Episode 1 – Context and Introduction
Continuing with the ‘7 effective leadership skills’ which just got completed in the last episode, Valmiki Ramayan has another interesting lesson ‘8 effective communication skills’. This comes at the beginning of ‘Kishkinda Kand’. Kishkinda Kand is all about Hanumann who is acclaimed by all as an expert communicator. Let us first understand the context behind this lesson on communication skills and Lord Ram himself the coach here.
Lord Ram along with Lakshman arrived at Mount Rishyamukha Parva without Sita Masta as Sita Maata had been abducted by Ravan by then. Vanara king Sugriva was hiding in Rishyamukh forests with his entourage after he lost to his brother Vali. Seeing Ram and Lakshman from a distance, Sugriva could not guess the identity of Lord Ram and Lakshman and got confused and doubtful of the intentions of the two men. He feared if they were mercenaries sent by his brother Vali to find out and kill him. So, he sent his trusted lieutenant Hanumann to find out more about them but not before advising him to go in an appropriate disguise. Hanumann though not fully convinced of his superior’s apprehensions agreed to his instructions and took the guise as that of an ascetic and went to meet Ram and Lakshman.
Hanumann personally was sure that the two men are not mercenaries sent by Vali. They did not look like mercenaries but he had to convince himself and then convince his master Sugriva.
Hanuman, at the behest of Sugreeva, approached Rama and Lakshmana in the guise of an ascetic. Rama and Lakshmana appeared to him in a self-contradictory personage. By their body built, striking features, knack of wielding armoury they looked like kings or emperors. But when it came to their dress and hairdo, they looked like hermits.
Rama and Lakshmana too doubted the entry of an ascetic i.e., Hanuman in that guise, into that uninhabited place, and they waited cautiously till Hanuman revealed himself. Hanumanm thus started that eventful and effective communication with Lord Ram and Lakshman from a very difficult and uncomfortable position.
Lord Ram quickly understood that the person in from of him is actually not an ascetic. He wanted to get the real intentions of the person in front of him from his mouth. Lord Ram teaches us here the best strategy for that kind of situation and that strategy is SILENCE & LISTENING. Yes, Talk less, have the other person to talk much, Listen intently and read the situation carefully.
Lord Ram allowed Hanumann standing in front of him as an ascetic to do the talking for 18 slokas. Lord Ram and Lakshman kept complete silence. Not able to take their silence any further, Hanumann broke down and revealed himself in the 20th sloka of 3rd sarga of Kishkinda Kand.
“When I have been talking to you this way, what for you don’t speak up… one named Sugreeva, somebody virtuous and worthily one among monkeys is expelled by his brother Vali, and he is roaming all over the world sorrowfully…” Hanumann gave up his disguise for the first time.
Hanuman could not take their silence any further. So far, he had been talking all flattering words. Their apparels and hair tufts are like those of sages and hermits, along with their self-contradictory resemblance as would-have-been emperors, and their mighty weaponry, and every other thing are matching with that of lakshana shaatra, the scripture that prescribes the qualities of great emperors.
Ram & Lakshmana were also assessing the ascetic in front of them. They got the doubt that the person could not be an ascetic or sage, because sages do not roam in forests. Moreover, ascetics do not talk so much especially to strangers. They doubted that the person seemed to be pushing them to reveal themselves.
Rama is too good in assessing people, even the strangers. This quality comes out very nicely starting from 25th sloka. He gave his reading of Hanumann to Lakshmana starting from 25th sloka and Lord Rama’s interpretation of Hanumann’s communications skills is the topic of this series, starting from the next episode. Rama’s reading of Hanumann and the eight communication skills exhibited by Hanumann will start from the next episode.
Look forward to an interesting and useful lesson, lesson directly from Lord Ram himself.
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Jaganathan T
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