|| om tat sat||

Sundarakanda
Sarga 6

Tattvadipika
Riches of Hanuman

The story line of sixth Sarga is about the riches.
ऋद्धिमतां ऋद्धि, Riches of the rich.
Riches of of the city of Lanka.
Riches of the palaces in Lanka,
Riches of the Rakshasa men and women in Lanka.
Seeing that palace, Valmiki says, Hanuman thought "लंकाभरणमित्येव".
That palace is like a jewel of Lanka!
The poet also says Hanuman saw ऋद्धिमतां तॆषां ऋद्धिं -,
riches of those rich Rakshasas.
Thus searching for Sita and seeing the riches on display
Hanuman enters the palace of Ravana,

Thus in Sarga six Valmiki describes the riches on display in a very great detail.

But while starting on the description of the riches of Ravana ,
Valmiki says in the beginning of the Sarga,
अससादाध लक्ष्मीवान् राक्षसॆंद्र निवॆशनम्",
referring to Hanuman as लक्ष्मीवान्.
लक्ष्मीवान् meaning a person of riches or person rolling in riches.

While entering Lanka,
Hanuman entered in a form that is - "वृषदंशकमात्रः" (2.49) to look inconspicuous.
Meaning that Hanuman entered Lanka in a form equal to that of a small cat !

Then that Hanuman with his size reduced to that of a small cat entered Lanka.
Lanka was looking like- दिवि दॆवपुरीं यथा (2.18)- the city of gods.

Here Valmiki describes that "वृषदंशकमात्रः" Hanuman as "लक्ष्मीवान् ".
That means Hanuman is described as a person rolling in riches !

Apart from the obvious incongruity of the surroundings,
which are described in superlative terms of riches,
one would wonder why is Valmiki keeps referring to Hanuman as one "rolling in riches".

What are those riches of Hanuman ?

Hanuman's riches become obvious when we look at his achievements.

- Endowed with धृतिर् दृष्टिः मतिर् दाक्ष्यं (1.189),
Hanuman leaped over the ocean and reached Lanka overcoming all the obstacles.
Having those qualities "fortitude, vision, intelligence and dexterity",
with which he overcomes all the obstacles is indeed a wealth.

- Hanuman standing on the Trikuta mountain
looked at "मनसेव कृतां " city of Lanka,
which was "built in his mind" by Viswakarma.
That is like being able to perceive the gross body ( Lanka) as being different from the "Self".
That ability of perceiving the body and Self as different is a richness of Hanuman
- Knowing that Self is different from Gross body is a richness

- In the search for "Self" one has to kill the ego.
Hanuman kills the Ogress Lankini who represented that ego and then entered Lanka.
That is also richness of Hanuman.

- The mind continues to create an image of "Self" as being part of the gross body complex.
To overcome that imagery requires a capability.
Killing of Lankini is a demonstration of that capability.
That capability is also a richness of Hanuman.

- In the search for Sita, Hanuman sees many wonderful things which did amaze Hanuman.
But Hanuman continued in his search and reached the palace of Ravana.
Not being distracted by physical and enticing distractions and
focus on his search for "Self" is another richness of Hanuman.

- To be able to look inwards in search of "Self" is also a richness of Hanuman.

- Knowing the ways of the mind ,
controlling that "mind" in search of "Self" is indeed a rich capability.

These are all the riches of Hanuman.

Thus calling "वृषदंशकमात्रः cat sized Hanuman as,
- "लक्ष्मीवान् -"rolling in riches" is entirely appropriate .

But the poet is also making an important point.

That is that the external riches are not the real riches.
The internal riches are the real riches.
Calling Hanuman "लक्ष्मीवान् " is only to point that out.

||om tat sat ||
|| This is what we understood from the Tattvadipika of Shri Bhashyam Appalacharyulu garu||
|| om tat sat||