हनुमानपि विक्रान्तः सर्वं शुश्राव तत्त्वतः। सीतायास्त्रिजटायाश्च राक्षसीनां च तर्जितम्॥
And the powerful Hanumān, heard from the beginning to the end (the bewailings) of Sitā, the story to Trijatā's dream and the threats of the Rākşasīs.
अवेक्षमाणस्तां देवी देवतामिव नन्दने। ततो बहुविधां चिन्तां चिन्तयामास वानरः॥
And beholding the worshipful damsel, living in the forest of Asoka, like to a celestial damsel in the garden of Nandana, the monkey-entered in a maze of anxious thoughts.
यां कपीनां सहस्राणि सुबहून्ययुतानि च। दिक्षु सर्वासु मार्गन्ते सेयमासादिता मया॥
At length my watchful eyes have seen her, whom have been seeking in vain, the thousands and millions of the monkeys in all directions and quarters.
चारेण तु सुयुक्तेन शत्रोः शक्तिमवेक्षता। गूढेन चरता तावदवेक्षितमिदं मया॥ राक्षसानां विशेषश्च पुरी चेयं निरीक्षिता। राक्षसाधिपतेरस्य प्रभावो रावणस्य च॥
Truly have I seen her today, engaged as I have been as a spy to estimate the strength of the enemy and am ranging secretly everywhere. I have seen minutely the city of the Rākşasas, and the strength of Rāvana the lord of Rākşasas.
तथा तस्याप्रमेयस्य सर्वसत्त्वदयावतः। समाश्वासयितुं भार्यां पतिदर्शनकाङ्क्षिणीम्॥
It now remains to console the spouse of Rāma of incomparable power, and kind to all, who pants for her lord.
अहमाश्वासयाम्येनां पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननाम्। अदृष्टदुःखां दुःखस्य न हन्तमधिगच्छतीम्।७।।
I shall console this damsel, having the countenance of the full moon, who had never seen grief before, and who shall not soon reach its end.
यदि ह्यहं सतीमेनां शोकोपहतचेतनाम्। अनाश्वास्य गमिष्यामि दोषवद् गमनं भवेत्॥
And if I go away without soothing this chaste lady, who is almost senseless with grief, I shall be blamed of neglect of duty.
गते हि मयि तत्रेयं राजपुत्री यशश्विनी। परित्राणमपश्यन्ती जानकी जीवितं त्यजेत्॥
And if I go away, the royal daughter, the famed Janaki, finding no means of safety, shall, for certain, renounce her life.
यथा च स महाबाहुः पूर्णचन्द्रनिभाननः। समाश्वासयितुं न्याय्यः सीतादर्शनलालसः॥
She is worthy of being consoled like to the great armed (Rāma) having the countenance of the full-moon and anxious to behold Sita.
निशाचरीणां प्रत्यक्षमक्षमं चाभिभाषितम्। कथं नु खलु कर्तव्यमिदं कृच्छ्रगतो ह्यहम्॥
It is not proper to speak before the Rākşasas-What shall I do them? I am in very great difficulty.
अनेन रात्रिशेषेण यदि नाश्वास्यते मया। सर्वथा नास्ति संदेहः परित्यक्ष्यति जीवितम्॥
If I do not console her at this later end of the night, surely shall she renounce her life.
रामस्तु यदि पृच्छेन्मां किं मां सीताब्रवीद् वचः। किमहं तं प्रतिब्रूयामसम्भाष्य सुमध्यमाम्॥
How shall I answer Rāma, without consoling Sītā of comely stature, when he will ask me “What message from my Sītā?”
सीतासंदेशरहितं मामितस्त्वरया गतम्। निर्दहेदपि काकुत्स्थः क्रोधतीव्रण चक्षुषा ॥
And if I speedily repair hence without any information regarding Sītā, surely shall Kākuthutha scorci me lifeless with the fire of his angry eyes.
यदि वोद्योजयिष्यामि भर्तारं रामकारणात्। व्यर्थमागमनं तस्य ससैन्यस्य भविष्यति॥
And if I urge my lord the king (Vibhīşaņa) to bring his hosts here for Rāma, in vain shall be his toil. (For before that Sītā shall renounce her life.)
अन्तरं त्वहमासाद्य राक्षसीनामवस्थितः। शनैराश्वासयाम्यद्य संतापबहुलामिमाम्॥
And seizing the occasion when she shall be free from her demoniac guards, I shall console her in her dire distress.
अहं ह्यतितनुश्चैव वानरश्च विशेषतः। वाचं चोदाहरिष्यामि मानुषीमिह संस्कृताम्॥
And a puny monkey as I am, I shall speak in Sanskrit (The language refined by the strict rules of grammar) which men delight to use.
यदि वाचं प्रदास्यामि द्विजातिरिव संस्कृताम्। रावणं मन्यमाना मां सीता भीता भविष्यति॥
And if I speak Sanskrit like a Brāhmaṇa, Sītā shall be terrified considering me Råvaņa.
अवश्यमेव वक्तव्यं मानुषं वाक्यमर्थवत्। मया सान्त्वयितुं शक्या नान्यथेयमनिन्दिता ॥
Must I therefore use the language of a common man or else I shall not be able to console the dame of a blameless person. (This passage clearly indicates that Sanskrit if not spoken by men, and women of the upper classes of the time when Rāmāyaṇa was written, was at least understood by them, and was commonly spoken by men of priestly class and other educated persons")
सेयमालोक्य मे रूपं जानकी भाषितं तथा। रक्षोभिस्त्रासिता पूर्वं भूयस्त्रासमुपैष्यति॥
And beholding my monkey shape and hearing my human language she might be afraid again, terrified as she had been before by the band of the Rākşasas.
ततो जातपरित्रासा शब्दं कुर्यान्मनस्विनी। जानाना मां विशालाक्षी रावणं कामरूपिणम्॥
And considering me Rāvaņa wearing shapes at will, that large-eyed and high-minded dame, shall cry piteously for help.
सीतया च कृते शब्दे सहता राक्षसीगणः। नानाप्रहरणो घोर: समयादन्तकोपमः॥
And Sītā making a sudden noise, those terrible Rākṣasīs resembling Death himself and arined with various weapons, shall at once arrive there.
ततो मां सम्परिक्षिप्य सर्वतो विकृताननाः। वधे च ग्रहणे चैव कुर्युर्यत्नं महाबलाः॥
And thereupon casting their looks all around and finding me out, those highly powerful and grim-viasged demons shall try to kill or catch ine.
तं मां शाखाः प्रशाखाश्च स्कन्धांश्चोत्तमशाखिनाम्। दृष्ट्वा च परिधावन्तं भवेयुः परिशङ्किताः॥
Beholding me leap from branch to branch and trunk to trunk of big trees they shall be greatly alarmed.
मम रूपं च सम्प्रेक्ष्य वने विचरतो महत्। राक्षस्यो भयवित्रस्ता भवेयुर्विकृतस्वराः॥
And espying my appearance while ranging in the forest, those Rākşasīs greatly terrified, shall fill the wood with their wild shouts.
ततः कुर्युः समाह्वानं राक्षस्यो रक्षसामपि। राक्षसेन्द्रनियुक्तानां राक्षसेन्द्रनिवेशने॥
Then they shall call (to their assistance) all those Rākşasīs engaged in guarding the abode of the lord of the Rāksasas.
ते शूलशरनिस्त्रिंशविविधायुधपाणयः। आपतेयुर्विमर्देऽस्मिन् वेगेनोद्वेगकारणात्॥
They, greatly agitated, shall with vehemence arrive here, armed with dirts, arrow, scimitars and various other weapons.
संरुद्धस्तैस्तु परितो विधमे राक्षसं बलम्। शक्नुयां न तु सम्प्राप्तं परं पारं महोदधेः॥
Being surrounded by them on all sides, If I do kill that host of demons, tired, I shall not be able to bound over the main.
मां वा गृहीयुरावृत्य बहवः शीघ्रकारिणः। स्यादियं चागृहीतार्था मम च ग्रहणं भवेत्॥
And if that host of skilled demons, succeed in making me a captive, too shall be in their hands and Sītā shall remain ignorant of my object.
हिंसाभिरुचयो हिंस्युरिमां वा जनकात्मजाम्। विपन्नं स्यात् ततः कार्यं रामसुग्रीवयोरिदम्॥
Or the Rākşasas, pernicious as they are, shall kill the daughter of Janaka, and there shall the great work of Rāma and Sugrīva, be spoiled.
उद्देशे नष्टमार्गेऽस्मिन् राक्षसैः परिवारिते। सागरेण परिक्षिप्ते गुप्ते वसति जानकी॥
And Jānakī live in this secret place, girt by the ocean, guarded on all sides by the Raksasas, difficult of being got at and having all avenues to it shut up.
विशस्ते वा गृहीते वा रक्षोभिर्मयि संयुगे। नान्यं पश्यामि रामस्य सहायं कार्यसाधने॥
If I am killed or captured by Rākşasas in battle, I do not find any who can help Rāma in his enterprise.
विमृशंश्च न पश्यामि यो हते मयि वानरः। शतयोजनविस्तीर्णं लङ्घयेत् महोदधिम्॥
Myself killed, I do not find any monkey who can leap a hundred leagues across the sea.
कामं हन्तुं समर्थोऽस्मि सहस्राण्यपि रक्षसाम्। न तु शक्ष्याम्यहं प्राप्तुं परं पारं महोदधेः॥
I am capable of destroying thousands of Rākşasas, but I shall not then be able to get at the other shore of the great ocean.
असत्यानि च युद्धानि संशयो मे न रोचते। कश्च निःसंशयं कार्यं कुर्यात् प्राज्ञः ससंशयम्॥
Victory or defeat is uncertain in a battle-I do not (therefore) like to engage in such an uncertain (act). What wise man merges certainty in uncertainly?
एष दोषो महान् हि स्यान्मम सीताभिभाषणे। प्राणत्यागश्च वैदह्या भवेदनभिभाषणे॥
It is a great sin in me (I own) to talk with Sita-But she will die if I do not talk with her.
भूताश्चार्था विरुद्ध्यन्ति देशकालविरोधिताः। विक्लवं दूतमासाद्य तमः सूर्योदये यथा॥
Works, almost accomplished, when entrusted to an inconsiderate emissary, are generally spoiled, out of season and out of place, like to darkness driven by the appearance of the sun.
अर्थानान्तरे बुद्धिनिश्चितापि न शोभते। घातयन्ति हि कार्याणि दूताः पण्डितमानिनः॥
All those works, which are generally taken in hand after duly deliberating over their propriety and impropriety, are generally spoiled by those emissaries who are proud of their learing.
न विनश्येत् कथं कार्यं वैक्लव्यं न कथं मम। लङ्घनं च समुद्रस्य कथं नु न वृथा भवेत्॥ कथं नु खलु वाक्यं मे शृणुयानोद्विजेत च। इति संचिन्त्य हनुमांश्चकार मतिमान् मतिम्॥
What shall I do, by which my work is not injured, I am not blamed of foolishness and my crossing over the main dose not become fruitless? What shall I do so that Sītā might listen to me without being terrified? Thinking over this, the intelligent Hanumān arrived at a conclusion.
राममक्लिष्टकर्माणं सुबन्धुमनुकीर्तयन्। नैनामुद्वेजयिष्यामि तद्वन्धुगतचेतनाम्॥
I shall not disturb her, speaking (all on a sudden) about Rāma of unwearied actions, dear to her and to whom.
इक्ष्वाकूणां वरिष्ठस्य रामस्य विदितात्मनः। शुभानि धर्मयुक्तानि वचनानि समर्पयन्॥ श्रावयिष्यामि सर्वाणि मधुरां प्रब्रुवन् गिरम्। श्रद्धास्यति यथा सीता तथा सर्वं समादधे॥
She is firmly attached. Uttering the name of Rāma, the foremost of the Ikşvākus, and of subdued soul and lauding his piety and fame in sweet accents, I shall so manage that Sītā might hear and believe them.
इति स बहुविधं महाप्रभावो जगतिपतेः प्रमदामवेक्षमाणः। मधुरमवितथं जगाद वाक्यं द्रमविटपान्तरमास्थितो हनूमान्॥
Beholding the spouse of that high-souled lord of the earth and engaging in this train of thoughts, Hanumān, stationed on a branch of the tree, spoke the following sweet words.