Hanuman tests Lanka’s strength

स च वाग्भिः प्रशस्ताभिर्गमिष्यन् पूजितस्तया ।

sa ca vāgbhiḥ praśastābhirgamiṣyan pūjitastayā |

Honoured by her gracious words as he was about to leave,

तस्माद् देशादपाक्रम्य चिन्तयामास वानरः ॥

tasmād deśādapākramya cintayāmāsa vānaraḥ ||

the vanara moved away from that place and began to reflect.

अल्पशेषमिदं कार्यं दृष्टेयमसितेक्षणा ।

alpaśeṣamidaṃ kāryaṃ dṛṣṭeyamasitekṣaṇā |

Little remains of this mission: I have seen the dark-eyed lady.

त्रीनुपायानतिक्रम्य चतुर्थ इह दृश्यते ॥

trīnupāyānatikramya caturtha iha dṛśyate ||

Setting aside the first three methods, the fourth seems suitable here.

न साम रक्षःसु गुणाय कल्पते

na sāma rakṣaḥsu guṇāya kalpate

Conciliation will not produce a useful result among these rakshasas;

न दानमर्थोपचितेषु युज्यते ।

na dānamarthopaciteṣu yujyate |

gifts have no place with people already rich.

न भेदसाध्या बलदर्पिता जनाः

na bhedasādhyā baladarpitā janāḥ

Those proud of their strength cannot be won by sowing division;

पराक्रमस्त्वेष ममेह रोचते ॥

parākramastveṣa mameha rocate ||

a display of force is what appeals to me here.

न चास्य कार्यस्य पराक्रमादृते

na cāsya kāryasya parākramādṛte

Without a display of force,

विनिश्चयः कश्चिदिहोपपद्यते ।

viniścayaḥ kaścidihopapadyate |

no firm assessment of this task is possible here.

हतप्रवीराश्च रणे तु राक्षसाः

hatapravīrāśca raṇe tu rākṣasāḥ

If their leading warriors are killed in battle today,

कथंचिदीयुर्यदिहाद्य मार्दवम् ॥

kathaṃcidīyuryadihādya mārdavam ||

the rakshasas might perhaps become less arrogant.

कार्ये कर्मणि निर्वृत्ते यो बहून्यपि साधयेत् ।

kārye karmaṇi nirvṛtte yo bahūnyapi sādhayet |

One who, after finishing the assigned work, achieves other purposes too

पूर्वकार्याविरोधेन स कार्यं कर्तुमर्हति ॥

pūrvakāryāvirodhena sa kāryaṃ kartumarhati ||

without obstructing the first task is fit to undertake a mission.

न ह्येकः साधको हेतुः स्वल्पस्यापीह कर्मणः ।

na hyekaḥ sādhako hetuḥ svalpasyāpīha karmaṇaḥ |

Even a small undertaking does not have only one means of success.

यो ह्यर्थं बहुधा वेद स समर्थोऽर्थसाधने ॥

yo hyarthaṃ bahudhā veda sa samartho’rthasādhane ||

One who understands an objective in several ways is capable of accomplishing it.

इहैव तावत्कृतनिश्चयो ह्यहं

ihaiva tāvatkṛtaniścayo hyahaṃ

Only after making a firm assessment here

व्रजेयमद्य प्लवगेश्वरालयम् ।

vrajeyamadya plavageśvarālayam |

should I return today to the lord of the vanaras.

परात्मसम्मर्दविशेषतत्त्ववित्

parātmasammardaviśeṣatattvavit

Knowing the true difference between our strength and the enemy’s in conflict,

ततः कृतं स्यान्मम भर्तृशासनम् ॥

tataḥ kṛtaṃ syānmama bhartṛśāsanam ||

I shall then have fully carried out my master’s command.

कथं नु खल्वद्य भवेत् सुखागतं

kathaṃ nu khalvadya bhavet sukhāgataṃ

How might a battle with the rakshasas

प्रसह्य युद्धं मम राक्षसैः सह ।

prasahya yuddhaṃ mama rākṣasaiḥ saha |

come about here today through a direct challenge from me,

तथैव खल्वात्मबलं च सारवत्

tathaiva khalvātmabalaṃ ca sāravat

so that the ten-headed king brings his substantial forces

समानयेन्मां च रणे दशाननः ॥

samānayenmāṃ ca raṇe daśānanaḥ ||

and confronts me in combat?

ततः समासाद्य रणे दशाननं

tataḥ samāsādya raṇe daśānanaṃ

Then, confronting the ten-headed king in battle

समन्त्रिवर्गं सबलं सयायिनम् ।

samantrivargaṃ sabalaṃ sayāyinam |

with his ministers, forces, and followers,

हृदि स्थितं तस्य मतं बलं च

hṛdi sthitaṃ tasya mataṃ balaṃ ca

I could readily learn his intentions and strength

सुखेन मत्वाहमितः पुनर्व्रजे ॥

sukhena matvāhamitaḥ punarvraje ||

and return from here.

इदमस्य नृशंसस्य नन्दनोपममुत्तमम् ।

idamasya nṛśaṃsasya nandanopamamuttamam |

Here is this cruel king’s splendid grove, like Nandana,

वनं नेत्रमनःकान्तं नानाद्रुमलतायुतम् ॥

vanaṃ netramanaḥkāntaṃ nānādrumalatāyutam ||

pleasing to the eye and mind, full of different trees and vines.

इदं विध्वंसयिष्यामि शुष्कं वनमिवानलः ।

idaṃ vidhvaṃsayiṣyāmi śuṣkaṃ vanamivānalaḥ |

I shall destroy it as fire consumes a dry forest.

अस्मिन् भग्ने ततः कोपं करिष्यति स रावणः ॥

asmin bhagne tataḥ kopaṃ kariṣyati sa rāvaṇaḥ ||

When it is broken, Ravana will become angry.

ततो महत्साश्वमहारथद्विपं

tato mahatsāśvamahārathadvipaṃ

Then a great force with horses, mighty chariots, and elephants

बलं समानेष्यति राक्षसाधिपः ।

balaṃ samāneṣyati rākṣasādhipaḥ |

will be brought out by the rakshasa king,

त्रिशूलकालायसपट्टिशायुधं

triśūlakālāyasapaṭṭiśāyudhaṃ

armed with tridents and iron-bladed weapons;

ततो महद्युद्धमिदं भविष्यति ॥

tato mahadyuddhamidaṃ bhaviṣyati ||

and a great battle will follow.

अहं च तैः संयति चण्डविक्रमैः

ahaṃ ca taiḥ saṃyati caṇḍavikramaiḥ

Meeting those rakshasas of fierce prowess in combat,

समेत्य रक्षोभिरभङ्गविक्रमः ।

sametya rakṣobhirabhaṅgavikramaḥ |

I, whose strength is unbroken,

निहत्य तद् रावणचोदितं बलं

nihatya tad rāvaṇacoditaṃ balaṃ

will destroy the force sent by Ravana

सुखं गमिष्यामि हरीश्वरालयम् ॥

sukhaṃ gamiṣyāmi harīśvarālayam ||

and return safely to the lord of the vanaras.

ततो मारुतवत् क्रुद्धो मारुतिर्भीमविक्रमः ।

tato mārutavat kruddho mārutirbhīmavikramaḥ |

Then the Wind’s son, fierce in prowess and angry like a storm,

ऊरुवेगेन महता द्रुमान् क्षेप्तुमथारभत् ॥

ūruvegena mahatā drumān kṣeptumathārabhat ||

began hurling down trees with the tremendous force of his thighs.

ततस्तद्धनुमान् वीरो बभञ्ज प्रमदावनम् ।

tatastaddhanumān vīro babhañja pramadāvanam |

The heroic Hanuman shattered the pleasure grove,

मत्तद्विजसमाघुष्टं नानाद्रुमलतायुतम् ॥

mattadvijasamāghuṣṭaṃ nānādrumalatāyutam ||

resounding with excited birds and filled with many trees and vines.

तद्वनं मथितैर्वृक्षैर्भिन्नैश्च सलिलाशयैः ।

tadvanaṃ mathitairvṛkṣairbhinnaiśca salilāśayaiḥ |

With its trees crushed, its pools broken,

चूर्णितैः पर्वताग्रैश्च बभूवाप्रियदर्शनम् ॥

cūrṇitaiḥ parvatāgraiśca babhūvāpriyadarśanam ||

and its rocky heights pulverised, the grove became an unpleasant sight.

नानाशकुन्तविरुतैः प्रभिन्नसलिलाशयैः ।

nānāśakuntavirutaiḥ prabhinnasalilāśayaiḥ |

With the cries of many birds, shattered pools,

ताम्रैः किसलयैः क्लान्तैः क्लान्तद्रुमलतायुतैः ॥

tāmraiḥ kisalayaiḥ klāntaiḥ klāntadrumalatāyutaiḥ ||

reddened young leaves drooping, and trees and vines hanging limp—

न बभौ तद् वनं तत्र दावानलहतं यथा ।

na babhau tad vanaṃ tatra dāvānalahataṃ yathā |

the forest no longer shone, as though struck by a forest fire.

व्याकुलावरणा रेजुर्विह्वला इव ता लताः ॥

vyākulāvaraṇā rejurvihvalā iva tā latāḥ ||

Its vines, with their supports thrown into confusion, seemed distressed themselves.

लतागृहैश्चित्रगृहैश्च सादितै-

latāgṛhaiścitragṛhaiśca sāditai-

With bowers and decorated pavilions brought down,

र्व्यालैर्मृगैरार्तरवैश्च पक्षिभिः ।

rvyālairmṛgairārtaravaiśca pakṣibhiḥ |

beasts, deer, and birds crying in anguish,

शिलागृहैरुन्मथितैस्तथा गृहैः

śilāgṛhairunmathitaistathā gṛhaiḥ

and stone houses and other dwellings torn apart,

प्रणष्टरूपं तदभून्महद् वनम् ॥

praṇaṣṭarūpaṃ tadabhūnmahad vanam ||

that great grove lost its beauty.

सा विह्वलाशोकलताप्रताना

sā vihvalāśokalatāpratānā

The woodland floor, once spread with flourishing ashoka growth,

वनस्थली शोकलताप्रताना ।

vanasthalī śokalatāpratānā |

became a place spread with grief-stricken vines.

जाता दशास्यप्रमदावनस्य

jātā daśāsyapramadāvanasya

Such was the change in the ten-headed king’s pleasure grove

कपेर्बलाद्धि प्रमदावनस्य ॥

kaperbalāddhi pramadāvanasya ||

through the strength of the vanara who ruined that pleasure grove.

ततः स कृत्वा जगतीपतेर्महान्

tataḥ sa kṛtvā jagatīpatermahān

Having inflicted this great hurt on the mind

महद् व्यलीकं मनसो महात्मनः ।

mahad vyalīkaṃ manaso mahātmanaḥ |

of the powerful ruler of the earth,

युयुत्सुरेको बहुभिर्महाबलैः

yuyutsureko bahubhirmahābalaiḥ

the vanara, eager to fight alone against many mighty opponents,

श्रिया ज्वलंस्तोरणमाश्रितः कपिः ॥

śriyā jvalaṃstoraṇamāśritaḥ kapiḥ ||

stood on the gateway, blazing with splendour.