Canto 35
Winning the Trust
Spoke as Hanuman in that vein
Developed Seetha trust in him.
She then said in sonorous tone –
How come Rama came in touch
With thee and thy Lord Sugreev?
How can thou be so certain
Ram ’n Lakshman that thou met?
Tell O Hanuman for my sake
Facial features of those two.
Gladdened as she opened up
Spoke thus Hanuman to Seetha:
Talking no end of thy man
It’s a pleasure of its own kind.
Recall as I his features
Solace it would thy sad heart.
Whether it’s godly frame of his
Or his kindly heart therein
None can ever know which scores more.
While frame his is mid-sun like
Hath he patience of mother earth.
Gives he shelter who might seek
Blemish he hath none in conduct.
Lays he store on noble thoughts
Goads his folk to think likewise.
Leads he life of celibate now
Fate as thee thus weaned from him.
None he slights as come to seek
Given not Ram to spare who dare.
Hath he Vedas all by heart
Excels he ever in warfare.
Second to none he in valour
None there equals him in grace.
Whoso submit tone his soothes
Terse it turns to those oppose.
While at ease he seems vigorous
Looks he strong from head to foot.
Frame his seven-foot is well built
Face his oblong ever looks good.
Lips his rosy slip like glove
Rows teeth over of snow white.
Eyes his wide both compelling
Strike so dark and deep as well.
Manner as well demeanour his
Holds good adage of old thus
Handsome is as handsome doth.
Worthy no less than thy man
Lakshman the brother-in-law thine.
If thy Ram is blue diamond
Lakshman is all golden-hued.
It’s the search for thee Seetha
Brought them both to Kishkindha.
Banished as by his sibling
Met them Sugreev in hiding.
Sugreev as was good to us
Followed we his loyal band.
It was thus we came to meet
Ram ’n Lakshman dressed all coarse.
But Ram had that bow on him
Make which would all bow to him.
Sighted as he them in arms
Shivered but Sugreev in his pants.
Sent me my Lord on errand
So that I could befriend them.
Made I thus thy man privy
Plight of our own Lord so good.
Having heard that story Ram
Thought it fit to meet Sugreev.
Realized as they both of them
Sail they thus in same boat then
Lords those both came ever so close.
Consoled Rama vanar Lord
Lost who wife to his sibling.
Said then Lakshman to Sugreev
Seems Ram’s spouse was snared by some.
That Ram had to lose his wife
Made Sugreev grieve all the more.
Flew as Ravan thee by force
Recall how thee threw jewels
From the skies of Kishkindha.
Showed we them all to thy man
Told we know not who snared thee.
How the sound of that landing
Still rings fresh in Kishkindha?
Sighted as he thy jewels
Fainted Ram in Lakshman’s lap.
Compelled as if by thy thought
Woke up Ram and tapped them all.
As if to dust them all then
Shed Ram tears on all of them.
Left with no more drop to drop
Seemed he drained his heart for thee.
For safe keeping of them all
Gave them Ram to Sugreeva.
Having thus lost thee consort
There none is to console Ram.
Had he no wink all these days
Pines he ever to sleep with thee
Having lost the trace of thee
Know thy man is truly lost.
Lost as he his lovely spouse
Pleases him none spring even.
It’s for certain that Rama
Would kill Ravan in Lanka.
Know vanars all bound by oath
Take thee back soon to thy Lord.
For he slew the vile Vali
Oath we took to help thy Lord.
Having crowned our Sugreeva
As the king of Kishkindha
Won’t we all owe to thy man?
Grateful Sugreev vow then took
To help thy man to get thee back.
It’s in thy search Sugreeva
Sent all simians to scan earth.
Bade us Sugreev not to leave
Stone unturned to search Seetha.
Vanars are on global hunt
To nail the vile who snared thee thus.
Angad son of slain Vali
Marched with some of us southward.
Lost we way in vast Vindhyas
Groped in dark for several weeks.
Not to go sans breaking news
To our Lord who owed thy man
Thought we all to end our lives.
If ever it came to the crunch
Felt we should die exhausted
In search of Rama’s dear Seetha.
Haunted by our own failure
Lost we hope of finding thee.
Low then we all felt to core
Lay we flat on mountain peak
Flew in then Sampaathi
Sibling of slain Jataayu.
Having heard his sibling’s death
Spaketh thus the agonized bird.
Pray thee tell me O vanars
Who did kill my good sibling?
Angad then told Sampaathi
Trying to save Rama’s spouse
Lost his sibling his own life.
Having heard the story thus
Sampaathi then told Angad,
With the bird’s-eye view of his
Sensed he Ram’s spouse in Lanka.
Having got the clue from him
Led us southward then Angad.
At the prospect of success
Enthused were then all of us.
Sea vast in time as we reached
Poured that water on our hopes.
In that Angad and the rest
Saw the mission as ending there.
But the urge to find out thee
Made me lunge that sea across.
Chance I had to see Ravan
Glad I met my Rama’s wife.
It’s me Rama’s own Hanuman
Treat me as thine own servant.
Know am none but Vayu’s son
Trust that Rama yearns for thee.
Lakshman as is wont of his
Is at Rama’s beck and call.
Sent me Sugreev to Lanka
In the service of thy Lord.
At the news of thy kidnap
Sunk our vanar folk in grief.
Break I when the news to them
Know they all would jump for joy.
Hears as Rama thou are sad
Won’t he itch to take thee soon?
Know am but the son born to
Anjana Devi queen of queens.
Married though she king Kesar
Womb hers was by Vayu blessed.
Valour of mine ’n conduct
Spread far ’n wide fame of mine.
Brought I thee as good tidings
Time thee look for happy times.
Ardour that she found in him
Made then Seetha trust Hanuman.
With the change of her mind thus
Rolled on her cheeks tears of joy.
With that bright look on her face
Shone she like a full moon then
Freshly out of grand eclipse.
Knowing that he won her trust
Spoke then Hanuman to her thus:
It’s time that I now start moving
Pray tell whatever in thy mind
Treat I would as Rama’s word.
Being none but Wind God’s son
Strength I have to fly all worlds.
