Chapter CCIX: Section LXVII

Being thus addressed by the high-souled Raghava, Hanuman, related unto him all of what Sita had said,--"O foremost of men, the worshipful Janaki, related as a token, all the incidents at the Mount _Chitrakuta_ from the beginning to the end. Sleeping happily with thee, Janaki one day awoke before, and in the meantime, a crow wounded her breast with its beaks. O Rama, thou wert then asleep on Sita's lap and that crow again afflicted the worshipful dame. And it again wounded her. And being bathed in blood and suffering terrible pangs, that worshipful dame aroused thee. O slayer ol foes, O thou of mighty-arms, seeing her breast wounded, thou, wroth like a serpent, didst speak saying-- 'O timid damsel, who, with his nails, hath wounded thy breast? Who hath played with an angry serpent having five faces?' And casting thy looks around thou didst behold a crow facing the worshipful dame with sharpened nails besmeared with blood. That crow, the best of the birds, was Sakra's son. And it entered speedily into the earth with the velocity of the wind. Thereupon, thy eyes rolling with ire, thou, O mighty armed hero, O foremost of the intelligent, didst resolve to destroy that crow. And taking a _kuca_ off thy seat thou didst set it on Brahma weapon. And it flamed like unto the fire of dessolution before that crow. And thou didst let off that burning _kuca_ towards that bird. And thereupon that burning _kuca_ followed the crow. And being forsaken even by the celestials, who were terrified, and ransacking the three worlds it did not get a refuge. Thereupon it again came to you, O subduer of foes. And seeking thy shelter it laid itself low on the ground. And O Kakutstha, thou didst save it albeit it was worthy of being slain. And thinking it improper to baffle the aim of the weapon, thou didst, O Raghava, destroy the right eye of the crow. Thereupon bowing unto thee and the king Dacaratha, that crow, bidding adieu, went to its quarter. O Raghava, thou art the foremost of those skilled in the use of weapons, powerful and gifted with an excellent character, why dost thou not discharge weapons towards the Rakshasas? The celestials, the Gandharvas, the Asuras, the Marutas--none of them is qualified, O Rama, to equal thee in conflict. If thou, gifted with great prowess, hast any affection for me, do thou speedily, with well-armed shafts, destroy Ravana in conflict. And obtaining the behests of his brother, why doth not Lakshmana, the subduer of foes and best of men, protect me, O Raghava? Those two best of men, gifted with the effulgence of Wind and Fire, and incapable of being repressed even by the celestials, are disregarding me. Forsooth have I perpetrated a mighty iniquity since those two slayers of foes, being capable, do not protect me.' Hearing those sweet and piteous accents of Vaidehi I again spoke unto that worshipful dame, saying--'Forsooth can I swear by thee, O worshipful dame, that Rama is sorely stricken with grief in thy absence. And Lakshmana too relenteth heavily beholding him laden with sorrow. It doth not behove thee to relent any more as I have succeeded in finding thee out. Thou shalt at this very moment behold the end of thy grief. And those two princes, the foremost of men and slayers of foes, actuated with energy on hearing that I have seen thee, shall reduce Lanka to ashes. And slaying in conflict the terrible Ravana, with his kith and kin, Raghava, in sooth, O excellent damsel, shall take thee back to his own city. O thou of a blameless person, do thou confer on me such a token, as might be recognized by Rama and conduce to his pleasure.' Thereat, casting her looks around, she took out an excellent jewel from her cloth, worthy of being set on her braid and conferred it on me, O thou of great strength. And O thou, the most favourite of the Raghu race, taking for thee that gem with my hands and bowing unto her, I addressed myself speedily for departure. And thereupon beholding me ready to depart and increase in bulk and about to leap up in the welkin, Sita, the daughter of the king Janaka, poorly, bathed in tears, overwhelmed with sorrow and having her voice choked with grief, spake, saying--'Blessed art thou O great monkey, since thou shalt behold the large-armed and the lotus-eyed Rama and the highly famed Lakshmana, my lord's younger brother.' And being thus accosted by Maithili, I said--'Do thou speedily place thyself on my back, O worshipful dame, O thou the daughter of king Janaka, and I shall soon show thee, O great dame, O thou having dark blue eyes, thy lord along with Sugriva and Lakshmana.' Whereto she replied--'This is not the pious course, O great monkey, O thou the foremost of thy race, that I shall, of my own accord, place myself on thy back. And although before this I was touched by the demon, O hero, it was because I could not help otherwise subject as I was to circumstances. Do thou thyself repair, O foremost of monkeys, where those two princes are.' Addressing me with these words she again said--'O Hanuman, do thou relate my well-being unto Rama and Lakshmana of leonine prowess, and Sugriva accompanied by his followers. Do thou so describe as the large-armed Raghava may save me from this ocean of grief. Do thou narrate unto Rama this my terrible sorrow and the affliction by the she-demons. May good betide thee, on thy way, O foremost of the monkeys.' Thus the worshipful Sita gave vent to these piteous accents. Hearing these words do thou believe that it is all well with her."

Whereupon, O foremost of men, out of thy love and adoring me for thy friendship, that worshipful dame-- addressed me again, saying--"Do thou thus speak every thing unto Rama, the son of Dacaratha, so that he might soon take me hence, slaying Ravana in battle. O heroe, O slayer of foes, if it pleaseth thee, thou mayst relieve thyself of the toil by living in a secret nook and then proceed to-morrow. O monkey, in thy company, I do momentarily forget the weight of my grief, unfortunate as I am. O thou gifted with great prowess, thyself departing, I shall wait for thy return, but doubt I very much whether I shall live till then. Burnt I shall be with the fear of not beholding thee again, wretched and striken with grief as I am. And so I shall be, hereafter, overwhelmed with a mightier grief. O hero, besides, I entertain a grave doubt about thy assistants, the monkeys and bears. I do not know how shall the host of monkeys and bears and those two princes cross over the mighty main? O innocent monkey of all the creatures three only are qualified to cross over the ocean, thyself, Garuda and the Wind. O thou foremost of those skilled in speech, what hast thou settled about the accomplishment of this hard work? True it is that thou art alone qualified to accomplish this work, O thou the slayer of inimical heroes--but such manifestation of thy prowess shall increase thy glory only. But if Rama, obtaining victory, can take me hence to his own city, it shall redound to his glory. It doth not behove the heroic Raghava, to take me away by stealth, like unto Ravana capturing me from the forest under a disguise. Truly it shall be his becoming work, if Kakutstha, the repressor of enemy's host, can take me away, enveloping the city Lanka with his army. Do thou therefore initiate that work as becometh that high-souled hero and may display his prowess." Hearing these sound reasonable and affectionate words I gave her the last reply, saying--'O worshipful dame, Sugriva, the foremost of the monkeys, the lord of monkey and bear hosts and gifted with manliness, hath resolved upon rescuing thee. He hath under his command a number of mighty and courageous monkeys gifted with great prowess and quick-coursing like imagination. Their course is never thwarted--whether going upwards or downwards--or moving tortuously. They are never exhausted in their actions-- highly courageous and of measureless prowess. And those great and powerful monkeys, coursing in the air, have again and again circumambulated the earth. Sugriva hath many monkeys--my equal--and greater than I, but none of inferior strength. While I have crossed over the main--what of these mighty heroes? The leading heroes are never sent on a mission but only those of inferior merit. No more of bewailing, O worshipful dame. Do thou remove thy grief. And with one leap these leaders of monkey-hosts shall reach Lanka. O great damsel, these two princes, placing themselves on my back shall come to thee like unto the rising Sun and Moon. Thou shalt soon behold before Lanka's gate Raghava the slayer of foes resembling a lion and Lakshmana with a bow in his hand. And thou shalt soon observe in a band the heroic monkeys, gifted with the strength of lions and tigers, and having nails and teeth for their weapons. And thou shalt soon hear the roaring of the leading monkeys on the summit of mount Malaya, resembling the muttering of the clouds. And thou shalt soon behold Raghava, the slayer of foes, installed along with thee on the throne of Ayodhya after returning from the forest." And that daughter of the king of Mithila although heavily laden with sorrow in thy absence was greatly comforted and pleased by my auspicious words boding the fulfilment of her desire.

END OF SUNDARAKANDAM.