Sougandhika Pushpa

Sougandhika Pushpa

Arjuna had gone to the Himalayas in quest of

Divine weapons from Indra. In case of war he

Would have to face invincible warriors like

Bhishma, Drona, Kripa, Aswatthama, Karna

And many others. For this it was necessary to

Acquire more power. The other four Pandavas

And Draupadi found life devoid of joy in his

Absence. Desiring a change of scene, they now

Moved on in search of a more peaceful place.

At last they came to the Narayanasrama forest.

They decided to take rest and stay there for a

While. One day, the north-east wind wafted a

Flower near Draupadi. The sweet scent of the

Flower charmed her. Draupadi felt a deep desire

To possess that flower known as Sougandhika.

She requested Bhima to get her that flower. She

Was very insistent. Bhima was only too pleased

To satisfy her least desire. He forthwith set out

In the direction from which the fragrance came.

The way through the forest was far from easy.

Before long at the foot of a mountain he saw

A huge monkey resting on his path, blocking

His way. He asked the monkey to get up and

Clear the way for him. The monkey was in no

Mood to oblige. It said: “I am too old and weak

To move. The monkey said “If you are in such hurry, you can move my tail aside and go ahead.” Bhima’s threats did not have any effect on the monkey.

Finding no other way, Bhima tried to pull the monkey’s tail aside .But he could not move it even a little bit. He felt very humiliated and subdued. He told the monkey "You are no ordinary monkey. Please tell me who you are. I accept defeat and bow to you”.

Hanuman said “Bhima, I am that Hanuman

Which name you mentioned a little while ago.

I am your brother. Your path ahead is perilous.

It is the path of the gods and is not safe for men.

So I came to caution you. I knew you have

Come to collect the Sougandhika flower. I

Shall show you the pond, where this flower

Grows. You can collect as many as you want

And go back. Bhima was happy. He bowed

To Hanuman and requested him to show his

Huge form in which he jumped over the sea,

One hundred yojanas wide, to land on Lanka.

Hanuman increased his size till he seemed

To occupy the whole landscape, like a hill.

His form was dazzlingly white ; so Bhima

Had to cover his eyes . Resuming his normal

Form, Hanuman embraced Bhima and blessed

Him.

Hanuman then took leave of his brother after

Blessing him. Following Hanuman’s advice,

Bhima collected many Sougandhika flowers

From the pond and went back to present them

To Draupadi, anxiously waiting for his return.

Source: Internet