|| om tat sat||

Sundarakanda
Tattvadipika
"मदांधश्च न वेद"
Sarga 62

"मदांधश्च न वेद"
"The drunken ones do not know"
We hear through Valmiki,
'what the drunken ones may do'.

In Sundarakanda we see the beauty of Hanuman,
who shines in the role of a teacher.
We see Sita as the Jiva separated from Paramatma,
and Jiva's struggles of uniting with Paramatman.
That is the crux of the philosophical underpinnings of Sundarakanda.

We also hear through Valmiki many other thoughts.
Thoughts that remain etched as eternal truths
One such thought was heard in Sarga fifty-five.
In the backdrop of a burning Lanka
we hear through Hanuma,
what happens when one does not control anger.

Here in the destruction of Madhuvan also,
we hear similar thought echoing.
Vanaras in that drunken state,
forgetting that Dadhimukaha is an elder,
push him down and thrash him.

The Vanaras having successfully completed the search,
attributed the success of their mission to powers of Sita and Rama.
But apparently, they have already forgotten that.
The success went to their head.
The event of Madhuvan shows how fickle is the mind.

In Madhuvan Hanuma tells all Vanaras.
"Oh, Vanaras you drink the honey freely".
Hanuma was in happy mood.
So happy Hanuma gives an assurance.

"अहमावारयिष्यामि" -
"I will protect you from being stopped ".

Angada follows up Hanuma's assurances with his words.
" Oh Vanaras, happily proceed".
He builds on Hanuma's assurance.
He says the following.
"With the successful Hanuma's assurance,
"अकार्यमपि कर्तव्यं " even a prohibited act must(could) be done".

Referring to the ' कृतकार्यः', the successful ones,
Angada exceeded all limits,
while saying "अकार्यमपि कर्तव्यं ".
"works that shall not be done too, can be done".

There is a hint of arrogance.
There is an even more clear signal.
It is that they have forgotten the key to their success.
That success was due to blessings of the Supreme being.
With that arrogance in the air,
Madhuvan gets destroyed.

Hearing that the Madhuvan is being destroyed,
Dadhimukha, uncle of Sugriva comes in for protecting the enchanted gardens.

But again, Angada forgetting that
"अयं मम आर्यकः"
"this man is my elder",
and blinded by arrogance attacks Dadhimukha.
He throws him down on the ground pummels him.

Valmiki uses the word "मदांधश्च न वेद"
Blinded by arrogance one does not know.

Achieving a success in a task is no permission to indulge in a despicable act.
When the cause of that success is forgotten,
the resultant "अहं" becomes arrogance,
the arrogance makes one blinded enough
to be unable to recognize a prohibited action, "आकार्यं".

In this Sarga Valmiki reminds us of that truth.

Now we hear the story in Valmiki's words,

The Sarga starts with the line,

तान् उवाच हरिश्रेष्ठो हनुमान् वानरर्षभः(62.1)
Hanuman, the best among Vanaras spoke to them.

Hanuma says,
'Oh Vanaras! Without any fear, drink the honey.
I will prevent anybody who objects to your actions'.

Hearing the words of Hanuman,
the distinguished Angada replied.
'Oh Vanaras! You may drink happily.
With accomplished Hanuman's words,
even a forbidden work shall surely be done.
What to say of this kind of work (drinking honey)'.

The bulls among Vanaras,
hearing those words from Angada,
very much delighted, praised him saying 'very good, very good'.

All the Vanaras praising Angada
quickly moved into Madhuvan,
like the trees in fast flowing river.

Having seen Maithili and overjoyed with success,
they entered the Madhuvan.
ignoring the guards protecting the same,
they drank honey and ate tasty fruits as they wished.

Prevented by the guards, hundreds in number,
the Vanaras rising together,
beat back the forest guards in many ways.

Then they went back to their ways.

Some drank honey getting hold of honeycombs,
which are large like a huge vessel.
Some other were throwing away the half eaten honeycombs.

Some of the Vanaras drank honey to their hearts content.
Some others threw away after drinking a little.
Intoxicated by the chunks of honeycombs,
some others went about throwing those at each other.

Others hanging on to the branches of the tree,
finally rested at the root of the trees.
Due to excessive sweet drinks,
some of them laid down spreading the leaves.

Intoxicated Vanaras, like mad people,
were joyfully pushing each other.
Some were unsteady.
Some others roared.
Some happily cooed like birds.
Some of them screeched in delight.

Intoxicated by the drink,
some Vanaras slept on the ground.
Some laughed after drinking.
Some were speaking after drinking.
Some were thinking after drinking.
Some others did something else.

The guards of Dadhimukha protecting Madhuvan
were driven away in all directions by the powerful Vanaras.

Some were dragged with their knees and thrown into the sky.
Greatly disturbed, the guards went and spoke to Dadhimukha.
'Permitted by Hanuman, the Vanaras destroyed the Madhuvan.
We were forcefully shown the sky by holding our knees'.

Then Dadhimukha was angry with the Vanaras.
Having heard that Madhuvan was destroyed
he said soothing words to those guards.

' Come along, we will go.
We will prevent those arrogant Vanaras drinking honey, with force'.

The bulls among Vanaras, hearing those words of Dadhimukha
immediately went to Madhuvan with Dadhimukha.
On his way the Dadhimukha took one tree and went waving the same.
All the Vanaras too followed quickly.

The angry guards took rocks, trees and even big boulders.
The heroic guards keeping their leaders' words in the heart
went with Sala and Tala trees as weapons and rushed at once.
Then the heroic guards in their thousands
attacked the proud Vanaras,
who were on the trees and under the trees,
enjoying the fruits of Madhuvan.

Then seeing the angry Dadhimukha coming,
Hanuman and other leaders among Vanaras ran forward quickly.

Seeing the powerful and strong armed elder, Dadhimukha,
coming with a tree in his hand,
angry Angada held him tightly with both of his hands.

Angada did not realize that Dadhimukha is his elder.
Blinded with power, he pushed him onto the ground speedily.

With shoulders, arms hurt, battered, and soaked with blood,
that heroic elephant among Vanaras,
Dadhimukha, lost consciousness for a moment.

Quickly recovering, the furious maternal uncle of the king,
chased the intoxicated Vanaras with a stick,
trying to drive them away.

Out manned Dadhimukha, somehow escapes from the Vanaras.
The bull among Vanaras moved to a secluded place.
Then spoke to the guards who followed him.

' Let them stay.
We will go to our king Sugriva who is sitting with Rama.
We will let him know all the mistakes of Angada.
Hearing those words, being very furious, the king will punish them'.

'This wonderful Madhuvan belongs to the revered king.
Inherited from the forefathers it is inaccessible even for Devas.
That Sugriva will punish all these Vanaras
and their friends who are greedy for honey and are doomed.
These evil-minded ones
who disobeyed king's orders are fit to be killed.
That way our forbearance and fury will be fruitful '.

Having told thus to the forest guards,
the mighty Dadhimukha rose up into the sky.
Along with the forest guards he went to the King.

In a moment Dadhimukha reached the place
where Sugriva, the son of Sun god, is present.

Seeing Rama, Lakshmana and Sugriva from the sky,
Dadhimukha landed on an even ground along with his followers.

Surrounded by all those guards,
Dadhimukha bowed to the king,
who is the leader of all Vanaras and is a great hero.

The Sarga ends with the line,
सुग्रीवस्य शुभौ मूर्ध्नाचरणौ प्रत्यपीडयत्

"Dadhimukha with a piteous face placed his forehead
at the auspicious feet of King Sugriva"

Thus, ends Sarga sixty-two of Sundarakanda in Ramayana

|| om tat sat||
|| This is what we understood from Tattva Dipika of Shri Bhashyam, Appalacharyulu garu"||
|| om tat sat||