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Continued from yesterday’s instalment
 ‘So it was you who coveted Sita even when I was standing guard!’ chuckled Lakshmana.
‘kakkindra en nedum kaavalin vali nIkkiya kaLvaa!’ You thief who dared to covet Sita on whom I was standing guard!
‘pOkku indru unakku aridhaam.’ There is no escape for you today, now that you have come within my sight.
The duel that ensued was quite fierce, both the contenders being of equal prowess. Lakshmana ruled the field but Ravana, the cunning monster had his way and broke the quiver of Lakshmana, making it impossible at least for a time for him to parry the arrows of Ravana with his own.
‘vaangum saram vaangaa vagai aRuththaan aRam maRuththaan,’ says the Poet. He broke the arrow case of Lakshmana, thus making it not possible for him (for a time) to respond quickly with his arrows.
Now this is a precarious situation. Lakshmana would not beat a retreat and he needed time to gather his weapons and get ready to face the demon. Who would imagine that Ravana would have the chivalry that Rama is going to display at the end of the war that day and refrain from engaging Lakshmana in battle! When he continues to shoot his arrows, what was the way out!
It was here that the ingenuity of Hanuman that came in handy. He quickly assessed the situation and swung into action. ‘Stop this!’ he roared.
‘poip pOr sila puriyEl,’ Do not indulge in unfair tactics. So saying he walked to the chariot of Ravana and
said,’ ip pOr ozhi.’ Stop this for a while.
‘inip pOr uLa.’ There are a number of battles to come.
‘ivai kEL.’ Listen to this.
 A word of praise is all that an egotist needs to put his mind away from the immediate job in hand. Just sing his glory for a while and tickle his ego and he would dance to your tunes. Hanuman knew this secret and he also knew Ravana’s thirst for listening to his own glory. He very tactfully used this.
‘vendraai ulagu oru mUndrayum,’ You conquered all the three worlds
‘meliyaa nedu valiyaal thindraai seRi kazhal indhiran isayai,’
and with your unparalleled valour wiped clean the authority of Indra.
‘dhisai thirththaai’ and quelled the guardian elephants eight with your physical might.
These words of praise that too from an arch rival in the battle front went into the head of Ravana and made him really heady. Hanuman very tactfully turned the praise into a taunt.
‘endraalum indru izhivu un vayin eydhum.’ He chuckled. I admit that you are Ravana of unequalled might. But see what is going to happen today. You would be enshrouded in disgrace today.
In four subsequent verses Hanuman builds up the tempo, starting with a seeming adulation and turning it into an insult, teasing the pride of Ravana. ‘I hear that your shoulders were strong enough to lift the Mount Kailash with the Lord. Now, listen to me. I am after all a monkey. Just, can you stand a punch from my fist?’
That set the mind of Ravana away from the immediate issue at hand. He forgot Lakshmana and started to have his exchange of blows with Hanuman, thus giving enough time for Lakshmana to get ready for the battle that was to follow.
More follows...
Published on 09th April 2002
Hari
Krishnan
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