English Commentaries


5.53.3

The commentator refers to Kataka who says, ‘As the woods generate fire out of dry wood they created fire having tied worn out clothes around the tail of Hanuman and pouring oil on it.’ Another reading is ‘hutasanah’, which refers to ‘fire’ breaking out in the forest.


Time spent in search of Sita 5.53.15


‘Nisaksaye’ means ‘after the night is over’ which implies that ‘Hanuman must have spent many days in order to get an opportunity to talk to Sita’. The commentator discusses the time covered by Hanuman. ‘Ravana abducted Sita in the month of Phalguna. When the bright half of Asvin was over, messengers were sent at the instance of Hanuman as the specified dates are extended by a fortnight for the monkeys to report. Then on the first day of the bright half of Kartika the monkeys set out in search of Sita. On the tenth day of the bright half of Margasirsa, Sampati was sighted. Then the period of a month granted by Sugriva is over and the monkeys counsel. Later Hanuman leaves for Lanka on the eleventh day. Then when the night is still not over Hanuman sees Sita. Then on the twelfth day having remained in the place where Sita was, he sees Sita clearly during the night. As the night is incomplete Ravana meets Sita. There Ravana, announces, ‘O fair lady, (I grant you) two more months’ indicating that only two more months remain out of the period specified by him. His intention was to impress that only a short time is left over without referring to the months. Then on the thirteenth day early morning Hanuman talks to Sita and starts destroying the Asoka garden on that day. On the fourteenth day he starts killing the attackers ending with the killing of Aksha and burns Lanka’, or ‘may be on the full moon day’. Earlier there is a reference to the blossoming of Vasantika trees which relates to the words of Rama that four months have been over since he sent Lakshmana to Sugriva (this secret of time duration) was already known to Rama. Then Rama’s words on blossoming Vasantika flowers refer to the loss of the month (kshyamasa) and to the impending calamity.