Sundara Kãnda - Hanuman’s Odyssey - Page 118/126

Canto 65 - News in Brief

Followed Angad suit Hanuman

Paid he respects to Lord Ram.

Such was vanars’ state of mind

Spoke they out of turn they all.

Blabbered they all one by one

In bits ’n pieces what they heard.

Amused by their hearsay Ram

Heard them all for quite sometime.

Enquired in time Ram of them

What doth Seetha think of him.

At that they all passed baton

To Hanuman who was in the know.

Set to recap then Hanuman

Thought of Seetha in reverence

And turned southward to face her.

Taking seat at Rama’s feet

Handed him then that diadem

Given by Seetha for recall

And thus spoke with folded hands.

Pressed as I was by my peers

Crossed I ocean lay there south

In search of Seetha there yonder.

Reached I Lanka in no time

Land that ruled by vile Ravan.

Found I Seetha in distress

Jailed as Ravan to digress

From her love to thee her Lord.

In the hope of her rescue

Lingers she on in thy thought.

Never having had bad dream

Wonder how her life turned sour.

In tight rein is Seetha held

Day ’n night of vigil to boot

Of the devilish guards in scores.

Floor she uses for her bed

Curses Ravan for her plight.

It’s that Seetha in lament

Found I at length in torment.

In time I could impress her

That am but thine own agent.

How glad was she as I told

Hath Lord Sugreev turned thy friend.

Steadfast as she in thy thought

Prayed thee for long in reverence.

Told me she then that story

Of the eager crow and thee.

Beseeched Seetha then with me

To tell her tale of owes to thee.

Give this diadem to my Lord

When thy Lord is there with him.

Tell my Ram that I relive

Touch his as he adorned me

With this diadem my dad gave

To me on our wedding day.

It’s this one that makes me feel

As if thee are ever with me.

Gave though Ravan two more months

To change my mind or face then death

Prefer I would to end my life

At the end of one more month.

In her state of distress Lord

That’s how Seetha spoke to me.

Now that I made thee privy

To the plight of thy Seetha

Think of ways ’n means to take

Our force there to bring her back.

Felt though Ram then so sad

Spouse his was in such distress

Yet he felt glad that Hanuman

Could show him the way to her.