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.
किमग्नौ निपताम्यद्य आहोस्विद् वडवामुखे। शरीरमिह सत्त्वानां दद्मि सागरवासिनाम्
Shall I cast myself into fire today, or into the mouth of the submarine fire? Shall I offer my body here to the beings dwelling in the ocean?
कथं नु जीवता शक्यो मया द्रष्टुं हरीश्वरः। तौ वा पुरुषशार्दूलौ कार्यसर्वस्वघातिना
How could I, still living, face the lord of the monkeys, or those two tiger-like men, having destroyed all that was to be accomplished?
मया खलु तदेवेदं रोषदोषात् प्रदर्शितम्। प्रथितं त्रिषु लोकेषु कपित्वमनवस्थितम्
Indeed, through the fault of anger, I have now displayed this well-known instability of monkeys to the three worlds.
धिगस्तु राजसं भावमनीशमनवस्थितम्। ईश्वरेणापि यद् रागान्मया सीता न रक्षिता
Shame on the passionate, unsteady, and uncontrolled nature—because of desire, even under a master, I did not protect Sītā.
विनष्टायां तु सीतायां तावुभौ विनशिष्यतः। तयोर्विनाशे सुग्रीवः सबन्धुर्विनशिष्यति
If Sītā is lost, then both of them will perish; and with their destruction, Sugrīva along with his kin will also be destroyed.
एतदेव वचः श्रुत्वा भरतो भ्रातृवत्सलः। धर्मात्मा सहशत्रुघ्नः कथं शक्ष्यति जीवितुम्
Hearing these very words, how will Bharata, devoted to his brother and righteous in soul, together with Shatrughna, be able to go on living?
इक्ष्वाकुवंशे धर्मिष्ठे गते नाशमसंशयम्। भविष्यन्ति प्रजाः सर्वाः शोकसंतापपीडिताः
When the virtuous Ikshvaku lineage has surely come to ruin, all the people will be afflicted with grief and sorrow.
तदहं भाग्यरहितो लुप्तधर्मार्थसंग्रहः। रोषदोषपरीतात्मा व्यक्तं लोकविनाशनः
Therefore, I am one bereft of fortune, deprived of the collection of righteousness and wealth, my mind overcome by anger and fault, clearly a destroyer of the world.
इति चिन्तयतस्तस्य निमित्तान्युपपेदिरे। पूर्वमप्युपलब्धानि साक्षात् पुनरचिन्तयत्
As he was thinking thus, omens appeared to him—those which had been observed before, he now reflected upon again directly.
अथ वा चारुसर्वाङ्गी रक्षिता स्वेन तेजसा। न नशिष्यति कल्याणी नाग्निरग्नौ प्रवर्तते
Or perhaps, O lovely-limbed one, protected by her own splendor, the blessed lady will not perish; fire does not act upon fire.