Farewell in the ashoka grove

श्रुत्वा तु वचनं तस्य वायुसूनोर्महात्मनः ।

śrutvā tu vacanaṃ tasya vāyusūnormahātmanaḥ |

Hearing the words of that noble son of the Wind,

उवाचात्महितं वाक्यं सीता सुरसुतोपमा ॥

uvācātmahitaṃ vākyaṃ sītā surasutopamā ||

Sita, lovely as a daughter of the gods, spoke about what would help her.

त्वां दृष्ट्वा प्रियवक्तारं सम्प्रहृष्यामि वानर ।

tvāṃ dṛṣṭvā priyavaktāraṃ samprahṛṣyāmi vānara |

Seeing you, bearer of welcome words, fills me with joy, O vanara,

अर्धसंजातसस्येव वृष्टिं प्राप्य वसुंधरा ॥

ardhasaṃjātasasyeva vṛṣṭiṃ prāpya vasuṃdharā ||

like the earth receiving rain when its crop is only half grown.

यथा तं पुरुषव्याघ्रं गात्रैः शोकाभिकर्शितैः ।

yathā taṃ puruṣavyāghraṃ gātraiḥ śokābhikarśitaiḥ |

Show me such compassion that, with these limbs worn thin by grief,

संस्पृशेयं सकामाहं तथा कुरु दयां मयि ॥

saṃspṛśeyaṃ sakāmāhaṃ tathā kuru dayāṃ mayi ||

I may fulfil my longing to embrace that foremost of men.

अभिज्ञानं च रामस्य दद्या हरिगणोत्तम ।

abhijñānaṃ ca rāmasya dadyā harigaṇottama |

Give Rama this token of recognition, best among the vanaras:

क्षिप्तामिषीकां काकस्य कोपादेकाक्षिशातनीम् ॥

kṣiptāmiṣīkāṃ kākasya kopādekākṣiśātanīm ||

the blade of grass he angrily cast at the crow, destroying one of its eyes.

मनःशिलायास्तिलको गण्डपार्श्वे निवेशितः ।

manaḥśilāyāstilako gaṇḍapārśve niveśitaḥ |

When my forehead mark had been rubbed away, you placed a mark of red mineral pigment

त्वया प्रणष्टे तिलके तं किल स्मर्तुमर्हसि ॥

tvayā praṇaṣṭe tilake taṃ kila smartumarhasi ||

beside my cheek: surely you should remember that.

स वीर्यवान् कथं सीतां हृतां समनुमन्यसे ।

sa vīryavān kathaṃ sītāṃ hṛtāṃ samanumanyase |

You are mighty, like Indra and Varuna: how can you allow Sita,

वसन्तीं रक्षसां मध्ये महेन्द्रवरुणोपम ॥

vasantīṃ rakṣasāṃ madhye mahendravaruṇopama ||

carried away, to remain among the rakshasas?

एष चूडामणिर्दिव्यो मया सुपरिरक्षितः ।

eṣa cūḍāmaṇirdivyo mayā suparirakṣitaḥ |

I have carefully preserved this divine crest-jewel;

एतं दृष्ट्वा प्रहृष्यामि व्यसने त्वामिवानघ ॥

etaṃ dṛṣṭvā prahṛṣyāmi vyasane tvāmivānagha ||

in my suffering I rejoice on seeing it, as though I were seeing you, blameless one.

एष निर्यातितः श्रीमान् मया ते वारिसम्भवः ।

eṣa niryātitaḥ śrīmān mayā te vārisambhavaḥ |

I now send you this splendid jewel born from the waters;

अतः परं न शक्ष्यामि जीवितुं शोकलालसा ॥

ataḥ paraṃ na śakṣyāmi jīvituṃ śokalālasā ||

beyond this I cannot keep living, overwhelmed by sorrow.

असह्यानि च दुःखानि वाचश्च हृदयच्छिदः ।

asahyāni ca duḥkhāni vācaśca hṛdayacchidaḥ |

For your sake I endure unbearable troubles, words that pierce the heart,

राक्षसैः सह संवासं त्वत्कृते मर्षयाम्यहम् ॥

rākṣasaiḥ saha saṃvāsaṃ tvatkṛte marṣayāmyaham ||

and this life among the rakshasas.

धारयिष्यामि मासं तु जीवितं शत्रुसूदन ।

dhārayiṣyāmi māsaṃ tu jīvitaṃ śatrusūdana |

I shall preserve my life for one month, destroyer of enemies;

मासादूर्ध्वं न जीविष्ये त्वया हीना नृपात्मज ॥

māsādūrdhvaṃ na jīviṣye tvayā hīnā nṛpātmaja ||

beyond a month I cannot live without you, prince.

घोरो राक्षसराजोऽयं दृष्टिश्च न सुखा मयि ।

ghoro rākṣasarājo’yaṃ dṛṣṭiśca na sukhā mayi |

This rakshasa king is dreadful, and his look towards me is hostile;

त्वां च श्रुत्वा विषज्जन्तं न जीवेयमपि क्षणम् ॥

tvāṃ ca śrutvā viṣajjantaṃ na jīveyamapi kṣaṇam ||

if I heard that you were losing heart, I could not live even a moment.

वैदेह्या वचनं श्रुत्वा करुणं साश्रुभाषितम् ।

vaidehyā vacanaṃ śrutvā karuṇaṃ sāśrubhāṣitam |

Hearing Vaidehi’s sorrowful words, spoken through tears,

अथाब्रवीन्महातेजा हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः ॥

athābravīnmahātejā hanūmān mārutātmajaḥ ||

the radiant Hanuman, son of the Wind, replied.

त्वच्छोकविमुखो रामो देवि सत्येन ते शपे ।

tvacchokavimukho rāmo devi satyena te śape |

Lady, Rama is turned away from everything by grief for you; I swear this truth to you.

रामे शोकाभिभूते तु लक्ष्मणः परितप्यते ॥

rāme śokābhibhūte tu lakṣmaṇaḥ paritapyate ||

And when Rama is overcome by sorrow, Lakshmana suffers too.

दृष्टा कथंचिद् भवती न कालः परिदेवितुम् ।

dṛṣṭā kathaṃcid bhavatī na kālaḥ paridevitum |

Somehow you have at last been found; this is no time to lament.

इमं मुहूर्तं दुःखानामन्तं द्रक्ष्यसि भामिनि ॥

imaṃ muhūrtaṃ duḥkhānāmantaṃ drakṣyasi bhāmini ||

Very soon, fair lady, you will see the end of your troubles.

तावुभौ पुरुषव्याघ्रौ राजपुत्रावनिन्दितौ ।

tāvubhau puruṣavyāghrau rājaputrāvaninditau |

Those two blameless princes, foremost among men,

त्वद्दर्शनकृतोत्साहौ लङ्कां भस्मीकरिष्यतः ॥

tvaddarśanakṛtotsāhau laṅkāṃ bhasmīkariṣyataḥ ||

eager to see you, will reduce Lanka to ashes.

हत्वा तु समरे रक्षो रावणं सहबान्धवैः ।

hatvā tu samare rakṣo rāvaṇaṃ sahabāndhavaiḥ |

After killing the rakshasa Ravana and his kinsmen in battle,

राघवौ त्वां विशालाक्षि स्वां पुरीं प्रति नेष्यतः ॥

rāghavau tvāṃ viśālākṣi svāṃ purīṃ prati neṣyataḥ ||

the two descendants of Raghu will take you, wide-eyed lady, back to their own city.

यत्तु रामो विजानीयादभिज्ञानमनिन्दिते ।

yattu rāmo vijānīyādabhijñānamanindite |

You should give me some further token, blameless lady,

प्रीतिसंजननं भूयस्तस्य त्वं दातुमर्हसि ॥

prītisaṃjananaṃ bhūyastasya tvaṃ dātumarhasi ||

that Rama will recognise and that will bring him joy.

साब्रवीद् दत्तमेवाहो मयाभिज्ञानमुत्तमम् ।

sābravīd dattamevāho mayābhijñānamuttamam |

She said: I have already given an excellent token.

एतदेव हि रामस्य दृष्ट्वा यत्नेन भूषणम् ॥

etadeva hi rāmasya dṛṣṭvā yatnena bhūṣaṇam ||

For when Rama sees this very ornament and considers it carefully—

श्रद्धेयं हनुमन् वाक्यं तव वीर भविष्यति ।

śraddheyaṃ hanuman vākyaṃ tava vīra bhaviṣyati |

Your words, heroic Hanuman, will be believed.

स तं मणिवरं गृह्य श्रीमान् प्लवगसत्तमः ॥

sa taṃ maṇivaraṃ gṛhya śrīmān plavagasattamaḥ ||

Taking that precious jewel, the illustrious foremost of vanaras—

प्रणम्य शिरसा देवीं गमनायोपचक्रमे ।

praṇamya śirasā devīṃ gamanāyopacakrame |

bowed his head to the lady and prepared to depart.

तमुत्पातकृतोत्साहमवेक्ष्य हरियूथपम् ॥

tamutpātakṛtotsāhamavekṣya hariyūthapam ||

Seeing that leader of the vanaras eager to leap away—

वर्धमानं महावेगमुवाच जनकात्मजा ।

vardhamānaṃ mahāvegamuvāca janakātmajā |

growing in size and filled with great speed, Janaka’s daughter spoke,

अश्रुपूर्णमुखी दीना बाष्पगद‍्गदया गिरा ॥

aśrupūrṇamukhī dīnā bāṣpagadgadayā girā ||

her face full of tears, distressed, and her voice choked with sobs.

हनूमन् सिंहसंकाशौ भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ ।

hanūman siṃhasaṃkāśau bhrātarau rāmalakṣmaṇau |

Hanuman, convey my wish for their well-being to the lion-like brothers Rama and Lakshmana,

सुग्रीवं च सहामात्यं सर्वान् ब्रूया अनामयम् ॥

sugrīvaṃ ca sahāmātyaṃ sarvān brūyā anāmayam ||

to Sugriva with his ministers, and to them all.

यथा च स महाबाहुर्मां तारयति राघवः ।

yathā ca sa mahābāhurmāṃ tārayati rāghavaḥ |

You must arrange matters so that the mighty-armed descendant of Raghu

अस्माद् दुःखाम्बुसंरोधात् त्वं समाधातुमर्हसि ॥

asmād duḥkhāmbusaṃrodhāt tvaṃ samādhātumarhasi ||

carries me across this enclosing flood of sorrow.

इदं च तीव्रं मम शोकवेगं

idaṃ ca tīvraṃ mama śokavegaṃ

And this fierce surge of my grief,

रक्षोभिरेभिः परिभर्त्सनं च ।

rakṣobhirebhiḥ paribhartsanaṃ ca |

and the threats of these rakshasas—

ब्रूयास्तु रामस्य गतः समीपं

brūyāstu rāmasya gataḥ samīpaṃ

tell Rama of them when you come into his presence;

शिवश्च तेऽध्वास्तु हरिप्रवीर ॥

śivaśca te’dhvāstu haripravīra ||

and may your journey be blessed, heroic vanara.

स राजपुत्र्या प्रतिवेदितार्थः

sa rājaputryā prativeditārthaḥ

Having understood the princess’s message,

कपिः कृतार्थः परिहृष्टचेताः ।

kapiḥ kṛtārthaḥ parihṛṣṭacetāḥ |

the vanara, successful in his mission and delighted at heart,

तदल्पशेषं प्रसमीक्ष्य कार्यं

tadalpaśeṣaṃ prasamīkṣya kāryaṃ

considered the little that remained to be done

दिशं ह्युदीचीं मनसा जगाम ॥

diśaṃ hyudīcīṃ manasā jagāma ||

and turned his thoughts towards the north.