Chapter 41
Sundara Kanda - Book Of Beauty
स च वाग्भिः प्रशस्ताभिः गमिष्यन् पूजितः तया
तस्मात् देशात् अपक्रम्य चिन्तयामास वानरः
sa ca vāgbhiḥ praśastābhiḥ gamiṣyan pūjitaḥ tayā
tasmāt deśāt apakramya cintayāmāsa vānaraḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Seetha honoured Hanuma, who was ready to go, with good words. Hanuma, having gone to a distance from that place, thought within himself (as follows):
अल्प शेषम् इदम् कार्यम् दृष्टा इयम् असित ईक्षणा
त्रीन् उपायान् अतिक्रम्य चतुर्थ इह दृश्यते
alpa śeṣam idam kāryam dṛṣṭā iyam asita īkṣaṇā
trīn upāyān atikramya caturtha iha dṛśyate
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I have seen this black-eyed Seetha. There is only a little that remains to be done by me. Abandoning the three strategies for success viz. sowing dissension, negotiation and bribery, I have to implement here the fourth strategy viz. open assault."
न साम रक्षह्सु गुणाय कल्पते
न दनम् अर्थ उपचितेषु वर्तते
न भेद साध्या बल दर्पिता जनाः
पराक्रमः तु एष मम इह रोचते
na sāma rakṣahsu guṇāya kalpate
na danam artha upaciteṣu vartate
na bheda sādhyā bala darpitā janāḥ
parākramaḥ tu eṣa mama iha rocate
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"In the case of demons, the strategy of negotiation is not practicable. For those persons having abundant wealth, the strategy of bribery is not suitable. For persons who are proud of their strength, the strategy of sowing dissension is not amenable. Prowess alone is agreeable for me here."
न च अस्य कार्यस्य पराक्रमात् ऋते
विनिश्चयः कश्चित् इह उपपद्यते
हृत प्रवीराः तु रणे हि राक्षसाः
कथंचित् ईयुः यत् इह अद्य मार्दवम्
na ca asya kāryasya parākramāt ṛte
viniścayaḥ kaścit iha upapadyate
hṛta pravīrāḥ tu raṇe hi rākṣasāḥ
kathaṃcit īyuḥ yat iha adya mārdavam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Except showing of valour, no strategy in accomplishing this task is adequate in these circumstances, for the demons can adopt a weak attitude in the ensuring combat, if their foremost heroes are somehow killed here and now."
कार्ये कर्मणि निर्दिष्टः यो बहूनि अपि साधयेत्
पूर्व कार्य विरोधेन स कार्यम् कर्तुम् अर्हति
kārye karmaṇi nirdiṣṭaḥ yo bahūni api sādhayet
pūrva kārya virodhena sa kāryam kartum arhati
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"He alone can accomplish his purpose, who implements many (secondary) tasks even after the initial task has been carried through, without impairing the previous achievement."
न हि एकः साधको हेतुः स्वल्पस्य अपि इह कर्मणः
यो हि अर्थम् बहुधा वेद स समर्थो अर्थ साधने
na hi ekaḥ sādhako hetuḥ svalpasya api iha karmaṇaḥ
yo hi artham bahudhā veda sa samartho artha sādhane
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
'There is indeed no single exclusive method to accomplish a purpose however small a task may be. On the other hand, whoever knows to do a task in many ways, he alone is capable of achieving that task."
इह एव तावत् कृत निश्चयो हि अहम्
यदि व्रजेयम् प्लवग ईश्वर आलयम्
पर आत्म सम्मर्द विशेष तत्त्ववित्
ततः कृतम् स्यान् मम भर्तृ शासनम्
iha eva tāvat kṛta niścayo hi aham
yadi vrajeyam plavaga īśvara ālayam
para ātma sammarda viśeṣa tattvavit
tataḥ kṛtam syān mama bhartṛ śāsanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
'If I go to the abode of Sugreeva the Lord of monkeys, having ascertained the truth as to who will predominate in an encounter between the adversary and ourselves here itself, then will the command of my master have been carried out by me."
कथम् नु खल्व् अद्य भवेत् सुख आगतम्
प्रसह्य युद्धम् मम राक्षसैः सह
तथैव खल्व् आत्म बलम् च सारवत्
समानयेन् माम् च रणे दश आननः
katham nu khalv adya bhavet sukha āgatam
prasahya yuddham mama rākṣasaiḥ saha
tathaiva khalv ātma balam ca sāravat
samānayen mām ca raṇe daśa ānanaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"How can my combat with the demons now will prove to be a happy one? And, how will my strength become fruitful? How indeed will that Ravana applaud me in battle?"
ततः समासाद्य रणे दशाननं
समन्त्रिवर्गम् सबलप्रयायिनम्
हृदि स्थितम् तस्य मतम् बलं च वै
सुखेन मत्त्वा।अहमितः पुनर्व्रजे
tataḥ samāsādya raṇe daśānanaṃ
samantrivargam sabalaprayāyinam
hṛdi sthitam tasya matam balaṃ ca vai
sukhena mattvā|ahamitaḥ punarvraje
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Then meeting Ravana with his troop of ministers, his army and his followers in battle as well as knowing his designs and strength, I will go back from here happily."
इदम् अस्य नृशंसस्य नन्दन उपमम् उत्तमम्
वनम् नेत्र मनः कान्तम् नाना द्रुम लता युतम्
idam asya nṛśaṃsasya nandana upamam uttamam
vanam netra manaḥ kāntam nānā druma latā yutam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"This excellent grove of this cruel Ravana, with its various kinds of trees and creepers, which is pleasing to the eyes and the mind, is looking like Nandana, Indra's paradise."
इदम् विध्वंसयिष्यामि शुष्कम् वनम् इव अनलः
अस्मिन् भग्ने ततः कोपम् करिष्यति स रावणः
idam vidhvaṃsayiṣyāmi śuṣkam vanam iva analaḥ
asmin bhagne tataḥ kopam kariṣyati sa rāvaṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I will destroy this grove like fire scorching a dried up forest. While this grove gets demolished, Ravana will then be angry."
ततो महत् साश्व महारथ द्विपम्
बलम् समानेष्व् अपि राक्षस अधिपः
त्रिशूल काल आयस पट्टिश आयुधम्
ततो महत् युद्धम् इदम् भविष्यति
tato mahat sāśva mahāratha dvipam
balam samāneṣv api rākṣasa adhipaḥ
triśūla kāla āyasa paṭṭiśa āyudham
tato mahat yuddham idam bhaviṣyati
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Thereupon Ravana will order for an army consisting of horses, great chariots and elephants and armed with weapons like great tridents and spears made of iron. Then, a great combat will follow."
अहम् तु तैः सम्यति चण्ड विक्रमैः
समेत्य रक्षोभिः असम्ग विक्रमः
निहत्य तत् रावण चोदितम् बलम्
सुखम् गमिष्यामि कपि ईश्वर आलयम्
aham tu taiḥ samyati caṇḍa vikramaiḥ
sametya rakṣobhiḥ asamga vikramaḥ
nihatya tat rāvaṇa coditam balam
sukham gamiṣyāmi kapi īśvara ālayam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Attacking those demons of terrific prowess, I too with my unbearable prowess, will kill that army instigated by Ravana and return to the place of Sugreeva happily."
ततो मारुतवत् क्रुद्धो मारुतिः भीम विक्रमः
ऊरु वेगेन महता द्रुमान् क्षेप्तुम् अथ आरभत्
tato mārutavat kruddho mārutiḥ bhīma vikramaḥ
ūru vegena mahatā drumān kṣeptum atha ārabhat
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, Hanuma of terrific prowess, getting angry, started then to throw away trees by a highly violent jerk of his thighs akin to the jerk of a wind.
ततः तद्त् हनुमान् वीरो बभन्ज प्रमदा वनम्
मत्त द्विज समाघुष्टम् नाना द्रुम लता युतम्
tataḥ tadt hanumān vīro babhanja pramadā vanam
matta dvija samāghuṣṭam nānā druma latā yutam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then, the valiant Hanuma laid waste the royal garden attached to the gynaecium resonant with cries of birds in heat and endowed with various kinds of trees and creepers.
तत् वनम् मथितैः वृक्षैः भिन्नैः च सलिल आशयैः
चूर्णितैः पर्वत अग्रैः च बभूव अप्रिय दर्शनम्
tat vanam mathitaiḥ vṛkṣaiḥ bhinnaiḥ ca salila āśayaiḥ
cūrṇitaiḥ parvata agraiḥ ca babhūva apriya darśanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hanuma damaged trees in that grove, destroyed the ponds and crushed the tops of pleasure hills to powder. Thus, that grove became nasty at sight.
नानाशकुन्तविरुतैः प्रभिन्नैः सलिलाशयैः
ताम्रैः किलसयैः क्लान्तैः क्लान्तद्रुमलतायितम्
nānāśakuntavirutaiḥ prabhinnaiḥ salilāśayaiḥ
tāmraiḥ kilasayaiḥ klāntaiḥ klāntadrumalatāyitam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
With its trees and creepers dried up, with the howls of various birds, with its ponds destroyed, with its copper-coloured sprouts dried up there, that grove did not look bright, as though it had been destroyed by a wild fire. Those creepers with their bars of support displaced, fell down like distressed woman.
लता गृहैः चित्र गृहैः च नाशितैः
महाउरगैः व्याल मृगैः च निर्धुतैः
शिला गृहैः उन्मथितैः तथा गृहैः
प्रनष्ट रूपम् तत् अभून् महत् वनम्
latā gṛhaiḥ citra gṛhaiḥ ca nāśitaiḥ
mahāuragaiḥ vyāla mṛgaiḥ ca nirdhutaiḥ
śilā gṛhaiḥ unmathitaiḥ tathā gṛhaiḥ
pranaṣṭa rūpam tat abhūn mahat vanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"With its arbours and picture-galleries destroyed, its great serpents and wild animals emitting cries of distress, its grottos and other structures demolished, that grove became defaced.
साविह्वला।अशोकलताप्रताना
वनस्थली शोकलताप्रताना
जाता दशास्यप्रमदावनस्य
कपेर्बलाद्धि प्रमदावनस्य
sāvihvalā|aśokalatāpratānā
vanasthalī śokalatāpratānā
jātā daśāsyapramadāvanasya
kaperbalāddhi pramadāvanasya
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"That woody land of that pleasure-garden which afforded shelter to the women-folk of Ravana and which has clusters of Ashoka creepers became a jumble of creepers of sorrow for the distressed women; by the violence of Hanuma."
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे आदिकाव्ये सुन्दरकाण्डे एकचत्वारिंशः सर्गः
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe ādikāvye sundarakāṇḍe ekacatvāriṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Creating a great displeasure to the mind of that high-souled Ravana, the Lord of the land of Lanka; that Hanuma decided to fight alone against many mighty demons and stayed
