Sundara Kanda · Sarga 65 of 68 · 28 verses
Hanuman Gives Rama the Jewel
On Prasravana, with its many-coloured woods, the monkeys bow to Rama and Lakshmana and to Sugriva, and with the crown prince at their head begin to tell of Sita: her captivity in Ravana’s inner palace, the rakshasis’ threats, her love for Rama, the deadline set for her. Rama asks: where is the queen, and how does she feel toward me? Tell me everything. The monkeys urge Hanuman, who knows the story best.
Hanuman bows toward the south in homage to Sita, gives Rama the heavenly golden crest-jewel blazing with its own light, and with joined palms tells him: having leapt the hundred leagues of ocean, he found Sita in the city of Lanka on its southern shore, in Ravana’s inner palace, alive only because her hopes rest on Rama. Guarded by hideous rakshasis in the pleasure grove, threatened again and again, she, who was used to happiness, now suffers: one braid, sleeping on the ground, pale as a lotus pool in winter, resolved to die rather than yield to Ravana. He won her trust slowly by praising the Ikshvaku line; she rejoiced to hear of Rama’s friendship with Sugriva; her conduct is disciplined and her devotion to Rama constant. She is practising fierce austerity out of devotion to him. As a token she told him the story of the crow at Chitrakuta, and gave the jewel, asking Rama to remember the tilaka of red arsenic, and saying she will keep her life one month longer, no more. “This is everything, Raghava, just as it happened. Now let a way to cross the ocean be found.” Seeing the princes comforted, the son of the Wind tells the whole story in full.
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ततः प्रस्रवणं शैलं ते गत्वा चित्रकाननम् । प्रणम्य शिरसा रामं लक्ष्मणं च महाबलम् ॥ १ ॥
Then, going to Mount Prasravana with its many-coloured woods, bowing their heads to Rama and to mighty Lakshmana,
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युवराजं पुरस्कृत्य सुग्रीवमभिवाद्य च । प्रवृत्तिमथ सीतायाः प्रवक्तुमुपचक्रमुः ॥ २ ॥
putting the crown prince in front and saluting Sugriva, they began to tell the news of Sita:
रावणान्तःपुरे रोधं राक्षसीभिश्च तर्जनम् । रामे समनुरागं च यथा च नियमः कृतः ॥ ३ ॥
her confinement in Ravana’s inner palace, the threats of the rakshasis, her deep love for Rama, and how the time limit had been set.
एतदाख्याय ते सर्वं हरयो रामसंनिधौ । वैदेहीमक्षतां श्रुत्वा रामस्तूत्तरमब्रवीत् ॥ ४ ॥
When the monkeys had told all this in Rama’s presence, Rama, hearing that Vaidehi was unharmed, said in reply:
क्व सीता वर्तते देवी कथं च मयि वर्तते । एतन्मे सर्वमाख्यात वैदेहीं प्रति वानराः ॥ ५ ॥
“Where is the queen Sita staying? And how does she feel toward me? Tell me all this about Vaidehi, monkeys.”
रामस्य गदितं श्रुत्वा हरयो रामसंनिधौ । चोदयन्ति हनूमन्तं सीतावृत्तान्तकोविदम् ॥ ६ ॥
Hearing Rama’s words, the monkeys in Rama’s presence urged Hanuman, who knew the story of Sita.
श्रुत्वा तु वचनं तेषां हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः । प्रणम्य शिरसा देव्यै सीतायै तां दिशं प्रति ॥ ७ ॥
Hearing their words, Hanuman son of the Wind, bowing his head in homage to the goddess Sita toward her quarter,
उवाच वाक्यं वाक्यज्ञः सीताया दर्शनं यथा । तं मणिं काञ्चनं दिव्यं दीप्यमानं स्वतेजसा ॥ ८ ॥
the master of speech told how he had seen Sita. Giving Rama that heavenly golden jewel, blazing with its own splendour,
दत्त्वा रामाय हनुमांस्ततः प्राञ्जलिरब्रवीत् । समुद्रं लङ्घयित्वाहं शतयोजनमायतम् ॥ ९ ॥
Hanuman then said with joined palms: “Having leapt the ocean, a hundred leagues wide,
अगच्छं जानकीं सीतां मार्गमाणो दिदृक्षया । तत्र लङ्केति नगरी रावणस्य दुरात्मनः ॥ १० ॥
“I went searching for Janaki Sita, wanting to see her. There is the city named Lanka, of the evil-souled Ravana,
दक्षिणस्य समुद्रस्य तीरे वसति दक्षिणे । तत्र सीता मया दृष्टा रावणान्तःपुरे सती ॥ ११ ॥
“on the southern shore of the southern ocean. There I saw Sita, the virtuous one, in Ravana’s inner palace,
त्वयि संन्यस्य जीवन्ती रामा राम मनोरथम् । दृष्टा मे राक्षसीमध्ये तर्ज्यमाना मुहुर्मुहुः ॥ १२ ॥
“living because she has set her hope on you, Rama; the lovely lady was seen by me among the rakshasis, threatened again and again,
राक्षसीभिर्विरूपाभी रक्षिता प्रमदावने । दुःखमापद्यते देवी त्वया वीर सुखोचिता ॥ १३ ॥
“guarded in the pleasure grove by hideous rakshasis. The queen is suffering, hero, she who is used to happiness with you,
रावणान्तःपुरे रुद्धा राक्षसीभिः सुरक्षिता । एकवेणीधरा दीना त्वयि चिन्तापरायणा ॥ १४ ॥
“shut up in Ravana’s inner palace, closely guarded by rakshasis, wearing a single braid, wretched, absorbed in thinking of you,
अधःशय्या विवर्णाङ्गी पद्मिनीव हिमागमे । रावणाद् विनिवृत्तार्था मर्तव्यकृतनिश्चया ॥ १५ ॥
“sleeping on the ground, pale of limb like a lotus pool when winter comes, turned away from Ravana, resolved to die.
देवी कथंचित् काकुत्स्थ त्वन्मना मार्गिता मया । इक्ष्वाकुवंशविख्यातिं शनैः कीर्तयतानघ ॥ १६ ॥
“The queen, her mind on you, Kakutstha, was somehow found by me, as I slowly told the fame of the Ikshvaku line, sinless one.
सा मया नरशार्दूल शनैर्विश्वासिता तदा । ततः सम्भाषिता देवी सर्वमर्थं च दर्शिता ॥ १७ ॥
“Then, tiger among men, I slowly won her trust. Then the queen was spoken to, and everything was shown to her.
रामसुग्रीवसख्यं च श्रुत्वा हर्षमुपागता । नियतः समुदाचारो भक्तिश्चास्याः सदा त्वयि ॥ १८ ॥
“Hearing of Rama and Sugriva’s friendship, she was filled with joy. Her conduct is disciplined, and her devotion to you constant.
एवं मया महाभाग दृष्टा जनकनन्दिनी । उग्रेण तपसा युक्ता त्वद्भक्त्या पुरुषर्षभ ॥ १९ ॥
“So I saw the daughter of Janaka, fortunate one, practising fierce austerity out of devotion to you, bull among men.
अभिज्ञानं च मे दत्तं यथावृत्तं तवान्तिके । चित्रकूटे महाप्राज्ञ वायसं प्रति राघव ॥ २० ॥
“And she gave me a token, of what happened in your presence at Chitrakuta, very wise Raghava, concerning the crow.
विज्ञाप्यः पुनरप्येष रामो वायुसुत त्वया । अखिलेन यथा दृष्टमिति मामाह जानकी ॥ २१ ॥
“’Son of the Wind, Rama must be told again by you everything, just as you have seen it’: so Janaki said to me.
अयं चास्मै प्रदातव्यो यत्नात् सुपरिरक्षितः । ब्रुवता वचनान्येवं सुग्रीवस्योपशृण्वतः ॥ २२ ॥
“’And this, carefully guarded, is to be given to him.’ Speaking these words, as Sugriva listens:
एष चूडामणिः श्रीमान् मया ते यत्नरक्षितः । मनःशिलायास्तिलकं तत् स्मरस्वेति चाब्रवीत् ॥ २३ ॥
“’This splendid crest-jewel I have carefully kept for you’; and she said, ‘Remember that tilaka of red arsenic.’
एष निर्यातितः श्रीमान् मया ते वारिसम्भवः । एनं दृष्ट्वा प्रमोदिष्ये व्यसने त्वामिवानघ ॥ २४ ॥
“’This splendid jewel, born of the waters, I send back to you; seeing it I would rejoice in my misfortune as if seeing you, sinless one.
जीवितं धारयिष्यामि मासं दशरथात्मज । ऊर्ध्वं मासान्न जीवेयं रक्षसां वशमागता ॥ २५ ॥
“’I will keep my life one month, son of Dasharatha; after a month I would not live, fallen into the power of the rakshasas.’
इति मामब्रवीत् सीता कृशाङ्गी धर्मचारिणी । रावणान्तःपुरे रुद्धा मृगीवोत्फुल्ललोचना ॥ २६ ॥
“So Sita said to me, thin of limb, walking in dharma, shut up in Ravana’s inner palace, her eyes wide like a doe’s.
एतदेव मयाऽऽख्यातं सर्वं राघव यद् यथा । सर्वथा सागरजले संतारः प्रविधीयताम् ॥ २७ ॥
“This is everything I have to tell, Raghava, just as it is. In every way let a crossing over the ocean’s waters be arranged.”
तौ जाताश्वासौ राजपुत्रौ विदित्वा तच्चाभिज्ञानं राघवाय प्रदाय । देव्या चाख्यातं सर्वमेवानुपूर्व्याद् वाचा सम्पूर्णं वायुपुत्रः शशंस ॥ २८ ॥
Knowing the two princes comforted, and having given that token to Raghava, the son of the Wind told in words, completely and in order, everything the queen had said.