Reading Notes: Rama and Sita Part C

Sugriva and Hanuman

• Sugriva is a monkey-king now living in exile
• Rama and Lakhsmana listen to Kabandha's advice to go to the monkey for advice
• The monkey sent Hanuman in the form of a beggar to see who the strangers were that were approaching him
• Hanuman was the messenger of Sugriva, "the high-souled, heroic, and virtuous monkey who journeyed through the world with sorrow in his heart because Vali his elder brother had driven him away and had captured his wife"
• Rama knew he was Sugriva's counselor after his introduction and told his brother to be welcoming
• Lakshman explained the whole situation from exile to kidnapping to the beggar
• Hanuman replied,"Sugriva too," he said, "has been turned out of his kingdom;  he too has had his wife torn from him and has been troubled greatly by a brother."
• Hanuman agreed to help them
• Monkey took both brothers on his back and jumped his way through the jungle

Sugriva's Story

• Sugriva's brother is Vali and he is bad
• Sugriva's brother chased a demon down a mountain hole and Sugriva waited faithfully for a year. One day after hearing cries, and seeing blood he though Vali was killed so he filled in the hole and returned to his kingdom
• Vali came back after killing the enemy but the mouth of the hole was filled with a mountaintop and so he had a hard time coming out. He didn't believe Sugriva's story and thought the brother lied for the money and the kingdom. Vali took his brother's wife and the best of his monkeys.
• Rama offered to help and asked Sugriva to challenge Vali with a battle 

Sugriva and Vali

• Rama and Sugriva came to Vali's village
• Sugriva roared defiantly and Vali knew it was his brother
• Vali's wife Tara warns him not to fight as she hears Rama and knows he has a helper like none before
• Vali doesn't take her warning seriously/ arrogant
• Id like to conclude with this when the brothers confront:
• "Mark this iron fist, intruder: fatal is its vengeful blow,
• Crushed and smitten thou shalt perish and to nether world shalt go."
• "Nay, that fate awaits thee, Vali" spake Sugriva armed for strife.
• "When this right arm smites thy forehead, from thy bosom rends thy life!"

 Vali's Death

• Rama let the two brothers fight and hid in a bush
• Sugriva fainted and fell
• Yama was attacked by Rama's bow and whole forest trembeled
• Finally, Vali was pierced with a bow and died

King Sugriva

• Tara, Sugriva, and the monkeys cry over Vali
• Rama is praised for his victory
• Sugriva receives his right place as king

The Rainy Season

• Rama has to wait for the rainy season to pass to find his wife
• he has to go back to the jungle because according to his exile he cant set foot in a city for 14 years
• Rama poem on how sad he is
• Line that hit me "Her youth is spent in vain" this is the thing that bugs Rama most

The Armies

• Lakhshman was sent by angry Rama for no action taken by Survive on searching for Sita
• Laskhman threatened him with death, he was drinking wine and enjoying time with his wives
• Then, four divisions were then sent out to the north and the south, and eastward and westward, to search for Sita.

Sampati

• Monks looked everywhere did not find Sita
• Dejected and fearful didn't dare to go to Surgavi
• Found sampan, brother of Jayuti bird
• "Do ye repair thither," he said, "and avenge the rape of Sita and the murder of my brother. For I have the gift of foresight, and even now I perceive that Ravan and Sita are there in Lanka."
  

Sampati and Jatayu

• They flew too high in a race in the sky
• Jatayu got sunburned and fainted
• Sampati tried to cover him but got burned in the process and lost his wings
• Gods told him to wait for a noble cause and he would eventually get them back
• Sampati figured it might be Rama who give shim back his wings

Hanuman's Leap

• , Jambavan is the leader of the bears who are allied with the monkeys
• he convinces Haruman to go to Lanka by praising him as quoted below
• "his birth and origin, how the wind-god had begotten him and his mother Anjana had borne him in the mountains, and when he was still a child he had thought the sun to be a fruit growing in the sky, and sprang easily three thousand leagues toward it; how Indra had cast a bolt at him, breaking his jaw; how the wind-god in anger began to destroy the heavens and earth, till Brahma pacified him and granted him the boon that his son should be invulnerable, and Indra gave him the boon of choosing his own death."
• Devil tried to eat Haruman from the sea but he escaped her and killed her in the process

Hanuman in Lanka

• Hanuman dressed as woman and went to Ravana's kingdom
• He saw him sleeping with his wives and thought one of them was Sita but remembered she wouldn't be so dressed up and comfortable with another man
• He didn't find her in other chambers of the kingdom either so he figured she might be dead and sat next to a wall

The Ashoka Grove

• Ashoka grove tree guarded by rakhshasas is where Hanuman finds Sita
• "Fierce she-demons surrounded her, and some were of fearsome shape; they had dogs' heads and pigs' heads and the faces of horses and buffaloes; some were of great bulk and others were dwarfish; some had but one eye and others had three eyes; the ears of some hung touching the ground; others that were hairy were the most horrible to behold.
• SIta
• "Fasts and vigils paled her beauty, tears bedimmed her tender grace,
  Anguish dwelt within her bosom, sorrow darkened on her face,"
  

Sita and Ravana

• Hanuman is sad looking at Sita
• Sees Ravana come and persuade her with comfort and whealth in vain
• Sita rejects him
• She has a 2 month limit after which she will be tortured and killed
• Devils try to scare her she trembles and hides into the tree

Hanuman and Sita

• Hanuman approaches her and she thinks he's Ravana so he shows her Rama's ring
• Sita is joyfull
• Hanuman offers to carry her away but she refuses due to modesty
• Gives a token for Rama and a message about her two month limit as well

Hanuman Captured

• Hanuman gets mad and starts destroying the tree and everything/everyone around
• Shot arrows at, bound to be blinded with weapons, and brought to ravana
• Decietfully, breaks bonds to get out of the bond of one weapon before Ravana

Hanuman and Ravana

• Hanuman told the truth about who he was and why he came
• Ravana decided to set his tail on fire in anger 

The Burning of Lanka

• Sita prayed for fire to cool and it did
• Hanuman took the opportunity to break his bonds and run
• He ran to and back burning the palace, and killing many devils
• Regretted it thinking Sita might have did so finds her
• She is fine and he goes back with good news to get her

The March on Lanka

• Hanuman arrived with the news of Sita and the city destruction
• They marched together to go get Sita 

Ravana's Court

• Ravana councils with his people on what to do
• They are very boastful + prideful
• ready for war

Vibhishana

• younger brother of Ravana
• Tells him to return Sit and not go to war with Rama
• Ravana gets mad at him so he leaves to join Rama's army

Rama and Ravana Battle

Image Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fight_between_Rama_and_Ravana_2.jpg

                                                        

Bibliography:

Laura, Gibbs. Reading Part A: King Dasharatha. Ramayana Online: Public Domain Edition

http://ouocblog.blogspot.com/search/label/PDE%20Ramayana