Sundara Kanda · Sarga 59 of 68 · 32 verses
Hanuman Proposes an Attack
Having told everything, Hanuman goes on. Rama’s effort and Sugriva’s zeal have borne fruit, and Sita’s virtue has delighted him. A woman of such character could sustain the worlds by her austerity, or burn them in anger. Ravana must be very powerful indeed, since his austerity was not destroyed when he touched her; even a flame touched by the hand could not do what Janaka’s daughter could do in anger.
Now that they know all this, it would be right to bring Sita back with them to the two princes. He alone could destroy Lanka and Ravana; with all of them together, how much more easily. He would kill Ravana with his army, sons and brothers, and counter Indrajit’s weapons. Jambavan cannot be shaken by any army; Angada alone could destroy all the rakshasas; Nila could shatter Mandara; no one could stand against Mainda and Dvivida, sons of the Ashvins. He himself has burned Lanka and proclaimed Rama’s victory in every street. He describes Sita again: under the shimshapa, guarded by rakshasis, pale as the moon behind a cloud, thinking nothing of Ravana, devoted to Rama as Paulomi to Indra, in one soiled garment, resolved to die rather than yield. Only her great virtue keeps her from destroying Ravana herself; Rama will be merely the instrument of his death. She has grown thin as learning neglected on a holiday. “This is how the fortunate Sita lives in her grief. Let everything be arranged to set it right.”
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एतदाख्याय तत् सर्वं हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः । भूयः समुपचक्राम वचनं वक्तुमुत्तरम् ॥ १ ॥
Having told all that, Hanuman, son of the Wind, began again to speak further words:
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सफलो राघवोद्योगः सुग्रीवस्य च सम्भ्रमः । शीलमासाद्य सीताया मम च प्रीणितं मनः ॥ २ ॥
“Raghava’s effort and Sugriva’s zeal have borne fruit; having met with Sita’s character, my mind is delighted.
आर्यायाः सदृशं शीलं सीतायाः प्लवगर्षभाः । तपसा धारयेल्लोकान् क्रुद्धा वा निर्दहेदपि ॥ ३ ॥
“The character of the noble Sita is fitting, bulls among monkeys: by her austerity she could sustain the worlds, or in anger she could even burn them.
सर्वथातिप्रकृष्टोऽसौ रावणो राक्षसेश्वरः । यस्य तां स्पृशतो गात्रं तपसा न विनाशितम् ॥ ४ ॥
“In every way Ravana, lord of the rakshasas, is extremely powerful, since his austerity was not destroyed when he touched her body.
न तदग्निशिखा कुर्यात् संस्पृष्टा पाणिना सती । जनकस्य सुता कुर्याद् यत् क्रोधकलुषीकृता ॥ ५ ॥
“A flame of fire, touched with the hand, would not do what Janaka’s daughter would do, disturbed by anger.
जाम्बवत्प्रमुखान् सर्वाननुज्ञाप्य महाकपीन् । अस्मिन् नेवंगते कार्ये भवतां च निवेदिते । न्याय्यं स्म सह वैदेह्या द्रष्टुं तौ पार्थिवात्मजौ ॥ ६ ॥
“Having taken leave of all the great monkeys led by Jambavan, now that the matter stands so and has been reported to you, it would be right for us to see those two princes together with Vaidehi.
अहमेकोऽपि पर्याप्तः सराक्षसगणां पुरीम् । तां लङ्कां तरसा हन्तुं रावणं च महाबलम् ॥ ७ ॥
“I alone am enough to destroy by force that city of Lanka with its hosts of rakshasas, and mighty Ravana;
किं पुनः सहितो वीरैर्बलवद्भिः कृतात्मभिः । कृतास्त्रैः प्लवगैः शक्तैर्भवद्भिर्विजयैषिभिः ॥ ८ ॥
“how much more, joined with you heroes, mighty, self-controlled, skilled in weapons, able monkeys, wanting victory.
अहं तु रावणं युद्धे ससैन्यं सपुरःसरम् । सहपुत्रं वधिष्यामि सहोदरयुतं युधि ॥ ९ ॥
“I will kill Ravana in battle, with his army and his vanguard, with his sons and with his brothers.
ब्राह्ममस्त्रं च रौद्रं च वायव्यं वारुणं तथा । यदि शक्रजितोऽस्त्राणि दुर्निरीक्ष्याणि संयुगे । तान्यहं निहनिष्यामि विधमिष्यामि राक्षसान् ॥ १० ॥
“The Brahma weapon, Rudra’s, the Wind’s and Varuna’s: if Shakra’s conqueror uses weapons hard to look at in battle, I will strike them down and scatter the rakshasas.
भवतामभ्यनुज्ञातो विक्रमो मे रुणद्धि तम् । मयातुला विसृष्टा हि शैलवृष्टिर्निरन्तरा ॥ ११ ॥
“With your leave, my valour will hold him back; an unbroken rain of rocks loosed by me without equal
देवानपि रणे हन्यात् किं पुनस्तान् निशाचरान् । भवतामननुज्ञातो विक्रमो मे रुणद्धि माम् ॥ १२ ॥
“could kill even gods in battle, let alone those night-wanderers. Without your leave, my valour holds me back.
सागरोऽप्यतियाद् वेलां मन्दरः प्रचलेदपि । न जाम्बवन्तं समरे कम्पयेदरिवाहिनी ॥ १३ ॥
“The ocean might pass its shore, Mandara might move, but an enemy army could not shake Jambavan in battle.
सर्वराक्षससङ्घानां राक्षसा ये च पूर्वजाः । अलमेकोऽपि नाशाय वीरो वालिसुतः कपिः ॥ १४ ॥
“The heroic monkey, Vali’s son, alone is enough to destroy all the hosts of rakshasas and the rakshasas who were before them.
प्लवगस्योरुवेगेन नीलस्य च महात्मनः । मन्दरोऽप्यवशीर्येत किं पुनर्युधि राक्षसाः ॥ १५ ॥
“By the force of the thighs of great-souled Nila the monkey even Mandara would shatter, let alone rakshasas in battle.
सदेवासुरयक्षेषु गन्धर्वोरगपक्षिषु । मैन्दस्य प्रतियोद्धारं शंसत द्विविदस्य वा ॥ १६ ॥
“Among gods, asuras and yakshas, gandharvas, serpents and birds, name one who could fight Mainda or Dvivida.
अश्विपुत्रौ महावेगावेतौ प्लवगसत्तमौ । एतयोः प्रतियोद्धारं न पश्यामि रणाजिरे ॥ १७ ॥
“These two best of monkeys, sons of the Ashvins, are very swift; I see no one to fight them on the battlefield.
मयैव निहता लङ्का दग्धा भस्मीकृता पुरी । राजमार्गेषु सर्वेषु नाम विश्रावितं मया ॥ १८ ॥
“Lanka has been struck down by me alone, the city burned and turned to ash; and my name has been proclaimed in all the royal streets:
जयत्यतिबलो रामो लक्ष्मणश्च महाबलः । राजा जयति सुग्रीवो राघवेणाभिपालितः ॥ १९ ॥
“’Victory to Rama of great strength and to mighty Lakshmana! Victory to King Sugriva, protected by Raghava!
अहं कोसलराजस्य दासः पवनसम्भवः । हनूमानिति सर्वत्र नाम विश्रावितं मया ॥ २० ॥
“’I am the servant of the king of Kosala, born of the Wind, Hanuman’: so my name has been proclaimed everywhere.
अशोकवनिकामध्ये रावणस्य दुरात्मनः । अधस्ताच्छिंशपामूले साध्वी करुणमास्थिता ॥ २१ ॥
“In the middle of the Ashoka grove of evil-souled Ravana, below, at the foot of the shimshapa, the virtuous lady stays in pitiable state,
राक्षसीभिः परिवृता शोकसंतापकर्शिता । मेघरेखापरिवृता चन्द्ररेखेव निष्प्रभा ॥ २२ ॥
“surrounded by rakshasis, worn by grief and anguish, without lustre like a crescent moon surrounded by a line of clouds,
अचिन्तयन्ती वैदेही रावणं बलदर्पितम् । पतिव्रता च सुश्रोणी अवष्टब्धा च जानकी ॥ २३ ॥
“not thinking of Ravana, proud of his strength: faithful to her husband, lovely-hipped Janaki, standing firm.
अनुरक्ता हि वैदेही रामे सर्वात्मना शुभा । अनन्यचित्ता रामेण पौलोमीव पुरन्दरे ॥ २४ ॥
“Lovely Vaidehi is devoted to Rama with her whole being, her mind on no one but Rama, as Paulomi’s on Purandara.
तदेकवासःसंवीता रजोध्वस्ता तथैव च । सा मया राक्षसीमध्ये तर्ज्यमाना मुहुर्मुहुः ॥ २५ ॥
“Wrapped in her one garment, covered with dust, she was seen by me among the rakshasis, threatened again and again
राक्षसीभिर्विरूपाभिर्दृष्टा हि प्रमदावने । एकवेणीधरा दीना भर्तृचिन्तापरायणा ॥ २६ ॥
“by misshapen rakshasis in the pleasure grove; wearing a single braid, wretched, given over to thinking of her husband,
अधःशय्या विवर्णाङ्गी पद्मिनीव हिमोदये । रावणाद् विनिवृत्तार्था मर्तव्यकृतनिश्चया ॥ २७ ॥
“sleeping on the ground, pale of limb like a lotus pool when the cold comes, turned away from Ravana, resolved to die,
कथंचिन्मृगशावाक्षी विश्वासमुपपादिता । ततः सम्भाषिता चैव सर्वमर्थं प्रकाशिता ॥ २८ ॥
“the fawn-eyed lady was somehow brought to trust me. Then she was spoken to, and everything was made clear.
रामसुग्रीवसख्यं च श्रुत्वा प्रीतिमुपागता । नियतः समुदाचारो भक्तिर्भर्तरि चोत्तमा ॥ २९ ॥
“Hearing of the friendship of Rama and Sugriva, she was filled with joy. Her conduct is disciplined, and her devotion to her husband supreme.
यन्न हन्ति दशग्रीवं स महात्मा दशाननः । निमित्तमात्रं रामस्तु वधे तस्य भविष्यति ॥ ३० ॥
“That the great-souled one does not kill the ten-faced Ten-necked herself: Rama will be only the instrument in his death.
सा प्रकृत्यैव तन्वङ्गी तद्वियोगाच्च कर्शिता । प्रतिपत्पाठशीलस्य विद्येव तनुतां गता ॥ ३१ ॥
“Slender by nature, and wasted by separation from him, she has grown thin like learning in one who studies only on holidays.
एवमास्ते महाभागा सीता शोकपरायणा । यदत्र प्रतिकर्तव्यं तत् सर्वमुपकल्प्यताम् ॥ ३२ ॥
“So the fortunate Sita lives, given over to grief. Whatever must be done in response here, let all of it be arranged.”