Sundara Kanda: Chapter 36

भूय एव महातेजा हनूमान् पवनात्मजः। अब्रवीत् प्रश्रितं वाक्यं सीताप्रत्ययकारणात्॥
The highly effulgent son of the Wind-god, Hanumān, to create Sītā's confidence, again addressed her with the following words.

वानरोऽहं महाभागे दूतो रामस्य धीमतः। रामनामाङ्कितं चेदं पश्य देव्यङ्गुलीयकम्॥ प्रत्ययार्थं तवानीतं तेन दत्तं महात्मना। समाश्वसिहि भद्रं ते क्षीणदुःखफला ह्यसि॥
O great dame, I am a monkey, the messenger of the highly intelligent Rāma. Behold this precious ring with Rāma's name engraven on it, given by your high-souled lord and brought as a token to create your confidence. Do you take heart and may good betide you, there will be an end of your grief soon.

गृहीत्वा प्रेक्षमाणा सा भर्तुः करविभूषितम्। भर्तारमिव सम्प्राप्त जानकी मुदिताभवत्॥
Taking the ring that used to deck her lord's finger and looking at it, Jānaki seemed to have actually got her lord.

चारु तद् वदनं तस्यास्ताम्रशुक्लायतेक्षणम्। बभूव हर्षोदग्रं च राहुमुक्त इवोडुराट्॥
Her graceful countenance, having large eyes, looked, with delight, like to the Moon released from the possession of Rāhu.

ततः सा ह्रीमती बाला भर्तुः संदेशहर्षिता। परितुष्टा प्रियं कृत्वा प्रशशंस महाकपिम्॥
And greatly delighted at her husband's news that modest damsel, affectionately welcoming Hanumăn, applauded that great monkey.

विक्रान्तस्त्वं समर्थस्त्वं प्राज्ञस्त्वं वानरोत्तम। येनेदं राक्षसपदं त्वयैकेन प्रधर्षितम्॥
O foremost of monkeys, you are brave, powerful and wise, since you had alone smitten this abode of the Rākşasas.

शतयोजनविस्तीर्णः सागरो मकरालयः। विक्रमश्लाघनीयेन क्रमता गोष्पदीकृतः॥
You had, with they laudable prowess, leaped, a hundred leagues, across the ocean, the abode of marine mousters, taking it for Gospada. (A measure as much as a cow's foot-step will hold.)

न हि त्वां प्राकृतं मन्ये वानरं वानरर्षभ। यस्य ते नास्ति संत्रासो रावणादपि संभ्रमः॥
O foremost of monkeys, I do not consider you as an ordinary monkey, since you do not care or fear Ravana.

अर्हसे च कपिश्रेष्ठ मया समभिभाषितुम्। यद्यसि प्रेषितस्तेन रामेण विदितात्मना॥ प्रेषयिष्यति दुर्धर्षो रामो नह्यपरीक्षितम्। पराक्रममविज्ञाय मत्सकाशं विशेषतः॥
O best of monkeys, you are worthy of my welcome, since you had been despatched by Rāma, knowing self, Rāma, hard of being got at, has not sent you, specially to me, without a trial of your prowess.

दिष्ट्या च कुशली रामो धर्मात्मा सत्यसंगरः। लक्ष्मणश्च महातेजाः सुमित्रानन्दवर्धनः॥
By my good luck, is it all well with the virtuous-souled and truthful Rāma and the highly powerful Lakşmaņa the enhancer of Sumitra's joy?

कुशली यदि काकुत्स्थः किं न सागरमेखलाम्। मही दहति कोपेन युगान्ताग्निरिवोत्थितः॥
And if Kākutstha lives untouched by ill, then why does he not burn the earth, encircled by the ocean with his ire like to the fire of dissolution?

अथवा शक्तिमन्तौ तौ सुराणामपि निग्रहे। ममैव तु न दुःखानामस्ति मन्ये विपर्ययः॥
Or they are capable of discomfiting the celestials in a battle but me-thinks by my illluck, the end of my miseries has not arrived as yet.

कच्चिन्न व्यथते रामः कच्चिन्न परितप्यते। उत्तराणि च कार्याणि कुरुते पुरुषोत्तमः॥
Is Rāma greatly pained? Does he grieve? Is that foremost of men making preparations of my rescue?

कच्चिन्न दीनः सम्भ्रान्तः कार्येषु च न मुह्यति। कच्चित् पुरुषकार्याणि कुरुते नृपतेः सुतः॥
Has he forgotten his work being overwhelmed with fear and poorliness of heart? Is that son of the king performing still his manly duties?

द्विविधं त्रिविधोपायमुपायमपि सेवते। विजिगीषुः सुहृत् कच्चिन्मित्रेषु च परंतपः॥ "
Is that slayer of foes, desirous of acquiring victory, pleasing his friends still with forgiveness and gifts and dealing his enemies with punishment, sowing dassensions among them, and with other expedients?

कच्चिन्मित्राणि लभतेऽमित्रैश्चाप्यभिगम्यते। कच्चित् कल्याणमित्रश्च मित्रैश्चापि पुरस्कृतः॥
Is he still gaining friends and are friends gathering around him? Is he welcoming his friends and are they honouring him the more?

कचिदाशास्ति देवानां प्रसादं पार्थिवात्मजः। कच्चित् पुरुषकारं च दैवं च प्रतिपद्यते॥
Is that son of the king invoking the blessings of the celestials? Has he attained manliness and assistance from the celestials?

कच्चिन्न विगतस्नेहो विवासान्मयि राघवः। कच्चिन्मां व्यसनादस्मान्मोक्षयिष्यति राघवः॥
Has Rāghava lost all his affection for me for my living at a distance from him? Will he save me from this disaster?

सुखानामुचितो नित्यमसुखानामनूचितः। दुःखमुत्तरमासाद्य कच्चिद् रामो न सीदति ॥
Has not Rāma, ever used to happiness and unused to misery, been enfeebled by this disaster?

कौसल्यायास्तथा कच्चित् सुमित्रायास्तथैव च। अभीक्ष्णं श्रूयते कच्चित् कुशलं भरतस्य च ॥
Is he informed always of the welfare of Kauslyā, Sumitrā and Bharata?

मन्निमित्तेन मानाहः कच्चिच्छोकेन राघवः। कच्चिन्नान्धमना रामः कच्चिन्मां तारयिष्यति॥
Is not Rāghava, worthy of honours, beside himself with grief in my absence? Will not Rāma rescue me?

कच्चिदक्षौहिणी भीमां भरतो भ्रातृवत्सलः। ध्वजिन मन्त्रिभिर्गुप्तां प्रेषयिष्यति मत्कृते॥
Will not Bharata, ever devoted to his brother, send out one Akşauhiņī of terrible soldiers under the command of his ministers for my rescue?

वानराधिपतिः श्रीमान् सुग्रीवः कच्चिदेष्यति। मत्कृते हरिभिवीरैर्वृतो दन्तनखायुधैः॥
Will not the graceful Sugrīva, the lord of the monkeys come to help ine with hosts of monkeys having huge teeth and nails?

कच्चिच्च लक्ष्मणः शूरः सुमित्रानन्दवर्धनः। अस्त्रविच्छरजालेन राक्षसान् विधमिष्यति॥
Will not the heroic Lakşmaņa, the enhancer of Sumitrā's joy, conversant with the use of weapons, burn down the Rākşasas with this shafts?

रौद्रेण कच्चिदस्त्रेण रामेण निहतं रणे। द्रक्ष्याम्यल्पेन कालेन रावणं ससुहृज्जनम्॥
Shall I not behold soon that Rāvana with his kinsmen has been destroyed in battle by Rāma with terrible weapons?

कच्चिन्न तद्धेमसमानवणं तस्याननं पद्मसमानगन्धि। मया विना शुष्यति शोकदीनं जलक्षये पद्ममिवातपेन॥
Is not the gold-hued and lotus-smelling countenance (of Rāma) dried up my absence like to lotus dried up by the rays of the sun in shallow water?

धर्मापदेशात् त्यजतः स्वराज्यं मां चाप्यरण्यं नयतः पदातेः। नासीद् यथा यस्य न भीन शोकः कच्चित् स धैर्य हृदये करोति॥
Does he still hold patience in his heart, who, renouncing his kingdom for virtue and repairing, on foot with me even to the forest, was not stricken with fear and grief?

न चास्य माता न पिता न चान्यः स्नेहाद् विशिष्टोऽस्ति मया समो वा। तावद्ध्यहं दूत जिजीविषेयं यावत् प्रवृत्तिं शृणुयां प्रियस्य॥
His love for his mother, father or any other person is not greater than or equal to his love for me. O messenger, I shall keep my life so long I do not hear anything about my dear one.

इतीव देवीवचनं महार्थं तं वानरेन्द्रं मधुरार्थमुक्त्वा। श्रोतुं पुनस्तस्य वचोऽभिरामं रामार्थयुक्तं विरराम रामा॥
Having addressed that lord of monkeys with these highly sound and sweet accents, that graceful and worshipful dame ceased, with a view to hear again from him pleasant tales regarding Rāma.

सीताया वचनं श्रुत्वा मारुतिर्भीमविक्रमः। शिरस्यञ्जलिमाधाय वाक्यमुत्तरमब्रवीत्॥
Hearing the words of Sītā the terribly powerful Măruti, placing his joined palms on his head said,

न त्वामिहस्थां जानीते रामः कमललोचनः। तेन त्वां नानयत्याशु शचीमिव पुरंदरः॥
The lotus-eyed Rāma dose not know that you are here, and hence he has not been able to rescue you like to Purandara regaining Saci.

श्रुत्वैव च वचो मह्यं क्षिप्रमेष्यति राघवः। चमूं प्रकर्षन् महतीं हर्यक्षगणसंयुताम्॥
Hearing about you from me soon shall Rāghava come assisted by a large army of monkeys and bears.

विष्टम्भयित्वा बाणौघैरक्षोभ्यं वरुणालयम्। करिष्यति पुरीं लङ्कां काकुत्स्थः शान्तराक्षसाम्॥
Impeding the course of the unagitated deep and building by means of his terrible shafts, a bridge across it, Kākutstha, shall divest the city Lankā of all the Rākşasas.

तत्र यद्यन्तरा मृत्युर्यदि देवा महासुराः। स्थास्यन्ति पथि रामस्य स तानपि वधिष्यति॥
And forsooth shall Rāma destroy them, even if the celestials, or Death himself stand in his way.

तवादर्शनजेनार्ये शोकेन परिपूरितः। न शर्म लभते रामः सिंहार्दित इव द्विपः॥
O worshipful dame, stricken with grief in your absence, Rāma is restless like to an elephant smitten by a lion.

मन्दरेण च ते देवि शपे मूलफलेन च। मलयेन च विन्ध्येन मेरुणा दर्दुरेण च ॥ यथा सुनयनं वल्गु बिम्बोष्ठं चारुकुण्डलम्। मुखं द्रक्ष्यसि रामस्य पूर्णचन्द्रमिवोदितम्॥
I can swear, O worshipful dame, by the mounts Mandara, Malaya, Vindhya, Sumeru, Dardura and all the fruits and roots, that you shall behold like to the rising of the full moon, the countenance of Rāma having beautiful eyes, graceful, Bimba-like lips and beautified with beautiful kundalas.

क्षिप्रं द्रक्ष्यसि वैदेहि रामं प्रस्रवणे गिरौ। शतक्रतुमिवासीनं नागपृष्ठस्य मूर्धनि ॥
You shall soon behold, O Vaidehī, Rāma, on the mount Prasravana, like to the performer of hundred sacrifices seated on the back of the elephant (Airăvata).

न मांसं राघवो भुङ्क्ते न चैव मधु सेवते। वन्यं सुविहितं नित्यं भक्तमश्नाति पञ्चमम्॥
Rāghava dose not take meat nor drink honeyế he takes every day in the evening boiled rice and such wild fruits as are sanctioned by the Sastras.

नैव दंशान् न मशकान् न कीटान् न सरीसृपान्। राघवोऽपनयेद् गात्रात् त्वद्गतेनान्तरात्मना ॥
His heart is so much attached to you, that he does not drive away even flies, insects and snakes from his body.

नित्यं ध्यानपरो रामो नित्यं शोकपरायणः। नान्यच्चिन्तयते किंचित् स तु कामवशं गतः।॥
Rāma is always engaged in meditations, overwhelmed with grief, and he has no other thought but seeing you.

अनिद्रः सततं रामः सुप्तोऽपि च नरोत्तमः। सीतेति मधुरां वाणी व्याहरन् प्रतिबुध्यते॥
Rāma has no sleep and even when asleep that best of men awakes exclaiming in sweep accents, 'O Sītā!'

दृष्ट्वा फलं वा पुष्पं वा यच्चान्यत् स्त्रीमनोहरम्। बहुशो हा प्रियेत्येवं श्वसंस्त्वामभिभाषते॥
He always welcomes you sighing and saying “O my dear love!", whenever he beholds any fruit, flower or any object liked by the ladies.

स देवि नित्यं परितप्यमानस्त्वामेव सीतेत्यभिभाषमाणः। धृतव्रतो राजसुतो महात्मा तवैव लाभाय कृतप्रयत्नः।।४६
O worshipful dame, he is always lamenting, exclaiming "O Sītā!, and that high-souled son of the king, to regain you, has resorted to ascetic observances."

सा रामसंकीर्तनवीतशोका रामस्य शोकेन समानशोका। शरन्मुखेनाम्बुदशेषचन्द्रा निशेव वैदेहसुता बभूव ॥
On hearing about Rāma, Sītā was greatly delighted and she was equally grieved on hearing of his sorrow. And it appeared like the rising of the moon and the appearance of the clouds at the same time in an autumnal night.