Sundara Kanda · Sarga 31 of 68 · 19 verses
Hanuman Tells Rama’s Story
Softly, where Sita can hear, Hanuman begins: there was a king named Dasharatha, of the Ikshvakus, rich in chariots, elephants and horses, a royal sage, truthful and kind. His dear eldest son, Rama, moon-faced, best of archers, protector of dharma and of all living beings, went into the forest at his father’s word with his wife and brother. There he killed many rakshasas; after Janasthana, Khara and Dushana fell, Ravana in revenge tricked Rama with a deer and carried off Janaki. Searching for her, Rama made friends with the monkey Sugriva, killed Vali and gave Sugriva the kingdom; thousands of monkeys were sent in every direction. On Sampati’s word he himself leapt the hundred leagues of ocean, and now he has found her, exactly as Rama described her.
Sita, amazed, lifts her face framed by her hair and looks up into the shimshapa tree. Looking up, down and around, full of joy, thinking of Rama with her whole being, she sees him: the minister of the lord of monkeys, the son of the Wind, like the rising sun.
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एवं बहुविधां चिन्तां चिन्तयित्वा महामतिः । संश्रवे मधुरं वाक्यं वैदेह्या व्याजहार ह ॥ १ ॥
Having thought in many ways like this, the great-minded one spoke sweet words within Vaidehi’s hearing:
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राजा दशरथो नाम रथकुञ्जरवाजिमान् । पुण्यशीलो महाकीर्तिरिक्ष्वाकूणां महायशाः ॥ २ ॥
“There was a king named Dasharatha, rich in chariots, elephants and horses, of holy conduct, of great fame, the most glorious of the Ikshvakus,
राजर्षीणां गुणश्रेष्ठस्तपसा चर्षिभिः समः । चक्रवर्तिकुले जातः पुरंदरसमो बले ॥ ३ ॥
“foremost in virtue among royal sages, equal to the sages in austerity, born in a line of world-rulers, equal to Purandara in strength,
अहिंसारतिरक्षुद्रो घृणी सत्यपराक्रमः । मुख्यस्येक्ष्वाकुवंशस्य लक्ष्मीवाँल्लक्ष्मिवर्धनः ॥ ४ ॥
“delighting in non-violence, not mean, compassionate, of true valour, prosperous, increasing the prosperity of the chief Ikshvaku line,
पार्थिवव्यञ्जनैर्युक्तः पृथुश्रीः पार्थिवर्षभः । पृथिव्यां चतुरन्तायां विश्रुतः सुखदः सुखी ॥ ५ ॥
“bearing all the marks of a king, of wide fortune, bull among kings, famed over the four-cornered earth, giving happiness and happy.
तस्य पुत्रः प्रियो ज्येष्ठस्ताराधिपनिभाननः । रामो नाम विशेषज्ञः श्रेष्ठः सर्वधनुष्मताम् ॥ ६ ॥
“His dear eldest son, his face like the lord of the stars, named Rama, discerning, the best of all archers,
रक्षिता स्वस्य वृत्तस्य स्वजनस्यापि रक्षिता । रक्षिता जीवलोकस्य धर्मस्य च परंतपः ॥ ७ ॥
“guardian of his own conduct and guardian of his people, guardian of the world of the living and of dharma, scorcher of foes:
तस्य सत्याभिसंधस्य वृद्धस्य वचनात् पितुः । सभार्यः सह च भ्रात्रा वीरः प्रव्रजितो वनम् ॥ ८ ॥
“at the word of his aged father, true to his promise, the hero went forth into the forest with his wife and his brother.
तेन तत्र महारण्ये मृगयां परिधावता । राक्षसा निहताः शूरा बहवः कामरूपिणः ॥ ९ ॥
“Roaming the great forest there, hunting, he killed many heroic rakshasas who take any form they like.
जनस्थानवधं श्रुत्वा निहतौ खरदूषणौ । ततस्त्वमर्षापहृता जानकी रावणेन तु ॥ १० ॥
“Hearing of the slaughter at Janasthana, of Khara and Dushana killed, Ravana in his rage carried off Janaki,
वञ्चयित्वा वने रामं मृगरूपेण मायया । स मार्गमाणस्तां देवीं रामः सीतामनिन्दिताम् ॥ ११ ॥
“deceiving Rama in the forest with a magic illusion in the form of a deer. Searching for that goddess, the blameless Sita, Rama
आससाद वने मित्रं सुग्रीवं नाम वानरम् । ततः स वालिनं हत्वा रामः परपुरंजयः ॥ १२ ॥
“came upon a friend in the forest, a monkey named Sugriva. Then Rama, conqueror of enemy cities, killed Vali
आयच्छत् कपिराज्यं तु सुग्रीवाय महात्मने । सुग्रीवेणाभिसंदिष्टा हरयः कामरूपिणः ॥ १३ ॥
“and gave the monkey kingdom to great-souled Sugriva. Ordered by Sugriva, monkeys who take any form they like,
दिक्षु सर्वासु तां देवीं विचिन्वन्तः सहस्रशः । अहं सम्पातिवचनाच्छतयोजनमायतम् ॥ १४ ॥
“in thousands, are searching for that goddess in every direction. On Sampati’s word I, swift, leapt the ocean a hundred leagues wide
तस्या हेतोर्विशालाक्ष्याः समुद्रं वेगवान् प्लुतः । यथारूपां यथावर्णां यथालक्ष्मवतीं च ताम् ॥ १५ ॥
“for the sake of that large-eyed lady. As her form, her complexion and her marks
अश्रौषं राघवस्याहं सेयमासादिता मया । विररामैवमुक्त्वा स वाचं वानरपुंगवः ॥ १६ ॥
“I heard from Raghava, so is she whom I have found.” Having said this, the bull among monkeys fell silent.
जानकी चापि तच्छ्रुत्वा विस्मयं परमं गता । ततः सा वक्रकेशान्ता सुकेशी केशसंवृतम् । उन्नम्य वदनं भीरुः शिंशपामन्ववैक्षत ॥ १७ ॥
And Janaki, hearing that, was filled with the greatest wonder. Then, her hair curling at its edges, the fair-haired, timid one raised her face, framed by her hair, and looked up at the shimshapa.
निशम्य सीता वचनं कपेश्च दिशश्च सर्वाः प्रदिशश्च वीक्ष्य । स्वयं प्रहर्षं परमं जगाम सर्वात्मना राममनुस्मरन्ती ॥ १८ ॥
Hearing the monkey’s words, Sita looked in all the directions and the spaces between, and felt the greatest joy, remembering Rama with all her being.
सा तिर्यगूर्ध्वं च तथा ह्यधस्ता- न्निरीक्षमाणा तमचिन्त्यबुद्धिम् । ददर्श पिंगाधिपतेरमात्यं वातात्मजं सूर्यमिवोदयस्थम् ॥ १९ ॥
Looking sideways, upward and downward, she saw him of unimaginable intelligence, the minister of the lord of tawny monkeys, the son of the Wind, like the sun standing at its rising.