Chapter 66

Sundara Kanda - Book Of Beauty

VERSE 1

एवम् उक्तो हनुमता रामो दशरथ आत्मजः
तम् मणिम् हृदये कृत्वा प्ररुरोद सलक्ष्मणः

evam ukto hanumatā rāmo daśaratha ātmajaḥ
tam maṇim hṛdaye kṛtvā praruroda salakṣmaṇaḥ

SYNONYMS

evam: thus | uktaḥ: spoken | hanumatā: by Hanuma | rāmaḥ: Rama | daśaratha ātmajaḥ: the son of Dasaratha | salakṣmaṇaḥ: having Lakshmana by his side | kṛtvā: pressing | tam maṇim: that jewel | hṛdaye: on his bosom | prarurodaḥ: began to weep. |

TRANSLATION

Hearing the words of Hanuma, Rama the son of Dasaratha, having Lakshmana by his side, pressing that jewel on his bosom, began to weep.

VERSE 2

तम् तु दृष्ट्वा मणि श्रेष्ठम् राघवः शोक कर्शितः
नेत्राभ्याम् अश्रु पूर्णाभ्याम् सुग्रीवम् इदम् अब्रवीत्

tam tu dṛṣṭvā maṇi śreṣṭham rāghavaḥ śoka karśitaḥ
netrābhyām aśru pūrṇābhyām sugrīvam idam abravīt

SYNONYMS

dṛṣṭvā: seeing | tam maṇi śreṣṭham: that excellent jewel | rāghavaḥ: Rama | śoka karśitaḥ: emaciated with grief | netrābhyām: with his eyes | aśru pūrṇābhyām: filled with tears | abravīt: spoke | idam: these words | sugrīvam: to Sugreeva. |

TRANSLATION

Seeing that excellent jewel, Rama emaciated with grief, having his eyes filled with tears, spoke to Sugreeva as follows:

VERSE 3

यथैव धेनुः स्रवति स्नेहात् वत्सस्य वत्सला
तथा मम अपि हृदयम् मणि रत्नस्य दर्शनात्

yathaiva dhenuḥ sravati snehāt vatsasya vatsalā
tathā mama api hṛdayam maṇi ratnasya darśanāt

SYNONYMS

yathiava: even as | dhenuḥ: a cow | vatsalā: who is affectionate towards her offspring | sravati: gushed forth milk (from her teats) | snehāt: due to her love | vastasya: at the very sight of her calf | mama hṛdayam api tathā: so does my through the sight | maṇi ratnasya: of the excellent jewel. |

TRANSLATION

"Even as a cow, who is affectionate towards her offspring, gushes forth the milk (from her teats) due to her love at the very sight of her calf, so does my heart too melt through the sight of this excellent jewel."

VERSE 4

मणि रत्नम् इदम् दत्तम् वैदेह्याः श्वशुरेण मे
वधू काले यथा बद्धम् अधिकम् मूर्ध्नि शोभते

maṇi ratnam idam dattam vaidehyāḥ śvaśureṇa me
vadhū kāle yathā baddham adhikam mūrdhni śobhate

SYNONYMS

idam: this | maṇi ratnam: excellent jewel | dattam: was presented | me śvaśureṇa: by my father-in-law | vaidehyāḥ: to Seetha | vadhū kāle: when she had become a bride | ābaddham: and was tied | mūrdhni: to her head | yathā: in such a way (as it looked) | adhikam śobhate: additionally beautifying. |

TRANSLATION

"This excellent jewel was presented by my father-in-law to Seetha when she had become a bride and was tied to her head in such a way that it looked additionally beautifying."

VERSE 5

अयम् हि जल सम्भूतो मणिः प्रवर पूजितः
यज्ञे परम तुष्टेन दत्तः शक्रेण धीमता

ayam hi jala sambhūto maṇiḥ pravara pūjitaḥ
yajñe parama tuṣṭena dattaḥ śakreṇa dhīmatā

SYNONYMS

ayam maṇiḥ: this jewel | jala sambhūtaḥ: which was born in water | sajjana pūjitaḥ: and recommended by the good | dattaḥ: had been presented (to him) | dhīmatā śakreṇa: by the intelligent Indra the lord of celestials | parama tuṣṭena: who was highly pleased | yañe: in Yajna sacrificial rite. |

TRANSLATION

"The jewel, which was found in the waters and recommended by the good, had been presented to him earlier by the intelligent Indra the lord of celestials, who was highly pleased in Yajna, a sacrificial rite (intended to propitiate him)."

VERSE 6

इमम् दृष्ट्वा मणि श्रेष्ठम् तथा तातस्य दर्शनम्
अद्य अस्मि अवगतः सौम्य वैदेहस्य तथा विभोः

imam dṛṣṭvā maṇi śreṣṭham tathā tātasya darśanam
adya asmi avagataḥ saumya vaidehasya tathā vibhoḥ

SYNONYMS

saumya: O gentle Sugreeva! | dṛṣṭva: seeing | imam maṇi śreṣṭham: excellent jewel | adya: now | avagataḥ asmi: I am considering it | yathā tathā: as surely as | darśanam: obtaining the sight | tātasya: of my father | tathā: and | vaidehasya: of Janaka | vibhoḥ: the king of Videha. |

TRANSLATION

"O gentle Sugreeva! Seeing now this excellent jewel, I am considering it as surely as obtaining the sight of my father as well as Janaka, the king of Videha."

VERSE 7

अयम् हि शोभते तस्याः प्रियाया मूर्ध्नि मे मणिः
अस्य दर्शनेन अहम् प्राप्ताम् ताम् इव चिन्तये

ayam hi śobhate tasyāḥ priyāyā mūrdhni me maṇiḥ
asya darśanena aham prāptām tām iva cintaye

SYNONYMS

ayam maṇiḥ: this jewel | śobhate hi: indeed looks splendid | mūrdhni: on the head | me priyāyāḥ: of my beloved | darśanena: by seeing | asya: this | adya: now | cintaye: I am considering | prāptāmiva: as if I obtained | tām: her. |

TRANSLATION

"This jewel indeed looks splendid on the head of my beloved Seetha. By seeing this now, I am considering as though I obtained the sight of Seetha herself."

VERSE 8

किम् आह सीता वैदेही ब्रूहि सौम्य पुनः पुनः
पिपासुम् इव तोयेन सिन्चन्ती वाक्य वारिणा

kim āha sītā vaidehī brūhi saumya punaḥ punaḥ
pipāsum iva toyena sincantī vākya vāriṇā

SYNONYMS

saumya: O gentle one! | brūhi punaḥ punaḥ: repeat again and again | kim: what | sītā: Seetha | vaidehī: the daughter of king of Videha | āha: said to you | siṇcanti: sprinkling (me) | vākya vāriṇā: with water of words | toyena iva: like offering water | pipāsum: to a thirsty person. |

TRANSLATION

"O gentle one! Repeat again and again, what Seetha the daughter of Videha's king said to you, sprinkling me with your stream of words, like offering water to a thirsty person."

VERSE 9

इतः तु किम् दुह्खतरम् यत् इमम् वारि सम्भवम्
मणिम् पश्यामि सौमित्रे वैदेहीम् आगतम् विना

itaḥ tu kim duhkhataram yat imam vāri sambhavam
maṇim paśyāmi saumitre vaidehīm āgatam vinā

SYNONYMS

saumitre: O Lakshmana! | kim: what | duḥkhataram: could be more painful | itaḥ: than (the fact) | yat paśyāmi: that I am seeing | imam maṇim: this jewel | vāri sambhavam: found in waters | āgatam vinā: without the arrival | vaidehīm: of Seetha? |

TRANSLATION

"O Lakshmana! What could be more painful than the fact that I am seeing this jewel found in waters, without the arrival of Seetha?"

VERSE 10

चिरम् जीवति वैदेही यदि मासम् धरिष्यति
क्षणम् सौम्य न जीवेयम् विना ताम् असित ईक्षणाम्

ciram jīvati vaidehī yadi māsam dhariṣyati
kṣaṇam saumya na jīveyam vinā tām asita īkṣaṇām

SYNONYMS

saumya: O gentle one! | vaidehī dhariṣyati yadi: if Seetha can survive | māsam: for a month | ciram jīvati: it means she is surviving for long! | tām asita īkṣaṇām vinā: without that Seetha with her dark eyes na jiiveyam = I cannot survive | kṣaṇām: for even a moment. |

TRANSLATION

"O gentle one! If Seetha can survive for a month, it means that she is surviving for long. O gentle one! Without that black-eyed Seetha, I cannot survive for even a moment."

VERSE 11

नय माम् अपि तम् देशम् यत्र दृष्टा मम प्रिया
न तिष्ठेयम् क्षणम् अपि प्रवृत्तिम् उपलभ्य च

naya mām api tam deśam yatra dṛṣṭā mama priyā
na tiṣṭheyam kṣaṇam api pravṛttim upalabhya ca

SYNONYMS

naya: take | mām api: me too | tam deśam: to that place | yatra: where | mama priyā: my beloved Seetha | dṛṣṭā: has been seen. na tiShTheyam = I cannot halt | kṣaṇam api: even for a moment | upalabhya ca pravṛttim: after getting the news (of her whereabouts). |

TRANSLATION

"Take me too to that place where my beloved Seetha has been seen. I cannot halt even for a moment, after receiving the news of her location."

VERSE 12

कथम् सा मम सुश्रोणि भीरु भीरुः सती तदा
भय आवहानाम् घोराणाम् मध्ये तिष्ठति रक्षसाम्

katham sā mama suśroṇi bhīru bhīruḥ satī tadā
bhaya āvahānām ghorāṇām madhye tiṣṭhati rakṣasām

SYNONYMS

katham: how | mama satī suśroṇī: does my virtuous wife | bhīru bhīruḥ: who is very shy | tiṣṭhati: stay | sadā: all the time | rakṣasām: with demons | bhaya āvahānām: who are terrific | ghorāṇām: and cruel? |

TRANSLATION

"How does Seetha, my virtuous wife with her charming limbs, who is very shy, stay all the time with demons who are terrific and cruel?"

VERSE 13

शारदः तिमिर उन्मुखो नूनम् चन्द्र इव अम्बुदैः
आवृतम् वदनम् तस्या न विराजति राक्षसैः

śāradaḥ timira unmukho nūnam candra iva ambudaiḥ
āvṛtam vadanam tasyā na virājati rākṣasaiḥ

SYNONYMS

tasyāḥ: her | vadanam: countenance | nūnam: surely | śāradaḥ candraḥ iva: like autumnal moon | timira unmukhaḥ: (though) liberated of darkness | āvṛtam ambudaiḥ: but screened by clouds | na virājati: does not shine | sāmpratam: at present. |

TRANSLATION

"Her countenance, surely like automnal moon, though liberated of darkness, but screened by clouds, does not shine at present."

VERSE 14

किम् आह सीता हनुमन् तत्त्वतः कथयस्व मे
एतेन खलु जीविष्ये भेषजेन आतुरो यथा

kim āha sītā hanuman tattvataḥ kathayasva me
etena khalu jīviṣye bheṣajena āturo yathā

SYNONYMS

hanumān: O Hanuma! | kim sītā āha: what did Seetha tell? kathaya = tell | me: me | adya: now | tattvataḥ: in truth | jīviṣye khalu: I shall surely survive | etena: (by hearing) this | āturaḥ iva: like a sick man(survives) | bheṣajena yathā: as with a medicine. |

TRANSLATION

"O Hanuma! Tell me now, correctly what Seetha told you. I shall surely survive, by hearing her words, even as a sick man would with the help of a medicine."

VERSE 15

त्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे आदिकाव्ये सुन्दरकाण्डे षट्षष्टितमः सर्गः

tyārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe ādikāvye sundarakāṇḍe ṣaṭṣaṣṭitamaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

kathayasva: tell | me: me | kim: what | mama bhāminī: my beautiful consort | madhurā: who is sweet-natured | madhura ālāpā: who utters sweet words | varārohanā: having fine hips | mat vihīnā: and has been separated from me | āha: said to you. |

TRANSLATION

"Tell me, what my beautiful consort, who is sweet-natured, and who utters sweet words, having fine hips and has been separated from me, said to you."