SUNDARA KANDAM

Sundara Kandam is said to be the book of beauty. It has detailed accounts of Hanuman's adventures, including his meeting with Sita. The name is derived from the fond name given to Hanuman by his mother

Hanuman addressed Ravana directly, 'I do not represent Indra, Varuna, Kubera or Vishnu. I am disguised. I am only a monkey. The park was despoiled by me so that I might get a chance to meet the king in person. But the warriors came instead to kill me. In self defence I struck them. They succumbed to my blows. According to a boon bestowed on me by Brahma no weapon can cut me. Nothing can bind me. But I allowed myself to be bound by Brahmastram so that I might be brought to your presence. Now I declare to you I am an envoy of Rama. I have a message to deliver to you. Please lend me a patient hearing. Enjoyment of Dharma is over for you. Suffering for your adharma commences now. In bringing Sita here you have brought your death. By reverentially restoring her to Rama you save yourself. But by causing her to lament here you are inviting untold misery to you and to your people. You have under estimated Rama's prowess. Single-handedly he exterminated your jansthan. For misappropriating Sugreeva's wife, with a single arrow, Rama despatched Vali to the other world- that very Vali who was a terror to you. Rama has installed Sugreeva the king of Kishkindha. As a friend Sugreeva asks you to reconcile with Rama. If you fail he invades Lanka with an army of monkeys of my type. You ignored man and monkey when you sought a boon from Brahma from death, proof from the denizens of the three worlds. Now Rama the man and Sugreeva the monkey are going to be the cause of your death. I beseech you to mend matters before it become too late.' Ravana became terribly enraged at this insolent advice of a monkey. He ordered him to be butchered then and there. But Vibheeshana the sane younger brother of his interposed. He made it known that no civilized king ever killed an envoy. There was no sanction for it in any lore.

Ravana contended that the monkey was insolent and wicked. Vibheeshana pacified him saying that the messenger might at the worst be disgraced or disfigured. There was no sanction for capital punishment; hence Ravana has no rights to cause any damage to the messenger. Further if this envoy was let out he would report the matter to the two princes and induce them to invade. On their besieging Lanka they should be encountered and defeated. Ravana approved of this procedure. Still the rakshasa element in Ravana was too strong to spare Hanuman unhurt. He ordered rags soaked in oil to be tied to the tail of this vainglorious monkey, set on fire and taken in procession all over the city. The order was carried out. Hearing of this mishap Sita prayed for the welfare of her Lord's messenger. Hanuman was surprised because the fire did not burn his tail. Putting the envoy to shame was the motive of the rakshasa regime. But the resourceful victim utilized the incident to study the spot vulnerable to fire. The ridiculing and jeering procession over, Anjenaya grew in stature, knocked the officers- in- charge to death and leaped from house to house setting them all on fire. In no time the city was ablaze leading to the loss of untold wealth.


The conflagration led to the lamentation of the entire populace. Anjenaya took a dip in the sea and quenched the fire on his tail which was intact. Now anxiety flashed in the mind of Hanuman. Anger is the enemy of man. It robs him of discrimination. The great hero actually played with fire. There was indeed a beauty in it. But he feared he overplayed the game. Perhaps, Sita also perished in the bonfire that would be a tragedy irreparable. With a throbbing heart he hastened to where she was and ejaculated 'Glory to Rama', when he found her fully absorbed in the thought of her lord. In a brief farewell she pleaded for the quick arrival of her redeemer. Hanuman prostrated reverentially, received the blessings of the mother and moved on. He climbed the mount Arishta and took a northward leap in the sky. Sighting the yonder Mahendra hill he shouted for joy. The eagerly awaiting companions heard his voice and spotted him in the south sky. They made sure he was returning victorious. On his landing with a beaming face there were hilarious shouts and dances. They all gathered in one place waiting eagerly for Hanuman and to tell about Sita's whereabouts. Anjenaya announced that he had contacted Sita who was in all purity and all hankering expecting the reunion with Rama. Then, eagerly sought by the fellow bengs, he presented a detailed account of all that took place in his venture. Now Angada the crown prince had his point of view to present. It was good that Maruthi could find out Sita and gather all the particulars required for further action. It would be better if all of them flew to Lanka, killed the rakshasa king and carried back the sacred spouse of Rama.

Merely carrying information about her would not at all be thrilling. Jambavan the seniormost member in the party had his say in the matter. He opined that Rama and Sugreeva should not be kept long in anxiety. What was achieved by Anjenaya was marvelous and just the thing required. The next line of action was to be decided by these royal personages. This observation was unanimously accepted as the most feasible. The monkeys now flew to Kishkindha. Dadhimukha the uncle of Sugreeva was the officer- in- charge of Madhuvana, the honey park, a protected grove. He hastened to the King and complained that the monkeys that went south had returned, force entered into the honey park, assaulted the guards, ate up the fruits, drank away all the available honey, laid waste on the grove and indulged in merry dance and rioutous play. Sugreeva made correct inference of this seeming outrageous behavior. He told Lakshmana that Angada, Hanuman and Jambhavan had succeeded in finding out Sita. So they were celebrating their achievement in that manner. Presently the party arrived jumping and dancing that was the indication of its success in search for Sita.

Hanuman prostrated before Rama and announced. 'Lord, I beheld the blazing purity in Sita, pining for you, while being kept in captivity in Lanka by Ravana.' A spell of joy spread in the assembly. That excitement over, he recounted his exploits in detail. Remaining concealed in the boughs of tree under which Sita was kept imprisoned he could observe the happenings. Ravana courted her for all that he was worth. Contempt was what he received in return. Then Sita decided to put an end to herself. There was consistency in her decision. That Rama discharged a mystic missile at Chitrakutam to chase a crow demon that hurt Sita until that crow demon surrendered before Rama,had not taken any action against the abductor of Sita. His inference that she was dead was perhaps the cause of his inaction. In that case her retaining the life under adverse circumstances was undesirable. So she was going to do away with it. If Hanuman's strategy was late by a minute the irreparable tragedy would have taken place. Just in time he sang the glory of Rama and his illustrious ancestors. Sita suspended her fatal plan. Hanuman's message made her correct herself. She received new life. She was prepared to keep it lingering just for a month more. In the meantime if Rama did not make his appearance in Lanka to mete out punishment to the rakshasa all would be over with Sita.

This was the critical position that Anjenaya was obliged to relate to Rama. In the course of his narration Hanuman produced the crest gem of Sita to Rama. Recognizing it he was visibly moved. Sorrow and joy were alternately evident on his face. Hanuman next detailed the method he adopted to gain access to Ravana's presence. The King of Lanka was a marvelous being. He was endowed with many brilliant parts. But inordinate lust was the one evil that marred his entire career. Because of that inexcusable vice, fear was lurking in his heart. Mythilee had already gained a moral victory over him. Rama was to complete it by exterminating his physical existence, thereby riding the world of menace. Rama was the embodiment of dharma. His mission in life consisted of the veneration of the holy, the protection of the good and the destruction of the wicked. In the loss of Sita his mission was thwarted. If she was killed it proved Rama's impotency. If she was defiedit was a disgrace to him; his advent was a failure. On these two issues he was very much dejected. It seemed as if wickedness had triumphed over virtue. But Anjenaya's adventure verified the truth that Sita was proof against defilement and that Rama's weapon against the wicked was going to be victorious very soon.