Slokam 3

In the search for Sita, Sri Rama and Sri Lakshmana run into the two “garudas” (or giant eagles).  The Paramathma is guided and supported by birds and animals.  The only “humans” are His family in Ayodhya, whom He cannot ask for help,  Guha and His people, who offered Him their overnight hospitality and escort services.  His adversaries are the demons in the forest.  Right through the Ramayana, Sri Rama is put through problems only by His “fellow” human beings.  Ravanna is not only a demonic human being,  he also wears ten different heads.

The Ramayana is essentially making a very subtle observation that the Paramthma’s birds, insects and animals are the enablers and sustainers of life on this planet.  We, as human beings not only are living off the hard work done by these creatures,  but like Ravanna,  we are involved in destroying the very source of creation.  Putting these animals and birds to the torture of brutal death for food and entertainment,  we are demeaning ourselves to the status of demons.

It is not without reason that vanaras and birds constitute the army of the Paramathma.  The ones that can attain the status of being the army of the Paramathma,   must be pure Atma’s without any adharmic intent.  There can be no human being that can qualify as being anywhere near as pureof intent as the vanaras, birds, squirrels and animals. 

Is it not the highest privilege to serve on the army of dharma incarnate?

Extract from Wikipedia

In Vedic scriptures, Sampati (Sanskrit: सम्पाति Sampāti) was the elder son of Aruṇa and Shyeni. He was brother of Jatayu.^[1] He has the form of a vulture. According to Brahma Puran, Sampati is said to have a son named Babhru, who was swift and very well known. Sampati lost his wings when he was a child.

Sampati loses his wings

Sampathi and Jatayu, when young, used to compete as to who could fly higher in nilmatha. On one such instance Jatayu flew so high that he was about to get seared by the sun's flames. Sampati saved his brother by spreading his own wings and thus shielding Jatayu from the hot flames. In the process, Sampati himself got injured and lost his wings. As a result, Sampati lived wingless for the rest of his life.

Sampati in Ramayana

Sampati proved instrumental in Sita's search later on in the Ramayana. His role comes when the search party sent to the south, led by Hanuman with Angada, Jambavan, Nala and Nila exhausted, thirsty and depressed, reach the southern end of the land. They have the endless sea before them, and still no clue of Sita. Disappointed, everybody collapses on the sand, unable and unwilling to move or act any further. At this point, Sampati appears, openly talking about his fortune in so much easy meat arriving at his doorstep. At that moment, Jambavan laments out loud, comparing the morals of a vulture who would prey on the helpless with the vulture Jatayu, who defended Sita from Ravana.

The vulture froze as soon as he heard the word "Jatayu", and he asked to be told the story. After hearing of Jatayu's fate, a weeping Sampati reveals that he is Jatayu's brother, and that he hadn't contacted his brother in a long time. In gratitude for sharing the story, Sampati tells the party that Sita had been taken south to Sri Lanka.

The Griddhraj Parvat, situated in Satna district in Madhya Pradesh, is believed to be the birthplace of Sampati.[2]

Jatayu loses his life in trying to defend Sita.  The privilege of defending Sita is bestowed only on those endowed with pure dharma. Sri Rama personally performs the last rites for Jatayu,  so undoubtedly he is granted moksham.

Jatayu provides the first indication of where Sita might be.  Sampati appears at that juncture at which the vanaras lose all hope of finding Sita.  They are overcome with exhaustion.  Karma that is generated by a life of dharma always finds away to overcome the hurdles thrown in our path.  This is the experience that fortifies our resolve to lead a life of dharma.  Although a dharmic person will not be exempt from the obstacles of life,  there will be the helping hand of the Paramathma to provide guidance to overcome these obstacles. The swaroopam of Sampati is the show of the direct hand of the Paramathma to the vanaras who had put in their best effort, and were now lost and exhausted.  Sita is to be rescued.  She is faultless,  and pure. This is a  clear case of dharma being abducted by adharma.  The dharmic Pandavas were supported by the Paramathma, and He alone made the difference with His boundless capability and strength.  It is but the Paramathma that extends support to the dharmic Sita and Sri Rama and the vanara army in the form of Sampati. 

Sampati actually descends from his flight to feed on what he thinks are dying vanaras. He listens to their mission and immediately discloses what he has seen and takes flight again.

Dharma will always be supported by the supreme in any conflict with adharma. 

Hanuman is given the Ring of Sri Rama in order to identify himself to Sita Devi.  After Sampati provides the guidance on the path to locate Sita Devi,  the vanaras and Hanuman are energized with hope.

Just as Hanuman and the Vanaras are looking for Sita Devi with intense passion and focus,  our inner conviction should be evolved to stay on the correct path and be under the Paramathmas guidance to reach the goal of moksham.  Just as the vanaras are  guided by the Paramathma in the form of Sampati,  our true effort will never go wasted.  On the path of life, we will collect many pieces of true treasure such as self knowledge, humility, detachment,  awareness of the supreme,  independence from desire, independence from worldly pleasures etc. 

When we know what we are looking for,  when we go searching for them,  when there is no lack of effort, when the events of life are used to strengthen the resolve to attain the objective, then the endowment of moksham will be granted by the Paramathma. 

The ring given to Hanuman by Sri Rama is also given to everyone of us, so that when we reach the destination, we will be identified by dharma, peace, tranquility and eternity as one whose attainment is authentic and is  qualified for endowment.

The energy offered by the hope induced by the guidance of sampathi endows Hanuman with infinite energy and strength that carries him in a jump over the ocean into Sri Lanka.  What was the motivation of the vanaras to locate Sita Devi? They did not know Her,  they barely knew Sri Rama,  and most importantly, they were not expecting to get a reward on the completion of the mission. The vanaras were under a threat by Sugriva that they had better find Sita Devi….or else…….  But this “threat” was more to drive in the importance of the mission rather than an intent to punish the clan on failure. 

Whenever we are engaged in our daily activities, our dedication to the work on hand is often diluted because of declining motivation. The motivation is invariably be negative, rather than positive. The threat of losing job, income,  property is a big negative motivator.  Very few of us work under the motivation of a positive objective of contribution to the betterment of society.  These few have a motivation that is selfless, with no expectation of reward. They make a huge impact that is life transforming. It may be in any field of human activity. 

Most of us belong to a third category of wanting to make a favorable impact on society,  and also earn, name, fame, and wealth for ourselves.  Our good intent is tied to a reward.  This is a conflict that will throw a spanner in the process of attaining the ultimate objective.  Our mission is motivated by the reward.  When reward is the motivation,  we are constantly in the process of measuring the inflow of reward.  Since rewards (in the form of recognition and wealth)  often take a long time to accrue.  Many of us cannot continue without these motivational incentives.  We will stop our mission.

In spiritual endeavors,  the reward of transformation is sought on a day to day basis.  Spiritual transformation takes many many lifetimes to happen.  What is then the motivation to keep us going on the path,  step by step.  This is primary teaching in the Bhagavath Gita.  The Paramathma wants us to detach action and reward.  The motivation of reward should never drive action.  We have to learn to undertake this journey of life like the Vanaras.

For Hanuman the prospect of disappointing Sri Rama with the negative news of not finding Sita Devi was too much to bear. He could not bear to face the impact of failure of the mission on Sri Rama.  So he was intent on succeeding, no matter what the personal price to pay was.  His jump over the ocean into Lanka,  is a manifestation of the intensity of his commitment to Sri Rama. 

The reward is the attainment. The attainment  is to be motivated  without seeking rewards.

Once we attain this state,  of dispassion and detachment, and yet we continue to carry on with  our daily lives,  infinite energy will be at our disposal.  It will enable us to jump over the ocean of ignorance,  and like Hanuman,  locate the peace, tranquility and eternity of Sita Devi.

The slokam points out that Hanuman identifies himself as the emissary of Sri Rama to Sita Devi,  by giving her the ring  that he got from Sri Rama. He then goes on to cause havoc in the kingdom of Ravanna.  He kills Ravanna’s son, Akshakumara.

A lot of action is condensed into this one slokam. It is said that Hanuman tolerated the bondage of Brahmastra (aimed by Meghanadha, Son of Ravana). 

Extract from https://www.blog.sagarworld.com/hinduism/puranas-hindu-mythology/ramayan-ramanand-sagar/ramayan-characters/meghnad-indrajeet-indrajit-ravan/

Ravana’s son Meghnad was a brave young man. When he was twenty years old, he had prayed and offered his devotion to Devi (goddess) so sincerely that She had appeared to him and offered him a boon. Meghnad asked for a celestial, divine chariot that could become invisible. “I should be able to see everyone and everything but no one should be able to see me. I should be able to kill whoever I please.”

Devi granted him such a chariot and said that, “Seated on this chariot, you will be able to overcome the gods, demons, humans in no time at all. But if you confront someone who has forsaken food, sleep and feminine company for twelve years, do not fight him, for in that case you will be killed.” Devi also told him to keep the chariot hidden away and keep it a secret, and disappeared. Meghnad then prayed to Lord Shiva and received a boon of always remaining fearless.

In fact he became more powerful than Ravana. Ravana was very proud of his son Meghnad.

He used the Brahmapash (noose weapon of Lord Brahma) to catch Hanuman and he got entangled in it. Meghnad took Hanuman to Ravana’s court. Hanuman said, “I am an envoy of Rama.” To which Vibheeshan said, “You must not kill an envoy though you may break a limb.” So instead of killing him, the tail of Hanuman was set on fire. Hanuman broke free at the moment his tail was aflame, leaped over the palace walls, and proceeded to set the entirety of Lanka on fire with that flaming appendage.

Hanuman,  sets Lanka on fire with his tail.  He then jumps back to Rameswaram to give Sri Rama the good news that he had located Sita Devi. He submits the Chudamani

Extract from Wikipedia

A Chudamani (Hindi: चूडामणि) is a lotus-shaped, Indian headdress, usually studded with jewels.^[1][2] It is worn in the center of a knot of hair.^[3] The headdress derives its name from chuda (Hindi:चूड़ा) meaning 'bundle of hair', and mani (Hindi:मणि) meaning 'jewel'. Chudamani may also refer to ivory bangles worn by brides during wedding ceremonies in Gujarat.^[4] When a Chudamani is studded with rubies, it is known as an Aruna Chudamani.^[5]

When the native of Indra, Swarga (Heaven) was attacked by a Demon named Shambarasur, Indra sought help from Dashratha. Dasharatha along with Kaikeyi came to the rescue of Indra and defeated Shambarasur. As a token of appreciation, Indra gifted wings of four swans belonging to Mandakini. Indrani gifted her Chudamani to Kaikeyi and gave the boon that the lady wearing this will remain Akhand Saubhagyawati (she will die with married bliss) and the kingdom she lives in will remain unconquered.

Kaikeyi gifted it to Sumitra who in turn gave it to Seeta, Shree Ramachandra's wife. Seeta gave it to Mahaveer Hanuman as a signage when he returned from Lanka to Shree Ramachandra after finding Sita.^[7][8]

May we ever remain motivated to continue the pursuit of the search for peace, tranquility and eternity.