स्वे स्वे गृहपरित्राणे भग्नोत्साहोज्झितश्रियाम्। नूनमेषोऽग्निरायातः कपिरूपेण हा इति
Each, in their own house, striving to protect it, bereft of spirit and abandoned by fortune, cried, 'Surely this fire has come in the form of a monkey—alas!'
क्रन्दन्त्यः सहसा पेतुः स्तनंधयधराः स्त्रियः। काश्चिदग्निपरीताङ्ग्यो हर्म्येभ्यो मुक्तमूर्धजाः
Women, their breasts suckling infants, suddenly fell, some with their bodies encircled by fire, their hair loosened as they fled from the mansions.
पतन्त्योरेजिरेऽभ्रेभ्यः सौदामन्य इवाम्बरात्। वज्रविद्रुमवैदूर्यमुक्तारजतसंहतान्
As they fell and rushed from the lofty mansions, they shone like lightning from the clouds, adorned with clusters of diamonds, coral, beryl, pearls, and silver.
विचित्रान् भवनाद्धातून् स्यन्दमानान् ददर्श सः। नाग्निस्तृप्यति काष्ठानां तृणानां च यथा तथा
Hanumān saw the various metals streaming from the wondrous mansions; just as fire is never sated with wood or grass, so too—
हनूमान् राक्षसेन्द्राणां वधे किंचिन्न तृप्यति। न हनूमद्विशस्तानां राक्षसानां वसुन्धरा
Hanumān was not at all satisfied with the destruction of the Rākṣasa lords; nor was the earth sated with the Rākṣasas slain by Hanumān.
हनूमता वेगवता वानरेण महात्मना। लङ्कापुरं प्रदग्धं तद् रुद्रेण त्रिपुरं यथा
By Hanumān, the swift and great-souled monkey, that city of Laṅkā was burned, just as Rudra once burned Tripura.
ततः स लङ्कापुरपर्वताग्रे समुत्थितो भीमपराक्रमोऽग्निः। प्रसार्य चूडावलयं प्रदीप्तो हनूमता वेगवतोपसृष्टः
Then, on the summit of Laṅkā's mountain, the fire of dreadful might arose, spreading its blazing crest, ignited by the swift Hanumān.
युगान्तकालानलतुल्यरूपः समारुतोऽग्निर्ववृधे दिवस्पृक्। विधूमरश्मिर्भवनेषु सक्तो रक्षःशरीराज्यसमर्पितार्चिः
The fire, resembling the world-ending flame, grew with the wind, reaching the sky, its rays smokeless, clinging to the mansions, its flames fed by the fat of Rākṣasa bodies.
आदित्यकोटीसदृशः सुतेजा लङ्कां समस्तां परिवार्य तिष्ठन्। शब्दैरनेकैरशनिप्ररूढै- र्भिन्दन्निवाण्डं प्रबभौ महाग्निः
Brilliant as millions of suns, the great fire encircled all of Laṅkā, standing there, resounding with many thunderous noises, as if splitting the cosmic egg.
तत्राम्बरादग्निरतिप्रवृद्धो रूक्षप्रभः किंशुकपुष्पचूडः। निर्वाणधूमाकुलराजयश्च नीलोत्पलाभाः प्रचकाशिरेऽभ्राः
There, from the cloth, fire blazed forth greatly—harsh in its radiance, crowned with kimshuka flowers; and clouds, dark as blue lotuses, shone, thick with smoke and dust from the extinguishing.
वज्री महेन्द्रस्त्रिदशेश्वरो वा साक्षाद् यमो वा वरुणोऽनिलो वा। रौद्रोऽग्निरर्को धनदश्च सोमो न वानरोऽयं स्वयमेव कालः
Is this the wielder of the thunderbolt, mighty Indra, lord of the gods? Or is it Yama himself, or Varuna, or the Wind? Is it Rudra, Agni, the Sun, Kubera, or Soma? This is no mere monkey—he is Time itself in person.
किं ब्रह्मणः सर्वपितामहस्य लोकस्य धातुश्चतुराननस्य। इहागतो वानररूपधारी रक्षोपसंहारकरः प्रकोपः
Is this the wrath of Brahma, the great grandsire of all, the four-faced creator of the world, come here in the form of a monkey to destroy the demons?
किं वैष्णवं वा कपिरूपमेत्य रक्षोविनाशाय परं सुतेजः। अचिन्त्यमव्यक्तमनन्तमेकं स्वमायया साम्प्रतमागतं वा
Or is this the supreme power of Vishnu, come in the form of a monkey, of inconceivable, unmanifest, infinite, and singular nature, now arrived by his own maya for the destruction of the demons?
इत्येवमूचुर्बहवो विशिष्टा रक्षोगणास्तत्र समेत्य सर्वे। सप्राणिसङ्घां सगृहां सवृक्षां दग्धां पुरीं तां सहसा समीक्ष्य
Thus, many distinguished groups of demons, having all gathered there, spoke in this way, beholding that city suddenly burned—together with its living beings, houses, and trees.
ततस्तु लङ्का सहसा प्रदग्धा सराक्षसा साश्वरथा सनागा। सपक्षिसङ्घा समृगा सवृक्षा रुरोद दीना तुमुलं सशब्दम्
Then Lanka, suddenly set ablaze—along with its demons, horses, chariots, and elephants, with its flocks of birds, beasts, and trees—wailed in distress, making a tumultuous and dreadful sound.
हा तात हा पुत्रक कान्त मित्र हा जीवितेशाङ्ग हतं सुपुण्यम्। रक्षोभिरेवं बहुधा ब्रुवद्भिः शब्दः कृतो घोरतरः सुभीमः
"Alas, father! Alas, son, beloved friend! Alas, lord of life, my body, my good fortune is destroyed!"—thus, as the demons cried out in many ways, a most terrible and fearsome clamor arose.
हुताशनज्वालसमावृता सा हतप्रवीरा परिवृत्तयोधा। हनूमतः क्रोधबलाभिभूता बभूव शापोपहतेव लङ्का
Enveloped in blazing fire, its mighty warriors slain, its defenders turned back, Lanka—overcome by Hanuman's wrathful power—appeared as if cursed.
ससम्भ्रमं त्रस्तविषण्णराक्षसां समुज्ज्वलज्ज्वालहुताशनाङ्किताम्। ददर्श लङ्कां हनुमान् महामनाः स्वयंभुरोषोपहतामिवावनिम्
Hanuman, great in mind, saw Lanka—marked by leaping flames, filled with terrified and despairing demons—like the earth itself struck down by the wrath of the self-born.
भङ्क्त्वा वनं पादपरत्नसंकुलं हत्वा तु रक्षांसि महान्ति संयुगे। दग्ध्वा पुरीं तां गृहरत्नमालिनीं तस्थौ हनूमान् पवनात्मजः कपिः
Having shattered the forest thick with precious trees, having slain the great demons in battle, and having burned that city adorned with splendid houses, Hanuman, the wind-god's son, stood firm.
स राक्षसांस्तान् सुबहूंश्च हत्वा वनं च भङ्क्त्वा बहुपादपं तत्। विसृज्य रक्षोभवनेषु चाग्निं जगाम रामं मनसा महात्मा
Having slain those many demons and broken that forest with its many trees, and having set fire to the demon dwellings, the great-souled Hanuman turned his mind toward Rama.
ततस्तु तं वानरवीरमुख्यं महाबलं मारुततुल्यवेगम्। महामतिं वायुसुतं वरिष्ठं प्रतुष्टुवुर्देवगणाश्च सर्वे
Then all the hosts of gods praised that foremost monkey hero, mighty as the wind, of great intellect, the best of the wind-god's sons.
देवाश्च सर्वे मुनिपुङ्गवाश्च गन्धर्वविद्याधरपन्नगाश्च। भूतानि सर्वाणि महान्ति तत्र जग्मुः परां प्रीतिमतुल्यरूपाम्
All the gods, the foremost sages, the Gandharvas, Vidyadharas, and serpents—all the great beings there—felt supreme and incomparable joy.
भङ्क्त्वा वनं महातेजा हत्वा रक्षांसि संयुगे। दग्ध्वा लङ्कापुरीं भीमां रराज स महाकपिः
Having shattered the forest, blazing in energy, having slain the demons in battle, and having burned the dreadful city of Lanka, that great monkey shone forth.
गृहाग्र्यशृङ्गाग्रतले विचित्रे प्रतिष्ठितो वानरराजसिंहः। प्रदीप्तलाङ्गूलकृतार्चिमाली व्यराजतादित्य इवार्चिमाली
Standing atop the ornate summit of a foremost mansion, the lion among monkeys, his blazing tail forming a garland of flames, shone like the sun adorned with rays.
लङ्कां समस्तां सम्पीड्य लाङ्गूलाग्निं महाकपिः। निर्वापयामास तदा समुद्रे हरिपुङ्गवः
Compressing all of Lanka, the great monkey then extinguished the fire on his tail in the ocean.
ततो देवाः सगन्धर्वाः सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः। दृष्ट्वा लङ्कां प्रदग्धां तां विस्मयं परमं गताः
Then the gods, along with the Gandharvas, Siddhas, and great sages, upon seeing Lanka thus burned, were seized with utmost wonder.
तं दृष्ट्वा वानरश्रेष्ठं हनूमन्तं महाकपिम्। कालाग्निरिति संचिन्त्य सर्वभूतानि तत्रसुः
Seeing that best of monkeys, Hanuman the great monkey, all beings there thought, 'This is the fire of Time.'
thumb|पञ्चपञ्चाशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे सुन्दरकाण्डे पञ्चपञ्चाशः सर्गः ॥५-
Listen to the fifty-fifth chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Sundara Kāṇḍa.
संदीप्यमानां वित्रस्तां त्रस्तरक्षोगणां पुरीम्। अवेक्ष्य हनुमाँल्लङ्कां चिन्तयामास वानरः
Seeing Laṅkā burning, terrified, and filled with panic among the hosts of frightened rākṣasas, Hanumān, the monkey, began to reflect.
तस्याभूत् सुमहांस्त्रासः कुत्सा चात्मन्यजायत। लङ्कां प्रदहता कर्म किंस्वित् कृतमिदं मया
A great fear arose in him, and self-reproach was born within: 'What have I done by burning Laṅkā?'