SECTION XXXV.
Hearing the tale of Rāma from that best of monkeys, Vaidehi, spoke in sweet accents, soft and low,—"Where didst thou meet Rāma, how didst thou come to know Lakshmana? How did the monkeys and men meet on terms of brotherhood? Do thou again relate unto me, O monkey, the regal signs that deck the persons of Rāma and Lakshmana— and I shall then relinquish all grief. Do thou relate unto me the form and grace of Rāma, his thighs and arms and as well as those of Lakshmana." Being thus addressed by Vaidehi, Hanumān, the Wind-god's son, began to give an exact description of Rāma. "If dost thou, by my good luck, O Vaidehi, O thou having eyes like lotus-petals, knowing me (as his messenger) ask me to describe thy lord's person as well as that of Lakshmana, I shall relate them unto thee. Do thou hear, O large-eyed dame, what regal signs I have marked on the persons of Rāma and Lakshmana. O daughter of Janaka, Rāma has eyes like lotus-petals and a countenance resembling the full-moon and is gifted with great beauty and goodness. In effulgence he is like the Sun, in patience like the earth, in intellect like Vrihaspati[352] and in fame like Vāsava.[353] He is the protector of the world of creation and his own kinsmen. He follows right in all his ways and never swerves from his royal duties and is the slayer of foes. O dame, he upholds the dignity of the people of four-castes— he confers honors on the people and preserves them. He is worshipped by all like the Sun, observes ascetic vows, knoweth well the time when the saints should be honored and is conversant with the nature and procedure of actions. He is well acquainted with royal duties and abideth by the commandments of the Brāhmanas—is wise, gifted with a good character, humble and the slayer of foes. He is the master of Yayur Vedas and is adored by those who are well-versed in Vedas—is proficient in the science of bended bow, Vedas and Vedāngas.[354] He is broad-shouldered, large-armed, has a conch-like neck and a beautiful countenance. His throat is plump and his eyes are red—and he is famed all over the world under the name of Rāma. He has the voice of a bugle, is of a cool hue and highly powerful, has equally proportioned limbs and a green colour. His three limbs (thigh, fist and wrist) are hard and three others (brow arms and scrotum) are long; and three (tops of the hairs, scrotums and knee-joints) equal and three (navel, abdomen and breast) high. And three (the angles of the eyes, nails and palms) are copper-colored— three are cool and three (voice, navel and gait) are grave. His belly and throat have three folds of skin. The sole of the foot, the lines thereon and the nipples are equally bended. His neck, eyes and back are short. He has three locks of hair on his head. He has four lines on his thumb indicating his proficiency in the four Vedas. His body is four hands tall; arms, thighs and cheeks are plump; eye-brows, the hollows of the nose, eyes, ears, lips, nipples; wrists, knee-joints, scrotums, hips, hands, feet are all equally proportioned. Four teeth by the side of each row, are gifted with auspicious marks of the Sāstras. His gaits are like those of a lion, tiger, elephant or a bull. His lips and jaws are fleshy and elevated. His nose is long; words, countenance, nails, down and skin are all cool; his two arms, two little fingers, two thighs and two legs are long; his face, eyes, mouth tongue, lips; palate, nipples, nails and feet are like lotuses, his breast, forehead, neck, arms, navel feet, back and ears are spacious. He is gifted with grace, fame and effulgence. His paternal and maternal race are pure. His armpit, belly, breast, nose, shoulders and forehead are high; his fingers, hairs, down, nails, skin, beard, eye-sight and intellect are thin and sharp. Rāghava, with a due division of his time is engaged in acquiring piety, wealth emancipation and desires. He is truthful and graceful, amasses wealth and thereby protects his subjects. He is cognizant of the divisions of time and country and dear unto all. His stepbrother Saumitri is gifted with incomparable prowess and is his equal in attachment, beauty and accomplishments. The person of that graceful one is gold-hued whereas that of the highly famous Rāma is green. And those two lions among men had no other delight but seeing thee. And they ransacking the whole world in quest of thee met us in the forest. And ranging the earth for thee they beheld Sugriva, of comely presence, the lord of monkeys, at the foot of the mount Rishvamuka covered with trees, banished by his elder brother and resorting there in his fear. And we were serving that truthful Sugriva, the lord of monkeys, driven from the kingdom by his elder brother. And beholding those two best of men, wearing bark and with bows in their hands, that best of monkeys, stricken with fear, leaped above and stationed himself on the crest of the hill. He then sent me to them. And thereupon by Sugriva's decree I, approached with joined palms, those two foremost of men gifted with beauty and royal marks. And they were pleased by me, being informed of the real facts. And then placing those two best of men on my back I arrived at the top of the hill and communicated the truth unto the high-souled Sugriva. And conversing with each other those two lords of men and monkeys attained great delight. And they consoled each other narrating their respective misfortunes. And Rāma then consoled Sugriva, driven away by his greatly powerful elder brother Vāli on his wife's account. Thereupon Lakshmana related unto Sugriva, the lord of monkeys, the grief, of Rāma of unwearied actions, in consequence of thy being borne away (by Rāvana). And hearing Lakshmana's words, the lord of monkeys became pale, like unto the radiant Sun possessed by Rāhu. And collecting all those ornaments which were thrown off by thee on the earth, when thou wert borne away, the leaders of the monkey hosts, delighted brought them before Rāma. But they could not make out thy whereabouts. And all those ornaments, which were handed over to Rāma, were collected by me when they fell tinkling on the ground, Rāma being beside himself with grief. And placing them on his lap, the god-like Rāma bewailed in various accents. And they inflamed the more Dacarathee's[355] grief. And being overwhelmed with grief that high-souled one laid himself low on the ground. And consoling him in various words, I raised him up again. And looking again and again with Saumitri, at those costly ornaments, Rāghava handed them over to Sugriva. Rāghava burns in grief, O worshipful dame, in thy absence, like unto a volcanic mountain burning with a perpetual fire. For thee, sleeplessness, grief and anxiety are distressing Rāghava like unto three fires[356] burning down the fire temple. Rāghava is moved by thy separation like unto a huge mountain shaken by a terrible earth-quake. O daughter of a king, he is ranging at large in many a beautiful forest, river and fountain—but he finds delight nowhere. O daughter of the king Janaka, bringing about the destruction of Rāvana, with all his kith and kin, Rāghava, the foremost of men, shall soon regain thee. And thus Rāma and Sugriva entered into a friendly covenant, to encompass Vāli's destruction and to institute enquiries about thee. And thereupon returning to Kishkindhā with those two heroic princes, the lord of monkeys killed Vāli in battle. And destroying Vāli by his prowess in battle, Rāma made Sugriva king over all monkeys and bears. And in this way, O dame, the alliance between Rāma and Sugriva was made. And know me as Hanumān, their messenger who hath come to thee. Regaining his own kingdom, Sugriva summoned all the mighty monkeys and despatched them in various quarters in quest of thee. And the highly powerful monkeys, resembling mountains, commanded by that lord of monkeys, proceeded to all the regions of the earth. And terrified by Sugriva's decrees, those monkeys, since then, have been ransacking the whole earth for thee. And I am one of them. And the beautiful and mighty son of Vāli, by name Angada, hath proceeded with three armies under him. And many were the days and nights that we spent, overwhelmed with grief and having lost our way on that best of mountains Vindhya. We gave up all our hopes for the accomplishment of our end and our appointed time was well-nigh spent. And in fear of that lord of monkeys we addressed ourselves to put an end to our lives. Ranging the mountain strongholds, rivers and fountains and not finding thy reverence, we were ready to do away with our existence. And on the crest of that hill we took to fasting. And beholding those foremost of monkeys engaged in fasting Angada, sunk in grief, bewailed, O Vaidehi, mentioning thy rape, the destruction of Vāli in that way, our fastings and Yatāyu's death. While we were thus waiting, ready for death and giving up all hopes for the fulfillment of our master's behest, there appeared,as if the cause of our success, the mighty and powerful vulture,the brother of Yatāyu, by name Sampāti. And hearing of the destruction of his brother, he in wrath, said—'By whom and where hath my younger brother been killed? I wish to hear this from you, the foremost of monkeys.' And Angada related unto him verily Yatāyu's destruction at Janasthāna, for thee, by that grim-visaged Rākshasa. And hearing of Yatāyu's death, Aruna's son became afflicted with sorrow and informed us, O thou exquisitely fine damsel, of thy stay in the abode of Rāvana. And hearing those words of Sampāti, enhancing our delight, we all, headed by Angada, left that place. And leaping from the crest of Vindhya mountain we reached the excellent brink of the Ocean. Being greatly anxious to behold thee and delighted, those plump monkeys headed by Angada, arrived at the banks of the main. And worked up with a strong desire to see thee, they again engaged in anxious thought. And beholding the ocean, the monkey hosts lost their heart. And removing their fear, I leaped a hundred leagues across the deep and entered Lankā, at night, infested with demons. I have seen Rāvana, and thee stricken with grief. O thou of a blameless person, I have related all unto thee in regular order. Do thou speak to me, O worshipful dame, I am Dāçarathee's messenger. Do thou know me as the Wind-god's son, the counsellor of Sugriva, who am engaged in Rāma's service and have come here for thee. It is all well with thy Kākuthstha, the foremost of those using weapons, as well as with Lakshmana, O worshipful dame, gifted with auspicious marks, engaged in the worship of his superiors and in the well being of thy lord. By Sugriva's decree, I alone have reached here. And I, ranging alone and wearing shapes at will, have come to this southern quarter, to find out thy whereabouts. By my good luck I shall be able, with thy news, to remove the grief of those monkey hosts who are lamenting for thee. By my good fortune, my crossing over the main, hath not become fruitless. I shall be praised there, O worshiful dame, for I have been able to see thee. And the highly powerful Rāghava shall soon regain thee, destroying, with all his sons and friends, Rāvana the king of Rākshasas. There is a hill, O Vaidehi, named Mālyabāna, the foremost of all the mountains. There lives my father, the great monkey Kesari. Being commanded by the celestial ascetics, he once repaired thence to the mount Gokarna and at the holy watering place of the lord of the rivers he brought about the destruction of (the Asura) Samvasādana. O Vaidehi, I was born, on the field, of that monkey. And I am known all over the world as Hanumān by my own actions. To create thy confidence, O Vaidehi, I have related thy lord's accomplishments. And forsooth, thou shall soon be taken, O worshipful dame, by Rāghava." Having her confidence formed by these reasonings and various marks, Sitā, worn with grief, took him for Rāma's messenger. And Jānaki attained an excess of delight and shed tears of joy from her eyes having curling eye-lashes. And the beautiful countenance of that large-eyed dame, having spacious eyes, appeared like the Moon released from the hold of Rāhu. She then took him for a real monkey and none else. Thereupon Hanumān again spoke unto her, having a comely presence,—"I have related unto thee all this. Do thou be consoled, O Maithilee! Tell me now, what am I to do and what dost thou like. I shall soon repair hence. When the Asura Samvasādana was destroyed in conflict by that best of monkeys at the desire of the celestial ascetics, I was born of the Wind, O Maithilee. I look like a monkey but am his equal in prowess."