Hanuman, after taking leave of Sita with the promise that soon Rama and Lakshmana would release her from captivity, wonders what should be his next move. Should he get back to Rama? If so, will Rama not question him about whether he had seen Lanka and Ravana and should he not give an estimate of the enemy’s might? He had come into Lanka unobserved and met Sita. Now what should be his strategy to complete his mission as Rama’s emissary?
Valmiki shows Hanuman as exemplifying the characteristics of an ideal messenger, pointed out Kalyanapuram Sri Aravamudhachariar in a discourse. He understands that though the prime task entrusted to him had been accomplished, there remained a few other things to be done. Political strategy suggests four ways to deal with enemies — reconciliation (Sama), offering bribes (Dana), splitting their unity (Bheda) and engaging in direct fight to show one’s prowess (Danda). Hanuman opts for the last option and goes for open attack. He starts to destroy the trees in Asoka Vana. This news soon reaches Ravana who sends his powerful army to fight the monkey. Hanuman confronts all of them easily and he kills nearly 80,000 rakshasas until finally Indrajit is sent into the attack.
Indrajit realises that powerful astras do not have any effect on Hanuman and resorts to the Brahmastra. Hanuman knows that this astra could hold him captive for a brief period and that there is no real danger to him. So he falls down and the rakshasas begin to bind Hanuman with strong ropes, not being aware of the secrets of supernatural weapons. The effect of mantra which the astra carries withdraws itself when a physical bond is added. Even though the effect of Brahmastra no longer binds Hanuman, he acts as if he is still bound by it and is taken to Ravana’s presence. He proudly identifies himself as the emissary of Sugriva and Rama and warns him sternly that Sita is none other than the very ‘Kalarathri’ who has come to destroy Lanka and advises the rakshasa king to save Lanka by restoring Sita to Rama.
