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 Hanuman was waiting on the branch of the tree. Sita was weeping, wailing and whimpering at the threats of the ogres. Trijata ordered them to stop harassing Sita. After sometime all fell asleep. Janaki was not sleeping. She was being tormented by her heart. She has had enough of this. There was no strength left in her to take it any more. She decided that ending of her life would put an end to all woes. This is not the occasion to elaborate her reasons and the emotional trauma that she had undergone. I therefore stop with this for fear of digression.
She decided to commit suicide. Hanuman was watching her and was clearly reading her thoughts. He understood the situation in a trice and also saw his limitations. He was a stranger on the one hand, unknown to Sita, and a male on the other. He could not stop her by holding her person. If he did so, it would frighten Sita even more and would worsen the situation. The poet says:
kandanan anumanum karuththum eNNinAn
kondanan thunukkam mey theendak koosuvan
Hanuman saw what was happening and understood what was running in her mind. He was shocked. But he could not touch her for fear of its outcome.
He therefore appeared before her, bowing in obeisance. 'I, a slave of Rama, have come here on his order' was how he began.
(adaindhanen adiyanEn iraaman aaNaiyal) Just think of an alternative sentence that would match its appeal. Any other person would have started with an entreaty to stop the attempt to commit suicide. What ailed Sita was the absence of information from Rama and not the thought that she would not be rescued. Though her mind tended to run wild at times, she did not have the slightest doubt about Rama's arrival to rescue her.
Sita stopped at the mention of the name 'Rama'. Hanuman continued. 'He is distressed greatly at the separation. He knows not that you are imprisoned here and that is why he has not destroyed these rakshasas as yet. Do not suspect me. I am carrying proper credentials with me. I carry his message for you.'
 Sita could not believe this. She has seen enough of the illusory acts of the rakshasas. 'Is this part of another drama of Ravana?' Then she decided.
Arakkane aaguga. Let him be a rakshasa. Veru oor amarane
aaguga. Or let him be one among the Devas. Andrik kurakku inaththu oruvanEdhAn
aaguga. Or let him be the plain and simple monkey he is. He mentioned the name of my Lord that melted my bones, and brought me back to life. Let me listen to him.'
What is amazing is that the opening sentence is so short. Just four words in the verse. It introduces Hanuman. A slave (of Rama). It gives the information that he came at the behest of Rama
(iraaman aaNaiyal). The mention of Rama's name was by itself sufficient to stop Janaki from her act. The word
aaNaiyal (by order) emphasies that Rama is served by a team that is capable of finding her even though she was imprisoned in an inaccessible corner of the globe. It packs an immense amount of information in just four words. The right words to the right person at the right time. Never missing the mark. That is all the more important.
Hari Krishnan
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