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Chapter 1

Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War

VERSE 1

श्रुत्वा हनुमतो वाक्यम् यथावद्भिभाषितम्
रामः प्रीतिसमायुक्तो वाक्यमुत्तरमब्रवीत्

śrutvā hanumato vākyam yathāvadbhibhāṣitam
rāmaḥ prītisamāyukto vākyamuttaramabravīt

SYNONYMS

prītisamāyuktaḥ: touched with joy | śrutvā: to hear | vākyam: (these) words | yathāvat: rightly | humanumataḥ: Hanuman | rāmaḥ: Rama | abravīt: spoke | uttaram: in reply. |

TRANSLATION

Touched with joy to hear the words rightly spoken by Hanuman, Rama replied as follows: -

VERSE 2

कृतम् हनुमता कार्यम् सुमहद्भुवि दुर्लभम्
मनसापि यदन्येन न शक्यम् धरणीतले

kṛtam hanumatā kāryam sumahadbhuvi durlabham
manasāpi yadanyena na śakyam dharaṇītale

SYNONYMS

sumahat: "a very outstanding | kāryam: work | durlabham: the most arduous | bhuvi: in the world | kṛtam: has been done | hanumatā: by Hanuman | yat: which | na śakyam: could not be achieved | manasāpi: even in thought | anyena: by another | dharaṇītale: on the surface of this earth" |

TRANSLATION

"A very outstanding work, the most arduous in the world has been done by Hanuman, which could not be carried out even in thought by any other on the surface of this earth."

VERSE 3

न हि तम् परिपश्यामि यस्तरेत महोदधिम्
अन्यत्र गुरुडाद्वायोरन्यत्र च हनूमतः

na hi tam paripaśyāmi yastareta mahodadhim
anyatra guruḍādvāyoranyatra ca hanūmataḥ

SYNONYMS

na paripaśyāmihi: Indeed | tam: as such | anyatra: anyone other than garuDaat = Garuda (chief of the feathered race and vehicle of Lord Vishnu) | vāyoḥ: wind-god | anyatraca: and anyone other than | hanūmataḥ: Hanuman | yaḥ: who | tareta: can cross | mahodadhim: the great sea." |

TRANSLATION

"Indeed, I cannot perceive as such anyone other than Garuda (chief of the feathered race and vehicle of Lord Vishnu), wind- god and Hanuman, who can cross the mighty ocean."

VERSE 4

देवदानवयक्षाणाम् गन्धर्वोरगरक्षसाम्
अप्रधृष्याम् पुरीम् लङ्काम् रावणेन सुरक्षिताम्

devadānavayakṣāṇām gandharvoragarakṣasām
apradhṛṣyām purīm laṅkām rāvaṇena surakṣitām

SYNONYMS

konāma: "who | niṣkramet: can return | jīvan: alive | pravīṣṭaḥ: having entered (once) | āśritya: taking refuge | sattvam: in self-command | laṅkām purīm: the city of Lanka | apradhṟ^ṣyām: which is unconquerable | devadānava yakṣāṇām: by gods | gandharvoraga rakṣasām: and even by Gandharvas | surakṣitām: and well under the custody | rāvaṇena: of Ravana?" |

TRANSLATION

"Who can return alive, having entered (once) taking refuge only in self- command, the city of Lanka, which is unconquerable by gods demons and Yakshas and even by Gandharvas, Nagas and ogres and well under the custody of Ravana?"

VERSE 5

को विशेत्सुदुराधर्षाम् राक्षसैश्च सुरक्षिताम्

ko viśetsudurādharṣām rākṣasaiśca surakṣitām

SYNONYMS

kaḥ: "who | viśat: can enter | sudūradharṣām: which is exceedingly dangerous to be attacked | surakṣitām: and which is strongly protected | rākṣasaḥ: by ogres | na syāt: unless | yaḥ: whoever (he) | vīrya bala sampannaḥ: is richly endowed with vigour and strength | samaḥ: like | hanūmataḥ: Hanuman?" |

TRANSLATION

"Who is able to capture that citadel, by assault, that is exceedingly dangerous to be attacked and which is powerfully guarded by ogres, but one whose courage and valour are equal to Hanuman's?"

VERSE 6

भृत्यकार्यम् हनुमता सुग्रीवस्य कृतम् महत्

bhṛtyakāryam hanumatā sugrīvasya kṛtam mahat

SYNONYMS

mahat: "a great | bṛtya kāryam: act of service | kṛtyam: has been done | hanumatā: by Hanuman | sugrīvasya: to Sugriva | evam: thus | vidhāya: by exhibiting | svabalam: his strength | sadṛśam: worthy | vikramasya: of his pace." |

TRANSLATION

"A great act of service has been done by Hanuman to Sugriva thus by exhibiting his strength corresponding to his pace."

VERSE 7

यो हि भृत्यो नियुक्तः सन् भर्त्रा कर्मणि दुष्करे

yo hi bhṛtyo niyuktaḥ san bhartrā karmaṇi duṣkare

SYNONYMS

āhuḥ: (they) speak | tam: of him | puruṣottamam: as the best of servants | yaḥ: who | niyuktaḥ san: when entrusted | bhartrā: by his master | karmaṇi: with a duty | duṣkare: difficult to perform | bhrutyaḥ: the servant | kuryāt: does | tat: it | anurāgeṇa: with a passion." |

TRANSLATION

"That servant to whom his master entrusts a difficult task and who performs it with zeal is said to be a superior person."

VERSE 8

यो नियुक्तः परम् कार्यम् न कुर्यान्नऋपतेः प्रियम्

yo niyuktaḥ param kāryam na kuryānnaṛpateḥ priyam

SYNONYMS

āhuḥ: (they) speak | tam: of him | madhyamam naram: as a mediocre man | yaḥ: which | bhṛtyaḥ: though qualified | samarthaḥca: and capable | na kuryāt: does not perform | param: superior | kāryam: work | priyam: liked | nṛpate: by the king." |

TRANSLATION

"The one who is ready and capable but who yet does no more than his master extracts from him is called a mediocre person."

VERSE 9

नियुक्तो नृपतेः कार्यम् न कुर्याद्यः समाहितः

niyukto nṛpateḥ kāryam na kuryādyaḥ samāhitaḥ

SYNONYMS

āhuḥ: (they) speak | tam: of him | puruṣādhamam: as the lowest of men | yaḥ: which | bhṛtyuḥ: servant | niyuktaḥ: when entrusted | yuktaḥ: though qualified | samarthaḥca: and capable | na karyāt: does not accomplish | kāryam: the work | nṛpateḥ: of the king | samāhitaḥ: as directed." |

TRANSLATION

"The one who is well and able and yet does not carry out the instructions of his master as directed is said to be the least of men ."

VERSE 10

तन्नियोगे नियुक्तेन कृतम् हनूमता

tanniyoge niyuktena kṛtam hanūmatā

SYNONYMS

tat: "for that reason | kṛtyam: the work | kṛtam: was done | hanūmatā: by Hanumanta | niyuktām: when entrusted | niyoge: with duty (of search for Sita). Laghutaam = diminution | na nītaḥ: was not brought | ātmā: to his own self | sugrīvaścāpi: and Sugriva too | toṣitaḥ: was delighted." |

TRANSLATION

"Through the discovery of Sita's retreat by this faithful messenger, Hanuman has fulfilled the task entrusted to him unfalteringly to the satisfaction of Sugriva and hence there was no diminution to his self."

VERSE 11

अहम् च रघवंशश्च लक्ष्मणश्च महाबलः

aham ca raghavaṃśaśca lakṣmaṇaśca mahābalaḥ

SYNONYMS

darśanena: "by the finding | vaidehyāḥ: of Sita | raghuvamśaśca: the Raghu dynasty | lakśmaṇaśca: and Lakshmana | mahābalaḥ: who is endowed with great strength | parirakṣitāḥ: have been saved | adya: today | dharmataḥ: rightly." |

TRANSLATION

"By finding out Sita, the Raghu dynasty as well as myself and the valiant Lakshmana too, have been rightly saved today."

VERSE 12

इदम् तु मम दीनस्य मनो भूयः प्रकर्षति

idam tu mama dīnasya mano bhūyaḥ prakarṣati

SYNONYMS

tu: "but | prakarṣati: it squeezes | mama: my | manaḥ: conscience | bhūyaḥ: further | dīnasya: hopeless as I am | idam: (to think) that | yat na kurmi: I can not do | priyam: a pleasant act | sadṛśam: worthy | asyam: of Hanuman | priyāakhyātuḥ: who has informed me these good tidings." |

TRANSLATION

"But it squeezes my conscience further, hopeless as I am, to think that I am not able to do a pleasant act befittingly to the bearer of these good tidings."

VERSE 13

एष सर्वस्वभूतस्तु परिष्वङ्गो हनुमतः

eṣa sarvasvabhūtastu pariṣvaṅgo hanumataḥ

SYNONYMS

eṣaḥ: aalingaH = "this embrace | sarvasya bhūtaḥ: which is all that I can call really my possession | prāpya: obtained | imam kālam: in these present circumstances | dattaḥ: is offered | mayā: by me | tasya mahātmanaḥ: to such high soled | hanūmataḥ: Hanuman." |

TRANSLATION

"Let me at least embrace this magnanimous Hanuman since in the present circumstances, this is all that is easily obtained from me."

VERSE 14

इत्युक्त्वा प्रीतिहृष्टाङ्गो रामस्तम् परिष्स्वजे

ityuktvā prītihṛṣṭāṅgo rāmastam pariṣsvaje

SYNONYMS

uktvā: uttering | iti: thus | rāmaḥ: Rama | prīti hṛṣṭāngaḥ: whose limbs were thrilled with joy | pariṣasvaje: embraced | tam hanūmantam: that Hanuman | kṛtātmānam: who had mastered his mind | upāgatam: (and) who had come | kṛta vākyam: having carried out his word. |

TRANSLATION

Thus saying, Rama vibrating with joy, clasped Hanuman in his arms who, master of himself, his mission fulfilled, had returned.

VERSE 15

ध्यात्वा पुनरुवाचेदम् वचनम् रघुसत्तमः

dhyātvā punaruvācedam vacanam raghusattamaḥ

SYNONYMS

dhyātvā: Reflecting (for a while) | raghusattamaḥ: Rama (the great scion of Raghus) | punaḥ: again | uvāca: spoke | idam vacanam: these words | sugrīvasya: Sugriva | īśvarasya: the ruler | harīṇām: of monkeys | upaśṛṇvataḥ: listening arttentively. |

TRANSLATION

After reflecting a while, Rama the great scion of Raghus, again spoke as follows, Sugriva the ruler of monkeys too listening attentively.

VERSE 16

सर्वथा सुकृतम् तावत्सीतायाः परिमार्गणम्

sarvathā sukṛtam tāvatsītāyāḥ parimārgaṇam

SYNONYMS

parimārgeṇam: "the search | sītāyāḥ: for Sita | tāvat: is so much | sukṛtam: well done | sarvathā: in all ways. tu = But | mama manaḥ: my mind | punaḥ: is once more | naṣṭam: lost | samasādya: on duly reaching | sāgaram: the ocean." |

TRANSLATION

"The search for Sita has been performed so much well in all ways. But my mind gets dejected once more, when I behold this vast ocean."

VERSE 17

कथम् नाम समुद्रस्य दुष्पारस्य महाम्भसः

katham nāma samudrasya duṣpārasya mahāmbhasaḥ

SYNONYMS

katham: "how | harayaḥ: (these) monkeys | samāgataḥ: put together | gamiṣyanti: can obtain | dakṣiṇam: the southern | pāram: bank | samudrasya: of the ocean | duṣpārasya: which is difficult to cross | mahāmbhasaḥ: and which contains voluminous water?" |

TRANSLATION

How can these monkeys put together will reach the southern bank of the ocean, which is so difficult to cross and which contains voluminous water?"

VERSE 18

यद्यप्येष तु वृत्तान्तो वैदेह्या गदितो मम

yadyapyeṣa tu vṛttānto vaidehyā gadito mama

SYNONYMS

gaditoyadyapi: "even though informed | mama: to me | eṣaḥ: this | vṛttāntaḥ: result | vaidehyāḥ: by Sita | kim: what is | uttaram: the answer | samudrapāragamane: to the crossing of ocean | harīṇām: by the monkeys?" |

TRANSLATION

"Having received the tidings of Sita, what can now be done to take the monkeys to the farther side the sea?"

VERSE 19

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये युद्ध काण्डे प्रथमः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye yuddha kāṇḍe prathamaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

iti: thus | uktvā: speaking | hanunmantam: to Hanumanta | rāmaḥ: Rama | śatrunibarhaṇaḥ: the destroyer of enemies | mahābāhuḥ: and the mighty armed | śoka sambhrāntaḥ: was perplexed with anguish | upāgamat: (then) became | dhyānam: thoughtful." |

TRANSLATION

Thus speaking to Hanuman, Rama the destroyer of enemies and the mighty armed, was filled with apprehension and then became absorbed in thought.