सोऽवतीर्य दुमात् तस्माद् विद्रुमप्रतिमाननः। विनीतवेषः कृपणः प्रणिपत्योपसृत्य च॥ तामब्रवीन्महातेजा हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः। शिरस्यञ्जलिमाधाय सीतां मधुरया गिरा॥
Thereupon coming down from the tree, Hanumān, the highly effulgent son of Wind, having a coral-red countenance and attired in a humble guise, approached Sītā and joining reverentially his palms, addressed her with the following sweet words.
का नु पद्मपलाशाक्षि क्लिष्टकौशेयवासिनि। दुमस्य शाखामालम्ब्य तिष्ठसि त्वमनिन्दिता॥ किमर्थं तव नेत्राभ्यां वारि स्रवति शोकजम्। पुण्डरीकपलाशाभ्यां विप्रकीर्णमिवोदकम्॥
Who are you, O you having eyes like lotus petals and wearing a soiled silken cloth, who are waiting there holding a branch of the tree? Why are the tears of sorrow flowing from your eyes like to drops of water falling from lotus petals?
सुराणामसुराणां च नागगन्धर्वरक्षसाम्। यक्षाणां किंनराणां च का त्वं भवसि शोभने ॥ का त्वं भवसि रुद्राणां मरुतां वा वरानने। वसूनां वा वरारोहे देवता प्रतिभासि मे॥
Who are you, O most fair of face, among the celestials, Asuras, Nāgas, Gandharvas, Rāks asas, and Yaksas and Kinnaras? Do the Rudra's (The Rudras are manifestations of Śiva) claim your birth O you fair damsel,? Or the swift gods who ride the storm? Or the Vasus? (A kind of demi-gods of whom six are enumerated viz., Dhava, Druva. Soma or the Moon, Visnu, Anila or wind, Anala or fire, Prabhusa and Prabhava) You appear to me as of a celestial race.
किं नु चन्द्रमसा हीना पतिता विबुधालयात्। रोहिणी ज्योतिषां श्रेष्ठा श्रेष्ठा सर्वगुणाधिका॥
Are you Rohiņā, the best and most accomplished of the stars, who, left from the Moon, has fallen down from the abode of the celestials?
कोपाद् वा यदि वा मोहाद् भर्तारमसितेक्षणे। वसिष्ठं कोपयित्वा त्वं वासि कल्याण्यरुन्धती॥
Who are you O blessed dame, O you having blameless eyes? Are you, O lotus-eyed damsel, the blessed Arundhuti, who has fled in wrath or jealous pride form the side of her lord (Vasistha)?
को नु पुत्रः पिता भ्राता भर्ता वा ते सुमध्यमे। अस्माल्लोकादमुं लोकं गतं त्वमनुशोचसि॥
Or O lovely damsel, who is the son, father, brother or husband gone from this world for whom you are weeping?
रोदनादतिनिःश्वासाद् भूमिसंस्पर्शनादपि। न त्वां देवीमहं मन्ये राज्ञः संज्ञावधारणात्॥ व्यञ्जनानि हि ते यानि लक्षणानि च लक्षये। महिषी भूमिपालस्य राजकन्या च मे मता॥
Yet by your tears and sighs, by the earth you are treading and by calling on a monarch's name it appears that you are not a celestial. (The celestials never shed tears nor touch the ground when they walk.) But from the marks on your person it appear that you are either the consort or the daughter of a king.
रावणेन जनस्थानाद् बलात् प्रमथिता यदि। सीता त्वमसि भद्रं ते तन्ममाचक्ष्व पृच्छतः॥
Are you that Sītā, I do ask you, who had been stolen and borne away by Rāvana from Janasthāna? May good betide you!
यथा हि तव वै दैन्यं रूपं चाप्यतिमानुषम् । तपसा चान्वितो वेषस्त्वं राममहिषी ध्रुवम्॥
From your wretched plight, your unrivalled beauty and your ascetic garb, you are, I ween, for certain, the queen of Rāma.
सा तस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा रामकीर्तनहर्षिता। उवाच वाक्यं वैदेही हनूमन्तं दुमाश्रितम्॥
Hearing those words of Hanumān and greatly delighted at Rāma's name, Vaidehī spoke to him.
पृथिव्यां राजसिंहानां मुख्यस्य विदितात्मनः। स्नुषा दशरथस्याहं शत्रुसैन्यप्रणाशिनः॥ दुहिता जनकस्याहं वैदेहस्य महात्मनः। सीतेति नाम्ना चोक्ताहं भार्या रामस्य धीमतः॥
I am the daughter-in-law of Dasaratha, knowing his own self, the foremost of the kings of the world and the slayer of the enemy's host, and the daughter of Janaka the high-souled king of Vaideha. My name is Sītā and I am the consort of the highly intelligent Rāma.
समा द्वादश तत्राहं राघवस्य निवेशने। भुञ्जाना मानुषान् भोगान् सर्वकामसमृद्धिनी॥
I lived twelve years in Rāghava's abode, enjoying every earthly comfort and satisfying every desire.
ततस्त्रयोदशे वर्षे राज्ये चेक्ष्वाकुनन्दनम्। अभिषेचयितुं राजा सोपाध्यायः प्रचक्रमे॥
And at the beginning of the thirteenth year the king, advised by his priest, arranged for the installation of the descendant of Ikşvākus (Rāma) on the throne.
तस्मिन् सम्ध्रियमाणे तु राघवस्याभिषेचने। कैकेयी नाम भर्तारमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥
And while the articles for the installation were being collected, the queen Kaikeyi addressed her lord saying.
न पिबेयं न खादेयं प्रत्यहं मम भोजनम्। एष मे जीवितस्यान्तो रामो यद्यभिषिच्यते॥
I shall not drink or eat for days and this shall be the end of my existence if Räma be installed.
यत्तदुक्तं त्वया वाक्यं प्रीत्या नृपतिसत्तम। तच्चेन्न वितथं कार्यं वनं गच्छतु राघवः॥
If you do not wish to falsify the vow (This refers to the vow which Dasaratha made to Kaikeyſ at the time of the war going on between the celestials and the Asuras) you made to me,O best of kings, let Rāma then repair to the forest.
स राजा सत्यवाग् देव्या वरदानमनुस्मरन्। मुमोह वचनं श्रुत्वा कैकेय्याः क्रूरमप्रियम्॥
The monarch was truthful and remembering his vow and hearing the unpleasant and vile words of Kaikeyi lost himself (in grief).
ततस्तं स्थविरो राजा सत्यधर्मे व्यवस्थितः। ज्येष्ठं यशस्विनं पुत्रं रुदन् राज्यमयाचत॥
Thereupon the old king abiding by truth, weeping, begged of his eldest son, the kingdom.
स पितुर्वचनं श्रीमानभिषेकात् परं प्रियम्। मनसा पूर्वमासाद्य वाचा प्रतिगृहीतवान् ॥
The graceful Räma killed his sire's command more than the installation, and resolving within him, promised to obey his words.
दद्यान्न प्रतिगृह्णीयात् सत्यं ब्रूयान्न चानृतम्। अपि जीवितहेतोहि रामः सत्यपराक्रमः॥
Rāma, having truth for his prowess, never, for his life, takes back what her gives, never speaks an untruth and always speaks truth.
स विहायोत्तरीयाणि महार्हाणि महायशाः। विसृज्य मनसा राज्यं जनन्यै मां समादिशत्॥
Leaving aside his costly attire, the highly glorious (Rāma) renounced with all his heart the kingdom and gave me over to his mother.
साहं तस्याग्रतस्तूर्णं प्रस्थिता वनचारिणी। नहि मे तेन हीनाया वासः स्वर्गेऽपि रोचते॥
But myself wearing the garb of an ascetic, repaired speedily before him. Separated from him, I do not like to live even in the celestial region.
प्रागेव तु महाभागः सौमित्रिमित्रनन्दनः। पूर्वजस्यानुयात्रार्थे कुशचीरैरलंकृतः॥
The great son of Sumitrā, the enhancer of friends' joys, to follow his elder brother, dressed himself in bark and kusa.
ते वयं भर्तुरादेशं बहुमान्य दृढव्रताः। प्रविष्टाः स्म पुरादृष्टं वनं गम्भीरदर्शनम्॥
Thus abiding by our sire's behest, and taking firm vows we entered a dreary forest never seen before.
वसतो दण्डकारण्ये तस्याहममितौजसः। रक्षसापहृता भार्या रावणेन दुरात्मना ॥
While that one, of unmitigated effulgence was thus living in the forest of Dandaka, I, his consort, was stolen by the vicious-souled Rākşasa—Rāvaņa.
द्वौ मासौ तेन मे कालो जीवितानुग्रहः कृतः। ऊर्ध्वं द्वाभ्यां तु मासाभ्यां ततस्त्यक्ष्यामि जीवितम्।।
He has kindly allowed me two months respite after which I shall be slain.