Sundara Kanda · Sarga 56 of 68 · 51 verses
The Leap from Arishta
Hanuman goes to the foot of the shimshapa, bows to Janaki, and says: by good fortune I see you unharmed. As he turns to go, Sita again asks him to rest a day in some hidden place, for his presence eases her grief, and she fears for her life once he has gone. She repeats her doubt about how the army will cross the ocean, and her wish that Rama himself should fill Lanka with his forces and take her home. Hanuman reassures her again: Sugriva will come with millions of monkeys; Rama and Lakshmana will scatter Lanka with arrows and take her home; let her wait for the time. He bows and takes his leave.
Having killed the leading rakshasas, proclaimed his name, comforted Vaidehi, shown his power, thrown the city into turmoil and outwitted Ravana, Hanuman, eager to see his master, climbs Mount Arishta. The mountain seems alive: wearing clouds for an upper garment, waking to the sun, opening eyes of mineral ore, chanting with its streams, singing with its waterfalls, raising its arms of pine, sighing with its serpents, brooding in its misty caves. Hanuman grows huge on its peak, looks out at the terrible ocean, and leaps north like the wind. The mountain, pressed down by his feet, roars with all its creatures and sinks into the earth; trees crash, lions roar in the caves, vidyadharis fly up with their clothes and ornaments in disarray, great serpents writhe, and kinnaras and gandharvas take to the sky. The mountain, ten leagues wide and thirty high, is pressed level with the ground. And the monkey springs into the sky to cross the salt ocean as if in play.
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ततस्तु शिंशपामूले जानकीं पर्यवस्थिताम् । अभिवाद्याब्रवीद् दिष्ट्या पश्यामि त्वामिहाक्षताम् ॥ १ ॥
Then, bowing to Janaki, who was sitting at the foot of the shimshapa, he said: “By good fortune I see you here unharmed.”
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The Leap from Arishta 1 min read.
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ततस्तं प्रस्थितं सीता वीक्षमाणा पुनः पुनः । भर्तुः स्नेहान्विता वाक्यं हनूमन्तमभाषत ॥ २ ॥
Then Sita, looking again and again at him as he set out, filled with love for her husband, spoke these words to Hanuman:
यदि त्वं मन्यसे तात वसैकाहमिहानघ । क्वचित् सुसंवृते देशे विश्रान्तः श्वो गमिष्यसि ॥ ३ ॥
“If you think it right, dear one, sinless one, stay one day here; resting in some well-hidden place, you can go tomorrow.
मम चैवाल्पभाग्यायाः सांनिध्यात् तव वानर । शोकस्यास्याप्रमेयस्य मुहूर्तं स्यादपि क्षयः ॥ ४ ॥
“From your presence, monkey, there might be a moment’s ending of this boundless grief for unlucky me.
गते हि हरिशार्दूल पुनः सम्प्राप्तये त्वयि । प्राणेष्वपि न विश्वासो मम वानरपुङ्गव ॥ ५ ॥
“For when you have gone, tiger among monkeys, until you return, I have no confidence even in my life, bull among monkeys.
अदर्शनं च ते वीर भूयो मां दारयिष्यति । दुःखाद् दुःखतरं प्राप्तां दुर्मनःशोककर्शिताम् ॥ ६ ॥
“Not seeing you again, hero, will tear me apart, worn as I am with sorrow and grief, having gone from sorrow to greater sorrow.
अयं च वीर संदेहस्तिष्ठतीव ममाग्रतः । सुमहत्सु सहायेषु हर्यृक्षेषु महाबलः ॥ ७ ॥
“And this doubt, hero, seems to stand before me about your great allies, the monkeys and bears, mighty one:
कथं नु खलु दुष्पारं संतरिष्यति सागरम् । तानि हर्यृक्षसैन्यानि तौ वा नरवरात्मजौ ॥ ८ ॥
“How will those armies of monkeys and bears, or those two sons of the best of men, cross the ocean so hard to cross?
त्रयाणामेव भूतानां सागरस्यापि लङ्घने । शक्तिः स्याद् वैनतेयस्य तव वा मारुतस्य वा ॥ ९ ॥
“Only three beings have the power to leap even the ocean: Vinata’s son, you, and the Wind.
तदत्र कार्यनिर्बन्धे समुत्पन्ने दुरासदे । किं पश्यसि समाधानं त्वं हि कार्यविशारदः ॥ १० ॥
“So in this pressing task that has arisen, so hard to overcome, what solution do you see? You are skilled in action.
काममस्य त्वमेवैकः कार्यस्य परिसाधने । पर्याप्तः परवीरघ्न यशस्यस्ते फलोदयः ॥ ११ ॥
“Granted that you alone are enough to accomplish this task, slayer of enemy heroes, and its outcome would bring you glory;
बलैस्तु संकुलां कृत्वा लङ्कां परबलार्दनः । मां नयेद् यदि काकुत्स्थस्तत् तस्य सदृशं भवेत् ॥ १२ ॥
“but if Kakutstha, crusher of enemy armies, filled Lanka with his forces and took me away, that would be worthy of him.
तद् यथा तस्य विक्रान्तमनुरूपं महात्मनः । भवत्याहवशूरस्य तथा त्वमुपपादय ॥ १३ ॥
“So arrange it in a way that befits the valour of that great soul, the hero in battle.”
तदर्थोपहितं वाक्यं प्रश्रितं हेतुसंहितम् । निशम्य हनुमान् वीरो वाक्यमुत्तरमब्रवीत् ॥ १४ ॥
Hearing those words, full of purpose, courteous and reasoned, heroic Hanuman gave this answer:
देवि हर्यृक्षसैन्यानामीश्वरः प्लवतां वरः । सुग्रीवः सत्त्वसम्पन्नस्तवार्थे कृतनिश्चयः ॥ १५ ॥
“Goddess, Sugriva, lord of the armies of monkeys and bears, best of leapers, full of strength, is resolved on your cause.
स वानरसहस्राणां कोटीभिरभिसंवृतः । क्षिप्रमेष्यति वैदेहि सुग्रीवः प्लवगाधिपः ॥ १६ ॥
“Surrounded by tens of millions of thousands of monkeys, Sugriva, lord of leapers, will come quickly, Vaidehi.
तौ च वीरौ नरवरौ सहितौ रामलक्ष्मणौ । आगम्य नगरीं लङ्कां सायकैर्विधमिष्यतः ॥ १७ ॥
“And those two heroes, best of men, Rama and Lakshmana together, will come to the city of Lanka and scatter it with their arrows.
सगणं राक्षसं हत्वा नचिराद् रघुनन्दनः । त्वामादाय वरारोहे स्वां पुरीं प्रति यास्यति ॥ १८ ॥
“Having killed the rakshasa with his followers, before long the delight of the Raghus will take you and go to his own city, lovely one.
समाश्वसिहि भद्रं ते भव त्वं कालकाङ्क्षिणी । क्षिप्रं द्रक्ष्यसि रामेण निहतं रावणं रणे ॥ १९ ॥
“Take comfort, bless you; wait for the time. Soon you will see Ravana killed by Rama in battle.
निहते राक्षसेन्द्रे च सपुत्रामात्यबान्धवे । त्वं समेष्यसि रामेण शशाङ्केनेव रोहिणी ॥ २० ॥
“When the king of the rakshasas has been killed with his sons, ministers and kin, you will be united with Rama, as Rohini with the moon.
क्षिप्रमेष्यति काकुत्स्थो हर्यृक्षप्रवरैर्युतः । यस्ते युधि विजित्यारीञ्छोकं व्यपनयिष्यति ॥ २१ ॥
“Soon Kakutstha will come with the best of the monkeys and bears; he will conquer his enemies in battle and take away your grief.”
एवमाश्वास्य वैदेहीं हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः । गमनाय मतिं कृत्वा वैदेहीमभ्यवादयत् ॥ २२ ॥
Having comforted Vaidehi so, Hanuman, son of the Wind, resolving to go, bowed to Vaidehi.
राक्षसान् प्रवरान् हत्वा नाम विश्राव्य चात्मनः । समाश्वास्य च वैदेहीं दर्शयित्वा परं बलम् ॥ २३ ॥
Having killed the leading rakshasas, proclaimed his own name, comforted Vaidehi and shown his supreme strength,
नगरीमाकुलां कृत्वा वञ्चयित्वा च रावणम् । दर्शयित्वा बलं घोरं वैदेहीमभिवाद्य च ॥ २४ ॥
having thrown the city into turmoil, outwitted Ravana, shown his terrible strength and bowed to Vaidehi,
प्रतिगन्तुं मनश्चक्रे पुनर्मध्येन सागरम् । ततः स कपिशार्दूलः स्वामिसंदर्शनोत्सुकः ॥ २५ ॥
he made up his mind to return across the middle of the ocean. Then that tiger among monkeys, eager to see his master,
आरुरोह गिरिश्रेष्ठमरिष्टमरिमर्दनः । तुङ्गपद्मकजुष्टाभिर्नीलाभिर्वनराजिभिः ॥ २६ ॥
the crusher of enemies, climbed Arishta, best of mountains, with its dark lines of forest full of tall padmaka trees,
सोत्तरीयमिवाम्भोदैः शृङ्गान्तरविलम्बिभिः । बोध्यमानमिव प्रीत्या दिवाकरकरैः शुभैः ॥ २७ ॥
as if wearing an upper garment of clouds hanging between its peaks, as if being woken lovingly by the lovely rays of the sun,
उन्मिषन्तमिवोद्धूतैर्लोचनैरिव धातुभिः । तोयौघनिःस्वनैर्मन्द्रैः प्राधीतमिव पर्वतम् ॥ २८ ॥
as if opening its eyes with its upthrust ores, as if chanting the Veda with the deep sounds of its floods of water,
प्रगीतमिव विस्पष्टं नानाप्रस्रवणस्वनैः । देवदारुभिरुद्धूतैरूर्ध्वबाहुमिव स्थितम् ॥ २९ ॥
as if singing clearly with the sounds of its many streams, as if standing with arms raised in its tall deodars,
प्रपातजलनिर्घोषैः प्राक्रुष्टमिव सर्वतः । वेपमानमिव श्यामैः कम्पमानैः शरद्वनैः ॥ ३० ॥
as if crying out on every side with the roar of its waterfalls, as if trembling with its dark autumn woods shaking,
वेणुभिर्मारुतोद्धूतैः कूजन्तमिव कीचकैः । निःश्वसन्तमिवामर्षाद् घोरैराशीविषोत्तमैः ॥ ३१ ॥
as if murmuring with its bamboos and reeds tossed by the wind, as if hissing in anger with its terrible great serpents,
नीहारकृतगम्भीरैर्ध्यायन्तमिव गह्वरैः । मेघपादनिभैः पादैः प्रक्रान्तमिव सर्वतः ॥ ३२ ॥
as if meditating with its caves made deep by mist, as if striding everywhere with its foothills like the feet of clouds,
जृम्भमाणमिवाकाशे शिखरैरभ्रमालिभिः । कूटैश्च बहुधा कीर्णं शोभितं बहुकन्दरैः ॥ ३३ ॥
as if yawning in the sky with its peaks garlanded with clouds, scattered with many summits, beautiful with many caves,
सालतालैश्च कर्णैश्च वंशैश्च बहुभिर्वृतम् । लतावितानैर्विततैः पुष्पवद्भिरलंकृतम् ॥ ३४ ॥
covered with many salas, palmyras, karnas and bamboos, adorned with spreading canopies of flowering creepers,
नानामृगगणैः कीर्णं धातुनिष्यन्दभूषितम् । बहुप्रस्रवणोपेतं शिलासंचयसंकटम् ॥ ३५ ॥
crowded with herds of many beasts, decorated with trickling minerals, full of many streams, crammed with heaps of rocks,
महर्षियक्षगन्धर्वकिंनरोरगसेवितम् । लतापादपसम्बाधं सिंहाधिष्ठितकन्दरम् ॥ ३६ ॥
frequented by great sages, yakshas, gandharvas, kinnaras and serpents, thick with creepers and trees, its caves occupied by lions,
व्याघ्रादिभिः समाकीर्णं स्वादुमूलफलद्रुमम् । आरुरोहानिलसुतः पर्वतं प्लवगोत्तमः ॥ ३७ ॥
swarming with tigers and other beasts, with trees of sweet roots and fruits: that mountain the son of the Wind, best of leapers, climbed,
रामदर्शनशीघ्रेण प्रहर्षेणाभिचोदितः । तेन पादतलक्रान्ता रम्येषु गिरिसानुषु ॥ ३८ ॥
driven by joy, impatient to see Rama. On the lovely slopes of the mountain, the rocks trodden by the soles of his feet
सघोषाः समशीर्यन्त शिलाश्चूर्णीकृतास्ततः । स तमारुह्य शैलेन्द्रं व्यवर्धत महाकपिः ॥ ३९ ॥
shattered with a crash and were ground to powder. Having climbed that lord of mountains, the great monkey grew,
दक्षिणादुत्तरं पारं प्रार्थयँल्लवणाम्भसः । अधिरुह्य ततो वीरः पर्वतं पवनात्मजः ॥ ४० ॥
longing for the northern shore of the salt water from the southern. Having climbed the mountain, the hero, son of the Wind,
ददर्श सागरं भीमं भीमोरगनिषेवितम् । स मारुत इवाकाशं मारुतस्यात्मसम्भवः ॥ ४१ ॥
saw the terrible ocean, haunted by terrible serpents. Like the wind through the sky, the one born from the Wind,
प्रपेदे हरिशार्दूलो दक्षिणादुत्तरां दिशम् । स तदा पीडितस्तेन कपिना पर्वतोत्तमः ॥ ४२ ॥
the tiger among monkeys, set out from the south toward the northern quarter. Then that best of mountains, pressed down by the monkey,
ररास विविधैर्भूतैः प्राविशद् वसुधातलम् । कम्पमानैश्च शिखरैः पतद्भिरपि च द्रुमैः ॥ ४३ ॥
cried out with its many creatures and sank into the earth, with its peaks trembling and its trees falling.
तस्योरुवेगोन्मथिताः पादपाः पुष्पशालिनः । निपेतुर्भूतले भग्नाः शक्रायुधहता इव ॥ ४४ ॥
Its flowering trees, uprooted by the force of his thighs, fell broken on the ground as if struck by Shakra’s weapon.
कन्दरोदरसंस्थानां पीडितानां महौजसाम् । सिंहानां निनदो भीमो नभो भिन्दन् हि शुश्रुवे ॥ ४५ ॥
The terrible roar of the mighty lions in the hollows of its caves, crushed, was heard as if splitting the sky.
त्रस्तव्याविद्धवसना व्याकुलीकृतभूषणाः । विद्याधर्यः समुत्पेतुः सहसा धरणीधरात् ॥ ४६ ॥
Vidyadharis, their clothes slipping in fright, their ornaments in disarray, suddenly flew up from the mountain.
अतिप्रमाणा बलिनो दीप्तजिह्वा महाविषाः । निपीडितशिरोग्रीवा व्यवेष्टन्त महाहयः ॥ ४७ ॥
Huge, mighty serpents with flickering tongues and deadly poison writhed, their heads and necks crushed.
किंनरोरगगन्धर्वयक्षविद्याधरास्तथा । पीडितं तं नगवरं त्यक्त्वा गगनमास्थिताः ॥ ४८ ॥
Kinnaras, serpents, gandharvas, yakshas and vidyadharas left that crushed best of mountains and took to the sky.
स च भूमिधरः श्रीमान् बलिना तेन पीडितः । सवृक्षशिखरोदग्रः प्रविवेश रसातलम् ॥ ४९ ॥
And that glorious mountain, pressed down by the mighty one, with its trees and lofty peaks, entered the underworld.
दशयोजनविस्तारस्त्रिंशद्योजनमुच्छ्रितः । धरण्यां समतां यातः स बभूव धराधरः ॥ ५० ॥
Ten leagues wide and thirty leagues high, that mountain became level with the ground.
स लिलङ्घयिषुर्भीमं सलीलं लवणार्णवम् । कल्लोलास्फालवेलान्तमुत्पपात नभो हरिः ॥ ५१ ॥
Wanting to leap the terrible salt ocean as if in play, with its waves dashing against the shore, the monkey flew up into the sky.