Sundara Kanda, Sarga 59

Meaning

Having narrated all this story to the monkeys assembled there, Hanumān (sprung from the loins of the wind-god) once more proceeded to make his further statement as follows : (1)

Meaning

“Fruitful is the endeavour of Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, and the perseverance of Sugrīva. Nay, my mind is gratified to witness the chastity of Sītā. (2)

Meaning

“The conduct of Sītā is worthy of that noble lady, O jewels among monkeys. She can sustain all the worlds by virtue of her asceticism, as also, if enraged, she can reduce them all to ashes. (3)

Meaning

“That ruler of ogres, Rāvaṇa too, is very rich in asceticism in everyway, in that his body was not destroyed by her askesis even while he laid hands on Sītā. (4)

Meaning

“Even a flame, when fully touched with one’s hand, is incapable of doing that harm which Janaka’s daughter would if stirred by anger. (5)

Meaning

“This work of mine in the shape of Sītā’s discovery, which has thus been crowned with success, having been reported to you all, it behoves us to raid the pleasance of Rāvaṇa and after recovering Sītā forcibly from the clutches of Rāvaṇa to see those two princes, Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, alongwith Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, after taking leave of all the great monkeys headed by Jāmbavān. (6)

Meaning

“Even single handed, I am capable of destroying with my prowess that city of Laṅkā with its host of ogres, and killing Rāvaṇa, who is endowed with extraordinary might, much more so when accompanied by you—heroic, mighty and powerful, monkeys, disciplined of mind, skilled in the use of missiles and eager for victory. (7-8)

Meaning

“I, for my part, shall destroy in an encounter on the field of battle Rāvaṇa with his army, those marching before him, his sons and his brothers. (9)

Meaning

“Even though the missiles employed by Indrajit (Rāvaṇa’s eldest son) are e.g., those presided over by Brahmā (the creator) and Rudra (the god of destruction) and Vayu (the wind-god) and Varuṇa (the god of water) difficult even to discern on the battlefield, I shall repulse them as well as exterminate the ogres. (10)

Meaning

“If approved by you, my prowess will frustrate him; for an incessant and unequalled shower of rocks discharged by me on the field of battle is enough to destroy even gods, much more so those rangers of the night. So long as it is not approved by you, I keep my vehemence under check. Even the sea may overflow its shores; even Mount Mandāra may move from its position; but no hostile army shall be able to stagger Jāmbavān in combat. (11—13)

Meaning

“The heroic Aṅgada, son of Vāli, alone is equal to the destruction of all Rakṣasa hosts, nay, even of the ogres who were their progenitors. (14)

Meaning

“Even Mount Mandāra would be shattered in an encounter by the rapid movement of the thighs of the high-minded monkey, Nīla, much more so the ogres. (15)

Meaning

“Point out to me a warrior among the demons and Yakṣas including the gods, as well as among the Gandharvas, serpents and birds, who can contend as an equal with Mainda or Dwivida. (16)

Meaning

“These two sons of the Aświnīkumāras, are endowed with great impetuosity and are the foremost among monkeys. I do not find any match for them on the field of battle. (17)

Meaning

“By me alone was Laṅkā, the ogress presiding over Laṅkā, laid low and the city set to fire and reduced to ashes. Nay, in all the principal streets the name of Śrī Rāma and others was proclaimed by me as follows: (18)

Meaning

“ ‘Victorious is Śrī Rāma of exceeding might, as also Lakṣmaṇa, who is endowed with extraordinary might ! Victorious is King Sugrīva, who is protected on all sides by Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) ! (19)

Meaning

“ ‘I am Hanumān, a servant of Śrī Rāma, ruler of the kingdom of Kośala, and son of the wind-god.’ In this way the name of Śrī Rāma and others was proclaimed by me everywhere. (20)

Meaning

“The virtuous lady Sītā abides in a pitiable condition on the ground at the foot of a Śiṁśapā tree in the heart of a grove of Aśoka trees, belonging to the evil-minded Rāvaṇa, surrounded by ogresses, nay, emaciated through grief and agony and bereft of splendour like a digit of the moon veiled by the strip of a cloud. (21-22)

Meaning

“Caring little for Rāvaṇa, who is proud of his might, Sītā of charming limbs, a princess of the Videha territory, who has taken a vow of fidelity to her lord, has been placed under restraint. (23)

Meaning

“Devoted to Śrī Rāma with her whole being, the blessed Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, has set her mind exclusively on Śrī Rāma even as Śaci (daughter of the demon Pulomā) on Indra. (24)

Meaning

“Clad in a single piece of cloth, which she had on her person even while being borne away by Rāvaṇa, and likewise soiled with dust, she was actually seen by me in a wretched condition in the midst of ogresses in a pleasance, wearing a single braid, absorbed in the thought of her husband and being threatened again and again by misshapen ogresses. (25-26)

Meaning

“She stretches herself on the bare ground, has grown pale of body like a lotus plant at the dawn of winter, has utterly refused to have anything to do with Rāvaṇa and is determined to die rather than submit to Rāvaṇa. (27)

Meaning

“Somehow the lady with eyes like those of a fawn was inspired with confidence. She was then talked to and apprised of the whole truth. (28)

Meaning

“Hearing of the alliance between Śrī Rāma and Sugrīva, she experienced joy. Constant is her chastity and supreme is her devotion to her lord. (29)

Meaning

“Since Sītā does not kill Rāvaṇa by subjecting him to a curse, it is evident that the aforesaid Rāvaṇa is very powerful by virtue of his asceticism. Nevertheless as the great sin incurred by him through the abduction of Sītā has filled his cup of sin to the brim, Śrī Rāma will serve only as an instrument for his death. (30)

Meaning

“Frail-bodied by her very nature, Sītā has been further reduced through separation from her Lord and has grown thin like the learning of a scholar continuing his studies even on the first day of a lunar fortnight (which must be observed as a complete holiday by students). (31)

Meaning

“In this way the highly blessed Sītā remains given over to grief. Let all that be devised which requires to be done by way of a remedy in this behalf.” (32)