मया ह्यलब्धनिद्रेण धृतेन तव निर्जये । प्रतिज्ञैषा विनिस्तीर्णा बध्वा सेतुं महोदधौ ॥
सम्भ्रमश्च न कर्तव्यो वर्तन्त्या रावणालये । विभीषणविधेयं हि लङ्कैश्वर्यमिदं कृतम् ॥
तदाश्वसहि विस्रब्धं स्वगृहे परिवर्तसे । अयं चाभ्येति संहृष्टस्तद्दर्शनसमुत्सुकः ॥
"My dear, I was sleepless all these months after your abduction; my vow to free you has now been fulfilled by constructing a bridge over the ocean. Have no further anxiety thinking you are in Ravana's captivity! Lanka has been won and handed over under Vibhishana's control. Therefore please be at peace, thinking you are indeed in your own home. Indeed Vibhishana is happily eager to come and meet you."
***
Sita's voice choked with too much joy to hear this message. Hanuman wondered why she said nothing and asked what was the reason.
She now replied:
प्रियमेदुपश्रुत्य भर्तुर्विजयसंश्रितम् । प्रहर्षवशमापन्ना निर्वाक्यास्मि क्षणान्तरम् ॥
न हि पश्यामि सदृशं चिन्तयन्ती प्लवङ्गम । आख्यानकस्य भवतो दातुं तव प्रत्यभिनन्दनम् ॥
"Hanuman! I was momentarily speechless with exhilaration on hearing of my husband's winning the war. I am sorry that I am unable to see anything in this world, dear vanara hero, that is worthy enough to give you in gratitude for your wonderful message. Nothing I can give in this world would please me as an adequate expression of my gratitude and appreciation for you. Gold, silver, precious gems or even a kingdom would pale as a matching reward for you. "
Hanuman now expressed his humble joy on hearing these words.
भर्तुः प्रियहिते युक्ते भर्तुर्विजयकाङ्क्षिणि । स्निग्धमेवं विधं वाक्यं त्वमेवार्हस्यनिन्दिते ॥
"Devi Sita! Your total dedication to your husband and your fervent prayer for his victory, and your ready celebration of his winning the war, are recompense enough for me. I must tell you that for me it was like winning the lordship of the heavenly kingdom with all its riches when Sri Rama won the war and he was well after vanquishing the enemy."
Sita now poured out her feelings about Hanuman:
अतिलक्षणसम्पन्नं माधुर्यागुणाभूषितम् । बुद्ध्या ह्यष्टाङ्गया युक्तं त्वमेवार्हसि भाषितुम् ॥
श्लाघनीयोऽनिलस्य त्वं सुतः परमधार्मिकः । बलं शौर्यं श्रुतं सत्त्वं विक्रमो दाक्षमुत्त्मम् ॥
तेजः क्षमा धृतिः स्थैर्यं विनीतत्तवं न संशयः । एते चान्ये च बहवो गुणास्त्वय्यैव शोभनाः ॥
"Dear Hanuman! Endowed with supreme good looks and features, with sweet and virtuous words, only you can choose words this well with your intellect having all the eight aspects of excellence. You deserve the highest praise, oh, Son of the Wind-god! Your might, bravery, scholarship in scriptures, abiding virtues, prowess in war, and expertise in accomplishing missions well, your radiance, your forbearance, your courage, your unflappability, and finally your humility, are incomparable and without doubt no one else would ever possess such a plethora of great qualities!"
As Sita said all this, Hanuman was standing, full of humility and reverence. Now he broached another subject that was on his mind.
"Devi Sita, now, if you will kindly permit me, I want to avenge all the ill-treatment and constant torment these ugly rakshasis have heaped on you for long. I shall hit them, crush them, bite them, twist their necks, and kill them all, all these hideous rakshasis, in a way they deserve for their unpardonable misdeeds towards you."
इत्युक्ता सा हनुमता कृपणा दीनवत्सला हनूमन्तमुवाचेदं चिन्तयित्वा विमृष्य च "The generous and kind-hearted Sita heard Hanuman's suggestion, and spoke after some thought and deliberation."
राजसंश्रयवश्यानां कुर्वतीनां पराज्ञया ...कः कुप्येद्वानरोत्तम
भाग्यवैषम्यदोषेण परस्ताद्दुश्चरितेन च मय्यैतत्पराप्यते दैवी ह्येषा परा गतिः
"Oh great vanara! These were servants and slaves to the king and were forced to do his bidding. Whatever suffering I have been through is only the resulting fruit of my past misdeeds. This is the law of karma. Fate has a divine plan that no one can question. I am certain that my sorrows were due to my bad karma. I will readily forgive these wretched slaves of Ravana. Ever since Ravana died, these rakshasis have stopped giving me trouble."
अयं व्याघ्रसमीपे तु पुराणो धर्मसंहितः । ऋक्षेण गीतः श्लोकोऽस्ति तं निबोध प्लवङ्गम ॥
न परः पापमादत्ते परेषां पापकर्मणाम् ।समयो रक्षितव्यस्तु सन्तश्चारित्रभूषणाः ॥
पापानां वा शुभानां वा वधार्हाणामथापि वा कार्यं कारुण्यमार्येण न कश्चिन्नापराध्यति ॥
"Hanuman, there is a parable of old with great wisdom.
"Once a man was stranded in the forest and climbed a tree to escape a tiger's attack. He later noticed there was a bear also hiding in the tree. When the tiger, waiting below, tempted the bear to shake the branches to let fall the man for his food, the bear refused. Later when the bear was napping, the tiger was able to tempt the man to try and make the bear drop down for his meal. The man failed as the bear managed to hold on to a branch and climb back. Later, pointing out how unworthy was this man of the bear's protection, the tiger again tried to make the bear shake the man down to earth. The bear replied, "Even if another is evil, a good soul will not pay back in evil but protect him if the need arises. I shall not sacrifice my values.""
न कश्चिन्नापराध्यति - "There is no one in this world, who has not done some wrong at some time or other."
"Dear Hanuman, righteous souls will show compassion when someone is in distress, whether that person is good, or evil, or even deserves death punishment for his acts."
Hanuman was speechless in the presence of such nobility, magnanimity and forgiveness. He said,
युक्ता रामस्य भवती धर्मपत्नी गुणान्विता । प्रतिसंदिश मां देवि गमिष्ये यत्र राघवः ॥
"Devi Sita, these words are befitting the noble wife of the great Sri Rama. Only you can espouse such high values. Now I should get going, so be kind and give me your message to convey to Sri Rama."
साब्रवीद्द्रष्टुमिच्छामि भर्तारं भक्तवत्सलम् - "Please convey that I want to see my lord, the one who loves those devoted to him."
Hanuman replied, "My lady, Devi Sita, very soon, you shall behold the moon-like face of Sri Rama, along with Lakshmana, with his friends, with him having god rid of his enemies. You shall be like Shachi Devi meeting her lord, Indra."
Taking leave of Devi Sita, who was verily like Goddess Lakshmi, Hanuman went quickly to Sri Rama.
Hanuman meticulously delivered Devi Sita's message to Sri Rama, the supremely radiant one in the three worlds.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
