Sundara Kanda: Chapter 51

तं समीक्ष्य महासत्त्वं सत्त्ववान् हरिसत्तमः। वाक्यमर्थवदव्यग्रस्तमुवाच दशाननम्॥
Seeing the Ten-necked one of mighty energy, that foremost of monkeys, endued with strength, calmly spoke to him words containing sense,

अहं सुग्रीवसंदेशादिह प्राप्तस्तवान्तिके। राक्षसेश हरीशस्त्वां भ्राता कुशलमब्रवीत्॥
I have come to you at you command of Sugriva, O lord of Raksasas. Your brother, the king of monkeys, enquires after your welfare.

भ्रातुः शृणु समादेशं सुग्रीवस्य महात्मनः। धर्मार्थसहितं वाक्यमिह चामुत्र च क्षमम्॥
Listen to the desire of your brother, the highsouled Sugrīva, and his words fraught with righteous sense and capable of working one's good here and hercafter.

राजा दशरथो नाम रथकुञ्जरवाजिमान्। पितेव बन्धुर्लोकस्य सुरेश्वरसमद्युतिः॥
King Dasaratha, master of cars and elephants and steeds, is the friend of all like to their father, and is furnished with the splendour of the sovereign of celestials.

ज्येष्ठस्तस्य महाबाहुः पुत्रः प्रियतरः प्रभुः। पितुर्निदेशानिष्क्रान्तः प्रविष्टो दण्डकावनम्॥ लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा सीतया सह भार्यया। रामो नाम महातेजा धयं पन्थानमाश्रितः॥
His eldest son, mighty-armed, and masterful, the darling (of his sire), has, in accordance with his father's order, entered the forest of Dandaka with his brother Lakşmaņa and his wife Sītā.

तस्य भार्या जनस्थाने भ्रष्टा सीतेति विश्रुता। वैदेहस्य सुता राज्ञो जनकस्य महात्मनः॥
His name is Rāma, and he is exceedingly energetic, and ever abide on the path of virtue. His spouse, the celebrated Sītā, daughter to Vaideha, the high-souled king Janaka, either died or was carried off in Janasthāna.

मार्गमाणस्तु तां देवीं राजपुत्रः सहानुजः। ऋष्यमूकमनुप्राप्तः सुग्रीवेण च संगतः॥
Seeking for that exalted lady, the king's son, accompanied by this younger brother, arriving at Rşyamūka, met with Sugrīva.

तस्य तेन प्रतिज्ञातं सीतायाः परिमार्गणम्। सुग्रीवस्यापि रामेण हरिराज्यं निवेदितुम् ॥
And Sugrīva promised that he would undertake the search for Sītă, and Rāma (on his part promised) that he would confer on Sugrīva the kingdom of the monkeys.

ततस्तेन मृधे हत्वा राजपुत्रेण वालिनम्। सुग्रीवः स्थापितो राज्ये हवृक्षाणां गणेश्वरः॥
And, thereupon, slaying Vāli in battle, the king's son established Sugrīva as the lord of the monkeys.

त्वया विज्ञातपूर्वश्च वाली वानरपुङ्गव। स तेन निहतः संख्ये शरेणैकेन वानरः॥
You formerly has known that foremost of monkeys, Vāli. That monkey was slain in battle by him (Rāma) with a single shaft.

स सीतामार्गणे व्यग्रः सुग्रीवः सत्यसंगरः। हरीन्सम्प्रेषयामास दिशः सर्वा हरीश्वरः॥
And, thereupon, the lord of monkeys, Sugrīva, true to his vow, eager for searching Sītā, despatched monkeys in all directions.

तां हरीणां सहस्राणि शतानि नियुतानि च। दिक्षु सर्वासु मार्गन्ते ह्यधश्चोपरि चाम्बरे॥
And thousands and hundreds and niyutas of monkeys are exploring all sides, below and above in the sky.

वैनतेयसमाः केचित् केचित् तत्रानिलोपमाः। असङ्गगतयः शीघ्रा हरिवीरा महाबलाः॥
Some are like Vinata's offspring, (Garuda) and some like the Wind; their Course is incapable of being resisted; and those heroic monkeys are endued with strength and celerity.

अहं तु हनुमानाम मारुतल्यौरसः सुतः। सीतायास्तु कृते तूर्णं शतयोजनमायतम्॥ समुद्रं लवयित्वैव त्वां दिक्षुरिहागतः। भ्रमता च मया दृष्टा गृहे ते जनकात्मजा॥
I, Hanumān my name, am the son of the Wind-god. For Sitã, I, desirous of seeing her, have come hither, bounding over the main measuring a full hundred Yojanas. And as I was roving, I came to see Janaka's daughter in your house.

तद् भवान् दृष्टधर्मार्थस्तपः कृतपरिग्रहः। परदारान् महाप्राज्ञ नोपरोद्धं त्वमर्हसि ॥
You are cognisant of righteousness and interest, and had attained prosperity through your asceticism. Therefore, O eminently wise one, you ought not to confine another's wife.

नहि धर्मविरुद्धेषु बह्वपायेषु कर्मसु। मूलघातिषु सज्जन्ते बुद्धिमन्तो भवद्विधाः॥
Actions opposed to righteousness, and bringing on countless evils, and causing extermination, ill become persons of your sort.

कश्च लक्ष्मणमुक्तानां रामकोपानुवर्तिनाम्। शराणामग्रतः स्थातुं शक्तो देवासुरेष्वपि॥
Who is there even among celestials and Asuras that is competent to stay before the shafts shot by Lakşmaņa and Rāma in wrath?

न चापि त्रिषु लोकेषु राजन् विद्येत कश्चन। राघवस्य व्यलीकं यः कृत्वा सुखमवाप्नुयात्॥
There is none, O king, in all the three worlds, that is capable of attaining ease, after inflicting injury on Rāghava.

तत् त्रिकालहितं वाक्यं धर्म्यमर्थानुयायि च। मन्यस्व नरदेवाय जानकी प्रतिदीयताम्॥
Treading the path of virtue and profit, do you pay heed to my speech fraught with good for three times; (Present, past, and future) and do you return Jānaki to that foremost of men.

दृष्टा हीयं मया देवी लब्धं यदिह दुर्लभम्। उत्तरं कर्म यच्छेषं निमित्तं तत्र राघवः॥
Seen have I this exalted lady, which was difficult to compass. As for what remain to be done, Rāma himself shall bring it about.

लक्षितेयं मया सीता तथा शोकपरायणा। गृहे यां नाभिजानासि पञ्चास्यामिव पन्नगीम्॥
That Sītā I have beheld overwhelmed with grief, whom, albeit resembling a five-hooded serpent in your mansion, you know not.

नेयं जरयितुं शक्या सासुरैरमरैरपि। विषसंस्पृष्टमत्यर्थं भुक्तमनमिवौजसा॥
And even as food thoroughly mixed with poison, being taken, is incapable of being digested, this one is incapable of being subdued even by the celestials and Asuras.

तपः संतापलब्धस्ते सोऽयं धर्मपरिग्रहः। न स नाशयितुं न्याय्य आत्मप्राणपरिग्रहः॥
It is not proper to destroy religious merit reaped by undergoing extreme mortification, as well as access of life attained by the same means). (By such an iniquitous act as this.)

अवध्यतां तपोभिर्या भवान् समनुपश्यति। आत्मनः सासुरैर्देवैर्हेतुस्तत्राप्ययं महान्॥
You deem yourself by virtue of your asceticism incapable of being destroyed by the celestials and Asuras; and herein your great merit (incident to they austerities) is the cause.

सुग्रीवो न च देवोऽयं न यक्षो न च राक्षसः। मानुषो राघवं राजन् सुग्रीवश्च हरीश्वरः। तस्मात् प्राणपरित्राणं कथं राजन् करिष्यसि॥
But Sugrīva is not a god or a Yakṣa or a Rākşasa. Rāghava, O king, is a mortal and Sugrīva is the lord of monkeys. How can you, O king, save your-life from them.

न तु धर्मोपसंहारमधर्मफलसंहितम्। तदेव फलमन्वेति धर्मश्चाधर्मनाशनः॥
He that, confiding in his strength, commit himself to foul proceedings, cannot count upon his righteous deeds, but his evil ones follow him.

प्राप्तं धर्मफलं तावद् भवता नात्र संशयः। फलमस्याप्यधर्मस्य क्षिप्रमेव प्रपत्स्यसे॥
Virtue destroy vice, (yet vice like yours destroy all virtue). (The parenthetical part is the commentator's filling in of the deficiency in the sentiment) You, without doubt, had obtained the fruit of your righteousness, and the fruit also of this iniquity you shall reap without delay.

जनस्थानवधं बुद्ध्वा वालिनश्च वधं तथा। रामसुग्रीवसख्यं च बुद्ध्यस्व हितमात्मनः॥
And taking to heart the carnage in Janasthāna and the slaying of Vāli as well as the friendship of Rāma with Sugrīva, do you understand yours own good.

काम खल्वहमप्येकः सवाजिरथकुञ्जराम्। लङ्कां नाशयितुं शक्तस्तस्यैष तु न निश्चयः॥
I, alone that I am, can at my will destroy Lankā with her steeds and elephants and cars; but he whose envoy I am has not yet decided on this point.

रामेण हि प्रतिज्ञातं हवृक्षगणसंनिधौ। उत्सादनममित्राणां सीता यैस्तु प्रधर्षिता॥
Rāma has in presence of the tawny-eyed (ones) forsooth promised the annihilation of the foe by whom Sītā has been sore oppressed.

अपकुर्वन् हि रामस्य साक्षादपि पुरंदरः। न सुखं प्राप्नुयादन्यः किं पुनस्त्वद्विधो जनः॥
On wronging Rāma, Purandara himself cannot escape scot-free, what shall I say of persons like you?

यां सीतेत्यभिजानासि येयं तिष्ठति ते गृहे। कालरात्रीति तां विद्धि सर्वलङ्काविनाशिनीम्॥
Her-whom you know as Sītā staying in yours abode-know her for the Fatal Night that shall bring destruction down on all Lankā.

तदलं कालपाशेन सीताविग्रहरूपिणा। स्वयं स्कन्धावसक्तेन क्षेममात्मनि चिन्त्यताम्॥
Therefore, beware of yourself turning about your neck the fatal noose in the shape of Sītā! Do you rather study your welfare.

सीतायास्तेजता दग्धां रामकोपप्रदीपिताम्। दह्यमानामिमां पश्य पुरीं साट्टप्रतोलिकाम्॥
You shall behold this city crowned with edifices and stalls, in flames fed by the wrath of Rāma, and consumed by the energy of Şītā.

स्वानि मित्राणि मन्त्रींश्च ज्ञातीन् भ्रातृन् सुतान् हितान्। भोगान् दारांश्च लङ्कां च मा विनाशमुपानय॥
Do not bring to destruction yours friends and ministers, and kindred, and brethren and sons, and yours entire welfare, yours enjoyments and wives and this Lankā.

सत्यं राक्षसराजेन्द्र शृणुष्व वचनं मम। रामदासस्य दूतस्य वानरस्य विशेषतः॥
O sovereign of the Rākṣasas, do you faithfully listen to these words of me, a monkey and the servant and envoy of Rāma.

सर्वांल्लोकान् सुसंहृत्य सभूतान् सचराचरान्। पुनरेव तथा स्रष्टुं शक्तो रामो महायशाः॥
Abolishing all the worlds with their creatures mobile and immobile objects, the illustrious Rāma is capable of creating these anew.

देवासुरनरेन्द्रेषु यक्षरक्षोरगेषु च। विद्याधरेषु नागेषु गन्धर्वेषु मृगेषु च॥ सिद्धेषु किंनरेन्द्रेषु पतत्रिषु च सर्वतः। सर्वत्र सर्वभूतेषु सर्वकालेषु नास्ति सः॥ यो रामं प्रति युध्येत विष्णुतुल्यपराक्रमम्।
Neither among celestials nor Asuras, Yakşas, Raksasa, nor serpents, Vidyadharas, Nagas, Gandharvas nor beasts, Siddhas, the foremost Kinnaras, nor all birds, nowhere among any class of beings in all time breathes he who can cope with Rāma equal to Vişnu's self in prowess.

सर्वलोकेश्वरस्येह कृत्वा विप्रियमीदृशम्। रामस्य राजसिंहस्य दुर्लभं तव जीवितम्।॥
Having done such a wrong to the foremost of all creatures-even to that lion of a monarch, Rāma, your life is in high peril.

देवाश्च दैत्याश्च निशाचरेन्द्र गन्धर्वविद्याधरनागयक्षाः। रामस्य लोकत्रयनायकस्य स्थातुं न शक्ताः समरेषु सर्वे ॥
nor Neither deities nor Daityas, nor the foremost night-rangers, nor Gandharvas and Vidyādharas, nor Nāgas, nor Yakşas, can stay in fight against Rāma—the leader of these three worlds.

ब्रह्मा स्वयम्भूश्चतुराननो वा रुद्रस्त्रिनेत्रस्त्रिपुरान्तको वा। इन्द्रो महेन्द्रः सुरनायको वा स्थातुं न शक्ता युधि राघवस्य॥
And neither Brahmā, self-create, having four countenances, the three-eyed Rudra, destroyer of Tripura, nor the august Indra, the generallissimo of the celestials can stay in fight before Rāma.

स सौष्ठवोपेतमदीनवादिनः कपेनिशम्याप्रतिमोऽप्रियं वचं। दशाननः कोपविवृत्तलोचनः समादिशत् तस्य वधं महाकपेः॥
Hearing the distasteful yet excellent speech of the bold and matchless monkey, the ten-necked one, with his eyes whirling in wrath, ordered the destruction of that mighty monkey.