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.
नहि धर्मात्मनस्तस्य भार्याममिततेजसः। स्वचरित्राभिगुप्तां तां स्प्रष्टुमर्हति पावकः
Indeed, fire cannot touch the wife of that righteous man of immeasurable brilliance, who is guarded by her own conduct.
नूनं रामप्रभावेण वैदेह्याः सुकृतेन च। यन्मां दहनकर्मायं नादहद्धव्यवाहनः
Surely, by the power of Rama and the merit of Vaidehi, this fire, meant to burn, did not consume me, the bearer of offerings.
त्रयाणां भरतादीनां भ्रातॄणां देवता च या। रामस्य च मनःकान्ता सा कथं विनशिष्यति
How could she, who is the beloved of Rama's heart and the goddess of the three brothers—Bharata and the others—be destroyed?
यद् वा दहनकर्मायं सर्वत्र प्रभुरव्ययः। न मे दहति लाङ्गूलं कथमार्यां प्रधक्ष्यति
Or, if this fire, the eternal lord everywhere, does not burn my tail, how could it burn the noble lady?
पुनश्चाचिन्तयत् तत्र हनूमान् विस्मितस्तदा। हिरण्यनाभस्य गिरेर्जलमध्ये प्रदर्शनम्
Then Hanuman, amazed, again considered there the vision of the golden-naveled mountain in the midst of the waters.
तपसा सत्यवाक्येन अनन्यत्वाच्च भर्तरि। असौ विनिर्दहेदग्निं न तामग्निः प्रधक्ष्यति
By her austerity, truthfulness, and exclusive devotion to her husband, she could burn up fire itself; fire will not burn her.
स तथा चिन्तयंस्तत्र देव्या धर्मपरिग्रहम्। शुश्राव हनुमांस्तत्र चारणानां महात्मनाम्
Thus reflecting there on the lady's adherence to righteousness, Hanuman heard the words of the great-souled celestial bards.
अहो खलु कृतं कर्म दुर्विगाहं हनूमता। अग्निं विसृजता तीक्ष्णं भीमं राक्षससद्मनि
Ah, indeed, what a deed Hanuman has done—difficult to accomplish—releasing fierce and terrible fire in the house of the rakshasas!
प्रपलायितरक्षःस्त्रीबालवृद्धसमाकुला। जनकोलाहलाध्माता क्रन्दन्तीवाद्रिकन्दरैः
With the rakshasas fleeing, the city was filled with women, children, and elders, swelled by the tumult of the people, wailing as if from mountain caves.
दग्धेयं नगरी लङ्का साट्टप्राकारतोरणा। जानकी न च दग्धेति विस्मयोऽद्भुत एव नः
This city of Lanka, with its ramparts, walls, and gateways, has been burned, yet Janaki is not burned—this is truly a marvelous wonder to us.