Summary
Angada, Hanuma and other monkeys approach Rama, Lakshmana and Sugreeva at Mount Prasravana. When monkeys start narrating the news of Seetha, Rama asks further details of Seetha. Then, the monkeys request Hanuma to explain the occurrences to Rama in detail. Then, Hanuma appraises Rama of Seetha's presence at the foot of a Simshupa tree in the midst of female-demons. After narrating the incidents related by her and delivering to Rama the jewel for the head, earlier handed-over by Seetha as a token, Hanuma conveys her message to Rama.
Chapter [Sarga] 65 in Detail
tatah prasravanam shailam te gatvaa citra kaananam |
pranamya shirasaa raamam lakshmanam ca mahaabalam || 5-65-1
yuva raajam purah kritya sugriivam abhivaadya ca |
pravrittam atha siitaayaah pravaktum upacakramuh || 5-65-2
Keeping Angada the prince in their forefront those monkeys, on reaching Mount Prasravana having forests of variegated appearance, offered their salutation by bowing their heads in reverence to Rama and the mighty Lakshmana, greeting Sugreeva respectfully. Then, they started narrating the news of Seetha.
raavana antah pure rodham raakshasiibhih ca tarjanam |
raame samanuraagam ca yah ca api samayah kritah || 5-65-3
etat aakhyaanti te sarve harayo raama samnidhau |
Those monkeys started to narrate, in the presence of Rama, about, the female-demons, and frightening Seetha in Ravana's gynaeceum, her complete affection towards Rama and the time-limit of two months given by Ravana.
vaidehiim akshataam shrutvaa raamah tu uttaram abraviit || 5-65-4
kva siitaa vartate devii katham ca mayi vartate |
etan me sarvam aakhyaata vaidehiim prati vaanaraah || 5-65-5
Hearing of Seetha being alive, Rama on his part replied, "Where is Seetha, the princess? How is she disposed towards me? O monkeys! Tell me all that about Seetha."
raamasya gaditam shrutva harayo raama samnidhau |
codayanti hanuumantam siitaa vritta anta kovidam || 5-65-6
Hearing the words of Rama, the monkeys urged Hanuma to tell, in the presence of Rama, all the incidents because he knew them better, about Seetha.
shrutvaa tu vacanam teshaam hanuumaan maaruta aatmajah |
pranamya shirasaa devyai siitaayai taam disham prati || 5-65-7
uvaaca vaakyam vaakyajnah siitaayaa darshanam yathaa |
Hearing the words of those monkeys, the eloquent Hanuma, the son of wind-god saluting towards the direction of the Seetha the princess by bowing his head, spoke the following words, explaining how he saw Seetha.
samudram langhayitvaa aham shata yojanam aayatam || 5-65-8
agaccham jaanakiim siitaam maargamaano didrikshayaa |
"Having gone across the ocean, a hundred Yojanas wide, I reached the southern shore looking in search of Seetha, Janaka's daughter, with a wish to see her."
tatra lankaa iti nagarii raavanasya duraatmanah || 5-65-9
dakshinasya samudrasya tiire vasati dakshine |
"There at the southern shore of the southern ocean, there is city called Lanka of the evil-minded Ravana."
tatra drishtaa mayaa siitaa raavana antah pure satii || 5-65-10
samnyasya tvayi jiivantii raamaa raama mano ratham |
"O Rama! There, living in Ravana's gynaeceum in the city, I saw the lady Seetha, your virtuous wife, centering here heart's desire in you."
drishtaa me raakshasii madhye tarjyamaanaa muhuh muhuh || 5-65-11
raakshasiibhih viruupaabhii rakshitaa pramadaa vane |
"In that pleasure garden, I saw Seetha sitting in the midst of female demons, guarded by those ugly-faced female-demons as also time and again being threatened by them."
duhkham aapadyate devii tava aduhkha ucitaa satii || 5-65-12
raavana antah pure ruddhvaa raakshasiibhih surakshitaa |
eka venii dharaa diinaa tvayi cintaa paraayanaa || 5-65-13
adhah shayyaa vivarna angii padminii iva hima aagame |
raavanaat vinivritta arthaa martavya krita nishcayaa || 5-65-14
devii kathamcit kaakutstha tvan manaa maargitaa mayaa |
"O hero! Seetha, who deserves to live happily with you, is obtaining grief. O Rama! I somehow searched that princess, Seetha wearing a single plait (as a as a mark of desolation), looking miserable, remaining absorbed in your thought, reposing on the floor, having discoloured limbs like a lotus in winter, turning back the wish from Ravana, having determined to die, but thinking of you alone."
ikshvaaku vamsha vikhyaatim shanaih kiirtayata anagha || 5-65-15
sa mayaa nara shaarduula vishvaasam upapaaditaa |
"O faultless tiger among men! Seetha established confidence in me, after I slowly described to her the fame of Ikshvaku dynasty."
tatah sambhaashitaa devii sarvam artham ca darshitaa || 5-65-16
raama sugriiva sakhyam ca shrutvaa priitim upaagataa |
niyatah samudaacaaro bhaktih ca asyaah tathaa tvayi || 5-65-17
"Thereafter, I spoke and explained to Seetha, about the entire significance of my arrival there. On hearing about the alliance between Rama and Sugreeva, she was quite pleased. Her morality as well as her devotion in you are steadfast."
evam mayaa mahaabhaagaa drishtaa janaka nandinii |
ugrena tapasaa yuktaa tvat bhaktyaa purusha rishabha || 5-65-18
"O, the foremost of men! I thus saw that illustrious Seetha, endowed with severe penance and devotion towards you."
abhijnaanam ca me dattam yathaa vrittam tava antike |
citra kuute mahaapraajna vaayasam prati raaghava || 5-65-19
"O Rama, of great intelligence! To me, she gave as a token of remembrance, a previous event of a crow occurred at your vicinity in Mount Chitrakuta."
vijnaapyah ca nara vyaaghro raamo vaayu suta tvayaa |
akhilena iha yat drishtam iti maam aaha jaanakii || 5-65-20
"Seetha spoke to me saying, 'O Hanuma! Inform Rama, the foremost among men, all that you have seen here."
ayam ca asmai pradaatavyam yatnaat suparirakshitam |
bruvataa vacanaani evam sugriivasya upashrinvatah || 5-65-21
"While Sugreeva is hearing nearby and while you are telling the words in this way, let this jewel, which is deliberately well-guarded, be given to Rama."
esha cuudaa manih shriimaan mayaa te yatna rakshitah |
manah shilaayaah tikalah tam smarasva iti ca abraviit || 5-65-22
tvayaa praaste timke tam kila smartumarhasi |
"This beautiful jewel for the head has been well-guarded by me. You also ought to recall a mark indeed painted by you (by slip) on the curve of my cheek with powder of an orange-red rock, when my former mark on my forehead got effaced."
esha niryaatitah shriimaan mayaa te vaari sambhavah || 5-65-23
etam drishtvaa pramodishye vyasane tvaam iva anagha |
"This beautiful jewel, which has its origin in sea-water, has been sent to you. Seeing this in my grief, I am feeling always happy as though I am seeing you."
jiivitam dhaarayishyaami maasam dasharatha aatmaja || 5-65-24
uurdhvam maasaan na jiiveyam rakshasaam vasham aagataa |
"O Rama! I shall be sustaining my life for a month. Having come into the control of demons, I cannot survive beyond one month."
iti maam abraviit siitaa krisha angii dharma caarinii || 5-65-25
raavana antah pure ruddhaa mrigii iva utphulla locanaa |
"Seetha, with her emaciated body, practicing virtue, confined in Ravana's gynaecium and with her wide-open eyes like that of a doe, spoke to me the following words:
etat eva mayaa aakhyaatam sarvam raaghava yat yathaa || 5-65-26
sarvathaa saagara jale samtaarah pravidhiiyataam |
"O Rama! I have narrated to you whatever has occurred, in its entirety. Let a bridge be constructed, by all means, across the waters of the ocean."
tau jaata aashvaasau raaja putrau viditvaa |
tac ca abhijnaanam raaghavaaya pradaaya |
devyaa ca aakhyaatam sarvam eva aanupuurvyaat |
vaacaa sampuurnam vaayu putrah shashamsa || 5-65-27
Coming to know that the two princes, Rama and Lakshmana have become confident and having given that token of remembrance to Rama, Hanuma apprised completely in so many words, in regular succession, all that was conveyed by Seetha, the princess.
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye sundarakaande pajnchasastitamahn sargah
Thus completes 65th Chapter of Sundara Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate