KishkindaKand - 1
Sugreeva and his four-vanara ministers are taking
refuge atop the mountain of Rishyamukha. One fine morning Sugreeva sees
two handsome young men, divine looking and resplendent with the
kshatriya armor. On seeing them, Sugreeva is terrified. He opines that
his brother Vali has sent them to this mountain to kill him, and then in
a rush hastens to flee from that place along with his entourage. But
Hanuman calms him down and suggests that he would go and enquire about
their identity and the purpose their visit to that place. After taking
Sugreeva's permission he assumes the guise of a young brahmachari and
approaches the two newcomers with reverence and humility. He enquires
them of their identity and the purpose of their visit to the mountain.
Lord Rama and Laxmana reveal their identity and narrate the purpose of
their visit, which is to search for Sita with the help of Sugreeva. Lord
Hanuman is extremely happy at the turn of events. He then carries them
to Sugreeva on his shoulders.
Sugreeva's flight of fear is a lesson to us. In our
day to day experiences we find innumerable opportunities knocking at our
doors. But being apprehensive, we deprive ourselves the pleasure of
welcoming them with open arms. Once we accept the situation in totality,
and act accordingly, we are sure to reach our god consciousness or the
Lord Himself, which is the ultimate destiny of the mankind. Here Lord
Hanuman is comparable to the discriminative powers of the mind, and with
its proper use, we are sure to reach the Lord.
After friendship is forged between Lord Rama and
Sugreeva, they exchange their tales of misfortune. Lord Rama assures
Sugreeva, of his full support in getting the kingdom of Kishkinda and
also his wife Ruma who had been abducted by Vali . Sugreeva is extremely
happy with the reversals of his fortune.
Kishkindakand - 2
Sugreeva as per Rama's advice approaches Vali and
challenges him to a duel. The arrogant Vali accepts the challenge and
the great duel begins between two supreme warriors. At the anointed
time, Lord Rama, unseen by Vali, shoots an arrow directed at his chest.
Vali falls down to the ground unconscious. This news spreads like wild
fire in the Kingdom of Kishkinda and all the people start running
towards the site. Slowly Vali regains consciousness, sees Rama, and
accuses him of killing him by unjust means and calls him an "adharmi".
He says "Lord Rama , had you even given a hint I would have flown to
Lanka, saved mother Sita from Ravana's evil clutches , slain Ravana and
brought back Sita for you. But why did you take the weak Sugreeva's help
and kill me in this unjust manner. Lord Rama then replies that, a
person who wishes to kill his own brother and abduct his wife is the
greatest adharmi and is fit to die. It is hence improper to take aid of
such an arrogant and adharmi person. After listening to these
explanations of Rama, Vali understands his folly and bowing humbly to
the Lord, apologizes. Lord Rama who is ever compassionate forgives him
and Vali reaches the Lord's abode.
Here one gets to see the greatness of the Lord. Not
only one who is blessed by the Lord reaches his abode but also the one
who is slain. We can note yet another important point that the Lord
prefers the aid of a person with earnest heart and humility to carry out
his work, rather than an arrogant but strong being.
After the slaying of Vali, Sugreeva is crowned the
king of Kishkinda. Since the Varsha ritu starts, all gathered,
unanimously agree that the search for Sita can be taken up again only
after the next four months or so, that is when the rainy season is over.
Kishkindakand - 3
Lord Rama and Laxmana return to the forest of
Prasravana. Each day, for Rama is a like a Yuga. Bereft of his eternal
consort, Sita, he is extremely unhappy and demonstrates his feelings of
loneliness and sadness like a mere mortal of this earth. One may start
wondering the divinity of the Lord. The Lord expresses through each one
of us as life, he is the essence of everything in the shrishti; this is
well confirmed in the Bhagavad-Gita. But then, one should understand
that this demonstration of extreme love is a guideline for the
"Grahastha's." Accordingly the first 33.33% of the married life the
couple should be mad for each other, for the next 33.33% they should be
made for each other and for the balance 33.33% they should be meant for
each other.
By the virtue of total dedication to one's duties
only, it is possible to transcend the dualities of mind. Be it success
or failure, victory or defeat, gain or loss.
These kinds of instances happen in our lives also. We
go to the Lord to fulfil our list our desires. The ever-compassionate
Lord bestows us with all our desires and then after realizing them we
are carried away in the pleasures of senses, and tend to forget our
promises to the Lord. Only when misery in the form of Laxman attacks us,
we realize our folly and bow to the Lord again in apology. It is
rightly said by Sant Kabeerji:
All chant the names of the Lord at times of
their misery. None do so when they are happy. But if one remembers the
Lord during the happy moments, then why will misery ever befall us.
KishkindaKand- 4
Sugreeva, now chalks out a
detailed plan to search for Sita. Sugreeva dispatches all his ministers
in all the directions. But he reserves Hanuman, his ablest and most
trusted minister for the southern direction. For, when Ravana abducts
Sita, in his Pushpaka Vimana, Sugreeva had seen him going in the
southern direction. Hanuman and his team with the blessings of his
master and Lord Rama, depart to the southern direction.
They pass cave after
cave, sea after sea, but alas! no sign of Sita. Ultimately Angad is
utterly dejected. Suffering from pangs of hunger and exhaustion and
knowing that there is no way out he decides to commit suicide, for, if
he returns to Sugreeva without achieving in his mission he is bound to
be killed by Sugreeva. Instead of being killed at the hands of Sugreeva,
it is better to fast until death. He then starts recounting the leelas
of Lord Rama right from his birth to the present situation. Sampati, the
aged brother of Jatayu, who is now devoid of strength in his wings,
happens to listen to the tales and the name of his heroic brother Jatayu
repeated often. Curious to know, he approaches Angad and enquires about
his brother.
Angad recounts as to how
Jatayu tried to valiantly save Sita from Ravana and gave up his life in
the fierce fight which ensued between himself and Ravana. After
listening to the story, Sampathi is drenched in tears. Wishing to help
and avenge the death of his brother, he reveals the location of Sita who
is now a captive in the Ashoka Vatika of Ravana's Lanka. Even before
the information is given, his wings return back to its strength and his
youth too is restored. Sampati once had been blessed by one of the
rishis, who said that if ever he happened to do one noble and worthy
deed, his wings and youth would be restored. Sampati flies away happily.
Now, Hanuman and his
troupe are extremely elated, they feel that their problems are almost
solved. But their happiness is short lived as everybody starts measuring
their capabilities. There is none, which are engaged in the discussion
that can jump the distance of a hundred Yojanas and return. The wise
Jambavan, with clasped hands approaches the most humble Hanuman, who is
quietly listening to the discussions, pleads and reminds him of his
mission and purpose, which is the service of Lord Rama. On hearing this
Hanuman is thrilled. He stands up and immediately starts increasing in
size until he grows hundred yojanas tall. He marches towards the Vindhya
Mountain, which is the only mountain which can take the shock of his
leap. Here ends the Kishkinda Kanda.
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