Hanuman Departs for the North

Shloka 1 (sundara.40.1)

श्रुत्वा तु वचनं तस्य वायुसूनोर्महात्मनः। उवाचात्महितं वाक्यं सीता सुरसुतोपमा ॥ 40.1 ॥

śrutvā tu vacanaṃ tasya vāyusūnormahātmanaḥ| uvācātmahitaṃ vākyaṃ sītā surasutopamā || 40.1 ||

Hearing his words, Sita, like the daughter of a god, spoke words for her own good, saying to that great-souled son of the wind-god:

Shloka 2 (sundara.40.2)

त्वां दृष्ट्वा प्रियवक्तारं सम्प्रहृष्यामि वानर। अर्धसंजातसस्येव वृष्टिं प्राप्य वसुंधरा ॥ 40.2 ॥

tvāṃ dṛṣṭvā priyavaktāraṃ samprahṛṣyāmi vānara| ardhasaṃjātasasyeva vṛṣṭiṃ prāpya vasuṃdharā || 40.2 ||

"Seeing you, O monkey, a bearer of such welcome words, I rejoice, as the earth with its half-grown crop rejoices on receiving rain."

Shloka 3 (sundara.40.3)

यथा तं पुरुषव्याघ्रं गात्रैः शोकाभिकर्शितैः। संस्पृशेयं सकामाहं तथा कुरु दयां मयि ॥ 40.3 ॥

yathā taṃ puruṣavyāghraṃ gātraiḥ śokābhikarśitaiḥ| saṃspṛśeyaṃ sakāmāhaṃ tathā kuru dayāṃ mayi || 40.3 ||

"So act with compassion toward me, that I, longing for it, may indeed touch that tiger among men, his limbs worn thin with grief."

Shloka 4 (sundara.40.4)

अभिज्ञानं च रामस्य दद्या हरिगणोत्तम। क्षिप्तामिषीकां काकस्य कोपादेकाक्षिशातनीम् ॥ 40.4 ॥

abhijñānaṃ ca rāmasya dadyā harigaṇottama| kṣiptāmiṣīkāṃ kākasya kopādekākṣiśātanīm || 40.4 ||

"And, O foremost of the monkey host, give Rama this token: the reed shot in anger at the crow, which took away one of its eyes,"

Shloka 5 (sundara.40.5)

मनःशिलायास्तिलको गण्डपार्श्वे निवेशितः। त्वया प्रणष्टे तिलके तं किल स्मर्तुमर्हसि ॥ 40.5 ॥

manaḥśilāyāstilako gaṇḍapārśve niveśitaḥ| tvayā praṇaṣṭe tilake taṃ kila smartumarhasi || 40.5 ||

"and the mark of red mineral pigment once placed upon my cheek — when that mark was lost, he should indeed recall this."

Shloka 6 (sundara.40.6)

स वीर्यवान् कथं सीतां हृतां समनुमन्यसे। वसन्तीं रक्षसां मध्ये महेन्द्रवरुणोपम ॥ 40.6 ॥

sa vīryavān kathaṃ sītāṃ hṛtāṃ samanumanyase| vasantīṃ rakṣasāṃ madhye mahendravaruṇopama || 40.6 ||

"How can he, so full of valour, O equal of Mahendra and Varuna, tolerate that Sita, carried off, still dwells among these demons?"

Shloka 7 (sundara.40.7)

एष चूडामणिर्दिव्यो मया सुपरिरक्षितः। एतं दृष्ट्वा प्रहृष्यामि व्यसने त्वामिवानघ ॥ 40.7 ॥

eṣa cūḍāmaṇirdivyo mayā suparirakṣitaḥ| etaṃ dṛṣṭvā prahṛṣyāmi vyasane tvāmivānagha || 40.7 ||

"This divine crest-jewel I have kept most carefully guarded; O sinless one, seeing it, I rejoice as though seeing you again in this calamity."

Shloka 8 (sundara.40.8)

एष निर्यातितः श्रीमान् मया ते वारिसम्भवः। अतः परं न शक्ष्यामि जीवितुं शोकलालसा ॥ 40.8 ॥

eṣa niryātitaḥ śrīmān mayā te vārisambhavaḥ| ataḥ paraṃ na śakṣyāmi jīvituṃ śokalālasā || 40.8 ||

"This glorious jewel, born of the waters, I have now given over through you; beyond this I, consumed with longing and sorrow, shall not be able to live."

Shloka 9 (sundara.40.9)

असह्यानि च दुःखानि वाचश्च हृदयच्छिदः। राक्षसैः सह संवासं त्वत्कृते मर्षयाम्यहम् ॥ 40.9 ॥

asahyāni ca duḥkhāni vācaśca hṛdayacchidaḥ| rākṣasaiḥ saha saṃvāsaṃ tvatkṛte marṣayāmyaham || 40.9 ||

"Unbearable griefs, and words that pierce the heart, and this dwelling among the demons — for your sake alone do I endure it, O hero."

Shloka 10 (sundara.40.10)

धारयिष्यामि मासं तु जीवितं शत्रुसूदन। मासादूर्ध्वं न जीविष्ये त्वया हीना नृपात्मज ॥ 40.10 ॥

dhārayiṣyāmi māsaṃ tu jīvitaṃ śatrusūdana| māsādūrdhvaṃ na jīviṣye tvayā hīnā nṛpātmaja || 40.10 ||

"I shall hold my life for one month more, O destroyer of foes; beyond a month, deprived of you, O prince, I shall not live."

Shloka 11 (sundara.40.11)

घोरो राक्षसराजोऽयं दृष्टिश्च न सुखा मयि। त्वां च श्रुत्वा विषज्जन्तं न जीवेयमपि क्षणम् ॥ 40.11 ॥

ghoro rākṣasarājo'yaṃ dṛṣṭiśca na sukhā mayi| tvāṃ ca śrutvā viṣajjantaṃ na jīveyamapi kṣaṇam || 40.11 ||

"This lord of demons is terrible, and his gaze upon me brings no comfort; hearing that he lusts after me, I could not live even a moment."

Shloka 12 (sundara.40.12)

वैदेह्या वचनं श्रुत्वा करुणं साश्रुभाषितम्। अथाब्रवीन्महातेजा हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः ॥ 40.12 ॥

vaidehyā vacanaṃ śrutvā karuṇaṃ sāśrubhāṣitam| athābravīnmahātejā hanūmān mārutātmajaḥ || 40.12 ||

Hearing Vaidehi's piteous, tearful words, Hanuman, the greatly radiant son of the wind-god, then spoke thus:

Shloka 13 (sundara.40.13)

त्वच्छोकविमुखो रामो देवि सत्येन ते शपे। रामे शोकाभिभूते तु लक्ष्मणः परितप्यते ॥ 40.13 ॥

tvacchokavimukho rāmo devi satyena te śape| rāme śokābhibhūte tu lakṣmaṇaḥ paritapyate || 40.13 ||

"O princess, Rama is turned away from all else by grief for you — I swear it to you by truth. When Rama is overwhelmed by grief, Lakshmana too is tormented."

Shloka 14 (sundara.40.14)

दृष्टा कथंचिद् भवती न कालः परिदेवितुम्। इमं मुहूर्तं दुःखानामन्तं द्रक्ष्यसि भामिनि ॥ 40.14 ॥

dṛṣṭā kathaṃcid bhavatī na kālaḥ paridevitum| imaṃ muhūrtaṃ duḥkhānāmantaṃ drakṣyasi bhāmini || 40.14 ||

"Somehow you have now been found — this is no time for lament; O radiant one, within this very hour you shall see the end of your sorrows."

Shloka 15 (sundara.40.15)

तावुभौ पुरुषव्याघ्रौ राजपुत्रावनिन्दितौ। त्वद्दर्शनकृतोत्साहौ लङ्कां भस्मीकरिष्यतः ॥ 40.15 ॥

tāvubhau puruṣavyāghrau rājaputrāvaninditau| tvaddarśanakṛtotsāhau laṅkāṃ bhasmīkariṣyataḥ || 40.15 ||

"Those two tigers among men, blameless princes, made eager by longing to see you, shall burn Lanka to ashes."

Shloka 16 (sundara.40.16)

हत्वा तु समरे रक्षो रावणं सहबान्धवैः। राघवौ त्वां विशालाक्षि स्वां पुरीं प्रति नेष्यतः ॥ 40.16 ॥

hatvā tu samare rakṣo rāvaṇaṃ sahabāndhavaiḥ| rāghavau tvāṃ viśālākṣi svāṃ purīṃ prati neṣyataḥ || 40.16 ||

"Having slain in battle the demon Ravana with all his kin, O wide-eyed one, the two Raghavas will take you back to their own city."

Shloka 17 (sundara.40.17)

यत्तु रामो विजानीयादभिज्ञानमनिन्दिते। प्रीतिसंजननं भूयस्तस्य त्वं दातुमर्हसि ॥ 40.17 ॥

yattu rāmo vijānīyādabhijñānamanindite| prītisaṃjananaṃ bhūyastasya tvaṃ dātumarhasi || 40.17 ||

"But whatever further token, O blameless one, would let Rama know it truly and gladden his heart the more, that you should give."

Shloka 18 (sundara.40.18)

साब्रवीद् दत्तमेवाहो मयाभिज्ञानमुत्तमम्। एतदेव हि रामस्य दृष्ट्वा यत्नेन भूषणम् ॥ 40.18 ॥

sābravīd dattamevāho mayābhijñānamuttamam| etadeva hi rāmasya dṛṣṭvā yatnena bhūṣaṇam || 40.18 ||

She said: "Indeed I have already given the best token: this very ornament, which Rama, seeing it, will recognize as won with such effort."

Shloka 19 (sundara.40.19)

श्रद्धेयं हनुमन् वाक्यं तव वीर भविष्यति। स तं मणिवरं गृह्य श्रीमान् प्लवगसत्तमः ॥ 40.19 ॥

śraddheyaṃ hanuman vākyaṃ tava vīra bhaviṣyati| sa taṃ maṇivaraṃ gṛhya śrīmān plavagasattamaḥ || 40.19 ||

"Your word, O hero Hanuman, shall itself be trustworthy." Then that glorious, foremost of monkeys, taking that excellent jewel,

Shloka 20 (sundara.40.20)

प्रणम्य शिरसा देवीं गमनायोपचक्रमे। तमुत्पातकृतोत्साहमवेक्ष्य हरियूथपम् ॥ 40.20 ॥

praṇamya śirasā devīṃ gamanāyopacakrame| tamutpātakṛtotsāhamavekṣya hariyūthapam || 40.20 ||

bowing his head to the princess, set out to depart. Seeing that lord of monkeys, made eager by the leap ahead,

Shloka 21 (sundara.40.21)

वर्धमानं महावेगमुवाच जनकात्मजा। अश्रुपूर्णमुखी दीना बाष्पगद्गदया गिरा ॥ 40.21 ॥

vardhamānaṃ mahāvegamuvāca janakātmajā| aśrupūrṇamukhī dīnā bāṣpagada‍gadayā girā || 40.21 ||

growing ever larger, moving with tremendous speed, Janaka's daughter, her face full of tears, wretched, spoke in a voice choked with sobs:

Shloka 22 (sundara.40.22)

हनूमन् सिंहसंकाशौ भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ। सुग्रीवं च सहामात्यं सर्वान् ब्रूया अनामयम् ॥ 40.22 ॥

hanūman siṃhasaṃkāśau bhrātarau rāmalakṣmaṇau| sugrīvaṃ ca sahāmātyaṃ sarvān brūyā anāmayam || 40.22 ||

"O Hanuman, convey good health to the lion-like brothers Rama and Lakshmana, and to Sugriva with his ministers, and to all of them."

Shloka 23 (sundara.40.23)

यथा च स महाबाहुर्मां तारयति राघवः। अस्माद् दुःखाम्बुसंरोधात् त्वं समाधातुमर्हसि ॥ 40.23 ॥

yathā ca sa mahābāhurmāṃ tārayati rāghavaḥ| asmād duḥkhāmbusaṃrodhāt tvaṃ samādhātumarhasi || 40.23 ||

"And in whatever way that mighty-armed Raghava may deliver me from this ocean of grief, you should so arrange it."

Shloka 24 (sundara.40.24)

इदं च तीव्रं मम शोकवेगं रक्षोभिरेभिः परिभर्त्सनं च। ब्रूयास्तु रामस्य गतः समीपं शिवश्च तेऽध्वास्तु हरिप्रवीर ॥ 40.24 ॥

idaṃ ca tīvraṃ mama śokavegaṃ rakṣobhirebhiḥ paribhartsanaṃ ca| brūyāstu rāmasya gataḥ samīpaṃ śivaśca te'dhvāstu haripravīra || 40.24 ||

"And tell him of this fierce surge of my grief, and of the taunting I suffer from these demons; and, O best of monkeys, may your journey to Rama's presence be blessed."

Shloka 25 (sundara.40.25)

स राजपुत्र्या प्रतिवेदितार्थः कपिः कृतार्थः परिहृष्टचेताः। तदल्पशेषं प्रसमीक्ष्य कार्यं दिशं ह्युदीचीं मनसा जगाम ॥ 40.25 ॥

sa rājaputryā prativeditārthaḥ kapiḥ kṛtārthaḥ parihṛṣṭacetāḥ| tadalpaśeṣaṃ prasamīkṣya kāryaṃ diśaṃ hyudīcīṃ manasā jagāma || 40.25 ||

That monkey, his purpose fulfilled and his message from the princess delivered, his heart full of joy, and seeing that his task now remained but little, set his mind toward the northern direction.