Sundara Kanda · Sarga 15 of 68 · 54 verses
Hanuman Sees Sita
From the shimshapa tree Hanuman looks out over the grove, as lovely as Indra’s Nandana garden, blazing with flowering ashokas. Nearby stands a temple-palace on a thousand pillars, white as Kailasa. And there, surrounded by rakshasis, he sees a woman in a soiled garment, thin from fasting, sighing again and again: like the first sliver of the moon in the bright fortnight, like a flame wrapped in smoke, like a lotus pool without lotuses.
She wears one creased yellow garment, she has no ornaments, her single dark braid falls to her hips, and she gazes about like a doe cut off from her herd and ringed by dogs. Hanuman is not sure at first; she is so changed that recognising her is like recognising a text whose sounds have been garbled. Then the evidence comes together: the ornaments on her body match those Rama described, and the missing ones are exactly the ones the monkeys saw her throw down; her garment is the twin of the scarf they found. This is Sita. Hanuman’s thoughts turn to Rama: four feelings torment him for her, pity, tenderness, grief and love, and it is a wonder that he can keep himself alive without her.
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स वीक्षमाणस्तत्रस्थो मार्गमाणश्च मैथिलीम् । अवेक्षमाणश्च महीं सर्वां तामन्ववैक्षत ॥ १ ॥
Watching from there, searching for Maithili, he looked out over that whole ground,
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संतानकलताभिश्च पादपैरुपशोभिताम् । दिव्यगन्धरसोपेतां सर्वतः समलंकृताम् ॥ २ ॥
graced with santanaka creepers and trees, full of heavenly fragrances and flavours, adorned on every side,
तां स नन्दनसंकाशां मृगपक्षिभिरावृताम् । हर्म्यप्रासादसम्बाधां कोकिलाकुलनिःस्वनाम् ॥ ३ ॥
like Nandana, thronged with beasts and birds, crowded with mansions and palaces, loud with the calls of cuckoos,
काञ्चनोत्पलपद्माभिर्वापीभिरुपशोभिताम् । बह्वासनकुथोपेतां बहुभूमिगृहायुताम् ॥ ४ ॥
graced with wells of golden lilies and lotuses, with many seats and rugs and many underground chambers,
सर्वर्तुकुसुमै रम्यैः फलवद्भिश्च पादपैः । पुष्पितानामशोकानां श्रिया सूर्योदयप्रभाम् ॥ ५ ॥
with lovely trees bearing flowers of every season and fruit, glowing like sunrise with the beauty of the flowering ashokas.
प्रदीप्तामिव तत्रस्थो मारुतिः समुदैक्षत । निष्पत्रशाखां विहगैः क्रियमाणामिवासकृत् ॥ ६ ॥
The son of the Wind, standing there, gazed on it as if it were ablaze, as if the birds were again and again stripping the branches of leaves,
विनिष्पतद्भिः शतशश्चित्रैः पुष्पावतंसकैः । समूलपुष्परचितैरशोकैः शोकनाशनैः ॥ ७ ॥
with the ashokas, destroyers of sorrow, their colourful flower-crests falling by hundreds, covered with flowers from the roots up,
पुष्पभारातिभारैश्च स्पृशद्भिरिव मेदिनीम् । कर्णिकारैः कुसुमितैः किंशुकैश्च सुपुष्पितैः ॥ ८ ॥
with flowering karnikaras and blossoming kimshukas, bowed by their loads of flowers as if touching the earth.
स देशः प्रभया तेषां प्रदीप्त इव सर्वतः । पुंनागाः सप्तपर्णाश्च चम्पकोद्दालकास्तथा ॥ ९ ॥
By their radiance that place seemed ablaze on every side. Punnagas, saptaparnas, campakas and uddalakas
विवृद्धमूला बहवः शोभन्ते स्म सुपुष्पिताः । शातकुम्भनिभाः केचित् केचिदग्निशिखप्रभाः ॥ १० ॥
stood there, many of them, deep-rooted and in full flower; some were like gold, some had the glow of flames,
नीलाञ्जननिभाः केचित् तत्राशोकाः सहस्रशः । नन्दनं विबुधोद्यानं चित्रं चैत्ररथं यथा ॥ ११ ॥
some were like dark collyrium; there were ashokas there by thousands. Like Nandana, the garden of the gods, like the wonderful Caitraratha,
अतिवृत्तमिवाचिन्त्यं दिव्यं रम्यश्रियायुतम् । द्वितीयमिव चाकाशं पुष्पज्योतिर्गणायुतम् ॥ १२ ॥
it seemed to surpass them, unimaginable, heavenly, full of lovely splendour, like a second sky with constellations of flowers,
पुष्परत्नशतैश्चित्रं पञ्चमं सागरं यथा । सर्वर्तुपुष्पैर्निचितं पादपैर्मधुगन्धिभिः ॥ १३ ॥
bright with hundreds of jewel-like flowers like a fifth ocean, heaped with trees of every season’s flower, honey-scented,
नानानिनादैरुद्यानं रम्यं मृगगणद्विजैः । अनेकगन्धप्रवहं पुण्यगन्धं मनोहरम् ॥ १४ ॥
a garden lovely with the many calls of beasts and birds, carrying many fragrances, sweet-smelling and charming,
शैलेन्द्रमिव गन्धाढ्यं द्वितीयं गन्धमादनम् । अशोकवनिकायां तु तस्यां वानरपुंगवः ॥ १५ ॥
rich in perfume like the king of mountains, a second Gandhamadana. In that Ashoka grove the bull among monkeys
स ददर्शाविदूरस्थं चैत्यप्रासादमूर्जितम् । मध्ये स्तम्भसहस्रेण स्थितं कैलासपाण्डुरम् ॥ १६ ॥
saw, not far away, a great temple-palace standing in the middle on a thousand pillars, white as Kailasa,
प्रवालकृतसोपानं तप्तकाञ्चनवेदिकम् । मुष्णन्तमिव चक्षूंषि द्योतमानमिव श्रिया ॥ १७ ॥
with steps made of coral and platforms of refined gold, as if stealing the eyes, blazing with splendour,
निर्मलं प्रांशुभावत्वादुल्लिखन्तमिवाम्बरम् । ततो मलिनसंवीतां राक्षसीभिः समावृताम् ॥ १८ ॥
spotless, so tall that it seemed to scratch the sky. Then he saw a woman clad in soiled clothes, surrounded by rakshasis,
उपवासकृशां दीनां निःश्वसन्तीं पुनः पुनः । ददर्श शुक्लपक्षादौ चन्द्ररेखामिवामलाम् ॥ १९ ॥
thin from fasting, wretched, sighing again and again, spotless like the slender line of the moon at the start of the bright fortnight,
मन्दप्रख्यायमानेन रूपेण रुचिरप्रभाम् । पिनद्धां धूमजालेन शिखामिव विभावसोः ॥ २० ॥
her lovely radiance only faintly visible, like a flame of fire wrapped in a net of smoke;
पीतेनैकेन संवीतां क्लिष्टेनोत्तमवाससा । सपङ्कामनलंकारां विपद्मामिव पद्मिनीम् ॥ २१ ॥
clad in a single creased yellow garment of the finest kind, mud-stained, without ornaments, like a lotus pool without lotuses;
पीडितां दुःखसंतप्तां परिक्षीणां तपस्विनीम् । ग्रहेणांगारकेणेव पीडितामिव रोहिणीम् ॥ २२ ॥
afflicted, burning with sorrow, wasted, an ascetic, like Rohini oppressed by the planet Mars;
अश्रुपूर्णमुखीं दीनां कृशामनशनेन च । शोकध्यानपरां दीनां नित्यं दुःखपरायणाम् ॥ २३ ॥
her face full of tears, wretched, thin from not eating, lost in grief and brooding, wretched, always given over to sorrow;
प्रियं जनमपश्यन्तीं पश्यन्तीं राक्षसीगणम् । स्वगणेन मृगीं हीनां श्वगणेनावृतामिव ॥ २४ ॥
not seeing her dear ones, seeing only the troop of rakshasis, like a doe separated from her herd and surrounded by a pack of dogs;
नीलनागाभया वेण्या जघनं गतयैकया । नीलया नीरदापाये वनराज्या महीमिव ॥ २५ ॥
with a single braid like a dark serpent reaching to her hips, like the earth with a dark line of forest when the clouds have gone;
सुखार्हां दुःखसंतप्तां व्यसनानामकोविदाम् । तां विलोक्य विशालाक्षीमधिकं मलिनां कृशाम् ॥ २६ ॥
deserving happiness, burning with sorrow, unused to misfortune. Seeing that large-eyed woman, so soiled and thin,
तर्कयामास सीतेति कारणैरुपपादिभिः । ह्रियमाणा तदा तेन रक्षसा कामरूपिणा ॥ २७ ॥
he reasoned, by the reasons that pointed to it, “This is Sita. When she was being carried off by that rakshasa who takes any form at will,
यथारूपा हि दृष्टा सा तथारूपेयमंगना । पूर्णचन्द्राननां सुभ्रूं चारुवृत्तपयोधराम् ॥ २८ ॥
“the form in which she was seen is the form of this woman: face like the full moon, lovely brows, beautifully rounded breasts,
कुर्वतीं प्रभया देवीं सर्वा वितिमिरा दिशः । तां नीलकण्ठीं बिम्बोष्ठीं सुमध्यां सुप्रतिष्ठिताम् ॥ २९ ॥
“a goddess making every quarter free of darkness by her radiance, with dark throat, lips like bimba fruit, slender waist, well formed,
सीतां पद्मपलाशाक्षीं मन्मथस्य रतिं यथा । इष्टां सर्वस्य जगतः पूर्णचन्द्रप्रभामिव ॥ ३० ॥
“Sita, with eyes like lotus petals, like Rati, the beloved of Kama, dear to the whole world, like the light of the full moon,
भूमौ सुतनुमासीनां नियतामिव तापसीम् । निःश्वासबहुलां भीरुं भुजगेन्द्रवधूमिव ॥ ३१ ॥
“the lovely-bodied one sitting on the ground like a disciplined ascetic, sighing much, timid, like the wife of a serpent king.”
शोकजालेन महता विततेन न राजतीम् । संसक्तां धूमजालेन शिखामिव विभावसोः ॥ ३२ ॥
Not shining, covered by a great spreading net of sorrow, like a flame of fire clogged with a net of smoke;
तां स्मृतीमिव संदिग्धामृद्धिं निपतितामिव । विहतामिव च श्रद्धामाशां प्रतिहतामिव ॥ ३३ ॥
like a memory gone doubtful, like fortune fallen, like faith broken, like hope blocked,
सोपसर्गां यथा सिद्धिं बुद्धिं सकलुषामिव । अभूतेनापवादेन कीर्तिं निपतितामिव ॥ ३४ ॥
like success beset with obstacles, like understanding clouded, like a good name fallen through false slander;
रामोपरोधव्यथितां रक्षोगणनिपीडिताम् । अबलां मृगशावाक्षीं वीक्षमाणां ततस्ततः ॥ ३५ ॥
pained by the obstacle to Rama, harassed by the hordes of rakshasas, helpless, fawn-eyed, looking this way and that,
बाष्पाम्बुपरिपूर्णेन कृष्णवक्राक्षिपक्ष्मणा । वदनेनाप्रसन्नेन निःश्वसन्तीं पुनः पुनः ॥ ३६ ॥
her face unhappy, its curving dark lashes wet with tears, sighing again and again;
मलपङ्कधरां दीनां मण्डनार्हाममण्डिताम् । प्रभां नक्षत्रराजस्य कालमेघैरिवावृताम् ॥ ३७ ॥
wearing mud and dirt, wretched, deserving ornament yet unadorned, like the light of the king of stars covered by black clouds:
तस्य संदिदिहे बुद्धिस्तथा सीतां निरीक्ष्य च । आम्नायानामयोगेन विद्यां प्रशिथिलामिव ॥ ३८ ॥
seeing Sita so, his mind was in doubt, as learning grows slack when it is not kept up by recitation.
दुःखेन बुबुधे सीतां हनुमाननलंकृताम् । संस्कारेण यथा हीनां वाचमर्थान्तरं गताम् ॥ ३९ ॥
With difficulty Hanuman recognised Sita without her ornaments, like speech that, lacking refinement, has passed into another meaning.
तां समीक्ष्य विशालाक्षीं राजपुत्रीमनिन्दिताम् । तर्कयामास सीतेति कारणैरुपपादयन् ॥ ४० ॥
Looking at that large-eyed, blameless princess, he reasoned, putting together the reasons, “This is Sita.”
वैदेह्या यानि चांगेषु तदा रामोऽन्वकीर्तयत् । तान्याभरणजालानि गात्रशोभीन्यलक्षयत् ॥ ४१ ॥
He saw on her limbs those clusters of ornaments, adorning her body, which Rama had described then as belonging to Vaidehi:
सुकृतौ कर्णवेष्टौ च श्वदंष्ट्रौ च सुसंस्थितौ । मणिविद्रुमचित्राणि हस्तेष्वाभरणानि च ॥ ४२ ॥
well-made ear ornaments and well-set earrings shaped like dog’s teeth, and on her hands ornaments bright with gems and coral,
श्यामानि चिरयुक्तत्वात् तथा संस्थानवन्ति च । तान्येवैतानि मन्येऽहं यानि रामोऽन्वकीर्तयत् ॥ ४३ ॥
darkened from long wearing, yet still in their shape. “I think these are the very ones Rama described.
तत्र यान्यवहीनानि तान्यहं नोपलक्षये । यान्यस्या नावहीनानि तानीमानि न संशयः ॥ ४४ ॥
“Those that are missing I do not see on her; those of hers that are not missing, these are they, without doubt.
पीतं कनकपट्टाभं स्रस्तं तद्वसनं शुभम् । उत्तरीयं नगासक्तं तदा दृष्टं प्लवंगमैः ॥ ४५ ॥
“The lovely yellow garment shining like a strip of gold, that upper cloth which fell and caught on a tree, was seen then by the monkeys;
भूषणानि च मुख्यानि दृष्टानि धरणीतले । अनयैवापविद्धानि स्वनवन्ति महान्ति च ॥ ४६ ॥
“and the finest ornaments, large and jingling, seen on the ground, were thrown down by this very woman.
इदं चिरगृहीतत्वाद् वसनं क्लिष्टवत्तरम् । तथाप्यनूनं तद्वर्णं तथा श्रीमद्यथेतरत् ॥ ४७ ॥
“This garment, from being worn so long, is badly creased; yet its colour is undiminished, as splendid as the other.
इयं कनकवर्णांगी रामस्य महिषी प्रिया । प्रणष्टापि सती यस्य मनसो न प्रणश्यति ॥ ४८ ॥
“This golden-limbed woman is Rama’s dear queen, who, though lost, is not lost from his mind.
इयं सा यत्कृते रामश्चतुर्भिरिह तप्यते । कारुण्येनानृशंस्येन शोकेन मदनेन च ॥ ४९ ॥
“This is she for whose sake Rama is tormented here by four things: by pity, by compassion, by grief and by love:
स्त्री प्रणष्टेति कारुण्यादाश्रितेत्यानृशंस्यतः । पत्नी नष्टेति शोकेन प्रियेति मदनेन च ॥ ५० ॥
“by pity because a woman is lost, by compassion because she depended on him, by grief because his wife is gone, by love because she is his beloved.
अस्या देव्या यथारूपमंगप्रत्यंगसौष्ठवम् । रामस्य च यथारूपं तस्येयमसितेक्षणा ॥ ५१ ॥
“As this goddess is in form, in the grace of every limb, so is Rama in form: the dark-eyed one is his.
अस्या देव्या मनस्तस्मिंस्तस्य चास्यां प्रतिष्ठितम् । तेनेयं स च धर्मात्मा मुहूर्तमपि जीवति ॥ ५२ ॥
“This goddess’s mind is fixed on him, and his on her; by that alone she, and he who is righteous, live even a moment.
दुष्करं कृतवान् रामो हीनो यदनया प्रभुः । धारयत्यात्मनो देहं न शोकेनावसीदति ॥ ५३ ॥
“Rama, the lord, has done a hard thing: deprived of her, he keeps his body alive and does not sink under his grief.”
एवं सीतां तथा दृष्ट्वा हृष्टः पवनसम्भवः । जगाम मनसा रामं प्रशशंस च तं प्रभुम् ॥ ५४ ॥
So, having seen Sita, the son of the Wind was glad; he went in his mind to Rama and praised that lord.