Hanuman Obhong : C'est La Vie

"Urine test?" the Moon started with an inquiry before continuing on with Sundara Kanda. "'They are not good at taking care of themselves, but they want to take care of others. For the time being, take care of your own morals, and let us take care of our own. C'est La Vie!' said a man who walks into a bar and orders a drink. He notices a drunk who keeps falling off his stool. The man finishes his drink watching the other man trying to get back up on the stool. Feeling a bit sorry for the drunk, the man tries to help him stand up, but the drunk keeps falling. The man offers the drunk a lift home, but the drunk can’t speak so the man finds his address in his wallet. On the way to the car, the man has to practically carry the drunk. At the drunk’s house, he pulls into the drive way and half-carries, half-drags the man to the front door. He rings the doorbell and a woman answers the door. ‘Ma’am, your husband is very drunk so I decided to give him a lift home.’

‘That’s very kind of you,’ says the woman. ‘Thank you, but … where’s his wheelchair?’

And back to the bar, Fred and his brother, donkey, walk into the bar. Fred gets the first round in and says, ‘I’ll have a pint for me and a pint for Donkey.’

The two men drink their pints and Fred says, ‘Right, Donkey, your round. I’ll have a pint of Guinness.’

Donkey walks up to the bar and says, ‘Two p— pints of G— Guinness p— please.’

While Donkey gets the pints, Fred goes to the toilet and the bartender says, ‘You know, you shouldn’t let him call you that stupid nickname.’

Donkey replies, ‘I know. He aw—, he aw—, he awwwwww—, he always calls me Donkey. C'est la vie!’

Then, a panda walks into the bar and tells the bartender that he wants to have lunch. The bartender gives him a menu and he orders. The panda eats his lunch, and when he’s finished, he gets up to leave. Suddenly, the panda pulls an AK-47 out of his fur, and shoots the bar to pieces. He then heads for the door.

The shocked bartender jumps out from behind the destroyed bar and yells, ‘Hey, what do you think you’re doing? You ate lunch, shot up my bar, and now you’re just going to leave?’

The panda answers calmly, ‘I’m a panda.’ The bartender says,

‘Yeah, so?’ The panda replies, ‘Look it up, c'est la vie!’ and walks out the door.

The bartender jumps back behind the ruined bar and grabs his encyclopaedia. He looks up ‘panda’ and sure enough, there is a picture of the panda.

He reads the caption, which says, ‘Panda–a cuddly black-and-white creature. Eats shoots and leaves.’

A chicken walks into the bar and says, 'A minster of the Emerald land, says that they are the first country in Southeast Asia to have a high-speed train. The bartender says, ‘We don’t serve poultry.’ The chicken replies, ‘That’s OK, I just want a drink. C'est la vie! Cluck-cluck!’

A man walks into the bar with a duck on his head. He says, 'Emerald Land's Prime Minister—oops sorry if I'm wrong—said that currently, many big countries are asking for help from their king, regarding world peace. In fact, according to him, the king allwas plays with woods, I mean, he was just a carpenter.'

The bartender respons, ‘Don't be mad, he is experienced one, just watch the talk and intonation, and... the reality. So, what can I do for you?’ The duck says, ‘Yeah, you can get this guy off my butt! C'est la vie! Quack!’

Well, c'est la vie. And so, we'll get the Sundara Kanda on.

Cobras and lions tore out of their holes and caves in terror, when Hanuman leapt into the sky. Trees rose with him and fell back on to the earth and the waves, their trunks floating like twigs on the surging foam. Before he arrowed into the outer blue, he seemed to hang in the air for a moment. His body lit by the last rays of the sinking sun, he filled half the firmament like a thundercloud streaked with lightning.

Then, he flew effortlessly through the soft sky, along the way of the wind, joyful that he had accomplished what he had come for and, indeed, much more. Some clouds reflected the ocean below and such a sight it was: Hanuman flashing through them, his hair fluorescent with the sunset, and flecked with sea green. At twice the speed at which he had flown to Lanka, the son of Vayu flew back to Rama with his news.

Once more, Mainaka rose before him, a golden pyramid, a vision out of the waves. Hanuman circled the mountain, crying out his success, blessing Mainaka, being blessed in return. He stroked the glassy sides of the mountain, in affection, and, folding his hands to that ancient one, flashed on. Soon he saw Mahendra looming before him and the sacred coast of Bharatavarsha. Hanuman roared his exultation to the darkening sky and the clouds in it. The ocean shook, and the four quarters. The vanaras on the far shore, waiting so impatiently for him, pricked up their ears.

Their faces lighting up, Angada’s monkeys scarcely had time to turn to each other when, with a whistling of airs and a quaking of the earth, Hanuman landed on the summit of Mahendra. He stood for a moment on that height. He beat his chest; he cried out long and ringing triumph, and thanked his ubiquitous father for being with him on his journey. Then Hanuman shrank back to his ordinary vanara size and ran down the mountain, bursting with his news and the joy of it. He met Angada, Jambavan and the others halfway, for they, too, were agog to greet him and came running up as eagerly as he ran down.

When they heard Hanuman roaring above them, Jambavan cried to Angada and his monkeys on the beach, ‘He has found her, or he wouldn’t roar so loudly.’

So the vanaras ran up Mahendra in a frenzy of hope. Pulling up plants and small trees around them, spraying the hillside with their joy, they scrambled shouting up the mountain. As they came they broke the most colourful branches from the trees and waved them aloft like a sea of flowery torches. And when they met the returning hero coming down the mountain, their excitement knew no bounds.

Angada embraced Hanuman again and again, and the others all bowed at his feet quaintly, with palms folded. Some of them had brought fruit and savoury roots, which they had gathered on their way up. They offered these to Hanuman, guessing that perhaps he had not eaten since he left these shores. Hanuman bowed to Angada and Jambavan. As the sun sank below the waves, they fell silent and stood gravely around him, waiting for him to speak. Suddenly, a smile creased his kindly face, and Hanuman raised his voice and cried, so every vanara heard him and that place echoed with what he said, ‘In Ravana’s asokavana, I saw Sita!’

The army of monkeys roared. They sprang high into the air. They turned cartwheels on the ground and the branches of the trees, and gibbered in delight.

The yakshis were celebrating their joy, the danced in waltz, and they were humming,

Eurus ... Afer Ventus ... So the world goes round and round

With all you ever knew

They say the sky high above is Caribbean blue

If every man says all he can

If every man is true

Do I believe the sky above is Caribbean blue?

Boreas ... Zephyrus...

If all they told was turned to gold

If all you dreamed was new

Imagine the sky high above

In Caribbean blue

Eurus... Afer Ventus ... Boreas ... Zephyrus ... Africus ... *)

The story is long. In its extant form, Valmiki's Ramayana is an epic poem of some 24,000 verses, divided into seven kandas : Balakanda, Ayodhyakanda, Aranyakanda, Kiskindakanda, Sundarakanda, Yuddhakanda, Uttarakanda, and about 500 sargas. We are nearing the very end of Sundara Kanda, but that's enough for now. And we will arrive at Yuddhakanda, then Uttarakanda, bi-idhnillah."

Before she go, the Moon looked forward, ''Since the sun rises from the East, it seems appropriate to start with Eurus, the East Wind. Dawn, the beginning of a new day, symbolizes a new beginning. Usually, the beginning of things can be said to be uncertain; people do not know what will happen on that day. It may hint at an interesting journey with different nuances, climax, mood etc. Men will notice that many days revolve around themes of nature and powerful forces.

After Ventus, African wind, strengthening of nature. Wind plays a major role, since the wind is said to change frequently, one tends to contemplate the uncertain habits of human nature. In many religions, the wind is said to be a guiding force. The wind shows that the 'uncertain' man can always depend on a power greater than himself. Instead of having to make our own decisions or follow the decisions of others, let us let go of the burdens of the world and let the wind guide us on an exotic journey.

Boreas, the north wind. This wind is depicted as bearded, powerful, draped against cold, and winged. The north wind is usually associated with angry storms and bitterness. Zephryus, on the other hand, is the gentle west wind. These two winds contrast and represent the two different sides of humans: the good side related to well-doing, etc, and the bad side related to evil, sinning, etc. Because of such a wide spectrum, humans are easily changeable and unreliable.

The world goes round and round, it never stops turning and revolving. Our knowledge, will continue to bloom along with the movement of this planet. However, there are those among men, who desire perfection, and sometimes, they force themselves to see the perfection, even though it is an absence. C'est la vie. And Allah knows best."

Citations & References:
- Ramesh Menon, The Ramayana: A modern Translation, HarperCollins
- Bibeck Debroy, The Valmiki Ramayana, Penguin Books
- Billy Brownless, A Man Walks into a Bar, Allen & Unwin
*) "Carribean Blue" written by Eithne Ni Bhraonain, Roma Ryan, Nicky Ryan
[Part 16]

Bahasa

Hanuman Obhong : Stigma

The Moon continued, 'When he was borught into Ravana's presence, Hanuman opened his eyes, which he had screwed shut as if in pain as he was hauled along the smooth floors of the palace. He saw Ravana looming above him: tall and darkly gallant. A golden crown on his head reflected shafts of light from pearl, diamond and ruby. The Rakshasa wore the same flowing white silk Hanuman had seen him in one morning. He sat very still on his throne above the vanara at his feet.

The scent of sandalwood-paste, with which Ravana’s body was anointed, filled his sabha. Noble, wise and terrible, as well, were the Demon’s eyes; they now searched Hanuman’s face curiously, fiercely. Ravana wore a necklace of pearls around his neck, some big as a pigeon’s eggs, and around his rippling arms he wore heavy bracelets of gold and coral. He sat on his throne of black crystal with his ministers around him, Prahastha, Nikumbha and the others.

The rakshasas of Indrajit’s guard had dragged Hanuman here roughly. But when he lay at Ravana’s feet and looked up at the gallant that was this luxurious Rakshasa, the vanara was dazzled. He stared at the Demon and, unable to tear his eyes from the king of Lanka, Hanuman stared on. He thought, ‘What cool, what handsome! Yet, he is evil. If he had not taken the path of night, the left-hand way, this Rakshasa could have been king of the devas if he wanted. I have never seen such presence, such power. But then, he is cruel and ruthless. He is a creature of darkness and his heart knows no mercy.’

Ravana, who had his name because he made the Triloka tremble, gazed down into Hanuman’s tawny eyes, gauging him shrewdly and swiftly, so the monkey felt his very soul being scrutinized. The Rakshasa felt a stab of fear, and thought, ‘Is this Siva’s Bull come to Lanka, as he swore he would when I hefted Mahadeva’s mountain? Is this Nandi come as a monkey to announce my death? Or is it Banasura come to kill me?’

Slowly, the fire that slumbered in the depths of his eyes blazed up to their surface. In a fearful glower, Ravana turned ten heads at his minister Prahastha, who had also just lost a son to Hanuman. Sibilantly, the king said, ‘Who is he? Where has he come from? What does he want, that he destroyed my asokavana and killed so many of my warriors? That he killed my son. Ask him.’

Prahastha turned to Hanuman who lay trussed on the floor, ‘Answer without fear, monkey. You will not be harmed, if you tell the truth. Did Indra send you here as his spy, or was it Vaisravana, Kubera or Yama? Or perhaps Vishnu, the enemy of our people, sent you? You are not just a monkey. That much is obvious from your courage. Tell us who you are.’

But Hanuman was not about to answer a mere minister. He indicated that he wished to stand. When he was helped to his feet, he turned addressed Ravana, ‘Not Yama, Kubera or Varuna sent me. Not at Vishnu’s command did I come. This is no disguise but my true form, for I am a vanara. I wanted to meet you face to face, Lord of the rakshasas, and so I razed the asokavana. Your soldiers I slew only to defend myself, because they came to kill me.

‘No astra may bind me, Ravana; for Brahma himself has given me that power. I allowed myself to be bound with these puny ropes, because I wanted to speak to you. Listen to what I have to say, and it may profit you, O Emperor.’

Ravana said nothing. He only stared at the monkey, waiting for him to continue. Hanuman said, ‘Ravana of Lanka, I have come to your city at the command of my king Sugriva of the vanaras. He wishes you well and asks you to pay heed to the message he sends. This is Sugriva’s message:

'There was a noble king in the House of Ikshvaku, whose valour and dharma were immaculate, and his name was Dasaratha. Rama is his eldest son. Rama is a kshatriya and a prince of truth. To keep his father’s honour he came to the Dandaka vana, to an exile of fourteen years. With Rama, came his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana. One day Janaka’s daughter Sita was lost in the jungle. In anguish, Rama came to Rishyamooka. There he met Sugriva, who had been driven from his kingdom by his brother Vali. Rama and Sugriva swore a covenant that Rama would restore his kingdom to Sugriva, and that in return, Sugriva would find Sita, wherever she was.'

Ravana listened, twenty ferocious eyes turned unwinkingly on Hanuman. The monkey went on without pausing, ‘Ravana of Lanka has surely heard of the valour of Vali of the vanaras. Rama killed that same Vali with one arrow from his unearthly quiver, and set Sugriva on the ebony throne of Kishkinda. To honour their pact, Sugriva sent out an army of vanaras to find Sita; north and east, west and south, he sent them. They are not the result of Darwin's delusions theory, but mighty monkeys of the race wayang purwa. Some fly through the air like Garuda, and others as swiftly as Vayu. I am Hanuman, the wind’s son by Anjana, and I leapt across the ocean in quest of Sita.

Imagine my surprise, great king, knower of dharma, when I saw the lovely Sita grieving in your asokavana. I thought, how can one so noble and renowned as Ravana of the rakshasas, Ravana of matchless tapasya, hold another man’s wife against her will? You are a person of superior intelligence; you should never have become entangled in such shame. Which deva or danava, asura or rakshasa, Lord of Lanka, shall stand against the astras of Rama and Lakshmana?’

Ravana still said nothing. Hanuman stared straight into his eyes in cool defiance, as no one ever dared to. The vanara said, ‘I saw Sita. I am surprised that a king of your wisdom harbours a serpent in your palace with such tender affection. Like the choicest food mixed with poison, even though she is not good at playing drama queen drama, but she will prove more than you can digest. Ravana, she will be your undoing. Heed what I say; return her to Rama who pines for her. Give her back today, she is dangerous.

You are a tapasvin. For one who sat for as long as you did in penance, what is a woman, even the most beautiful one? I have been told it was incomparable dhyana that blessed you with invincibility against deva and asura; and you vanquished Indra and Kubera. But Ravana, you forget that Sugriva is neither a deva of light, nor an asura of darkness. He is not a gandharva, a yaksha or pannaga. Great Rakshasa, Sugriva is a monkey and Rama is a man. Are you invincible against these two?

Think well, before it is too late and nemesis comes hunting you. Long have you enjoyed the fruit of your tapasya; but the time to pay for your sins is near. Will you be able to withstand the human princes and the vanaras, or will they bring you your death? I appeal to your wisdom, Ravana of Lanka. Remember how Vali died; think back on Janasthana and the slaughter of Khara’s army. Think of today, and what I have done to your garden and your army. I say to you, even I, who am just one small monkey, could raze your fabled Lanka. For I am on the side of dharma, while you are on the other.’

Ravana’s eyes were eloquent with fury; but he said nothing. Hanuman went on bravely, and calmly still, only quiet reason in his voice. ‘You think of Rama’s wife as being just another woman. But she is the deep and dark night that will eclipse the glory of Lanka; she will prove to be the end of all your majesty. She is the noose you have tied around your own neck, as if death is dearer to you than life. She is the fire of truth, which you kindle close to your deluded heart. Rakshasa, she will make ashes of you and your city.

Rama is he who can incinerate the universe. He can put out the stars with his arrows and create them again. Save yourself from his wrath. Save your people, your women and children; save this beautiful Lanka. When Rama comes, what I did in your asokavana shall seem as a trifle compared to what he will do. Not Brahma, Indra, or three-eyed Rudra will save you then.’

Ravana’s eyes flashed. Like some unthinkable beast of prey, the Rakshasa growled low in his throat. Softly, he said, ‘Kill him.’

But his brother Vibheeshana cried, ‘My lord, to kill the monkey is against the dharma of kings. Don’t let your anger get the better of you; you must not kill a messenger. Think of a less drastic punishment for him.’

But Ravana snarled, ten heads at once, his eyes on fire, ‘There is no sin in killing a despoiler and a murderer. Hasn’t he killed Jambumali, Aksha and ten thousand others? Hasn’t he desolated my asokavana? Haven’t I sat here listening to his taunts and his abuse, which no king would tolerate?’

Vibheeshana said quietly, ‘On no account should a messenger be killed. He is our enemy and he must pay for what he has done. Whip him, maim him, even; shave his head and scar his body with your wrath. But do not have him killed; the law of kings does not permit it. Moreover, he is just a lowly messenger. If you have him put to death, all you gain will be an evil name for yourself. Send an army against the human princes whose emissary he is. That is just; and not the wise will censure you, but say that Ravana kept his temper even when he was gravely provoked.’ The ten heads nodded slowly. But in his heart, Ravana wondered, ‘Is this Vishnu who has come as this monkey to kill me? Or is it Brahma, or the incarnate Parabrahmam?’ With some effort, the Demon of Lanka curbed his anger.

Calming himself, Ravana said to his brother, 'You are right, Vibheeshana; I will not have the monkey killed. But I must punish him for the havoc he has brought to our city.’

The heads whispered evilly among themselves; then, as they had an idea to stigma the vanara, a slow smile wreathed the central face. Ravana said, ‘Nothing is more precious to a monkey than his tail. Let this monkey’s fine tail be set on fire. Let him be sent back with a burnt stump behind him to show that he crossed my path. Yes, let the monkey’s tail be lit and let him be marched through the streets of Lanka. Let my people mock him for what he did today.’"

The Moon said, "But wait, I want to highlight the word 'stigma.' So, we'll pause the story for a moment. Thus, why stigma? ‘Stigma’, is a figurative noun that means a ‘distinguishing mark or characteristic (of a bad or objectionable kind)’ and a ‘mark of disgrace or infamy; a sign of severe censure or condemnation, regarded as impressed on a person or thing’. Everyday uses of the word ‘stigma’ draw on both these definitions; we employ ‘stigma’ to describe the degrading marks that are affixed to particular bodies, people, conditions, places, such as race, ethnicity, religion, ideology, etc. within humiliating social interactions.

When people use the term ‘stigma’ today, they also tend to use it experientially, to describe the debilitating psychological effects of being stigmatised, with a particular emphasis on how the shame induced by stigma corrodes well-being and damages your sense of self. However, psychological understandings of stigma often focus on individual experiences of being stigmatised in ways that occlude an understanding of stigma as a material force, a structural and structuring form of power. Stigma develops a more psycho-political understanding of stigma, reconceptualising stigma as a form of power that is written on the body and gets under the skin.

In the foreword to the 2016/2017 Amnesty International Report on the state of the world’s human rights, Amnesty’s Secretary General Salil Shetty warned that we are witnessing ‘a global trend towards angrier and more divisive politics’ in which ‘the idea of human dignity’ is ‘under vigorous and relentless assault from powerful narratives of blame, fear and scapegoating, propagated by those who sought to take or cling on to power’. ‘Across the world’, he writes, ‘leaders and politicians wagered their future power on narratives of fear and disunity, pinning blame on the 'other' for the real or manufactured grievances of the electorate.’

Stigma, the machinery of inequality, has many bad consequences. Stigma is the ‘vigorous and relentless assault’ upon human dignity that is a major characteristic of the current global authoritarian turn. Stigma is propagated as a governmental technology of division and dehumanisation. 'Stigma politics' plays a role in producing the toxic climate of fear and hatred that is enveloping and dividing societies and communities. Stigma power is crafted and cultivated as a means of leveraging political capital. This divisive politics gets under the skin of those it subjugates; this state-cultivated stigma changes the ways in which people think about themselves and others—corroding compassion, crushing hope, weakening social solidarity.'

Now, when I pressed the play button, Sundara Kanda would play again.

Rahwana nodded to his guards, and they ran out to fetch a length of cloth. They wound the fabric tightly round Hanuman’s tail. At first, Hanuman glowered; he bared his fangs and snarled at his captors. But then, he thought, ‘If I allow myself to be paraded through the streets of Lanka, I will be able to see the city by daylight. What I observe will be useful later, when we bring our army against Ravana.’

He allowed his tail to be wrapped, dipped in oil and set alight. He let Ravana’s guards drag him out of the palace, and into the dazzling sun. They hauled him through the city, while the rakshasas lined the streets, jeering and taunting him. Hanuman went quietly, as if no fight was left in him; his tail blazed, though he felt no pain yet.

The rakshasis of the asokavana ran to Sita, and cried triumphantly, ‘Your friend the red-faced monkey is being paraded through our streets, with his tail on fire!’

Tears springing in her eyes, Sita turned away from them. She began to pray. ‘If it is true that I have been faithful to Rama, true that I have kept my vows and that my mind has always been pure, then don’t let Hanuman, who leapt across the sea to find me, who braved every danger to bring Rama’s message to me, be burned by the flames. Let it touch upon his tail be as cool as the caress of his father Vayu.’

Hmm, this part, is similar to the story of Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon him, when he was about to be burned by Nimrod. In conclusion, if someone is trying to burn your heart and head, don't be mad or sad, but pray to the One Who created the fire, to cool them, and to help you.

At once, the fire was soft as sandalwood-paste on Hanuman’s tail, and Vayu blew gently around his heroic son. The vanara wondered why the flames that leapt around his golden tail did not hurt him at all. He thought, ‘My tail burns fiercely, yet I feel only a wonderful coolness, as if someone anointed me with tender sandal. Oh, this is even more marvellous than the mountain who rose from the waves. But why should I marvel? Varuna of the ocean is so devoted to Rama that he bade Mainaka receive me. Why should I wonder thatthe fire has decided not to burn my tail, when he knows whom I serve?’

Then, his wise heart informed him, ‘Sita prays for me!’

He felt he had seen all there was to see in Lanka. He gave a roof-rattling roar and, in a blink, Hanuman was as tall as the loftiest tower in that city. The next moment he was the little monkey of the asokavana again, small as a cat, and he leapt nimbly on to the nearest rooftop. The ropes that bound him fell away from his body in a useless pile. He leapt down into the street again, growing as he came, bigger than he had yet been in Lanka. Pulling up a pillar that stood at an intersection of streets, he struck out at the rakshasas who attacked him, felling a hundred; the rest fled. Great Hanuman stood roaring at the heart of wonderful Lanka and his tail blazed behind him like a quenchless torch.

Then, Hanuman sprang from roof to roof, setting Lanka on fire with his burning tail, while the wind billowed around him fanning the flames. Houses caught and blazed, and the palaces of the nobles, as the conflagration spread. Hanuman, roaring in delight, raced all over the city, touching it alight with his tail as if he lit a thousand incredible lamps. Rakshasa men, women and children poured out of their homes. All the city echoed with their cries as their fabulous dwellings, created by Viswakarman, crackled and burned. And everything within them, the spoils of a hundred wars, was consumed by Hanuman’s inferno. Priceless silks, brocades and tapestries were ashes. The gold of Lanka melted and flowed into the livid streets, and the hearts of precious jewels were snuffed out in the flames that enveloped Ravana’s capital. Their pillars cracking in the incendiary heat, mansions came crashing down.

When he had put much of Lanka to torch, Hanuman leapt high into the air and landed with a mighty tremor on the roof of Ravana’s palace. The vanara ran across that roof, big itself as a city, touching every corner ablaze with his raging tail. Ravana’s palace caught fire and burned like straw. The agni in the monkey’s tail was fierce, and exhilarant the breath with which his father, the wind, fanned the flames. The harems disgorged their delectable women, screaming above the roar of the fire and the howl of the wind.

Thereafter, he leapt down on to the white beach below, the cries of the stunned rakshasas still ringing in his ears. He dipped his tail hissing into the waves and put out the exceptional fire, which had not singed a hair of him.

He then decided he would see Sita once more before he left Lanka. One great leap and he landed in her presence. Her face lit up, and she cried, ‘Oh, Hanuman! You alone are enough to wipe Lanka from the face of the earth. You are mightier than I imagined. But fly now, good vanara, fly to Rama with my message.’

Hanuman said, ‘Don’t be anxious, Devi. Rama will be here in a few days with the vanara army. Until then, Devi!'

Sita said, ‘Fly Hanuman, fly to my beloved!’

Hanuman leapt back on to the Trikuta’s summit, and from there on to another mountain called Arishta. Now he grew tall as he had been upon Mahendra across the sea; he towered into the sky like one mountain standing on another. As he paced the hilltop, seeking a hard place to launch himself from, Hanuman crushed the rocks under his feet to dust and Arishta shook just as Mahendra had. Facing north, the golden vanara stared for a moment at the foaming tide far below. He crouched down, every muscle taut for the leap. With a cry that made the ocean quail, Hanuman launched himself into the air, and Lanka shook as if with an earthquake. As his body took off from the earth and began to hover in the air, Hanuman hummed,

Born free

As free as the wind blows

As free as the grass grows

Born free to follow your heart

Live free

And beauty surrounds you

The world still astounds you

Each time you look at a star

Stay free

Where no walls divide you

You're free as a roaring tide so there's no need to hide

Born free

And life is worth living

But only worth living

'Cause you're born free *)

Like an arrow, the vanara flew north over the waves, flashing back towards Bharatavarsha.

Citations & References:
- Ramesh Menon, The Ramayana: A modern Translation, HarperCollins
- Bibeck Debroy, The Valmiki Ramayana, Penguin Books
- Imogen Tyler, Stigma, Zed Books
*) "Born Free" written by John Barry & Don Black.
[Part 17]
[Part 15]

Bahasa

Hanuman Obhong : Ethical Leaders

"Why do organizations need leaders? And why do leaders in organizations not pay attention to ethical issues?" the Moon moved on with questions. "As you all know, ethics is relating to moral, right? Whereas moral is concerned with character or disposition or with the distinction between right and wrong which we call morality.

Ethical acts are based on moral principles that are universal, because they incorporate fundamental values such as truth, goodness, beauty, courage, and justice. These values are found in all cultures, although cultures may differ with regard to the application of these values.

Ethical theories, in general, provide guidelines for making moral decisions by articulating the moral standards which are the basis for moral behaviour.

One characteristic of moral standards that distinguishes them from other standards is that moral standards concern behaviour that can be of serious consequence to human beings and human welfare. The moral norms against lying, stealing, and murder relate to actions that can harm people; and the moral principle that requires human beings to be treated with respect enhances the dignity of the human being. The soundness of moral standards depends on the adequacy of the reasons that support or justify these standards. Morals or ethics go well beyond etiquette, protocol and even the mere observance of the laws of the country. It is not a question of an act being legal or illegal, but whether the act is good or evil. A LEGAL ACT MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE A MORALLY GOOD ACT.

So, why do organizations need leaders? Organizations have a structure; organizational members assume or are assigned different tasks, roles, and status levels in the organization in order to achieve this purpose efficiently and effectively. Organizational structures imply that there are leaders and followers. The leaders are expected to provide direction, exercise control, and generally execute such functions that are necessary to achieve the organization’s objectives.

In successful organizations, true leadership behaviour—in the sense of leading others–is more than the routine maintenance activities such as allocating resources, monitoring and directing employees, and building the organization’s esprit de corps. True leadership involves moving followers toward the realization of the vision that the leader has formulated to fulfil the organization’s mission. Clearly, organizations need leadership. Without a leader, the organization is much like a rudderless ship, adrift in a turbulent environment.

And why do leaders in organizations not pay attention to ethical issues? The greatest number of organizations that exist are in the business and government sectors, which, it might be argued, really are unconcerned with ethics or morality. The argument might be that ethics and morality are or ought to be the exclusive preserve of religious and, possibly, educational organizations. When morality intrudes into the business organization, it has the potential of diverting business leaders from the organization’s primary objectives and, as a result, causing it to be inefficient and to deprive stockholders of their due returns. Surely, the founder did not start the business to promote morality but rather to earn a profit and create wealth. Similar questions can also be raised about the role of ethics in non-profit organizations, including the government–the largest of all organizations in the country.

The beginnings of a response to these questions, can be traced to Aristotle’s Politics. Aristotle observed that the state comes into being to provide law and order but continues for the sake of good law, good order, and noble actions. In a similar vein, the 'raison d'etre' of human organizations–their structure and mechanisms, norms and activity–is to support some ‘good’ and be in accord with the ‘highest excellence.’ As Peter Drucker observed, ‘What is most important is that management realize that it must consider the impact of every business policy and business action upon society. It has to consider whether the action is likely to promote the public good, to advance the basic beliefs of our society, to contribute to its stability, strength and harmony.’

All organizational members bear the responsibility to ensure that organizational objectives are achieved in a manner that is consistent with these ideals and serve their own welfare as well as the larger interests of society.

However, the primary duty and responsibility for providing the proper direction and the high standards of performance rest chiefly with the organizational leader. Indeed, the leader is the soul of the organization. The leader’s vision inspires and articulates the organization’s mission; provides the basis for the organization’s objectives and goals; communicates the beliefs and values that influence and shape the organization’s culture and behavioural norms; and lays the foundation for organizational strategies, policies, and procedures. However, it is the leader’s moral principles and integrity that give legitimacy and credibility to the vision and sustain it. When the leader’s moral integrity is in doubt, then the leader’s vision, however noble, well crafted, and articulated, is viewed with scepticism by the followers, loses its vigour, and is incapable of moving them to work towards its realization.

There is an increasing realization today that business leaders need to become more responsible, not just to their stockholders but also to their other stakeholders–consumers, employees, suppliers, the government, and local communities. Although no one will deny that a business must be profitable, the sole preoccupation with profit to the exclusion or neglect of other considerations is no longer acceptable. Profits–once the be-all and end-all of business–are now viewed as a means to serve the larger interests of society, which, in effect, implies that business decisions should be based on high standards of both economic and ethical performance. A survey of human resource executives found that 67 per cent of the respondents observed that ethics would be more important for organizations in the future.

There is an increasing realization today that organizational leaders need to be more sensitive to their moral obligations to the larger society, which includes all their stakeholders such as consumers, employees, suppliers, governments, local communities. It is the recognition of these obligations that has led several large corporations to formulate codes of ethics, set up ethics committees, communication systems for employees to report abuses or seek guidance, ethics training programs, ethics officers, and disciplinary processes. The code of ethics can be an important reminder that individuals, not the organization, engage in ethical or unethical practices.

However, such ethical codes and structures need to be more than mere ‘window dressing’; much less should competitive business advantage become the reason for them. Specific characteristics of the formal ethics or compliance program, matter less than broader perceptions of the program’s orientation toward values and ethical aspirations. What helps the most are consistency between policies and actions as well as dimensions of the organization’s ethical culture such as ethical leadership. An organization’s code of ethics, establishes ethical principles that should govern the leader’s decisions and behaviours in order that the leader can fulfil the mission of uplifting the moral climate of the organization. Through their principle-centred behaviour, people in leadership positions determine the moral calibre of organizational members, and thereby contribute to the strengthening or the deterioration of the moral fibre of society.

It is, indeed, unfortunate that business organizations have been subjected to so much criticism. We owe a great deal to the business enterprise. It provides us with the products and services we need and with the opportunities to cultivate and make use of our talents, knowledge, and abilities. It also contributes to the economy, and the living standards we enjoy would be unthinkable without the contemporary business organization. The many beneficial and vital breakthroughs in medicine, education, and technology, have resulted from the efforts or support of business corporations. And yet the preceding litany of woes has probably provoked the observation that our people have lost faith in the basic values of our economic society, and that we need a spiritual rebirth in industrial leadership.

There is also a growing awareness that ethical principles ought to govern the decisions of our leaders. It is not enough that managers are intelligent, industrious, and competent in context of their technical specialty, because studies have shown that, despite these desirable qualities, they might be ineffective because they are perceived as arrogant, vindictive, untrustworthy, selfish, emotional, compulsive, overcontrolling, insensitive, and abrasive. In addition to the individual’s ethical qualities, the organization’s moral environment is equally important.

The quality of life and the very survival of a human society depend on the moral calibre of its members. However, the moral calibre of members is largely determined by people in leadership positions. The manner in which leaders function in these positions of influence can directly contribute to the strengthening or the deterioration of the moral fibre of society–as Muslims, we can learn from the Seerah about the life of our beloved Prophet (ﷺ), and also to add insight, to mention a few, the lives of Socrates, Buddha, Lao-Tzu, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, attest to their salutary influence in their own day, as well as for all time.

The role of a leader has always carried with it grave and onerous responsibilities. In our time, the burden of this role, poses rather unique and formidable challenges because of the fundamental shift in societal norms and values.

Now, back to the fifth book narrative allegory of the Ramayana, Sundara Kanda, Vibheeshana was walking to Ravana insight quarters. He met with Trishira, son of Ravana and Dhanyamalini—from his name, a sanskrit name, we know that he possesses three heads. It wasn't known whether he could do multitasking with his three heads, but to be sure, one of his head answered Vibheeshana's greeting, the two others, having fun reading news. Knowing that he was busy, Vibheeshana quicken his pace towards the quarters. Vibeeshana was Ravana's younger brother, his place of residence is called Kasatrian Parangkuntara. He married a wise Rakshasi, Sarama. Trijata was his daughter.

Then he stepped into a big luxurious room, where upon Ravana and Kumbhakarna were sitting, accompanied by another three Ravana's sons—and also doubles as buzzerp and influencerp—Atikaya, Narantaka, and Devantaka. Kumbhakarna said, 'Your Honor, radicalism has recently shown a significant increase, triggered by the dynamics of politics and identity politics that may emerge....' Suddenly, two bodyguards came along with a woman wearing a new hijab and niqab, but looking dazed. One of them reported, 'Your Majesty, we just caught someone trying to break into the Palace. She carried a gun and a Holly Book. She is suspected to have been exposed to K* Kl*x Kl*n.' At once, Kumbhakarna interrupted, 'Oh my gosh! It was just discussed.' Atikaya chimed in, 'This is terrible!' Narantaka was even happy, 'Not bad, there's a new project here!' Devantaka added, 'Yes, there are ingredients for some kind of influencing!' But, Vibheeshana only commented, 'How come?' However, in his heart he muttered, 'Damn, I was invited here, just to talk about things like this!'

Meanwhile, at ashokavana, Indrajit met with Hanuman. Indrajit was worshipped by his own people. Eager to fight, he enthusiastically prepared himself for the battle. The son of the lord of the rakshasas was handsome, with eyes like the petals of lotuses. The immensely energetic one emerged, like the ocean on the day of the full moon. Indrajit ascended a chariot whose speed could not be checked. It was yoked to four vyalas—any vicious beast and can be a tiger, a lion, a leopard, an elephant, or even some kind of reptile. Vyalas in Indrajit’s chariot are usually taken to be tigers—who were like the king of the birds in their speed, with sharp and pointed teeth. The supreme among archers was on that chariot. He knew about weapons and was supreme among those who knew about weapons. On that chariot, he swiftly advanced towards the spot where Hanuman was.

There was the clatter of the chariot. There was the sound from the twanging of the bow. Hearing this, the brave vanara was even more delighted. Accomplished in fighting, Indrajit picked up his gigantic bow and sharp arrows that were like darts. He advanced towards Hanuman. Filled with delight, with the bow in his hand, he too advanced towards the encounter. All the directions paled. The animals howled in hideous tones. The serpents and the yakshas assembled, as did the maharshis and the siddhas. Large flocks of birds covered the sky and extremely happy, started to call. The vanara saw that Indrajit’s chariot was advancing. The forceful one roared loudly and extended his size. Indrajit was on that divine chariot, with his colourful bow. He twanged his bow and created a sound that was like the clap of thunder. Both of them were extremely forceful. Both of them were extremely strong and were not scared of fighting. The vanara and the son of the lord of the rakshasas were bound in enmity, like the Indra of the gods against the Indra of the asuras. Hanuman was immeasurable and moved around along the path followed by his father, extending his size.

They fought outside Ravana’s palace, the rakshasa prince and the marauding monkey, more taller than Hyperion tree. Like thunderstorms colliding, they fought, roaring exuberantly, the air between them thick with Indrajit’s arrows and Hanuman’s rocks and trees. Occasionally, both of them paused, panting, for neither gave any quarter or yielded an inch of ground. Indrajit was amazed at this monkey who shrugged off his most lethal missiles. And Hanuman wondered at the young rakshasa, who was unharmed by his barrage of everything heavy he could lay his hands on. He tore up flagstones and steps of rock, and flung them, spinning like chakras, at Ravana’s son; only to see them shot into powder.

At last, Indrajit drew an exceptional arrow from his quiver. He shut his eyes, mentioning a name three times: Bento ... Bento ... Bento. Indrajit had his own astra, given by Brahma. Hanuman grew still at the Brahma mantra; he folded his hands. The astra flamed at him through the sky. Out of his bhakti, respecting Brahma's weapon, Hanuman would not escape it, but allowed it to bind him in hoops of light. He sprawled on the ground, apparently vanquished. Hanuman said to himself softly, ‘The boy doesn’t know that, by Brahma’s own boon to me, his astra can hold me only for a moment. But I want to see Ravana face to face before I fly out of Lanka, and this is my chance. I am not afraid.'

He lay unprotesting, while they thought the astra’s power had conquered him. The rakshasas crowded around, and bound him once more with the longest ropes they could find and strips of bark. As soon as the coils of rope touched Hanuman’s body, the coils of the astra vanished. All the great astras are haughty; none will stand for other bonds beside its own. When he saw them running at the fallen monkey with their ropes, Indrajit cried out to his soldiers to stop. But they did not hear him in the commotion.

Ravana’s son thought that now there would be no restraining Hanuman. But to his surprise, the vanara lay where he had fallen, and allowed himself to be bound and dragged before the Lord of Lanka in his palace, even singing,

Sambal ijo, pedas rasanya

[Green sambal, it taste spicy]

Namun tak sepedas hatiku yang luka

[But is not as spicy as my wounded heart]

Janji manis yang kau berikan

[The sweet promise you've given]

Tak sepahit yang s'lalu ku rasakan

[Not as bitter as I've always felt]

Sambal ijo, pedasmu membuat diriku, jadi merana

[Green chilli, your spice makes me, so miserable]

Semua cara kau rayu diriku

[By all means you seduce me]

Saat kau mengharapkan cintaku

[While you're expecting my love]

Setelah kau dapatkan diriku

[When you've got me]

Kini, kau pergi tinggalkan aku

[Now, you're leaving me]

Sambal ijo, itulah diriku

[Green sambal, that's me]

Seperti cintaku yang pedes di awal

[Like my spicy love at the beginning]

Dan hilang berlalu *)

[Then gone, dissappear]

Puzzled, Indrajit went with the monkey to his father’s sabha."

Citations & References:
- Ramesh Menon, The Ramayana: A modern Translation, HarperCollins
- Bibeck Debroy, The Valmiki Ramayana, Penguin Books
- Manuel Mendonca & Rabindra N. Kanungo, Ethical Leadership, edited by Chris Brotherton, Open University Press
*) "Sambal Ijo" written by Berry and arranged by Capoenk, Arthur, Cepi
[Part 16]
[Part 14]

Bahasa

Hanuman Obhong : Quid Pro Quo

"Probably you’re brimming with ambition, or whether you’re struggling. Maybe you’ve made that first couple million, signed your first deal, been selected to some elite group, or maybe you’re already accomplished enough to last a lifetime. Perhaps you’re stunned to find out how empty it is at the top. Or it could be you’re charged with leading others through a crisis. Maybe you just got fired, or maybe you just hit rock bottom. Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, your worst enemy already lives inside you: your ego, " the Moon cited Ryan Holiday's.

"'Not me!' you think. 'No one would ever call me an egomaniac.' Perhaps you’ve always thought of yourself as a pretty balanced person. But for people with ambitions, talents, drives, and potential to fulfill, ego comes with the territory. Precisely what makes us so promising as thinkers, doers, creatives, and entrepreneurs, what drives us to the top of those fields, makes us vulnerable to this darker side of the psyche.

This is not about ego in the Freudian sense. Freud was fond of explaining the ego by way of analogy—our ego was the rider on a horse, with our unconscious drives representing the animal while the ego tried to direct them. Modern psychologists, on the other hand, use the word 'egotist' to refer to someone dangerously focused on themselves and with disregard for anyone else.

The ego we see most commonly goes by a more casual definition: an unhealthy belief in our own importance. Arrogance. Self-centered ambition. It’s that petulant child inside every person, the one that chooses getting his or her way over anything or anyone else. The need to be better than, more than, recognized for, far past any reasonable utility—that’s ego. It’s the sense of superiority and certainty that exceeds the bounds of confidence and talent. It’s when the notion of ourselves and the world grows so inflated that it begins to distort the reality that surrounds us. When, as the football coach Bill Walsh explained, 'self-confidence becomes arrogance, assertiveness becomes obstinacy, and self-assurance becomes reckless abandon.' This is the ego, as the writer Cyril Connolly warned, that 'sucks us down like the law of gravity.'

In this way, ego is the enemy of what you want and of what you have: Of mastering a craft. Of real creative insight. Of working well with others. Of building loyalty and support. Of longevity. Of repeating and retaining your success. It repulses advantages and opportunities. It’s a magnet for enemies and errors. It is Scylla and Charybdis. In classical mythology, Scylla was a horrible six-headed monster who lived on a rock on one side of a narrow strait. Charybdis was a whirlpool on the other side. When ships passed close to Scylla's rock in order to avoid Charybdis, she would seize and devour their sailors.

Most of us aren’t 'egomaniacs,' but ego is there at the root of almost every conceivable problem and obstacle, from why we can’t win to why we need to win all the time and at the expense of others. From why we don’t have what we want to why having what we want doesn’t seem to make us feel any better.

We don’t usually see it this way. We think something else is to blame for our problems (most often, other people). We are, as the poet Lucretius put it a few thousand years ago, the proverbial 'sick man ignorant of the cause of his malady.' Especially for successful people who can’t see what ego prevents them from doing because all they can see is what they’ve already done.

With every ambition and goal we have—big or small—ego is there undermining us on the very journey we’ve put everything into pursuing. The pioneering CEO Harold Geneen compared egoism to alcoholism, 'The egotist does not stumble about, knocking things off his desk. He does not stammer or drool. No, instead, he becomes more and more arrogant, and some people, not knowing what is underneath such an attitude, mistake his arrogance for a sense of power and self-confidence.' You could say they start to mistake that about themselves too, not realizing the disease they’ve contracted or that they’re killing themselves with it.

If ego is the voice that tells us we’re better than we really are, we can say ego inhibits true success by preventing a direct and honest connection to the world around us. One of the early members of Alcoholics Anonymous defined ego as 'a conscious separation from.' From what? Everything.

The ways this separation manifests itself negatively are immense: We can’t work with other people if we’ve put up walls. We can’t improve the world if we don’t understand it or ourselves. We can’t take or receive feedback if we are incapable of or uninterested in hearing from outside sources. We can’t recognize opportunities—or create them—if instead of seeing what is in front of us, we live inside our own fantasy. Without an accurate accounting of our own abilities compared to others, what we have is not confidence but delusion. How are we supposed to reach, motivate, or lead other people if we can’t relate to their needs—because we’ve lost touch with our own?

The performance artist Marina Abramović puts it directly, 'If you start believing in your greatness, it is the death of your creativity.'

Just one thing keeps ego around—comfort. Pursuing great work—whether it is in sports or art or business—is often terrifying. Ego soothes that fear. It’s a salve to that insecurity. Replacing the rational and aware parts of our psyche with bluster and self-absorption, ego tells us what we want to hear, when we want to hear it. But it is a short-term fix with a long-term consequence.

Now more than ever, our culture fans the flames of ego. It’s never been easier to talk—especially in social media, except in the country targeting certain people with the so called UU ITE (Electronic Information and Transaction Law)—to puff ourselves up. We can brag about our goals to millions of our fans and followers—things only rock stars and cult leaders used to have. We can follow and interact with our idols on Twitter, we can read books and sites and watch TED Talks, drink from a fire hose of inspiration and validation like never before (there’s an app for that). We can name ourselves CEO of our exists-only-on-paper company. We can announce big news on social media and let the congratulations roll in. We can publish articles about ourselves in outlets that used to be sources of objective journalism.

Some of us do this more than others. But it’s only a matter of degree. Besides the changes in technology, we’re told to believe in our uniqueness above all else. We’re told to think big, live big, to be memorable and 'dare greatly.' We think that success requires a bold vision or some sweeping plan—after all, that’s what the founders of this company or that championship team supposedly had. (But did they? Did they really?) We see risk-taking swagger and successful people in the media, and eager for our own successes, try to reverse engineer the right attitude, the right pose.

We intuit a causal relationship that isn’t there. We assume the symptoms of success are the same as success itself—and in our naiveté, confuse the by-product with the cause.

Sure, ego has worked for some. Many of history’s most famous men and women were notoriously egotistical. But so were many of its greatest failures. Far more of them, in fact. But here we are with a culture that urges us to roll the dice. To make the gamble, ignoring the stakes.

At any given time in life, people find themselves at one of three stages: aspiration, success, failure. We’re aspiring to something—trying to make a dent in the universe. We have achieved success—perhaps a little, perhaps a lot. Or we have failed—recently or continually. Most of us are in these stages in a fluid sense—we’re aspiring until we succeed, we succeed until we fail or until we aspire to more, and after we fail we can begin to aspire or succeed again.

Ego is the enemy every step along this way. In a sense, ego is the enemy of building, of maintaining, and of recovering. When things come fast and easy, this might be fine. But in times of change, of difficulty.

'And so, what now?' you asked. Your ego is not some power you’re forced to satiate at every turn. It can be managed. It can be directed.

It’s admirable to want to be better businessmen or businesswomen, better athletes, better conquerors. We should want to be better informed, better off financially . . . We should want to do great things. But no less impressive an accomplishment: being better people, being happier people, being balanced people, being content people, being humble and selfless people. Or better yet, all of these traits together. And what is most obvious but most ignored is that perfecting the personal regularly leads to success as a professional, but rarely the other way around. Working to refine our habitual thoughts, working to clamp down on destructive impulses, these are not simply the moral requirements of any decent person.

They will make us more successful; they will help us navigate the treacherous waters that ambition will require us to travel. And they are also their own reward.

But, what is left? Your choices. What will you do with this information? Not just now, but going forward? Every day for the rest of your life, you will find yourself at one of three phases: aspiration, success, failure. You will battle the ego in each of them. You will make mistakes in each of them. You must sweep the floor every minute of every day. And then sweep again.

Understanding this, we will explore the next Sundara Kanda round. Ravana had been conquered by his own ego. Even ten, twenty, thirty, or a hundred and even thousands of heads and faces, wouldn't be able to think and see, only to keep the one Vaidehi, Janaka's daughter. There had been so many victims, even his own son, Aksha. Once, in his speech during a meeting with the other Asuras—because Ravana was unable to subdue them— Nivatakavacha and Kalakeyas, he said, 'I believe that the Asuras will be careful, not rash in declaring a future Emperor.' For the rakshasas, hearing it, made them nod or applaud, but, for other Asuras, they would say, 'Yea yea, thanks for the reminder, but if choosing you, would be the result of a big rashness.'

Like a boxer in boxing sport, Ravana's boxing record in Total-fights—Wins—Losses are thousands—thousands—one. Yap, he was once defeated by Sahastrabahu Arjun or Sahasrarjuna or Kartavirya Arjuna. He was was son of Kritavirya, king of Mahespati. His grandfather, Herriya, was the founder of the Kingdom. Kartavirya is also referred to simply as Arjun, described as Sahastrabahu Arjun, having a thousand hands—given by Dattatreya—a mighty king of Mahespati, a peaceful, fertile, just and prosperous land.

But everything was lost by his own ego. He fell madly in love with Citravati, king of Magadha's daughter. However, to make Citravati a consort, she had to fulfill the terms and conditions that Arjuna had to provide 800 ladies-in-waiting, with the same beautiful face, and with the same melodious voice. Arjuna agreed and then was able to make it happen. However, one condition was not enough. The next requirement, Citravati wanted a new capital city with a beautiful Sriwedari garden like the one in Suralaya. This extraordinary request was fulfilled. Arjuna immediately issued a warrant to his favorite Minister, Sumantri.

Who was Sumantri? This Sumantri ... Bambang Sumantri. He was a khsatriya, good looking, a powerful one, armed with Cakrabaskara, the destroyer of savagery. He was the son of a shakti priest, Maharishi Suwandagni. He was a cousin of Ramabhargava or Parashurama or Veerarama, son of Rishi Jamadagni. But throughout his life, Sumantri's character humiliated his chivalry. On the other hand, his younger brother, Sukasrana, had a giant face, but noble in character, he was powerful and loved his brother very much.

One night, Sumantri went to Rishi Suwandagni to say goodbye, to go apply for a job to Mahespati's country. But he did not want to take his brother, he was ashamed of Sukasrana's face. Sumantri was accepted by Sastrabahu Arjuna, as long as he could win the princess from the land of Magadha. With valiant, Sumantri managed to eliminate all opponents in the contest to seize Citravati. But having succeeded, in his mind, arised a thought, 'Wasn't it me who managed to bring Citravati? Why should I leave it to Arjuna, he seemed not necessarily exceed my powers? If so, I'd better challenge Arjuna to match my shakti. If he loss and destroyed because of my Cakrabaskara, surely, I will have Citravati, the treasure and throne of the land of Mahespati.' Again, a treasure and a throne, are able to change human character.

Sumantri's challenge was accepted by Arjuna with pleasure. 'Cause for Arjuna, Sumantri' was acting like someone who declared himself to be a presidential candidate, but hadn't been blessed by the party lady. Then there was an exciting and terrible fight, because it was said that both were Vishnu's avatars. Sumantri threw Cakrabaskara at Arjuna. Chakrabaskara lit up, roared cut through the sky, startling Arjuna's heart. Out of anger, Arjuna did a trivikrama, and became a huge giant with a thousand faces, and so easily caught Cakrabaskara. Sumantri was arrested and trampled under Arjuna's feet. While crying, Sumantri begged forgiveness for his impudence. Arjuna forgave him and willing to accept his service, but with more severe conditions. Sumantri was ordered to build Sriwedari garden with the threat of punishment, if he failed, then his service was rejected.

Sumantri was desperately looking for investors to build the new capital, especially Sriwedari Garden. He had offered various gimmicks, such as granting the right to use a building on the land for 80 years, and it can be extended for 80 years, without imagining how many generations the land would be controlled by investors. In addition, a tax discount of up to 350% for investors, without realizing the people would bear all of those nonsense.

Before Sumantri had finished thinking, where would he got the funds to build the Sriwedari garden, suddenly Sukasrana, his giant-faced younger brother, helped him, easily build the Sriwedari garden, to satisfy Citravati's ego.

Sumantri thanked her brother, but she required Sukasrana to hide, not to appear in public. Then, Sumantri admitted that he was the one who built Sriwedari Park, indeed, Sumantri had profited from the achievements of others, Sukasrana, his own brother. Today, it is like an acting governor in a capital city, who initiated an integrated transportation system, but this was an achievement of the previous governor. Maybe soon, he will admit, that flooding and traffic jams can be overcome thanks to him and his cronies.

One day Citravati and her retinue, having fun in the Sriwedari garden, suddenly ran away in fear when they saw a dwarf giant in the garden. He ran back and forth, reporting to Arjuna. Sumantri, recently known as Patih Suwanda, immediately came to inspect the garden. It was no wonder he was angry when he found out that the giant who was frightening the first lady, was his own brother. With Cakrabaskara in his hand, Sumantri threatened Sukasrana to leave the garden, but unlucky, the weapon came off and killed Sukasrana. Dimly Sumantri heard Sukasrana's voice that one day, he would die by Ravana's fangs. Hurrying up, Sumantri cleaned the scene, including CCTV and other evidence. It was not known whether he also made up a story about the murder, but for sure Sumantri managed to make all the king's relatives happy. From then on, they lived in luxury, even every day, they mingled and partying in Sriwedari garden.

But it was said, one day, again, Citravati misbehaved. She wanted to take a bath and swim with her marus—Arjun's second, third and so on wives—and her ladies-in-waiting. But she was disappointed, because Sriwedari garden swimming pool was dry. Apparently, the pool was deliberately emptied by Sukasrana, because he didn't want the pool excavated from a mine to cause casualties like the Kanjuruhan incident.

'My dear, I want to take a bath while patting the pool water, so fulfill my wish,' says Citravati, complaining to Arjuna. Sumantri just slapped his forehead, 'O my gosh!'

Because of his love for her, Arjuna did a triwikrama—integrating the three strengths exist within himself: past, present, and future—turning his body into a huge giant, only to lie down crosswise blocking the flowing river. So, the water was blocked, shaping an artificial lake, beautiful in blue, like the sky on a land. Citravati along with the marus and their hosts, rejoice. Apples, grapes, durios, longkongs, and all kinds of fruits, were carried to the pool. In short, they were partying. While Sumantri was picket from afar, on guard for possible dangers threatened the first lady. Sumantri's hunch was true. Soon Ravana came. When he saw Citravati's, wearing a thin layer of cloth covering her hidden body parts, Ravana couldn't hold back, he wanted to kidnap her immediately. But Ravana's plan could be thwarted. Sumantri crushed Ravana's ten heads. Thanks to his Pancasona spell, Rahwana did not die by Sumantri's hands, on the contrary, Sumantri's body tored, bitten and chewed by Ravana's ten mouths. Sukasrana's curse was proven.

Hearing Sumantri's death, Prabu Arjuna was overcome with anger. He got up from his bed and beat Ravana. Ravana was tied up and dragged by a carriage around the Maespati square. However, Ravana's time to die hadn't come yet. Ravana's grandfather, Resi Pulastya, came to plead for his grandson to be released and pardoned. Arjuna granted Pulastya's request on condition that Ravana must be a vassal of Arjuna. Ravana was left and returned to Alengka in shame.

Ravana's efforts to snatch Citrawati from Arjuna did not end. One day when Arjuna went for hunting alone, He send his man, Marica, to tell Citravati that Arjuna was death. Hoping that she would surrender her self to Ravana, it turned Citravati killed herself.

Hancur hati Arjuna mendengar isterinya tewas melompat kie dalam kobaran api. Arjuna's heart was broken when he heard his beloved wife died jumping into the fire. He felt he didn't want to live anymore, and left the kingdom and its people.

For months, he left his people in misery and finally, his empire collapsed. In the midst of wandering, he met Ramabhargava.

In the past, when he was a king, Arjuna was considered less wise. Particularly after Patih Suwanda died—and was replaced by Bambang Kuntanadi, known as Patih Surata—he behaved unfair. While traveling with his sons and bodyguards, the king killed Maharishi Jamadagni over a trivial matter. The rishi demands justice, because his cattle, were slayed by Arjuna's soldiers. Instead of compensating for the sage's livestock, Arjuna even killed him by exclaiming, 'Reject identity politics, we fight!' As usual, represif rulers are always acting such idiot, if people ask for justice, they turns to accuse them.

Ramabhargava, son of Rishi Jamadagni, took revenge. He challenged Arjuna, then threw his magic ax at Arjuna who had no desire to live anymore. Arjuna's body was torn apart by Ramabhargava's ax. The king of Mahespati ended his life, drowned by his own ego. Sastrabahu Arjuna, a thousand hands, with a thousand egos.

Perhaps Ravana had long forgotten the incident, but Hanuman's appearance, reminded him the greatness of Arjunasastra. He said to his prince, ‘Your brother and your friends have died. It seems no legion can stand against this monkey, let alone take him. Go, my son, bring him to me.’ Softly, he added, ‘Bring him alive.’

Then, that rakshasa prince went to tame the vanara in the asokavana. Like a dark wind, his chariot flew him to Hanuman. When he neared the vanara, he pulled on his bowstring and Lanka echoed with the sound. Hanuman responded with a burst of wild laughter, that here at last was a worthy adversary. The exhilaration of battle was upon him and he longed for a keen fight. Still sitting quietly, Hanuman hums, 

Cublak, cublak suweng

[Playing earring receptacle]

Suwengé ting gelèntèr

[The earrings scattered]

Mambu ketundhung gudèl

[The smell approached by a calf]

Pak Empong léra-léré

[Mr. Toothless looks left and right]

Sopo ngguyu ndhelikaké

[He who laughs, hides it]

Sir, sir pong dhelé kopong

[Conscience, conscience, hollows like an empty soybeans]

Sir, sir pong dhelé kopong. *)

[Conscience, conscience, hollows like an empty soybeans] 

Then, the battle began."

Citations & References:
- Ramesh Menon, The Ramayana: A modern Translation, HarperCollins
- Bibeck Debroy, The Valmiki Ramayana, Penguin Books
- Ryan Holiday, Ego is the Enemy, Penguin
- Ir. Sri Mulyono, Wayang dan Karakter Manusia - Harjunasasra dan Ramayana, CV Haji Masagung
*) It's a children song "Cublak-Cublak Suweng," according to various historical sources state that the lyrics were created by one of Wali Songo, Syaikh Maulana Ainul Yakin or commonly known as Sunan Giri, around 1442 AD.
[Part 15]
[Part 13]

Bahasa

Hanuman Obhong : Convocare

"Sun Tzu put it this way, 'The art of war recognizes nine varieties of ground,'" said the Moon in presenting part of Sun Tzu's Bingfa. '[1] When a chieftain is fighting in his own territory, it is dispersive ground. [2] When he has penetrated into hostile territory, but to no great distance, it is facile ground. [3] Ground the possession of which imports great advantage to either side, is contentious ground. [4] Ground on which each side has liberty of movement is open ground. [5] Ground which forms the key to three contiguous states, so that he who occupies it first has most of the Empire at his command, is a ground of intersecting highways. [6] When an army has penetrated into the heart of a hostile country, leaving a number of fortified cities in its rear, it is serious ground. [7] Mountain forests, rugged steeps, marshes and fens—all country that is hard to traverse: this is difficult ground. [8] Ground which is reached through narrow gorges, and from which we can only retire by tortuous paths, so that a small number of the enemy would suffice to crush a large body of our men: this is hemmed in ground. [9] Ground on which we can only be saved from destruction by fighting without delay, is desperate ground.

On dispersive ground, therefore, fight not. On facile ground, halt not. On contentious ground, attack not. On open ground, do not try to block the enemy’s way. On the ground of intersecting highways, join hands with your allies. On serious ground, gather in plunder. In difficult ground, keep steadily on the march. On hemmed-in ground, resort to stratagem. On desperate ground, fight.Those who were called skillful leaders of old knew how to drive a wedge between the enemy’s front and rear; to prevent cooperation between his large and small divisions; to hinder the good troops from rescuing the bad, the officers from rallying their men.

When the enemy’s men were united, they managed to keep them in disorder. When it was to their advantage, they made a forward move; when otherwise, they stopped still.

If asked how to cope with a great host of the enemy in orderly array and on the point of marching to the attack, I should say, 'Begin by seizing something which your opponent holds dear; then he will be amenable to your will.'

Rapidity is the essence of war: take advantage of the enemy’s unreadiness, make your way by unexpected routes, and attack unguarded spots.

The following are the principles to be observed by an invading force: The further you penetrate into a country, the greater will be the solidarity of your troops, and thus the defenders will not prevail against you. Make forays in fertile country [this is just an idea, probably, some of us would agree, and some would not] in order to supply your army with food. Carefully study the well-being of your men, and do not overtax them. Concentrate your energy and hoard your strength. Keep your army continually on the move, and devise unfathomable plans. Throw your soldiers into positions whence there is no escape, and they will prefer death to flight. If they will face death, there is nothing they may not achieve. Officers and men alike will put forth their uttermost strength.

Soldiers when in desperate straits lose the sense of fear. If there is no place of refuge, they will stand firm. If they are in hostile country, they will show a stubborn front. If there is no help for it, they will fight hard. Thus, without waiting to be marshaled, the soldiers will be constantly on the qui vive; without waiting to be asked, they will do your will; without restrictions, they will be faithful; without giving orders, they can be trusted. Prohibit the taking of omens, and do away with superstitious doubts. Then, until death itself comes, no calamity need be feared. If our soldiers are not overburdened with money, it is not because they have a distaste for riches; if their lives are not unduly long, it is not because they are disinclined to longevity.

On the day they are ordered out to battle, your soldiers may weep, those sitting up bedewing their garments, and those lying down letting the tears run down their cheeks. But let them once be brought to bay, and they will display the courage of a Chu or a Kuei. The skillful tactician may be likened to the SHUAI-JAN. Now the SHUAI-JAN is a snake that is found in the Ch`ang mountains. Strike at its head, and you will be attacked by its tail; strike at its tail, and you will be attacked by its head; strike at its middle, and you will be attacked by head and tail both.

Asked if an army can be made to imitate the SHUAI-JAN, I should answer, Yes. For the men of Wu and the men of Yueh are enemies; yet if they are crossing a river in the same boat and are caught by a storm, they will come to each other’s assistance just as the left hand helps the right. Hence it is not enough to put one’s trust in the tethering of horses, and the burying of chariot wheels in the ground.

The principle on which to manage an army is to set up one standard of courage which all must reach. How to make the best of both strong and weak—that is a question involving the proper use of ground. Thus the skillful general conducts his army just as though he were leading a single man, willy-nilly, by the hand. It is the business of a general to be quiet and thus ensure secrecy; upright and just, and thus maintain order. He must be able to mystify his officers and men by false reports and appearances, and thus keep them in total ignorance. By altering his arrangements and changing his plans, he keeps the enemy without definite knowledge. By shifting his camp and taking circuitous routes, he prevents the enemy from anticipating his purpose.

At the critical moment, the leader of an army acts like one who has climbed up a height and then kicks away the ladder behind him. He carries his men deep into hostile territory before he shows his hand. He burns his boats and breaks his cooking pots; like a shepherd driving a flock of sheep, he drives his men this way and that, and nothing knows whither he is going. To muster his host and bring it into danger—this may be termed the business of the general.

The different measures suited to the nine varieties of ground; the expediency of aggressive or defensive tactics; and the fundamental laws of human nature: these are things that must most certainly be studied. When invading hostile territory, the general principle is, that penetrating deeply brings cohesion; penetrating but a short way means dispersion. When you leave your own country behind, and take your army across neighborhood territory, you find yourself on critical ground. When there are means of communication on all four sides, the ground is one of intersecting highways. When you penetrate deeply into a country, it is serious ground. When you penetrate but a little way, it is facile ground. When you have the enemy’s strongholds on your rear, and narrow passes in front, it is hemmed-in ground. When there is no place of refuge at all, it is desperate ground. Therefore, on dispersive ground, I would inspire my men with unity of purpose. On facile ground, I would see that there is close connection between all parts of my army. On contentious ground, I would hurry up my rear. On open ground, I would keep a vigilant eye on my defenses. On ground of intersecting highways, I would consolidate my alliances. On serious ground, I would try to ensure a continuous stream of supplies. On difficult ground, I would keep pushing on along the road. On hemmed-in ground, I would block any way of retreat. On desperate ground, I would proclaim to my soldiers the hopelessness of saving their lives.

For it is the soldier’s disposition to offer an obstinate resistance when surrounded, to fight hard when he cannot help himself, and to obey promptly when he has fallen into danger.

We cannot enter into alliance with neighboring princes until we are acquainted with their designs. We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country—its mountains and forests, its pitfalls and precipices, its marshes and swamps. We shall be unable to turn natural advantages to account unless we make use of local guides.

To be ignored of any one of the following four or five principles does not befit a warlike prince. When a warlike prince attacks a powerful state, his generalship shows itself in preventing the concentration of the enemy’s forces. He overawes his opponents, and their allies are prevented from joining against him. Hence he does not strive to ally himself with all and sundry, nor does he foster the power of other states. He carries out his own secret designs, keeping his antagonists in awe. Thus he is able to capture their cities and overthrow their kingdoms.

Bestow rewards without regard to rule, issue orders without regard to previous arrangements; and you will be able to handle a whole army as though you had to do with but a single man.

Confront your soldiers with the deed itself; never let them know your design. When the outlook is bright, bring it before their eyes; but tell them nothing when the situation is gloomy.

Place your army in deadly peril, and it will survive; plunge it into desperate straits, and it will come off in safety. For it is precisely when a force has fallen into harm’s way that is capable of striking a blow for victory.

Success in warfare is gained by carefully accommodating ourselves to the enemy’s purpose. By persistently hanging on the enemy’s flank, we shall succeed in the long run in killing the commander-in-chief. This is called ability to accomplish a thing by sheer cunning.

On the day that you take up your command, block the frontier passes, destroy the official tallies, and stop the passage of all emissaries. Be stern in the council-chamber, so that you may control the situation. If the enemy leaves a door open, you must rush in. Forestall your opponent by seizing what he holds dear, and subtly contrive to time his arrival on the ground. Walk in the path defined by rule, and accommodate yourself to the enemy until you can fight a decisive battle. At first, then, exhibit the coyness of a maiden, until the enemy gives you an opening; afterwards emulate the rapidity of a running hare, and it will be too late for the enemy to oppose you.'

Sun Tzu's military method is a Chinese military treatise, first written in roughly 400-320 BC, attributed to an ancient Chinese military general known as Sun Tzu—romanized as Sunzi—meaning 'Master Sun.' Composed of 13 chapters, in which it discusses strategies and various methods of war. The book is the most respected and famous Chinese military writing in countries outside China. It was first introduced in Japan in 716-735 AD. Meanwhile, in Europe, it was introduced and translated into French by Jean Joseph Marie Amiot. Subsequently, translated into English by Captain E.F. Calthrop, an English captain.

The book is one of the oldest military strategy books in the world and has had a great influence on military strategic planning, both East and West. In addition to inspiring the military world, it is also applied in the business field, and even in politics.

It was said that Sun Tzu Wu was a native of the Ch‘i State. His Art of War brought him to the notice of Ho Lu, King of Wu. Ho Lu said to him, 'I have carefully perused your 13 chapters. May I submit your theory of managing soldiers to a slight test?' Sun Tzu replied, 'You may.' Ho Lu asked, 'May the test be applied to women?'

The answer was again in the affirmative, so arrangements were made to bring 180 ladies out of the Palace. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, and placed one of the King’s favourite concubines at the head of each. He then bade them all take spears in their hands, and addressed them thus, 'I presume you know the difference between front and back, right hand and left hand?' The girls replied, Yes.'

Sun Tzu went on, 'When I say ‘Eyes front,’ you must look straight ahead. When I say ‘Left turn,’ you must face towards your left hand. When I say ‘Right turn,’ you must face towards your right hand. When I say ‘About turn,’ you must face right round towards your back.'

Again the girls assented. The words of command having been thus explained, he set up the halberds and battle-axes in order to begin the drill. Then, to the sound of drums, he gave the order 'Right turn.' But the girls only burst out laughing. Sun Tzu˘ said, 'If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame.'

So he started drilling them again, and this time gave the order 'Left turn,' whereupon the girls once more burst into fits of laughter. Sun Tzu, 'If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders are clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers.'

So saying, he ordered the leaders of the two companies to be beheaded. Now the King of Wu was watching the scene from the top of a raised pavilion; and when he saw that his favourite concubines were about to be executed, he was greatly alarmed and hurriedly sent down the following message, 'We are now quite satisfied as to our general’s ability to handle troops. If We are bereft of these two concubines, our meat and drink will lose their savour. It is our wish that they shall not be beheaded.'

Sun Tzu replied, 'Having once received His Majesty’s commission to be the general of his forces, there are certain commands of His Majesty which, acting in that capacity, I am unable to accept.'

Accordingly, he had the two leaders beheaded, and straightway installed the pair next in order as leaders in their place. When this had been done, the drum was sounded for the drill once more; and the girls went through all the evolutions, turning to the right or to the left, marching ahead or wheeling back, kneeling or standing, with perfect accuracy and precision, not venturing to utter a sound. Then Sun Tzu sent a messenger to the King saying, 'Your soldiers, Sire, are now properly drilled and disciplined, and ready for your majesty’s inspection. They can be put to any use that their sovereign may desire; bid them go through fire and water, and they will not disobey.'

But the King replied, 'Let our general cease drilling and return to camp. As for us, We have no wish to come down and inspect the troops.'

Thereupon Sun Tzu said, 'The King is only fond of words, and cannot translate them into deeds.'

After that, Ho Lu saw that Sun Tzu˘ was one who knew how to handle an army, and finally appointed him general. In the west, he defeated the Ch‘u State and forced his way into Ying, the capital; to the north he put fear into the States of Ch‘i and Chin, and spread his fame abroad amongst the feudal princes. And Sun Tzu shared in the might of the King.'"

"Meanwhile," the Moon moved on, "in his quarter, Akshayakumara was being moody. He poured out his anxiety to three of his relatives, Prahasta, Kumbakarna and Vibeeshana. He said, 'Uncle, I'm sad because my friends often come to reunions, and I never. They suspect my diplomas are fake. So what should I do?' Kumbakarna firmly replied, 'Just imprison them!' Prahasta advised, 'You should hold a small reunion with people you trust in order to dispel that assumption.' Vibeeshana had another view, 'This is a simple matter, why do you imprison them, or simply hold a reunion, it will complicate the matter. I agree with those who say that it's best to just show them your original diplomas, so that the problem becomes clear. If you imprison them, it will make them feel sure that your diplomas are fake. If you have a small reunion, they'll suspect that it's just a setup. Yes indeed, if you were a celebrity, it would be sensational, but if you were a prince, it's not a favorable situation. Easy, right? Now then, allow us to withdraw, for the meeting room is waiting.' Before Aksa could answer, suddenly a messenger from Ravana came in a hurry, saying, 'O Prince, the Emperor invites you to his inner-quarter!' Immediately the four of them stood up, and Aksa nodded respectfully to his seniors.

The young Akshayakumara, also known as Mahabali Akshya, was the youngest son of Ravana and Mandodari, and also the brother of Meghanada, known as Indrajit. He was a ksatriya who fights with sportsmanship and did not underestimate his opponent. The Rakshasa called for his own son now, the mighty Aksha, who just sixteen. Wearing silver mail, his bow in his hand, Aksha was like the first flame that leaps up in the yagna pit when the brahmana pours libation onto the fire. Ravana blessed his valiant boy.

The valiant one ascended a gigantic chariot that was like the rising sun in complexion and was armoured with a plate made out of molten gold. The bull among the nairittas ventured forth against the large ape. The chariot was fashioned out of the store of austerities he had accumulated and won for himself. It was decorated with armour that was made out of molten gold. The flag and the standard were decorated with jewels. It was yoked properly to eight excellent horses that possessed the speed of thought. It moved without obstructions and bataras and asuras could not assail it. With a complexion like that of the sun, it could be controlled and could move around in the sky. A quiver, eight swords and bells were fixed to it. In due order, spears and javelins were arranged in the designated places. He ascended the chariot, which was like the sun in complexion.

Filled with all the required objects, it was resplendent. There were ropes that dazzled like the sun and the moon. He emerged, like an immortal in his valour. The noise of horses, elephants and large chariots filled the sky and the earth, with its mountains. With the army, he approached asokavana. The capable ape was standing there, waiting.

Having reached the vanara, Aksha, the one with the tawny eyes, saw him standing there, like the fire of destruction at the end of a yuga, ready to destroy subjects. He was astonished and was filled with respect. He looked at him, with a lot of respect in his eyes. The immensely strong son of the king weighed the force and valour of the enemy, the great-souled ape, and his own strength and increased his own size, like the sun at the end of the winter. Having considered the valour, stability and invincibility of Hanuman, though he was filled with rage in the battle, he controlled himself and provoked him with three sharp arrows. He saw that the ape was proud and had conquered his exhaustion, having defeated the enemy. Aksha looked at him with an agitated mind and picked up a bow and arrow in his hand. His necklace and armlets were made out of gold and his earrings were beautiful. Swift in his valour, he approached the ape. Their unmatched encounter generated respect even among the bataras and the asuras. Witnessing the battle between the ape and the prince, the earth shrieked. The sun did not radiate heat. The wind did not blow and the mountain quaked. The sky screamed and the ocean was agitated. The brave one who knew the truth about affixing, aiming and releasing, struck the ape on the head with three arrows that were excellent at the tips and with golden tufts. These were like venomous serpents. When those arrows struck him on the head, blood started to flow from the wounds and he dilated his eyes. With the arrows like rays, he was like the sun when it has just arisen. He was as radiant as the sun, with its garland of rays. In the battle, the supreme adviser of the lord of the apes glanced at the excellent and eager son of the king, with his wonderful weapon and his wonderful bow. He was filled with delight and was keen to fight in the battle. Filled with strength and energy, his rage increased, like the one with the rays in front of Mandara. Using his eyesight, which were like the flames of a fire, he burnt down Prince Aksha’s soldiers and mounts.

The rakshasa’s bow was like Shakra’s bow, a rainbow. In the encounter, he showered down arrows like a cloud. The lord of the apes was like a mountain and he swiftly showered down arrows on him, like a cloud showering down on an excellent mountain. The ape saw him in the battle, terrible in his valour and with increasing energy, strength, valour and arrows. On seeing Prince Aksha in the encounter, like a cloud in his valour, he roared in joy. Because of his childish nature, he was brave and insolent in the battle. His anger increased, with his eyes like wounds. He approached the ape, who was unmatched in fights, like an elephant approaches a giant pit that is covered with grass. When those forceful arrows descended on him, he roared like the thundering of a cloud. The son of the wind, terrible to behold, swiftly leapt up into the sky, extending his arms and his thighs. The supreme and powerful one among the rakshasas was supreme among all charioteers. When the powerful one leapt up, he too leapt up and enveloped him with arrows, like a cloud raining down hail on a mountain. The brave ape followed Vayu’s path and like the wind, sought out gaps in between the arrows that were released. Terrible in his valour, he moved around, with the speed of thought. Using his eyes, he glanced at Aksha with a great deal of respect. With the bow and arrows, he was eager in the battle and shrouded the sky with many kinds of excellent arrows. The son of the wind thought. The arrows pierced the ape between the arms. Struck by the noble prince, the great-souled one roared. The mighty-armed one knew the truth about what should be done in specific situations.

He thought about his adversary’s prowess in the encounter. ‘He is not acting like a child and his radiance is like that of the young sun. The extremely strong one is accomplishing this great deed. He is one who displays deeds in all kinds of encounters. But the idea of killing him does not appeal to me. This great-souled one is great and brave. He is controlled and can withstand a lot in an encounter. Because of the deeds and qualities he has exhibited, there is no doubt that he is revered by the serpents, the yakshas and the sages. He is stationed in front of me and is looking at me, with enhanced valour, enterprise and will. The valour of the one who acts fast will make the minds of even the bataras and asuras tremble. If he is ignored, he will certainly overpower me. In this encounter, his valour is increasing. The idea of killing him appeals to me, because if an expanding fire is ignored, that cannot be tolerated.’ He thus debated the enemy’s force. Accordingly, the valiant one determined his own course of action. The immensely strong one, the great ape, made up his mind to kill him. Using slaps from his palms, the brave ape who was the son of the wind and was following Vayu’s path, slew the eight extremely swift horses. The great chariot was struck by the palm of the minister of the lord of the apes and destroyed. The seat was shattered and the kubara broke. Slain, the eight horses fell down from the sky on to the ground. The maharatha abandoned his chariot. Wielding a bow and a sword, he leapt up from the ground into the sky. His body took to the air, like the wind in its own abode. The ape also wandered around in the sky, frequented by the king of the birds, Khagesvara: Garuda, the wind and the siddhas. The son of the wind, forceful and valiant, used his austerities, like a brave and fierce rishi. He seized him by the feet, slowly and firmly. The ape whirled him around one thousand times, like the lord of the birds does to a large serpent with many heads, Kaliya. Though he was like his father in valour, the excellent ape hurled him down on the ground with great force. His arms, thighs, waist and head were shattered. Blood started to flow from his wounds. His bones and eyes were crushed. His joints were fragmented and his entrails strewn around. The rakshasa was slain and Vayu’s son felled him on the ground. The great ape crushed him down on the ground and generated a great fear in the lord of the rakshasas. On seeing that the prince had been killed by the ape, the maharshis who are great in their vows and move around unimpeded, the assembled creatures, the yakshas, the serpents and the bataras, with Indra, were filled with wonder. Prince Aksha, with eyes like wounds, was as resplendent as the son of the wielder of the vajra. Having killed him, the brave one again went to asokawana. He was like Death, when the time arrives for the destruction of subjects.

Blessing the young rakshasa in his heart, with a sigh, Hanuman whispered, 'I like this dauntless boy so much I do not want to kill him. But what can I do? The fire that rages must be put out, or it consumes one.’

When their prince died, Aksha’s legion panicked and fled back to their master of darkness in his sabha. Ravana sat, ten-headed and terrifying, before his ministers. He was aflame. A tremor ran through his lean body when he heard Aksha was slain. No muscle on his faces twitched, to show the grief that clutched him like a pang of death. But nine of ten heads shut their eyes in a prayer.

The faint sound of high school kids singing Vitamin C's the Graduation', which reminded us of the rhythm of Pachelbel's Canon in D, humming farewell to Aksha,

So if we get the big jobs, and we make the big money

When we look back now, will that joke still be funny?

Will we still remember everything we learned in school?

Still be trying to break every single rule?

Will little brainy Bobby be the stockbroker man?

Can Heather find a job that won't interfere with her tan?

I keep, keep thinking that it's not goodbye

Keep on thinking it's a time to fly

And this is how it feels

As we go on, we remember

All the times, we had together

And as our lives change, come whatever

We will still be friends forever *)

The tenth, central, one called for his eldest son: Indrajit, master of astras, said to be his father’s equal in battle. The awesome Indrajit."

Citations & References:
- Ramesh Menon, The Ramayana: A modern Translation, HarperCollins
- Bibeck Debroy, The Valmiki Ramayana, Penguin Books
- Sun Tzu, The Art of War, Rupa Publications
- Lionel Giles M.A. (transl.), Sun Tzu's the Art of War, Pax Librorum
- Tjio Tjiang Feng, Seni Perang Sun Tzu dan 36 Strategi, Visimedia
*) "Graduations (Friend Forever)" written by Colleen Fitzpatrick, better known by her stage name Vitamin C.
[Part 14]
[Part 12]

Bahasa