CELEBRATIONS
THE MONKEY STYLE
We join together very often in parties celebrating whatever happy things that has happened in the life of someone among us..
Usually we throw to wind all inhibitions and behave very funny on those occasions..
Of course many of us overdo it too..
Bhagavan Valmiki, in the Sundarakandam of his Ramayanam, gives a vivid picture on how the monkey-friends of Lord Anjaneya celebrated on learning that Hanuman had successfully completed his mission.. Sita Discovered..
Hanuman, after meeting Mother Sita, and inundating Lanka too, flew back to the Indian shores, where the monkeys of his group Led by Prince Angada and Veteran Jambavan were eagerly waiting for Him..
The story of Hanuman's successful visit to Lanka was described to the Prince and others..
The monkeys set out towards Kishkinda where their King Sugriva, and the Princes Rama and Lakshmana were anxiously awaiting for some good news.
On the way the monkeys had to cross the Madhuvana, an exclusive forest with trees and flowers, where honey was being harvested and preserved for the enjoyment of the King Sugreeva alone..
The place was guarded by a monkey commander Dadhimukha assited by a huge retinue of monkey guards..
The monkeys in the team of Hanuman, who were now running around in pleasant excitement on conclusion of their successful mission, requested Angada for permission to have a good drink of Honey from the forest.. (For monkeys, drinking good quantities of honey is the present day equivalent of boozing, as we call it.)
Though fully knowing that the action would enrage King Sugreeva, Angada did not have the mind to refuse the indulgence craved by the monkeys..
So he gave his assent and the monkeys entered the Madhuvana and celebrated..
The manner in which the monkeys went about the party is described by Valmiki in the following stanzas..
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गायन्ति केचिद् प्रणमन्ति केचिन्नृत्यन्ति केचिद् प्रहसन्ति केचित्।
पतन्ति केचिद्विचरन्ति केतिच् प्ळवन्ति केचित् प्रलपन्ति केचित्॥१४
परस्परं केचिदुपाश्रयन्ते परस्परं केचिदुपाक्रमन्ते।
परस्परं केचिदुपब्रुवन्ते परस्परं केचिदुपारमन्ते॥१५
द्रुमाद् द्रुमम् केचिदभिद्रवन्ते क्षितौ नगाग्रान्निपतन्ति केचित्।
महीतलात् केचिदुदीर्णवेगा महाद्रुमाग्राण्यभिसंपतन्ति॥१६
गायन्तमन्यः प्रहसन्नुपैति हसन्तमन्न्य प्ररुदन्नुपैति।
रुदन्तमन्न्यः प्रणुदन्नुपैति नुदन्तमन्यः प्रणदन्नुपैति॥१७
समाकुलं तत् कपिसैन्यमासीन्मधुप्रपानोत्कटसत्वचेष्टं।
न चात्र कश्चिन्न बभूव मत्तो न चात्र कश्चिन्न बभूव तृप्तः॥१८
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकीये रामायणे आदिकाव्ये सुन्दरकाण्डे॥
gāyanti kecid praṇamanti kecinnṛtyanti kecid prahasanti kecit|
patanti kecidvicaranti ketic pḻavanti kecit pralapanti kecit||14
parasparaṁ kecidupāśrayante parasparaṁ kecidupākramante|
parasparaṁ kecidupabruvante parasparaṁ kecidupāramante||15
drumād drumam kecidabhidravante kṣitau nagāgrānnipatanti kecit|
mahītalāt kecidudīrṇavegā mahādrumāgrāṇyabhisaṁpatanti||16
gāyantamanyaḥ prahasannupaiti hasantamannya prarudannupaiti|
rudantamannyaḥ praṇudannupaiti nudantamanyaḥ praṇadannupaiti||17
samākulaṁ tat kapisainyamāsīnmadhuprapānotkaṭasatvaceṣṭaṁ|
na cātra kaścinna babhūva matto na cātra kaścinna babhūva tṛptaḥ||18
śrīmadvālmīkīye rāmāyaṇe ādikāvye sundarakāṇḍe||
After drinking Honey to their hearts content
Some of the monkeys were singing
Some were falling on their faces
Some were Dancing
Some were laughing aloud to themselves
some were jumping and faltering on their feet,
Some were wandering aimlessly
Some were leaping and floating in the air
Some were blabbering and making inarticulate sounds.
Some were just embracing one another
Some were pushing away one another
Some were talking to one another with great camarederie
Some were playing funny games in good company
Some were just jumping from tree to tree
Some were jumping from top branches of the trees to the open ground
Some were jumping up from ground level to the top of the trees in full speed
A monkey laughs aloud and provokes a singing monkey
A sobbing monkey approaches and provokes a laughing monkey
A gesticulating monkey provokes the sobbing one
A blabbering monkey provokes the gesticulating one.
The whole group of the monkies was behaving in a topsy turvy manner.
They were totally inebriated through drinking excessive quantities of honey
There was not a monkey to be seen who had not gone beyond himself through drinking
Nor was there a single monkey who was not fully satisfied with the quantities of the drink he had..
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The sentries of the forest who protested were given thorough thrashing by the monkeys.
As usual, the Conservator of the forest, Dadhimukha, complained to the King about the damange to the forest but the King for once was sensible enough to guess that if the group of monkeys led by Angada, Hanuman and Jambavan were to behave in such a fashion, something exceedingly nice must have happened.. There fore he summoned the leaders of the group of marauders to his presence and the sweet tidings of Discovery of Mother Seetha was announced..
Rest is legend..
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