---
title: "Sundara Kanda, Sarga 31"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/sundara-kanda/sarga-31"
lang: "en"
---

# Sundara Kanda, Sarga 31

> एवं बहुविधां चिन्तां चिन्तयित्वा महामतिः।  
> संश्रवे मधुरं वाक्यं वैदेह्या व्याजहार ह॥ १॥

Having indulged in speculation of various kinds as aforesaid, Hanumān who was endowed with extraordinary intelligence, they say, made the following sweet speech within the hearing of Sītā: (1)

> राजा दशरथो नाम रथकुञ्जरवाजिमान्।  
> पुण्यशीलो महाकीर्तिरिक्ष्वाकूणां महायशाः॥ २॥

“In the line of the Ikṣwākus there was a highly illustrious and greatly renowned king named Daśaratha, who was given to meritorious deeds and owned excellent chariots, elephants and horses. (2)

> राजर्षीणां गुणश्रेष्ठस्तपसा चर्षिभिः समः।  
> चक्रवर्तिकुले जातः पुरंदरसमो बले॥ ३॥

“Born in a line of universal monarchs, he was the foremost of royal sages in point of virtues, vied with seers in asceticism and was a compeer of Indra, the ruler of gods, in might. (3)

> अहिंसारतिरक्षुद्रो घृणी सत्यपराक्रमः।  
> मुख्यस्येक्ष्वाकुवंशस्य लक्ष्मीवाँल्लक्ष्मिवर्धनः॥ ४॥  
> पार्थिवव्यञ्जनैर्युक्तः पृथुश्रीः पार्थिवर्षभः।  
> पृथिव्यां चतुरन्तायां विश्रुतः सुखदः सुखी॥ ५॥

“That jewel among monarchs took delight in harmlessness, was magnanimous, compassionate and distinguished by unfailing prowess. He enhanced the glory of the already distinguished line of lkṣwāku, was full of prosperity, adorned with all the bodily marks, distinguishing a ruler of the earth, was endowed with a vast splendour and well-known all over the earth bounded by the four seas in the four quarters, and was not only happy himself but conferred happiness on others too. (4-5)

> तस्य पुत्रः प्रियो ज्येष्ठस्ताराधिपनिभाननः।  
> रामो नाम विशेषज्ञः श्रेष्ठः सर्वधनुष्मताम्॥ ६॥

“His favourite eldest son, whose countenance resembled the full moon, nay, who was skilled in archery and the foremost of all bowmen, was known by the name of Rāma. (6)

> रक्षिता स्वस्य वृत्तस्य स्वजनस्यापि रक्षिता।  
> रक्षिता जीवलोकस्य धर्मस्य च परंतपः॥ ७॥

“Śrī Rāma, the scourge of his foes, was a zealous upholder of his own character, the protector also of his own people, nay the protector of the whole world of living beings and the defender of righteousness. (7)

> तस्य सत्याभिसंधस्य वृद्धस्य वचनात् पितुः।  
> सभार्यः सह च भ्रात्रा वीरः प्रव्रजितो वनम्॥ ८॥

“In deference to the plighted word (given to his own stepmother) of his aforesaid father, who was aged and true to his promise, the hero, accompanied by his consort and his younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa, proceeded in exile to the forest. (8)

> तेन तत्र महारण्ये मृगयां परिधावता।  
> राक्षसा निहताः शूरा बहवः कामरूपिणः॥ ९॥

“By him, while chasing game in that vast forest, were slain many gallant ogres, able to change their form at will. (9)

> जनस्थानवधं श्रुत्वा निहतौ खरदूषणौ।  
> ततस्त्वमर्षापहृता जानकी रावणेन तु॥ १०॥  
> वञ्चयित्वा वने रामं मृगरूपेण मायया।  
> स मार्गमाणस्तां देवीं रामः सीतामनिन्दिताम्॥ ११॥  
> आससाद वने मित्रं सुग्रीवं नाम वानरम्।  
> ततः स वालिनं हत्वा रामः परपुरंजयः॥ १२॥  
> आयच्छत् कपिराज्यं तु सुग्रीवाय महात्मने।  
> सुग्रीवेणाभिसंदिष्टा हरयः कामरूपिणः॥ १३॥  
> दिक्षु सर्वासु तां देवीं विचिन्वन्तः सहस्रशः।  
> अहं सम्पातिवचनाच्छतयोजनमायतम्॥ १४॥  
> तस्या हेतोर्विशालाक्ष्याः समुद्रं वेगवान् प्लुतः।  
> यथारूपां यथावर्णां यथालक्ष्मवतीं च ताम्॥ १५॥  
> अश्रौषं राघवस्याहं सेयमासादिता मया।  
> विररामैवमुक्त्वा स वाचं वानरपुंगवः॥ १६॥

“Having put Śrī Rāma off the scent in the forest through one disguised as a deer by recourse to a conjuring trick on hearing of the destruction of Janasthāna (a part of the Daṇḍaka forest inhabited by ogres) as well as of the death of his younger half-brothers, Khara and Dūṣaṇa, Sītā, Janaka’s daughter, for her part was then borne away in indignation by Rāvaṇa. While searching for that godlike and irreproachable lady, Sītā, he found in the forest a friend in a monkey named Sugrīva. Having made short work of Vāli, Sugrīva’s elder brother, Śrī Rāma, capable of conquering hostile cities, for his part thereupon bestowed the kingship of monkeys on the high-souled Sugrīva. Commanded by Sugrīva, monkeys, capable of changing their form at will, set out in thousands in all the four quarters, searching for that godlike lady, Sītā. Full of impetuosity I took a leap across the sea (streching between the island of Laṅkā and the mainland and), extending to a distance of a hundred Yojanas (or eight hundred miles) at the instance of Sampātī, the king of birds and the elder brother of Jaṭāyu, for the sake of that large-eyed lady. She has been found by me here endowed with a comeliness, complexion and bodily marks similar to those of which I had heard from the mouth of Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu.” Having delivered the aforesaid speech, that bull among monkeys fell silent. (10—16)

> जानकी चापि तच्छ्रुत्वा विस्मयं परमं गता।  
> ततः सा वक्रकेशान्ता सुकेशी केशसंवृतम्।  
> उन्नम्य वदनं भीरुः शिंशपामन्ववैक्षत॥ १७॥

Sītā, Janaka’s daughter, herself was struck with supreme wonder to hear that speech. Raising her face screened with dishevelled hair, that timid lady with charming curly locks thereupon looked up into the Śiṁśapā tree on which Hanumān was perched. (17)

> निशम्य सीता वचनं कपेश्च  
> दिशश्च सर्वाः प्रदिशश्च वीक्ष्य।  
> स्वयं प्रहर्षं परमं जगाम  
> सर्वात्मना राममनुस्मरन्ती॥ १८॥

Hearing the monkey’s speech and looking inquiringly into all the four quarters as well as into the “intermediate points, Sītā experienced supreme rapture thinking all the time of Śrī Rāma with all her being. (18)

> सा तिर्यगूर्ध्वं च तथा ह्यधस्ता-  
> न्निरीक्षमाणा तमचिन्त्यबुद्धिम्।  
> ददर्श पिंगाधिपतेरमात्यं  
> वातात्मजं सूर्यमिवोदयस्थम्॥ १९॥

Glancing from side to side as well as up and down, she espied the aforesaid Hanumān, son of the wind-god, of inconceivable intelligence, a minister of Sugrīva, the suzerain ruler of monkeys, and resembling the sun risen on the eastern sky. (19)

Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana

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