Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— कपयस्ते महाप्राज्ञा वरेण्या बलशालिनाम्। महाबुद्धिमतां श्रेष्ठा विक्रान्ताः सुमहौजसः॥१॥
Brahmā said: Those monkeys were profoundly wise, foremost among the strong, the best of the highly intelligent, valiant, and immensely powerful.
Passage 2
महाघोररणोद्युक्ताः स्वामिनो हितकारिणः। तेषां केचित्कपिवराः सुग्रीवस्य निदेशतः॥२॥
Prepared for a most terrible war and devoted to their master's welfare, certain foremost monkeys among them acted at Sugrīva's command.
Passage 3
कृत्वा प्रणामं रामस्य यत्ताः सीतावलोकने। मासैकमवधिं कृत्वा ययुरन्वेषणोद्यताः॥३॥
After bowing to Rāma, they set out intent upon the search, disciplined in their effort to behold Sītā and accepting one month as their limit.
Passage 4
तानाह वानरश्रेष्ठान् सभ्रूभङ्गं कपीश्वरः। अहो कपिवराः सम्यक् शृणुतेदं वचो मम॥४॥
With his brows drawn, the monkey lord addressed those foremost monkeys: “Excellent monkeys, listen carefully to these words of mine.
Passage 5
अन्विष्यतां जनकजा भवद्भिर्यत्नतत्परैः। एकमासोऽवधिर्दत्तो युष्माकं तत्र वै मया॥५॥
“You must devote every effort to searching for Janaka's daughter. I give you one month as the limit for that task.
Passage 6
मासात्परमुपागम्य रामं न प्रणमिष्यथ। तद्यूयं दण्डनीयाः स्थ वचनं मे स्मरिष्यथ॥६॥
“If you return after the month has passed without bowing before Rāma, you will be liable to punishment. Remember my word.”
Passage 7
इत्युक्त्वा प्रेषिताः कीशाः सुग्रीवेण महात्मना। सीतामन्वेषयामासुर्दशदिक्षु प्रचारिणः॥७॥
Having spoken thus, great Sugrīva sent out the monkeys. Ranging through the ten directions, they searched for Sītā.
Passage 8
जाम्बवान्नाम ऋक्षेशो नलो नीलश्च मारुतिः। अन्ये चापि कपिश्रेष्ठास्तेषां मुख्यतमोऽङ्गदः॥८॥
Among them were Jāmbavān, lord of the bears, Nala, Nīla, Hanumān, and other foremost monkeys; Aṅgada was chief among them.
Passage 9
कपयो दशकोट्यश्च कृत्वा तेषामधीश्वरम्। याम्यां दिशि कपीन्द्रेण प्रेषितो जानकीकृते॥९॥
The monkey king made Aṅgada lord over ten crores of monkeys and sent him southward for Janakī's sake. Sampāti Reveals Sītā's Location
Passage 10
तेऽन्वेषयन्तो जनकेन्द्रपुत्रीं सुनैपुणीदत्तदृशोऽतिविज्ञाः। वनेषु शैलेषु गुहासु गह्वरेष्वनेकदेशेषु चिरं विचेरुः॥१०॥
Highly skilled and keenly observant, they searched for the king of Janaka's daughter, roaming for a long time through forests, mountains, caves, ravines, and many lands.
Passage 11
लब्धा न तैः क्वापि गवेषयद्भिर्मृगाङ्कवक्त्रा जनकेन्द्रपुत्री। न लङ्घिरे मासकृतावधिं ते प्राप्तास्ततस्तीरभुवं पयोधेः॥११॥
Though they searched, nowhere did they find Janaka's moon-faced daughter. They did not overstep the month's appointed limit, and at its end they reached the ocean shore.
Passage 12
महेन्द्रपर्वते तत्र संगताः कपयोऽखिलाः। सुग्रीवस्य कपीन्द्रस्य दण्डभीत्या समाकुलाः॥१२॥
All the monkeys gathered there upon Mount Mahendra, overwhelmed by fear of punishment from Sugrīva, king of the monkeys.
Passage 13
त्यक्तात्मजीवितव्यास्ते आसीनाः कुशसंस्तरे। स्थिताः प्रायोपवेशेन मुहुश्चिन्तासमाकुलाः॥१३॥
Renouncing their own lives, they sat upon a bed of kuśa grass and undertook a fast unto death, repeatedly overcome by anxious thought.
Passage 14
तत्र नूनमाजगामाथ सम्पातिर्नाम वै खगः। स पृष्टस्तैः कपिवरैराचख्यौ जनकेन्द्रजाम्॥१४॥
Then a bird named Sampāti came there. Questioned by those foremost monkeys, he told them of Janaka's daughter.
Passage 15
लङ्केशोपवनेऽशोकवाटिकायां निवासिनीम्। राक्षसीयूथमध्यस्थां प्रियविछ्लेषकातराम्॥१५॥
She was living in the lord of Laṅkā's garden, within the Aśoka grove, surrounded by a company of rākṣasī women and stricken by separation from her beloved.
Passage 16
सम्पातिवचसा तां तु विनिश्चित्य प्लवङ्गमाः। प्रायोपवेशनं त्यक्त्वा पुनर्जीवितमागताः॥१६॥
Once Sampāti's words had assured the monkeys of her location, they abandoned their fast unto death and came back to life.
Passage 17
बभूवुः स्वस्थमनसः सर्वेऽपि रहिताः शुचा। तानाजगाम हनुमांस्तत्रैव कृतविक्रमः॥१७॥
Their minds became steady and they were all freed from grief. Hanumān then returned to them there, having accomplished his heroic deed.
Passage 18
दग्ध्वा लङ्कापुरीं कृत्स्नां लाङ्गूलानलचालनात्। तेन व्यावर्तिताः सर्वे कपयो रामसन्निधौ॥१८॥
After burning the whole city of Laṅkā by sweeping it with the fire upon his tail, Hanumān led all the monkeys back into Rāma's presence. Bhuśuṇḍa Asks How Hanumān Crossed
Passage 19
भुशुण्ड उवाच— कथं जगाम हनुमाँल्लङ्कां वारिधिमध्यगाम्। कथं च तां ददाहैष गोपितां राक्षसोत्तमैः॥१९॥
Bhuśuṇḍa said: “How did Hanumān reach Laṅkā in the midst of the ocean, and how did he burn that city guarded by the foremost rākṣasas?”
Passage 20
ब्रह्मोवाच— भुशुण्ड शृणु वक्ष्यामि चरित्राणि हनूमतः। महाबलो महाकायो यथा लङ्कापुरीं गतः॥२०॥
Brahmā said: “Bhuśuṇḍa, listen as I relate Hanumān's deeds and how that immensely strong, gigantic hero reached the city of Laṅkā.
Passage 21
श्रीरामस्य निदेशेन हनूमान् स्वामिसेवकः। अवेक्षणाय जानक्या गन्तुमैच्छत् स तां पुरीम्॥२१॥
“At Śrī Rāma's command, Hanumān, the servant of his master, wished to go to that city in order to find Janakī. The Immeasurable Ocean
Passage 22
अथापश्यत्पयोराशिं दुस्तरं सर्वमानुषैः। अगाधं पयसां राशिमुत्तरङ्गमनारतम्॥२२॥
“He then beheld the ocean, impossible for any human to cross: a fathomless mass of water perpetually heaving with waves.
Passage 23
अनिरीक्षितपारं च प्रचण्डमरुतान्वितम्। गर्जमानं महादर्पं सर्वलोकभयानकम्॥२३॥
“Its far shore could not be seen; violent winds swept over it. Roaring with tremendous force, it struck fear into every world.
Passage 24
नदीनामाव्रजन्तीनां सर्वतः सजवाम्भसाम्। स्रोतोभिरापूर्यमाणमक्षोभितपयोभरम्॥२४॥
“Swift rivers approached it from every side, their streams continually filling its unshaken mass of waters.
Passage 25
समन्तात्पूर्णमाघूर्णल्लहरीकोटिताण्डवम्। प्रचण्डमारुतावेगगम्भीरध्वनिभीषणम्॥२५॥
“Full on every side, it whirled with the dance of tens of millions of waves and was terrifying with the deep sound produced by the rush of violent winds.
Passage 26
विस्तीर्णद्वीपधरणिवसज्जनपदव्रजम्। मणिमाणिक्यबहुलं मुक्तास्फोटगणाकरम्॥२६॥
“Across its broad island lands lay clusters of inhabited settlements. It abounded in gems and rubies and was a mine of masses of lustrous pearls.
Passage 27
प्लवच्छङ्खकुलव्याप्तं यादोगणभयानकम्। पिबतां वारि मेघानां घटाकोटिभिरावृतम्॥२७॥
“Schools of floating conches filled it, and its multitudes of aquatic creatures were fearsome. Tens of millions of cloud masses surrounded it as they drank its water.
Passage 28
प्रवालभूरुहव्याप्तद्वीपपर्यन्तमञ्जुलम्। हरिद्रत्नशिलाकोटिव्याप्तद्वीपावनं क्वचित्॥२८॥
“Its island shores were lovely, covered with coral trees; elsewhere island groves were filled with masses of green jewel-like rocks.
Passage 29
क्वचिच्छ्रीखण्डविटपिसुगन्धिततटावनिम्। क्वचित्कल्पतरुच्छायाविश्रान्तसुरकिन्नरम्॥२९॥
“In some places sandalwood trees made the shore fragrant; elsewhere gods and kinnaras rested in the shade of wish-fulfilling trees.
Passage 30
क्वचिल्लवङ्गवल्लीभिर्व्याप्यमानतटावनिम्। सहस्रयोजनायामैः शतयोजनविस्तृतैः॥३०॥
“In places clove vines spread across the coastal earth. Within the waters moved creatures a thousand yojanas long and a hundred yojanas broad.
Passage 31
अत्युग्रतनुभिर्ग्राहैर्दंष्ट्राकोटिभयानकैः। उत्क्षिप्तसलिलोत्तुङ्गं नानाजातीयजन्तुभिः॥३१॥
“Ferocious crocodiles with enormous bodies and terrifying masses of fangs, together with creatures of many species, hurled its waters high into the air.
Passage 32
आकुलीकृतनीरौघं निमज्जच्चन्द्रभास्करम्। अत्युच्छ्रितं महीपृष्ठादत्युद्भटपयोघटम्॥३२॥
“Its floods were churned into turmoil and seemed to submerge the moon and sun. Its tremendous mass of water rose exceedingly high above the earth.
Passage 33
राक्षसै राक्षसीभिश्च कृतकेलिभरं क्वचित्। महामकरविक्षिप्तसलिलोर्मिसमाकुलम्॥३३॥
“In some places rākṣasas and rākṣasī women sported in abundance; elsewhere great sea monsters tossed up the water and crowded it with waves.
Passage 34
वडवापावकज्वालाप्लुष्यमाणजलाशयम्। उच्चैरनेकसाहस्रयोजनायामशालिभिः॥३४॥
“The flames of the submarine fire scorched its watery depths. Many lofty forms extending for thousands of yojanas rose within it.
Passage 35
महेन्द्रपाणिकुलिशाक्षतपक्षतिभिस्ततैः। नानामहीध्रनिवहैः सावकाशकृतस्थितिम्॥३५॥
“It held widely scattered hosts of many mountains whose wings had been struck and cut by the thunderbolt in mighty Indra's hand.
Passage 36
वेलावनावलीभीमं निःसीमसलिलाकरम्। अनेककौतुकागारं सुरकिन्नरराक्षसैः॥३६॥
“Its rows of coastal forests were formidable, and its store of water knew no limit. For gods, kinnaras, and rākṣasas it was a dwelling of countless wonders.
Passage 37
समन्ततः सेव्यमानं नानाजनपदाश्रयम्। उन्निद्रमेघसंघाभमहोर्मिनिवहाचितम्॥३७॥
“Beings attended it on every side, and it sustained many inhabited lands. Its hosts of immense waves resembled masses of towering clouds.
Passage 38
महागम्भीरनिर्घोषतिरोभूतेतरध्वनिम्। गम्भीरमप्रमेयं च हरेः शयनमन्दिरम्॥३८॥
“Its immensely deep roar drowned every other sound. Profound and immeasurable, it was the sleeping chamber of Hari.
Passage 39
लक्ष्म्याश्च जनकं साक्षाद्रत्नानामाकरं च तम्। महोत्तुङ्गं महावेगं महायामं महोद्धटम्॥३९॥
“It was directly the father of Lakṣmī and a mine of jewels—immensely high, swift, vast in extent, and overwhelmingly powerful.
Passage 40
वरुणस्यालयं घोरं महाप्रलयकारणम्। आज्ञया देवदेवस्य मर्यादालम्बिनं सदा॥४०॥
“It was Varuṇa's fearsome abode and an agent of the great dissolution, yet by the Lord of gods' command it always kept within its boundary. Hanumān Chooses the Mountain of Departure
Passage 41
तं दृष्ट्वा पवनसुतो नभःस्पृशोर्मिं रामाज्ञापरवशधीर्महातरस्वी। लङ्घित्वा गगनपथेन यातुकामो जग्राहोत्प्लवनकृते महागिरीन्द्रम्॥४१॥
“Beholding that ocean whose waves touched the sky, mighty Hanumān, son of the Wind, held his mind wholly subject to Rāma's command. Wishing to cross it by the path of the sky, he chose a great mountain from which to make his leap.”