संदीप्यमानां वित्रस्तां त्रस्तरक्षोगणां पुरीम्। अवेक्ष्य हनुमाँल्लङ्कां चिन्तयामास वानरः॥
Beholding Lankā burnt down and devastated and the demons terrified, the monkey Hanumān began to reflect.
तस्याभूत्सुमहांस्त्रासः कुत्सा चात्मन्यजायत। लङ्कां प्रदहता कमें किंस्वित्कृतमिदं मया॥
And worked up with fear and remorse, he reflected, “What a mighty iniquity have I perpetrated by burning down Lankā of my own accord.
धन्याः खलु महात्मानो ये बुद्ध्या कोपमुत्थितम्। निरुन्धन्ति महात्मानो दीप्तमग्निमिवाम्भसा॥
Blessed are those high-souled ones who control their wrath by dint of their own good sense, like to fire quenched by water.
क्रुद्धः पापं न कुर्यात् कः क्रुद्धो हन्याद् गुरुनपि। क्रुद्धः परुषया वाचा नरः साधूनधिक्षिपेत्॥
What iniquity is there which cannot be perpetrated by the angry? They can even slay the worshipful and vilify the pious with harsh words.
वाच्यावाच्यं प्रकुपितो न विजानाति कर्हिचित्। नाकार्यमस्ति क्रुद्धस्य नावाच्यं विद्यते क्वचित्॥
The angry cannot decide what should be spoken and what not. There is no vice which cannot be committed by them, and there is nothing which cannot be spoken by them.
यः समुत्पतितं क्रोधं क्षमयैव निरस्यति। यथोरगस्त्वचं जीर्णा स पुरुष
He is the proper person who can subdue his rising ire by means of forgiveness as a serpent leaves off his worn skin.
वै उच्यते॥ धिगस्तु मां सुदुर्बुद्धिं निर्लज्ज पापकृत्तमम्। अचिन्तयित्वा तां सीतामग्निदं स्वामिघातकम्॥
O fie on me who am vicious-minded, shameless and the perpetrator of a mighty iniquity. Not thinking of Sītā, I have slain my master with fire.
यदि दग्धा त्वियं सर्वा नूनमार्यापि जानकी। दग्धा तेन मया भर्तुर्हतं कार्यमजानता॥
Forsooth has the worshipful Jảnaki been burnt, since the whole city of Lankā has been devastated with fire. And she being burnt, foolishly have I spoilt the work of my master.
यदर्थमयमारम्भस्तत्कार्यमवसादितम्। मया हि दहता लङ्कां न सीता परिरक्षिता॥
I have defeated the great object for which I have laboured so much. In burning down Lankā, I have not saved Sītā.
ईषत्कार्यमिदं कार्यं कृतमासीन्न संशयः। तस्य क्रोधाभिभूतेन मया मूलक्षयः कृतः॥ विनष्टा जानकी व्यक्तं न ह्यदग्धः प्रदृश्यते। लङ्कायाः कश्चिदुद्देशः सर्वा भस्मीकृता पुरी॥
To have burnt down Lankā is assuredly a trifle, but in my ire I have lost my great object. Forsooth has Janaki been consumed, since I behold no spot in Lankā which is not made desolate with fire-in fact the whole city has been reduced to ashes.
यदि तद्विहतं कार्यं मया प्रज्ञाविपर्ययात्। इहैव प्राणसंन्यासो ममापि ह्यद्य रोचते॥
As I have committed such an injury under the influence of my perverse understanding, it behave me to relinquish my life here.
किमग्नौ निपताम्यद्य आहोस्विद्वडवामुखे। शरीरमिह सत्त्वानां दद्मि सागरवासिनाम्॥
I shall jump into this flame or into a submarine fire, or I shall resign my mortal frame to the animals that infest the ocean.
कथं नु जीवता शक्यो मया द्रष्टुं हरीश्वरः। तौ वा पुरुषशार्दूलौ कार्यसर्वस्वघातिना ॥
For, living, I shall not be able to face that lord of monkeys, and how shall I, having spoilt their work utterly, show myself to those foremost of men?
मया खलु तदेवेदं रोषदोषात् प्रदर्शितम्। प्रथितं त्रिषु लोकेषु कपित्वमनवस्थितम्॥
I have through my culpable passion furnished an illustration of the reckless monkey-nature, which is well known over the three worlds.
धिगस्तु राजसं भावमनीशमनवस्थितम् ईश्वरेणापि यद्रागान्मया सीता न रक्षिता॥
Fie on this activity, born of (the quality of) passion, which is the source of incompetence and rashness; since although capable, I did not protect Sita.
विनष्टायां तु सीतायां तावुभौ विनशिष्यतः। तयोर्विनाशे सुग्रीवः सबन्धुर्विनशिष्यति॥
On Sītā having met with destruction, both of them (Rāma and Lakşmaņa) shall cease to exist; and on their ceasing to exist, Sugrīva shall die along with his friends.
एतदेव वचः श्रुत्वा भरतो भ्रातृवत्सलः। धर्मात्मा सहशत्रुघ्नः कथं शक्ष्यति जीवितुम्॥
Hearing these tidings, how shall the righteous Bharata, attached to his brother (Rāma), along with Satrughna, live?
इक्ष्वाकुवंशे धर्मिष्ठे गते नाशमसंशयम्। भविष्यन्ति प्रजाः सर्वाः शोकसंतापपीडिताः॥
And on the virtuous Ikşvāku race being extinct, without doubt, all the subjects shall be overwhelmed with grief.
तदहं भाग्यरहितो लुप्तधर्मार्थसंग्रहः। रोषदोषपरीतात्मा व्यक्तं लोकविनाशनः॥
Therefore, I of crust luck has had my harvest of virtue and profit taken away; and being under the influence of baleful passion, I am the cause of the destruction of creatures.
इति चिन्तयतस्तस्य निमित्तान्युपपेदिरे। पूर्वमप्युपलब्धानि साक्षात् पुनरचिन्तयत् ॥
As he was reflecting thus, he bethought him of auspicious omens which he had witnessed since.
अथ वा चारुसर्वाङ्गी रक्षिता स्वेन तेजसा। न नशिष्यति कल्याणी नाग्निरग्नौ प्रवर्तते॥
Or it may be that one of charming limbs has been preserved by her proper energy. The blessed one may not have met with her end, for fire dose burn fire.
नहि धर्मात्मनस्तस्य भार्याममिततेजसः। स्वचरित्राभिगुप्तां तां स्प्रष्टुमर्हति पावकः॥
Fire should not touch the spouse of that virtuous one of immeasurable energy, who is protected by her own character.
नूनं रामप्रभावेण वैदेह्याः सुकृतेन च। यन्मां दहनकर्मायं नादहद्धव्यवाहनः॥
And that bearer of sacrificial offerings has not burnt me, is owing to Rāma's power and the virtue of Vaidehi.
त्रयाणां भरतादीनां भ्रातृणां देवता च या। रामस्य च मन:कान्ता सा कथं विनशिष्यति॥
Why should she that is a very goddess to the three brothers, Bharata and the others, and that has enchanted the mind of Rāma, meet with destruction?
यद् वा दहनकर्मायं सर्वत्र प्रभुरव्ययः न मे दहति लाङ्गुलं कथमार्या प्रधक्ष्यति ॥
When that everywhere unspent Lord, having burning for his office, has not consumed my tail, why should he burn the exalted lady?
पुनश्चाचिन्तयत् तत्र हनूमान् विस्मितस्तदा। हिरण्यनाभस्य गिरेर्जलमध्ये प्रदर्शनम्॥
Then Hanuman with wonder again thought of the sight of the golden mountain under the water. (Remembering the incident of his seeing the mountain Maināka through Sītā, Hanuman was put in mind of Sītā's superhuman power.)
तपसा सत्यवाक्येन अनन्यत्वाच्च भर्तरि। असौ विनिर्दहेदग्नि न तामग्निः प्रधक्ष्यति ॥
By virtue of her asceticism, veracity, and devotion to her lord she it is that can consume Fire, but Fire cannot burn her.
स तथा चिन्तयंस्तत्र देव्या धर्मपरिग्रहम्। शुश्राव हनुमांस्तत्र चारणानां महात्मनाम् ॥
And as Hanumān was thinking of the magnitude of that revered lady's religious merit, he heard the converse there of high-souled Caranas.
अहो खलु कृतं कर्म दुर्विगाहं हनूमता। अग्नि विसृजता तीक्ष्णं भीमं राक्षससद्मनि ॥
Ah! hard is the feat that Hanumān has forsooth achieved. He has created a terrific and fierce conflagration in the abode of the Rākşasa.
प्रपलायितरक्षः स्त्रीबालवृद्धसमाकुला। जनकोलाहलाध्माता क्रन्दन्तीवाद्रिकन्दरैः॥ दग्धेयं नगरी लङ्का साट्टप्राकारतोरणा। जानकी न च दग्धेति विस्मयोऽद्भुत एव नः॥
The females of Rākşasa accompanied by boys and old folks, are flying amain; and in consequence of the hubbub it seems as if (Lankā) is in lamentation through her mountaincaverns. Burnt is this city of Lankā with her turrets, walls and gate-ways; and we are astonished that Jānakī is not burnt.
इति शुश्राव हनुमान्वाचं ताममृतोपमाम्। बभूव चास्य मनसो हर्षस्तत्कालसम्भवः॥
These words resembling ambrosia Hanumān heard (at that time); and his mind was filled with joy.
स निमित्तैश्च दृष्टार्थोः कारणैश्च महागुणैः। ऋषिवाक्यैश्च हनुमानभवत्प्रीतमानसः॥
And what through the auspicious omens that he had witnessed, and what through the speech of the saints, Hanumān was delighted (beyond measure).
ततः कपिः प्राप्तमनोरथार्थस्तमक्षतां राजसुतां विदित्वा। प्रत्यक्षतस्तां पुनरेव दृष्ट्वा प्रतिप्रयाणाय मतिं चकार ॥
Then the monkey, with his end attained, knowing that the king's daughter was unhurt, became bent upon returning after seeing her once again.