Sundara Kanda, Sarga 13

Meaning

Passing from the aerial car on to the defence wall, the agile Hanumān, a leader of monkey hordes, for his part flashed like lightning athwart a cloud. (1)

Meaning

Ranging observantly through the apartments of Rāvaṇa, but not finding Sītā, Janaka’s daughter, anywhere, Hanumān spoke to himself as follows : (2)

Meaning

‘In my attempt to do what is pleasing to Śrī Rāma, Laṅkā has been explored by me many a time; yet I do not perceive Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, who is charming of every limb. (3)

Meaning

‘Pools, ponds, lakes and streams, rivers and forest regions abounding in water as also mountains difficult of access, nay, the entire land comprised of Laṅkā has been scoured; but I do not find Sītā, Janaka’s daughter. Sītā was reported by Sampātī, the ruler of vultures, to be here in the abode of Rāvaṇa; yet she is not to be seen. I wonder why she is not found. (4-5)

Meaning

‘Forcibly borne away by Rāvaṇa, can Sītā, the offspring of King Janaka, a princess of Mithila and claiming her descent from the Videha kings, helplessly consort with him? (6)

Meaning

‘I presume she might have dropped midway from the grasp of the ogre, Rāvaṇa, as he was flying in a hurry taking Sītā in his arms, fearing the arrows of Śrī Rāma. (7)

Meaning

‘Or, while she was being borne away along the path of the Siddhas (a class of semi-divine beings endowed with mystic powers from their very birth), the very heart of the noble lady crumbled, I believe, at the sight of the sea. (8)

Meaning

‘Or, I think on account of the great speed assumed by Rāvaṇa and under the pressure of his arms that large-eyed noble lady yielded up her life. (9)

Meaning

‘Surely, while wriggling in her attempt to extricate herself from the grip of Rāvaṇa, as he was flying over the sea, that daughter of Janaka dropped into the sea. (10)

Meaning

‘Or, may be, poor unbefriended Sītā was, while guarding her chastity, devoured by this mean Rāvaṇa himself. (11)

Meaning

‘Or, that dark-eyed innocent lady might have been eaten up by the wives of Rāvaṇa, the ruler of ogres, who were actuated by vile motives. (12)

Meaning

‘The pitiable lady met with her death contemplating on the countenance of Śrī Rāma, resembling the full moon, with lotus-like eyes. (13)

Meaning

‘Sītā, a princess of Mithilā, who claimed her descent from the Videha kings, must have cast off her body wailing a lot and crying ‘O Rāma ! O Lakṣmaṇa !! O Ayodhyā !!!’ (14)

Meaning

‘Or, having been lodged in the abode of Rāvaṇa, the youthful lady is repeatedly wailing like a caged minā. (15)

Meaning

‘How can the slender-waisted consort of Śrī Rāma, born in the line of Janaka and having eyes resembling the petals of a lotus, submit to the will of Rāvaṇa? (16)

Meaning

‘But whether Sītā is living unseen anywhere or has perished by falling into the sea or has died due to her inability to bear separation from her lord, the news would not bear transmission to Śrī Rāma, who is fond of his wife. (17)

Meaning

‘A catastrophe in the shape of loss of Śrī Rāma’s life may follow if the matter is reported to Śrī Rāma and an offence will be committed by me in the shape of disloyalty to Śrī Rāma in the event of my not reporting the matter to him. How, I wonder, should I act? Both the courses appear difficult to me.’ (18)

Meaning

Hanumān now fell seriously on revolving once more the problem as to what would be opportune and advisable when the question as to what should be done has become so knotty. (19)

Meaning

He said to himself: ‘If I return to Kiṣkindhā, the capital of the ruler of monkeys, from this place without finding out Sītā, of what avail will my exertion prove to be? (20)

Meaning

‘My leaping across the sea in this way, as well as my entry into Laṅkā and my survey of the ogres will come to nought. (21)

Meaning

‘What, I wonder, will Sugrīva or the assembled monkeys or the two sons of Daśaratha tell me when I reach Kiṣkindhā? (22)

Meaning

‘If, having gone there, I for my part communicate to Śrī Rāma, a scion of Kakutstha, the jarring news that Sītā has not been found by me, he will forthwith give up his life. (23)

Meaning

‘Hearing the harsh, severe, piercing, cruel, soul-agonizing and unpleasant tidings about Sītā, he will no longer survive. (24)

Meaning

‘Finding him reduced to straits and resolved upon dying, the extremely devoted and sagacious Lakṣmaṇa too will be no more. (25)

Meaning

‘Hearing of the two brothers having perished, Bharata too will die and, hearing of Bharata being dead, Śatrughna too will not live. (26)

Meaning

‘Reckoning their sons to be dead, Kausalyā and Sumitrā, and Kaikeyī too, will no doubt cease to be. (27)

Meaning

‘Finding Śrī Rāma reduced to such a plight, Sugriva, the suzerain lord of monkeys, who is grateful and true to his pledge, will forthwith yield up his life. (28)

Meaning

‘Disconsolate and distressed, miserable and cheerless, nay, stricken with grief over the death of her husband, poor Rumā too will surrender her life. (29)

Meaning

‘Stricken with agony caused by the death of Vāli, nay, emaciated through grief and resolved upon dying, Queen Tārā, Vāli’s widow, either, would no longer survive. (30)

Meaning

‘Consequent on the death of his parents and the calamity that befalls Sugrīva, Prince Aṅgada too will thereupon surrender his life. (31)

Meaning

‘Overwhelmed by agony caused by the loss of their master, the monkeys (lit., denizens of the forest) for their part will smite their own heads with their palms and fists as well. (32)

Meaning

‘Having been cherished by the illustrious lord of monkeys with friendly inquiries, gifts and honour, the monkeys too will give up the ghost. (33)

Meaning

‘Coming together the foremost among the monkeys will no longer indulge in sports in woodlands, on mountains and in covered places such as caves. (34)

Meaning

‘Stricken with agony on the death of their master, they will fall down with their sons and wives as well as with their ministers from the mountain tops on even or rugged grounds. (35)

Meaning

‘Nay, the monkeys will swallow poison, or even hang themselves or enter the fire or take to fasting till death or fall back upon their own weapons to bring about their death. (36)

Meaning

‘I think a terrible wail will be set up on my return to Kiṣkindhā, nay, the destruction of the race of Ikswaku as also the extirpation of monkeys (lit., denizens of the forest) will follow. (37)

Meaning

‘Situated as I am, I shall on no account return to the city of Kiṣkindhā from this place; for I shall not be able to see Sugrīva without tracing out Sītā, the princess of Mithilā. (38)

Meaning

‘If I do not return and continue at this place, those two great chariot-warriors, Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, who have set their mind on virtue, will preserve their lives as also the agile monkeys, full of hope for my return. (39)

Meaning

‘Subsisting on whatever comes to my hands or whatever comes to my mouth through another’s will, nay, self-restrained, and resting at the foot of trees, I shall actually live as a hermit on my not discovering the daughter of Janaka. (40)

Meaning

‘Or, preparing a funeral pile on a piece of watery land adjoining the sea so that my ashes may be washed away by the waves of the sea and as such abounding in roots, fruits and water, I shall enter a flaming fire produced by rubbing two wooden sticks together. (41)

Meaning

‘Or, crows and beasts of prey will eat up my body when I have sat down for fasting till death and am engaged in my attempt to extricate the soul (encased in the subtle body, which constitutes the Liṅga or invariable concomitant of an embodied soul) from the body. (42)

Meaning

‘If I do not find Sītā, Janaka’s daughter, I shall enter the waters for good; for this way of departure from this world has also been recognized by the seers: such is my belief. (43)

Meaning

‘Since I have not found out Sītā even after a long time, the garland of my glory, which had a lovely beginning in the shape of my role as Sugrīva’s messenger to Śrī Rāma, which paved the way for the alliance between the two, nay, which conferred good fortune on Sugrīva and which endowed me with fame as a confidante of Śrī Rāma, entrusted with the duty of delivering his message along with his signet ring to his beloved spouse, separated from him—has been snapped. (44)

Meaning

‘Or, I shall turn out to be an ascetic living at the foot of trees and remaining self-restrained. In any case, I shall not return from this place without seeing the dark-eyed Sītā. (45)

Meaning

‘If, however, I go back without finding the celebrated Sītā, Prince Aṅgada, with the other monkeys, will cease to be. (46)

Meaning

‘There are numerous evils attending self-destruction; a man continuing to live attains good fortune sooner or later. I shall, therefore, preserve my life; for attainment of happiness is more or less certain if one continues to live.’ (47)

Meaning

Conceiving with his mind a good deal of trouble of various kinds in this way, Hanumān could not reach the end of his grief at that time. (48)

Meaning

Then, recalling his prowess, the courageous Hanumān, an elephant among the monkeys, said to himself, ‘Or, I shall make short work of the ten-headed Rāvaṇa, who is endowed with extraordinary might. It does not matter if Sītā has been abducted; her abduction will be avenged by me in that way. (49)

Meaning

‘Or, lifting him up and carrying him across the sea, I shall offer him to Śrī Rāma, a sacrificial animal, as it were, to Lord Rudra (the god of destruction):’ (50)

Meaning

Thus overwhelmed with uneasiness due to his failing to find out the celebrated Sītā, Hanumān, whose mind was overcome with anxiety and grief, reflected as follows: (51)

Meaning

‘I shall explore the city of Laṅkā again and again as long as I do not find out Sītā, the illustrious consort of Śrī Rāma. (52)

Meaning

‘Even if I fetch Śrī Rāma here on the strength of Sampātī’s words, Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, may burn all monkeys with the fire of his wrath on not beholding his spouse. (53)

Meaning

‘Therefore, I shall continue to live at this very place, Laṅkā, on a regulated diet with my senses under control. Let not all men and monkeys perish for my fault.(54)

Meaning

‘Here is a large grove too of Aśoka trees, containing gigantic trees. I shall now explore it since it has not been scoured by me so far. (55)

Meaning

‘Having saluted the eight Vasus (a class of gods), the eleven Rudras as well as the twelve Ādityas (sons of Aditi), the two Aświns (the twin-born physicians of gods) as also the forty-nine wind-gods, I shall proceed to ransack the Aśoka garden, and thereby intensify the grief of the ogres. (56)

Meaning

‘Again, having conquered the ogres, I shall hand over the godlike Sītā, the delight of Ikṣwāku’s race, to Śrī Rāma even as success is conferred on an ascetic by a goddess pleased with his austerities.’ (57)

Meaning

Having reflected a while, as it were, celebrated Hanumān, that mighty armed son of the wind-god, whose senses had been enfeebled through anxiety, got up and said : (58)

Meaning

‘Hail to Śrī Rāma accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, as well as to that godlike lady an offspring of King Janaka ! Salutations to Rudra (the god of destruction), Indra (the ruler of gods), Yama (the god of retribution) and the wind-god (my father) and hail to the moon-god, the god of fire, and the forty-nine wind-gods !’ (59)

Meaning

Having paid reverence to the aforesaid as well as to Sugrīva, his master, and surveying all the quarters, Hanumān, that son of the wind-god, for his part mentally proceeded towards the Aśoka grove. (60)

Meaning

Having mentally reached the splendid Aśoka grove in the first instance, Hanumān, an offspring of the wind-god, envisaged the future as follows : (61)

Meaning

‘Surely the Aśoka grove must be guarded by many ogres and surrounded by forests, and must be sacred and also cultured with all cultivating processes such as breaking up the ground and uprooting weeds. (62)

Meaning

‘Nay, the guards posted there undoubtedly protect the trees, so that the all-pervading and powerful wind too does not blow freely with unusual velocity. (63)

Meaning

‘In the interests of Śrī Rāma and also in order to avoid the gaze of Rāvaṇa, this body has been contracted by me; let all the gods alongwith hosts of Ṛṣis, the seers of Vedic Mantras, for their part grant success to me in this undertaking. (64)

Meaning

‘May the glorious self-born Brahmā, the creator, as well as other gods and ascetics, nay, the god of fire and the wind-god and Indra, the wielder of the thunderbolt, grant success to me ! (65)

Meaning

‘Varuṇa, the god of water, who carries a noose in his hand, and even so the moon-god and the sun-god, and likewise the two high-souled Aświns and all the forty-nine wind-gods, all created beings as well as Lord Viṣṇu, who is the Lord of all created beings, and also other gods who may fall on the way, whether seen or even unseen, will bestow success on me. (66—67)

Meaning

‘I wonder when I shall be able to behold that unscarred face of the aforesaid noble lady, with a prominent nose, white teeth, bright smiles and eyes resembling lotus-petals and vying in splendour with a cloudless moon, the lord of stars? (68)

Meaning

‘How on earth will that helpless and pitiable lady, overpowered with might by the mean and vile Rāvaṇa of noxious form, who, though savage, assumes an ornamented form, fall within the range of my sight today?’ (69)