Hanuman Sets Out for Lanka

The messenger Shribhuta flies to Shripura, a city of many Jina temples with a palace like Indra's, and the doorkeeper Maryada leads him to Hanuman's queen Anangakusuma, daughter of Kharadushana and niece of Ravana; hearing of Rama and Lakshmana's coming to the Dandaka forest, Shambuka's death and Kharadushana's fall with his great warriors, she faints, then laments, ‘Alas father, alas brother, how could Bhumigocharas (earth-bound men) kill you in the forest?’ Calmed by her companions, she, wise in the Jina path and knowing the nature of the world, performs the customary rites for her father.

Hanuman's brows knit in anger at Kharadushana's death, but when the envoy tells how Sahasagati had taken Sugriva's form and how, by a miracle, the Vaitali vidya fled at Rama's sight and Rama slew the impostor, Hanuman's face blooms: Rama, he says, has lifted Sugriva's clan, like a golden pitcher, out of the deep well of disgrace. His second queen Padmaraga, Sugriva's daughter, celebrates with charity and worship, so that in one house one queen mourns and the other rejoices.

Consoling both queens, Hanuman sets out with great pomp and many kings, his jewelled vimana dimming the sun, and the Kapivamshis (monkey-clan Vidyadharas) rejoice at his drums as peacocks at thunder; Sugriva decks Kishkindhapura with flags and jewelled arches, receives him and tells him all about Rama. Seeing Rama from afar, with long dark curling hair, lotus eyes, a body of perfect proportion and the strongest of frames (vajra-vrishabha-naracha samhanana), yet pining for Sita like Indra without Shachi, Hanuman, who had seen even Indra, feels his heart bow in joy, and Rama rises and embraces him.

In Rama's court Lakshmana, son of Sumitra, dark and clad in yellow like a cloud with lightning, sits with Sugriva, Viradhita, Sugriva's sons Angaja and Angada, Nala, Nila and hundreds of kings, and Hanuman praises Rama to his face: son of Dasharatha and Kaushalya, brother of Lakshmana, Bharata and Shatrughna and brother-in-law of Bhamandala, he strung the god-guarded Vajravarta bow at Sita's svayamvara (bridegroom choice), left his kingdom to keep his father's word and removed the stain from the Kapivamshis. Since the ungrateful are the worst of sinners, Hanuman offers his very body to Rama's cause, promising to persuade Ravana and bring Sita back, and Jambunada urges him to go carefully and quarrel with no one.

In private Rama gives Hanuman his message for Sita: his mind knows no peace without her, while she is in another's power he counts his valour as nothing, and she must not give up her life, for the wise do not die in arta or raudra dhyana (anguished or cruel brooding), and human birth, the Jain dharma and a peaceful death in samadhi are each rarer than the last. He hands Hanuman his own ring as a token for Sita and asks him to bring back her precious chudamani (crest-jewel).

Bowing to Rama and Lakshmana, Hanuman tells Sugriva to stay watchful in Kishkindhapura until he returns, then rises into the sky in his vimana amid swan-white chamaras (fly-whisks), wind-swift horses and mountainous elephants, watched by Rama and all. Gautama praises those who help others without any cause as beyond the equal of Indra, Chandra or Kubera, and condemns the ungrateful as fit for hell and nigoda (the lowest form of life).