Sundara Kanda · Sarga 51 of 68 · 45 verses
Hanuman’s Counsel to Ravana
Calm and unafraid, Hanuman speaks to Ravana. He brings greetings from Sugriva, Ravana’s “brother” among kings, and a message for his good in this world and the next. He tells the story: King Dasharatha’s son Rama went into the Dandaka forest with his brother and wife; Sita, daughter of Janaka, was lost in Janasthana; searching for her, Rama met Sugriva, killed Vali, whom Ravana knew, with a single arrow, and made Sugriva king; Sugriva has sent monkeys swift as Garuda and the wind in every direction. He himself, Hanuman son of the Wind, leapt the ocean and found Sita in Ravana’s house.
A wise man who knows dharma, who has gained his power by austerity, should not hold another man’s wife. No one, god or asura, can stand before arrows loosed by Lakshmana and Rama in anger; no one who has wronged Raghava has ever been happy. Give back Janaki. Sita, whom he does not truly know, is like a five-headed she-serpent in his house; she cannot be digested, any more than poisoned food. His immunity from gods and asuras, won by austerity, does not cover men and monkeys, and Rama is a man, Sugriva a monkey. Dharma’s reward does not cancel the fruit of adharma: Ravana has enjoyed the first and will soon reap the second. Hanuman alone could destroy Lanka, but Rama has vowed to destroy Sita’s abductors himself. This Sita is the Night of Doom for all Lanka; do not put the noose of Death around his own neck. Rama could dissolve all the worlds and create them again; no god, demon, yaksha or naga, not even Brahma, Rudra or Indra, could stand before him in battle. Hearing these bold, unwelcome words, Ravana, eyes rolling with anger, orders the great monkey to be killed.
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तं समीक्ष्य महासत्त्वं सत्त्ववान् हरिसत्तमः । वाक्यमर्थवदव्यग्रस्तमुवाच दशाननम् ॥ १ ॥
Looking at that one of great courage, the courageous best of monkeys, unflustered, spoke meaningful words to the ten-faced one:
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अहं सुग्रीवसंदेशादिह प्राप्तस्तवान्तिके । राक्षसेश हरीशस्त्वां भ्राता कुशलमब्रवीत् ॥ २ ॥
“I have come into your presence here at Sugriva’s command. Lord of the rakshasas, your brother, the lord of monkeys, asks after your welfare.
भ्रातुः श्रृणु समादेशं सुग्रीवस्य महात्मनः । धर्मार्थसहितं वाक्यमिह चामुत्र च क्षमम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Hear the instruction of your brother, great-souled Sugriva: words with dharma and profit in them, fit for this world and the next.
राजा दशरथो नाम रथकुञ्जरवाजिमान् । पितेव बन्धुर्लोकस्य सुरेश्वरसमद्युतिः ॥ ४ ॥
“There was a king named Dasharatha, with chariots, elephants and horses, like a father and a kinsman to the world, equal in splendour to the lord of the gods.
ज्येष्ठस्तस्य महाबाहुः पुत्रः प्रियतरः प्रभुः । पितुर्निदेशान्निष्क्रान्तः प्रविष्टो दण्डकावनम् ॥ ५ ॥
“His eldest son, mighty-armed, dearer to him, lord, went out at his father’s command and entered the Dandaka forest,
लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्राता सीतया सह भार्यया । रामो नाम महातेजा धर्म्यं पन्थानमाश्रितः ॥ ६ ॥
“with his brother Lakshmana and his wife Sita: Rama by name, of great splendour, who has taken the path of dharma.
तस्य भार्या जनस्थाने भ्रष्टा सीतेति विश्रुता । वैदेहस्य सुता राज्ञो जनकस्य महात्मनः ॥ ७ ॥
“His wife, famous as Sita, was lost in Janasthana: the daughter of Janaka, the great-souled king of Videha.
मार्गमाणस्तु तां देवीं राजपुत्रः सहानुजः । ऋष्यमूकमनुप्राप्तः सुग्रीवेण च संगतः ॥ ८ ॥
“Searching for that lady, the prince with his younger brother reached Rishyamuka and joined with Sugriva.
तस्य तेन प्रतिज्ञातं सीतायाः परिमार्गणम् । सुग्रीवस्यापि रामेण हरिराज्यं निवेदितुम् ॥ ९ ॥
“Sugriva promised him the search for Sita, and Rama promised Sugriva to give him the kingdom of the monkeys.
ततस्तेन मृधे हत्वा राजपुत्रेण वालिनम् । सुग्रीवः स्थापितो राज्ये हर्यृक्षाणां गणेश्वरः ॥ १० ॥
“Then, having killed Vali in battle, the prince set Sugriva on the throne as lord of the hosts of monkeys and bears.
त्वया विज्ञातपूर्वश्च वाली वानरपुङ्गवः । स तेन निहतः संख्ये शरेणैकेन वानरः ॥ ११ ॥
“You knew Vali before, the bull among monkeys; that monkey was killed by him in battle with a single arrow.
स सीतामार्गणे व्यग्रः सुग्रीवः सत्यसंगरः । हरीन् सम्प्रेषयामास दिशः सर्वा हरीश्वरः ॥ १२ ॥
“Sugriva, true to his word, eager to search for Sita, the lord of monkeys, has sent monkeys in all directions.
तां हरीणां सहस्राणि शतानि नियुतानि च । दिक्षु सर्वासु मार्गन्ते ह्यधश्चोपरि चाम्बरे ॥ १३ ॥
“Thousands, hundreds and millions of monkeys are searching for her in all the directions, below and above in the sky.
वैनतेयसमाः केचित् केचित् तत्रानिलोपमाः । असङ्गगतयः शीघ्रा हरिवीरा महाबलाः ॥ १४ ॥
“Some are equal to Vinata’s son, some there like the wind, heroic monkeys of unhindered course, swift and mighty.
अहं तु हनुमान्नाम मारुतस्यौरसः सुतः । सीतायास्तु कृते तूर्णं शतयोजनमायतम् ॥ १५ ॥
“And I, named Hanuman, true-born son of the Wind, for Sita’s sake quickly crossed the ocean a hundred leagues wide
समुद्रं लङ्घयित्वैव त्वां दिदृक्षुरिहागतः । भ्रमता च मया दृष्टा गृहे ते जनकात्मजा ॥ १६ ॥
“and came here wanting to see you. Wandering, I saw Janaka’s daughter in your house.
तद् भवान् दृष्टधर्मार्थस्तपःकृतपरिग्रहः । परदारान् महाप्राज्ञ नोपरोद्धुं त्वमर्हसि ॥ १७ ॥
“So you, who have seen dharma and profit, who have gained your power by austerity, should not hold another man’s wife, great wise one.
नहि धर्मविरुद्धेषु बह्वपायेषु कर्मसु । मूलघातिषु सज्जन्ते बुद्धिमन्तो भवद्विधाः ॥ १८ ॥
“Intelligent men like you do not cling to actions that run against dharma, are full of dangers, and destroy at the root.
कश्च लक्ष्मणमुक्तानां रामकोपानुवर्तिनाम् । शराणामग्रतः स्थातुं शक्तो देवासुरेष्वपि ॥ १९ ॥
“Who, even among gods and asuras, can stand before the arrows loosed by Lakshmana and following Rama’s anger?
न चापि त्रिषु लोकेषु राजन् विद्येत कश्चन । राघवस्य व्यलीकं यः कृत्वा सुखमवाप्नुयात् ॥ २० ॥
“There is no one in the three worlds, king, who could do Raghava wrong and find happiness.
तत् त्रिकालहितं वाक्यं धर्म्यमर्थानुयायि च । मन्यस्व नरदेवाय जानकी प्रतिदीयताम् ॥ २१ ॥
“So consider these words, good for all three times, righteous and profitable: let Janaki be given back to the god among men.
दृष्टा हीयं मया देवी लब्धं यदिह दुर्लभम् । उत्तरं कर्म यच्छेषं निमित्तं तत्र राघवः ॥ २२ ॥
“For I have seen this lady, and gained here what was hard to gain. The rest of the task that follows: Raghava is the cause of that.
लक्षितेयं मया सीता तथा शोकपरायणा । गृहे यां नाभिजानासि पञ्चास्यामिव पन्नगीम् ॥ २३ ॥
“I have observed this Sita, so given up to grief, whom you do not recognise in your house as a five-headed she-serpent.
नेयं जरयितुं शक्या सासुरैरमरैरपि । विषसंस्पृष्टमत्यर्थं भुक्तमन्नमिवौजसा ॥ २४ ॥
“She cannot be digested even by gods and asuras by their strength, like food heavily mixed with poison.
तपःसंतापलब्धस्ते सोऽयं धर्मपरिग्रहः । न स नाशयितुं न्याय्य आत्मप्राणपरिग्रहः ॥ २५ ॥
“This power of righteousness, gained by the burning of austerity, it is not right to destroy, the hold on your own life.
अवध्यतां तपोभिर्यां भवान् समनुपश्यति । आत्मनः सासुरैर्देवैर्हेतुस्तत्राप्ययं महान् ॥ २६ ॥
“The immunity from gods and asuras that you see for yourself through austerity: even there, this is the great point:
सुग्रीवो न च देवोऽयं न यक्षो न च राक्षसः । मानुषो राघवो राजन् सुग्रीवश्च हरीश्वरः । तस्मात् प्राणपरित्राणं कथं राजन् करिष्यसि ॥ २७ ॥
“Sugriva is no god, no yaksha, no rakshasa; Raghava is a man, king, and Sugriva is lord of the monkeys. So how, king, will you protect your life?
न तु धर्मोपसंहारमधर्मफलसंहितम् । तदेव फलमन्वेति धर्मश्चाधर्मनाशनः ॥ २८ ॥
“Righteousness does not absorb what is joined to the fruit of unrighteousness; that fruit follows, and righteousness destroys unrighteousness.
प्राप्तं धर्मफलं तावद् भवता नात्र संशयः । फलमस्याप्यधर्मस्य क्षिप्रमेव प्रपत्स्यसे ॥ २९ ॥
“You have already gained the fruit of your righteousness, no doubt of it. You will quickly reach the fruit of this unrighteousness too.
जनस्थानवधं बुद्ध्वा वालिनश्च वधं तथा । रामसुग्रीवसख्यं च बुद्ध्यस्व हितमात्मनः ॥ ३० ॥
“Understanding the slaughter at Janasthana and the killing of Vali, and the friendship of Rama and Sugriva, understand your own good.
कामं खल्वहमप्येकः सवाजिरथकुञ्जराम् । लङ्कां नाशयितुं शक्तस्तस्यैष तु न निश्चयः ॥ ३१ ॥
“I alone, indeed, could destroy Lanka with its horses, chariots and elephants; but that is not his decision.
रामेण हि प्रतिज्ञातं हर्यृक्षगणसंनिधौ । उत्सादनममित्राणां सीता यैस्तु प्रधर्षिता ॥ ३२ ॥
“For Rama has vowed, in the presence of the hosts of monkeys and bears, the extermination of the enemies by whom Sita was wronged.
अपकुर्वन् हि रामस्य साक्षादपि पुरंदरः । न सुखं प्राप्नुयादन्यः किं पुनस्त्वद्विधो जनः ॥ ३३ ॥
“If even Purandara himself did Rama harm, he would not find happiness, let alone another like you.
यां सीतेत्यभिजानासि येयं तिष्ठति ते गृहे । कालरात्रीति तां विद्धि सर्वलङ्काविनाशिनीम् ॥ ३४ ॥
“She whom you know as Sita, who stays in your house: know her as the Night of Doom, the destroyer of all Lanka.
तदलं कालपाशेन सीताविग्रहरूपिणा । स्वयं स्कन्धावसक्तेन क्षेममात्मनि चिन्त्यताम् ॥ ३५ ॥
“So enough of this noose of Time in the form of Sita, which you have hung on your own shoulder; think of your own safety.
सीतायास्तेजसा दग्धां रामकोपप्रदीपिताम् । दह्यमानामिमां पश्य पुरीं साट्टप्रतोलिकाम् ॥ ३६ ॥
“See this city, with its towers and streets, burned by Sita’s power, set ablaze by Rama’s anger, burning.
स्वानि मित्राणि मन्त्रींश्च ज्ञातीन् भ्रातॄन् सुतान्हितान् । भोगान् दारांश्च लङ्कां च मा विनाशमुपानय ॥ ३७ ॥
“Do not bring to ruin your friends, ministers, kinsmen, brothers, sons, well-wishers, pleasures, wives and Lanka.
सत्यं राक्षसराजेन्द्र शृणुष्व वचनं मम । रामदासस्य दूतस्य वानरस्य विशेषतः ॥ ३८ ॥
“Hear my true words, king of the rakshasa kings, words of a monkey, and especially of a messenger, a servant of Rama.
सर्वाल्ँ लोकान् सुसंहृत्य सभूतान् सचराचरान् । पुनरेव तथा स्रष्टुं शक्तो रामो महायशाः ॥ ३९ ॥
“Greatly glorious Rama could gather up all the worlds with their beings, moving and unmoving, and create them again just as they were.
देवासुरनरेन्द्रेषु यक्षरक्षोरगेषु च । विद्याधरेषु नागेषु गन्धर्वेषु मृगेषु च ॥ ४० ॥
“Among the lords of gods, asuras and men, among yakshas, rakshasas and serpents, among vidyadharas, nagas, gandharvas and beasts,
सिद्धेषु किंनरेन्द्रेषु पतत्त्रिषु च सर्वतः । सर्वत्र सर्वभूतेषु सर्वकालेषु नास्ति सः ॥ ४१ ॥
“among siddhas, the lords of kinnaras and birds, everywhere, among all beings, at all times, there is no one
यो रामं प्रति युध्येत विष्णुतुल्यपराक्रमम् । सर्वलोकेश्वरस्येह कृत्वा विप्रियमीदृशम् । रामस्य राजसिंहस्य दुर्लभं तव जीवितम् ॥ ४२ ॥
“who could fight against Rama, of valour equal to Vishnu’s. Having done such an injury to the lord of all the worlds, to Rama, lion among kings, your life will be hard to keep.
देवाश्च दैत्याश्च निशाचरेन्द्र गन्धर्वविद्याधरनागयक्षाः । रामस्य लोकत्रयनायकस्य स्थातुं न शक्ताः समरेषु सर्वे ॥ ४३ ॥
“Gods and daityas, lord of the night-wanderers, gandharvas, vidyadharas, nagas and yakshas, all of them cannot stand in battle before Rama, lord of the three worlds.
ब्रह्मा स्वयम्भूश्चतुराननो वा रुद्रस्त्रिनेत्रस्त्रिपुरान्तको वा । इन्द्रो महेन्द्रः सुरनायको वा स्थातुं न शक्ता युधि राघवस्य ॥ ४४ ॥
“Brahma the self-born, the four-faced, or Rudra the three-eyed, destroyer of the three cities, or Indra, great Indra, leader of the gods, cannot stand before Raghava in battle.”
स सौष्ठवोपेतमदीनवादिनः कपेर्निशम्याप्रतिमोऽप्रियं वचः । दशाननः कोपविवृत्तलोचनः समादिशत् तस्य वधं महाकपेः ॥ ४५ ॥
Hearing the unwelcome words of the monkey, spoken with grace and without humility, the matchless ten-faced one, his eyes rolling with anger, ordered that great monkey to be killed.