Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 66 of 67 · 38 verses
Jambavan Tells Hanuman Who He Is
Seeing the monkey army of many hundreds of thousands downcast, Jambavan says to Hanuman: “Hero of the monkey world, best of those who know all the shastras, why do you sit silent and apart, Hanuman, and say nothing? Hanuman, you are equal to Sugriva, king of the monkeys, and to Rama and Lakshmana in splendour and strength. Arishtanemi’s son, mighty Vainateya, Garutman, is famous as the best of all birds. Many times I have seen that very mighty bird in the ocean, lifting up serpents. The strength that is in his wings is in your arms; in valour and speed you are not less than he. Your strength, understanding, splendour and spirit, bull among monkeys, excel all beings; why do you not make yourself ready? The best of the apsarases, famous as Punjikasthala, became known as Anjana, wife of the monkey Kesari. Famous in the three worlds, matchless in beauty on earth, through a curse, dear one, she was born as a monkey able to take any form, daughter of the great-souled monkey lord Kunjara. Once, taking human form, rich in beauty and youth, wearing many-coloured garlands and ornaments and a silk garment, she was walking on the top of a mountain like a rain-cloud. As the large-eyed one stood on the mountaintop, the Wind slowly took away her lovely yellow garment with its red border. He saw her round, well-formed thighs, her full breasts close together and her lovely face. Seeing the glorious one, wide-hipped, slender-waisted, lovely in every limb, the Wind was bewildered by love. Overcome by love in every limb, his heart lost to her, the Wind embraced that blameless woman with his long arms. Alarmed, the woman of good vows said: ‘Who wants to destroy my vow of devotion to one husband?’ Hearing Anjana, the Wind replied: ‘I will not harm you, lovely-hipped one; let there be no fear in your mind. Since I have embraced you in mind, glorious one, a son will be born to you, mighty and wise, of great spirit, great splendour, great strength and valour, equal to me in leaping and jumping.’ Told this, your mother was pleased, great monkey, and gave birth to you in a cave, mighty-armed bull among leapers. Then, seeing the risen sun in the great forest, the child thought it a fruit and, wanting to seize it, you leapt up into the sky. Having gone three hundred yojanas, great monkey, though scorched by its splendour, you did not lose heart. As you swiftly reached the middle air, great monkey, Indra, filled with anger, hurled his thunderbolt at you with force. Then, on a mountain peak, your left jaw was broken; and from that, your name became famous as Hanuman. Seeing you struck down, the Wind himself, bearer of fragrance, breaker, in great anger did not blow in the three worlds. When the three worlds were thrown into turmoil, all the gods, alarmed, lords of the world, appeased the angry Wind. When the Wind was appeased, Brahma gave you a boon: that you could not be killed by weapons in battle, dear one of true valour. And seeing you unhurt by the stroke of the thunderbolt, the thousand-eyed one, pleased, gave you an excellent boon: that your death would come only at your own wish, lord. So you are Kesari’s son by his wife, of terrible valour, and the Wind’s own son, equal to him in splendour. You are the son of the Wind, child, and equal to him in leaping too. We are now as good as lifeless; among us at present you are rich in skill and valour, like a second king of the monkeys. When Vishnu strode his three strides, I went round the earth with its mountains, woods and forests three times seven times, keeping it on my right. And by the gods’ command we gathered the herbs with which the nectar was churned; our strength was great then. Now I am old and my valour has declined. At this time you have every virtue among us. So stretch yourself out, valiant one; you are the best of leapers. The whole monkey army wants to see your strength. Rise, tiger among monkeys, leap the great ocean; for yours, Hanuman, is the highest course of all beings. All the monkeys are downcast; why do you hold back, Hanuman? Use your valour, swift one, as Vishnu did in his three strides.” Urged so by the bull among monkeys, the monkey son of the wind, sure of his speed, delighting the army of monkey heroes, then takes on his great form.
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अनेकशतसाहस्रीं विषण्णां हरिवाहिनीम् । जाम्बवान् समुदीक्ष्यैवं हनूमन्तमथाब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Seeing the monkey army of many hundreds of thousands downcast, Jambavan then said so to Hanuman:
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वीर वानरलोकस्य सर्वशास्त्रविदां वर । तूष्णीमेकान्तमाश्रित्य हनूमन् किं न जल्पसि ॥ २ ॥
“Hero of the monkey world, best of the knowers of all the shastras, resorting to a lonely place in silence, Hanuman, why do you not speak?
हनूमन् हरिराजस्य सुग्रीवस्य समो ह्यसि । रामलक्ष्मणयोश्चापि तेजसा च बलेन च ॥ ३ ॥
“Hanuman, you are equal to Sugriva, king of the monkeys, and to Rama and Lakshmana too, in splendour and in strength.
अरिष्टनेमिनः पुत्रो वैनतेयो महाबलः । गरुत्मानिव विख्यात उत्तमः सर्वपक्षिणाम् ॥ ४ ॥
“Arishtanemi’s son, very mighty Vainateya, Garutman, is famed as the best of all birds.
बहुशो हि मया दृष्टः सागरे स महाबलः । भुजङ्गानुद्धरन् पक्षी महाबाहुर्महाबलः ॥ ५ ॥
“Many times that very mighty one was seen by me in the ocean, the bird, mighty-armed, very mighty, lifting up serpents.
पक्षयोर्यद् बलं तस्य भुजवीर्यबलं तव । विक्रमश्चापि वेगश्च न ते तेनापहीयते ॥ ६ ॥
“The strength that is in his wings is your strength of arm and valour; in valour and speed you are not less than he.
बलं बुद्धिश्च तेजश्च सत्त्वं च हरिपुङ्गव । विशिष्टं सर्वभूतेषु किमात्मानं न सज्जसे ॥ ७ ॥
“Strength and understanding and splendour and spirit, bull among monkeys, are distinguished in you among all beings; why do you not make yourself ready?
अप्सराऽप्सरसां श्रेष्ठा विख्याता पुञ्जिकस्थला । अञ्जनेति परिख्याता पत्नी केसरिणो हरेः ॥ ८ ॥
“The apsaras, best of the apsarases, famed as Punjikasthala, is well known as Anjana, wife of the monkey Kesari.
विख्याता त्रिषु लोकेषु रूपेणाप्रतिमा भुवि । अभिशापादभूत् तात कपित्वे कामरूपिणी ॥ ९ ॥
“Famed in the three worlds, matchless in beauty on earth, through a curse, dear one, she was in monkey state, taking forms at will,
दुहिता वानरेन्द्रस्य कुञ्जरस्य महात्मनः । मानुषं विग्रहं कृत्वा रूपयौवनशालिनी ॥ १० ॥
“daughter of the great-souled lord of monkeys Kunjara. Having made a human body, rich in beauty and youth,
विचित्रमाल्याभरणा कदाचित् क्षौमधारिणी । अचरत् पर्वतस्याग्रे प्रावृडम्बुदसंनिभे ॥ ११ ॥
“with many-coloured garlands and ornaments, once wearing silk, she walked on the top of a mountain like a rain-cloud.
तस्या वस्त्रं विशालाक्ष्याः पीतं रक्तदशं शुभम् । स्थितायाः पर्वतस्याग्रे मारुतोऽपाहरच्छनैः ॥ १२ ॥
“Of her, the large-eyed one, standing on the mountaintop, the Wind slowly took away the lovely yellow garment with its red border.
स ददर्श ततस्तस्या वृत्तावूरू सुसंहतौ । स्तनौ च पीनौ सहितौ सुजातं चारु चाननम् ॥ १३ ॥
“He saw then her round thighs, well joined, and her full breasts close together, and her well-formed, lovely face.
तां बलादायतश्रोणीं तनुमध्यां यशस्विनीम् । दृष्ट्वैव शुभसर्वाङ्गीं पवनः काममोहितः ॥ १४ ॥
“Seeing her, wide-hipped, slender-waisted, glorious, lovely in every limb, the Wind, by force, was bewildered by love.
स तां भुजाभ्यां दीर्घाभ्यां पर्यष्वजत मारुतः । मन्मथाविष्टसर्वाङ्गो गतात्मा तामनिन्दिताम् ॥ १५ ॥
“That Wind embraced her with his long arms, all his limbs filled with love, his heart gone to that blameless one.
सा तु तत्रैव सम्भ्रान्ता सुव्रता वाक्यमब्रवीत् । एकपत्नीव्रतमिदं को नाशयितुमिच्छति ॥ १६ ॥
“But she, alarmed right there, of good vows, spoke words: ‘Who wishes to destroy this vow of a one-husband wife?’
अञ्जनाया वचः श्रुत्वा मारुतः प्रत्यभाषत । न त्वां हिंसामि सुश्रोणि मा भूत् ते मनसो भयम् ॥ १७ ॥
“Hearing Anjana’s words, the Wind replied: ‘I do not harm you, lovely-hipped one; let there be no fear in your mind.
मनसास्मि गतो यत् त्वां परिष्वज्य यशस्विनि । वीर्यवान् बुद्धिसम्पन्नस्तव पुत्रो भविष्यति ॥ १८ ॥
“’Since I have gone to you in mind, embracing you, glorious one, a mighty son, endowed with understanding, will be yours,
महासत्त्वो महातेजा महाबलपराक्रमः । लङ्घने प्लवने चैव भविष्यति मया समः ॥ १९ ॥
“’of great spirit, great splendour, of great strength and valour; in leaping and jumping he will be equal to me.’
एवमुक्ता ततस्तुष्टा जननी ते महाकपे । गुहायां त्वां महाबाहो प्रजज्ञे प्लवगर्षभ ॥ २० ॥
“Spoken to so, then your mother, pleased, great monkey, gave birth to you in a cave, mighty-armed bull among leapers.
अभ्युत्थितं ततः सूर्यं बालो दृष्ट्वा महावने । फलं चेति जिघृक्षुस्त्वमुत्प्लुत्याभ्युत्पतो दिवम् ॥ २१ ॥
“Then, seeing the risen sun in the great forest, a child, and thinking ‘a fruit’, wishing to seize it, you leapt and flew up to the sky.
शतानि त्रीणि गत्वाथ योजनानां महाकपे । तेजसा तस्य निर्धूतो न विषादं गतस्ततः ॥ २२ ॥
“Having gone three hundred yojanas, great monkey, though shaken by its splendour, you did not then fall into despair.
त्वामप्युपगतं तूर्णमन्तरिक्षं महाकपे । क्षिप्तमिन्द्रेण ते वज्रं कोपाविष्टेन तेजसा ॥ २३ ॥
“As you too came quickly into the middle air, great monkey, the vajra was thrown at you by Indra, filled with anger, with force.
तदा शैलाग्रशिखरे वामो हनुरभज्यत । ततो हि नामधेयं ते हनुमानिति कीर्तितम् ॥ २४ ॥
“Then on the top of a mountain peak your left jaw was broken. From that indeed your name is proclaimed as Hanuman.
ततस्त्वां निहतं दृष्ट्वा वायुर्गन्धवहः स्वयम् । त्रैलोक्यं भृशसंक्रुद्धो न ववौ वै प्रभञ्जनः ॥ २५ ॥
“Then, seeing you struck, the Wind himself, bearer of fragrance, the breaker, greatly enraged, did not blow in the three worlds.
सम्भ्रान्ताश्च सुराः सर्वे त्रैलोक्ये क्षुभिते सति । प्रसादयन्ति संक्रुद्धं मारुतं भुवनेश्वराः ॥ २६ ॥
“And all the gods were alarmed, the three worlds being disturbed; the lords of the worlds appeased the enraged Wind.
प्रसादिते च पवने ब्रह्मा तुभ्यं वरं ददौ । अशस्त्रवध्यतां तात समरे सत्यविक्रम ॥ २७ ॥
“And when the Wind was appeased, Brahma gave you a boon: not to be killed by weapons in battle, dear one of true valour.
वज्रस्य च निपातेन विरुजं त्वां समीक्ष्य च । सहस्रनेत्रः प्रीतात्मा ददौ ते वरमुत्तमम् ॥ २८ ॥
“And seeing you unhurt by the fall of the vajra, the thousand-eyed one, pleased at heart, gave you an excellent boon:
स्वच्छन्दतश्च मरणं तव स्यादिति वै प्रभो । स त्वं केसरिणः पुत्रः क्षेत्रजो भीमविक्रमः ॥ २९ ॥
“’Your death will be at your own will,’ indeed, lord. So you are Kesari’s son, born of his field, of terrible valour,
मारुतस्यौरसः पुत्रस्तेजसा चापि तत्समः । त्वं हि वायुसुतो वत्स प्लवने चापि तत्समः ॥ ३० ॥
“and the Wind’s own son, and equal to him in splendour. For you are the son of the Wind, child, and equal to him in leaping too.
वयमद्य गतप्राणा भवानस्मासु साम्प्रतम् । दाक्ष्यविक्रमसम्पन्नः कपिराज इवापरः ॥ ३१ ॥
“We are today as if lifeless; at present among us you are rich in skill and valour, like another king of the monkeys.
त्रिविक्रमे मया तात सशैलवनकानना । त्रिःसप्तकृत्वः पृथिवी परिक्रान्ता प्रदक्षिणम् ॥ ३२ ॥
“At the three strides, by me, dear one, the earth with its mountains, woods and forests was circled three times seven times, keeping it on the right.
तथा चौषधयोऽस्माभिः संचिता देवशासनात् । निर्मथ्यममृतं याभिस्तदानीं नो महद्बलम् ॥ ३३ ॥
“And so the herbs were gathered by us at the gods’ command, with which the nectar was churned; then our strength was great.
स इदानीमहं वृद्धः परिहीनपराक्रमः । साम्प्रतं कालमस्माकं भवान् सर्वगुणान्वितः ॥ ३४ ॥
“That I am now old, my valour declined. At the present time you are endowed with every virtue among us.
तद् विजृम्भस्व विक्रान्त प्लवतामुत्तमो ह्यसि । त्वद्वीर्यं द्रष्टुकामा हि सर्वा वानरवाहिनी ॥ ३५ ॥
“So stretch yourself, valiant one; for you are the best of leapers. For the whole monkey army is eager to see your might.
उत्तिष्ठ हरिशार्दूल लङ्घयस्व महार्णवम् । परा हि सर्वभूतानां हनुमन् या गतिस्तव ॥ ३६ ॥
“Rise, tiger among monkeys; leap the great ocean. For the highest course of all beings is yours, Hanuman.
विषण्णा हरयः सर्वे हनुमन् किमुपेक्षसे । विक्रमस्व महावेग विष्णुस्त्रीन् विक्रमानिव ॥ ३७ ॥
“All the monkeys are downcast; Hanuman, why do you hold back? Use your valour, very swift one, as Vishnu his three strides.”
ततः कपीनामृषभेण चोदितः प्रतीतवेगः पवनात्मजः कपिः । प्रहर्षयंस्तां हरिवीरवाहिनीं चकार रूपं महदात्मनस्तदा ॥ ३८ ॥
Then, urged by the bull among monkeys, the monkey, son of the wind, sure of his speed, delighting that army of monkey heroes, then made his own form great.