हरिः पर्वतसंकाशस्ताम्रवक्त्रो महाबलः। वज्रदंष्ट्रनखो भीमो वैदेहीमिदमब्रवीत्
The monkey, resembling a mountain, with coppery face, great strength, terrible with diamond-like fangs and claws, spoke these words to Vaidehī.
सपर्वतवनोद्देशां साट्टप्राकारतोरणाम्। लङ्कामिमां सनाथां वा नयितुं शक्तिरस्ति मे
I have the power to lead this Lanka, with its mountains, forests, and fortified gates, and with its guardians, wherever I wish.
तदवस्थाप्यतां बुद्धिरलं देवि विकाङ्क्षया। विशोकं कुरु वैदेहि राघवं सहलक्ष्मणम्
Therefore, let your mind be steady, O lady, and do not long anxiously; make Rāghava and Lakṣmaṇa free from sorrow, O Vaidehi.
तं दृष्ट्वाचलसंकाशमुवाच जनकात्मजा। पद्मपत्रविशालाक्षी मारुतस्यौरसं सुतम्
Seeing him, like a mountain, the daughter of Janaka, whose eyes are wide as lotus petals, spoke to the son born of the wind.
तव सत्त्वं बलं चैव विजानामि महाकपे। वायोरिव गतिश्चापि तेजश्चाग्नेरिवाद्भुतम्
I know your courage and strength, O great monkey; your speed is like the wind, and your brilliance is as wondrous as fire.
प्राकृतोऽन्यः कथं चेमां भूमिमागन्तुमर्हति। उदधेरप्रमेयस्य पारं वानरयूथप
How could any ordinary being reach this land, O leader of monkeys, or cross the boundless ocean?
जानामि गमने शक्तिं नयने चापि ते मम। अवश्यं सम्प्रधार्याशु कार्यसिद्धिरिवात्मनः
I know your ability to travel and to guide me; surely, swift accomplishment of the task is certain for you.
अयुक्तं तु कपिश्रेष्ठ मया गन्तुं त्वया सह। वायुवेगसवेगस्य वेगो मां मोहयेत् तव
But it is not proper, O foremost monkey, for me to go with you; the speed of your movement, equal to the wind, would bewilder me.
अहमाकाशमासक्ता उपर्युपरि सागरम्। प्रपतेयं हि ते पृष्ठाद् भूयो वेगेन गच्छतः
Suspended in the sky, above the ocean, I would surely fall from your back as you swiftly move.
पतिता सागरे चाहं तिमिनक्रझषाकुले। भवेयमाशु विवशा यादसामन्नमुत्तमम्
Falling into the ocean, teeming with sharks and crocodiles, I would quickly become helpless, the finest food for aquatic creatures.
न च शक्ष्ये त्वया सार्धं गन्तुं शत्रुविनाशन। कलत्रवति संदेहस्त्वयि स्यादप्यसंशयम्
Nor am I able to go with you, O destroyer of enemies; there would certainly be doubt about you, since you have a wife.
ह्रियमाणां तु मां दृष्ट्वा राक्षसा भीमविक्रमाः। अनुगच्छेयुरादिष्टा रावणेन दुरात्मना
Seeing me being carried away, the fierce and mighty rākṣasas, commanded by the wicked Rāvaṇa, would pursue us.
तैस्त्वं परिवृतः शूरैः शूलमुद्गरपाणिभिः। भवेस्त्वं संशयं प्राप्तो मया वीर कलत्रवान्
Surrounded by those warriors, armed with spears and maces, you would be in danger, O hero, because you have a wife with you.
सायुधा बहवो व्योम्नि राक्षसास्त्वं निरायुधः। कथं शक्ष्यसि संयातुं मां चैव परिरक्षितुम्
Many rākṣasas, armed, would be in the sky, while you are unarmed; how could you fight and protect me at the same time?
युध्यमानस्य रक्षोभिस्ततस्तैः क्रूरकर्मभिः। प्रपतेयं हि ते पृष्ठाद् भयार्ता कपिसत्तम
While you are fighting those rākṣasas, cruel in their actions, I would fall from your back, terrified, O best of monkeys.
अथ रक्षांसि भीमानि महान्ति बलवन्ति च। कथंचित् साम्पराये त्वां जयेयुः कपिसत्तम
Or, O best of monkeys, those fierce, mighty rākṣasas might somehow defeat you in battle.
अथवा युध्यमानस्य पतेयं विमुखस्य ते। पतितां च गृहीत्वा मां नयेयुः पापराक्षसाः
Or, while you are fighting and turn away, I might fall; then the wicked rākṣasas would seize me and take me away.
मां वा हरेयुस्त्वद्धस्ताद् विशसेयुरथापि वा। अनवस्थौ हि दृश्येते युद्धे जयपराजयौ
Either they would snatch me from your hand or kill me; for in battle, both victory and defeat are seen as uncertain.
अहं वापि विपद्येयं रक्षोभिरभितर्जिता। त्वत्प्रयत्नो हरिश्रेष्ठ भवेन्निष्फल एव तु
Or I might perish, threatened by the rākṣasas; your effort, O best of monkeys, would be entirely fruitless.
कामं त्वमपि पर्याप्तो निहन्तुं सर्वराक्षसान्। राघवस्य यशो हीयेत् त्वया शस्तैस्तु राक्षसैः
Indeed, you are fully capable of destroying all the rākṣasas; yet, the fame of Rāghava would diminish if the rākṣasas were slain by you.
अथवाऽऽदाय रक्षांसि न्यसेयुः संवृते हि माम्। यत्र ते नाभिजानीयुर्हरयो नापि राघवः
Alternatively, having taken the rākṣasas, they might conceal me somewhere, where neither the monkeys nor Rāghava would know.
आरम्भस्तु मदर्थोऽयं ततस्तव निरर्थकः। त्वया हि सह रामस्य महानागमने गुणः
This effort undertaken for my sake would then become futile for you; for the great merit lies in Rāma's arrival together with you.
मयि जीवितमायत्तं राघवस्यामितौजसः। भ्रातॄणां च महाबाहो तव राजकुलस्य च
My life is dependent on Rāghava, of immeasurable strength, on his brothers, mighty-armed, and on your royal lineage.
तौ निराशौ मदर्थं च शोकसंतापकर्शितौ। सह सर्वर्क्षहरिभिस्त्यक्ष्यतः प्राणसंग्रहम्
Those two, despairing for my sake and worn down by grief and sorrow, along with all the monkeys and bears, would abandon the preservation of their lives.
भर्तुर्भक्तिं पुरस्कृत्य रामादन्यस्य वानर। नाहं स्प्रष्टुं स्वतो गात्रमिच्छेयं वानरोत्तम
Having placed devotion to my husband foremost, O monkey, I do not wish to touch another's body besides Rāma, O best of monkeys.
यदहं गात्रसंस्पर्शं रावणस्य गता बलात्। अनीशा किं करिष्यामि विनाथा विवशा सती
That I was forcibly subjected to Rāvaṇa's touch—being powerless, what could I do, helpless and bereft of protection?
यदि रामो दशग्रीवमिह हत्वा सराक्षसम्। मामितो गृह्य गच्छेत तत् तस्य सदृशं भवेत्
If Rāma, slaying the ten-headed one here along with all the rākṣasas, were to take me from here and depart, that would be fitting for him.
श्रुताश्च दृष्टा हि मया पराक्रमा महात्मनस्तस्य रणावमर्दिनः। न देवगन्धर्वभुजङ्गराक्षसा भवन्ति रामेण समा हि संयुगे
I have heard and seen the valor of that great-souled one, the crusher of enemies in battle; neither gods, Gandharvas, serpents, nor rākṣasas are equal to Rāma in combat.
समीक्ष्य तं संयति चित्रकार्मुकं महाबलं वासवतुल्यविक्रमम्। सलक्ष्मणं को विषहेत राघवं हुताशनं दीप्तमिवानिलेरितम्
Considering him in battle, with his splendid bow, immense strength, and prowess equal to Indra, who could withstand Rāghava with Lakṣmaṇa, like blazing fire driven by the wind?
सलक्ष्मणं राघवमाजिमर्दनं दिशागजं मत्तमिव व्यवस्थितम्। सहेत को वानरमुख्य संयुगे युगान्तसूर्यप्रतिमं शरार्चिषम्
Who, O chief of monkeys, could withstand Rāghava with Lakṣmaṇa, the crusher of armies, standing like a maddened elephant of the directions, whose arrows shine like the sun at the end of an age, in battle?