Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 126

Meaning

“Indeed, I hear for the first time today the delightful story of my lord, Śrī Rāma, who proceeded to the vast forest many years ago. (1)

Meaning

“Ah, how right does this popular saying sound to me that joy comes to a surviving man even if it be after, say, a hundred years! (2)

Meaning

“How, at what place and on what common ground did an alliance between Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, and the monkeys come to be concluded? Pray, speak the truth to me, inquiring as I am.” (3)

Meaning

Seated comfortably on a mat of the sacred Kuśa grass meant for ascetics and enquired as above by the prince, Bharata. Hanumān thereupon began to recount in a nutshell as follows, the whole story of the sojourn of Śrī Rāma in the forest: (4)

Meaning

“How two boons were conferred on your mother by your father, how in pursuance of one of which Śrī Rāma was exiled to the forest and how King Daśaratha breathed his last out of grief caused by separation from his eldest son; how you were speedily brought back all the way from Rājagṛha, the seat of government of the Kekaya kings, by the envoys, my lord, and how, for that matter, sovereignty was not coveted by you when you re-entered Ayodhyā; how on your repairing to Citrakūṭa, your elder brother, the scourge of his enemies, was besought by you, who followed the way of life of the virtuous, to accept the kingship; how the crown was renounced by Śrī Rāma, who stood by the pledge of the deceased king, given to Kaikeyī, and how you returned to Ayodhyā taking with you the wooden sandals of your elder brother—all this is known aright to you, O mighty-armed prince! Hear from me now that which happened after you had returned to Ayodhyā. (5—9)

Meaning

“When you had gone away (back to Ayodhyā), the said forest of Citrakūṭa assumed an extremely doleful appearance, as it were, on that occasion, the beasts and birds getting utterly bewildered. (10)

Meaning

“Śrī Rāma forthwith penetrated deep into the dreadful, lonely and extensive Daṇḍaka forest, which had been trampled down by wild elephants and was crowded with lions, tigers and deer. (11)

Meaning

“Before them, even as they were advancing into the dense forest, there suddenly appeared the mighty ogre, Virādha, uttering forth a tremendous roar. (12)

Meaning

“Getting rid of that ogre, who rushed with uplifted arms and head bent low, all the three, Śrī Rāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa, cast him into a pit, even as he was emitting a loud cry like an elephant. (13)

Meaning

“Having accomplished that feat, which was difficult for others to perform, the two brothers, Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa reached the lovely hermitage of Sage Śarabhaṅga at the close of the same day. (14)

Meaning

“Greeting all the anchorites, when Śarabhaṅga had ascended to heaven, Śrī Rāma of unfailing prowess moved to the region known as Janasthāna. (15)

Meaning

“Subsequently an ogress, Śūrpaṇakhā by name, sought the presence of Śrī Rāma. Enjoined by Śrī Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary might, thereupon rose suddenly and firmly seizing hold of his sword, cut off her ears and nose. Nay, fourteen thousands of ogres of terrible deeds were made short work of by the high-souled Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, while sojourning in that region. On closing with Śrī Rāma alone in the van of the fight the ogres were wholly exterminated in a fraction of a quarter of a day. The ogres dwelling in the Daṇḍaka forest, who were endowed with extraordinary might and distinguished for their great valour, and who interfered with the austerities of the ascetics, were extirpated in combat by Śrī Rāma. Not only were the ogres utterly destroyed but even Khara, their leader, was made short work of in combat. Nay, after killing Dūṣaṇa, his brother, first, Triśirā, the other brother, was dispatched immediately afterwards. Pained by the aforesaid incident, the foolish Śūrpaṇakhā sought refuge with Rāvaṇa. (16—21)

Meaning

“Assuming the guise of a deer with a form consisting of precious stones, a redoubtable ogre, Mārīca by name, a follower of Rāvaṇa, wrought his charm on Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory). (22)

Meaning

“That princess of the Videha territory said to Śrī Rāma, ‘Let this deer be captured. This hermitage of ours will turn out to be soul-captivating and lovely with its presence.’ (23)

Meaning

“Bow in hand, Śrī Rāma thereupon chased that weird deer. Nay, he killed it with an arrow of curved joints even while it was running. (24)

Meaning

“When, however, Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu) had left in pursuit of the aforesaid, deer and Lakṣmaṇa too had issued forth (from the hermitage on being pressed by Sītā to leave immediately to help his eldest brother, who seemed to be in ‘trouble’, Rāvaṇa, the ten-headed monster, forthwith entered the hermitage during that interval, O gentle Sir! (25)

Meaning

“He forcibly laid his hands on Sītā even as a planet like Mars would obscure the constellation Rohiṇī by interposing itself between the moon and the lunar mansion. Fatally wounding in an encounter, the vulture-king, Jaṭāyu, who sought to deliver her, and seizing hold of Sītā by force, the said ogre thereupon departed in haste. Perched on a mountain-top some strange-looking monkeys (Sugrīva and others) for their part, who appeared like mountains and had amazement writ large on their faces, presently saw Rāvaṇa the suzerain lord of ogres, passing that way, taking Sītā in his arms. Then, coursing with great speed in the air and mounting with the princess of the Videha territory, the well-known aerial car, Puṣpaka, which was swift as thought (and stood waiting for him somewhere according to his directions), that ruler of ogres, Rāvaṇa, who was endowed with extraordinary might, presently made good his entry into Laṅkā. Lodging the princess of Mithilā in a charming stately mansion enclosed with a gold wall, Rāvaṇa sought to console her with blandishing words. Caring a straw for his speech and ignoring that prince of ogres, however, Sītā, a princess of the Videha territory, actually remained in the Aśoka grove (attached to that palace estate). “Having presently killed the ogre disguised as a deer in the forest, Śrī Rāma then retraced his steps to his hermitage. (26—32)

Meaning

“Missing Sītā in the hermitage as well as the vulture, who was living on the outskirts of the hermitage, while returning, the said scion of Kakutstha felt agonized. Seeing the vulture, Jaṭāyu, who was dearer to him than his own father, killed, while looking out for Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory), Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, for his part, who was accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa, ranged along the bank of the Godāvarī as also the blossomed woodlands. (33-34)

Meaning

“The two princes met in a vast forest an ogre, Kabandha by name, and killed him. Repairing to the Ṛṣyamūka mountain according to the advice of Kabandha, Śrī Rāma of unfailing prowess thereupon came into contact with Sugrīva. A meeting of hearts through affinity had taken place between them even before they met.(35-36)

Meaning

“Sugrīva had been banished in the past by his angry brother, Vālī, and as a result of mutual talks a deep affection arose between Śrī Rāma and Sugrīva. (37)

Meaning

“Killing by the might of his arms on the field of battle the gigantic Vālī, even though he was endowed with extraordinary might, Śrī Rāma caused his kingship to be restored to Sugrīva. (38)

Meaning

“Sugrīva was thus established in his kingdom alongwith all the monkeys. Sugrīva, in his turn, had given his pledge to institute a search for the princess of Mithilā. (39)

Meaning

“Ten crores of monkeys were accordingly assigned this work and dispatched to all the four quarters. (40)

Meaning

“A long time slipped past us (monkeys) as we had lost our way in the Vindhya mountain, the foremost of mountains and felt sore stricken with grief. (41)

Meaning

“In the meantime, the powerful brother of Jaṭāyu, the king of vultures, Sampāti by name, definitely told us of Sītā dwelling in the manson of Rāvaṇa. (42)

Meaning

“Dispelling the aforesaid despondency of my kinsfolk, who were all seized with despair, and resorting to my own energy, I as such leapt across a sea extending over a hundred Yojanas (or eight hundred miles). There I beheld Sītā living alone in a grove of Aśoka trees, clad in silk, unclean and cheerless, yet unflinching in her vow of conjugal fidelity. After meeting that irreproachable lady and duly inquiring everything of her, a ring with the name of Śrī Rāma engraved on it was handed over to her by me as a token. And receiving as a token from her in return a jewel of her head, I returned to the northern seashore, accomplished of purpose. (43—45)

Meaning

“Nay, returning to the presence of Śrī Rāma at Kiṣkindhā alongwith my companions, that brilliant and valuable jewel was delivered by me as a token to Śrī Rāma, who was unwearied in action. (46)

Meaning

“Nay, hearing the news of that princess of Mithilā being alive and firm in her devotion to him, Śrī Rāma for his part regained the hope to survive even as an ailing man, who has approached the end of his life, would on drinking nectar. (47)

Meaning

“Putting forth a war effort, he set his mind upon the destruction of Laṅkā even as at the dissolution of the world the fire of universal destruction would proceed to destroy all the worlds, when intending to do so. (48)

Meaning

“Reaching the seashore, he then caused the monkey chief, Nala to construct a bridge across the sea and the army of monkey heroes crossed the sea by means of that bridge. (49)

Meaning

“The monkey chief, Nīla, the Commander-in-chief of the simian army, killed the ogre, Prahasta, whereas Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, disposed of Kumbhakarṇa, the younger brother of Rāvaṇa, Lakṣmaṇa dispatched Indrajit, the eldest son of Rāvaṇa, and Śrī Rāma himself got rid of Rāvaṇa (50)

Meaning

“Coming together, Indra, the ruler of gods, Yama, the god of retribution, and Varuṇa, the god of water, Lord Śiva (the Supreme Ruler) and Brahmā, the self-born creator and likewise with the spirit of his deceased father, nay, granted boons by them as also by the Ṛṣis (seers of Vedic Mantras) and celestial sages assembled there, the glorious Rāma, a scion of Kakutstha, the scourge of his enemies, gratefully received them. (51-52)

Meaning

“Nay, having been granted boons, Śrī Rāma for his part joyfully flew to Kiṣkindhā in the aerial car known as Puṣpaka alongwith the monkeys who had collected there. (53)

Meaning

“Tomorrow, when the moon will be in conjunction with the asterisk Puṣya, you will be able without any hindrance to see Śrī Rāma, who, having already reached the bank of the holy Gaṅgā once more, is staying for a day in the presence of Sage Bharadwāja.” (54)

Meaning

Delighted to hear of Śrī Rāma’s impending return to Ayodhyā in the sweet words of Hanumān, the celebrated Bharata with joined palms thereupon made the following reply, which brought excessive joy to his mind: “After a long time indeed has my desire been fulfilled.” (55)