Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 113

Meaning

Particularly commanded as aforesaid, Hanumān, sprung from the loins of the wind-god, penetrated deep into the city of Laṅkā, being treated with honour by the rangers of the night, (1)

Meaning

Having penetrated deep into the city of Laṅkā and seeking the permission of Vibhīṣaṇa, nay, duly entering the grove of Aśoka trees (where Sītā had been detained), when permitted by him, Hanumān then attracted the notice of Sītā. He found her without a bath and sitting cheerless at the foot of a tree surrounded by ogresses and looking like Rohiṇī (the deity presiding over a constellation of the same name and the favourite consort of the moon-god) in anguish (due to the evil influence exerted by a malevolent planet). Greeting and approaching her, Hanumān stood motionless, bent low and meek. (2—4)

Meaning

Seeing the said Hanumān, who was endowed with extraordinary might, duly arrived (but failing to recognize him), the godlike lady kept quiet in the first instance. Looking at him again and recognizing him, she felt rejoiced at that moment. (5)

Meaning

Marking her placid countenance, Hanumān, the foremost of monkeys, proceeded to communicate to her all that Śrī Rāma had said. (6)

Meaning

Hanumān said: “Śrī Rāma is doing well, O princess of the Videha territory, alongwith Sugrīva, the ruler of monkeys, and Lakṣmaṇa. And Śrī Rāma (the conqueror of his enemies), who stands accomplished of purpose—now that his enemy, Rāvaṇa, has been killed, has inquired after your welfare. (7)

Meaning

“The valiant Rāvaṇa has been killed by Śrī Rāma, assisted by Vibhīṣaṇa and with the co-operation of the monkeys, O divine lady! (8)

Meaning

“I communicate this pleasant news to you, O godlike lady, and will delight you, further by telling you, O knower of what is right, that this great victory in war has been scored by Śrī Rāma by strength of your devotion to your husband. Take heart, O Sītā, and be freed from anxiety, since the enemy, Rāvaṇa, has been killed and Laṅkā too has been subdued. (9-10)

Meaning

“The following is the message of Śrī Rāma: ‘By me, who have had no sleep all these months and was resolved to win you back, has this vow of winning you back been actually redeemed after constructing a bridge over the extensive sea. (11)

Meaning

“ ‘Fear should no longer be entertained by you, living as you do in the abode of Rāvaṇa; for the dominionship of Laṅkā has now been placed under the control of Vibhīṣaṇa, who is our friend. (12)

Meaning

“ ‘Therefore, complacently be at ease. Feel that you are dwelling in your own abode. Nay, Vibhīṣaṇa himself, who is very keen to see you, is coming to pay his respects to you, he being highly rejoiced.’ ” (13)

Meaning

Spoken to in these words, the divine Sītā for her part, whose countenance shone like the moon, felt tongue-tied due to excessive joy and could not speak; so the tradition goes. (14)

Meaning

Thereupon Hanumān, the foremost of monkeys, spoke as follows to Sītā, who was not making any answer: “What are you thinking of, O godlike lady? And why don’t you speak to me?” (15)

Meaning

Thus pleaded by Hanumān, Sītā, who was devoted to the path of virtue and felt supremely delighted, replied as follows in a voice choked with tears of emotions: (16)

Meaning

“Overpowered by excessive joy on hearing this pleasant tidings bearing on the victory of my husband, I turned speechless for a while. (17)

Meaning

“Though taxing my brain, I really conceive no gift equal (in value) to the news conveyed by you, O valiant monkey! (18)

Meaning

“Nay, I can think of nothing on earth or even in the other worlds which is worthy of you or commensurate to the act of communicating this most agreeable news to me, and bestowing of which on you satisfaction may come to me, O good monkey. (19)

Meaning

“Neither silver nor gold nor even precious stones of various kinds, nor again sovereignty of all the three worlds can be equal in value to this message.” (20)

Meaning

Spoken to in these words by Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory), the monkey, Hanumān, for his part, who stood in front of Sītā with joined palms, joyfully submitted as follows: (21)

Meaning

“You alone can utter such kind words, O irreproachable lady, devoted as you are to that which is pleasing and conducive to the good of your spouse, and solicitous of your husband’s victory! (22)

Meaning

“This speech of yours, O gentle lady, which is full of substance and affectionate too, is superior in value to a heterogeneous collection of precious stones and even to the rulership of gods. (23)

Meaning

“Nay, all blessings like the rulership of gods have been truly attained by me in that I see Śrī Rāma victorious and happy, now that his enemy, Rāvaṇa, has been killed.” (24)

Meaning

Hearing his foregoing submission, Sītā (a princess of Mithilā), daughter of Janaka, paid the following still more agreeable compliment to Hanumān, sprung from the loins of the wind-god: (25)

Meaning

“You alone can actually utter words which are endowed with rare characteristics of good speech, nay, adorned with the quality of mellifluity and dictated by an intellect which is characterized by the well-known eight excellences.* (26)

Meaning

“You are a praiseworthy and supremely pious son of the wind-god. Nay, physical strength, valour, knowledge of scriptures, vigour, prowess, superlative skill in action, spirit, forbearance, firmness, stability and humility: these and numerous other brilliant qualities exist in you alone.” (27-28)

Meaning

Standing unembarrassed, with joined palms, before Sītā, Hanumān meekly and joyfully submitted once more as follows: (29)

Meaning

“If you permit me, I, for my part, would surely make short work of all these notorious ogresses, by whom you have been intimidated in the past. (30)

Meaning

“These cruel ogresses of hideous aspect and conduct and with still more cruel eyes and distorted features were heard by me at this very place addressing you, who are so devoted to your husband, more than once in unkind words at Rāvaṇa’s command when you were suffering hardships in the Aśoka grove, O divine lady! (31-32)

Meaning

“I wish to kill by means of strokes of every description these cruel, extremely violent, and deformed ogresses with distorted features and hideous hair and eyes. (33)

Meaning

“I wish to make short work of these ogresses, who have spoken harsh words to you and wronged you, striking them down with my fists, kicks, long arms, the blows of my shanks and knees, as well as by causing pain to their teeth biting off their ears and nose and pulling out their hair. Pray, grant your acquiscence to me. Striking them violently by means of repeated blows as aforementioned, I would kill the ogresses of

Meaning

terrible aspect by whom you have been threatened in the past, O illustrious lady!” Reflecting and pondering a while, when told thus by Hanumān, the wretched Sītā, who was fond of the miserable, spoke to him as follows: “Who will be angry, O prince of monkeys, with obedient maid-servants, who are dependent on a king because of their being in his service and as such act according to other’s command? All this is being reaped by me as a result of my own fault in the shape of adverseness of fate, nay, on account of a misdeed committed in the past; for the fruit of one’s own actions is reaped in one’s life. Therefore, do not speak thus, O mighty-armed one! Such was the destiny, which is supreme. (34—40)

Meaning

“It was in fact predetermined that this must be reaped by me through a combination of circumstances. As such I condone the fault of the slaves of Rāvaṇa, feeble-hearted as I am in these matters. (41)

Meaning

“The ogresses threatened me because they had been ordered by the ogre-king to do so. Now that he has been killed, they no longer threaten me, O offspring of the wind-god! (42)

Meaning

“The following is an old maxim, conformable to righteousness, actually uttered by a bear in the presence of a tiger. Please hear it, O monkey-chief! (43)

Meaning

“ ‘A superior man does not take into account the sin of those who have committed an offence against him. The vow of not returning evil for evil must be redeemed at all costs; for the virtuous account good conduct as their ornament.’ * (44)

Meaning

“Compassion should be shown by a noble soul towards sinners as well as for the good, nay, even for those deserving death; for there is none who never commits a wrong. (45)

Meaning

“No evil should be done even to those cruel men of sinful deeds, who revel in genocide, and continue to perpetrate sins.” (46)

Meaning

Admonished in the foregoing words by Sītā, Hanumān for his part, who was an adept in expression, then replied as follows to Sītā, the irreproachable consort of Śrī Rāma: (47)

Meaning

“You are the lawfully wedded spouse of Śrī Rāma, full of excellences and worthy of him in all respects. Pray, give me a message in return. I shall proceed to the place where Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) is, O godlike lady!” (48)

Meaning

Requested thus by Hanumān, Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory), the celebrated daughter of Janaka, said, “I long to see my husband, who is so fond of his devotees.” (49)

Meaning

Hearing her aforesaid reply, the highly intelligent Hanumān, an offspring of the wind-god, submitted to the princess of Mithilā as follows, bringing delight to her: (50)

Meaning

“You shall see this very day Śrī Rāma—whose countenance resembles the full moon, whose friends (such as Sugrīva and Vibhīṣaṇa) are alive, nay, whose enemies have been got rid of—accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, even as Śacī, the consort of Indra, would see Indra, the ruler of gods.”(51)

Meaning

Assuring in the foregoing words Sītā, who shone like Śrī, the goddess of prosperity, i.e., Herself, Hanumān, who was endowed with extraordinary energy, came back to the place where Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) was awaiting his return. (52)

Meaning

Hanumān, the prince of monkeys then speedily repeated in order of sequence to Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu), who vied with Indra (the foremost of gods) the message which had been delivered in return by Sītā (daughter of the ruler of the Janakas). (53)