The Embrace of Hanuman

Shloka 1 (yuddha.1.1)

श्रुत्वा हनूमतो वाक्यं यथावदभिभाषितम्। रामः प्रीतिसमायुक्तो वाक्यमुत्तरमब्रवीत् ॥ 1.1 ॥

śrutvā hanūmato vākyaṃ yathāvadabhibhāṣitam | rāmaḥ prītisamāyukto vākyamuttaramabravīt || 1.1 ||

Having heard Hanuman's words, rightly spoken, Rama, filled with joy, spoke these words in reply.

Shloka 2 (yuddha.1.2)

कृतं हनूमता कार्यं सुमहद् भुवि दुर्लभम्। मनसापि यदन्येन न शक्यं धरणीतले ॥ 1.2 ॥

kṛtaṃ hanūmatā kāryaṃ sumahad bhuvi durlabham | manasāpi yadanyena na śakyaṃ dharaṇītale || 1.2 ||

A truly great deed, rare upon the earth, has been done by Hanuman -- one which no other could accomplish even in thought, here on this earth.

Shloka 3 (yuddha.1.3)

नहि तं परिपश्यामि यस्तरेत महोदधिम्। अन्यत्र गरुडाद् वायोरन्यत्र च हनूमतः ॥ 1.3 ॥

nahi taṃ paripaśyāmi yastareta mahodadhim | anyatra garuḍād vāyoranyatra ca hanūmataḥ || 1.3 ||

Indeed I see none who could cross this great ocean, except Garuda, or the Wind-god, or Hanuman.

Shloka 4 (yuddha.1.4)

देवदानवयक्षाणां गन्धर्वोरगरक्षसाम्। अप्रधृष्यां पुरीं लङ्कां रावणेन सुरक्षिताम् ॥ 1.4 ॥

devadānavayakṣāṇāṃ gandharvoragarakṣasām | apradhṛṣyāṃ purīṃ laṅkāṃ rāvaṇena surakṣitām || 1.4 ||

That city of Lanka -- unassailable by gods, demons, yakshas, gandharvas, nagas and rakshasas alike, and well-guarded by Ravana...

Shloka 5 (yuddha.1.5)

प्रविष्टः सत्त्वमाश्रित्य जीवन् को नाम निष्क्रमेत्। को विशेत् सुदुराधर्षां राक्षसैश्च सुरक्षिताम् ॥ 1.5 ॥

praviṣṭaḥ sattvamāśritya jīvan ko nāma niṣkramet | ko viśet sudurādharṣāṃ rākṣasaiśca surakṣitām || 1.5 ||

...having entered it, relying on his own valor alone, who could come out alive? And who could enter that city, so exceedingly hard to overpower and well-guarded by rakshasas?

Shloka 6 (yuddha.1.6)

यो वीर्यबलसम्पन्नो न समः स्याद्धनूमतः। भृत्यकार्यं हनुमता सुग्रीवस्य कृतं महत्। एवं विधाय स्वबलं सदृशं विक्रमस्य च ॥ 1.6 ॥

yo vīryabalasampanno na samaḥ syāddhanūmataḥ | bhṛtyakāryaṃ hanumatā sugrīvasya kṛtaṃ mahat | evaṃ vidhāya svabalaṃ sadṛśaṃ vikramasya ca || 1.6 ||

None, unless he were endowed with valor and strength equal to Hanuman's own. Thus has Hanuman performed this great service for Sugriva, displaying strength worthy of his own prowess.

Shloka 7 (yuddha.1.7)

यो हि भृत्यो नियुक्तः सन् भर्त्रा कर्मणि दुष्करे। कुर्यात् तदनुरागेण तमाहुः पुरुषोत्तमम् ॥ 1.7 ॥

yo hi bhṛtyo niyuktaḥ san bhartrā karmaṇi duṣkare | kuryāt tadanurāgeṇa tamāhuḥ puruṣottamam || 1.7 ||

That servant who, being entrusted by his master with a difficult task, accomplishes it with devotion -- him they call the best of men.

Shloka 8 (yuddha.1.8)

यो नियुक्तः परं कार्यं न कुर्यान्नृपतेः प्रियम्। भृत्यो युक्तः समर्थश्च तमाहुर्मध्यमं नरम् ॥ 1.8 ॥

yo niyuktaḥ paraṃ kāryaṃ na kuryānnṛpateḥ priyam | bhṛtyo yuktaḥ samarthaśca tamāhurmadhyamaṃ naram || 1.8 ||

The servant who, though capable and qualified, does not carry out the important task assigned by his king -- him they call a middling man.

Shloka 9 (yuddha.1.9)

नियुक्तो नृपतेः कार्यं न कुर्याद् यः समाहितः। भृत्यो युक्तः समर्थश्च तमाहुः पुरुषाधमम् ॥ 1.9 ॥

niyukto nṛpateḥ kāryaṃ na kuryād yaḥ samāhitaḥ | bhṛtyo yuktaḥ samarthaśca tamāhuḥ puruṣādhamam || 1.9 ||

The servant who, though entrusted with his king's task and though capable and qualified, does not perform it with due care -- him they call the lowest of men.

Shloka 10 (yuddha.1.10)

तन्नियोगे नियुक्तेन कृतं कृत्यं हनूमता। न चात्मा लघुतां नीतः सुग्रीवश्चापि तोषितः ॥ 1.10 ॥

tanniyoge niyuktena kṛtaṃ kṛtyaṃ hanūmatā | na cātmā laghutāṃ nītaḥ sugrīvaścāpi toṣitaḥ || 1.10 ||

Entrusted with that task, Hanuman has duly accomplished his duty -- he brought no diminishment upon himself, and Sugriva too has been well pleased.

Shloka 11 (yuddha.1.11)

अहं च रघुवंशश्च लक्ष्मणश्च महाबलः। वैदेह्या दर्शनेनाद्य धर्मतः परिरक्षिताः ॥ 1.11 ॥

ahaṃ ca raghuvaṃśaśca lakṣmaṇaśca mahābalaḥ | vaidehyā darśanenādya dharmataḥ parirakṣitāḥ || 1.11 ||

I, the line of Raghu, and the mighty Lakshmana -- today, by the finding of Vaidehi, we have all rightly been preserved.

Shloka 12 (yuddha.1.12)

इदं तु मम दीनस्य मनो भूयः प्रकर्षति। यदिहास्य प्रियाख्यातुर्न कुर्मि सदृशं प्रियम् ॥ 1.12 ॥

idaṃ tu mama dīnasya mano bhūyaḥ prakarṣati | yadihāsya priyākhyāturna kurmi sadṛśaṃ priyam || 1.12 ||

But this alone weighs further upon my wretched heart -- that I am unable to do a kindness fitting for the one who has brought me such welcome news.

Shloka 13 (yuddha.1.13)

एष सर्वस्वभूतस्तु परिष्वङ्गो हनूमतः। मया कालमिमं प्राप्य दत्तस्तस्य महात्मनः ॥ 1.13 ॥

eṣa sarvasvabhūtastu pariṣvaṅgo hanūmataḥ | mayā kālamimaṃ prāpya dattastasya mahātmanaḥ || 1.13 ||

This embrace alone -- which is all I possess to give -- I have, on this occasion, bestowed upon that great-souled Hanuman.

Shloka 14 (yuddha.1.14)

इत्युक्त्वा प्रीतिहृष्टाङ्गो रामस्तं परिषस्वजे। हनूमन्तं कृतात्मानं कृतकार्यमुपागतम् ॥ 1.14 ॥

ityuktvā prītihṛṣṭāṅgo rāmastaṃ pariṣasvaje | hanūmantaṃ kṛtātmānaṃ kṛtakāryamupāgatam || 1.14 ||

Saying this, Rama, his body thrilling with joy, embraced Hanuman -- the self-possessed one, who had returned having accomplished his task.

Shloka 15 (yuddha.1.15)

ध्यात्वा पुनरुवाचेदं वचनं रघुसत्तमः। हरीणामीश्वरस्यापि सुग्रीवस्योपशृण्वतः ॥ 1.15 ॥

dhyātvā punaruvācedaṃ vacanaṃ raghusattamaḥ | harīṇāmīśvarasyāpi sugrīvasyopaśṛṇvataḥ || 1.15 ||

Then, after reflecting a while, Rama, the best of the Raghus, spoke these words again, as Sugriva, the lord of the monkeys, listened attentively.

Shloka 16 (yuddha.1.16)

सर्वथा सुकृतं तावत् सीतायाः परिमार्गणम्। सागरं तु समासाद्य पुनर्नष्टं मनो मम ॥ 1.16 ॥

sarvathā sukṛtaṃ tāvat sītāyāḥ parimārgaṇam | sāgaraṃ tu samāsādya punarnaṣṭaṃ mano mama || 1.16 ||

The search for Sita has indeed been thoroughly and well accomplished; yet, on beholding this ocean, my heart is once more cast down.

Shloka 17 (yuddha.1.17)

कथं नाम समुद्रस्य दुष्पारस्य महाम्भसः। हरयो दक्षिणं पारं गमिष्यन्ति समागताः ॥ 1.17 ॥

kathaṃ nāma samudrasya duṣpārasya mahāmbhasaḥ | harayo dakṣiṇaṃ pāraṃ gamiṣyanti samāgatāḥ || 1.17 ||

How indeed will these monkeys, gathered together, reach the southern shore of this ocean, so hard to cross and so vast with water?

Shloka 18 (yuddha.1.18)

यद्यप्येष तु वृत्तान्तो वैदेह्या गदितो मम। समुद्रपारगमने हरीणां किमिवोत्तरम् ॥ 1.18 ॥

yadyapyeṣa tu vṛttānto vaidehyā gadito mama | samudrapāragamane harīṇāṃ kimivottaram || 1.18 ||

Even though Vaidehi has told me this account, what then is the answer, for the monkeys, to crossing over the ocean?

Shloka 19 (yuddha.1.19)

इत्युक्त्वा शोकसम्भ्रान्तो रामः शत्रुनिबर्हणः। हनूमन्तं महाबाहुस्ततो ध्यानमुपागमत् ॥ 1.19 ॥

ityuktvā śokasambhrānto rāmaḥ śatrunibarhaṇaḥ | hanūmantaṃ mahābāhustato dhyānamupāgamat || 1.19 ||

Having said this to Hanuman, Rama, the mighty-armed destroyer of foes, overwhelmed with grief, then fell silent, sunk in thought.