Sundara Kanda · Sarga 13 of 68 · 69 verses
Hanuman’s Dark Night and the Ashoka Grove
Hanuman leaps from the Pushpaka to the city wall and takes stock. He has searched all of Lanka, its ponds and rivers, woods and hill-forts, and Sita is not there, though Sampati said she was in Ravana’s house. He imagines every way she might have died: dropped into the sea in flight, crushed in Ravana’s grip, eaten by him or by his wives, or wasting away crying “Rama! Lakshmana!”.
Then he thinks through what his return would cause. If he tells Rama “I did not see her”, Rama will die; Lakshmana will follow him, then Bharata, Shatrughna and the three queens; Sugriva, true to his friend, will die, and Ruma, Tara, Angada and the whole monkey people after him. So he will not go back. He considers living as a forest hermit or ending his life on a pyre, until another thought prevails: “Destruction has many faults; one who lives finds good fortune. Reunion is certain for the living.” He could kill Ravana, or carry him across the ocean to Rama like an offering.
He notices the one place still unsearched, the great Ashoka grove. He bows to Rama and Lakshmana, to Sita, and to the gods, prays to all of them for success, and sets out for the grove, longing to see the face of the lady, clear as the moon.
Press › to begin with verse 1.
विमानात् तु स संक्रम्य प्राकारं हरियूथपः । हनूमान् वेगवानासीद् यथा विद्युद् घनान्तरे ॥ १ ॥
Leaping from the aerial chariot onto the wall, Hanuman, leader of monkey troops, swift, was like lightning within a cloud.
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Hanuman’s Dark Night and the Ashoka Grove 1 min read.
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सम्परिक्रम्य हनुमान् रावणस्य निवेशनान् । अदृष्ट्वा जानकीं सीतामब्रवीद् वचनं कपिः ॥ २ ॥
Going round Ravana’s dwellings and not seeing Janaki, Sita, the monkey spoke these words:
भूयिष्ठं लोलिता लंका रामस्य चरता प्रियम् । न हि पश्यामि वैदेहीं सीतां सर्वांगशोभनाम् ॥ ३ ॥
“I have scoured Lanka thoroughly, doing what pleases Rama, but I do not see Vaidehi, Sita, lovely in every limb.
पल्वलानि तटाकानि सरांसि सरितस्तथा । नद्योऽनूपवनान्ताश्च दुर्गाश्च धरणीधराः ॥ ४ ॥
“Ponds, tanks, lakes and rivers, streams, the edges of the marshy woods, fortresses and mountains:
लोलिता वसुधा सर्वा न च पश्यामि जानकीम् । इह सम्पातिना सीता रावणस्य निवेशने । आख्याता गृध्रराजेन न च सा दृश्यते न किम् ॥ ५ ॥
“the whole land has been scoured, and I do not see Janaki. Here in Ravana’s house, Sampati, king of the vultures, said Sita was; and yet she is not seen. Why?
किं नु सीताथ वैदेही मैथिली जनकात्मजा । उपतिष्ठेत विवशा रावणेन हृता बलात् ॥ ६ ॥
“Can it be that Sita, Vaidehi, Maithili, daughter of Janaka, carried off by force by Ravana, would submit to him, helpless?
क्षिप्रमुत्पततो मन्ये सीतामादाय रक्षसः । बिभ्यतो रामबाणानामन्तरा पतिता भवेत् ॥ ७ ॥
“I think that as the rakshasa flew up swiftly with Sita, afraid of Rama’s arrows, she slipped and fell on the way.
अथवा ह्रियमाणायाः पथि सिद्धनिषेविते । मन्ये पतितमार्याया हृदयं प्रेक्ष्य सागरम् ॥ ८ ॥
“Or, as the noble lady was being carried along the path the siddhas travel, I think her heart failed when she saw the ocean.
रावणस्योरुवेगेन भुजाभ्यां पीडितेन च । तया मन्ये विशालाक्ष्या त्यक्तं जीवितमार्यया ॥ ९ ॥
“Through the force of Ravana’s thighs and the crushing of his arms, I think the large-eyed noble lady gave up her life.
उपर्युपरि सा नूनं सागरं क्रमतस्तदा । विचेष्टमाना पतिता समुद्रे जनकात्मजा ॥ १० ॥
“As he crossed high over the ocean, she surely struggled and fell into the sea, the daughter of Janaka.
आहो क्षुद्रेण चानेन रक्षन्ती शीलमात्मनः । अबन्धुर्भक्षिता सीता रावणेन तपस्विनी ॥ ११ ॥
“Or, guarding her virtue against this petty creature, the helpless ascetic Sita, without kin, was eaten by Ravana.
अथवा राक्षसेन्द्रस्य पत्नीभिरसितेक्षणा । अदुष्टा दुष्टभावाभिर्भक्षिता सा भविष्यति ॥ १२ ॥
“Or the dark-eyed lady, innocent, has been eaten by the wicked-minded wives of the rakshasa king.
सम्पूर्णचन्द्रप्रतिमं पद्मपत्रनिभेक्षणम् । रामस्य ध्यायती वक्त्रं पञ्चत्वं कृपणा गता ॥ १३ ॥
“Thinking of Rama’s face, like the full moon, with eyes like lotus petals, the unhappy lady has died.
हा राम लक्ष्मणेत्येवं हायोध्ये चेति मैथिली । विलप्य बहु वैदेही न्यस्तदेहा भविष्यति ॥ १४ ॥
“Crying much, ‘Ha Rama! Lakshmana! Ha Ayodhya!’, Vaidehi, Maithili, will have given up her body.
अथवा निहिता मन्ये रावणस्य निवेशने । भृशं लालप्यते बाला पञ्जरस्थेव सारिका ॥ १५ ॥
“Or else, I think, she is hidden away in Ravana’s house, and the young woman is crying piteously, like a myna in a cage.
जनकस्य कुले जाता रामपत्नी सुमध्यमा । कथमुत्पलपत्राक्षी रावणस्य वशं व्रजेत् ॥ १६ ॥
“Born in Janaka’s family, Rama’s slender-waisted wife, lotus-eyed: how could she come under Ravana’s power?
विनष्टा वा प्रणष्टा वा मृता वा जनकात्मजा । रामस्य प्रियभार्यस्य न निवेदयितुं क्षमम् ॥ १७ ॥
“Whether Janaka’s daughter is lost, or vanished, or dead, it is not fit to report it to Rama, whose wife is so dear to him.
निवेद्यमाने दोषः स्याद् दोषः स्यादनिवेदने । कथं नु खलु कर्तव्यं विषमं प्रतिभाति मे ॥ १८ ॥
“There is fault in telling, and fault in not telling. What then should be done? It seems a hard place to me.”
अस्मिन् नेवंगते कार्ये प्राप्तकालं क्षमं च किम् । भवेदिति मतिं भूयो हनुमान् प्रविचारयन् ॥ १९ ॥
“With matters come to this, what is timely and fitting?” So Hanuman weighed his thoughts again.
यदि सीतामदृष्ट्वाहं वानरेन्द्रपुरीमितः । गमिष्यामि ततः को मे पुरुषार्थो भविष्यति ॥ २० ॥
“If I go from here to the city of the monkey king without having seen Sita, what will my manly effort amount to?
ममेदं लङ्घनं व्यर्थं सागरस्य भविष्यति । प्रवेशश्चैव लंकायां राक्षसानां च दर्शनम् ॥ २१ ॥
“My leap across the ocean will be in vain, and my entering Lanka, and my seeing the rakshasas.
किं वा वक्ष्यति सुग्रीवो हरयो वापि संगताः । किष्किन्धामनुसम्प्राप्तं तौ वा दशरथात्मजौ ॥ २२ ॥
“What will Sugriva say, or the monkeys gathered together, or those two sons of Dasharatha, when I have reached Kishkindha?
गत्वा तु यदि काकुत्स्थं वक्ष्यामि परुषं वचः । न दृष्टेति मया सीता ततस्त्यक्ष्यति जीवितम् ॥ २३ ॥
“If I go to Kakutstha and speak the harsh words, ‘I did not see Sita’, then he will give up his life.
परुषं दारुणं तीक्ष्णं क्रूरमिन्द्रियतापनम् । सीतानिमित्तं दुर्वाक्यं श्रुत्वा स न भविष्यति ॥ २४ ॥
“Hearing such hard, cruel, sharp, merciless words about Sita, words that burn the senses, he will not survive.
तं तु कृच्छ्रगतं दृष्ट्वा पञ्चत्वगतमानसम् । भृशानुरक्तमेधावी न भविष्यति लक्ष्मणः ॥ २५ ॥
“Seeing him in such distress, his mind set on death, the wise Lakshmana, so devoted to him, will not survive.
विनष्टौ भ्रातरौ श्रुत्वा भरतोऽपि मरिष्यति । भरतं च मृतं दृष्ट्वा शत्रुघ्नो न भविष्यति ॥ २६ ॥
“Hearing that both brothers have perished, Bharata too will die; and seeing Bharata dead, Shatrughna will not survive.
पुत्रान् मृतान् समीक्ष्याथ न भविष्यन्ति मातरः । कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च कैकेयी च न संशयः ॥ २७ ॥
“Seeing their sons dead, the mothers will not survive, Kausalya and Sumitra and Kaikeyi, without a doubt.
कृतज्ञः सत्यसंधश्च सुग्रीवः प्लवगाधिपः । रामं तथागतं दृष्ट्वा ततस्त्यक्ष्यति जीवितम् ॥ २८ ॥
“Grateful and true to his word, Sugriva, lord of the monkeys, seeing Rama come to that, will give up his life.
दुर्मना व्यथिता दीना निरानन्दा तपस्विनी । पीडिता भर्तृशोकेन रुमा त्यक्ष्यति जीवितम् ॥ २९ ॥
“Distressed, pained, wretched, joyless, tormented by grief for her husband, the ascetic Ruma will give up her life.
वालिजेन तु दुःखेन पीडिता शोककर्शिता । पञ्चत्वमागता राज्ञी तारापि न भविष्यति ॥ ३० ॥
“Afflicted already by the sorrow of Vali’s death and worn by grief, Queen Tara too will not survive, once he is dead.
मातापित्रोर्विनाशेन सुग्रीवव्यसनेन च । कुमारोऽप्यंगदस्तस्माद् विजहिष्यति जीवितम् ॥ ३१ ॥
“From the loss of his mother and father and from Sugriva’s misfortune, young Angada too will give up his life.
भर्तृजेन तु दुःखेन अभिभूता वनौकसः । शिरांस्यभिहनिष्यन्ति तलैर्मुष्टिभिरेव च ॥ ३२ ॥
“Overwhelmed by sorrow for their lord, the forest-dwellers will beat their heads with their palms and fists.
सान्त्वेनानुप्रदानेन मानेन च यशस्विना । लालिताः कपिनाथेन प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्यन्ति वानराः ॥ ३३ ॥
“The monkeys, cherished by their glorious lord with kind words, gifts and honour, will give up their lives.
न वनेषु न शैलेषु न निरोधेषु वा पुनः । क्रीडामनुभविष्यन्ति समेत्य कपिकुञ्जराः ॥ ३४ ॥
“In forests, on mountains, in their hidden places, the elephants among monkeys will no longer gather and play.
सपुत्रदाराः सामात्या भर्तृव्यसनपीडिताः । शैलाग्रेभ्यः पतिष्यन्ति समेषु विषमेषु च ॥ ३५ ॥
“With sons and wives and ministers, tormented by their lord’s misfortune, they will throw themselves from mountain tops onto level ground and rough.
विषमुद्बन्धनं वापि प्रवेशं ज्वलनस्य वा । उपवासमथो शस्त्रं प्रचरिष्यन्ति वानराः ॥ ३६ ॥
“Poison, hanging, entering fire, fasting, or the blade: the monkeys will take to these.
घोरमारोदनं मन्ये गते मयि भविष्यति । इक्ष्वाकुकुलनाशश्च नाशश्चैव वनौकसाम् ॥ ३७ ॥
“I think there will be terrible weeping when I have gone: the ruin of the Ikshvaku line and the ruin of the forest-dwellers.
सोऽहं नैव गमिष्यामि किष्किन्धां नगरीमितः । नहि शक्ष्याम्यहं द्रष्टुं सुग्रीवं मैथिलीं विना ॥ ३८ ॥
“So I will not go from here to the city of Kishkindha; I could not bear to see Sugriva without Maithili.
मय्यगच्छति चेहस्थे धर्मात्मानौ महारथौ । आशया तौ धरिष्येते वानराश्च तरस्विनः ॥ ३९ ॥
“While I do not go back and stay here, the two righteous great warriors will live on in hope, and so will the swift monkeys.
हस्तादानो मुखादानो नियतो वृक्षमूलिकः । वानप्रस्थो भविष्यामि ह्यदृष्ट्वा जनकात्मजाम् ॥ ४० ॥
“Eating what comes to my hand or my mouth, disciplined, living at the roots of trees, I will become a forest hermit, having not seen Janaka’s daughter.
सागरानूपजे देशे बहुमूलफलोदके । चितिं कृत्वा प्रवेक्ष्यामि समिद्धमरणीसुतम् ॥ ४१ ॥
“Or in a region by the sea, rich in roots, fruit and water, I will build a pyre and enter the blazing fire, son of the kindling sticks.
उपविष्टस्य वा सम्यग् लिंगिनं साधयिष्यतः । शरीरं भक्षयिष्यन्ति वायसाः श्वापदानि च ॥ ४२ ॥
“Or as I sit in proper fast, crows and beasts of prey will eat my body as I go my way.
इदमप्यृषिभिर्दृष्टं निर्याणमिति मे मतिः । सम्यगापः प्रवेक्ष्यामि न चेत् पश्यामि जानकीम् ॥ ४३ ॥
“This too the sages have seen as a way to depart, I believe. I will enter the waters as is proper, if I do not see Janaki.
सुजातमूला सुभगा कीर्तिमाला यशस्विनी । प्रभग्ना चिररात्राय मम सीतामपश्यतः ॥ ४४ ॥
“My garland of fame, glorious, well-rooted, auspicious, is broken for a long night, since I have not seen Sita.
तापसो वा भविष्यामि नियतो वृक्षमूलिकः । नेतः प्रतिगमिष्यामि तामदृष्ट्वासितेक्षणाम् ॥ ४५ ॥
“Or I will be an ascetic, disciplined, living at the roots of trees; I will not go back from here without seeing the dark-eyed lady.
यदि तु प्रतिगच्छामि सीतामनधिगम्य ताम् । अंगदः सहितः सर्वैर्वानरैर्न भविष्यति ॥ ४६ ॥
“If I go back without having found Sita, Angada with all the monkeys will not survive.
विनाशे बहवो दोषा जीवन् प्राप्नोति भद्रकम् । तस्मात् प्राणान् धरिष्यामि ध्रुवो जीवति संगमः ॥ ४७ ॥
“Destruction has many faults; one who lives finds good fortune. So I will hold on to life; reunion is certain for the living.”
एवं बहुविधं दुःखं मनसा धारयन् बहु । नाध्यगच्छत् तदा पारं शोकस्य कपिकुञ्जरः ॥ ४८ ॥
Holding many such sorrows in his mind, the elephant among monkeys could not then reach the far shore of his grief.
ततो विक्रममासाद्य धैर्यवान् कपिकुञ्जरः । रावणं वा वधिष्यामि दशग्रीवं महाबलम् । काममस्तु हृता सीता प्रत्याचीर्णं भविष्यति ॥ ४९ ॥
Then, summoning his courage, the steadfast elephant among monkeys thought: “Or I will kill Ravana, the ten-necked, the mighty. Even if Sita has been carried off, she will be avenged.
अथवैनं समुत्क्षिप्य उपर्युपरि सागरम् । रामायोपहरिष्यामि पशुं पशुपतेरिव ॥ ५० ॥
“Or I will lift him up and carry him over and over the ocean and present him to Rama, as a victim is offered to Pashupati.”
इति चिन्तासमापन्नः सीतामनधिगम्य ताम् । ध्यानशोकपरीतात्मा चिन्तयामास वानरः ॥ ५१ ॥
Thinking so, without having found Sita, the monkey, his mind wrapped in brooding and grief, thought again:
यावत् सीतां न पश्यामि रामपत्नीं यशस्विनीम् । तावदेतां पुरीं लंकां विचिनोमि पुनः पुनः ॥ ५२ ॥
“Until I see Sita, Rama’s glorious wife, I will search this city of Lanka again and again.
सम्पातिवचनाच्चापि रामं यद्यानयाम्यहम् । अपश्यन् राघवो भार्यां निर्दहेत् सर्ववानरान् ॥ ५३ ॥
“If on Sampati’s word I bring Rama here, Raghava, not seeing his wife, would burn up all the monkeys.
इहैव नियताहारो वत्स्यामि नियतेन्द्रियः । न मत्कृते विनश्येयुः सर्वे ते नरवानराः ॥ ५४ ॥
“I will stay right here, eating little, my senses held in check; let not all those men and monkeys perish because of me.
अशोकवनिका चापि महतीयं महाद्रुमा । इमामधिगमिष्यामि नहीयं विचिता मया ॥ ५५ ॥
“And there is this great Ashoka grove with great trees; I will go into it, for it has not been searched by me.
वसून् रुद्रांस्तथाऽऽदित्यानश्विनौ मरुतोऽपि च । नमस्कृत्वा गमिष्यामि रक्षसां शोकवर्धनः ॥ ५६ ॥
“Bowing to the Vasus, the Rudras, the Adityas, the two Ashvins and the Maruts, I will go, increasing the rakshasas’ grief.
जित्वा तु राक्षसान् देवीमिक्ष्वाकुकुलनन्दिनीम् । सम्प्रदास्यामि रामाय सिद्धीमिव तपस्विने ॥ ५७ ॥
“Having conquered the rakshasas, I will give the lady, the joy of the Ikshvaku line, to Rama, as success is given to an ascetic.”
स मुहूर्तमिव ध्यात्वा चिन्ताविग्रथितेन्द्रियः । उदतिष्ठन् महाबाहुर्हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः ॥ ५८ ॥
Having pondered as if for a moment, his senses knotted with care, mighty-armed Hanuman, son of the Wind, rose up.
नमोऽस्तु रामाय सलक्ष्मणाय देव्यै च तस्यै जनकात्मजायै । नमोऽस्तु रुद्रेन्द्रयमानिलेभ्यो नमोऽस्तु चन्द्राग्निमरुद्गणेभ्यः ॥ ५९ ॥
“Salutation to Rama, with Lakshmana, and to the goddess, Janaka’s daughter! Salutation to Rudra, Indra, Yama and the Wind! Salutation to the Moon, Fire and the hosts of Maruts!”
स तेभ्यस्तु नमस्कृत्वा सुग्रीवाय च मारुतिः । दिशः सर्वाः समालोक्य सोऽशोकवनिकां प्रति ॥ ६० ॥
Bowing to them, and to Sugriva, the son of the Wind looked all round in every direction, toward the Ashoka grove.
स गत्वा मनसा पूर्वमशोकवनिकां शुभाम् । उत्तरं चिन्तयामास वानरो मारुतात्मजः ॥ ६१ ॥
Having gone first in his mind to the lovely Ashoka grove, the monkey, son of the Wind, thought on what came next:
ध्रुवं तु रक्षोबहुला भविष्यति वनाकुला । अशोकवनिका पुण्या सर्वसंस्कारसंस्कृता ॥ ६२ ॥
“Surely the holy Ashoka grove, tended with every care, will be thick with trees and crowded with rakshasas.
रक्षिणश्चात्र विहिता नूनं रक्षन्ति पादपान् । भगवानपि विश्वात्मा नातिक्षोभं प्रवायति ॥ ६३ ॥
“Guards set here will surely be protecting the trees; even the blessed Wind, soul of all, does not blow too hard here.
संक्षिप्तोऽयं मयाऽऽत्मा च रामार्थे रावणस्य च । सिद्धिं दिशन्तु मे सर्वे देवाः सर्षिगणास्त्विह ॥ ६४ ॥
“I have made myself small for Rama’s sake and against Ravana. May all the gods with the hosts of sages grant me success here:
ब्रह्मा स्वयम्भूर्भगवान् देवाश्चैव तपस्विनः । सिद्धिमग्निश्च वायुश्च पुरुहूतश्च वज्रभृत् ॥ ६५ ॥
“the blessed self-born Brahma and the gods and ascetics; Fire and Wind and Puruhuta, bearer of the thunderbolt;
वरुणः पाशहस्तश्च सोमादित्यौ तथैव च । अश्विनौ च महात्मानौ मरुतः सर्व एव च ॥ ६६ ॥
“Varuna with the noose in his hand, the Moon and the Sun, the two great-souled Ashvins and all the Maruts;
सिद्धिं सर्वाणि भूतानि भूतानां चैव यः प्रभुः । दास्यन्ति मम ये चान्येऽप्यदृष्टाः पथि गोचराः ॥ ६७ ॥
“all beings and the lord of beings will grant me success, and the others, unseen, who move on the paths.
तदुन्नसं पाण्डुरदन्तमव्रणं शुचिस्मितं पद्मपलाशलोचनम् । द्रक्ष्ये तदार्यावदनं कदा न्वहं प्रसन्नताराधिपतुल्यवर्चसम् ॥ ६८ ॥
“When shall I see that noble face, with its high nose, white teeth and no blemish, smiling purely, eyes like lotus petals, bright as the clear lord of the stars?
क्षुद्रेण हीनेन नृशंसमूर्तिना सुदारुणालंकृतवेषधारिणा । बलाभिभूता ह्यबला तपस्विनी कथं नु मे दृष्टिपथेऽद्य सा भवेत् ॥ ६९ ॥
“Overpowered by force by that petty, mean, cruel-looking creature in his fearsome finery, how will the helpless ascetic lady come into my sight today?”