Sundara Kanda : Introdcution II

Introduction II

Sundara Kanda is embedded with three great qualities viz., poetic
beauty, pleasing and vibrating sound, and the philosophical meaning.
The rhythmic sound of the poetry gives the readers a feeling of
happiness, sadness, humor and other feelings depending on the
situation involved in the story.

It is also named so because of the characters involved in it. Hanuma
appears throughout the sixty eight chapters. Mother Sit appears from
the fifteenth chapter onwards. Rama appears in last few chapters. The
beauty of all three people is described in sundara kanda.

When Hanuma appears to sita in the form of small monkey, to ensure
that he is the ambassador of Rama, she asks him to describe Rama's
features. Hanuma describes the physical beauty of Rama.

The beauty of mother Sita is not described in Sundara kanda. However,
after looking at her, Hanuma feels that she is equivalent to Rama in
all respects and hence they belong to each other.

Also, Hanuma is the lead role in in Sundara Kanda. Literally, `Beauty'
is not a characteristic of physical body. If it so it should be
enjoyed by all human beings in the same way. In realty, one which
brings out happiness from ones heart is beauty. Hanuman is beautiful.
It does not mean that he is physically beautiful. It means that one
who gives happiness. One who creates happiness.

Mother sita is representative all Jiva's on the universe. Rama is the
one who gives pleasure to all Jivas. Hanuma is the one who brought
the news of Rama to Mother Sita and thus removed her sorrow. In fact,
he is responsible for happiness for both Rama and Sita. Hence the
Hanuma is Sundara and thus this part has got the name.


Further, it also has philosophical beauty. Sundara kanda describes
beuty of God, Jiva and Acharya (Guru).

God is embodiment of love, affection and forgiveness. Whatever may be
our mistakes, if we realize and pray for him, he would forgive all our
misdeeds. Mother Sita wanted an un-natural dear and thus got separated
from Rama. Further, she also cursed Lakshmana (who could have
protected her from Ravana) and thus got into clutches of Ravana. Once
realized about her mistake, sita was eager to reach back him. Rama was
more eager to save her from Ravana. Thus sundara kanda brings out the
kindness of the God, and Hence it is Sundara Kanda.

Mother Sita has enacted the role of Jiva in this kanda. The Jiva who
tries for god realization and internalizes this fact is called
beautiful. Only such jives will be taken care by God.

Guru is the one who unites the God and Jiva. All Jiva's are
attracted towards the Gurus because of their nature which lead them
into the spiritual path of God Realization. Thus sundara Kanda
describes the beauty of gurus also.

Thus Sundara Kanda is full of Poetic beauty, Philosophical beauty and
Character beauty.


The life of human beings is RAMAYANA. Jivas, who are created by God,
becomes estranged from Him because of mundane attractions and gets
into the cycle of birth and death. After many births, one gets the of
human form. In this birth one gets the knowledge of God and
opportunity to join back with Him. To get back those Jivas who have
strong desire to unite back with Him, God himself institutes the Guru.
God reveals Himself to able Gurus who in turn reveal the path of God
Realization to the deserving Jivas. The Jivas who get such opportunity
are called beautiful. Sundara Kanda narrates and reveals such a happy
and beautiful part of human lives and hence it is SUNDARA KANDA.


AS DESCRIBED EARLIER, mother sita knowing well of the un-natural form
of golden deer gets attracted towards it and forces Rama to get it. We
the Jivas, go away from God by getting attracted towards mundane
pleasures. The golden deer is the symbolism of the mystic nature of
the mundane world around us which is not the reality and which does
not give us the permanent happiness. Yet we get attracted towards it
and go away from God. To set us in right path God sends us the right
message through elders and well wishers who try to protect us by
giving right advice (Laksmana symbolizes that role). However, we try
to ignore such advice and in fact, we abuse such persons and go away
even from them (Mother Sita thinks that Lakshmana had bad thoughts
about her). Having been distracted from God and well wishers, we get
into this Bhavasagara of birth and deaths. The only way to get away
from this birth and death cycle is getting into the fold of able
Acharyas, lead the life under their guidance and thus get into the
path of God Realization. Thus Sundara Kanda reveals the purpose of our
lives.

The first chapter of Sundara Kanda begins with the scene of Hanuma,
standing on Mahendra Hill and getting ready to cross the ocean. Let
us pray Hanuman to take away all our ego and bless us with the eyes
wisdom to look at the SUNDARAKANDA as it happened.