Concern for Sita

संदीप्यमानां वित्रस्तां त्रस्तरक्षोगणां पुरीम् ।

saṃdīpyamānāṃ vitrastāṃ trastarakṣogaṇāṃ purīm |

Seeing Lanka blazing and terrified, its rakshasa hosts frightened,

अवेक्ष्य हनुमाँल्लङ्कां चिन्तयामास वानरः ॥

avekṣya hanumām̐llaṅkāṃ cintayāmāsa vānaraḥ ||

Hanuman began to reflect.

तस्याभूत् सुमहांस्त्रासः कुत्सा चात्मन्यजायत ।

tasyābhūt sumahāṃstrāsaḥ kutsā cātmanyajāyata |

Great fear arose in him, and he blamed himself:

लङ्कां प्रदहता कर्म किंस्वित् कृतमिदं मया ॥

laṅkāṃ pradahatā karma kiṃsvit kṛtamidaṃ mayā ||

'What have I done by burning Lanka?

धन्याः खलु महात्मानो ये बुद‍्ध्या कोपमुत्थितम् ।

dhanyāḥ khalu mahātmāno ye buddhyā kopamutthitam |

Blessed indeed are the great-hearted who use understanding

निरुन्धन्ति महात्मानो दीप्तमग्निमिवाम्भसा ॥

nirundhanti mahātmāno dīptamagnimivāmbhasā ||

to restrain rising anger, as water restrains a blazing fire.

क्रुद्धः पापं न कुर्यात् कः क्रुद्धो हन्याद् गुरूनपि ।

kruddhaḥ pāpaṃ na kuryāt kaḥ kruddho hanyād gurūnapi |

What wrong will an angry person not commit? Anger may make one kill even a teacher,

क्रुद्धः परुषया वाचा नरः साधूनधिक्षिपेत् ॥

kruddhaḥ paruṣayā vācā naraḥ sādhūnadhikṣipet ||

or insult good people with harsh words.

वाच्यावाच्यं प्रकुपितो न विजानाति कर्हिचित् ।

vācyāvācyaṃ prakupito na vijānāti karhicit |

An enraged person cannot distinguish what should or should not be said;

नाकार्यमस्ति क्रुद्धस्य नावाच्यं विद्यते क्वचित् ॥

nākāryamasti kruddhasya nāvācyaṃ vidyate kvacit ||

nothing seems forbidden to someone ruled by anger.

यः समुत्पतितं क्रोधं क्षमयैव निरस्यति ।

yaḥ samutpatitaṃ krodhaṃ kṣamayaiva nirasyati |

One who casts off rising anger through patience,

यथोरगस्त्वचं जीर्णां स वै पुरुष उच्यते ॥

yathoragastvacaṃ jīrṇāṃ sa vai puruṣa ucyate ||

as a snake sheds worn-out skin, is truly called a worthy person.

धिगस्तु मां सुदुर्बुद्धिं निर्लज्जं पापकृत्तमम् ।

dhigastu māṃ sudurbuddhiṃ nirlajjaṃ pāpakṛttamam |

Shame on me, foolish, shameless and gravely wrong!

अचिन्तयित्वा तां सीतामग्निदं स्वामिघातकम् ॥

acintayitvā tāṃ sītāmagnidaṃ svāmighātakam ||

I set the fire without thinking of Sita, harming my own lord's cause.

यदि दग्धा त्वियं सर्वा नूनमार्यापि जानकी ।

yadi dagdhā tviyaṃ sarvā nūnamāryāpi jānakī |

If all this city has burned, surely noble Janaki has burned too;

दग्धा तेन मया भर्तुर्हतं कार्यमजानता ॥

dagdhā tena mayā bharturhataṃ kāryamajānatā ||

through ignorance I have destroyed my lord's undertaking.

यदर्थमयमारम्भस्तत्कार्यमवसादितम् ।

yadarthamayamārambhastatkāryamavasāditam |

The purpose for which this effort began has been ruined:

मया हि दहता लङ्कां न सीता परिरक्षिता ॥

mayā hi dahatā laṅkāṃ na sītā parirakṣitā ||

in burning Lanka, I did not first protect Sita.

ईषत्कार्यमिदं कार्यं कृतमासीन्न संशयः ।

īṣatkāryamidaṃ kāryaṃ kṛtamāsīnna saṃśayaḥ |

The task had certainly reached a point where little remained;

तस्य क्रोधाभिभूतेन मया मूलक्षयः कृतः ॥

tasya krodhābhibhūtena mayā mūlakṣayaḥ kṛtaḥ ||

overcome by anger, I have destroyed its very foundation.

विनष्टा जानकी व्यक्तं न ह्यदग्धः प्रदृश्यते ।

vinaṣṭā jānakī vyaktaṃ na hyadagdhaḥ pradṛśyate |

Janaki must be lost: no part of Lanka appears unburned;

लङ्कायाः कश्चिदुद्देशः सर्वा भस्मीकृता पुरी ॥

laṅkāyāḥ kaściduddeśaḥ sarvā bhasmīkṛtā purī ||

the whole city has been reduced to ashes.

यदि तद्विहतं कार्यं मया प्रज्ञाविपर्ययात् ।

yadi tadvihataṃ kāryaṃ mayā prajñāviparyayāt |

If confused judgement has ruined the mission through my action,

इहैव प्राणसंन्यासो ममापि ह्यद्य रोचते ॥

ihaiva prāṇasaṃnyāso mamāpi hyadya rocate ||

I now feel I should give up my own life here.

किमग्नौ निपताम्यद्य आहोस्विद् वडवामुखे ।

kimagnau nipatāmyadya āhosvid vaḍavāmukhe |

Shall I enter the fire, or the submarine flame?

शरीरमिह सत्त्वानां दद्मि सागरवासिनाम् ॥

śarīramiha sattvānāṃ dadmi sāgaravāsinām ||

Shall I give my body to creatures dwelling in the sea?

कथं नु जीवता शक्यो मया द्रष्टुं हरीश्वरः ।

kathaṃ nu jīvatā śakyo mayā draṣṭuṃ harīśvaraḥ |

How could I remain alive and face the vanara king,

तौ वा पुरुषशार्दूलौ कार्यसर्वस्वघातिना ॥

tau vā puruṣaśārdūlau kāryasarvasvaghātinā ||

or those two noble princes, after destroying their entire purpose?

मया खलु तदेवेदं रोषदोषात् प्रदर्शितम् ।

mayā khalu tadevedaṃ roṣadoṣāt pradarśitam |

Through the fault of anger I have displayed

प्रथितं त्रिषु लोकेषु कपित्वमनवस्थितम् ॥

prathitaṃ triṣu lokeṣu kapitvamanavasthitam ||

the instability of vanaras, famed throughout the three worlds.

धिगस्तु राजसं भावमनीशमनवस्थितम् ।

dhigastu rājasaṃ bhāvamanīśamanavasthitam |

Shame upon uncontrolled, restless passion!

ईश्वरेणापि यद् रागान्मया सीता न रक्षिता ॥

īśvareṇāpi yad rāgānmayā sītā na rakṣitā ||

Though able to protect Sita, I failed to do so in my agitation.

विनष्टायां तु सीतायां तावुभौ विनशिष्यतः ।

vinaṣṭāyāṃ tu sītāyāṃ tāvubhau vinaśiṣyataḥ |

If Sita is lost, both brothers will perish;

तयोर्विनाशे सुग्रीवः सबन्धुर्विनशिष्यति ॥

tayorvināśe sugrīvaḥ sabandhurvinaśiṣyati ||

after their loss, Sugriva and his people will perish too.

एतदेव वचः श्रुत्वा भरतो भ्रातृवत्सलः ।

etadeva vacaḥ śrutvā bharato bhrātṛvatsalaḥ |

Hearing this news, how could righteous Bharata, devoted to his brother,

धर्मात्मा सहशत्रुघ्नः कथं शक्ष्यति जीवितुम् ॥

dharmātmā sahaśatrughnaḥ kathaṃ śakṣyati jīvitum ||

and Shatrughna continue to live?

इक्ष्वाकुवंशे धर्मिष्ठे गते नाशमसंशयम् ।

ikṣvākuvaṃśe dharmiṣṭhe gate nāśamasaṃśayam |

With the righteous Ikshvaku lineage surely destroyed,

भविष्यन्ति प्रजाः सर्वाः शोकसंतापपीडिताः ॥

bhaviṣyanti prajāḥ sarvāḥ śokasaṃtāpapīḍitāḥ ||

all the people would be afflicted by grief and anguish.

तदहं भाग्यरहितो लुप्तधर्मार्थसंग्रहः ।

tadahaṃ bhāgyarahito luptadharmārthasaṃgrahaḥ |

Thus I, unfortunate and deprived of righteousness and sound purpose,

रोषदोषपरीतात्मा व्यक्तं लोकविनाशनः ॥

roṣadoṣaparītātmā vyaktaṃ lokavināśanaḥ ||

ruled by the fault of anger, would become a destroyer of the world.'

इति चिन्तयतस्तस्य निमित्तान्युपपेदिरे ।

iti cintayatastasya nimittānyupapedire |

As he reflected, auspicious signs appeared.

पूर्वमप्युपलब्धानि साक्षात् पुनरचिन्तयत् ॥

pūrvamapyupalabdhāni sākṣāt punaracintayat ||

He reconsidered the signs he had already observed earlier.

अथ वा चारुसर्वाङ्गी रक्षिता स्वेन तेजसा ।

atha vā cārusarvāṅgī rakṣitā svena tejasā |

'Or perhaps the beautiful, blessed lady is guarded by her own spiritual power

न नशिष्यति कल्याणी नाग्निरग्नौ प्रवर्तते ॥

na naśiṣyati kalyāṇī nāgniragnau pravartate ||

and will not perish: fire does not act against fire.

नहि धर्मात्मनस्तस्य भार्याममिततेजसः ।

nahi dharmātmanastasya bhāryāmamitatejasaḥ |

Fire cannot touch the wife of that righteous, immensely radiant one,

स्वचरित्राभिगुप्तां तां स्प्रष्टुमर्हति पावकः ॥

svacaritrābhiguptāṃ tāṃ spraṣṭumarhati pāvakaḥ ||

protected as she is by her own good conduct.

नूनं रामप्रभावेण वैदेह्याः सुकृतेन च ।

nūnaṃ rāmaprabhāveṇa vaidehyāḥ sukṛtena ca |

Surely it was through Rama's power and Vaidehi's merit

यन्मां दहनकर्मायं नादहद्धव्यवाहनः ॥

yanmāṃ dahanakarmāyaṃ nādahaddhavyavāhanaḥ ||

that Fire, whose work is burning, did not burn me.

त्रयाणां भरतादीनां भ्रातॄणां देवता च या ।

trayāṇāṃ bharatādīnāṃ bhrātṝṇāṃ devatā ca yā |

She is revered by the three brothers beginning with Bharata,

रामस्य च मनःकान्ता सा कथं विनशिष्यति ॥

rāmasya ca manaḥkāntā sā kathaṃ vinaśiṣyati ||

and is dear to Rama's heart; how could she perish?

यद् वा दहनकर्मायं सर्वत्र प्रभुरव्ययः ।

yad vā dahanakarmāyaṃ sarvatra prabhuravyayaḥ |

If this enduring power, whose work is burning everywhere,

न मे दहति लाङ्गूलं कथमार्यां प्रधक्ष्यति ॥

na me dahati lāṅgūlaṃ kathamāryāṃ pradhakṣyati ||

did not burn my tail, how could it burn the noble lady?

पुनश्चाचिन्तयत् तत्र हनूमान् विस्मितस्तदा ।

punaścācintayat tatra hanūmān vismitastadā |

Then, astonished, Hanuman also recalled

हिरण्यनाभस्य गिरेर्जलमध्ये प्रदर्शनम् ॥

hiraṇyanābhasya girerjalamadhye pradarśanam ||

the golden-peaked mountain's appearance in the midst of the waters.

तपसा सत्यवाक्येन अनन्यत्वाच्च भर्तरि ।

tapasā satyavākyena ananyatvācca bhartari |

Through austerity, truthful speech and exclusive devotion to her husband,

असौ विनिर्दहेदग्निं न तामग्निः प्रधक्ष्यति ॥

asau vinirdahedagniṃ na tāmagniḥ pradhakṣyati ||

she could burn fire itself; fire could not burn her.'

स तथा चिन्तयंस्तत्र देव्या धर्मपरिग्रहम् ।

sa tathā cintayaṃstatra devyā dharmaparigraham |

While Hanuman reflected upon the lady's store of righteousness,

शुश्राव हनुमांस्तत्र चारणानां महात्मनाम् ॥

śuśrāva hanumāṃstatra cāraṇānāṃ mahātmanām ||

he heard the words of noble celestial charanas.

अहो खलु कृतं कर्म दुर्विगाहं हनूमता ।

aho khalu kṛtaṃ karma durvigāhaṃ hanūmatā |

'What an extraordinary, difficult deed Hanuman has done,

अग्निं विसृजता तीक्ष्णं भीमं राक्षससद्मनि ॥

agniṃ visṛjatā tīkṣṇaṃ bhīmaṃ rākṣasasadmani ||

releasing fierce and terrible fire upon the rakshasas' dwellings!

प्रपलायितरक्षःस्त्रीबालवृद्धसमाकुला ।

prapalāyitarakṣaḥstrībālavṛddhasamākulā |

The city is crowded with fleeing rakshasas, women, children and elders,

जनकोलाहलाध्माता क्रन्दन्तीवाद्रिकन्दरैः ॥

janakolāhalādhmātā krandantīvādrikandaraiḥ ||

full of people's cries, seeming to weep through its mountain caves.

दग्धेयं नगरी लङ्का साट्टप्राकारतोरणा ।

dagdheyaṃ nagarī laṅkā sāṭṭaprākāratoraṇā |

Lanka, with its towers, walls and gateways, has burned,

जानकी न च दग्धेति विस्मयोऽद्भुत एव नः ॥

jānakī na ca dagdheti vismayo’dbhuta eva naḥ ||

yet Janaki has not burned: this is our extraordinary wonder.'

इति शुश्राव हनुमान् वाचं ताममृतोपमाम् ।

iti śuśrāva hanumān vācaṃ tāmamṛtopamām |

Hanuman heard those nectar-like words,

बभूव चास्य मनसो हर्षस्तत्कालसम्भवः ॥

babhūva cāsya manaso harṣastatkālasambhavaḥ ||

and joy immediately arose within his mind.

स निमित्तैश्च दृष्टार्थैः कारणैश्च महागुणैः ।

sa nimittaiśca dṛṣṭārthaiḥ kāraṇaiśca mahāguṇaiḥ |

Auspicious signs, observed facts, strong reasons

ऋषिवाक्यैश्च हनुमानभवत् प्रीतमानसः ॥

ṛṣivākyaiśca hanumānabhavat prītamānasaḥ ||

and the sages' words brought gladness to Hanuman's heart.

ततः कपिः प्राप्तमनोरथार्थ-

tataḥ kapiḥ prāptamanorathārtha-

Having achieved his purpose and learned

स्तामक्षतां राजसुतां विदित्वा ।

stāmakṣatāṃ rājasutāṃ viditvā |

that the princess was unharmed,

प्रत्यक्षतस्तां पुनरेव दृष्ट्वा

pratyakṣatastāṃ punareva dṛṣṭvā

the vanara saw her once more in person

प्रतिप्रयाणाय मतिं चकार ॥

pratiprayāṇāya matiṃ cakāra ||

and resolved to begin his return journey.