Bits of life

J-19 Words-1800

Shuk’s words with patience and said that he would never be the traitor that Ravana wanted him to be. He considered devotion and service to Rama were his proud privileges and it would be an honor to serve a person like Rama whom he considered the best of men. (Purushottama in Sanskrit) finally, Sugriva said. The most important thing he should remember was the way to go to Lanka. It was the opinion that Rama was the lord who was believed to help the humanity to cross the ocean of existence with ease. For such an entity, crossing the ocean physically would be child’s play.

Vibhishana listened to the conversation between Shuk and Sugriva and entered the tent of Sugriva and told Shuk to convince the king Ravana of his misdeed. His friends and ministers must advice him for the sake of the welfare of the people of Lanka instead of being yes men. With that Shuk left the tent and flew back to Lanka to report the matter to the emperor of Lanka.

When Shuk told of the conversation he had with Sugriva to Ravana, the latter simply laughed at him and made fun of the ape men and their ways.

Rama and his ape men had discussions on how to cross the sea to reach Lanka. Sugriva suggested they should talk the matter over with Vibhishana who might suggest an alternative to cross the sea. Thereupon, Vibhishana was called for and when asked about the solution to the problem of crossing the sea, Vibhishana suggested that Rama must pray to the sea god who was his ancestor too. He would suggest a way to cross the sea. One of his ancestors was responsible for the continued existence of the sea. It was said that Agastya, a spiritually powerful sage had once drunk the water in the sea leaving it dry. It was only because of another ancestor that the sage had let the sea return to its former form. So, said Vibhishana, the sea god should and would consider the wish of Rama and suggest a way to cross the vast ocean.

Rama respected the advice of Vibhishana and immediately sat on a mat made of holy grass. He meditated upon and prayed to the sea god. He asked him to listen to his prayer and grant him his wish. But the sea god did not appear nor did he show any signs of having listened to the prayer of Rama. Therefore, Rama brought anger to himself and aimed the Brahmastra, the most powerful of all the weapons in archery at the sea and said that this was the end of the ocean. When he was about to shoot the arrow, the sea god appeared and knelt before him asking to forgive him his fault.

Then the sea god explained that he could not cross the limitations levied on him and the other elements of nature. If he crossed those implied limits then there would be apocalypse in nature and the whole world might end. Then Rama understood the reason behind the sea god’s apparent disobedience to his request.

He appealed to the sea god thus;

“O Varuna (another name for sea god in Sanskrit) tell us how could we cross the sea, a means that does not cross the natural limits and at the same time allows us to cross the sea and reach Lanka.”

Varuna came up with a happy middle way. He said,

“Sire, I can suggest a solution to this problem. Allow me to do so. In Sugriva’s army there are two brothers, twins named Nal and Neel. These two brothers were very mischievous during their childhood days. They used to seize the belongings of the rishis and throw them into the sea. A rishi got angry with them and cursed them. The curse was that whenever these brothers, Nal and Neel throw anything into the sea it will not sink, but will continue to float. That curse now comes handy to you. If Nal and Neel throw stones and boulders into the sea, they keep on floating and in this way a bridge can be made to reach the other shore. With the help of this bridge your army of ape men can cross the sea thus without trouble.”

Rama then asked the sea god how he should use his already aimed Brahmastra, because unless it found a target, it would not return to his quiver. Varuna or the sea god advised Rama to aim the powerful arrow at the north where there was holy place called Drumakulya. This place was haunted by evil powers who desecrate the holy land with their evil deeds. With Rama’s arrow the place would be sanctified once again. Rama agreed to Varuna’s suggestion and said that the power of his arrow would turn the holy land into a desert. However, it would also become a place famous for having herbs and medicinal plants of great variety and beneficial effects. So saying Rama shot the arrow and it went with the speed of a sputnik to the place where he intended it to go.

After the completion of fulfilling sree Rama’s wish, Varuna took leave of him and bade farewell wishing him success by the mercy of gods.

Here in Lanka, Ravana’s spied reported to him the events that took place on the other shore. Ravana was shocked to listen to the news that the sea god appeared before him and said that he would help him as much as he could. Ravana was perturbed by this unexpected turn in the events. The same news was conveyed to Sita by Trijata and Sita broke into a happy smile. Trijata however, asked her to be patient because what Rama was attempting was a difficult job.

At the sea shore on the other side, Rama called for Nal and Neel and asked them to help him with the building of the bridge. Nal and Neel asked for pardon of Sree Rama for not revealing their secret to him because their parents had ordered them not to speak of it. Rama smiled at them and told them to engage themselves with the bridge building work.

He then called for Sugriva and Hanuman and told them that he intended to perform worship to Lord Shiva to propitiate and get his blessings for the immense task of laying a bridge across the limitless sea and rescue Sita from the Ravana’s prison. He requested them to make proper arrangements for the puja. On the very next day, Rama started his worship as the priests chanted the hymns form Rig-Veda and samaveda to propitiate Lord Shiva and establish a Shiva Linga by the sea.

Nal and Neel started with their work of throwing stones, writing Rama’s name on each of them. Slowly a bridge emerged built with stones tied up with strong ropes.

Rama completed his worship and founding of a Shiva linga. The completion of the building of the bridge spanning a length of four hundred leagues and the completion of Rama’s Shiva puja coincided. Rama named the deity “Rameswara” meaning Iswara worshiped and founded by Rama. He explained it Hanuman when Hanuman asked him the meaning of Rameswara. That place would be known as the town of Rameswaram.

Once the bridge was completed, the ape warriors stand before Rama in readiness to take his next order. Looking at the daring and courageous army of his Ape warriors, Rama was overcome with pride and joy.
Rama inspired his ape army by an enlightening speech before the march over the sea began. He took the name of Shiva and Durga, the goddess who blessed the devotees who needed succeed in a war. Then he told them to go unafraid, march forward to win the war against an erring foe, fight against injustice and foul play and adharma or unethical behavior.

Hanu man then requested Rama to be the first person to step on the bridge. Rama gracefully agreed to Hanuman’s wish and walked bridge leading his army. The army soon reached the shores of Lanka on the south side of the sea and camped comfortably under the directions and guidance of Vibhishana. Sree Rama went over the camp and felt happy that his brother Lakshmana had built a thatched hut for his accommodation. Ravana heard of Rama’s arrival on the Lankan shores and he wanted to startle and make Sita surrender to him. So he went to the Asoka grove where Sita sat crying and pining away for her husband. He stood by her and pompously declared that Rama was no more and showed her an illusory head of Rama. By looking on the severed head of her husband Sita lost heart and cried her heart out. She questioned an absent Rama why he went away without a faint sign? This in her view was not possible, because their bond went beyond the physical bodies. They were spiritually entwined and inseparable. So one of them could not have lived without the other.

In the meanwhile, a messenger arrived and told Ravana that his son Indrajit called for an urgent meeting which he was requested to attend immediately. With no alternative, Ravana left the Asoka grove and the illusory head of Rama too disappeared. Sita felt relieved that this was black magic done by Ravana as revealed by Trijata.
In the military camp Rama sat with his commanders Sugriva, Hanuman and Vibhishana talking of the necessary steps to advance in the war. Suddenly there were flashes of lightening not from the sky but from the direction of Ravana’s pleasure palace atop the mountain Trikuta. Vibhishana explained to Rama that at that time Ravana was enjoying the dance and music of his court dancers along with his wife Mandodari. Her ear ornaments flashed and the jewels in the crown of Ravana too flashed and reflected on Rama’s face. He also explained that Ravana wanted to convey to Rama and his commanders that he did not care for what they were up to. In addition to that, he did not want his people to feel agitated at the news that Rama had arrived in Lanka fully prepared to go to war with their kind Ravana.

Rama then told Lakshmana, Sugriva, Hanuman and Vibhishana that he would make Ravana become aware of his presence in Lanka. Then he took up his bow and shot an arrow at where Ravana and Mandodari were enjoying a pleasurable evening. The arrow straight went and hit the crown of Ravana and took off the ear ornament of Mandodari and promptly returned to the quiver of Rama and sat there. Ravana felt agitated but played the foolhardy by saying that he could not care less for what Rama’s arrow did.
Later, Ravana sent two