तस्यास्तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा हनूमान् हरिपुङ्गवः। दुःखाद् दुःखाभिभूतायाः सान्त्वमुत्तरमब्रवीत्॥ अहं रामस्य संदेशाद् देवि दूतस्तवागतः। वैदेहि कुशली रामः स त्वां कौशलमब्रवीत् ॥
Hearing those words of Sītā stricken with grief, Hanumān, the foremost of the monkeys, replied in soothing words, O worshipful lady, by Rāma's decree I come as a messenger to these. He is sale and sound, O Vaidehi, and has asked of your welfare.
यो ब्राह्ममस्त्रं वेदांश्च वेद वेदविदां वरः। स त्वां दाशरथी रामो देवि कौशलमब्रवीत्॥
O worshipful dame, Rāma, the son of Dasaratha, the master of the Vedas, and the foremost of those conversant with Vedas has enquired of your welfare.
लक्ष्मणश्च महातेजा भर्तुस्तेऽनुचरः प्रियः। कृतवाञ्छोकसंतप्तः शिरसा तेऽभिवादनम्॥
And the highly effulgent Lakşmaņa, the beloved follower of your husband, worn with grief, bows his reverential head to you.
सा तयोः कुशलं देवी निशम्य नरसिंहयोः। प्रतिसंहृष्टसर्वाङ्गी हनूमन्तमथाब्रवीत्॥
Hearing of the welfare of those two lions among men, the worshipful dame, with all her frame worked up with rapture, again spake to Hanumān, saying.
कल्याणी वत गाथेयं लौकिकी प्रतिभाति मा। एति जीवन्तमानन्दो नरं वर्षशतादपि॥
Verily the wise saw of the people appears to me to be true that once in a hundred years true joy appears to a living man.
तयोः समागमे तस्मिन् प्रीतिरुत्पादिताद्भुता। परस्परेण चालापं विश्वस्तौ तौ प्रचक्रतुः॥
Sītā, at that time, attained such a wonderful joy, as would have been acquired by her in the company (of Rama and Laksmana). And they confidingly conversed with each other.
तस्यास्तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा हनूमान्मारुतात्मजः। सीतायाः शोकतप्तायाः समीपमुपचक्रमे॥
Hearing those words of $ītā, racked with sorrow, Hanumān, the son of the Wind-god drew a little nearer to her.
यथा यथा समीपं स हनूमानुपसर्पति। तथा तथा रावणं सा तं सीता परिशङ्कते॥
The more Hanumān approached her the more Sītā suspected him as Rāvaņa.
अहो धिग् धिक्कृतमिदं कथितं हि यदस्य मे। रूपान्तरमुपागम्य स एवायं हि रावणः॥
Alas! Alas! why have I spoken to him? It is the Rāvaņa, who has appeared again in a new disguise.
तामशोकस्य शाखां तु विमुक्त्वा शोककर्शिता । तस्यामेवानवद्याङ्गी धरण्यां समुपाविशत्॥
And leaving off the Asoka branch, that one having a blameless person, overwhelmed with grief, sat down on the earth.
अवन्दत महाबाहुस्ततस्तां जनकात्मजाम्। सा चैनं भयसंत्रस्ता भूयो नैनमुदैक्षत॥
In the meantime the mighty-armed monkey bowed to Janaka's daughter, but she, worked up with fear, did not cast again her looks towards him.
तं दृष्ट्वा वन्दमानं च सीता शशिनिभानना। अब्रवीद् दीर्घमुच्छ्वस्य वानरं मधुरस्वरा ॥
Beholding him bow to her, Sítā, having a moon-like countenance, sighing, spoke to that monkey in sweet accents.
मायां प्रविष्टो मायावी यदि त्वं रावणः स्वयम्। उत्पादयसि मे भूयः संतापं तन्न शोभनम्॥
If you are that Ravana's self, who, changing your shape by magic art, want to distress me again— this your vile deed dose not behove you.
स्वं परित्यज्य रूपं यः परिव्राजकरूपवान्। जनस्थाने मया दृष्टस्त्वं स एव हि रावणः॥
You are surely that Rāvana, whom I saw at Janasthāna, in a mendicant's guise, renouncing his own shape.
उपवासकृशां दीनां कामरूप निशाचर। संतापयसि मां भूयः संतापं तत्र शोभनम्॥
O night-ranger, O you wearing shapes at will! it dose not behove you to distress me who am poorly and famished with fasts.
अथवा नैतदेवं हि यन्मया परिशङ्कितम्। मनसो हि मम प्रीतिरुत्पन्ना तव दर्शनात्॥
But no, you cannot be (the fiend) whom I suspect, since I have such joy from seeing you.
यदि रामस्य दूतस्त्वमागतो भद्रमस्तु ते। पृच्छामि त्वां हरि श्रेष्ठ प्रिया रामकथा हि मे॥
And may good betide you if you are Rāma's messenger. I do ask you, O foremost of monkeys, something about Rāma that is pleasant to me.
गुणान् रामस्य कथय प्रियस्य मम वानर। चित्तं हरसि मे सौम्य नदीकूलं यथा रयः॥
O monkey, do you relate the glories of my dear Rama. You are (thus) shaking my mind O gentle one, like to water breaking down the banks of a river.
अहो स्वप्नस्य सुखता याहमेव चिराहता। प्रेषितं नाम पश्यामि राघवेण वनौकसम्॥
Alas! this dream has afforded me immense pleasure since, I, who have been separated from my lord for so long a time, have beheld this monkey sent by Rāghava.
स्वप्नेऽपि यद्यहं वीरं राघवं सहलक्ष्मणम्। पश्येयं नावसीदेयं स्वप्नोऽपि मम मत्सरी॥
I do not sink even if I can behold in dream the heroic Raghava. along with Laksmana-but dream even is Jealous of my well-being.
नाहं स्वप्नमिमं मन्ये स्वप्ने दृष्ट्वा हि वानरम्। न शक्योऽभ्युदयः प्राप्तुं प्राप्तश्चाभ्युदयो मम॥
Nor do I regard this as dream. To behold a monkey in a dream dose not lead to prosperity whereas I have attained it. (Here prosperity means joy-Sītā attained an immense treasure of joy on beholding Rāma's messengerHanumãn.)
किं नु स्याच्चित्तमोहोऽयं भवेद् वातगतिस्त्वियम्। उन्मादजों विकारो वा स्यादयं मृगतृष्णिका॥
Or is it mental derangement? Or have I been possessed by a devil? Or have I run mad? Or is it the sultry vapour noating over sands and appearing at a distance like water?
अथवा नायमुन्मादो मोहोऽप्युन्मादलक्षणः। सम्बुध्ये चाहमात्मानमिमं चापि वनौकसम्॥
No, it is not madness-for derangement of mind is the sign of madness, I have not lost sense and I do distinctly perceive me and the monkey.
इत्येवं बहुधा सीता सम्प्रधार्य बलाबलम्। रक्षसां कामरूपत्वान्मेने तं राक्षसाधिपम्॥ एतां बुद्धिं तदा कृत्वा सीता सा तनुमध्यमा। न प्रतिव्याजहाराथ वानरं जनकात्मजा॥
Thinking thus in many a way and ascertaining the strength of the monkey and the Rākṣasa) Sītā took him for the lord of the Raksasas, wearing shapes at will. And having arrived at this decision, Janaka's daughter-Sītā, ceased from talking with that monkey.
सीताया निश्चितं बुद्ध्वा हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः। श्रोत्रानुकूलैर्वचनैस्तदा तां सम्प्रहर्षयन्॥
And apprised of Sītā's thought, Hanumān, the Wind-god's son, (replied) in words sweet to her and enhancing her delight.
आदित्य इव तेजस्वी लोककान्तः शशी यथा। राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य देवो वैश्रवणो यथा ॥
Bright as the sun that lights the sky and dear as the moon to every eye, he pleases all his subjects with bounties like to those of as Vaisravana. (Another name of Kubera, the god of gold.)
विक्रमेणोपपन्नश्च यथा विष्णुर्महायशाः। सत्यवादी मधुरवाग् देवो वाचस्पतिर्यथा॥
He is gifted with prowess like to the greatly famed Vişnu, truthful and sweet-speeched like to Vacaspati. (The god of speech)
रूपवान् सुभगः श्रीमान् कन्दर्प इव मूर्तिमान्। स्थानक्रोधे प्रहर्ता च श्रेष्ठो लोके महारथः॥
Graceful, grateful to the eye and beautiful like to Kandarva's (Cupid or the god of love in Hindu mythology described the most beautiful of the celestials) Self, he displays his wrath in a proper quarter-the foremost of men and of a mighty car.
बाहुच्छायामवष्टब्धो यस्य लोको महात्मनः। अपक्रम्याश्रमपदान्मृगरूपेण राघवम्॥ शून्ये येनापनीतासि तस्य द्रक्ष्यसि तत्फलम्।
The whole world of creation (live safe) in the shadow of the arms of that high-souled one. You shall soon see the consequences he shall reap by whom, assuming the shape of a dear, Rāghava was taken away from the hermitage and you wert stolen away from that lonely place.
अचिराद् रावणं संख्ये यो वधिष्यति वीर्यवान्॥ क्रोधप्रमुक्तैरिषुभिर्व्वलद्भिरिव पावकैः।
And soon shall that powerful (hero) destroy Ravana in the battle, with fiery arrows, discharged angrily.
तेनाहं प्रेषितो दूतस्त्वत्सकाशमिहागतः॥ त्वद्वियोगेन दुःखार्तः स त्वां कौशलमब्रवीत्। लक्ष्मणश्च महातेजाः सुमित्रानन्दवर्धनः॥ अभिवाद्य महाबाहुः स त्वां कौशलमब्रवीत्।
I have been sent by him as a messenger to you. Worn with grief in your separation he has enquired of your welfare, as well the highly effulgent Lakşmaņa, the enhancer of Sumitrā's joy, bowing reverentially to you.
रामस्य च सखा देवि सुग्रीवो नाम वानरः॥ राजा वानरमुख्यानां स त्वां कौशलमब्रवीत्। नित्यं स्मरति ते रामः ससुग्रीवः सलक्ष्मणः॥
The king of monkey host, by name SugrīvaRama's friend, has also enquired of your welfare, O worshipful dame. Rāma, Sugrīva and Laksmana, have you always in their minds.
दिष्ट्या जीवसि वैदेहि राक्षसीवशमागता। नचिराद् द्रक्ष्यसे राम लक्ष्मणं च महारथम्॥ मध्ये वानरकोटीनां सुग्रीवं चामितौजसम्। अहं सुग्रीवसचिवो हनूमान् नाम वानरः॥
Blessed are we, O Vaidehi, that you do still live, subject as you are to the Raksasis. You shall soon behold Rāma, and Lakşmaņa of a mighty car, and Sugrīva of unmitigated prowess in the midst of the million of monkey hosts. I am Sugrīva's minister, by name Hanumān.
प्रविष्टो नगरी लङ्कां लवयित्वा महोदधिम्। कृत्वा मूर्ध्नि पदन्यासं रावणस्य दुरात्मनः॥
I have entered this city of Lankā after crossing over the great main. And by means of my prowess and placing my feet on the head of the vicious-souled Ravana.
त्वां द्रष्टमुपयातोऽहं समाश्रित्य पराक्रमम्। नाहमस्मि तथा देवि यथा मामवगच्छसि। विशङ्का त्यज्यतामेषा श्रद्धत्स्व वदतो मम॥
I have come here to see you I am not he (Ravana) for whom you are taking me, O worshipful dame. Do you renounce your suspicion and rely on my words.