Book V : Sundara Kanda - Book Of Beauty
 | As instructed by Ravana, Prahasta his chief minister inquires of Hanuma as to who he was and also his motive in destroying the pleasure-garden as also killing the demons. In reply, Hanuma says that he destroyed the pleasure-garden in order that he might be taken captive and dragged to the presence of Ravana, whom he was eager to see and was forced in self-defense to kill those who stood in his way. Finally, he declares himself to be a messenger of Rama and adds that, though he was incapable of being bound by a missile presided over by Brahma, he surrendered to it only in order to see Ravana in person. |
tam udviikShya mahaabaahuH pinga akSham purataH sthitam |
roSheNa mahataa aaviShTo raavaNo loka raavaNaH || 5-50-1
sa raajaa roSha taamra akShaH prahastam mantri sattamam |
1. saH raavaNaH= That Ravana; mahaabaahuH= the long armed; lokaraavaNaH= who causes the people to cry; udviikSya= looking up; tam piN^gaakSam= at that mokey; sthitam= standing; purataH= in front of him; mahataa kopena aaviSTah= affected with violent anger; shaN^kaahR^itmaa= with his mind seized with suspicion; dadhyau= speenlated; kapiindram= about Hanuma the formost of monkeys; aavR^itam= who was invested; tejasaa= with splendour.
That Ravana, the long-armed, who caused people to cry, looking up at that monkey standing in front of him, was affected with violent anger, having his mind seized with suspicion, speculated (as follows) about Hanuma, the jewel among the monkeys, who was invested with splendour.
kimeSa bhagavaannandii bhavetsaakSaadihaagataH || 5-50-2
yena shapto.asmi kailaase mayaa samchaalite puraa |
so.ayam vaanaramuurtiH syaatkimsvidbaaNo mahaasuraH || 5-50-3
2, 3. Kailaase= (when) Mount Kailasa; samchaalite= was moved; mayaa= by me; kim bhavet= whether (he is); saakSaat= actually; bhagavaan= the divine; nandii= bull; aagataH= who came; iha= here; yena= and by whom; shaptaH asmin= I was cursed; puraa= long ago; saH ayam= or he; syaat kim svit= in whether; mahaasuraH baaNaH= the great demon named Bana; vaanara muurtiH= in the form of a monkey.
“When Mount Kailasa was moved by me, is it the same Nandi the divine bull (attendant of Siva) which cursed me long ago and came here now in this form or whether he is Bana the great demon (son of Bali) came here in the form of a monkey.”
sa raajaa roSataamraakSaH prahastam mantrisattamam |
kaala yuktam uvaaca idam vaco vipulam arthavat || 5-50-4
4. saH raajaa= that king; roSa taam raakSaH= enraged with red-hot eyes; uvaacha= spoke; idam vachaH= these words; kaalavat= connected with that time; arthavat= meaningful; avipulam= and concise; prahastam= to Prahasta; mantrisattaamam= his chief of ministers.
That king Ravana, becoming enraged with red hot eyes, spoke the following concise and meaningful words relevant to that occasion, to Prahasta, his chief of ministers.
duraatmaa pR^icChyataam eSha kutaH kim vaa asya kaaraNam |
vana bhange ca ko asya artho raakShasiinaam ca tarjane || 5-50-5
5. pR^ichchhyataam eSaH duraatmaa= let this wicked one be asked; kutaH= from where did he come; kim kaaaNam= for what reason; atra= at this place; kaH arthaH= and for what purpose; asya= for him; tarjane= to frighten; raakSasiinaam= the female-demons; vana bhaNgecha= in destroying the garden.
“Ask this wicked monkey from where did he come, for what reason did he come to this place and for what purpose did he frighten the female-demons in destroying our garden.”
matpuriimapradhR^iSyaam vaagamane kiM prayojanam |
aayodhane vaakiM kaaryam pR^ichchhyataameSa durmatiH ||5-50-6
6. pR^ichchhyataam eSaH durmatiH= let this evil-minded monkey be asked; kim prayojanam= on what purpose; aagamane= in coming; matpuriim= to my City; apradhR^iSyaam= which is invincible; kim kaaryam= and on what pursuit; aayodhanevaa= in doing the battle.
“Ask this evil-minded monkey as to what really is his purpose in coming over to my invincible City and what pursuit he is doing this battle.”
raavaNasya vacaH shrutvaa prahasto vaakyam abraviit |
samaashvasihi bhadram te na bhiiH kaaryaa tvayaa kape || 5-50-7
7. shrutvaa= hearing; vachaH= the words; raavaNasya= of Ravana; prahastaH= Prahasta; abraviit= spoke; vaakyam= (the following) words (to Hanuma); samaashvasihi= take courage!; bhadram te= Happiness to you!; bhiiH na kaaryaa= not to be frightened; tvayaa= by you!; kape= O monkey.
Hearing the words of Ravana, Prahasta spoke the following words to Hanuma, “Take courage! Happiness to you! You need not get frightened, O monkey!”
yadi taavat tvam indreNa preShito raavaNa aalayam |
tattvam aakhyaahi maa te bhuut bhayam vaanara mokShyase || 5-50-8
8. vaanara= O monkey!; tvam preSitaH yadi taavat= If you are sent; indreNa= by Indra; raavaNaalayam= to the abode of Ravana; aakhyaahi= tell (me); tattvam= the truth; maa bhuut= let there not be; bhayam= fear; te= for you; mokSyase= you will be released.
“O monkey! If Indra has sent you to the abode of Ravana, tell me the truth. Do not have fear. You will be released.”
yadi vaishravaNasya tvam yamasya varuNasya ca |
caaru ruupam idam kR^itvaa oravuSTo naH puriimimaam || 5-50-9
viShNunaa preShito vaa api duuto vijaya kaankShiNaa |
9. tvam= you; praviSTaH= the one who has entered; imam purim= this city; naH= of ours; kR^itvaa= assuming; idam= this; chaararuupam= guise of a spy; tvam= (are) you; vaishrvaNasya= belonging to Kubera the lord of riches; yamasya= or belonging to Yama the god of death; varuNasya= or belonging to Varuna the Lord of the sea; preSitovaapi yadi= or whether sent; viSnunaa= by Vishnu, the lord of preservation; duutaH= as a messenger; vijayakaamkSiNaa= longing for a victory?
“Are you, the one who has entered our city, assuming the guise of a spy, sent by Kubera the god of riches or by Yama the god of death or by Varuna the lord of the sea or whether sent by Vishnu the lord of preservation, as a messenger, longing for a victory?”
na hi te vaanaram tejo ruupa maatram tu vaanaram || 5-50-10
tattvataH kathayasva adya tato vaanara mokShyase |
10. vaanara= O monkey!; te= your; ruupamadtramtu= form alone; vaanaram= (is that of) a monkey; tejaH= (your) splendour; na hi= is not indeed; vaanaram= that of a monkey; adya= Now; kathayasva= tell (me); tattvataH= actually; mokSase= you will be released; tataH= thereafter.
"O monkey! Your form alone is that of a monkey. Your splendour indeed is not that of a monkey. Now, tell me the truth. Thereupon, you will be released."
anR^itam vadataH ca api durlabham tava jiivitam || 5-50-11
athavaa yan nimittaH te pravesho raavaNa aalaye |
11. tava vadataH= If you tell; anR^itam= a lie; jiivitam= your survival; durlabham= will be difficult; athavaa= or (tell me); yannimittam= for what purpose; te praveshaH= is your entry; raavaNaalaye= into Ravana's abode."
"If you tell a lie, your survival will be difficult. Or else, tell me the purpose of your entry into Ravana's abode."
evam ukto hari varaH tadaa rakSho gaNa iishvaram || 5-50-12
abraviin na asmi shakrasya yamasya varuNasya vaa |
dhanadena na me sakhyam viShNunaa na asmi coditaH || 5-50-13
jaatiH eva mama tu eShaa vaanaro aham iha aagataH |
12, 13. evan= thus; uktaH= spoken; harishreSTaH= Hanuma the foremost of monkeys; tadaa= then; abraviit= spoke; rakSogaNeshvaram= to Ravana the Lord of demons; (as follows); naasmi= I am not (a messenger); shakrasya= of Indra; yamasya= or of Yama; varuNasye= or of Varuna; me= to me; na shakhyam= there is no friendship; dhanadena= with Kubera the god of riches; na= nor; choditaH= instigated; viSNunaa= by Vishnu; eSaa= this; mame eva= is just my; jaatiH= form of existence; aham= I; vaanaraH= am a monkey; aagataH= who came; iha= here.
Hearing the words of Prahasta, Hanuma spoke to Ravana the Lord of demons as follows, "I am not a messenger of Indra or Yama or Varuna. I have no friendship with Kubera the god of riches, nor am I instigated by Vishnu. This is just my form of existence, by my very birth. I am a monkey who came here."
darshane raakShasa indrasya durlabhe tat idam mayaa || 5-50-14
vanam raakShasa raajasya darshana arthe vinaashitam |
14. darshane= the sight; raakSasendrasya= of the king of demons; durlabhe= difficult to be obtained; taidam= Intent on that; darshanaarthe= object of sight; raakSasaraajasya= of the king of demons; vanam= the garden; vinaashitam= was destroyed; mayaa= by me.
"The sight of Ravana the King of demons is difficult to be obtained. Intent on that object (of sight of Ravana), the garden was destroyed by me."
tataH te raakShasaaH praaptaa balino yuddha kaankShiNaH || 5-50-15
rakShaNa artham ca dehasya pratiyuddhaa mayaa raNe |
15. te balinaH raakSasaaH= those strong demons; tataH= then; praaptaaH= came; yuddha kaaN^kSiNah= with a desire to fight; rakSaNaartham tu= for the protection; dehasya= of my body; pratiyuddhaaH= they were attacked; raNe= in battle; mayaa= by me.
"Then, those strong demons came with a desire to fight with me. Just for protecting my body, I had to attack them in battle."
astra paashaiH na shakyo aham baddhum deva asuraiH api || 5-50-16
pitaamahaat eva varo mama api eSho abhyupaagataH |
16. aham= I; na shakyaH= am incapable; baddhum= of being bound; astrapaashaiH= by missiles and nooses; devaasurairapi= even by celestials and demons; eSaH varaH= this boon; abhyupaagataH= came; mamaapi= to me too; pitaamahaadeva= from Brahma only.
"I am incapable of being bound by missiles and nooses even by celestials and demons. This boon came to me also from Brahama only."
raajaanam draShTu kaamena mayaa astram anuvartitam || 5-50-17
vimukto aham astreNa raakShasaiH tu atipiiDitaH |
kevachidraajakaaryeNa sampraapto.asmi tavaantikam || 5-50-18
17, 18. mayaa= by me; draSTukaamena= with a desire to see; raajaanam= you the king; astram anuvartitam= the missile was obeyed; mayaa= by me; abhipiiDitaH tu= after being bound; raakSasaiH= by the demons; aham= I; vimuktohi= was indeed released; astreNa= from the missile; sampraaptaH asmi= I came; tava antikam= to your vicinity; kenachit raajakaaryeNa= on some king's duty.
With a desire to see you the king, I surrendered to the missile. Soon after bound by the demons, I was indeed released from the missile. I came to your presence, prompted by some mission of Rama."
duuto.ahamiti vijJNeyo raaghavasyaamitaujasaH |
shruuyataam chaapi vachanam mama pathyamidam prabho || 5-50-19
19. aham= I; vijNeyaH= am to be known; duutaaH iti= as a messenger; raaghavasya= of Rama; amitoujasaH= possessing an unlimited splendour; prabho= O Lord of demons!; idam= let this; pathyam= beneficial; mama vachaam= word of mine; shruujataam cha= be heard (by you).
"O, Lord of demons! Know me to be a messenger of Rama who is possessing I am unlimited splendour. I am telling you a beneficial word. Listen to it."
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye sundarakaaNDe paN^chaashaH sargaH
Thus completes 50th Chapter of Sundara Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© December, 2005, K. M. K. Murthy