|
 Hanuman had seen Ravana just a few hours before, when he was sleeping. He lost his balance for a moment and thought of killing Ravana while he slept. He clenched his fist, ground his teeth and rose up in anger. He was about to kill Ravana. Being the very embodiment of wisdom, his intellect diffused his emotions. He says to himself, 'ondru ookki ondru izaiththal unarvu udamaikku uriththu andral' I was ordered to do something. It is not proper for me to do something else that I have not been told. And, this act - being an act of impulse - would be against all established orders.' Had he killed Ravana, it could have complicated matters. Or it could have also made matters simple. But acting on impulse is just unknown to Hanuman. There are three occasions in Sundara Kanda when he seethed with anger, almost on the verge to kill Ravana, on the first occasion when he was sleeping, and on the other two, by a straight combat.
Though he says that he should not do what he was not told to, he does things that he was not asked to, later in the Sundara Kanda. What can be done, what cannot be done and when to observer restraint are matters that are to be learnt from Hanuman. We will see these a little later.
Hanuman watched Ravana begging Janaki for her love. Then he saw him falling at her feet. He heard the lewd and lust-laden words of Ravana. He saw Mythili's distress at those words. He also saw her handling him aptly. Answering him with courage; warning him of his misdeed and the consequence and advising him of the baseness of his desire. She had actually pulled out a blade of grass and was addressing it, instead of speaking to Ravana, implying that he was no more than a worthless blade of grass for her.
 Hanuman was once again angered and wanted to pounce on Ravana, kill him there and then and return to Sri Rama, carrying Sita with him. It is difficult for anyone of Hanuman's stature to resist such a temptation. You know that something is within your power. But you are sure that it is not within your limits. Circumstances are compelling you to do such a thing. What will you do? Will you take such a risk and do what is not expected of you? Or will you do it against established norms? Which is within limits and which is not? This is a question that we will take up when we see Hanuman in Ravana's durbar, when he appoints himself as the ambassador of
Rama.
Well, for now Hanuman observed restraint once again. He waited till Ravana left the grove. Ravana left and when he left, he threatens Janaki of dire consequences, if she rejects him. 'I will go to Ayodhya, kill everyone there, including Bharatha. And then will root out all those in Mithila.' He ordered the ogres around Janaki to coax her; cajole her; threaten her. Just do anything to make her accept Ravana.
Hari Krishnan
More
Articles
|
|
