Chapter 68 - Hanuman repeats his Words of Consolation to Sita

“O Foremost of Men, that Goddess then addressed me in the midst of her grief out of love for you and solicitude on my account, saying:—

“‘Do you repeat all this to the son of Dasaratha, so that he may come with all speed and, having slain Ravana in combat, take me hence. O Hero, O Subduer of your foes, if it find approval with you, rest concealed here in some secret spot for one more day to relieve your fatigue and to-morrow you canst make ready to depart! O Hanuman, in your company I am able to forget my sufferings awhile. 0 You gifted with great prowess, I shall await your return but doubt if I shall be living then. Beholding you no more, I shall be consumed with fear, unfortunate creature that I am, overwhelmed with affliction! Moreover I am filled with doubt regarding your companions, the bears and monkeys and how in effect, they and those two princes will be able to cross the impassable ocean. O Irreproachable Warrior, there are only three creatures qualified to traverse the sea—Garuda, Vayu and thyself. In view of this insurmountable obstacle, what possibility of success dost you see, O You foremost of those skilled in the art of converse? True it is, that you are able to accomplish this work single-handed, O Subduer of your foes, but such a manifestation of prowess would benefit you alone. If Rama however, with his forces, slaying Ravana in fight, were to bring me back in triumph to his capital, it would redound to his glory. It would not be worthy of Raghava to capture me by stealth as did Ravana, who under a disguise bore me away from the forest. Truly it would prove a feat of signal excellence, worthy of him, if Kakutstha, the conqueror of his foes, should destroy Lanka and deliver me. Do you so act that that high-souled hero may display his prowess!’

“Hearing these words, full of good sense, reasonable and affectionate, I replied for the last time:—

“‘O Goddess, Sugriva, the Leader of the bears and monkeys, gifted with valour, has resolved to deliver you. He has under his command innumerable powerful and courageous monkeys gifted with prowess, who are as swift as thought, able to go upwards or downwards and to every side, whom nothing can impede nor may they be daunted by the hardest tasks. Moreover those great and powerful monkeys, endowed with vigour, have circled the earth again and again, coursing through the air. Sugriva has many monkeys equal to me and greater; none are inferior. If I am able to cross the sea, how much more these heroes? The great ones are never sent out on a mission but those of inferior merit only.

“O Lady, now abandon grief; in one bound those leaders of the monkey hosts will reach Lanka and these two lions among men, like unto the sun and moon, will present themselves to you, O Princess. Soon shalt you see at Lanka’s gate, Raghava, resembling a lion and Lakshmana, bow in hand. And you shalt soon behold those monkey warriors, endowed with the strength of lions and tigers, whose weapons are their nails and teeth, resembling the lords of the elephants, hastening here without delay. Ere long you shalt hear the roaring of those leaders of monkeys on the summit of the Mount Malaya, resembling the rumbling of clouds. Soon you shalt see Raghava, the Slayer of His foes, returning from his exile in the forest, installed on the throne with you in Ayodhya.’

“Thereafter the daughter of the King of Mithila, though profoundly afflicted by thine absence, was comforted by these auspicious words and experienced great peace.”

END OF SUNDARA KANDA.