Sundarakanda Chapter 1-5

Sundara Kandam - A commentary By Venkataraman Rajagopalan

Before starting to read Sundarakandam, It is necessary to chant or read Dhyana Slokas given in English meaning for you to understand and read.

DHYAANA SLOKAS

· As I am embarking on this reading of Sundarakandam, no obstacles in any form should come, Lord Ganesha

· Please give me the knowledge to understand , Mother Saraswathi

· Pranaams to the poet Vaalmeeki , who chants always Rama naama

· Oh, the  great Poet, Vaalmeeki, who is the master lion in the forest of poetry though lot of poets are roaming in the form of lions ,

· listening to or reading the Ramayan story written by you, will bless people with happiness and prosperity and mental peace.

As we read the Ramayanam ,which gives the effect of drinking nectar, given to us by Sage Valmiki, our namaskaarams to him. The epic is like a continuous string of valuable diamonds and costly stones, giving full brightnesss to our future.

Further our namaskarams to Anjaneyar who dispelled the darkness and brought brightness to Sita in her hopeless situation. He crossed all the surmountables on the way, went inside the impenetrable and well guarded fort  of Sri Lanka, saw Sita in the midst of demonish ladies, comforted Sita with his carefully thought out words and action, confronted successfully Ravana’s army , saw Ravana, and finally with the fire put in his tail, burnt plenty of places in Lanka thus paving way for Ravana’s death through the arrival of Rama later.

Let Hanumanji be by the side of us guiding us fully.

Namaskarm to him.

I pray to Anjaneyar who keeps both the hands in reverence and tears roll down from his eyes wherever Ramayanam is chanted or Rama’s story is told, since he remembers vividly the sufferings Sita underwent

In the midst of the Rakshasis because he alone has witnessed the happenings at Lanka and no body else knows and feel for it.  Let all our problems also big and small come to end and we will be ever  with all happiness, due to the continuous and comforting presence of Anjaneya with us and in the midst of us all the time.

With all these effects coming to us due to our efforts, let us start the reading. 

SRI RAAMA JAYARAAMA JAYA JAYA RAAMA

Chapter 1

Now, we are entering into the Sundarakandam, travelling along with Aanjaneyar.

Just as for sugarcane juice, we extract the juice fron the cane crushed, leaving off remaining fibres, same way we go through the content meaning leaving behind the poetic descriptions of the surroundings and people coming in the original text. Let Sage Valmiki permit us to do . At the end of each chapter I will write what lessons we can derive from the activities of Aanjaneyar in that chapter, as relevant to realities and difficulties in our life and how He stays with us giving his blessings and protection. Go through the few lines there to realise taking us to find solutions to all  our problems and get happiness .

Aanjaneyar jumps to cross the ocean

Aanjaneyar climbs up the Gandhamadhana mountain near the seashore and prays to Rama to bless him to give strength to jump across the ocean to reach Lanka where Ravana must have kept Sita Amma in custody.He prayed all the elders in his team to bless him to come back successfully in the task assigned to him, specifically stating that he will find Sita amma and then only he will come back otherwise, he will jump into the ocean and leave his life. His crossing the ocean was seen with devotion and awe by Rishis, Sages and Devas and all of them blessed him. When he was flying across with both his hands stretched it looked as though Garuda was flying with stretched wings.

The Ocean King asked the Mainaaka mountain to raise it’s height to help Aanjaneyar take rest and have fruits and then go further. Accordingly the mountain requested Aanjaneyar who thankfully refused stating his concentration is fully on his mission only.

Then Indra wants to test Aanjaneyar’s level of concentration and commitment and he deputes an apsaras named Surasa to confront Aanjaneyar. She yells that she is very hungry and will eat him,so he has to get into her mouth. He made his body size very small ,enters her mouth and once he reaches inside her he gets into his full size and tears off the lady and kills her. She blesses him and gets back to Indralokam.

In his further journey, he encounters another obstacle in a Raakshasee , Simhika She is capable of holding a person by locking his shadow. He first respects her as a lady and so he will not fight but on her insistence, he fights and kills her.She also gets rid of curse she was undergoing.

At a distance he could see the shores of Lanka. To avoid anyone from noticing his entry into Lanka , he takes the size of a small monkey and lands on the top of the Thrikoota mountain.

Our lesson:

When you embark on a mission lot of obstacles will come to stop you, divert you from various people including so called good people and even your own people. Do not succumb to any pressure or diversion thereby losing focus and concentration, since achieving your goal is most important. With Divine blessings and elders best wishes, and Aanjaneyar’s guidance You will be successful.

Thus the first chapter of Sundarakandam is completed

Jaya Sri Aanjaneya

Chapter 2

Waiting for the nightfall

Sitting at the top of the mountain Aanjaneyar could get the overall view of Ravana’s country. The enormity, fertility, beauty and fully developed country were making him think in different fashion, With Rama and the large army of Sugreeva will not easily overcome the might of Ravana and Lanka. Crossing the barrier of ocean and entering Lanka, we must have a prestudied and analysed idea of their logistics, army strength and the strong and weak points in them and also in this country. I must with the blessings of Rama should move in this direction during my being here apart from searching for Sita Amma. With the inputs I can pick up here and convey to Rama he can devise ways to face it, overcome it successfully. Thinking in this way, night has come and and to enter Lanka without anyone noticing him, he reduced himself as a small monkey and entered Lanka. He was made to wonder at the stunningly beautiful Lanka.

Our Lesson : His task was to search for Sita Amma and not to get lost in the goodness of things there. Being highly intelligent and courage ,as he thought , we a;sp should before entering into action, study the pros and con of the actions and precaution we should take . All these thoughts are inputs to our mind blessed by Aanjaneyar’s blessings to achieve what we want successfully

Thus the second chapter of Sundarakandam is completed

Jaya Sri Aanjaneya

Chapter 3

Conquering the Lanka Entry point Chief of Security

As Aanjaneyar enters the city, while appreciating the beauty of Lanka, Lankini ,a violent and dreadful demoness shouted at him “ I am the guardian of the city, O Monkey, you cannot enter, go away” , He said “ I came to see the beauty of the place and go around, then I will go back” . She said he would lose his life if he moved forward. She pushed him aside and he fell down. Immediately he thought he should avoid fighting with a lady, henced he used his left hand and pushed herstrongly. She understood that he was not a small monkey as he looked. With folded hands, she told him she has a boon from Lord Brahma that oneday a monkey would come and overpower her and from that the bad and difficult time would begin for Lanka. She allowed him to go inside and go around as he wished. Thus Aanjaneya enters the Lanka.

Lesson : 3

Aanjaneya felt a male should respect a lady even under trying circumstances and treat her with honour. Also one should be compassionate with one and all, making sure that our aim or goal is not getting diverted.

Here ladies are to be respected ever, because they carry exclusively the Gifts of God by way of two responsibilities, namely bearing and giving birth to an offspring and feed the child with most pure and healthy Mother’s milk. Let ladies recognize and respect the responsibilities assigned to them not as a right but as gift from the Almighty.

Real Puja to God is not just praying to idol and offer flowers and prasadams but to recognize and give high value to His intention in the physical features of women and they are not for maligning as objects for abuse and enjoyment and pleasure .

Ladies also should respect accordingly and not show them as their personal assets for gain and superiority.

Hence Aanjaneyar will be with those who realise “Divinity in Motherhood should always be respected “

Thus the third chapter of Sundarakandam is completed

Jaya Sri Aanjaneya

Chapter 04

First inside view of Lanka

Even in the night, Aanjaneyar saw the city full of palaces, lighted fully,and the air filled with fragrance of various flowers and the scent enjoyable to one and  all to smell. He started jumping from one building to the next and  started viewing around. He was able to listen to nice and soothing sounds of Golusu worn  by  dancers, music pleasant to the ears.

Also he heard the Veda chanting and shouts of slogans in praise of Ravana.Thus all the people were engaged in their own way.   Amongst them, he could see many lame and disabled citizens also enjoying and participating in the above.

At a higher elevation, he could see the majestic palace of Ravana., full of artistic sculptures and various designs of high workmanship. High rise walls protecting and going around the palace, an array of armed soldiers inside with the palace protected by dreadfully looking Rakshasas. Aanjaneyar entered the protected area of the palace, namely the king’s harem. The area was filled with aroma of various flower fragrances, attracting anyone coming within the area.

Lesson – 4:

The high level of artmanship, technical expertise of basic science and implementation to various applications are amazing. Their handling of various metals like Gold, Silver, Ferrous metals and also diamonds and other costly gems

vividly indicate the presence of mines of all these, handling capabilities and trained artisans were there in abundance. What a level of knowledge our ancestors had at that time.Civil engineering was at a  high level in planning and executions. These are some of the thoughts provoked in us by Aanjaneyar and for this, a special pranams to him.

Thus the Fourth chapter of Sundarakandam is completed

Jaya Sri Aanjaneya
Chapter 05

Search starts all around the city

The clear and intense rays of the moon falls on all the buildings of the peaceful but active city. Ladies are happily spending time with their husbands. Rakshasaas drink crossing their limits due to which streaking, yelling and meaningless shoutings emanate from them. Everyone was behaving to his liking with no hold. Seeing all these, Aanjaneyar felt Veera lakshmi, Dhairya Lakshmi, Dhana Lakshmi and Sowbhaagya Lakshmi all are present there in Lanka giving full blessings to the people.

Beautiful damsels as well as dreadful and deformed rakshasees intermingle and play with rakshasas without discrimination and deriving full enjoyment. All these sights did not disturb Aanjaneyar from his search. He was more pained that in the unknown place, still he could not locate Sita Amma and goes out to search elsewhere in the city.

Lesson 5:

Distraction of any form or happenings we may come across in our path. Though they do slow down our journey, still we must concentrate and correct the path towards achieving our goal or destination . This is what the wisdom Aanjaneyar gives us to raise ourselves aboveall these and continue with full confidence that he is with us all the time.

Thus the Fifth chapter of Sundarakandam is completed