then You would have done it. Where is love in You?'
"Here in Ayodhya
also, You are always busy with Your state affairs, Your ideals, and Your
morals. Everyday, this rishi is coming, that philosopher is coming -You are
inaugurating some fire sacrifice, discussing urgent materials and all sorts of
business. You never seem to have time for me. Where is love in You, I wonder?
"Sri Ram wanted to
reply but His mouth suddenly fell open and it has remained open ever since. I
had hoped that it happened due to His being shocked by my sharp words, so I
repented. But all in vain because the Lord is the same. What has happened to His
mouth? Master, please save the Emperor?"
Vasistha Maharishi heard
everything silently and looking through the deep agony over-shadowing all the
faces, he suddenly, as if remembering something, looked left and right and
said,
"I do not see
Hanumanji here. Where is He?"
Empress
Sita became alert, Lakshmana began to recall, and Bharata asked Shatrughna to
send all the attendants to find Hanumanji. Everyone was calling while searching
for Him.
"Hanumanji
where are You, our master is awaiting You. The Lord wants You. How can You be
absent?"
As
soon as Hanumanji heard Himself called, He rushed down the stairs but He kept
right on snapping His fingers. He arrived at the gate, and this time the
gatekeepers did not stop Him, but welcomed Him with warm
words and said,
"Please come in.
Everybody is waiting for You."
Hanumanji
entered and fell down prostrate at the feet of the master. He stopped His
finger-snapping for it was no longer required now that Sri Ram was standing in
front of Him. As Hanumanji prostrated, Sri Ram's mouth became all right.
"What happened to You?"
Vasistha Maharishi questioned Sri Ram.
"Nothing,
Gurudev," Sri Ram replied.
"Nothing
happened?" Empress Sita's surprising words echoed in the apartment.
"Your mouth stayed wide open. You weren't able to talk and I was terribly
frightened, all the mothers were scared, the master was called, and You say
nothing happened to You!"
"This
morning Hanumanji was given the duty of finger-snapping for My yawning. It had
another aspect also, and that was when Hanumanji would snap His fingers, I
would definitely be in the middle of a yawn."
Ram continued. "Ram
never entertains any schizophrenic, wavering relationships. Ram keeps afar from
fickle personalities. Whenever, and with whomsoever He deals with and tackles,
are persons of great depth. Hanumanji is a deepest possible depth of heart. To
say truly, He is a bottomless abyss and His relationship with Me is an
expression of those infinite depths which have layers after layers
-unfathomable. In such a relationship, Ram and Hanumanji are interconnected,
intertwined, eternally embraced. So also His snapping and My yawning are
inter-linked. If My yawning is broken, left split, where is Ram then? -What is
the meaning of love then?"
Sita's
eyes became wide and full of joys and thrills. Hanumanji thrilled and clasped
the feet of Sri Ram. Vasistha Maharishi looked at Shatrughna and the
competitive parties all became very shy.
"Hanumanji, You
needn't do that snapping business anymore. You serve Your Emperor as
before," Sita said, as she tore into pieces the paper dividing the
services.
Everybody shouted,
"All glories to Sri Hanumanji."
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