Week 6: Buck's Ramayana (pp. 219-324)Assignments - Reading Guide A - Reading Guide B - Ramayana Resources |
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Your Reading A for this week is Buck's Ramayana, pp. 219-270.
You might want to read over the previous
reading guide to remind yourself of what has happened so far.
p.
219. The vulture Sampati. As Hanuman tells Jambavan about Sita's abduction,
he is overheard by Sampati, the brother of Jatayu. Sampati is grieved to
hear about his brother's death, and he explains that he had seen Ravana flying
overhead, taking Sita with him to Lanka. The monkeys and bears decide that
Hanuman must be the one to make the 100-league jump to Lanka.
p. 225. The mountain Mainaka. As Hanuman leaps to Lanka, the mountain Mainaka, which had been hiding under the waves, rises up to give Hanuman a chance to rest. Mainaka had been hiding under the ocean in fear of Indra, who had cut off the wings of all the other mountains.
p. 226. The rakshasi Sinhika. As Hanuman nears Lanka, the
female rakshasa (rakshasi) Sinhika rises up out of the waters and swallows
Hanuman. Inside the demon, Hanuman crushes her heart and escapes through her
ear.
p. 227. Hanuman the cat. When Hanuman arrives at Lanka, he changes his shape into that of a cat so that he can roam freely. Lanka herself appears to Hanuman in human form. She kicks Hanuman, but he punches her back. Lanka realizes that the coming of the monkey is the fulfillment of a curse. Hanuman enters Lanka and sees the rakshasas there. He also sees Pushpaka, the flying chariot. Hanuman enters Ravana's bedroom and sees his wives there, asleep. He is not able to find Sita, although he briefly thinks Mandodari might be Sita. Hanuman realizes he will not find Sita by looking in Ravana's bedroom. Hanuman begins to despair when he does not find Sita, but his father, Vayu, leads him towards the aśoka grove.
p. 242. Ravana and Sita. In the morning, Ravana comes to Sita in the aśoka
grove. Ravana speaks sweetly to Sita, trying to seduce her, but Sita defies
him. Finally Ravana grows angry and leaves. The rakshasi guards talk as if
they are going to kill Sita and eat her. The friendly rakshasi Trijata intervenes.
She has had a dream about Rama in which she saw the destruction of Lanka.
p. 249. Hanuman and Sita. When Sita is alone, Hanuman calls out to her. Sita
at first thinks Hanuman is an illusion. She weeps when she hears him speak
Rama's name. Hanuman tells Sita about Rama's alliance with the monkeys and
bears and gives her Rama's ring. Sita gives Hanuman a message to take back
to Rama.
p. 253. Hanuman runs wild. After leaving Sita, Hanuman decides to make some trouble in Lanka. He uproots Ravana's lawns and gardens He makes the horses and elephants stampede. He kills the royal bodyguard and destroys a temple. Jambumali, the son of Ravana's general Prahasta, finds Hanuman in the ruins of the temple, but he is killed by a falling stone. Ravana goes to his son Indrajit for help, even though Śukra tells him that Indrajit is engaged in meditation. Indrajit captures Hanuman using the spell of Śiva's noose.
p. 258. Hanuman and Ravana. Ravana is enraged at Hanuman
and orders his brother Vibhishana to
chop off his head, but Vibhishana refuses. Ravana orders that Hanuman's tail
be set on fire, but when Hanuman breaks free this means that he is able to
set all of Lanka on fire. Hanuman is worried that Sita might have been harmed,
but she is safe in the aśoka grove. Hanuman tells Sita that Rama will soon
come for her, and Sita gives Hanuman a pearl to take back to Rama.
p. 265. The Honey Park. Prince Angada is
delighted when Hanuman returns with news of Sita. The monkeys and bears go
back to Kishkindha with
their news. On the way, they pass through the Honey Park, where they all get
riotously drunk on Sugriva's honey
wine. The keeper of the park, Dadhimukha,
is outraged. He goes to tell Sugriva what is happening, but Sugriva is not
angry. Instead, he is happy that they have found Sita. Hanuman tells Rama that
SIta remains faithful to him. He gives Rama the pearl entrusted to him by Sita,
and urges Rama to rescue her and kill Ravana.
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