Hari Om! Parents,
We started class with the beginning prayers and then chanted a few verses from Nama Ramayanam. We chanted Buddhir, balam.. and sang the glory of Hanumanji.
We have been talking about the inauguration of Ram Lalla temple at Ayodhya in class telling them about being blessed to study Ramayana this year.
We started our lesson with Sundara kand. Hanumanji was the Chosen One to find the whereabouts of Sitaji in Lanka. He had been blessed with siddhis due to his tapas. After taking the Lord's blessings he rose into the sky increasing his stature to cross the mighty ocean. He was met with many obstacles. Mount Mainaka was the first one. He asked Hanumanji to rest on him for some time. Hanumanji politely refused the offer. He was in a hurry to take on the Lord's work Ram Kaaj. Then a huge monster obstructed his way and wanted to eat him. He tricked her using his siddhis. Thus, using his strength, quick wit and subtle thinking he crossed the mighty ocean and landed in Lanka.
Lanka was a beautiful island with white sands, coconut palms etc. He felt he should make his movements at night as there were guards around everywhere. He was met by a rakshasi first. She challenged him and Hanumanji struck her. She realized that the end of the rakshasa race was near.
Hanumanji then moved around the city enchanted with everything. There were a number of temples and palaces. People were busy with their work. Vedic hymns were chanted. He searched the palaces for Sitaji. There were lovely ladies dressed beautifully, singing, dancing.. He could not find Sitaji. He meditated on the Lord and came to a beautiful garden and thought to himself that this was the place he would find her.
He then saw a lovely, lonely lady sitting under a tree. She bore a pale face, her hair hung loose, her eyes were swollen. Suddenly he heard Ravana coming. He asked her to be his wife promising her comfort and wealth. Hanumanji now knew the lady was Sitaji. She bravely plucked a blade of grass and placed it in front of Ravana, refusing his offer asking him to surrender to Rama. Her purity and goodness gave her courage to put on a brave front. Ravana left angrily, giving her two months to heed his offer. The rakshasis started bothering her to agree to Ravana.
Hanumanji then decided to meet Sitaji. The rakshasis had gone to sleep. He took a little monkey form and started singing sweet praises of the Lord. He then appeared before Sitaji and introduced himself as Rama's messenger. Sitaji first thought it was Ravana In disguise. Hanumanji gave her Rama's ring. Tears started to flow as she remembered her Lord. Hanumanji assured her that Rama and Lakshmana would soon come to release her of her suffering. Sitaji gave him her jewel, chudamani to give it to the Lord.
Hanumanji then destroyed many parts of the city including Ravana's favorite garden except the spot where Sitaji lived. He killed many rakshasas including Ravana's sons Jambumali and Aksha. Ravana sent Indrajit, his son, to challenge Hanumanji. Indrajit was brave, he had performed severe austerity and won the brahmastra from Brahma. A fearless battle occurred between two equals. The brahmastra finally bound Hanumanji. He remembered his boon from Brahmaji and decided to remain still. The other rakshasas brought him to Ravana. And tied him up foolishly. They did not understand the secret of the divine astras. It would withdraw its power when Hanumanji was physically bound. Hanumanji stayed still and decided to meet-up with Ravana. He was here as the Lord's messenger to reason and make peace with Ravana. He felt sorry for Ravana. He was so learned but he had taken to his wicked ways. He introduced himself as the messenger of Rama. Ravana asked his people to set Hanumanji's tail on fire. He believed a monkey's pride is his tail. His tail was on fire. Sitaji heard about it, and prayed to Agni devata to protect Hanumanji. Hanumanji did not feel the effects of the fire. He was doing Ram kaaj, the Lord's service. He suddenly shrank his body and the ropes binding him fell. Then he increased his size and hopped from one roof to the other and jumped from one wall into another, setting major parts of Lanka on fire shouting Jai Shri Ram!
The spot where Sitaji was, remained untouched. Hanumanji felt happy.
Now he started flying back to his Lord to convey the news. He felt a little sad about all the destruction he had caused and so many people lost their lives. The vanaras, Jambavan and others were waiting for him.
Hanumanji conveyed the news to them and flew towards Kishkinda. They first went to a garden whose owner was a vanara named Dadhimukha. They started eating the delicious fruits. The owner was not happy. He went and complained to Sugriva. Sugriva asked them to come back. They gave Rama the news of Sitaji. Rama was overjoyed. Hw embraced Hanumanji with love and blessed him.
Everyone started to make plans to rescue Sitaji and defeat Ravana.
Ravana, meanwhile, summoned his ministers. He told them he did nothing wrong by kidnapping Sitaji. His foolish ministers supported
Ravana's brother and the wise Vibhishina was not happy. He was a devotee of Rama. He told Ravana he had done a wrong act by kidnapping Sitaji. He should make peace with Rama and return Sitaji.
Ravana would not listen. His pride and vanity kept him going on the wrong path. Vibhishina loved his brother and pleaded with him to do the right thing. Ravana would still not listen. Vibhishina took four of his faithful rakshasas and decided to surrender to Rama.
The vanaras saw Vibhishana and were suspicious. Rama consulted Hanumanji. Hanumanji had met Vibhishina in Lanka and knew about his good nature. Hanumanji folded his hands and told the Lord to accept him as a friend.
Rama embraced Vibhishina and accepted him. He performed abhisheka and crowned him king of Lanka. So now Vibhishana was officially the king of Lanka. The Lord knew that Ravana's end was near. Everyone started to work on building the bridge to Lanka. This is the end of Sundara Kanda.
Hanumanji was fondly called Sundar by his mother Anjana. This kand was aptly called Sundara Kanda glorifying Hanumanji 🙏
Values discussed
The shloka
Buddhir Balam, Yasha Dhairyan
Nirbhayatvam Arogataam
Ajaadyam Vak Pattutvam cha
Hanumat Smaranaaat Bhavet
We discussed all the glories of Hanumanji as we told the story from Sundara Kand. He had all these qualities and how we can implement them in our lives.
Discussed the four fold policies from Neeti Shastra in detail.
Saama- refers to peaceful strategy by discussing and resolving with the enemy
Daana-strategy of offering bribes or reward to the enemy
Bheda- strategy of creating friction within the enemy
Danda-strategy of punishing used the enemy using force
The four strategies are used in the order above in dealing with an enemy.
Hanumanji used danda first with Ravana, as danda.or punishing was the only resort to deal with Ravana, as he had wrongfully kidnapped Sitaji.
Vibhishina pleads with his brother Ravana to implement them before attacking Ravana. Rama on the other hand tried the four strategies in order to deal with Ravana. He sent two of his ablest messengers to make peace with Ravana and asked him to return Sitaji and surrender to Rama. Ravana was so full of vanity and refused..
Discussed the humility of Vibhishana. Being a rakshasa himself he was very different. After trying to reason with his brother Ravana to do the right thing he finally surrenders to the Lord.
Our next Balvihar class is on February 2nd. Snow make-up class is on February 16th
Pranams 🙏
Nirmala and Mythili
