Surasa Opens a Hundred-Yojana Mouth, and Hanuman Becomes Smaller than Her Hunger
Sundara Kanda, Chaupai 2
Doha 2 · Movement 1 of 2
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The gods watch the son of the wind and wish to know the measure of his strength and intelligence. They send Surasa, mother of serpents, into his path. She announces that the gods have given Hanuman to her as food. He answers with courtesy: let him complete Rama's work, carry Sita's news to the Lord, and then he will return and enter her mouth.
Surasa refuses. Her mouth opens one yojana, and Hanuman doubles his form. She expands to sixteen, he rises to thirty-two. Every widening is answered by a body twice as vast until her jaws encompass a hundred yojanas of sky.
Then strength changes its method. Hanuman becomes exceedingly small, enters her mouth, emerges at once, bows his head, and asks leave to continue. Surasa reveals the test. The gods sent her for this encounter, and she has discovered the secret of both his strength and his intelligence.
When vastness cannot pass the test, Hanuman becomes tiny enough to fulfill her word without delaying Rama's work.
Read the passage from the Manas
जात पवनसुत देवन्ह देखा। जानैं कहुँ बल बुद्धि बिसेषा।। सुरसा नाम अहिन्ह कै माता। पठइन्हि आइ कही तेहिं बाता।। आजु सुरन्ह मोहि दीन्ह अहारा। सुनत बचन कह पवनकुमारा।। राम काजु करि फिरि मैं आवौं। सीता कइ सुधि प्रभुहि सुनावौं।। तब तव बदन पैठिहउँ आई। सत्य कहउँ मोहि जान दे माई।। कबनेहुँ जतन देइ नहिं जाना। ग्रससि न मोहि कहेउ हनुमाना।। जोजन भरि तेहिं बदनु पसारा। कपि तनु कीन्ह दुगुन बिस्तारा।। सोरह जोजन मुख तेहिं ठयऊ। तुरत पवनसुत बत्तिस भयऊ।। जस जस सुरसा बदनु बढ़ावा। तासु दून कपि रूप देखावा।। सत जोजन तेहिं आनन कीन्हा। अति लघु रूप पवनसुत लीन्हा।। बदन पइठि पुनि बाहेर आवा। मागा बिदा ताहि सिरु नावा।। मोहि सुरन्ह जेहि लागि पठावा। बुधि बल मरमु तोर मै पावा।।
As the son of Pavan was flying onward, the devas saw him and wished to test his strength and wisdom. Surasa, mother of the nagas, was sent by them. She came and said, "Today the gods have given me my meal." Hearing these words, Pavankumar replied, "After completing Rama's work, I shall return. Then I will come and enter your mouth. I speak the truth, O mother. Please let me go now." But she would not release him by any means. She opened her mouth a full yojana wide, and the monkey made his form twice as large. When her mouth became sixteen yojanas, Pavansut instantly became thirty-two. As much as Surasa enlarged her mouth, the monkey showed double that form. When she stretched her mouth a hundred yojanas wide, Pavansut took on an extremely tiny form. He entered her mouth and came out again in a flash, then bowed his head and asked for her blessing to leave. Surasa said, "The devas sent me to you for this very purpose. I have now witnessed your wisdom and your strength."