In Madhuvana
All the vānaras were eager to narrate the events to Sugrīva. They found the Madhuvana on the way. They were all enticed to drink the Madhu. After accomplishing such an important task, they decided it was their fundamental right to have a drink. Aṅgada and Hanūmān gave their consent. Everyone barged into Madhuvana. This episode is indeed to bring some humour. The vānaras are exhausted in their search for devī Sītā. The poet too is exhausted in describing serious and poignant situations. So for the benefit of both, shouldn’t there be some humour here?
The vānaras gate crashed into Madhuvana. They drank to their heart’s content. Intoxication prevailed.
गायन्ति केचित् प्रणमन्ति केचित्
नृत्यन्ति केचित् प्रहसन्ति केचित् ।
पतन्ति केचित् विचरन्ति केचित्
प्लवन्ति केचित् प्रलपन्ति केचित् ॥गायन्तमन्यः प्रहसन्नुपैति
हसन्तमन्यः प्ररुदन्नुपैति ।
रुदन्तमन्यः प्रणदन्नुपैति
नदन्तमन्यः प्रणुदन्नुपैति ॥Sundarakāṇḍa 61.14, 17
[Among the vānaras, some would sing, some would prostrate, some would dance, some would laugh, some would fall, some would roam around aimlessly, some would jump, some would talk nonsense.
While one is singing, the other would fall on him laughing, if one is laughing the other would cry. When one is crying the other would shout in joy, if one is shouting in joy the other would push him around.]
Is there a limit to Monkey business?
As the well known śloka goes, already a monkey, it has been made to drink, further a scorpion bites, and a bhūta has also entered its body! Is there an end to the antics!
कपिरपि च कापिशायनमदमत्तो वृश्चिकेन संदष्टः ।
अपि च पिशाचग्रस्तः किं ब्रूमो वैकृतम् तस्य ॥
That’s what transpired among the vānaras. Some wrestled, some slept, some cried, some laughed, behaved erratically and didn’t accept their antics. Meanwhile the gatekeeper of Madhuvana, Dadhimukha came in and tried his best to ward them off. They beat him up. Ridiculed him! Even showed him their rectum! ‘देवमार्गं च दर्शिताः’, maharṣi Vālmīki has called it devamārga! What an inside joke!
Then the vānaras ran to Sugrīva. They competed in enthusiastically declaring that they had seen devī Sītā. Sugrīva, Lakṣmaṇa and Śrīrāma were waiting. All of them are longing to narrate the whereabouts of devī Sītā. Everyone was shouting, “I’ve seen devī Sītā! She is in Laṅkā!” The only person who actually saw her, i.e. Hanūmān stood somewhere in oblivion!
एतदाख्यान्ति ते सर्वे हरयो रामसन्निधौ ॥
Śrīrāma asked them to narrate everything in detail. How would the vānaras know? They finally turned to Hanūmān and said, ‘O Hanūmān! Please give all the details!’ (Sundarakāṇḍa 65.4-6)
Another example. Even when they all ventured towards Laṅkā the vānaras continued their antics!
“The vānaras army set out to conquer Laṅkā and followed Śrīrāma. The vānaras hopped, jumped, roared, ran, screamed going towards the south. They drank Madhu and ate fruits along the way. They uprooted beautiful flower bearing trees and took them along! Some would all of a sudden lift others and place them on their shoulders! Others would throw someone in the air! By the time they were about to land, someone else would leap and catch them midair! Someone would make others trip and fall! Some would climb trees, drink honey and roar with pride! Seeing them, others would climb those trees in a flash! Immediately the ones who were already there would leap down! (Yuddhakāṇḍa 8.26-29, 62, 93)
The antics of the rākṣasas
The antics of the rākṣasas aren’t the same as that of the vānaras. In their conduct one can only find lack of refinement and crookedness. Even those add humour. Whatever is natural to them becomes the fodder for humour to us. It is natural to find lambodarā (hanging belly) payodharā (with breasts) among the rākṣasīs but what about the rākṣasas? Yes it is possible! Hanūmān sees such rākṣasas!
एकाक्षानेककर्णान्श्च लम्बोदरपयोधरौ ।
करालान् भुग्नवक्त्रान्श्च विकटान् वामनान्स्तथा ॥Sundarakāṇḍa 4.17
[(He saw rākṣasas with…) one eye, one ear, hanging bellies, breasts, smashed faces, weird bodies and dwarfs.]
Prahasta possessed a huge body and a befitting belly. Śrīrāma was amused when he saw him. ‘उवाच सस्मितं राम’ (Yuddhakāṇḍa 58.1). Atikāya as his name suggests was bigger than Prahasta. Kumbhakarṇa towered over everyone. His sleep, food habits, ugly form and weirdness are all fodder for humour. Maharṣi Vālmīki has portrayed him with a lot of humour and in great detail. When Prahasta was killed and Rāvaṇa himself tasted defeat, he realized the gravity of the war. He remembered Kumbhakarṇa.
Kumbhakarṇa
When the very existence of Laṅkā was uncertain, Kumbhakarṇa somehow was able to sleep happily! ‘सुखं स्वपिति निश्चिन्तः’ It was certain that he would not wake up on his own. Only nine days had passed since he fell asleep! He would typically sleep for six to nine months!
नव षट् सप्त चाष्टौ च मासान् स्वपिति राक्षसः
Yuddhakāṇḍa 60.17
[...he would sleep for nine, six, seven or eight months]
As per the orders of Rāvaṇa, the rākṣasa warriors tried to wake him up. As soon as he gets up the only thing he shouts is , ‘Hunger! Hunger!’ This was a known fact, so the rākṣasa warriors took lots of food with them. They entered his palace and saw him from afar. The sleeping giant looked as though a mountain had slept on its side! All the effort they put in to wake him up is strange. (Yuddhakāṇḍa 60.34-55)
“They piled up mountains of meat as tall as Mount Meru itself. To quench his thirst they brought in umpteen pots of blood and wine. They anointed him with sandalwood paste and decorated him with garlands! They lit incense around! They shouted, ‘Hail the mighty Kumbhakarṇa!’. They roared like thunder! They blew conches! Kumbhakarṇa didn’t wake up. The rākṣasa warriors punched him! They pulled his hands and legs! They sounded the drums! They played the mṛdaṅgas! They clapped, screamed, roared! In that pandemonium the birds flew helter-skelter and dropped like dead flies. Kumbhakarṇa didn’t wake up! The perplexed rākṣasa warriors took up various weapons like maces, pounding staffs etc. Those uncouth fellows brought in boulders to beat him up. Pounded him with the staff, beat him with maces! Uprooted trees and thrashed him! Punched him with their own hands! But alas! Kumbhakarṇa didn’t wake up.
This is the tenth part of the multi-part translation of the Kannada book "Valmiki Munigala Hasya Pravrtti" by Mahamahopadhyaya Vidwan Dr. N Ranganatha Sharma. Thanks to Dr. Sharada Chaitra for granting us permission to translate this wonderful work. The original in Kannada can be read here
