सुरथ उवाच। प्लवगाधिप कस्मात्त्वमागतोऽत्र कथं भवान् । ब्रूहि मे कारणं सर्वं यथा ज्ञात्वा करोमि तत्
Suratha said: O lord of monkeys, for what reason have you come here? Tell me everything, so that, knowing it, I may act accordingly.
शेष उवाच। इति संभाषमाणं तं प्रत्युवाच कपीश्वरः । विस्मयंश्चेतसि भृशं रामसेवाकरं नृपम्
Śeṣa said: As he was thus speaking, the lord of monkeys replied to him, his mind greatly astonished at the king devoted to Rāma's service.
जानीहि मां नृपश्रेष्ठ वालिपुत्रं हरीश्वरम् । शत्रुघ्नेन च दूतत्वे प्रेषितो भवतोंऽतिकम्
Know me, best of kings, to be Aṅgada, son of Vāli and lord of monkeys. I have been sent as a messenger by Śatrughna to your presence.
सेवकैः कैश्चिदागत्य धृतोऽश्वो मम सांप्रतम् । अज्ञानतो महान्याय्यं कुर्वद्भिः सहसा नृप
Some of your attendants have come and seized my horse just now, acting rashly and unjustly out of ignorance, O king.
तमश्वं सह राज्येन सहपुत्रैर्मुदान्वितः । शत्रुघ्नं याहि चरणे पतित्वाशु प्रदेहि च
Bring that horse, along with your kingdom, your sons, and with joy, go to Śatrughna, fall at his feet, and quickly return it.
नोचेच्छत्रुघ्ननिर्मुक्तनाराचैः क्षतविग्रहः । पृथ्वीतलमलं कुर्वञ्छयिष्यसि विशीर्षकः
Otherwise, struck by Śatrughna's sharp arrows, your body wounded, you will fall to the ground, your head shattered.
येन लंकापतिर्नाशं प्रापितो लीलया क्षणात् । तस्याश्वं यागयोग्यं तु हृत्वा कुत्र गमिष्यसि
By whom the lord of Laṅkā was destroyed in a moment, playfully—having taken the horse fit for the sacrifice, where will you go?
शेष उवाच। इत्यादिभाषमाणं तं प्रत्युवाच महीश्वरः । सर्वं तथ्यं ब्रवीषि त्वं नानृतं तव भाषितम्
Śeṣa said: Hearing him speak thus, the lord of the earth replied: All you say is true; there is no falsehood in your words.
परं शृणुष्व मद्वाक्यं शत्रुघ्नपदसेवक । मया धृतो महानश्वो रामचंद्रस्य धीमतः
But now listen to my words, O servant at Śatrughna's feet: I have seized the great horse of wise Rāmacandra.
न मोक्ष्ये सर्वथा वाहं शत्रुघ्नादिभयादहम् । चेद्रामः स्वयमागत्य दर्शनं दास्यते मम
I will not release the horse at all, out of fear of Śatrughna or others; if Rāma himself comes and grants me an audience,
तदाहं चरणौ नत्वा दास्यामि सुतसंयुतः । सर्वं राज्यं कुटुंबं च धनं धान्यं बलं बहु
Then, bowing at his feet, I will give it, along with my sons, my entire kingdom, household, wealth, grain, and great army.
क्षत्त्रियाणामयं धर्मः स्वामिनापि विरुद्ध्यते। धर्मेण युद्धं तत्रापि रामदर्शनमिच्छता
This is the duty of kṣatriyas—even against their own lord; in accordance with dharma, battle is proper, especially for one desiring to see Rāma.
शत्रुघ्नादीन्प्रवीरांस्तानधुनाहं क्षणादपि । जित्वा बध्नामि मद्गेहे नोचेद्रामः समाव्रजेत्
Now, I will defeat and bind those mighty ones, Śatrughna and the others, in my house, unless Rāma himself arrives.
शेष उवाच। इति श्रुत्वांगदो धीमाञ्जहास नृपतिं तदा । उवाच च महद्वाक्यं महाधैर्यसमन्वितम्
Śeṣa said: Hearing this, wise Aṅgada laughed at the king, and spoke great words, filled with immense courage.
अंगद उवाच। बुद्धिहीनः प्रवदसि वृद्धत्वात्सागता तव । यत्त्वं शत्रुघ्ननृपतिं धिक्करोषि धिया बली
Aṅgada said: You speak foolishly, your old age has brought you to this; that you reproach King Śatrughna, who is wise and strong.
यो मांधातृरिपुं दैत्यं लवणं लीलयावधीत् । येनानेके जिताः संख्ये वैरिणः प्रबलोद्धताः
He who slew the demon Lavaṇa, enemy of Māndhātṛ, playfully; by whom many powerful and arrogant foes were conquered in battle—
विद्युन्माली हतो येन राक्षसः कामगे स्थितः । त्वं तं बध्नासि वीरेंद्रं मतिहीनः प्रभासि मे
It was you who killed the demon Vidyunmālī, who stood there filled with desire; yet now, lacking sense, you seek to bind that lord of heroes, as it seems to me.
भ्रातृजो यस्य सुबली पुष्कलः परमास्त्रवित् । येन रुद्रगणः संख्ये वीरभद्रः सुतोषितः
His powerful brother is Puṣkala, master of supreme weapons, by whom the hosts of Rudra were pleased in battle, and even Vīrabhadra was satisfied.
वर्णयामि किमेतस्य पराक्रांतिं बलोर्जिताम् । येन नास्ति समः पृथ्व्यां बलेन यशसा श्रिया
What need is there for me to describe his valor and the strength he has conquered, when there is none on earth equal to him in might, fame, or fortune?
हनूमान्यस्य निकटे रघुनाथपदाब्जधीः । यस्यानेकानि कर्माणि भविष्यंति श्रुतानि ते
Hanumān, whose mind is fixed on the lotus feet of Rāghunātha, is near him; you will hear of his many deeds in the future.
सत्रिकूटा राक्षसपूर्दग्धा येन क्षणाद्बलात् । अक्षो येन हतः पुत्रो राक्षसेंद्रस्य दुर्मतेः
By his force, the city of the demons with three peaks was burned in an instant; by him, Akṣa, the son of the evil-minded king of demons, was slain.
द्रोणोनाम गिरिर्येन पुच्छाग्रेण सदैवतः । आनीतो जीवनार्थं तु सैनिकानां मुहुर्मुहुः
By him, the mountain called Droṇa was always brought with the tip of his tail, again and again, for the sake of reviving the soldiers.
जानाति रामश्चारित्रं नान्यो जानाति मूढधीः । यं कपींद्रं मनाक्स्वान्तान्न विस्मरति सेवकम्
Only Rāma knows his character; no one else, whose mind is deluded, knows it. That lord of monkeys never forgets his servant, even in thought.
सुग्रीवाद्याः कपींद्रा ये पृथ्वीं सर्वां ग्रसंति ये । ते शत्रुघ्नं नृपं सर्वे सेवंते प्रेक्षणोत्सुकाः
All the monkey lords, beginning with Sugrīva, who could devour the whole earth, serve King Śatrughna, eager for his audience.
कुशध्वजो नीलरत्नो रिपुतापो महास्त्रवित् । प्रतापाग्र्यः सुबाहुश्च विमलः सुमदस्तथा
Kuśadhvaja, Nīlaratna, the tormentor of foes, master of great weapons, foremost in might, Subāhu, Vimala, and likewise Sumada—
राजा वीरमणिः सत्ययुतो रामस्य सेवकः । एतेऽन्येपि नृपा भूमेः पतयः पर्युपासते
King Vīramaṇi, endowed with truth, servant of Rāma—these and other kings, lords of the earth, attend upon him.
तत्र त्वं वीर जलधौ मशकः को भवानिति । तज्ज्ञात्वा गच्छ शत्रुघ्नं कृपालुं पुत्रकैर्युतः
There, O hero, who are you but a mosquito in the ocean? Knowing this, go to Śatrughna, the compassionate one, accompanied by your sons.
वाहं समर्प्य गंतासि रामं राजीवलोचनम् । दृष्ट्वा कृतार्थी कुरुषे स्वांगानि जनुषा सह
After offering your mount, you will go to Rāma, lotus-eyed; having seen him and achieved your purpose, you will fulfill your life along with your body.
शेष उवाच। राजा प्रोवाच तं दूतं प्रब्रुवंतमनेकधा । एतान्दर्शयसि क्षिप्रं सर्वे न ममगोचराः
Śeṣa said: The king spoke to that messenger, who was speaking in many ways: 'You show me these men quickly; none of them are within my sight.'
यादृशं मद्बलं दूत तादृशं न हनूमतः । यो रामं पृष्ठतः कृत्वा प्रागाद्यागस्य पालने
'O messenger, my strength is not equal to that of Hanumān, who, placing Rāma on his back, went forth to protect the sacrifice.'