Jambavan recalls the mission

तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा वालिसूनुरभाषत ।

tasya tad vacanaṃ śrutvā vālisūnurabhāṣata |

Hearing Hanuman's words, Vali's son spoke:

अश्विपुत्रौ महावेगौ बलवन्तौ प्लवंगमौ ॥

aśviputrau mahāvegau balavantau plavaṃgamau ||

'The two swift, powerful vanaras born of the Ashvins—

पितामहवरोत्सेकात् परमं दर्पमास्थितौ ।

pitāmahavarotsekāt paramaṃ darpamāsthitau |

are filled with great confidence through Brahma's boon.

अश्विनोर्माननार्थं हि सर्वलोकपितामहः ॥

aśvinormānanārthaṃ hi sarvalokapitāmahaḥ ||

To honour the Ashvins, the grandfather of all worlds—

सर्वावध्यत्वमतुलमनयोर्दत्तवान् पुरा ।

sarvāvadhyatvamatulamanayordattavān purā |

long ago granted them unequalled protection from death at anyone's hands.

वरोत्सेकेन मत्तौ च प्रमथ्य महतीं चमूम् ॥

varotsekena mattau ca pramathya mahatīṃ camūm ||

Proud of that boon, they overwhelmed a mighty host—

सुराणाममृतं वीरौ पीतवन्तौ महाबलौ ।

surāṇāmamṛtaṃ vīrau pītavantau mahābalau |

and those powerful heroes drank the gods' nectar.

एतावेव हि संक्रुद्धौ सवाजिरथकुञ्जराम् ॥

etāveva hi saṃkruddhau savājirathakuñjarām ||

These two alone, if angered, could destroy—

लङ्कां नाशयितुं शक्तौ सर्वे तिष्ठन्तु वानराः ।

laṅkāṃ nāśayituṃ śaktau sarve tiṣṭhantu vānarāḥ |

Lanka with its horses, chariots and elephants; all other vanaras could stand aside.

अहमेकोऽपि पर्याप्तः सराक्षसगणां पुरीम् ॥

ahameko’pi paryāptaḥ sarākṣasagaṇāṃ purīm ||

I alone too am sufficient to destroy the city with its rakshasa hosts—

तां लङ्कां तरसा हन्तुं रावणं च महाबलम् ।

tāṃ laṅkāṃ tarasā hantuṃ rāvaṇaṃ ca mahābalam |

and mighty Ravana by force.

किं पुनः सहितो वीरैर्बलवद्भिः कृतात्मभिः ॥

kiṃ punaḥ sahito vīrairbalavadbhiḥ kṛtātmabhiḥ ||

How much more with brave, powerful and disciplined companions—

कृतास्त्रैः प्लवगैः शक्तैर्भवद्भिर्विजयैषिभिः ।

kṛtāstraiḥ plavagaiḥ śaktairbhavadbhirvijayaiṣibhiḥ |

such capable, weapon-trained vanaras as you, who seek victory!

वायुसूनोर्बलेनैव दग्धा लङ्केति नः श्रुतम् ॥

vāyusūnorbalenaiva dagdhā laṅketi naḥ śrutam ||

We have heard that Lanka was burned by the Wind's son's strength alone.

दृष्टा देवी न चानीता इति तत्र निवेदितुम् ।

dṛṣṭā devī na cānītā iti tatra niveditum |

I do not think it fitting for men of your famed courage

न युक्तमिव पश्यामि भवद्भिः ख्यातपौरुषैः ॥

na yuktamiva paśyāmi bhavadbhiḥ khyātapauruṣaiḥ ||

to report, "We saw the lady, but did not bring her back."

नहि वः प्लवने कश्चिन्नापि कश्चित् पराक्रमे ।

nahi vaḥ plavane kaścinnāpi kaścit parākrame |

Foremost vanaras, among the worlds with their gods and daityas,

तुल्यः सामरदैत्येषु लोकेषु हरिसत्तमाः ॥

tulyaḥ sāmaradaityeṣu lokeṣu harisattamāḥ ||

no one equals you in leaping or in prowess.

जित्वा लङ्कां सरक्षौघां हत्वा तं रावणं रणे ।

jitvā laṅkāṃ sarakṣaughāṃ hatvā taṃ rāvaṇaṃ raṇe |

Let us conquer Lanka and its rakshasa host, kill Ravana in battle,

सीतामादाय गच्छामः सिद्धार्था हृष्टमानसाः ॥

sītāmādāya gacchāmaḥ siddhārthā hṛṣṭamānasāḥ ||

and return joyfully with Sita, our task accomplished.

तेष्वेवं हतवीरेषु राक्षसेषु हनूमता ।

teṣvevaṃ hatavīreṣu rākṣaseṣu hanūmatā |

Since Hanuman has already killed their foremost warriors,

किमन्यदत्र कर्तव्यं गृहीत्वा याम जानकीम् ॥

kimanyadatra kartavyaṃ gṛhītvā yāma jānakīm ||

what more is needed? Let us take Janaki and go.

रामलक्ष्मणयोर्मध्ये न्यस्याम जनकात्मजाम् ।

rāmalakṣmaṇayormadhye nyasyāma janakātmajām |

Let us place Janaka's daughter between Rama and Lakshmana.

किं व्यलीकैस्तु तान् सर्वान् वानरान् वानरर्षभान् ॥

kiṃ vyalīkaistu tān sarvān vānarān vānararṣabhān ||

Why trouble all the other foremost vanaras with these difficulties?

वयमेव हि गत्वा तान् हत्वा राक्षसपुङ्गवान् ।

vayameva hi gatvā tān hatvā rākṣasapuṅgavān |

We ourselves should go, kill those rakshasa chiefs,

राघवं द्रष्टुमर्हामः सुग्रीवं सहलक्ष्मणम् ॥

rāghavaṃ draṣṭumarhāmaḥ sugrīvaṃ sahalakṣmaṇam ||

and then meet Raghava, Lakshmana and Sugriva.'

तमेवं कृतसंकल्पं जाम्बवान् हरिसत्तमः ।

tamevaṃ kṛtasaṃkalpaṃ jāmbavān harisattamaḥ |

Seeing him resolved in this way, Jambavan, that excellent and wise leader,

उवाच परमप्रीतो वाक्यमर्थवदर्थवित् ॥

uvāca paramaprīto vākyamarthavadarthavit ||

spoke meaningful words with great goodwill.

नैषा बुद्धिर्महाबुद्धे यद् ब्रवीषि महाकपे ।

naiṣā buddhirmahābuddhe yad bravīṣi mahākape |

'Wise great vanara, the course you propose is not our instruction.

विचेतुं वयमाज्ञप्ता दक्षिणां दिशमुत्तमाम् ॥

vicetuṃ vayamājñaptā dakṣiṇāṃ diśamuttamām ||

We were ordered to search the southern direction thoroughly—

नानेतुं कपिराजेन नैव रामेण धीमता ।

nānetuṃ kapirājena naiva rāmeṇa dhīmatā |

not to bring her back, either by the vanara king or by wise Rama.

कथंचिन्निर्जितां सीतामस्माभिर्नाभिरोचयेत् ॥

kathaṃcinnirjitāṃ sītāmasmābhirnābhirocayet ||

Rama would not welcome Sita being won back by us in some other manner—

राघवो नृपशार्दूलः कुलं व्यपदिशन् स्वकम् ।

rāghavo nṛpaśārdūlaḥ kulaṃ vyapadiśan svakam |

for that lion among kings has invoked his lineage

प्रतिज्ञाय स्वयं राजा सीताविजयमग्रतः ॥

pratijñāya svayaṃ rājā sītāvijayamagrataḥ ||

and personally pledged to recover Sita before—

सर्वेषां कपिमुख्यानां कथं मिथ्या करिष्यति ।

sarveṣāṃ kapimukhyānāṃ kathaṃ mithyā kariṣyati |

all the foremost vanaras. How could he make that promise false?

विफलं कर्म च कृतं भवेत् तुष्टिर्न तस्य च ॥

viphalaṃ karma ca kṛtaṃ bhavet tuṣṭirna tasya ca ||

Our action would be fruitless and would not bring him satisfaction.

वृथा च दर्शितं वीर्यं भवेद् वानरपुङ्गवाः ।

vṛthā ca darśitaṃ vīryaṃ bhaved vānarapuṅgavāḥ |

Our display of prowess would then be wasted, foremost vanaras.

तस्माद् गच्छाम वै सर्वे यत्र रामः सलक्ष्मणः ।

tasmād gacchāma vai sarve yatra rāmaḥ salakṣmaṇaḥ |

Therefore let us all go to Rama with Lakshmana

सुग्रीवश्च महातेजाः कार्यस्यास्य निवेदने ॥

sugrīvaśca mahātejāḥ kāryasyāsya nivedane ||

and radiant Sugriva, to report this undertaking.

न तावदेषा मतिरक्षमा नो

na tāvadeṣā matirakṣamā no

Prince, this plan is not beyond our abilities,

यथा भवान् पश्यति राजपुत्र ।

yathā bhavān paśyati rājaputra |

as you rightly perceive.

यथा तु रामस्य मतिर्निविष्टा

yathā tu rāmasya matirniviṣṭā

Yet consider success in the way

तथा भवान् पश्यतु कार्यसिद्धिम् ॥

tathā bhavān paśyatu kāryasiddhim ||

that accords with Rama's own intention.'