रावणस्य समीपं च गृहीत्वा मामुपागमन्। दृष्ट्वा सम्भाषितश्चाहं रावणेन दुरात्मना
Taking me, they brought me before Ravana; seeing me, the wicked Ravana spoke to me.
पृष्टश्च लङ्कागमनं राक्षसानां च तं वधम्। तत्सर्वं च रणे तत्र सीतार्थमुपजल्पितम्
He questioned me about my arrival in Lanka and the slaughter of the rakshasas; all that was spoken in battle for the sake of Sita.
तस्यास्तु दर्शनाकाङ्क्षी प्राप्तस्त्वद्भवनं विभो। मारुतस्यौरसः पुत्रो वानरो हनुमानहम्
Desiring her audience, I have come to your dwelling, O lord; I am Hanuman, the son of the Wind, a vanara by birth.
रामदूतं च मां विद्धि सुग्रीवसचिवं कपिम्। सोऽहं दौत्येन रामस्य त्वत्सकाशमिहागतः
Know me as Rama’s messenger, the monkey and counselor of Sugriva; I have come to you here in service of Rama.
शृणु चापि समादेशं यदहं प्रब्रवीमि ते। राक्षसेश हरीशस्त्वां वाक्यमाह समाहितम्
Hear also the command I speak to you; the lord of the rakshasas and the lord of the monkeys sends you this message.
सुग्रीवश्च महाभागः स त्वां कौशलमब्रवीत्। धर्मार्थकामसहितं हितं पथ्यमुवाच ह
Sugriva, the illustrious one, spoke to you words of well-being, accompanied by righteousness, wealth, and desire; he spoke what is beneficial and proper.
वसतो ऋष्यमूके मे पर्वते विपुलद्रुमे। राघवो रणविक्रान्तो मित्रत्वं समुपागतः
While I dwelt on Rishyamuka mountain, amidst great trees, the valorous Raghava approached me in friendship.
तेन मे कथितं राजन् भार्या मे रक्षसा हृता। तत्र साहाय्यहेतोर्मे समयं कर्तुमर्हसि
He told me, ‘O king, my wife has been abducted by a rakshasa; for the sake of assistance, you ought to make an agreement with me.’
वालिना हृतराज्येन सुग्रीवेण सह प्रभुः। चक्रेऽग्निसाक्षिकं सख्यं राघवः सहलक्ष्मणः
With Sugriva, whose kingdom was taken by Vali, the lord Raghava, together with Lakshmana, made a pact of friendship witnessed by fire.
तेन वालिनमाहत्य शरेणैकेन संयुगे। वानराणां महाराजः कृतः सम्प्लवतां प्रभुः
By striking Vali with a single arrow in battle, he made Sugriva the king of the monkeys, the lord of those who leap.
तस्य साहाय्यमस्माभिः कार्यं सर्वात्मना त्विह। तेन प्रस्थापितस्तुभ्यं समीपमिह धर्मतः
It is our duty to assist him here with all our might; by his command, I have come to you, in accordance with righteousness.
क्षिप्रमानीयतां सीता दीयतां राघवस्य च। यावन्न हरयो वीरा विधमन्ति बलं तव
Let Sita be brought quickly and given to Raghava, before the heroic monkeys destroy your forces.
वानराणां प्रभावोऽयं न केन विदितः पुरा। देवतानां सकाशं च ये गच्छन्ति निमन्त्रिताः
The power of the monkeys was never known before by anyone; those who are invited go even to the presence of the gods.
इति वानरराजस्त्वामाहेत्यभिहितो मया। मामैक्षत ततो रुष्टश्चक्षुषा प्रदहन्निव
Thus, the monkey king spoke to you, as conveyed by me; then he looked at me, enraged, as if burning with his gaze.
तेन वध्योऽहमाज्ञप्तो रक्षसा रौद्रकर्मणा। मत्प्रभावमविज्ञाय रावणेन दुरात्मना
By him, the rakshasa of cruel deeds, I was ordered to be killed, not knowing my power, by the wicked Ravana.
ततो विभीषणो नाम तस्य भ्राता महामतिः। तेन राक्षसराजश्च याचितो मम कारणात्
Then, Vibhīṣaṇa by name, his brother of great intelligence, pleaded with the king of the Rākṣasas on my behalf.
नैवं राक्षसशार्दूल त्यज्यतामेष निश्चयः। राजशास्त्रव्यपेतो हि मार्गः संलक्ष्यते त्वया
"Do not persist in this decision, O tiger among Rākṣasas; for you, a path contrary to royal law is being considered."
दूतवध्या न दृष्टा हि राजशास्त्रेषु राक्षस। दूतेन वेदितव्यं च यथाभिहितवादिना
"The killing of a messenger is not sanctioned in royal treatises, O Rākṣasa; what is to be learned from a messenger must be learned according to his words."
सुमहत्यपराधेऽपि दूतस्यातुलविक्रम। विरूपकरणं दृष्टं न वधोऽस्ति हि शास्त्रतः
"Even in the case of a messenger guilty of a great offense, of incomparable valor, only disfigurement is prescribed, not death, according to the law."
विभीषणेनैवमुक्तो रावणः संदिदेश तान्। राक्षसानेतदेवाद्य लाङ्गूलं दह्यतामिति
Thus addressed by Vibhīṣaṇa, Rāvaṇa ordered those Rākṣasas, "Let his tail be burned today!"
ततस्तस्य वचः श्रुत्वा मम पुच्छं समन्ततः। वेष्टितं शणवल्कैश्च पट्टैः कार्पासकैस्तथा
Then, hearing his command, my tail was wrapped all around with hemp fibers and strips of cotton cloth.
राक्षसाः सिद्धसंनाहास्ततस्ते चण्डविक्रमाः। तदादीप्यन्त मे पुच्छं हनन्तः काष्ठमुष्टिभिः
The Rākṣasas, fully armed and fierce in valor, set my tail alight, striking me with fists full of wood.
बद्धस्य बहुभिः पाशैर्यन्त्रितस्य च राक्षसैः। न मे पीडाभवत् काचिद् दिदृक्षोर्नगरीं दिवा
Though bound with many ropes and restrained by the Rākṣasas, I felt no pain, eager as I was to see the city by day.
ततस्ते राक्षसाः शूरा बद्धं मामग्निसंवृतम्। अघोषयन् राजमार्गे नगरद्वारमागताः
Then those heroic Rākṣasas, having bound me and covered me with fire, paraded me along the royal road as they approached the city gate.
ततोऽहं सुमहद्रूपं संक्षिप्य पुनरात्मनः। विमोचयित्वा तं बन्धं प्रकृतिस्थः स्थितः पुनः
Thereupon, contracting my immense form again by my own power, I freed myself from those bonds and stood in my natural state.
आयसं परिघं गृह्य तानि रक्षांस्यसूदयम्। ततस्तन्नगरद्वारं वेगेन प्लुतवानहम्
Seizing an iron club, I struck down those Rākṣasas, and then, with great speed, I leapt to the city gate.
पुच्छेन च प्रदीप्तेन तां पुरीं साट्टगोपुराम्। दहाम्यहमसम्भ्रान्तो युगान्ताग्निरिव प्रजाः
With my blazing tail, I burned that city with its ramparts and gateways, unshaken, like the fire at the end of an age consumes creatures.
विनष्टा जानकी व्यक्तं न ह्यदग्धः प्रदृश्यते। लङ्कायाः कश्चिदुद्देशः सर्वा भस्मीकृता पुरी
Surely, Sītā is lost, for not a single spot in Laṅkā appears unburned; the entire city has been reduced to ashes.
दहता च मया लङ्कां दग्धा सीता न संशयः। रामस्य च महत्कार्यं मयेदं विफलीकृतम्
As I was burning Laṅkā, Sītā too must have been burned—there is no doubt; and thus, this great task of Rāma's has been rendered fruitless by me.
इति शोकसमाविष्टश्चिन्तामहमुपागतः। ततोऽहं वाचमश्रौषं चारणानां शुभाक्षराम्
Thus overwhelmed by sorrow, I fell into anxious thought; then I heard the auspicious words of the celestial spies.