Sundarakanda Sarga 34: Dispelling Doubts About Ravana (Full Text & Meaning)
Sundarakanda Sarga 34: Dispelling Doubts About Ravana (Full Text & Meaning)
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RRead Sundarakanda Sarga 34 with full Sanskrit Shlokas and verbatim English meanings. In this sarga, Hanumān gently works to overcome Sītā’s fear and suspicion. After initially rejoicing at the news of Rāma, Sītā becomes wary, fearing Hanumān is Rāvaṇa in disguise. Hanumān provides an eloquent description of Rāma’s divine qualities and provides proof of his mission, ultimately convincing Sītā of his true identity as a loyal messenger of the Raghu lineage. Download PDF for convenience or read along online at Kalady.org
| Detail | Total Shlokas: 40 | Primary Characters: Sītā Devi & Hanumān | Key Events: Sītā-Pariśaṅkā (Sita's suspicion), Hanūmad-Rāmadēśa-Varṇanam (Hanuman's description of Rama's glory), Rāvaṇa-Śaṅkā-Nivāraṇam (Dispelling the fear of Ravana) | Location: Ashoka Vatika, Lanka |
athaḥ śrīmadvalmīki rāmāyaṇe suṃdarakāṃḍe catustriṁśassargaḥ
Beginning of Sundarakanda from Srimad Valmiki Ramanaya - 34th Sarga
rāvaṇa śaṁkānivāraṇam Dispelling Doubts About Ravana
tasyāstadvacanaṅ śrutvā hanumānharipuṅgavaḥ | duḥkhādduḥkhābhibhūtāyā ssāntvamuttaramabravīt || 1
Having heard her words, Hanuman, the foremost among the vanaras, spoke a comforting reply to her, who was overwhelmed by sorrow. (1)
ahaṅ rāmasya sandēśāddēvi dūtastavāgataḥ | vaidēhi kuśalī rāmastvāṅ ca kauśalamabravīt || 2
"O Vaidēhi, I have arrived as a messenger, bringing a message from Rama. Vaidehi, Rāma is well, and he sends his wishes for your welfare." (2)
yō brahmamastraṅ vēdāṅśca vēda vēdavidāṅvaraḥ | sa tvāṅ dāśarathī rāmō dēvi kauśalamabravīt || 3
"O Devi, Rāma, the son of dāśaratha, who knows the Brahmastra and the Vedas, and is the best among the knowers of the Vedas, sends his wishes for your welfare." (3)
lakṣmaṇaśca mahātējā bhartustē.nucaraḥ priyaḥ | kṛtavānśōkasantaptaśśirasā tē.bhivādanam || 4
"Lakṣmaṇa, the very energetic and dear attendant of your husband Rāma, being deeply afflicted by sorrow, has offered his pranamam, by bowing his head." (4)
sā tayōḥ kuśalaṅ dēvī niśamya narasiṅhayōḥ | prītisaṅhṛṣṭasarvāṅgī hanumantamathābravīt || 5
Having heard the welfare of those two best among men (Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa), that Sītā Devi, thrilled with joy, then spoke to Hanumān. (5)
kalyāṇī bata gāthēyaṅ laukikī pratibhāti mā | ēti jīvantamānandō naraṅ varṣaśatādapi || 6
"This common saying certainly seems true to me: happiness will eventually reach a person who is still alive, even after a hundred years." (6)
tayā samāgatē tasminprītirutpāditā.dbhutā | parasparēṇa cālāpaṅ viśvastau tau pracakratuḥ || 7
After he met with her, an amazing joy was produced in him, Hanumān. And the two of them, trusting each other, began a conversation. (7)
tasyāstadvacanaṅ śrutvā hanumānhariyūthapaḥ | sītāyāśśōkadīnāyāḥ samīpamupacakramē || 8
Hearing her words, Hanumān, the foremost Vānara, drew near to Sītā, who was deeply afflicted by grief. (8)
yathā yathā samīpaṅ sa hanumānupasarpati | tathā tathā rāvaṇaṅ sā taṅ sītā pariśaṅkatē || 9
As Hanumān approached closer and closer, Sītā continued to suspect him to be Rāvaṇa. (9)
ahō dhigduṣkṛtamidaṅ kathitaṅ hi yadasya mē | rūpāntaramupāgamya sa ēvāyaṅ hi rāvaṇaḥ || 10
tāmaśōkasya śākhāṅ sā vimuktvā śōkakarśitā | tasyāmēvānavadyāṅgī dharaṇyāṅ samupāviśat || 11
"Alas! What a misfortune this mistake I have made in speaking! For this person is surely Rāvaṇa himself, having merely assumed another form." Overcome by sorrow, the faultless Sītā let go of the Ashoka tree branch and sat down right there on the bare ground. (10–11)
hanumānapi duḥkhārtāṅ tāṅ dṛṣṭvā bhayamōhitām | avandata mahābāhustatastāṅ janakātmajām | sā cainaṅ bhayavitrastā bhūyō naivābhyudaikṣata || 12
The mighty-armed Hanumān, seeing her (Sītā), who was distressed by sorrow and bewildered by fear, then paid obeisance to the daughter of Janaka. But she, trembling with fear, did not look at him again. (12)
taṅ dṛṣṭvā vandamānaṅ tu sītā śaśinibhānanā | abravīddhīrghamucchavasya vānaraṅ madhurasvarā || 13
Sītā, whose face shone like the moon, seeing him thus paying obeisance, sighed deeply and then spoke to the Vānara in a sweet voice. (13)
māyāṅ praviṣṭō māyāvī yadi tvaṅ rāvaṇassvayam | utpādayasi mē bhūyassantāpaṅ tanna śōbhanam || 14
"If you are the sorcerer Rāvaṇa himself, using this assumed form to cause me renewed distress, that is a grave offense." (14)
svaṅ parityajya rūpaṅ yaḥ parivrājakarūpadhrut | janasthānē mayā dṛṣṭastvaṅ sa ēvāsi rāvaṇaḥ || 15
"You are surely that very Rāvaṇa who abandoned your own form, assumed the guise of an ascetic, and was seen by me in Janasthana." (15)
upavāsakṛśāṅ dīnāṅ kāmarūpa niśācara | santāpayasi māṅ bhūyassantaptāṅ tanna śōbhanam || 16
"O kāmarūpa niśācara (form-changing demon), I am already miserable and emaciated from fasting. It is improper for you to torment me further when I am already so afflicted." (16)
athavā naitadēvaṅ hi yanmayā pariśaṅkitam | manasō hi mama prītirutpannā tava darśanāt || 17
"But perhaps my suspicion is wrong. For a sense of joy has indeed arisen in my mind simply from seeing you." (17)
yadi rāmasya dūtastvamāgatō bhadramastu tē | pṛcchāmi tvāṅ hariśrēṣṭha priyā rāmakathā hi mē || 18
"If you have come as a messenger of Rāma, may all be well with you. O Kapivara, I ask you to speak, for the story of Rāma is indeed dear to me." (18)
guṇānrāmasya kathaya priyasya mama vānara | cittaṅ harasi mē saumya nadīkūlaṅ yathā rayaḥ || 19
"O Vanara, tell me the virtues of my beloved Rāma. O gentle one, your words about Rāma will sweep away my heart like the sheer force of a swift current tearing away a riverbank." (19)
ahō svapnasya sukhatā yāhamēvaṅ cirāhṛtā | prēṣitaṅ nāma paśyāmi rāghavēṇa vanaukasam || 20
"How delightful is this dream! That I, who have been abducted for so long, now truly see a Vānara sent as a messenger by Rāma." (20)
svapnē.pi yadyahaṅ vīraṅ rāghavaṅ sahalakṣmaṇam | paśyēyaṅ nāvasīdēyaṅ svapnō.pi mama matsarī || 21
"If only I could see the Rāghava and Lakṣmaṇa, even in a dream, my sorrow would not overwhelm me. Alas, even the dream world is hostile to me." (21)
nāhaṅ svapnamimaṅ manyē svapnē dṛṣṭvā hi vānaram | na śakyō.bhyudayaḥ prāptuṅ prāptaścābhyudayō mama || 22
"I do not believe this to be a dream, for one does not attain good fortune from seeing a Vānara in a dream. Yet, a great fortune has certainly arrived for me (with your appearance)." (22)
kinnu syācittamōhō.yaṅ bhavēdvātagatistviyam | unmādajō vikārō vā syādiyaṅ mṛgatṛṣṇikā || 23
"What could this be? Is it a delusion of my mind, or is this a mere wavering caused by the wind? Could it be an effect of madness, or is this simply a mirage?" (23)
athavā nāyamunmādō mōhō.pyunmādalakṣaṇaḥ | sambudhyē cāhamātmānamiyaṅ cāpi vanaukasam || 24
"Or rather, this is neither madness nor a delusion that merely resembles it. I am fully conscious of myself and can clearly perceive this Vānara." (24)
ityēvaṅ bahudhā sītā sampradhārya balābalam | rakṣasāṅ kāmarūpatvānmēnē taṅ rākṣasādhipam || 25
Thus, Sītā, having repeatedly weighed the pros and cons, and knowing the form-changing nature of the Rakshasas, concluded that he must be the Rāvaṇa. (25)
ētāṅ buddhiṅ tadā kṛtvā sītā sā tanumadhyamā | na prativyājahārātha vānaraṅ janakātmajā || 26
Having thus reached this conclusion, Sītā, the daughter of Janaka, then was silent, offering no reply to the Vānara. (26)
Section 4: Hanuman's Eloquent Description (Shlokas 27–40)
sītāyāścintitaṅ buddhvā hanumānmārutātmajaḥ | śrōtrānukūlairvacanaistadā tāṅ saṅpraharṣayat || 27
āditya iva tējasvī lōkakāntaśśaśī yathā | rājā sarvasya lōkasya dēvō vaiśravaṇō yathā || 28
vikramēṇōpapannaśca yathā viṣṇurmahāyaśāḥ | satyavādī madhurāvgdēvō vācaspatiryathā || 29 r
ūpavānsubhaga śrīmān kandarpa iva mūrtimān | sthānakrōdhaḥ prahartā ca śrēṣṭhō lōkē mahārathaḥ | bāhucchāyāmavaṣṭabdhō yasya lōkō mahātmanaḥ || 30
Understanding what Sītā was thinking, Hanumān, the son of the Wind-God (Māruta), then spoke sweet, ear-pleasing words to delight her. He described Rāma as one who is glorious like the Sun (Āditya), beloved by the world like the Moon (Śaśī), the lord of all the worlds like Kubera, endowed with valor like the greatly famous Viṣṇu, a speaker of truth, and sweet-spoken like the god Bṛhaspati. He is handsome, fortunate, and glorious, like Manmatha. His anger is always appropriate, he is a great warrior and the best striker of foes in the world. The entire world rests securely in the shade of that great soul's arms. (27–30)
apakṛṣyāśramapadānmṛgarūpēṇa rāghavam || 31
śūnyē yēnāpanītāsi tasya drakṣyasi yatphalam | na cirādrāvaṇaṅ saṅkhyē yō vadhiṣyati vīryavān || 32
rōṣapramuktairiṣubhirjvaladbhiriva pāvakaiḥ | tēnāhaṅ prēṣitō dūta stvatsakāśamihāgataḥ || 33
"That person who, by assuming the form of a deer, lured Rāghava away from the hermitage and then carried you off from that deserted spot—he shall soon witness the result of his act. I have been sent here as a messenger to you by that valiant one (Rāma), who will swiftly vanquish Rāvaṇa in battle with wrathful arrows that blaze like fire." (31–33)
tvadviyōgēna duḥkhārta ssa tvāṅ kauśalamabravīt | lakṣmaṇaśca mahātējāḥ sumitrānandavardhanaḥ || 34
abhivādya mahābāhussa tvāṅ kauśalamabravīt | rāmasya ca sakhā dēvi sugrīvō nāma vānaraḥ || 35
rājā vānaramukhyānāṅ sa tvāṅ kauśalamabravīt | nityaṅ smarati rāmastvāṅ sasugrīva ssalakṣmaṇaḥ || 36
"Rāma, who is tormented by separation from you, sends his best wishes for your welfare. The mighty-armed and energetic Lakṣmaṇa, the delight of Sumitrā, has also paid his respects and sends you his wishes. Furthermore, O Devi, the Vānara named Sugrīva, the friend of Rāma and the king of the foremost Vānaras, likewise sends his greetings for your welfare. Rāma, along with Sugrīva and Lakṣmaṇa, constantly holds you in his thoughts." (34–36)
diṣṭyā jīvasi vaidēhi rākṣasīvaśamāgatā | nacirāddrakṣyasē rāmaṅ lakṣmaṇaṅ ca mahābalam || 37
madhyē vānarakōṭīnāṅ sugrīvaṅ cāmitaujasam | ahaṅ sugrīvasacivō hanumānnāma vānaraḥ || 38
"Fortunately, you are still alive, O Vaidēhī, even after falling under the control of the Rākṣasīs. Soon, you will see Rāma and the mighty Lakṣmaṇa. You will also see Sugrīva of immense prowess, amidst millions of Vānaras. I am the Vānara named Hanumān, the minister of Sugrīva." (37–38)
praviṣṭō nagarīṅ laṅkāṅ laṅghayitvā mahōdadhim | kṛtvā mūrdhni padanyāsaṅ rāvaṇasya durātmanaḥ || 39
tvāṅ draṣṭumupayātō.haṅ samāśritya parākramam | nāhamasmi tathā dēvi yathā māmavagacchasi | viśaṅkā tyajyatāmēṣā śraddhatsva vadatō mama || 40
"Having leapt across the great ocean and entered the city of Laṅkā—and having figuratively placed my foot upon the head of the wicked-souled Rāvaṇa—I have come to see you, relying on my own great prowess. O Dēvī, I am not as you perceive me to be. Abandon this suspicion and trust the words I speak." (39–40)
ityārśe śrīmadramāyaṇe vālmīkīye ādikāvye suṃdarakaṃde catustriṁśassargaḥ
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