“At night, on the sun having set, Maruti [Hanuman] contracted his body. Becoming the size of a cat, he was a wonderful sight to behold.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.49)

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सूर्ये चास्तं गते रात्रौ देहं सङ्क्षिप्य मारुतिः
पृषदंशकमात्रः सन् बभूवाद्भुतदर्शनः

sūrye cāstaṃ gate rātrau dehaṃ saṅkṣipya mārutiḥ
pṛṣadaṃśakamātraḥ san babhūvādbhutadarśanaḥ

1. You cannot speak with anyone

“While you are there, do not speak to a single person. Pretend that you do not even have the ability to talk. As best as possible, you are observing an extended mauna-vrata. A vow of silence to protect the interests of the mission. Trust me, as soon as they hear you, the cover will be blown. You will thank me for this later.”

2. You cannot be detected

“Oh by the way, make sure no one sees you. I know that will be quite difficult, but I am sure you can figure something out. You are a smart person. Your outward vision will be foreign to the area. They will know something is up as soon as they spot you. Therefore, do not get spotted. But, of course, keep roaming the area in search of the person you are trying to find.”

3. You have to find someone you do not know

“Yes, I understand you have never met this person. No, they will not be the only female in that place. You might actually run into countless females. They are all consorts of the leader. I guess you could say, he likes to enjoy. Well, that is your clue. This woman most likely will not be enjoying. She will be the saddest one there. Good luck to you.”

4. You have to win the trust of that person

“By the way, if you find that lady, make sure to win her trust. Based on the circumstances of her arrival in that dreaded place, she likely will have lost faith in the entirety of the human population. You are on her side, though. Never forget that. It needs to be conveyed in a proper manner, without scaring her away. I am sure you will think of the right words to use.”

5. You have to exit the area safely

“Sort of like retracing your steps. No matter what happens, the people in that place will not welcome your presence. If you succeed in finding the lady, winning her trust, and delivering a message of hope, make sure you get out of there intact. We can only know what happened if you return to us, safely. Otherwise, the entire purpose of your trip will be spoiled. It is like you failed the many people counting on you.”

…

These conditions only begin to describe the difficulties faced by Shri Hanuman in his daring trip to Lanka, in the quest to find the missing princess of Videha. Hanuman had not previously met Sita Devi. He could decipher her presence based on symptoms. That was really the only way, but at least it provided some hope.

From the accounts of his journey kindly forwarded to the present generation, preserved in history, we see that Hanuman was as resourceful as a person could be. At one point, he contracted himself to the size of a cat. This way he could roam through Lanka without being easily detected.

He indeed did locate many beautiful women. For a moment, Hanuman mistakenly celebrated when he saw Mandodari, the chief queen to the Rakshasa named Ravana. Hanuman thought it was Sita, but on second thought, after careful observation of the lady’s behavior, the error was corrected.

When Hanuman found Sita, he built trust in the best way possible. He simply narrated the glories of Sita’s husband, Shri Rama. Such an exercise is always beneficial. Even if done in pretend, by an enemy, if the words are truthful then there is a purifying effect, at a minimum. Since Hanuman is a devotee of Rama, the words were so powerful that they eventually convinced Sita that he was a friend, that he was on a mission to eventually lead to her rescue.

तब लगि कुसल न जीव कहुँ सपनेहुँ मन बिश्राम
जब लगि भजत न राम कहुँ सोकधाम तजि काम

taba lagi kusala na jīva kahum̐ sapanehum̐ mana biśrāma
jaba lagi bhajata na rāma kahum̐ sokadhāma taji kāma

“For as long as there is not devotion to Shri Rama and the release of material desires, which are like an abode of grief, the living being should not expect to find welfare and peace of mind, even in a dream.” (Dohavali, 131)

For our own predicament at present, we can say there are also many challenges to the objective of purifying consciousness within this single birth. There are distractions everywhere. There are attachments followed by eventual separation. There are too many locations to shed grief, in this experience which is something like living in shokadhama.

न विनश्येत्कथं कार्यं वैक्लब्यं न कथं भवेत्
लङ्घनं च समुद्रस्य कथं नु न वृथा भवेत्

na vinaśyetkathaṃ kāryaṃ vaiklabyaṃ na kathaṃ bhavet
laṅghanaṃ ca samudrasya kathaṃ nu na vṛthā bhavet

“How can I ensure that the purpose of my task does not get destroyed? How shall I avoid mental disparity, and how do I ensure that my crossing of the ocean does not go for naught?” (Hanuman, Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 2.41)

Hanuman does not give up. He periodically assesses the situation. He considers things carefully. Even if there are many extraordinary successes, such as leaping over the vast ocean, Hanuman considers how such achievements can be linked to the overall goal of pleasing Sita and Rama. We can follow the same example in not decrying our conditions, in facing the difficulties head on, and in reaching a proper understanding of God.

In Closing:

So much grief to see,
This terrible situation for me.

One loss after another,
Loneliness like no other.

But upon Hanuman to dwell,
His deliberation to tell.

That always for others choosing,
Sight on mission never losing.

Categories: the five

Tags: dailyprompt, hanuman, life, poem, poems, poetry, ramayana