तस्येदृग्वाक्यमाकर्ण्य शत्रुघ्नः कोपसंयुतः । उवाच पवनोद्भूतं मोचयाशु नृपात्मजात्
Hearing such words, Shatrughna, filled with anger, said to Hanuman, 'Quickly release the prince.'
महाबलः सुतश्चास्य बद्ध्वा यः पुष्कलं भटम् । तस्मान्मोचय वीराग्र्य कथं तिष्ठसि चाहवे
'That mighty son who has bound the warrior Puṣkala—release him, foremost of heroes. Why do you stand idle in battle?'
एतद्वाक्यं समाकर्ण्य हनूमानोमिति ब्रुवन् । जगाम तं मोचयितुं पुष्कलं चंपकाद्भटात्
Hearing these words, Hanuman said, 'So be it,' and went to release Puṣkala from the grasp of Campaka's warrior.
हनूमंतमथालोक्य तं मोचयितुमागतम् । बाणैः शतैश्च साहस्रैर्जघान परकोपनः
Seeing Hanuman approaching to release him, the furious enemy struck with hundreds and thousands of arrows.
बाणांस्तान्स बभंजाशु मुक्तांस्तेन महात्मना । पुनरप्येनमेवाशु बाणान्मुंचन्महानभूत्
Hanuman, the great-souled one, swiftly broke those arrows as they were released, but the enemy kept shooting more at him.
तान्सर्वांश्चूर्णयामास नाराचान्वैरिमोचितान् । शालं करे समाधृत्य जघान नृपनंदनम्
He crushed all those arrows and the iron-tipped shafts released by the foe, then, seizing a shāla tree in his hand, struck the prince.
शालं तेन विनिर्मुक्तं तिलशः कृतवान्बली । गजो हनूमता मुक्तो नृपनंदन मस्तके
With force, he shattered the shāla tree he had hurled into pieces, and the elephant released by Hanuman struck the prince's head.
सोऽप्याहतश्चंपकेन मृतो भूमौ पपातसः । शिलाः संमोचयामास हनूमान्परमास्त्रवित्
Struck by Campaka, he fell dead to the ground; Hanuman, master of supreme weapons, freed the rocks.
चंपकस्ताः शिलाः सर्वाः क्षणाच्चूर्णितवान्भृशम् । बाणयंत्रिकया ब्रह्मन्महच्चित्रमभूदिदम्
Campaka instantly pulverized all those rocks with his arrow-machine, O Brahman; this was a great marvel.
स्वमुक्तास्ताः शिलाः सर्वाश्चूर्णिता वीक्ष्य मारुतिः । चुकोप हृदयेऽत्यतं बहुवीर्यमिति स्मरन्
Seeing all the rocks he had hurled shattered, Hanuman grew exceedingly angry in his heart, recalling his great strength.
आगत्य च करे धृत्वा नभस्युत्पतितः कपिः । तावद्ययौ नेत्रपथादुपरि क्षिप्रवेगवान्
Coming forward, Hanuman seized a rock in his hand and leapt into the sky, moving swiftly out of sight.
चंपकस्तं हनूमंतं युयुधे नभसि स्थितः । बाहुयुद्धेन महता ताडितः कपिपुंगवः
Campaka fought Hanuman, who stood in the sky; the mighty monkey-chief was struck in a great hand-to-hand battle.
चुकोप मानसे वीरो गर्वपर्वतदारुणः । पदा धृत्वा चंपकं तं ताडयामास भूतले
The hero, fierce as a mountain of pride, grew angry in his mind, seized Campaka with his foot, and struck him to the ground.
ताडितोऽसौ कपींद्रेण क्षणादुत्थाय वेगवान् । हनूमंतं तु लांगूले धृत्वा बभ्राम सर्वतः
Struck by the monkey-lord, Campaka quickly rose with speed, seized Hanuman by the tail, and whirled him all around.
कपींद्रस्तद्बलं वीक्ष्य हसन्पादेऽग्रहीत्पुनः । भ्रामयित्वा शतगुणं गजोपस्थे ह्यपातयत्
Seeing that strength, the monkey-lord laughed, seized him by the foot again, spun him a hundred times, and hurled him onto the elephant's back.
पपात भूमौ सुबलो राजसूनुः स चंपकः । मूर्च्छितो वीरभूषाढ्यमलंकुर्वन्रणांगणम्
The powerful prince Campaka fell to the ground, unconscious, adorning the battlefield with his heroic ornaments.
तदा हाहेति वै लोकाश्चुक्रुशुश्चंपकानुगाः । पुष्कलं मोचयामास बद्धं चंपकपाशतः
Then Campaka's followers cried out 'Alas! Alas!' Hanuman released Puṣkala, who had been bound by Campaka's noose.
वात्स्यायन उवाच। जगत्पवित्रसत्कीर्ति जानक्या वाच्यवाचनम् । कथं समकरोत्स्वामी तन्मे कथय सुव्रत
Vātsyāyana said: O virtuous one, tell me how Janaki, whose fame purifies the world, spoke and was spoken to. How did the Lord accomplish this? Tell me.
यथा मे मनसः सौख्यं भविष्यति सुशोभनम् । तथा कुरुष्व शेषाद्य त्वन्मुखान्निःसृतामृतम् । पिबतस्तृप्तिरेव स्याद्यया संसृतिकृं तनम्
As my mind will attain excellent happiness, so now grant that the nectar flowing from your mouth may fully satisfy me, who thirsts for it, and by which the body, bound to the cycle of rebirth, finds contentment.
शेष उवाच। मिथिलायां महापुर्यां जनको नाम भूपतिः । तस्यां करोति सद्राज्यं धर्मेणाराधयन्प्रजाः
Śeṣa said: In the great city of Mithilā, there was a king named Janaka; he ruled there with righteousness, delighting his subjects through dharma.
तस्य संकर्षतो भूमिं सीतया दीर्घमुख्यया । सीरध्वजस्य निरगात्कुमारी ह्यतिसुंदरी
As he was ploughing the earth with Sītā, the chief among long-faced women, there emerged from the furrow a maiden of surpassing beauty, the daughter of Sīradhvaja.
तदात्यंतं मुदं प्राप्तः सीरकेतुर्महीपतिः । सीता नामाकरोत्तस्या मोहिन्या जगतः श्रियः
The king Sīraketu then experienced the utmost joy; he named her Sītā, the very embodiment of the world's enchanting fortune.
सैकदोद्यानविपिने खेलंती सुमनोहरा । अपश्यत्स्वमनःकांतं शुकशुक्योर्युगं वदत्
Once, while she was playing in a delightful garden grove, she saw a pair of parrots, a male and female, speaking sweetly to each other, charming to her heart.
अत्यंतं हर्षमापन्नमत्यंतं कामलोलुपम् । परस्परं भाषमाणं स्नेहेन शुभया गिरा
They were filled with great joy and intense longing, conversing with each other in loving and auspicious words.
रममाणं तदा युग्मं नभसि क्षिप्रवेगतः । समुत्पतन्नगोपस्थे स्थितं शब्दं चकार तत्
At that moment, the pair, delighting together, swiftly rose into the sky and, perched on the branch of a tree, made a sound.
रामो महीपतिर्भूमौ भविष्यति मनोहरः । तस्य सीतेति नाम्ना तु भविष्यति महेलिका
A king named Rāma will be born on earth, wondrous to behold; and his queen will be known by the name Sītā.
स तया सह वर्षाणां सहस्राण्येकयुग्दश । राज्यं करिष्यते धीमान्कर्षन्भूमिपतीन्बली
With her, that wise and mighty king will rule for eleven thousand years, subduing other rulers of the earth.
धन्या सा जानकी देवी धन्योऽसौ रामसंज्ञितः । यौ परस्परमापन्नौ पृथिव्यां रंस्यतो मुदा
Blessed is that goddess Jānakī, and blessed is he called Rāma; the two, united with each other, will rejoice together on earth.
इति संभाष्यमाणं तु शुकयुग्मं तु मैथिली । ज्ञात्वेदं देवतायुग्मं वाणीं तस्य विलोक्य च
Hearing the pair of parrots speaking thus, Maithilī realized they were a divine couple, observing their speech and manner.
मदीयास्तु कथा रम्याः कुरुते शुकयोर्युगम् । एतद्गृहीत्वा पृच्छामि सर्वं वाक्यं गतार्थकम्
She thought, 'Their stories are delightful; I will question this pair of parrots, taking in all their meaningful words.'