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?'
धन्याः खलु महात्मानो ये बुद्ध्या कोपमुत्थितम्। निरुन्धन्ति महात्मानो दीप्तमग्निमिवाम्भसा
Blessed indeed are the great souls who, with wisdom, restrain the anger that arises—just as great souls quench blazing fire with water.
क्रुद्धः पापं न कुर्यात् कः क्रुद्धो हन्याद् गुरूनपि। क्रुद्धः परुषया वाचा नरः साधूनधिक्षिपेत्
Who, when enraged, would not commit evil? In anger, one might even slay elders; in anger, a man may insult the virtuous with harsh words.
वाच्यावाच्यं प्रकुपितो न विजानाति कर्हिचित्। नाकार्यमस्ति क्रुद्धस्य नावाच्यं विद्यते क्वचित्
When provoked, a person never discerns what should or should not be said; for the angry, there is nothing that should not be done, nor anything that should not be spoken.
यः समुत्पतितं क्रोधं क्षमयैव निरस्यति। यथोरगस्त्वचं जीर्णां स वै पुरुष उच्यते
He who, through patience, casts off rising anger as a serpent sheds its worn-out skin—he alone is called a man.
धिगस्तु मां सुदुर्बुद्धिं निर्लज्जं पापकृत्तमम्। अचिन्तयित्वा तां सीतामग्निदं स्वामिघातकम्
Shame on me, so foolish, shameless, and foremost in wrongdoing, who, without thinking of Sītā, committed this act that brings ruin to my lord.
यदि दग्धा त्वियं सर्वा नूनमार्यापि जानकी। दग्धा तेन मया भर्तुर्हतं कार्यमजानता
If this whole city has been burned, surely the noble Jānakī too has perished; by me, ignorant of the consequences, the task of her husband has been destroyed.
यदर्थमयमारम्भस्तत्कार्यमवसादितम्। मया हि दहता लङ्कां न सीता परिरक्षिता
The very purpose for which this mission was undertaken has been ruined; for, while burning Laṅkā, I did not protect Sītā.
ईषत्कार्यमिदं कार्यं कृतमासीन्न संशयः। तस्य क्रोधाभिभूतेन मया मूलक्षयः कृतः
This task, though slight, was indeed accomplished, no doubt; but, overpowered by anger, I have destroyed the very root.
विनष्टा जानकी व्यक्तं न ह्यदग्धः प्रदृश्यते। लङ्कायाः कश्चिदुद्देशः सर्वा भस्मीकृता पुरी
Clearly, Jānakī is lost—no unburned part of Laṅkā is visible; the entire city has been reduced to ashes.
यदि तद्विहतं कार्यं मया प्रज्ञाविपर्ययात्। इहैव प्राणसंन्यासो ममापि ह्यद्य रोचते
If, through my error in judgment, this mission has been ruined, then today, right here, I too desire to give up my life.