लंका दहन

Sita ki khoj mein Ram aur Laxman dakshin disha ki aur badhe. Marg mein unhe Kabandh rakshass aur Shabari Bhilni mile, jinhone unhe Sugreev se milne ka marg bataya. Kishkindha mein Ram ne Sugreev se mitrata ki, Bali ka vadh kiya, aur Sugreev ki vanar sena ne charon dishaon mein Sita ki khoj aarambh ki. Dakshin disha mein Jambavan, Angad aur Hanuman ke dal ko bheja gaya.

Samudra tat par pahunchkar sabhi vanar chintit ho gaye — vishal sagar ko paar karna asambhav pratit hua. Tab Jambavan ne Hanuman ko unki divya shaktiyon ka smaran karaya. Hanuman Vayuputra the, balyakaal mein unhone Surya ko phal samajhkar pakadne ka prayas kiya tha. Jambavan ke protsahan se Hanuman ne apni shakti ko pehchana aur vishalkay roop dharan karke Mahendra parvat se chhalang lagaai.

Hanuman ne sau yojan (lagbhag 1400 kilometer) vishal sagar ko ek chhalang mein paar kiya. Marg mein unhe anek badhayen aain — Surasa namak Nagmata ne unhe nigalne ka prayas kiya, Simhika chhaya-grahi rakshasi ne roka, parantu Hanuman ne apni buddhi aur bal se sabhi badhaon ko paar kiya.

Lanka pahunchkar Hanuman ne sukshma roop dharan kiya aur ratri ke andhkar mein nagri mein pravesh kiya. Unhone Ravan ka bhavya rajmahal dekha, uski vilasita dekhi, parantu Sita wahan nahi milin. Anek sthanon ki khoj ke baad Hanuman Ashok Vatika pahunche. Wahan unhone dekha ki Sita Mata ek vriksh ke neeche dukhi baithi hain, unke charon aur rakshasniyan pehra de rahi hain, aur Ravan baar-baar aakar Sita ko dhamkata hai.

Hanuman ne ek vriksh par chhipkar uchit avsar ki pratiksha ki. Jab rakshasniyan so gayin, tab Hanuman ne Sita ke samaksh Ram ki angoothi prastut ki. Sita ne angoothi pehchani aur Hanuman par vishwas kiya. Hanuman ne Sita ko bataya ki Ram sheeghra hi unhe mukt karane aayenge. Sita ne apni choodamani Hanuman ko di aur kaha ki Ram ko unka sandesh den.

Hanuman ne Sita ko peeth par baithakar wapas le jaane ka prastaav diya, parantu Sita ne kaha ki unki mukti Ram ke haathon hi honi chahiye. Iske baad Hanuman ne Ashok Vatika ko ujadna aarambh kiya taaki Ravan ko Ram ki shakti ka sandesh mile. Unhone vishalkay vrikshaon ko ukhaad dala aur saikdon rakshass sainikon ko maar giraya.

Ravan ne apne putra Meghanad (Indrajeet) ko Hanuman ko pakadne bheja. Meghanad ne Brahmastra ka prayog kiya jiske samman mein Hanuman ne swayam ko bandhan mein aane diya. Hanuman ko bandi banakar Ravan ki sabha mein laya gaya. Ravan ne Hanuman se poocha ki ve kaun hain. Hanuman ne nirbhay hokar kaha — "Main Shri Ram ka doot hoon. Sita Mata ko lauta do, nahi to tumhara aur tumhari Lanka ka vinash nischit hai."

Krodhit Ravan ne Hanuman ko mrityudand dene ka aadesh diya, parantu Vibhishan ne kaha ki doot ka vadh karna anaitik hai. Tab Ravan ne aadesh diya ki Hanuman ki poonchh mein tel mein bheege kapde bandhkar aag laga di jaye. Rakshasson ne Hanuman ki poonchh mein aag laga di, parantu Hanuman ne apna shareer atyant vishal kar liya. Ve jalti poonchh lekar Lanka ki chhaton par koodne lage.

Ek-ek karke Hanuman ne Ravan ke mahal, rakshasson ke ghar, astra-shastra bhandar, aur Lanka ke pramukh bhavanon ko aag laga di. Sampoorn swarn nagri Lanka dhoo-dhoo karke jalne lagi. Aakash lal ho gaya, aur rakshass bhay se cheekhte-bhaagte rahe. Keval Vibhishan ka ghar aur Ashok Vatika mein Sita ka sthan surakshit raha — Hanuman ne unhe jaanboojhkar bachaya.

Lanka ko bhasma karne ke baad Hanuman ne samudra mein apni poonchh ki aag bujhai aur vijayi hokar wapas laute. Unhone Ram ko Sita ka samachar aur choodamani saunpi. Ram ne Hanuman ko gale lagakar kaha — "Hanuman, tumne jo kiya hai uska rin main kabhi nahi chuka sakta."