Bhima Cannot Lift Hanuman's Tail

Verse 1 (3.149.1)

एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचस्तस्य वानरेन्द्रस्य धीमतः । भीमसेनस्तदा वीरः प्रोवाचामितविक्रमः ॥

etacchrutvā vacastasya vānarendrasya dhīmataḥ | bhīmasenastadā vīraḥ provācāmitavikramaḥ

Hearing these words of the wise lord of monkeys, the hero Bhimasena, of boundless valour, replied:

Verse 2 (3.149.2)

को भवान्किंनिमित्तं वा वानरं वपुराश्रितः । ब्राह्मणानन्तरो वर्णः क्षत्रियस्त्वाऽनुपृच्छति ॥

ko bhavānkiṃnimittaṃ vā vānaraṃ vapurāśritaḥ | brāhmaṇānantaro varṇaḥ kṣatriyastvā'nupṛcchati

"Who are you, and why have you taken on a monkey's form? It is a kshatriya who asks you, of the class that comes next after the brahmins.

Verse 3 (3.149.3)

कौरवः सोमवंशीयः कुन्त्या गर्भेण धारितः । पाण्डवो वायुतनयो भीमसेन इति श्रुतः ॥

kauravaḥ somavaṃśīyaḥ kuntyā garbheṇa dhāritaḥ | pāṇḍavo vāyutanayo bhīmasena iti śrutaḥ

I am a Kaurava of the lunar race, carried in Kunti's womb, a Pandava, the son of the Wind, known as Bhimasena."

Verse 4 (3.149.4)

स वाक्यं भीमसेनस्य स्मितेन प्रतिगृह्य तत् । हनुमान्वायुतनयो वायुपुत्रमभाषत ॥

sa vākyaṃ bhīmasenasya smitena pratigṛhya tat | hanumānvāyutanayo vāyuputramabhāṣata

Receiving Bhimasena's words with a smile, Hanuman, son of the Wind, said to the Wind's son:

Verse 5 (3.149.5)

वानरोऽहं न ते मार्गं प्रदास्यामि यथेप्सितम् । साधु गच्छ निवर्तस्व मा त्वं प्राप्स्यसि वैशसम् ॥

vānaro'haṃ na te mārgaṃ pradāsyāmi yathepsitam | sādhu gaccha nivartasva mā tvaṃ prāpsyasi vaiśasam

"I am a monkey; I will not give you the path you want. Better go back; do not come to harm."

Note on the text: Corrected यथोप्सितम् → यथेप्सितम् (misprint in Wikisource; CE yathepsitam).

Verse 6 (3.149.6)

वैशसं वाऽस्तु यद्वान्यन्न त्वां पृच्छामि वानर । प्रयच्छ मार्गमुत्तिष्ठ मा मत्तः प्राप्स्यसे व्यथाम् ॥

vaiśasaṃ vā'stu yadvānyanna tvāṃ pṛcchāmi vānara | prayaccha mārgamuttiṣṭha mā mattaḥ prāpsyase vyathām

"Harm or anything else, let it come; I am not asking you, monkey. Get up and give me the path, or you will suffer at my hands."

Note on the text: Corrected रपृच्चामि → पृच्छामि (misprint in Wikisource; stray र and च for छ, CE pṛcchāmi). The second line is a variant of the second line of CE 3.147.6.

Verse 7 (3.149.7)

नास्ति शक्तिर्ममोत्थातुं जरया क्लेशितो ह्यहम् । यद्यवश्यं प्रयातव्यं लङ्घयित्वा प्रयाहि माम् ॥

nāsti śaktirmamotthātuṃ jarayā kleśito hyaham | yadyavaśyaṃ prayātavyaṃ laṅghayitvā prayāhi mām

"I have no strength to get up; I am worn out by old age. If you must go on, step over me and go."

Verse 8 (3.149.8)

निर्गुणः परमात्मा तु देहं ते व्याप्य तिष्ठते । तमहं ज्ञानविज्ञेयं नावमन्ये न लङ्घये ॥

nirguṇaḥ paramātmā tu dehaṃ te vyāpya tiṣṭhate | tamahaṃ jñānavijñeyaṃ nāvamanye na laṅghaye

"The Supreme Self, beyond all qualities, pervades your body and dwells in it. Him, who is known through knowledge, I will not dishonour; I will not step over you.

Verse 9 (3.149.9)

यद्यागमैर्न विद्यां च तमहं भूतभावनम् । क्रमेयं त्वां गिरिं चैव हनूमानिव सागरम् ॥

yadyāgamairna vidyāṃ ca tamahaṃ bhūtabhāvanam | krameyaṃ tvāṃ giriṃ caiva hanūmāniva sāgaram

If I did not know Him, the maker of all beings, through the scriptures, I would leap over you and this mountain too, as Hanuman leapt the ocean."

Note on the text: Corrected हनीमानिव → हनूमानिव (misprint in Wikisource; CE hanūmān iva).

Verse 10 (3.149.10)

क एष हनुमान्नाम सागरो येन लङ्घितः । पृच्छामि त्वां नरश्रेष्ठ कथ्यतां यदि शक्यते ॥

ka eṣa hanumānnāma sāgaro yena laṅghitaḥ | pṛcchāmi tvāṃ naraśreṣṭha kathyatāṃ yadi śakyate

"Who is this Hanuman, by whom the ocean was leapt? I ask you, best of men; tell me, if you can."

Note on the text: Corrected पृच्चामि → पृच्छामि (misprint in Wikisource; CE pṛcchāmi).

Verse 11 (3.149.11)

भ्राता मम गुणश्लाघ्यो बुद्धिसत्त्वबलान्वितः । रामायणेऽतिविख्यातः श्रीमान्वानरपुङ्गवः ॥

bhrātā mama guṇaślāghyo buddhisattvabalānvitaḥ | rāmāyaṇe'tivikhyātaḥ śrīmānvānarapuṅgavaḥ

"He is my brother, praised for his virtues, gifted with intelligence, courage and strength, the glorious bull among monkeys, renowned in the Ramayana,

Note on the text: Corrected बुद्धिसत्वबलान्वितः → बुद्धिसत्त्वबलान्वितः (misspelling in Wikisource; CE buddhisattvabalānvitaḥ).

Verse 12 (3.149.12)

रामपत्नीकृते येन शतयोजनविस्तृतः । सागरः प्लवगेन्द्रेण क्रमेणैकेन लङ्घितः ॥

rāmapatnīkṛte yena śatayojanavistṛtaḥ | sāgaraḥ plavagendreṇa krameṇaikena laṅghitaḥ

the lord of the monkeys who, for Rama's wife, crossed the ocean, a hundred yojanas wide, in a single leap.

Verse 13 (3.149.13)

स मे भ्राता महावीर्यस्तुल्योऽहं तस्य तेजसा । बले पराक्रमे युद्धे शक्तोऽहं तव निग्रहे ॥

sa me bhrātā mahāvīryastulyo'haṃ tasya tejasā | bale parākrame yuddhe śakto'haṃ tava nigrahe

That mighty one is my brother, and I am his equal in vigour; in strength, in valour and in battle I am able to subdue you.

Note on the text: Corrected तस् तेजसा → तस्य तेजसा (misprint in Wikisource; dropped akshara, CE tasya tejasā).

Verse 14 (3.149.14)

इमं देशमनुप्राप्तः कारणेनास्मि केनचित् । उत्तिष्ठ देहि मे मार्गं पश्य मे चाद्य पौरुषम् । मच्छासनमकुर्वाणं त्वां वा नेष्ये यमक्षयम् ॥

imaṃ deśamanuprāptaḥ kāraṇenāsmi kenacit | uttiṣṭha dehi me mārgaṃ paśya me cādya pauruṣam | macchāsanamakurvāṇaṃ tvāṃ vā neṣye yamakṣayam

I have come to this region for a certain purpose. Get up, give me the path, and see my manhood today; or, if you do not do as I command, I will send you to Yama's abode."

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (`, ' and a doubled danda) around the first line. That line is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 3.147.13d*0721); the other two lines are a variant of CE 3.147.14.

Verse 15 (3.149.15)

विज्ञाय तं बलोन्मत्तं बाहुवीर्येण दर्पितम् । हृदयेनावहस्यैनं हनूमान्वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥

vijñāya taṃ balonmattaṃ bāhuvīryeṇa darpitam | hṛdayenāvahasyainaṃ hanūmānvākyamabravīt

Seeing him drunk with strength and proud of the might of his arms, Hanuman laughed at him in his heart and said:

Verse 16 (3.149.16)

प्रसीद नास्ति मे शक्तिरुत्थातुं जरयाऽनघ । ममानुकम्पया त्वेतत्पुच्छमुत्सार्य गम्यताम् ॥

prasīda nāsti me śaktirutthātuṃ jarayā'nagha | mamānukampayā tvetatpucchamutsārya gamyatām

"Be gracious, sinless one; old age has left me no strength to rise. Out of pity for me, just push this tail aside and go."

Verse 17 (3.149.17)

एवमुक्ते हनुमता हीनवीर्यपराक्रमम् । मनसाऽचिन्तयद्भीमः स्वबाहुबलदर्पितः ॥

evamukte hanumatā hīnavīryaparākramam | manasā'cintayadbhīmaḥ svabāhubaladarpitaḥ

When Hanuman had said this, Bhima, proud of the strength of his arms, judged him in his mind to be lacking in vigour and valour,

Note on the text: Removed a stray bracket ([) and corrected मनसाऽचिनतयद्भीमः → मनसाऽचिन्तयद्भीमः (misprint in Wikisource; broken conjunct, the apparatus reads manasācintayad). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 3.147.16d*0722 (lines 1–2).

Verse 18 (3.149.18)

पुच्छे प्रगृह्य तरसा हीनवीर्यपराक्रमम् । सालोक्यमन्तकस्यैनं नयाम्यद्येह वानरम् ॥

pucche pragṛhya tarasā hīnavīryaparākramam | sālokyamantakasyainaṃ nayāmyadyeha vānaram

and thought: "I will seize this feeble monkey by the tail and send him this very day to the world of Death."

Note on the text: Removed stray wiki marks (।।]). Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 3.147.16d*0722 (lines 3–4).

Verse 19 (3.149.19)

सावज्ञमथ वामेन स्मयञ्जग्राह पाणिना । न चाशकच्चालयितुं भीमः पुच्छं महाकपेः ॥

sāvajñamatha vāmena smayañjagrāha pāṇinā | na cāśakaccālayituṃ bhīmaḥ pucchaṃ mahākapeḥ

Then, smiling, he scornfully took hold of the tail with his left hand, but Bhima could not move the great monkey's tail.

Verse 20 (3.149.20)

उच्चिक्षेप पुनर्दोर्भ्यामिन्द्रायुधमिवोच्छ्रितम् । नोद्धर्तुमशकद्भीमो दोर्भ्यामपि महाबलः ॥

uccikṣepa punardorbhyāmindrāyudhamivocchritam | noddhartumaśakadbhīmo dorbhyāmapi mahābalaḥ

Again he heaved with both arms at that tail, raised high like Indra's bow; but even with both arms mighty Bhima could not lift it.

Verse 21 (3.149.21)

उत्क्षिप्तभ्रूर्विवृत्ताक्षः संहतभ्रकुटीमुखः । स्विन्नगात्रोऽभवद्भीमो न चोद्धर्तुंशशाक तम् ॥

utkṣiptabhrūrvivṛttākṣaḥ saṃhatabhrakuṭīmukhaḥ | svinnagātro'bhavadbhīmo na coddhartuṃśaśāka tam

His brows went up, his eyes rolled, his face knotted in a frown, his limbs ran with sweat, and still Bhima could not lift it.

Verse 22 (3.149.22)

यत्नवानपि तु श्रीमाँल्लाङ्गूलोद्धरणे ततः । कपेः पार्श्वगतो भीमस्तस्थौ व्रीडानताननः ॥

yatnavānapi tu śrīmām̐llāṅgūloddharaṇe tataḥ | kapeḥ pārśvagato bhīmastasthau vrīḍānatānanaḥ

For all his efforts to lift the tail, the glorious Bhima failed; then he stood beside the monkey, his face bowed in shame.

Note on the text: Corrected व्रीडडानताननः → व्रीडानताननः (misprint in Wikisource; doubled akshara).

Verse 23 (3.149.23)

प्रणिपत्य च कौन्तेयः प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यमब्रवीत् । प्रसीद कपिशार्दूल दुरुक्तं क्षम्यतां मम ॥

praṇipatya ca kaunteyaḥ prāñjalirvākyamabravīt | prasīda kapiśārdūla duruktaṃ kṣamyatāṃ mama

And bowing down, the son of Kunti said with joined palms: "Be gracious, tiger among monkeys; forgive my harsh words.

Verse 24 (3.149.24)

सिद्धो वा यदि वा देवो गन्धर्वो वाऽथ गुह्यकः । पृष्टः सन्को मया ब्रूहि कस्त्वं वानररूपधृत् ॥

siddho vā yadi vā devo gandharvo vā'tha guhyakaḥ | pṛṣṭaḥ sanko mayā brūhi kastvaṃ vānararūpadhṛt

Are you a Siddha, or a god, a Gandharva or a Guhyaka? Since I ask, tell me: who are you, wearing a monkey's form?

Verse 25 (3.149.25)

न चेद्गुह्यं महाबाहो श्रोतव्यं चेद्भवेन्मम । शिष्यवत्त्वां तु पृच्छामि उपपन्नोऽस्मि तेऽनघ ॥

na cedguhyaṃ mahābāho śrotavyaṃ cedbhavenmama | śiṣyavattvāṃ tu pṛcchāmi upapanno'smi te'nagha

If it is no secret, mighty-armed one, and if I may hear it, I ask you as a pupil would; I have come to you as a suppliant, sinless one."

Note on the text: Not in the critical edition (found in the vulgate recension); the critical edition records it in its apparatus as 3.147.22d*0724 and 3.147.22d*0725 (one line each).

Verse 26 (3.149.26)

यत्ते मम परिज्ञाने कौतूहलमरिंदम । तत्सर्वमखिलेन त्वं शृणु पाण्डवनन्दन ॥

yatte mama parijñāne kautūhalamariṃdama | tatsarvamakhilena tvaṃ śṛṇu pāṇḍavanandana

"Since you are curious to know about me, subduer of foes, hear it all in full, joy of the Pandavas.

Verse 27 (3.149.27)

अहं केसरिणः क्षेत्रे वायुना जगदायुषा । जातः कमलपत्राक्ष हनूमान्नाम वानरः ॥

ahaṃ kesariṇaḥ kṣetre vāyunā jagadāyuṣā | jātaḥ kamalapatrākṣa hanūmānnāma vānaraḥ

I am the monkey named Hanuman, lotus-eyed one, born in the field of Kesari to the Wind, the life of the world.

Verse 28 (3.149.28)

सूर्यपुत्रं च सुग्रीवं शक्रपुत्रं च वालिनम् । सर्ववानरराजानौ सर्ववानरयूथपाः ॥

sūryaputraṃ ca sugrīvaṃ śakraputraṃ ca vālinam | sarvavānararājānau sarvavānarayūthapāḥ

Sugriva, son of the Sun, and Valin, son of Shakra, the two kings of all the monkeys, and all the monkey chieftains

Verse 29 (3.149.29)

उपतस्थुर्महावीर्या मम चामित्रकर्शन । सुग्रीवेणाभवत्प्रीतिरनिलस्याग्निना यथा ॥

upatasthurmahāvīryā mama cāmitrakarśana | sugrīveṇābhavatprītiranilasyāgninā yathā

of great valour waited upon me, harrier of foes. With Sugriva I had a friendship like that of the wind with fire.

Verse 30 (3.149.30)

निकृतः स ततो भ्रात्रा कस्मिंश्चित्कारणान्तरे । ऋश्यमूके मया सार्धं सुग्रीवो न्यवसच्चिरम् ॥

nikṛtaḥ sa tato bhrātrā kasmiṃścitkāraṇāntare | ṛśyamūke mayā sārdhaṃ sugrīvo nyavasacciram

Then, for some reason, Sugriva was cast out by his brother, and he lived a long time with me on Rishyamuka.

Verse 31 (3.149.31)

अथ दाशरथिर्वीरो रामो नाम महाबलः । विष्णुर्मानुषरूपेण चचार वसुधातलम् ॥

atha dāśarathirvīro rāmo nāma mahābalaḥ | viṣṇurmānuṣarūpeṇa cacāra vasudhātalam

Then the son of Dasharatha, the hero named Rama, of great might, Vishnu in human form, walked the face of the earth.

Verse 32 (3.149.32)

स पितुः प्रियमन्विच्छन्सहभार्यः सहानुजः । सधनुर्धन्विनांश्रेष्ठो दण्डकारण्यमाश्रितः ॥

sa pituḥ priyamanvicchansahabhāryaḥ sahānujaḥ | sadhanurdhanvināṃśreṣṭho daṇḍakāraṇyamāśritaḥ

Seeking to do his father's pleasure, that best of bowmen, bow in hand, with his wife and his younger brother, made his home in the Dandaka forest.

Verse 33 (3.149.33)

तस्य भार्या जनस्थानाच्छलेनापहृता बलात् । राक्षसेन्द्रेण बलिना रावणेन दुरात्मना ॥

tasya bhāryā janasthānācchalenāpahṛtā balāt | rākṣasendreṇa balinā rāvaṇena durātmanā

His wife was carried off from Janasthana by force and by trickery by the mighty king of the Rakshasas, the evil-souled Ravana,

Note on the text: The first line is a variant of the first line of CE 3.147.30; the second is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 3.147.30b*0727, line 1).

Verse 34 (3.149.34)

सुवर्णरत्नचित्रेण मृगरूपेण रक्षसा । वञ्चयित्वा नरव्याघ्रं मारीचेन तदाऽनघ ॥

suvarṇaratnacitreṇa mṛgarūpeṇa rakṣasā | vañcayitvā naravyāghraṃ mārīcena tadā'nagha

after the Rakshasa Maricha, in the form of a deer bright with gold and gems, had lured away that tiger among men, sinless one.

Note on the text: The first line is not in the critical edition's text (its apparatus has it as 3.147.30b*0727, line 2); the second is a variant of the second line of CE 3.147.30 (vañcayitvā mahābuddhiṃ mṛgarūpeṇa rāghavam).