Scene 1

KING: Hanuman, I have heard much about your strength and your sacrifice. It was you who discovered Sita in Lanka. It was you who took Rama’s message to Sita and Sita’s message to Rama. It was you who enabled Rama to conquer and kill Ravana. Without you Rama could not have won the victory.

HANUMAN: O King, I don’t want you to utter falsehoods. Rama is God. It was most kind of him to appoint me as his messenger. It was most kind of him to ask me to fight for him. But Rama did not need my help. Rama does not need anybody’s help. He could easily have conquered Ravana himself. He can protect himself. He is all power. He can conquer the whole world at his sweet will.

KING: I deeply admire your heart’s nobility.

HANUMAN: I shall also deeply admire you when you speak the truth. It is Rama who can do everything. Rama is all-powerful.

KING: Yes, your Rama is all-powerful. He is everything. Are you happy now?

HANUMAN: Yes, I am happy. I am happy. When you say this, I become happy.

KING: I have a gift for you, Hanuman, a most precious gift.

HANUMAN: Thank you.

KING (holds out a pendant): I wish to place it around your neck myself. I am pleased with your strength, proud of your love for Rama and proud of your sacrifice.

HANUMAN: O King, my sacrifice for whom? If you say, “For Rama,” I shall not accept your gift. I shall return it immediately. I made no sacrifice for Rama. His very existence on earth is the supreme sacrifice for me and for earth.

KING (places pendant around Hanuman’s neck): This pendant looks wonderful on you. I am so happy to see you wearing it.

HANUMAN: It certainly does. I deeply thank you for this necklace.

(Hanuman starts fondling the locket. Finally he takes the necklace off and starts to break open the locket.)

KING: Hanuman, what are you doing? You are a fool! That is such a precious locket! Can’t you see the diamonds on it?

HANUMAN: But I want to see what is inside it. (Breaks it open.) Ah, nothing! (Throws it away.)

KING: What a fool! What am I going to do with such a fool? You have no sense! Why did you break the locket? Why did you throw it away?

HANUMAN: I wanted to see if there was a picture of Rama inside, but there was no picture. I did not see anything of Rama inside the locket. So why do I need it? I only need the things that have Rama in them. Without Rama I do not exist. No matter how expensive, how valuable your locket is to you, it is of no value to me. With Rama, everything is most precious to me. Without Rama, everything is useless to me.

(Hanuman sings.)

Tumi shudhu bandhu amar
tumi amar pran
baul haye desh bideshe
gahi jena bhalobese
jiban bhare tomar jaya gan
tumi shudhu bandhu amar
tumiy amar pran

(You are my only Friend,
You are my Life.
Like a divine mendicant, from
one country to another
May I sing a song of You
With all my love.
May I sing the Song of
Your Victory all my life.)

HANUMAN: King, since you do not care for Rama, I cannot waste one minute more of my precious time here. Good-bye.

(Exit Hanuman.)

KING: Hanuman’s strength is unparalleled, but his blind and stupid faith in Rama is also unparalleled. In God’s creation, it seems perfection will never dawn.