Chereads / Sundara Kānda: Hanuman's Odyssey / Chapter 35 - Winning the Trust

Chapter 35 - Winning the Trust

Spoke as Hanuman in that vein

Developed Seetha trust in him.

She then said in sonorous tone –

How come Rama came in touch

With thee and thy Lord Sugreev?

How can thou be so certain

Ram 'n Lakshman that thou met?

Tell O Hanuman for my sake

Facial features of those two.

Gladdened as she opened up

Spoke thus Hanuman to Seetha:

Talking no end of thy man

It's a pleasure of its own kind.

Recall as I his features

Solace it would thy sad heart.

Whether it's godly frame of his

Or his kindly heart therein

None can ever know which scores more.

While frame his is mid-sun like

Hath he patience of mother earth.

Gives he shelter who might seek

Blemish he hath none in conduct.

Lays he store on noble thoughts

Goads his folk to think likewise.

Leads he life of celibate now

Fate as thee thus weaned from him.

None he slights as come to seek

Given not Ram to spare who dare.

Hath he Vedas all by heart

Excels he ever in warfare.

Second to none he in valour

None there equals him in grace.

Whoso submit tone his soothes

Terse it turns to those oppose.

While at ease he seems vigorous

Looks he strong from head to foot.

Frame his seven-foot is well built

Face his oblong ever looks good.

Lips his rosy slip like glove

Rows teeth over of snow white.

Eyes his wide both compelling

Strike so dark and deep as well.

Manner as well demeanour his

Holds good adage of old thus

Handsome is as handsome doth.

Worthy no less than thy man

Lakshman the brother-in-law thine.

If thy Ram is blue diamond

Lakshman is all golden-hued.

It's the search for thee Seetha

Brought them both to Kishkindha.

Banished as by his sibling

Met them Sugreev in hiding.

Sugreev as was good to us

Followed we his loyal band.

It was thus we came to meet

Ram 'n Lakshman dressed all coarse.

But Ram had that bow on him

Make which would all bow to him.

Sighted as he them in arms

Shivered but Sugreev in his pants.

Sent me my Lord on errand

So that I could befriend them.

Made I thus thy man privy

Plight of our own Lord so good.

Having heard that story Ram

Thought it fit to meet Sugreev.

Realized as they both of them

Sail they thus in same boat then

Lords those both came ever so close.

Consoled Rama vanar Lord

Lost who wife to his sibling.

Said then Lakshman to Sugreev

Seems Ram's spouse was snared by some.

That Ram had to lose his wife

Made Sugreev grieve all the more.

Flew as Ravan thee by force

Recall how thee threw jewels

From the skies of Kishkindha.

Showed we them all to thy man

Told we know not who snared thee.

How the sound of that landing

Still rings fresh in Kishkindha?

Sighted as he thy jewels

Fainted Ram in Lakshman's lap.

Compelled as if by thy thought

Woke up Ram and tapped them all.

As if to dust them all then

Shed Ram tears on all of them.

Left with no more drop to drop

Seemed he drained his heart for thee.

For safe keeping of them all

Gave them Ram to Sugreeva.

Having thus lost thee consort

There none is to console Ram.

Had he no wink all these days

Pines he ever to sleep with thee

Having lost the trace of thee

Know thy man is truly lost.

Lost as he his lovely spouse

Pleases him none spring even.

It's for certain that Rama

Would kill Ravan in Lanka.

Know vanars all bound by oath

Take thee back soon to thy Lord.

For he slew the vile Vali

Oath we took to help thy Lord.

Having crowned our Sugreeva

As the king of Kishkindha

Won't we all owe to thy man?

Grateful Sugreev vow then took

To help thy man to get thee back.

It's in thy search Sugreeva

Sent all simians to scan earth.

Bade us Sugreev not to leave

Stone unturned to search Seetha.

Vanars are on global hunt

To nail the vile who snared thee thus.

Angad son of slain Vali

Marched with some of us southward.

Lost we way in vast Vindhyas

Groped in dark for several weeks.

Not to go sans breaking news

To our Lord who owed thy man

Thought we all to end our lives.

If ever it came to the crunch

Felt we should die exhausted

In search of Rama's dear Seetha.

Haunted by our own failure

Lost we hope of finding thee.

Low then we all felt to core

Lay we flat on mountain peak

Flew in then Sampaathi

Sibling of slain Jataayu.

Having heard his sibling's death

Spaketh thus the agonized bird.

Pray thee tell me O vanars

Who did kill my good sibling?

Angad then told Sampaathi

Trying to save Rama's spouse

Lost his sibling his own life.

Having heard the story thus

Sampaathi then told Angad,

With the bird's-eye view of his

Sensed he Ram's spouse in Lanka.

Having got the clue from him

Led us southward then Angad.

At the prospect of success

Enthused were then all of us.

Sea vast in time as we reached

Poured that water on our hopes.

In that Angad and the rest

Saw the mission as ending there.

But the urge to find out thee

Made me lunge that sea across.

Chance I had to see Ravan

Glad I met my Rama's wife.

It's me Rama's own Hanuman

Treat me as thine own servant.

Know am none but Vayu's son

Trust that Rama yearns for thee.

Lakshman as is wont of his

Is at Rama's beck and call.

Sent me Sugreev to Lanka

In the service of thy Lord.

At the news of thy kidnap

Sunk our vanar folk in grief.

Break I when the news to them

Know they all would jump for joy.

Hears as Rama thou are sad

Won't he itch to take thee soon?

Know am but the son born to

Anjana Devi queen of queens.

Married though she king Kesar

Womb hers was by Vayu blessed.

Valour of mine 'n conduct

Spread far 'n wide fame of mine.

Brought I thee as good tidings

Time thee look for happy times.

Ardour that she found in him

Made then Seetha trust Hanuman.

With the change of her mind thus

Rolled on her cheeks tears of joy.

With that bright look on her face

Shone she like a full moon then

Freshly out of grand eclipse.

Knowing that he won her trust

Spoke then Hanuman to her thus:

It's time that I now start moving

Pray tell whatever in thy mind

Treat I would as Rama's word.

Being none but Wind God's son

Strength I have to fly all worlds.