Sources

A messenger from the sky

Valmiki · Yuddha Kanda
6.125.1–6.126.55 (CrEd 6.113.1–6.114.46)

From Bharadvaja's ashram Rama sends Hanuman ahead in human form, to tell Guha and Bharata that he is coming home, and to read Bharata's heart. Hanuman finds Bharata near Ayodhya, gaunt, in bark and matted hair, ruling with the sandals before him; at the news Bharata faints for joy, embraces him in tears and offers him gifts. Hanuman tells him all that Rama did in the forest, and that he will see Rama tomorrow.

Sanskrit · English·Translation: Raam Leela

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Part 1

The messenger in a man's form

Valmiki 6.125.1–35 (CrEd 6.113.1–31)

॥ 6.125.1–2 ॥

CrEd 6.113.1–2

silent moment

॥ 6.125.3 ॥

CrEd 6.113.3

Rama

Sanskrit

अयोध्यां त्वरितो गच्छ क्षिप्रं त्वं प्लवगोत्तम ।
जानीहि कच्चित् कुशली जनो नृपतिमन्दिरे ॥

ayodhyāṃ tvarito gaccha kṣipraṃ tvaṃ plavagottama
jānīhi kaccit kuśalī jano nṛpatimandire

English

Go swiftly to Ayodhya,
quickly, best of vanaras;
learn whether all is well
with those in the king’s house.

॥ 6.125.4–5 ॥

CrEd 6.113.4–5

Rama

Sanskrit

शृङ्गवेरपुरं प्राप्य गुहं गहनगोचरम् ।
निषादाधिपतिं ब्रूहि कुशलं वचनान् मम ।
श्रुत्वा तु मां कुशलिनम् अरोगं विगतज्वरम् ।
भविष्यति गुहः प्रीतः स ममात्मसमः सखा ॥

śṛṅgaverapuraṃ prāpya guhaṃ gahanagocaram
niṣādādhipatiṃ brūhi kuśalaṃ vacanān mama
śrutvā tu māṃ kuśalinam arogaṃ vigatajvaram
bhaviṣyati guhaḥ prītaḥ sa mamātmasamaḥ sakhā

English

Reaching Shringaverapura,
tell Guha, who roams the deep forest,
lord of the Nishadas,
that I am well: these are my words.
Hearing that I am well,
free of sickness, free of fever,
Guha will rejoice;
he is my friend, as my own self.

॥ 6.125.6 ॥

CrEd 6.113.6

Rama

Sanskrit

अयोध्यायाश् च ते मार्गं प्रवृत्तिं भरतस्य च ।
निवेदयिष्यति प्रीतो निषादाधिपतिर् गुहः ॥

ayodhyāyāś ca te mārgaṃ pravṛttiṃ bharatasya ca
nivedayiṣyati prīto niṣādādhipatir guhaḥ

English

The road to Ayodhya
and the tidings of Bharata
he will tell you, glad of heart,
Guha, lord of the Nishadas.

॥ 6.125.7 ॥

CrEd 6.113.7

Rama

Sanskrit

भरतस् तु त्वया वाच्यः कुशलं वचनान् मम ।
सिद्धार्थं शंस मां तस्मै सभार्यं सहलक्ष्मणम् ॥

bharatas tu tvayā vācyaḥ kuśalaṃ vacanān mama
siddhārthaṃ śaṃsa māṃ tasmai sabhāryaṃ sahalakṣmaṇam

English

But to Bharata you must speak
of my welfare, in my words;
tell him my purpose is won,
with my wife, with Lakshmana.

॥ 6.125.8–10 ॥

CrEd 6.113.8–10

Rama

Sanskrit

हरणं चापि वैदेह्या रावणेन बलीयसा ।
सुग्रीवेण च संवादं वालिनश् च वधं रणे ।
मैथिल्यन्वेषणं चैव यथा चाधिगता त्वया ।
लङ्घयित्वा महातोयम् आपगापतिम् अव्ययम् ।
उपयानं समुद्रस्य सागरस्य च दर्शनम् ।
यथा च कारितः सेतू रावणश् च यथा हतः ॥

haraṇaṃ cāpi vaidehyā rāvaṇena balīyasā
sugrīveṇa ca saṃvādaṃ vālinaś ca vadhaṃ raṇe
maithilyanveṣaṇaṃ caiva yathā cādhigatā tvayā
laṅghayitvā mahātoyam āpagāpatim avyayam
upayānaṃ samudrasya sāgarasya ca darśanam
yathā ca kāritaḥ setū rāvaṇaś ca yathā hataḥ

English

The carrying-off of Vaidehi
by Ravana, the mighty;
the parley with Sugriva,
and Vali slain in battle;
the search for Maithili,
and how you found her,
leaping the great water,
the lord of rivers, unfailing;
the march to the ocean,
the Ocean’s showing of himself;
how the bridge was built,
and how Ravana was slain.

॥ 6.125.15 ॥

CrEd 6.113.14

Rama

Sanskrit

ज्ञेयाः सर्वे च वृत्तान्ता भरतस्येङ्गितानि च ।
तत्त्वेन मुखवर्णेन दृष्ट्या व्याभाषणेन च ॥

jñeyāḥ sarve ca vṛttāntā bharatasyeṅgitāni ca
tattvena mukhavarṇena dṛṣṭyā vyābhāṣaṇena ca

English

Learn all that has passed,
and the signs of Bharata’s heart,
truly, by the colour of his face,
by his glance, and by his speech.

॥ 6.125.16–17 ॥

CrEd 6.113.15–16

Rama

Sanskrit

सर्वकामसमृद्धं हि हस्त्यश्वरथसंकुलम् ।
पितृपैतामहं राज्यं कस्य नावर्तयेन् मनः ।
संगत्या भरतः श्रीमान् राज्येनार्थी स्वयं भवेत् ।
प्रशास्तु वसुधां सर्वाम् अखिलां रघुनन्दनः ॥

sarvakāmasamṛddhaṃ hi hastyaśvarathasaṃkulam
pitṛpaitāmahaṃ rājyaṃ kasya nāvartayen manaḥ
saṃgatyā bharataḥ śrīmān rājyenārthī svayaṃ bhavet
praśāstu vasudhāṃ sarvām akhilāṃ raghunandanaḥ

English

For rich in every desire,
thronged with elephants, horses, chariots,
a kingdom of fathers and forefathers:
whose mind would it not turn?
If, from long keeping, glorious Bharata
should himself desire the kingdom,
let him rule the earth, the whole of it,
entire, the joy of Raghu’s line.

॥ 6.125.18 ॥

CrEd 6.113.17

Rama

Sanskrit

तस्य बुद्धिं च विज्ञाय व्यवसायं च वानर ।
यावन् न दूरं याताः स्मः क्षिप्रम् आगन्तुम् अर्हसि ॥

tasya buddhiṃ ca vijñāya vyavasāyaṃ ca vānara
yāvan na dūraṃ yātāḥ smaḥ kṣipram āgantum arhasi

English

Learn his mind, vanara,
and learn his resolve;
before we have gone far,
you must come swiftly back.

॥ 6.125.19, 21 ॥

CrEd 6.113.18–19

Valmikiverse caption

Sanskrit

इति प्रतिसमादिष्टो हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः ।
मानुषं धारयन् रूपम् अयोध्यां त्वरितो ययौ ।
लङ्घयित्वा पितृपथं भुजगेन्द्रालयं शुभम् ।
गङ्गायमुनयोर् भीमं संनिपातम् अतीत्य च ॥

iti pratisamādiṣṭo hanūmān mārutātmajaḥ
mānuṣaṃ dhārayan rūpam ayodhyāṃ tvarito yayau
laṅghayitvā pitṛpathaṃ bhujagendrālayaṃ śubham
gaṅgāyamunayor bhīmaṃ saṃnipātam atītya ca

English

So charged, Hanuman,
son of the Wind,
taking a human form,
went swiftly to Ayodhya.
Over his father’s road he leapt,
the fair home of the serpent-lord,
and passed the fearsome meeting
of the Ganga and the Yamuna.

॥ 6.125.23 ॥

CrEd 6.113.21

Hanuman

Sanskrit

सखा तु तव काकुत्स्थो रामः सत्यपराक्रमः ।
ससीतः सह सौमित्रिः स त्वां कुशलम् अब्रवीत् ॥

sakhā tu tava kākutstho rāmaḥ satyaparākramaḥ
sasītaḥ saha saumitriḥ sa tvāṃ kuśalam abravīt

English

Your friend Kakutstha,
Rama, true in valour,
with Sita, with Saumitri,
sends you word that he is well.

॥ 6.125.24 ॥

CrEd 6.113.22

Hanuman

Sanskrit

पञ्चमीम् अद्य रजनीम् उषित्वा वचनान् मुनेः ।
भरद्वाजाभ्यनुज्ञातं द्रक्ष्यस्य् अद्यैव राघवम् ॥

pañcamīm adya rajanīm uṣitvā vacanān muneḥ
bharadvājābhyanujñātaṃ drakṣyasy adyaiva rāghavam

English

Having passed this night, the fifth,
at the sage’s word,
Raghava, with Bharadvaja’s leave,
you will see this very day.

॥ 6.125.25 ॥

CrEd 6.113.23

silent moment

॥ 6.125.26–28 ॥

CrEd 6.113.24–25

silent moment

॥ 6.125.29–35 ॥

CrEd 6.113.26–31

Valmikiverse caption

Sanskrit

क्रोशमात्रे त्व् अयोध्यायाश् चीरकृष्णाजिनाम्बरम् ।
ददर्श भरतं दीनं कृशम् आश्रमवासिनम् ।
जटिलं मलदिग्धाङ्गं भ्रातृव्यसनकर्शितम् ।
फलमूलाशिनं दान्तं तापसं धर्मचारिणम् ।
समुन्नतजटाभारं वल्कलाजिनवाससं ।
नियतं भावितात्मानं ब्रह्मर्षिसमतेजसम् ।
पादुके ते पुरस्कृत्य शासन्तं वै वसुंधराम् ।
चतुर्वर्ण्यस्य लोकस्य त्रातारं सर्वतो भयात् ।
उपस्थितम् अमात्यैश् च शुचिभिश् च पुरोहितैः ।
बलमुख्यैश् च युक्तैश् च काषायाम्बरधारिभिः ।
न हि ते राजपुत्रं तं चीरकृष्णाजिनाम्बरम् ।
परिमोक्तुं व्यवस्यन्ति पौरा वै धर्मवत्सलाः ॥

krośamātre tv ayodhyāyāś cīrakṛṣṇājināmbaram
dadarśa bharataṃ dīnaṃ kṛśam āśramavāsinam
jaṭilaṃ maladigdhāṅgaṃ bhrātṛvyasanakarśitam
phalamūlāśinaṃ dāntaṃ tāpasaṃ dharmacāriṇam
samunnatajaṭābhāraṃ valkalājinavāsasaṃ
niyataṃ bhāvitātmānaṃ brahmarṣisamatejasam
pāduke te puraskṛtya śāsantaṃ vai vasuṃdharām
caturvarṇyasya lokasya trātāraṃ sarvato bhayāt
upasthitam amātyaiś ca śucibhiś ca purohitaiḥ
balamukhyaiś ca yuktaiś ca kāṣāyāmbaradhāribhiḥ
na hi te rājaputraṃ taṃ cīrakṛṣṇājināmbaram
parimoktuṃ vyavasyanti paurā vai dharmavatsalāḥ

English

A krosha only from Ayodhya,
in bark and black deerskin,
he saw Bharata, wretched,
gaunt, dwelling as a hermit;
matted, his limbs smeared with dust,
worn thin by his brother’s sorrow,
living on fruit and roots, restrained,
an ascetic, walking in dharma;
his matted locks piled high,
clad in bark and in hide,
controlled, his spirit made pure,
bright as a brahmarshi;
with those sandals set before him
ruling the earth,
the shield of the four-varna world
from fear on every side;
attended by ministers,
by pure priests,
by chiefs of the army, devoted,
wearing ochre robes.
For they could not resolve to leave
that prince, in bark and black deerskin,
the citizens of the city,
who hold dharma dear.

Part 2

Joy, after a hundred years

Valmiki 6.125.35–6.126.55 (CrEd 6.113.32–6.114.46)

॥ 6.125.35cd–36ab ॥

CrEd 6.113.32

silent moment

॥ 6.125.36cd–37ab ॥

CrEd 6.113.33

Hanuman

Sanskrit

वसन्तं दण्डकारण्ये यं त्वं चीरजटाधरम् ।
अनुशोचसि काकुत्स्थं स त्वा कुशलम् अब्रवीत् ॥

vasantaṃ daṇḍakāraṇye yaṃ tvaṃ cīrajaṭādharam
anuśocasi kākutsthaṃ sa tvā kuśalam abravīt

English

Living in the Dandaka forest,
wearing bark and matted hair,
Kakutstha, for whom you grieve,
sends you word that he is well.

॥ 6.125.37cd–38ab ॥

CrEd 6.113.34

Hanuman

Sanskrit

प्रियम् आख्यामि ते देव शोकं त्यक्ष्यसि दारुणम् ।
अस्मिन् मुहूर्ते भ्रात्रा त्वं रामेण सह संगतः ॥

priyam ākhyāmi te deva śokaṃ tyakṣyasi dāruṇam
asmin muhūrte bhrātrā tvaṃ rāmeṇa saha saṃgataḥ

English

Dear news I tell you, lord;
you will cast off this cruel grief.
This very hour you are joined
with Rama, your brother.

॥ 6.125.38cd–40ab ॥

CrEd 6.113.35–36

Hanuman

Sanskrit

निहत्य रावणं रामः प्रतिलभ्य च मैथिलीम् ।
उपयाति समृद्धार्थः सह मित्रैर् महाबलैः ।
लक्ष्मणश् च महातेजा वैदेही च यशस्विनी ।
सीता समग्रा रामेण महेन्द्रेण शची यथा ॥

nihatya rāvaṇaṃ rāmaḥ pratilabhya ca maithilīm
upayāti samṛddhārthaḥ saha mitrair mahābalaiḥ
lakṣmaṇaś ca mahātejā vaidehī ca yaśasvinī
sītā samagrā rāmeṇa mahendreṇa śacī yathā

English

Ravana slain, and Maithili
won back again, Rama
is coming, his purpose achieved,
with his friends of mighty strength;
and Lakshmana, of great splendour,
and Vaidehi, the glorious,
Sita, whole, beside Rama,
as Shachi beside great Indra.

॥ 6.125.40cd–43ab ॥

CrEd 6.113.37–39

Valmikiverse caption

Sanskrit

एवम् उक्तो हनुमता भरतः कैकयीसुतः ।
पपात सहसा हृष्टो हर्षान् मोहं जगाम ह ।
ततो मुहूर्ताद् उत्थाय प्रत्याश्वस्य च राघवः ।
हनूमन्तम् उवाचेदं भरतः प्रियवादिनम् ।
अशोकजैः प्रीतिमयैः कपिम् आलिङ्ग्य संभ्रमात् ।
सिषेच भरतः श्रीमान् विपुलैर् अश्रुबिन्दुभिः ॥

evam ukto hanumatā bharataḥ kaikayīsutaḥ
papāta sahasā hṛṣṭo harṣān mohaṃ jagāma ha
tato muhūrtād utthāya pratyāśvasya ca rāghavaḥ
hanūmantam uvācedaṃ bharataḥ priyavādinam
aśokajaiḥ prītimayaiḥ kapim āliṅgya saṃbhramāt
siṣeca bharataḥ śrīmān vipulair aśrubindubhiḥ

English

So told by Hanuman,
Bharata, Kaikeyi’s son,
fell suddenly, in gladness,
and swooned away for joy.
Then in a moment, rising,
coming to himself, the Raghava
spoke this to Hanuman,
Bharata, to the bearer of dear words.
With tears not born of grief, but of love,
he embraced the vanara in his haste,
and glorious Bharata bathed him
in great drops of tears.

॥ 6.125.43cd–44ab ॥

CrEd 6.113.40

Bharata

Sanskrit

देवो वा मानुषो वा त्वम् अनुक्रोशाद् इहागतः ।
प्रियाख्यानस्य ते सौम्य ददामि ब्रुवतः प्रियम् ॥

devo vā mānuṣo vā tvam anukrośād ihāgataḥ
priyākhyānasya te saumya dadāmi bruvataḥ priyam

English

God or man, whichever you are,
out of compassion you have come here;
for the dear tidings you speak, gentle one,
I give you a dear gift.

॥ 6.125.44cd–45ab ॥

CrEd 6.113.41

Bharata

Sanskrit

गवां शतसहस्रं च ग्रामाणां च शतं परम् ।
सकुण्डलाः शुभाचारा भार्याः कन्याश् च षोडश ॥

gavāṃ śatasahasraṃ ca grāmāṇāṃ ca śataṃ param
sakuṇḍalāḥ śubhācārā bhāryāḥ kanyāś ca ṣoḍaśa

English

A hundred thousand cows,
a hundred choice villages,
and, with earrings, of good ways,
sixteen maidens for your wives.

॥ 6.126.1 ॥

CrEd 6.114.1

Bharata

Sanskrit

बहूनि नाम वर्षाणि गतस्य सुमहद् वनम् ।
शृणोम्य् अहं प्रीतिकरं मम नाथस्य कीर्तनम् ॥

bahūni nāma varṣāṇi gatasya sumahad vanam
śṛṇomy ahaṃ prītikaraṃ mama nāthasya kīrtanam

English

Many are the years indeed
since he went to the great forest;
now I hear, and it gladdens me,
the telling of my lord.

॥ 6.126.2 ॥

CrEd 6.114.2

Bharata

Sanskrit

कल्याणी बत गाथेयं लौकिकी प्रतिभाति मे ।
एति जीवन्तम् आनन्दो नरं वर्षशताद् अपि ॥

kalyāṇī bata gātheyaṃ laukikī pratibhāti me
eti jīvantam ānando naraṃ varṣaśatād api

English

Ah, this happy saying of the world
shines true for me now:
joy comes to the man who lives,
though it be after a hundred years.

॥ 6.126.3 ॥

CrEd 6.114.3

Bharata

Sanskrit

राघवस्य हरीणां च कथम् आसीत् समागमः ।
कस्मिन् देशे किम् आश्रित्य तत् त्वम् आख्याहि पृच्छतः ॥

rāghavasya harīṇāṃ ca katham āsīt samāgamaḥ
kasmin deśe kim āśritya tat tvam ākhyāhi pṛcchataḥ

English

Raghava and the vanaras:
how did they come to meet?
In what land, on what ground?
Tell me, for I ask.

॥ 6.126.4 ॥

CrEd 6.114.4

Valmikiverse caption

Sanskrit

स पृष्टो राजपुत्रेण बृस्यां समुपवेशितः ।
आचचक्षे ततः सर्वं रामस्य चरितं वने ॥

sa pṛṣṭo rājaputreṇa bṛsyāṃ samupaveśitaḥ
ācacakṣe tataḥ sarvaṃ rāmasya caritaṃ vane

English

Asked by the prince,
seated on a mat of grass,
he told him then the whole
of Rama’s deeds in the forest.

॥ 6.126.8cd–9 ॥

CrEd 6.114.8cd–9

Hanuman

Sanskrit

आर्यस्य पादुके गृह्य यथासि पुनर् आगतः ।
सर्वम् एतन् महाबाहो यथावद् विदितं तव ।
त्वयि प्रतिप्रयाते तु यद् वृत्तं तन् निबोध मे ॥

āryasya pāduke gṛhya yathāsi punar āgataḥ
sarvam etan mahābāho yathāvad viditaṃ tava
tvayi pratiprayāte tu yad vṛttaṃ tan nibodha me

English

How, taking your noble brother’s sandals,
you came back again:
all this, mighty-armed,
is known to you as it was.
But when you had gone back,
learn from me what befell.

॥ 6.126.43–44 ॥

CrEd 6.114.35–36

Hanuman

Sanskrit

सोऽहं दुःखपरीतानां दुःखं तज्ज्ञातिनां नुदन् ।
आत्मवीर्यं समास्थाय योजनानां शतं प्लुतः ।
तत्राहम् एकाम् अद्राक्षम् अशोकवनिकां गताम् ।
कौशेयवस्त्रां मलिनां निरानन्दां दृढव्रताम् ॥

so 'haṃ duḥkhaparītānāṃ duḥkhaṃ tajjñātināṃ nudan
ātmavīryaṃ samāsthāya yojanānāṃ śataṃ plutaḥ
tatrāham ekām adrākṣam aśokavanikāṃ gatām
kauśeyavastrāṃ malināṃ nirānandāṃ dṛḍhavratām

English

So I, of those sorrow-stricken,
my kin, driving off the grief,
taking my stand on my own strength,
leapt a hundred yojanas.
There I saw her, alone,
gone into the Ashoka grove,
in her silken garment, soiled,
joyless, firm in her vow.

॥ 6.126.50cd–51ab ॥

CrEd 6.114.42

Hanuman

Sanskrit

प्रहस्तम् अवधीन् नीलः कुम्भकर्णं तु राघवः ।
लक्ष्मणो रावणसुतं स्वयं रामस् तु रावणम् ॥

prahastam avadhīn nīlaḥ kumbhakarṇaṃ tu rāghavaḥ
lakṣmaṇo rāvaṇasutaṃ svayaṃ rāmas tu rāvaṇam

English

Nila slew Prahasta,
and Raghava, Kumbhakarna;
Lakshmana, Ravana’s son,
and Rama himself, Ravana.

॥ 6.126.54cd–55ab ॥

CrEd 6.114.45

Hanuman

Sanskrit

तं गङ्गां पुनर् आसाद्य वसन्तं मुनिसंनिधौ ।
अविघ्नं पुष्ययोगेन श्वो रामं द्रष्टुम् अर्हसि ॥

taṃ gaṅgāṃ punar āsādya vasantaṃ munisaṃnidhau
avighnaṃ puṣyayogena śvo rāmaṃ draṣṭum arhasi

English

Come again to the Ganga,
he stays near the sage;
without hindrance, under Pushya,
tomorrow you shall see Rama.

॥ 6.126.55cd-f ॥

CrEd 6.114.46

Bharata

Sanskrit

ततः स सत्यं हनुमद्वचो महन् निशम्य हृष्टो भरतः कृताञ्जलिः ।
उवाच वाणीं मनसः प्रहर्षिणीं चिरस्य पूर्णः खलु मे मनोरथः ॥

tataḥ sa satyaṃ hanumadvaco mahan niśamya hṛṣṭo bharataḥ kṛtāñjaliḥ
uvāca vāṇīṃ manasaḥ praharṣiṇīṃ cirasya pūrṇaḥ khalu me manorathaḥ

English

Then, hearing Hanuman’s words, great and true,
Bharata, glad, with joined palms,
spoke words that made the heart rejoice:
“At long last my heart’s wish is fulfilled.”

॥ 6.126.55 ॥

CrEd 6.114.46

silent moment