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 The ensuing scene in Kamba Ramayana shows Hanuman in perfect control of the situation. He talks to his leader. Soothes his ailing heart and affirms that Sri Rama was none but the Lord Supreme who has come to the earth to establish Dharma. He says, ‘His hands bear the marks of the conch and the divine disc. I haven’t seen a single human who can equal him. I have the assurance from my father, the Wind, that he would come to save us when we are in trouble. He had also told me that I would know him by the strange kind of feelings of love, when I meet him. Such feelings fill my heart now and I have no doubt that He is the Omniscient. He will kill Vali. You need not have a second thought on this.’
But the leader was still not convinced. Hanuman then suggested the test. If Rama can pierce a single Sal tree with his arrow, it would prove his strength to drive another through the valiant chest of Vali. Sugriva brightened. This was the right test that he was looking for. He returned to Rama and told him: I would beseech you to go with me thither. It would put my heart to peace if I see your arrow piercing one of the seven Sal trees over there.
Just a two line request. The remarkable thing about Rama is he subjected himself to the test. He smiled. He understood the reason why Sugriva wanted him to prove his strength. The version of Valmiki, of course, is different. There we see Sugriva at pains to put his request across to Rama. Rama is subjected to two tests in Valmiki. To throw the bones of Dundubhi to a distance of two hundred bows or eight hundred arms length. When Rama did this – he hurled it over a distance of ten yojanas or eighty miles – Sugriva was still not convinced. That was a carcass after all. He wanted something more than that and requested Rama to undergo the second test!
"The carcass was thrown in the past, O my friend, while it was saturated with blood, full of flesh and fresh (having been immediately killed), by my (elder) brother Vali, at a time when he was exhausted and drunk. Having been stripped of its flesh, it is now light and converted into (mere) straw, when compared to its former weight…. The same doubt (still) lingers (in my mind) about the strength which inheres in you as well as in
Vali…."
Sri Rama smilingly subjected himself to the second test by Sugriva – in Valmiki Ramayana and the only test in Kamban – and pierced all the seven Sal trees with a single arrow. The greatness of Rama lies in the fact that he accepted his strength to be tested. He was too willing to prove himself.
But the point remains that Hanuman was instrumental in brining about a friendship between them, convinced his leader, blinded by fear and consequent mistrust and paved the way for a long lasting relationship between the two. His negotiating skills made both the parties involved that each stood to gain and that they had nothing to lose. It could not be anything else. For it was the Lord himself and Hanuman the trusted deputy who were the players in the game.
With this, we move on to see Hanuman the Crisis Manager.
(Concluded)
Hari Krishnan
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