Sundara Kanda · Sarga 68 of 68 · 29 verses
Hanuman’s Assurance
Hanuman concludes. Sita, out of love for Rama, spoke to him again in her agitation: tell Rama in many ways to come quickly and win me back by killing Ravana. She asked him to stay one more day, hidden, since his presence eased her grief and she feared for her life once he had gone. She doubted how the monkeys, bears and princes could cross the ocean, since only Garuda, the Wind and Hanuman could leap it. It would bring Rama glory if he came with all his forces, killed Ravana and took her home victorious; it would not be worthy of him to take her back by stealth, as the rakshasa had stolen her out of fear of him.
Hanuman tells Rama how he answered: Sugriva, lord of the monkey and bear armies, is resolved on her cause; his monkeys travel at the speed of thought, up, down and across, and have circled the earth again and again; there are many in his company equal to or better than Hanuman, and none worse; the best are not sent as messengers. They will reach Lanka in one leap; Hanuman will carry the two princes on his back like the risen moon and sun; she will soon see Rama, lion-like, slayer of enemies, and Lakshmana with his bow at Lanka’s gate, and hear the monkey chiefs roaring on the slopes of Lanka’s hills; soon she will see Rama, his exile over, consecrated king in Ayodhya with her at his side. Comforted by these kind, encouraging words, Maithili, so deeply afflicted by grief for Rama, found peace.
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अथाहमुत्तरं देव्या पुनरुक्तः ससम्भ्रमम् । तव स्नेहान्नरव्याघ्र सौहार्दादनुमान्य च ॥ १ ॥
“Then the queen, in her agitation, spoke to me again in reply, out of love for you, tiger among men, and out of friendship, honouring me:
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एवं बहुविधं वाच्यो रामो दाशरथिस्त्वया । यथा मां प्राप्नुयाच्छीघ्रं हत्वा रावणमाहवे ॥ २ ॥
“’In many ways like this you must speak to Rama, son of Dasharatha, so that he may quickly win me back, having killed Ravana in battle.
यदि वा मन्यसे वीर वसैकाहमरिंदम । कस्मिंश्चित् संवृते देशे विश्रान्तः श्वो गमिष्यसि ॥ ३ ॥
“’If you think it right, hero, tamer of foes, stay one day; resting in some hidden place, you can go tomorrow.
मम चाप्यल्पभाग्यायाः सांनिध्यात् तव वानर । अस्य शोकविपाकस्य मुहूर्तं स्याद् विमोक्षणम् ॥ ४ ॥
“’And from your presence, monkey, there might be a moment’s release for unlucky me from this ripening of grief.
गते हि त्वयि विक्रान्ते पुनरागमनाय वै । प्राणानामपि संदेहो मम स्यान्नात्र संशयः ॥ ५ ॥
“’For when you, valiant one, have gone, until you come back, my very life will be in doubt; there is no doubt of that.
तवादर्शनजः शोको भूयो मां परितापयेत् । दुखाद् दुःखपराभूतां दुर्गतां दुःखभागिनीम् ॥ ६ ॥
“’Grief born of not seeing you would torment me again, overcome by sorrow upon sorrow, in misery, the sharer of sorrow.
अयं च वीर संदेहस्तिष्ठतीव ममाग्रतः । सुमहांस्त्वत्सहायेषु हर्यृक्षेषु हरीश्वर ॥ ७ ॥
“’And this doubt, hero, seems to stand before me, very great, about your allies, the monkeys and bears, lord of monkeys:
कथं नु खलु दुष्पारं तरिष्यन्ति महोदधिम् । 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 great ocean so hard to cross?
त्रयाणामेव भूतानां सागरस्यास्य लङ्घने । शक्तिः स्याद् वैनतेयस्य वायोर्वा तव चानघ ॥ ९ ॥
“’Only three beings have the power to leap this ocean: Vinata’s son, the Wind, or you, sinless one.
तदस्मिन् कार्यनिर्योगे वीरैवं दुरतिक्रमे । किं पश्यसि समाधानं ब्रूहि कार्यविदां वर ॥ १० ॥
“’So in carrying out this task, so hard to overcome, hero, what solution do you see? Tell me, best of those who know how to act.
काममस्य त्वमेवैकः कार्यस्य परिसाधने । पर्याप्तः परवीरघ्न यशस्यस्ते बलोदयः ॥ ११ ॥
“’Granted that you alone are enough to accomplish this task, slayer of enemy heroes, and the rise of your strength would bring you glory;
बलैः समग्रैर्यदि मां हत्वा रावणमाहवे । विजयी स्वपुरीं रामो नयेत् तत् स्याद् यशस्करम् ॥ १२ ॥
“’but if Rama, with all his forces, killed Ravana in battle and took me, victorious, to his own city, that would bring him glory.
यथाहं तस्य वीरस्य वनादुपधिना हृता । रक्षसा तद्भयादेव तथा नार्हति राघवः ॥ १३ ॥
“’As I was carried off from the forest by the rakshasa through a trick, out of fear of that hero, so Raghava ought not to take me back.
बलैस्तु संकुलां कृत्वा लङ्कां परबलार्दनः । मां नयेद् यदि काकुत्स्थस्तत् तस्य सदृशं भवेत् ॥ १४ ॥
“’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 ॥ १५ ॥
“’So arrange it in a way that befits the valour of that great soul, the hero in battle.’
तदर्थोपहितं वाक्यं प्रश्रितं हेतुसंहितम् । निशम्याहं ततः शेषं वाक्यमुत्तरमब्रवम् ॥ १६ ॥
“Hearing those words, full of purpose, courteous and reasoned, I then gave the rest of my answer:
देवि हर्यृक्षसैन्यानामीश्वरः प्लवतां वरः । सुग्रीवः सत्त्वसम्पन्नस्त्वदर्थे कृतनिश्चयः ॥ १७ ॥
“’Queen, Sugriva, lord of the armies of monkeys and bears, best of leapers, full of strength, is resolved on your cause.
तस्य विक्रमसम्पन्नाः सत्त्ववन्तो महाबलाः । मनःसंकल्पसदृशा निदेशे हरयः स्थिताः ॥ १८ ॥
“’His monkeys, full of valour, courage and strength, swift as the will of the mind, stand ready at his command.
येषां नोपरि नाधस्तान्न तिर्यक् सज्जते गतिः । न च कर्मसु सीदन्ति महत्स्वमिततेजसः ॥ १९ ॥
“’Their course is not checked above, below or across; they of boundless energy do not flinch at great tasks.
असकृत् तैर्महाभागैर्वानरैर्बलसंयुतैः । प्रदक्षिणीकृता भूमिर्वायुमार्गानुसारिभिः ॥ २० ॥
“’Again and again those fortunate, mighty monkeys, following the path of the wind, have circled the earth.
मद्विशिष्टाश्च तुल्याश्च सन्ति तत्र वनौकसः । मत्तः प्रत्यवरः कश्चिन्नास्ति सुग्रीवसंनिधौ ॥ २१ ॥
“’There are forest-dwellers there superior to me and equal to me; there is no one in Sugriva’s company inferior to me.
अहं तावदिह प्राप्तः किं पुनस्ते महाबलाः । नहि प्रकृष्टाः प्रेष्यन्ते प्रेष्यन्ते हीतरे जनाः ॥ २२ ॥
“’If I have come here, how much more those mighty ones! For the excellent are not sent as messengers; others are sent.
तदलं परितापेन देवि मन्युरपैतु ते । एकोत्पातेन ते लङ्कामेष्यन्ति हरियूथपाः ॥ २३ ॥
“’So enough of anguish, queen; let your sorrow go. With one leap the leaders of the monkey troops will reach Lanka.
मम पृष्ठगतौ तौ च चन्द्रसूर्याविवोदितौ । त्वत्सकाशं महाभागे नृसिंहावागमिष्यतः ॥ २४ ॥
“’And those two lions among men, like the risen moon and sun, will come to you on my back, fortunate lady.
अरिघ्नं सिंहसंकाशं क्षिप्रं द्रक्ष्यसि राघवम् । लक्ष्मणं च धनुष्मन्तं लङ्काद्वारमुपागतम् ॥ २५ ॥
“’Soon you will see Raghava, slayer of enemies, like a lion, and Lakshmana bow in hand, arrived at Lanka’s gate.
नखदंष्ट्रायुधान् वीरान् सिंहशार्दूलविक्रमान् । वानरान् वारणेन्द्राभान् क्षिप्रं द्रक्ष्यसि संगतान् ॥ २६ ॥
“’Soon you will see heroic monkeys gathered, whose weapons are nails and teeth, with the valour of lions and tigers, like lordly elephants.
शैलाम्बुदनिकाशानां लङ्कामलयसानुषु । नर्दतां कपिमुख्यानां नचिराच्छ्रोष्यसे स्वनम् ॥ २७ ॥
“’Before long you will hear the roar of the chief monkeys, like mountains and clouds, roaring on the slopes of Lanka’s Malaya.
निवृत्तवनवासं च त्वया सार्धमरिंदमम् । अभिषिक्तमयोध्यायां क्षिप्रं द्रक्ष्यसि राघवम् ॥ २८ ॥
“’Soon you will see Raghava, tamer of enemies, his forest exile over, consecrated in Ayodhya together with you.’
ततो मया वाग्भिरदीनभाषिणी शिवाभिरिष्टाभिरभिप्रसादिता । उवाह शान्तिं मम मैथिलात्मजा तवातिशोकेन तथातिपीडिता ॥ २९ ॥
“Then, comforted by me with kind, welcome, unfaltering words, the daughter of Mithila, so afflicted by her great grief for you, found peace.”