Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 1 of 128 · 19 verses
Rama Embraces Hanuman
Hearing Hanuman’s account, Rama is filled with joy. Hanuman has done something great and rare, which no one else could even imagine: besides Garuda and the Wind, no one could cross the ocean, and who could enter Lanka, guarded by Ravana, and come out alive? Hanuman has done a great service for Sugriva.
Rama reflects on three kinds of servants: the best does a hard task with devotion beyond what is asked; the middling, though able, does only what he is told; the worst, though able, does not even that. Hanuman has done the task without lowering himself and has pleased Sugriva; by finding Vaidehi he has saved Rama, the Raghu line and Lakshmana. But it pains Rama that he has nothing fit to give in return to the bringer of such good news; all he has is an embrace, and he gives it, holding Hanuman close with his whole heart.
Then, thinking again, he turns to Sugriva: the search for Sita has succeeded, but at the thought of the ocean his heart sinks again. How will the monkeys reach the southern shore of that great, impassable water? What answer is there to that? Shaken with grief, he falls silent and thinks.
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श्रुत्वा हनूमतो वाक्यं यथावदभिभाषितम् । रामः प्रीतिसमायुक्तो वाक्यमुत्तरमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing Hanuman’s words, spoken just as things were, Rama, filled with joy, gave this reply:
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कृतं हनूमता कार्यं सुमहद् भुवि दुर्लभम् । मनसापि यदन्येन न शक्यं धरणीतले ॥ २ ॥
“Hanuman has done a very great deed, rare on earth, which no one else on the face of the earth could do even in thought.
नहि तं परिपश्यामि यस्तरेत महोदधिम् । अन्यत्र गरुडाद् वायोरन्यत्र च हनूमतः ॥ ३ ॥
“I see no one who could cross the great ocean except Garuda and the Wind, and Hanuman.
देवदानवयक्षाणां गन्धर्वोरगरक्षसाम् । अप्रधृष्यां पुरीं लङ्कां रावणेन सुरक्षिताम् ॥ ४ ॥
“Lanka, unassailable by gods, danavas and yakshas, by gandharvas, serpents and rakshasas, well guarded by Ravana:
प्रविष्टः सत्त्वमाश्रित्य जीवन् को नाम निष्क्रमेत् । को विशेत् सुदुराधर्षां राक्षसैश्च सुरक्षिताम् ॥ ५ ॥
“who, entering it by relying on his courage, would come out alive? Who could enter it, so hard to assail and well guarded by rakshasas,
यो वीर्यबलसम्पन्नो न समः स्याद्धनूमतः । भृत्यकार्यं हनुमता सुग्रीवस्य कृतं महत् । एवं विधाय स्वबलं सदृशं विक्रमस्य च ॥ ६ ॥
“unless he were Hanuman’s equal in valour and strength? Hanuman has done a great servant’s task for Sugriva, setting out his own strength to match his valour.
यो हि भृत्यो नियुक्तः सन् भर्त्रा कर्मणि दुष्करे । कुर्यात् तदनुरागेण तमाहुः पुरुषोत्तमम् ॥ ७ ॥
“A servant who, appointed by his master to a hard task, does it with devotion: him they call the best of men.
यो नियुक्तः परं कार्यं न कुर्यान्नृपतेः प्रियम् । भृत्यो युक्तः समर्थश्च तमाहुर्मध्यमं नरम् ॥ ८ ॥
“A servant who, appointed, does not do the further task that would please the king, though he is fit and able: him they call a middling man.
नियुक्तो नृपतेः कार्यं न कुर्याद् यः समाहितः । भृत्यो युक्तः समर्थश्च तमाहुः पुरुषाधमम् ॥ ९ ॥
“A servant who, appointed, does not attentively do the king’s task, though fit and able: him they call the worst of men.
तन्नियोगे नियुक्तेन कृतं कृत्यं हनूमता । न चात्मा लघुतां नीतः सुग्रीवश्चापि तोषितः ॥ १० ॥
“Appointed to that charge, Hanuman has done the task; he has not lowered himself, and Sugriva too is satisfied.
अहं च रघुवंशश्च लक्ष्मणश्च महाबलः । वैदेह्या दर्शनेनाद्य धर्मतः परिरक्षिताः ॥ ११ ॥
“And I, and the Raghu line, and mighty Lakshmana, have been rightly saved today by the finding of Vaidehi.
इदं तु मम दीनस्य मनो भूयः प्रकर्षति । यदिहास्य प्रियाख्यातुर्न कुर्मि सदृशं प्रियम् ॥ १२ ॥
“But this again pains my heart in my poverty, that I do no kindness worthy of him who has brought me good news.
एष सर्वस्वभूतस्तु परिष्वङ्गो हनूमतः । मया कालमिमं प्राप्य दत्तस्तस्य महात्मनः ॥ १३ ॥
“This embrace, which is all I have, I give now, at this moment, to great-souled Hanuman.”
इत्युक्त्वा प्रीतिहृष्टाङ्गो रामस्तं परिषस्वजे । हनूमन्तं कृतात्मानं कृतकार्यमुपागतम् ॥ १४ ॥
Having said this, Rama, his body thrilled with joy, embraced Hanuman, who had mastered himself and come back with his task done.
ध्यात्वा पुनरुवाचेदं वचनं रघुसत्तमः । हरीणामीश्वरस्यापि सुग्रीवस्योपशृण्वतः ॥ १५ ॥
Thinking, the best of the Raghus spoke these words again, while Sugriva, lord of the monkeys, listened:
सर्वथा सुकृतं तावत् सीतायाः परिमार्गणम् । सागरं तु समासाद्य पुनर्नष्टं मनो मम ॥ १६ ॥
“The search for Sita has been well done in every way; but reaching the ocean, my heart sinks again.
कथं नाम समुद्रस्य दुष्पारस्य महाम्भसः । हरयो दक्षिणं पारं गमिष्यन्ति समागताः ॥ १७ ॥
“How will the gathered monkeys reach the southern shore of the ocean, with its great waters, so hard to cross?
यद्यप्येष तु वृत्तान्तो वैदेह्या गदितो मम । समुद्रपारगमने हरीणां किमिवोत्तरम् ॥ १८ ॥
“Even though this news of Vaidehi has been told to me, what answer is there to the monkeys’ crossing of the ocean?”
इत्युक्त्वा शोकसम्भ्रान्तो रामः शत्रुनिबर्हणः । हनूमन्तं महाबाहुस्ततो ध्यानमुपागमत् ॥ १९ ॥
Having said this, Rama, slayer of enemies, mighty-armed, shaken with grief, fell into thought about Hanuman’s news.