TIRTHAYATRA PARVA: Chapter 148

The Colloquy between Bhima and Hanuman

हनूमानुवाच हृतदारः सह भ्रात्रा पत्नी मार्गन् स राघवः। दृष्टवाशैलशिखरे सुग्रीवं वानरर्षभम्॥
Hanuman said: Having thus lost his wife while that descendant of Raghu was searching his wife with his brother, he met with the monkey chief Sugriva on the summit of the mountain.

तेन तस्याभवत् सख्यं राघवस्य महात्मनः। स हत्वा वालिनं राज्ये सुग्रीवमभिषिक्तवान्॥
Then a friendship was contracted between that high-souled descendant of Raghu and Sugriva. Killing Bali, he gave him (Sugriva) the kingdom.

स राज्यं प्राप्य सुग्रीवं सीतायाः परिमार्गणे। वानरान् प्रेषयामास शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः॥
Having obtained the kingdom, Sugriva sent away hundreds and thousands of monkeys to search out Sita.

ततो वानरकोटीभिः सहितोऽहं नरर्षभ। सीतां मार्गन्महाबाहो प्रयातो दक्षिणां दिशम्॥
O foremost of men, O mighty armed hero, I also with numerous other monkeys set out towards the south in search of Sita.

ततः प्रवृत्तिः सीताया गृध्रेण सुमहात्मना। सम्पातिना समाख्याता रावणस्य निवेशने॥
Thereupon I learned the tidings of Sita from a mighty vulture named Sampati that she was in the abode of Ravana.

ततोऽहं कार्यसिद्ध्यर्थं रामस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः। शतयोजनविस्तीर्णमर्णवं सहसाऽऽप्लुतः॥
Thereupon to accomplish the work of Rama of stainless deeds, I suddenly leaped over the ocean extending one hundred yojanas.

अहं स्ववीर्यादुत्तीर्य सागरं मकरालयम्। सुत जनकराजस्य सीतां सुरसुतोपमाम्॥ दृष्टवान् भरतश्रेष्ठ रावणस्य निवेशने। समेत्य तामहं देवीं वैदेहीं राघवप्रियाम्॥
O best of the Bharata race, having crossed by my own prowess the ocean, the abode of sharks and crocodiles, I saw the daughter of king Janaka, celestials like Sita in the abode Ravana. Having interviewed with that lady, the Veda princess, the beloved of Rama.

दग्ध्वा लङ्कामशेषेण साट्टप्राकारतोरणाम्। प्रत्यागतश्चास्य पुनर्नाम तत्र प्रकाश्य वै॥
And burnt the whole of Lanka with its towers, ramparts and gates and proclaimed my name there, I returned.

मद्वाक्यं चावधार्याशु रामो राजीवलोचनः। स बुद्धिपूर्वं सैन्यस्य बद्ध्वा सेतुं महोदधौ।॥
Having heard everything from ine, the lotuseyed Rama fixed upon the course of his action and made with the help of his soldiers a bridge over the great ocean.

वृतो वानरकोटीभिः समुत्तीर्णो महार्णवम्। ततो रामेण वीरेण हत्वा तान् सर्वराक्षसान्॥
He crossed the great ocean followed by million of monkeys. Thereupon all the Rakshasas were killed by Rama's prowess,

रणे तु राक्षसगणं रावणं लोकरावणम्। निशाचरेन्द्रं हत्वा तु सभ्रातृसुतबान्धवम्॥
And also Ravana, that oppressor of the world, the king of the Rakshasas with all his Rakshasa relatives, brothers, sons and kindred.

राज्येऽभिषिच्य लङ्कायां राक्षसेन्द्रं विभीषणम्। धार्मिकं भक्तिमन्तं च भक्तानुगतवत्सलम्॥
Rama installed on the throne of Lanka, the Rakshasa chief Vibhishana who was virtuous, reverent and kind to devoted followers.

ततः प्रत्याहृता भार्या नष्टा वेदश्रुतिर्यथा। तयैव सहितः साध्व्या पल्या रामो महायशाः॥ गत्वा ततोऽतित्वरितः स्वां पुरी रघुनन्दनः। अध्यावसत् ततोऽयोध्यामयोध्यां द्विषतां प्रभुः॥
Then Rama recovered his wife like the lost Vedic lore. Then the greatly illustrious Rama, the descendant of Raghu, with his devoted wife went speedily to his own city of Ayodhya, inaccessible to enemies. That lord then dwelt there.

ततः प्रतिष्ठितो राज्ये रामो नृपतिसत्तमः। वरं मया याचितोऽसौ रामो राजीवलोचनः॥
When that foremost of kings was established in his kingdom, I asked a boon from the lotus eyed Rama.

यावद् राम कथेयं ते भवेल्लोकेषु शत्रुहन्। तावज्जीवेयमित्येवं तथास्त्विति च सोऽब्रवीत्॥
I said, "O chastiser of foes, O Rama, let me live as long as the history of your deeds remains extant on earth. Thereupon he said, “So be it."

सीताप्रसादाच्च सदा मामिहस्थमरिदम। उपतिष्ठन्ति दिव्या हि भोगा भीम यथेप्सिताः॥
O chastiser of foes, O Bhima, through the grace of Sita, all excellent objects of enjoyments are supplied to me who always live in this place.

दशवर्षसहस्राणि दशवर्षशतानि च। राज्यं कारितवान् रामस्ततः स्वभवनं गतः॥
Rama reigned ten thousand ten hundred years. Then he ascended his own abode.

तदिहाप्सरसस्तात गन्धर्वाश्च सदानघ। तस्य वीरस्य चरितं गायन्तो रमयन्ति माम्॥
O child, O sinless one, since then Apsaras and the Gandharvas delight me by singing the great deeds of that great hero,

अयं च मार्गो मर्त्यानामगम्य: कुरुनन्दन। ततोऽहं रुद्धवान् मार्गं तवेमं देवसेवितम्॥ धर्षयेद् वा शपेद् वापि मा कश्चिदिति भारत। दिव्यो देवपथो ह्येष नात्र गच्छन्ति मानुषाः। यदर्थमागतश्चासि अत एव सरश्च तत्॥
O descendant of Kuru, this passage is impassable to mortals; for this reason and as also with the view that none may defeat or curse you, I have obstructed your passage trodden by the celestials. This is one of the paths to heaven. Mortals cannot pass this way. But the lake in search of which you have come lies in that direction.