Summary
Seetha asks Hanuma, who is prepared to depart with the jewel for her head, to convey her enquiries about the welfare of Rama, Lakshmana and Sugreeva. She further requests Hanuma to urge them to rescue her. Then, Seetha expresses her doubt about the capacity of Rama, Lakshmana and the troops of monkeys and bears to cross the ocean. Hanuma explains to Seetha about the strength of monkey-heroes and assures her about their ability to cross the ocean. In the end, Hanuma consoles Seetha by promising to bring Rama and Lakshmana on his back across the sea so that they will together destroy the City of Lanka.
Chapter [Sarga] 39 in Detail
manim dattvaa tatah siitaa hanuumantam atha abraviit |
abhijnaanam abhijnaatam etat raamasya tattvatah || 5-39-1
Then, after giving the jewel for head, Seetha spoke to Hanuma as follows: "This token of remembrance is actually known to Rama."
manim tu drishtvaa raamo vai trayaanaam samsmarishyati |
viiro jananyaa mama ca raajno dasharathasya ca || 5-39-2
"By seeing this jewel, the heroic Rama can recollect three of us, viz. my mother, myself and the king Dasaratha."
sa bhuuyah tvam samutsaahe codito hari sattama |
asmin kaarya samaarambhe pracintaya yat uttaram || 5-39-3
"O Hanuma the excellent among monkeys! Driven by your enthusiasm again, think what remains to be done in undertaking this task."
tvam asmin kaarya niryoge pramaanam hari sattama |
hanuman yatnamaasthaaya duhkhaksayakaro bhava || 5-39-4
tasya cintaya yo yatno duhkha kshaya karo bhavet |
"O Hanuma the best among monkeys! You are capable of fulfilling this task. O Hanuma! Become the one who can remove my misfortunes, by employing your effort. If you think of it carefully, your effort will become the one which can remove my misfortunes."
sa tathaa iti pratijnaaya maarutih bhiima vikramah || 5-39-5
shirasaa aavandya vaidehiim gamanaaya upacakrame |
That Hanuma of terrific prowess, having promised 'so be it', offered salutation to Seetha by bowing his head to her and was set off to go.
jnaatvaa samprasthitam devii vaanaram maaruta aatmajam || 5-39-6
baashpa gadgadayaa vaacaa maithilii vaakyam abraviit |
Getting to know Hanuma ready to set out, Seetha the princess spoke the following words with her voice choked by tears.
kushalam hanuman bruuyaah sahitau raama lakshmanau || 5-39-7
sugriivam ca saha amaatyam vriddhaan sarvaan ca vaanaraan |
bruyastvaam vaanarashrestha kushalam dharmasamhitam || 5-39-8
"O Hanuma, the excellent among monkeys! Ask about the welfare of both Rama and Lakshmana together. You also ask, according to our usage, about the welfare of Sugreeva together with his ministers and of all the monkeys who are elder."
yathaa ca sa mahaabaahuh maam taarayati raaghavah |
asmaat duhkha ambu samrodhaat tvam samaadhaatum arhasi || 5-39-9
"You deserve to evolve a strategy through which the long-armed Rama can make me to cross over this ocean of misfortunes."
jiivantiim maam yathaa raamah sambhaavayati kiirtimaan |
tat tvayaa hanuman vaacyam vaacaa dharmam avaapnuhi || 5-39-10
"O Hanuma! Tell, in whatever manner, by which the illustrious Rama can console me, even while I am still surviving. Reap righteousness, by helping me through your word."
nityam utsaaha yuktaah ca vaacah shrutvaa mayaa iiritaah |
vardhishyate daasharatheh paurusham mat avaaptaye || 5-39-11
"Constantly hearing the words endowed with energy spoken by you, Rama's manly strength will be intensified to recover me."
mat samdesha yutaa vaacah tvattah shrutvaa eva raaghavah |
paraakrama vidhim viiro vidhivat samvidhaasyati || 5-39-12
'Hearing the words containing my message from you, the valiant Rama will duly set his heart in exercising his strength."
siitaayaah tat vacah shrutvaa hanumaan maaruta aatmajah |
shirasi anjalim aadhaaya vaakyam uttaram abraviit || 5-39-13
Hearing the words of Seetha, Hanuma the son of wind-god, having placed his open hands side by side, slightly shallow [having little depth] on his head in salutation), spoke the following words in reply.
kshipram eshyati kaakutstho hari riksha pravaraih vritah |
yaste yudhi vijitya ariin shokam vyapanayishyati || 5-39-14
"Coming soon together with valiant monkeys and bears, Rama after defeating the enemies in battle, will eliminate your sorrow."
na hi pashyaami martyeshu na amareshv asureshu vaa |
yastasya skhipato baanaan sthaatum utsahate agratah || 5-39-15
"While discharging his arrows, none can be seen either in men or in monkeys or in celestials who are able to stand before Rama in battle."
api arkam api parjanyam api vaivasvatam yamam |
sa hi sodhum rane shaktah tava hetoh visheshatah || 5-39-16
"That Rama is capable of enduring even the sun-god, even Indra the god of rain or even Yama the god of death, son of the sun-god a battle-field especially for your sake."
sa hi saagara paryantaam mahiim shaasitum iihate |
tvan nimitto hi raamasya jayo janaka nandini || 5-39-17
"Rama is indeed worthwhile to master the entire earth bounded by the ocean. O Seetha! Rama's victory is indeed for your sake."
tasya tat vacanam shrutvaa samyak satyam subhaashitam |
jaanakii bahu mene atha vacanam ca idam abraviit || 5-39-18
Hearing those words of Hanuma, spoken rightly and truly well, Seetha held him in great respect and proceeded to speak (the following) words:
tatah tam prasthitam siitaa viikshamaanaa punah punah |
bhartuh sneha anvitam vaakyam sauhaardaat anumaanayat || 5-39-19
Thereupon, looking again and again towards that Hanuma who was going away, Seetha kind-heartedly adored his words endowed with friendliness for her husband.
yadi vaa manyase viira vasa eka aham arim dama |
kasmimshcit samvrite deshe vishraantah shvo gamishyasi || 5-39-20
"O valiant monkey, the annihilator of enemies! If you are agreeable, stay for a day at any one secret place. After taking rest, you can go tomorrow."
mama cet alpa bhaagyaayaah saamnidhyaat tava viiryavaan |
asya shokasya mahato muhuurtam mokshanam bhavet || 5-39-21
"O Hanuma! Because of your vicinity, there may be a relief for a moment to this great sorrow of me, who is less fortunate."
gate hi hari shaarduula punah aagamanaaya tu |
praanaanaam api samdeho mama syaan na atra samshayah || 5-39-22
"O Hanuma the lion among the monkeys! If after that, there is any doubt about your return, there is a doubt even for my survival too. There is no suspicion about this matter."
tava adarshanajah shoko bhuuyo maam paritaapayet |
duhkhaat duhkha paraamrishtaam diipayann iva vaanara || 5-39-23
'O Hanuma! To me, who is tormented by one grief after another grief, my sorrow due to your disappearance will further torment me, like a burning flame."
ayam ca viira samdehah tishthati iva mama agratah |
sumahaan tvat sahaayeshu hari riksheshu hari iishvara || 5-39-24
"O best among the monkeys! O valiant one! In the matter of monkeys and bears who are your helpmates, this highly great doubt is lingering before me."
katham nu khalu dushpaaram tarishyanti mahaaudadhim |
taani hari riksha sainyaani tau vaa nara vara aatmajau || 5-39-25
"How indeed can those troops of monkeys and bears or Rama and Lakshmana can cross that great insurmountable ocean?"
trayaanaam eva bhuutaanaam saagarasya iha langhane |
shaktih syaat vainateyasya tava vaa maarutasya vaa || 5-39-26
"Three beings viz. Garuda the eagle, or yourself or the wind-god only have the capacity of crossing this ocean."
tat asmin kaarya niryoge viira evam duratikrame |
kim pashyasi samaadhaanam tvam hi kaaryavidaam varah || 5-39-27
"O valiant monkey! That is why, what strategy are you visualizing to fulfill this act, which is thus impassable? You are indeed excellent of those who know how to accomplish a task.
kaamam asya tvam eva ekah kaaryasya parisaadhane |
paryaaptah para viiraghna yashasyah te bala udayah || 5-39-28
"O Hanuma the annihilator of hostile enemies! You, as one alone, is capable of fulfilling this task. Your act of fulfilling the result is well-known."
balaih samagraih yadi maam raavanam jitya samyuge |
vijayii sva puram yaayaat tat tu me syaat yashah karam || 5-39-29
"If Rama defeats Ravana with his entire army in battle and as a champion takes me back to his own city, it will be quite worthy of him."
sharaistu samkulaam kritvaa lankaam para bala ardanah |
maam nayet yadi kaakutsthah tat tasya sadrisham bhavet || 5-39-30
"If Rama, the destroyer of rival army, fills the entire Lanka with his arrows and takes me home, it will be quite worthy of him."
tat yathaa tasya vikraantam anuruupam mahaatmanah |
bhavet aahava shuurasya tathaa tvam upapaadaya || 5-39-31
"For that reason, you act in such a way, that Rama the high-souled man, valiant in battle, may exhibit the prowess befitting of him."
tat artha upahitam vaakyam sahitam hetu samhitam |
nishamya hanumaan shesham vaakyam uttaram abraviit || 5-39-32
Hearing those words, which were meaningful humble and attended with reason, Hanuma gave his final reply (as follows)
devi hari riksha sainyaanaam iishvarah plavataam varah |
sugriivah sattva sampannah tava arthe krita nishcayah || 5-39-33
"O Seetha the princess! Sugreeva, the Lord of the troops of monkeys and bears and the foremost among the monkeys, who is endowed with strength, is firmly determined in your cause."
sa vaanara sahasraanaam kotiibhih abhisamvritah |
kshipram eshyati vaidehi raakshasaanaam nibarhanah || 5-39-34
"O Seetha! That Sugreeva, endowed with thousands and crores of monkeys, will come soon to destroy the demons."
tasya vikrama sampannaah sattvavanto mahaabalaah |
manah samkalpa sampaataa nideshe harayah sthitaah || 5-39-35
"So many monkeys, endowed with prowess, perseverance, great strength and who can rush to any place as they wish are intensely committed to Sugreeva's command.
yeshaam na upari na adhastaan na tiryak sajjate gatih |
na ca karmasu siidanti mahatsv amita tejasah || 5-39-36
"There is no hindrance to their movement either in the sky or in the ground or in any horizontal region (between the sky and the ground) with unlimited splendor are not indolent in performing any great task."
asakrit taih mahaautsahaih sasaagara dharaa dharaa |
pradakshinii kritaa bhuumih vaayu maarga anusaaribhih || 5-39-37
"The earth with its oceans and mountains has been circumambulated clockwise many times by those monkeys, who are highly energetic and who follow the aerial path."
mat vishishtaah ca tulyaah ca santi tatra vana okasah |
mattah pratyavarah kashcin na asti sugriiva samnidhau || 5-39-38
"In them, some of the monkeys are superior to me and some are even equal to me. No one in the vicinity of Sugreeva is inferior to me."
aham taavat iha praaptah kim punah te mahaabalaah |
na hi prakrishtaah preshyante preshyante hi itare janaah || 5-39-39
"When I have arrived here, why to talk about the mighty ones? Generally, superior ones are not sent for errands. Only others are indeed sent."
tat alam paritaapena devi shoko vyapaitu te |
eka utpaatena te lankaam eshyanti hari yuuthapaah || 5-39-40
"O Seetha the princess! Enough of your lamentation. Take away your sorrow. Those leaders of monkeys will reach Lanka by one single leap."
mama prishtha gatau tau ca candra suuryaav iva uditau |
tvat sakaasham mahaasattvau nrisimhaav aagamishyatah || 5-39-41
"Rama and Lakshmana, those two lions among men also of great strength, ascending on my shoulders, can come to you, like the rising sun and the moon."
tau hi viirau nara varau sahitau raama lakshmanau |
aagamya nagariim lankaam saayakaih vidhamishyatah || 5-39-42
"Coming together, Rama and Lakshmana the valiant and the excellent among men, can destroy the City of Lanka with their arrows."
saganam raavanam hatvaa raaghavo raghu nandanah |
tvaam aadaaya vara aarohe sva puram pratiyaasyati || 5-39-43
"O Seetha with a good waist! Rama, the delight of Raghu dynasty, killing Ravana together with his troops, will return to his town, duly taking you with him."
tat aashvasihi bhadram te bhava tvam kaala kaankshinii |
naciraat drakshyase raamam prajvajantam iva anilam || 5-39-44
"For that reason, console yourself indeed! Happiness to you! If you wait for some time, you shall see, within a short time, Rama like a blazing fire."
nihate raakshasa indre ca saputra amaatya baandhave |
tvam sameshyasi raamena shasha ankena iva rohinii || 5-39-45
"When this king of demons is killed along with his sons, ministers and relatives, you will meet Rama, as Rohini met the moon."
kshipram tvam devi shokasya paaram yaasyasi maithili |
raavanam caiva raamena nihatam drakshyase aciraat || 5-39-46
"O Seetha the princess! You shall see the end of your sorrow soon. Within a short time, you will also see the end of Ravana, as destroyed by Rama."
evam aashvasya vaidehiim hanuumaan maaruta aatmajah |
gamanaaya matim kritvaa vaidehiim punah abraviit || 5-39-47
Thus consoling Seetha, Hanuma the son of wind-god made up his mind to go back and spoke to Seetha again as follows:
tam arighnam krita aatmaanam kshipram drakshyasi raaghavam |
lakshmanam ca dhanush paanim lankaa dvaaram upasthitam || 5-39-48
"That Rama the annihilator of enemies, who firmly decided to destroy his adversaries and Lakshmana wielding a bow in his hand, will soon reach the entrance of Lanka and you will see them."
nakha damshtra aayudhaan viiraan simha shaarduula vikramaan |
vaanaraan vaarana indra aabhaan kshipram drakshyasi samgataan || 5-39-49
"You can see soon those valiant monkeys, with their claws and tusks as weapons, having the prowess of lions and tigers and looking like lordly elephants, coming together."
shaila ambuda nikaashaanaam lankaa malaya saanushu |
nardataam kapi mukhyaanaam aarye yuuthaani anekashah || 5-39-50
"O venerable lady! You shall see many troops of excellent monkeys resembling hills and clouds, thundering on the peaks of Malaya Mountain in Lanka."
sa tu marmani ghorena taadito manmatha ishunaa |
na sharma labhate raamah simha ardita iva dvipah || 5-39-51
"Hit in the vitals by the darts of venerable Manmatha the god of love, Rama is not obtaining happiness, as an elephant gets tormented by a lion."
maa rudo devi shokena maa bhuut te manaso apriyam |
shacii iva pathyaa shakrena bhartraa naathavatii hi asi || 5-39-52
"O Seetha the princess! Do not weep with grief. Let your mind be without any unpleasantness. You are indeed having Rama your husband as your protector like Sachi having Indra her husband as a protector."
raamaat vishishtah ko anyo asti kashcit saumitrinaa samah |
agni maaruta kalpau tau bhraatarau tava samshrayau || 5-39-53
"Who else is there greater than Rama or who else equal to Lakshmana? Those two brothers, like fire and wind, are supportive to you."
na asmin ciram vatsyasi devi deshe |
raksho ganaih adhyushito atiraudre |
na te ciraat aagamanam priyasya |
kshamasva mat saamgama kaala maatram || 5-39-54
"O Seetha the princess! You will not stay for long at this place, which is very terrific and occupied with a multitude of demons. The arrival of your husband will not be delayed. Be patient till the moment of my meeting with Rama on my return."
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye sundharakaande ekonachatvaarimshah sargah
Thus completes 39th Chapter of Sundara Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate