स च वाग्भिः प्रशस्ताभिर्गमिष्यन् पूजितस्तया। तस्माद् देशादपाक्रम्य चिन्तयामास वानरः॥
Having been honoured by her (Sītā) in excellent words, the monkey proceeding, left that place, thinking.
अल्पशेषमिदं कार्यं दृष्टेयमसितेक्षणा। त्रीनुपायानतिक्रम्य चतुर्थ इह दृश्यते॥
A small work it is that remains. Beheld have I this dark-eyed lady. Passing by three means, I see that I shali have to resort to the fourth.
न साम रक्षःसु गुणाय कल्पते न दानमर्थोपचितेषु युज्यते। न भेदसाध्या बलदर्पिता जनाः पराक्रमस्त्वेष ममेह रोचते॥
No treaty with Rākşasa can answer the end. Neither can gifts prevail with the wealthy. Nor is it possible to sow dissensions among persons proud of their strength. Then, display of prowess appear to me applicable in this case.
न चास्य कार्यस्य पराक्रमाइते विनिश्चयः कश्चिदिहोपपद्यते। हतप्रवीराश्च रणे तु राक्षसाः कथंचिदीयुर्यदिहाद्य मार्दवम् ॥
Without resorting to prowess, way find I none for ensuring success in this matter. If the Rākşasa find their foremost heroes fallen in battle, they may temper their (martial ardour).
कार्ये कर्मणि निर्वृत्ते यो बहून्यपि साधयेत्। पूर्वकार्याविरोधेन स कार्यं कर्तुमर्हति ॥
He that, having compassed his (principal) purpose, accomplishes many more without marring the prime one, is entitled to act.
नह्येकः साधको हेतुः स्वल्पस्यापीह कर्मणः। यो ह्यर्थं बहुधा वेद स समर्थोऽर्थसाधने॥
He that dose a small work, is certainly not a worker, he it is that know to bring about success in diverse ways, is along capable of securing the same. (The commentator explains this passage thus:"He that by great pains accomplishes a small work, cannot be a great actor; but he that bring about his end in a variety of ways through the minimum of effort, in the actor.")
इहैव तावत्कृतनिश्चयो ह्यहं व्रजेयमद्य प्लवगेश्वरालयम्। परात्मसम्मर्दविशेषतत्त्ववित् ततः कृतं स्यान्मम भर्तृशासनम् ॥
Although my sole commission was to effect this much, (i.e. see Sita) yet if I repair to the abode of the lord of monkeys after having ascertained the strength of our ownselves and that of the foe in the field, then I shall have done the mandate of my master.
कथं नु खल्वद्य भवेत् सुखागतं प्रसह्य युद्धं मम राक्षसैः सह। तथैव खल्वात्मबलं च सारवत् समानयेन्मां च रणे दशाननः॥
How can my arrival (at this place) be made to bring forth good fruit? How can I forcibly bring on engagement with the Rākşasas? And how can the Ten-necked one in battle be made to form a just estimate of the respective strength of myself and his forces?
ततः समासाद्य रणे दशाननं समन्त्रिवर्गं सबलं सयायिनम्। हृदि स्थितं तस्य मतं बलं च सुखेन मत्वाहमितः पुनव्रजे॥
Coming in contact with the Ten-necked one, with his three orders, forces and charioteers, I shall, reading the intention that is in his heart, as well as his strength, happily return from hence.
इदमस्य नृशंसस्य नन्दनोपममुत्तमम्। वनं नेत्रमन:कान्तं नानादुमलतायुतम्॥ इदं विध्वंसयिष्यामि शुष्कं वनमिवानलः। अस्मिन् भग्ने ततः कोपं करिष्यति स रावणः॥
This grove of the fell (fiend) resembling Nandana itself, containing various trees and plants, and captivating to eye and heart, will i destroy; even as fire destroy a dry wood. This grove being ravaged, Rāvana shall get into a fury.
ततो महत्साश्वमहारथद्विपं बलं समानेष्यति राक्षसाधिपः। त्रिशूलकालायसपट्टिशायुधं ततो महद्युद्धमिदं भविष्यति॥
Then the Raksasa monarch shall summon up an army consisting of herse, elephants, and mighty cars, equipped with tridents, iron axes and other arms, and mighty shall be the encounter that shall take place.
अहं च तैः संयति चण्डविक्रमैः समेत्य रक्षोभिरभङ्गविक्रमः। निहत्य तद् रावणचोदितं बलं सुखं गमिष्यामि हरिश्वरालयम्॥
And I with unpaired prowess battling with those terrific Rākşasa, and annihilating that host despatched by Rāvana, shall merrily journey to the abode of the monkey king.
ततो मारुतवत् क्रुद्धो मारुतिर्भीमविक्रमः। ऊरुवेगेन महता दुमान् क्षेप्तुमथारभत्॥
Then furious like the Wind, the offspring of the Wind-god possessed of dreadful prowess set about knocking down the trees with impetuous violence.
ततस्तद्धनुमान् वीरो बभञ्ज प्रमदावनम्। मत्तद्विजसमाघुष्टं नानादुमलतायुतम्॥
Then that hero, Hanumān, devastated that garden of the damsels, resounding with the roars of mad elephants, and filled with diverse trees and shrubs.
तद्वनं मथितैर्वृक्षैभिन्नैश्च सलिलाशयैः। चूर्णितैः पर्वतायैश्च बहुधा प्रियदर्शनैः॥ नानाशकुन्तविरुतैः प्रभिन्नसलिलाशयैः। तानैः किसलयैः क्लान्तैः क्लान्तद्रुमलतायुतैः॥ न बभौ तद् वनं तत्र दावानलहतं यथा। व्याकुलावरणा रेजुर्विह्वला इव ता लताः॥
And with its trees crushed and its tanks damaged, with its fair peaks shattered in fragments and its pools eloquent with the notes of birds, riven all over, with coppery and withered sprays cast about (in all directions), and with its trees and plants shorn of their liveliness, that wood was no longer beautiful, as if it had been burnt up by a forest-fire; and its plants resembled damsels with their apparel falling off.
फ्लैर्मृगैरातरवैश्च पक्षिभिः। शिलागृहैरुन्मथितैस्तथा गृहै: प्रणष्टरूपं तदभून्महद् वनम्॥
And that magnificent wood, with its arbours and its picture-galleries destroyed, and its ferocious animals, beasts and birds crying in distressful accents, and its rocky structures and other mansions broken down, was bereft of its loveliness.
सा विह्वलाशोकलताप्रताना वनस्थली शोकलताप्रताना। जाता दशास्यप्रमदावनस्य कर्बलाद्धि प्रमदावनस्य ॥
And that grove of the inner apartment belonging to the damsels (Pramadāvanasyagen. occurs twice in this passage. the commentator, as usual, refines on the word, to one he assigns a literal sense; another he explains of the grove belonging to the protector of the females, i.e. the wood, which, by arousing their desire for Rāvana, assured their stay there!) of the Ten-necked one, with its numbers of Asoka trees and plants cast about disorderly, was, in very sooth, through the might of the monkey rendered a sight composed of plants, etc. tending to awaken the regret of the spectator. (There is a pun on the word soka-occuring twice. One of these originally aśoka, but entering into a vowel combination with the preceding word, is the name of a tree; and Soka means sorrow. The aśoka trees being shattered, inspired the onlooker with soka-sorrow)
ततः स कृत्वा जगतीपतेर्महान् महद् व्यलीकं मनसोमहात्मनः। युयुत्सुरेको बहुभिर्महाबलैः श्रियाज्वलंस्तोरणमाश्रितः कपिः॥
Then having done what was wondrous disagreeable to the mind of the magnanimous lord of the world, that monkey desirous of coping alone with a vast host, stood by the main entrance, flaming in effulgence.