The tale continues...
When we left our heroes at the end of Demons of Chitrakut, they had just started a long, bloody war with one battalion of Asuras who survived the decimation of the Brahm-astra. The 14,000 strong force had come to take revenge for the mutilation of Supanakha and to claim the head of their mortal enemy, Rama. However, unexpectedly, Rama, Sita and Lakshman were suddenly joined by outlaws and other inhabitants of Chitrakut who pledged their swords to the cause of Rama. Outnumbered 50 to 1, Rama tells his people that they will wage a guerrilla war against the Rakshasas which might be bloody and long but will ultimately lead to victory for the forces of good.
The second act is post the Battle. After a stunning victory for the forces of good over evil, Rama, Sita and Lakshman enjoy the last few months of their exile and are eagerly awaiting the return to Ayodhya and the life they were denied over a decade ago. This act also talks of the resurrection of Ravana and the resurgence of Lanka as a force to be reckoned with. But to deal with the Princes of Ayodhya, Ravana decides to take the less direct route of confrontation and decides to kidnap Sita instead. This is probably the part of the Ramayana that almost everyone knows about. The deception and the act that leads to the main battle of the Ramayana.
The third act is the brothers enlisting the help of the vanars, a half-simian race who live in the jungles close to Chitrakut. Already, their names and deeds are a part of legend, so when Rama and Lakshman come to seek the help of the vanar king, Sugreeva, they make one deal. They will help him regain his lost throne from his brother, Vali. In return, Sugreeva must help Rama and Lakshman attack Lanka and free Sita. They are viewed with a slight distrust but eventually win the vanar's trust with the aid of Hanuman.
After a pitched fight between Rama and Vali, Sugreeva tells Rama that he and the rest of Vanar-kind will help Rama fight Ravana and get the love of his life back. He then sends Hanuman and a few other vanar generals to recruit as many vanars as possible to Rama's aid. They set out to recruit the armies of Hanuman.
God, I can just feel this book building the pace for what will be the mother of all battles. On to book 5, The Bridge of Rama.
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on Saturday, February 13, 2010
at Saturday, February 13, 2010
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Armies of Hanuman,
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Ramayana
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