Bits of life

J-23 words-1900

dawn. Immediately, Ravana hatched a cunning plan to delay Hanuman in his mission and fail him in achieving his objective.
He called for a demon named Kalanemi and ordered him to kill Hanuman who was now on the way to the Himalayas. Kalanemi, famous for his tremendous strength and clever manipulation of the enemy, readily agreed and disappeared to find himself on one of the peaks of surrounding the Himalaya range. With the help of his magical powers he made a hermitage by a lake and waited for Hanuman to come there. Hanuman had flown with ease and stopped by the demon in the guise of a sage. Believing him to be a true sanyasi, Hanuman landed to give his respects to the sage. The sage asked him of his cause to frequent the mountains and when he was told the reason for his flying to the Himalayas, the sage asked him to go to the lake and have a dip and come back. He would then teach him a mantra that would make his mission easy to achieve. Hanuman believed the tricky Kalanemi and went into the lake for a bath and was immediately attacked by a crocodile. This was the plan of Kalanemi. He thought Hanuman would be killed and he could return to Ravana with the news of his death. But things never worked according to the way evil plans were laid. Hanuman killed the Crocodile by slitting open its jaws and thus causing its death. Lo! A celestial beauty rose from the carcass of the crocodile and she explained to Hanuman that Kalanemi was the asura in the guise of a sage and that now he wanted to kill him. So beware of him, she said and then vanished into the thin ether. When Hanuman returned from the lake Kalanemi asked him to sit down before him. But Hanuman having known his true objective from the lady of the lake, pulled the wicked demon by his legs and choked him to death. Since Kalanemi was uttering the mantra, “Jai Shree Ram” Hanuman said,

“You sinner, you die with Rama’s name on your lips. Heaven’s gates will be opened for you.”
After that unexpected impediment on his journey, Hanuman once again flew into the sky and made his journey to the spot where the peak of herbs was situated among the Himalayas. He landed near Sanjivani peak. It was a luminous peak. The herb plants shone like bright stars in the sky. The minute Hanuman neared them, the light had gone and it was enveloped in darkness. Hanuman prayed to the deities guarding the herbal mount to let him see it and pick up the suitable herbs for the sake restoring Lakshmana, Rama’s beloved brother’s life. Soon after his pleading with devotion, the Sanjivani peak started twinkling once again. Hanuman went to the hillock and tried to recognize the herbs that Sushena, the ayurvedic doctor asked him to get. But he was confused with the plants and he couldn’t match the herb with its name. So he was left with the option to get the whole peak to Sushena. He picked up the hillock on to his palm and began his journey back to the Lankan shore on the wings of wind, flying as fast as he could.

While Hanuman was on his way he had to fly above the city of Ayodhya. The soldiers spotted the flying ape man with a hill on his palm. They went to prince Bharat who was now in charge of the defense of the kingdom of Kosala forthwith. Bharata went out and saw the ape man flying over his city. Thinking that it might be some unwanted force trying to annex Ayodhya, Bharat aimed a powerful arrow at the airborne ape man. Hanuman was hit and he fell to the ground along with the Sanjivani peak.

Bharat and his soldiers surrounded ape man and looked at his questioningly. Looking on Bharat who was in the guise of a rishi just as Rama and Lakshmana, Hanuman realized that he must be Bharat, the loving and wise brother of Rama. He introduced himself as the servant of Rama. Bharat was overcome with love and sorrow when he heard of the name of Rama. Then he embraced Hanuman and said whoever served Rama, his righteous elder brother was dear to him. Then Hanuman told him of this mission to the Himalayas and the reasons behind it. On hearing about the serious condition of Lakshmana, and the sorrow of Rama, Bharat started feeling the pangs of sorrow and wanted to join Hanuman in his journey to Lanka. Assuring him that everything would soon be fine, Hanuman took his leave of Bharat and flew to the shore where Rama, Sugriva, Jambavanta and Vibhishana were waiting for him anxiously. He landed with the hill. Sushena immediately prayed to the holy herbs and the twig of Sanjivani came down into his palms. He went in and made a paste of the leaves and the stem of Sanjivani in his small mortar with a pestle and extracted its juice. Sushena then went to the still lying Lakshmana and fed him spoonfuls of the Sanjivani juice.
Lakshmana opened his eyes, looked around and said,
“ Brother Rama, why are we all here? Let us go and bring Indrajit down.” Everybody surrounding him was joyous at this sea change in Lakshmana. Rama, with joyful tears in his eyes told him of the circumstances and the great devotion of Hanuman who made the impossible, possible. He praised Hanuman that every time he was in a dangerous situation, it was Hanuman who helped him come out of it and made him feel happy with relief.
Now sushena said that the Sanjivani peak must be restored to its original place. These powerful herbs and plants grew and be effective only if they had suitable environment. Nature could bless us with her plenty only if we take care of her flora and fauna. Then Hanuman asked if the herbs could not survive on Lanka. Then Sushena replied that it was not possible. These herbs and valuable treasures of nature were not any one man’s property. They belong to the whole universe. We must respect them and treat them as they should be.
Hanuman got ready to take Sanjivani back to the Himalayas.

In the Asoka grove, Trijata told Sita about the tidings that took place with Rama and Lakshmana. She felt extremely relieved that Lakshmana was back to consciousness and was doing well.

In the palace of Ravana the secret spies informed him of Lakshmana’s recovery from Indrajit’s weapon and that everyone was now bent on achieving victory over Ravana. Indrajit vows to his father that he would definitely vanquish the enemy. He made plans as to how to do it. He told Ravana that he was going to perform a holy yagna and propitiate their clan deity Nikumbala. Brahma had granted him the boon that the moment the yagna came to an end, a celestial chariot with horsed would rise from the sacred fire. If Indrajit sat on it, no man or any being could kill him. He would also be granted many weapons. The only condition was that he should not be disturbed during the ceremony he would be doing in his secret cave.

Vibhishana, whose spies informed him of Indrajit’s secret yagna worshiping Nikumbala, came to Rama and Lakshmana and told them of the danger if Indrajit would not be stopped in his worship.
Lakshmana offered to go and fight with Indrajit. Rama agreed to his suggestion. He advised him to take decisions with intelligence and rectitude. Lakshmana went to the secret cave where Indrajit was performing the yagna, which was a tantric rite. Hanuman, Sugriva and Jambavanta along with other ape warriors entered the cave and fought with the soldiers standing guard at the entrance. They went in and disturbed Indrajit’s yagna by kicking him and pouring water on the sacred fire before Indrajit. Lakshmana and Vibhishana waited outside watching for the ape warriors’ success.

Indrajit’s effort to complete the propitiation ceremony to Nikumbala failed once Hanuman poured water on the sacrificial fire. His anger knew no bounds. He vowed to kill those responsible for the disturbance and desecration of his worship. He came out of the cave and saw Lakshmana and Vibhishana standing near the banyan tree under which he would come to pray to the dead spirits of the clan. He spotted Vibhishana and called him the traitor of his children. Vibhishana gave him a fitting reply saying that he and his father were true traitors because for their selfish reasons they were fighting an unjust war. Ravana abducted a married woman and kept her in his custody which was not agreeable to any civilized person. It was illegal and infamous and he set a bad example for his people. Lanka would be ruined with his kind of terror tactics and unethical behavior. He gave more importance to satisfy his uncalled for desires than the welfare of the people of Lanka. Now they were sacrificing the well being of the citizens of Lanka to satisfy their ego and arrogance.
Indrajit could no longer bear with the insult and injury heaped on him. By his magical power he disappeared into the clouds and started attacking Lakshmana with powerful he obtained from gods with his penance in the past. He used the weapon he attained from Brahma, named Brahmastra. When Lakshmana recognized it he saluted it and made no attempt to counter it. Brahma, the presiding deity of this weapon appreciated Lakshmana’s humility and withdrew its power.

Next, Indrajit made use of Shiva’s most powerful weapon named, Trishul, which went half way and fell ineffective. Shiva would never let his power be used against the devotees of Rama, the avatar of Vishnu. Finally, Indrajit tried the Sudarshana Chakra of Vishnu against Lakshmana. The sacred wheel or the chakra of Vishnu went around Lakshmana three times as a mark of respect and returned without hurting him. Indrajit was aghast at these unusual events. He then realized that Lakshmana was the very incarnation of Adisesha the very bed on which Vishnu relaxed. He knew he would lose the war and he did lose it. Lakshmana used his weapons and cut off his head and Indrajit fell dead. One more evil demon fell in the war between Rama and Ravana.
When the dead body of Indrajit reached Ravana’s palace, it sent shock waves through the body of Ravana. He never thought he had to see the end of his favorite son, Meghnath or Indrajit. His mother Mandodari no longer could bear her sorrow and fell unconscious.

Despite the advice and counsel of senior ministers and the heart rending anguish of Mandodari and other wives, Ravana decided to go to war with Rama and Lakshmana. He still wouldn’t agree to return Sita to Rama nor did he realize that Rama was much more powerful than he. He would go and worship Lord Shiva as the custom was and he did worship him before he prepared to go to the battlefield. Rama too worshiped the Sun god, the deity that formulated his clan called suryavamsha. The Sun god sent a very powerful rishi named Agastya to Rama to teach him an effective prayer through which he not only would maintain his health but also would