Sundara Kanda · Sarga 16 of 68 · 32 verses
Hanuman Grieves for Sita
Certain now that the woman below him is Sita, Hanuman weeps. He thinks of everything that has been done for her: Vali, Kabandha and Viradha killed, fourteen thousand rakshasas destroyed at Janasthana, Sugriva made king, the ocean leapt. If Rama were to turn the whole earth upside down for her, it would be right; the kingship of the three worlds is not worth a sixteenth part of her.
He remembers who she is: born from a furrow in Janaka’s field, daughter-in-law of Dasharatha, the wife who gave up every comfort to follow Rama into the forest and was as happy there as in a palace. Now, golden-limbed and always smiling once, she endures torment she has not earned. She does not see the rakshasis or the flowering trees; her heart is fixed on Rama. Seeing the lotus-eyed princess, once guarded by Rama and Lakshmana, now guarded by misshapen rakshasis, Hanuman sits on in the tree, his heart aching.
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प्रशस्य तु प्रशस्तव्यां सीतां तां हरिपुंगवः । गुणाभिरामं रामं च पुनश्चिन्तापरोऽभवत् ॥ १ ॥
Having praised Sita, who deserves praise, and Rama, delightful in his virtues, the bull among monkeys fell into thought again.
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स मुहूर्तमिव ध्यात्वा बाष्पपर्याकुलेक्षणः । सीतामाश्रित्य तेजस्वी हनूमान् विललाप ह ॥ २ ॥
Having pondered as if for a moment, his eyes brimming with tears, radiant Hanuman lamented over Sita:
मान्या गुरुविनीतस्य लक्ष्मणस्य गुरुप्रिया । यदि सीता हि दुःखार्ता कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः ॥ ३ ॥
“If Sita, honoured by Lakshmana, who was taught by his elders, and dear to his elder, is in such distress, then time is hard indeed to overcome.
रामस्य व्यवसायज्ञा लक्ष्मणस्य च धीमतः । नात्यर्थं क्षुभ्यते देवी गंगेव जलदागमे ॥ ४ ॥
“Knowing the resolve of Rama and of wise Lakshmana, the goddess is not too deeply shaken, like the Ganga at the coming of the rains.
तुल्यशीलवयोवृत्तां तुल्याभिजनलक्षणाम् । राघवोऽर्हति वैदेहीं तं चेयमसितेक्षणा ॥ ५ ॥
“Equal in character, age and conduct, equal in lineage and marks: Raghava deserves Vaidehi, and this dark-eyed lady deserves him.”
तां दृष्ट्वा नवहेमाभां लोककान्तामिव श्रियम् । जगाम मनसा रामं वचनं चेदमब्रवीत् ॥ ६ ॥
Seeing her, shining like new gold, like Shri, beloved of the world, he went in his mind to Rama and said:
अस्या हेतोर्विशालाक्ष्या हतो वाली महाबलः । रावणप्रतिमो वीर्ये कबन्धश्च निपातितः ॥ ७ ॥
“For the sake of this large-eyed lady mighty Vali was killed, and Kabandha, Ravana’s equal in valour, was struck down.
विराधश्च हतः संख्ये राक्षसो भीमविक्रमः । वने रामेण विक्रम्य महेन्द्रेणेव शम्बरः ॥ ८ ॥
“And the rakshasa Viradha, of terrible valour, was killed in battle in the forest by Rama’s prowess, as Shambara was by great Indra.
चतुर्दश सहस्राणि रक्षसां भीमकर्मणाम् । निहतानि जनस्थाने शरैरग्निशिखोपमैः ॥ ९ ॥
“Fourteen thousand rakshasas of terrible deeds were killed in Janasthana by arrows like tongues of fire.
खरश्च निहतः संख्ये त्रिशिराश्च निपातितः । दूषणश्च महातेजा रामेण विदितात्मना ॥ १० ॥
“Khara was killed in battle, and Trishiras struck down, and radiant Dushana, by Rama, who knows himself.
ऐश्वर्यं वानराणां च दुर्लभं वालिपालितम् । अस्या निमित्ते सुग्रीवः प्राप्तवाँल्लोकविश्रुतः ॥ ११ ॥
“And the lordship of the monkeys, hard to win, once guarded by Vali, Sugriva gained for her sake, renowned in the world.
सागरश्च मयाऽऽक्रान्तः श्रीमान् नदनदीपतिः । अस्या हेतोर्विशालाक्ष्याः पुरी चेयं निरीक्षिता ॥ १२ ॥
“And I crossed the glorious ocean, lord of rivers, for this large-eyed lady’s sake, and this city was searched.
यदि रामः समुद्रान्तां मेदिनीं परिवर्तयेत् । अस्याः कृते जगच्चापि युक्तमित्येव मे मतिः ॥ १३ ॥
“If Rama were to turn upside down the earth bounded by the ocean, or the whole world, for her sake, it would be fitting: that is my judgement.
राज्यं वा त्रिषु लोकेषु सीता वा जनकात्मजा । त्रैलोक्यराज्यं सकलं सीताया नाप्नुयात् कलाम् ॥ १४ ॥
“Kingship over the three worlds, or Sita, Janaka’s daughter: the whole kingdom of the three worlds would not equal a fraction of Sita.
इयं सा धर्मशीलस्य जनकस्य महात्मनः । सुता मैथिलराजस्य सीता भर्तृदृढव्रता ॥ १५ ॥
“This is Sita, daughter of great-souled, righteous Janaka, king of Mithila, firm in her vow to her husband,
उत्थिता मेदिनीं भित्त्वा क्षेत्रे हलमुखक्षते । पद्मरेणुनिभैः कीर्णा शुभैः केदारपांसुभिः ॥ १६ ॥
“who rose from the earth, splitting it, in a field torn by the ploughshare’s mouth, covered with the auspicious dust of the furrow, like lotus pollen.
विक्रान्तस्यार्यशीलस्य संयुगेष्वनिवर्तिनः । स्नुषा दशरथस्यैषा ज्येष्ठा राज्ञो यशस्विनी ॥ १७ ॥
“She is the eldest daughter-in-law of King Dasharatha, the valiant, noble, who never turned back in battle; she is glorious.
धर्मज्ञस्य कृतज्ञस्य रामस्य विदितात्मनः । इयं सा दयिता भार्या राक्षसीवशमागता ॥ १८ ॥
“This is the dear wife of Rama, who knows dharma, who is grateful, who knows himself; she has fallen into the power of rakshasis.
सर्वान् भोगान् परित्यज्य भर्तृस्नेहबलात् कृता । अचिन्तयित्वा कष्टानि प्रविष्टा निर्जनं वनम् ॥ १९ ॥
“Giving up all comforts, driven by love for her husband, not thinking of hardships, she entered the empty forest,
संतुष्टा फलमूलेन भर्तृशुश्रूषणापरा । या परां भजते प्रीतिं वनेऽपि भवने यथा ॥ २० ॥
“content with fruit and roots, intent on serving her husband, she who found the highest joy in the forest as in a palace.
सेयं कनकवर्णांगी नित्यं सुस्मितभाषिणी । सहते यातनामेतामनर्थानामभागिनी ॥ २१ ॥
“And she, golden-limbed, always smiling as she spoke, endures this torture, she who has no share in wrongs.
इमां तु शीलसम्पन्नां द्रष्टुमिच्छति राघवः । रावणेन प्रमथितां प्रपामिव पिपासितः ॥ २२ ॥
“Raghava longs to see her, rich in virtue, crushed by Ravana, as a thirsty man longs for a well.
अस्या नूनं पुनर्लाभाद् राघवः प्रीतिमेष्यति । राजा राज्यपरिभ्रष्टः पुनः प्राप्येव मेदिनीम् ॥ २३ ॥
“Surely on winning her back Raghava will rejoice, like a king fallen from his kingdom who regains the earth.
कामभोगैः परित्यक्ता हीना बन्धुजनेन च । धारयत्यात्मनो देहं तत्समागमकाङ्क्षिणी ॥ २४ ॥
“Bereft of pleasures and comforts, deprived of her kin, she keeps her body alive, longing for reunion with him.
नैषा पश्यति राक्षस्यो नेमान् पुष्पफलद्रुमान् । एकस्थहृदया नूनं राममेवानुपश्यति ॥ २५ ॥
“She does not see the rakshasis nor these trees of flowers and fruit; her heart fixed on one thing, she surely sees only Rama.
भर्ता नाम परं नार्याः शोभनं भूषणादपि । एषा हि रहिता तेन शोभनार्हा न शोभते ॥ २६ ॥
“For a woman, her husband is a finer ornament than any ornament; deprived of him, she who deserves to shine does not shine.
दुष्करं कुरुते रामो हीनो यदनया प्रभुः । धारयत्यात्मनो देहं न दुःखेनावसीदति ॥ २७ ॥
“Rama the lord does a hard thing: deprived of her, he keeps his body alive and does not sink under his sorrow.
इमामसितकेशान्तां शतपत्रनिभेक्षणाम् । सुखार्हां दुःखितां ज्ञात्वा ममापि व्यथितं मनः ॥ २८ ॥
“Knowing that she, with her dark hair and eyes like lotus petals, who deserves happiness, is in sorrow, my mind too is pained.
क्षितिक्षमा पुष्करसंनिभेक्षणा या रक्षिता राघवलक्ष्मणाभ्याम् । सा राक्षसीभिर्विकृतेक्षणाभिः संरक्ष्यते सम्प्रति वृक्षमूले ॥ २९ ॥
“She who is patient as the earth, with eyes like lotuses, who was guarded by Raghava and Lakshmana, is now guarded at the foot of a tree by rakshasis with hideous eyes.
हिमहतनलिनीव नष्टशोभा व्यसनपरम्परया निपीड्यमाना । सहचररहितेव चक्रवाकी जनकसुता कृपणां दशां प्रपन्ना ॥ ३० ॥
“Like a lotus pool struck by frost, her beauty gone, crushed by misfortune after misfortune, like a chakravaki without her mate, Janaka’s daughter has come to a pitiable state.
अस्या हि पुष्पावनताग्रशाखाः शोकं दृढं वै जनयन्त्यशोकाः । हिमव्यपायेन च शीतरश्मि- रभ्युत्थितो नैकसहस्ररश्मिः ॥ ३१ ॥
“For her, these ashoka trees, their branch-tips bowed with flowers, surely cause deep sorrow; and so does the cool-rayed moon, risen with its countless rays at the end of winter.”
इत्येवमर्थं कपिरन्ववेक्ष्य सीतेयमित्येव तु जातबुद्धिः । संश्रित्य तस्मिन् निषसाद वृक्षे बली हरीणामृषभस्तरस्वी ॥ ३२ ॥
Weighing the matter so, his mind made up that this was Sita, the mighty, swift bull among monkeys sat on, hidden in that tree.