SECTION XXXVIII.
Hearing those words, that foremost of monkeys, skilled in speech, was greatly delighted and again addressed Sitā in the following words,—"O worshipful lady, O thou of an auspicious presence, what thou hast said, speaks well for a feminine nature and the modesty of a chaste damsel. And because thou art a female, thou art not capable of crossing on my back, the main extending over a thousand leagues. The second argument—I shall not touch any other person's body than Rāma's, which thou hast produced, O Jānaki! O thou gifted with modesty! truly becometh thee, who art the spouse of that high-souled one. Who else than thee, O worshipful one, can give expression to such words? Truly shall Kākutstha hear from the beginning to the end, O worshipful dame, of thy actions before me, and all thou hast said. For many reasons, I gave vent to such words, O lady,—I am anxious to compass Rāma's end, and my heart is melted with affection. It is very difficult to enter this city of Lankā, it is equally hard to cross over the main —but I am capable of doing all these, and hence I gave utterance to all those words. I wish to take thee even today to the descendant of Raghu. It is for my devotion unto him and regard for thee that I said so and for nothing else. If thou dost not wish to go with me, O thou of a blameless person, do thou give me such a token as might create Rāghava's confidence." Being thus accosted by Hanumān, Sitā resembling the daughter of a celestial, spoke, gently, words with their letters strung on the vapour of grief,—"Do thou mention unto my dear lord (in my words) what had happened unto me while living in the hermitage at the foot of the mount Pratyanga, situate on the north-east of Chitrakuta, abounding in roots, fruits and water. 'At no distance from that place frequented by the ascetics flowed the sacred stream Mandākini. While ranging in that woodland fragrant with the odour of many flowers, thou, having thy person wet in consequence of thy sport in the water, didst sit on my lap. A crow, at that time, longing to feed on my flesh, tore my breast With its beak. And I threatened it with a pebble. But it continued tearing my breast as if it sat there to feed on my flesh and therefore did not fly off. Being enraged with that bird, as I tried to tighten the cloth around my waist, it gave way a little, and thou, rising up from thy seat and looking at me, didst laugh over it. And I was greatly enraged with thy laughter and ashamed, and, being wounded by the crow, I approached thee. Thereupon, tired as I was, I sat on thy lap, and, exercised with ire, I was consoled by thee laughing. Now I, having my countenance bathed in tears, gently rubbed my eyes. And I was seen by thee, O my lord, in that wise, greatly enraged with the crow. O Rāghava, I slept for sometime, at thy lap, out of exhaustion, and thyself in turn, slept at mine, O elder brother of Bharata. In the meantime, that crow again suddenly approaching, tore my breast with its beak, as I awoke and was rising up from thy lap, O Rāghava. Thereupon Rāghava awoke with the shedding of blood. Beholding my breast wounded, that larged-armed hero wroth like a serpent, sighing, said,—O thou having thighs like the trunk of an elephant, by whom hath thy breast been wounded? Who wants to play with an angry five-hooded serpent?—Thereupon, casting his looks around, he espied the crow, sitting in my front with its claws besmeared with blood. That crow, best of birds, was the son of the lord of the celestials in disguise. And gifted with air-like velocity, he speedily entered inside the earth. Thereupon that large-eyed hero, best of the intelligent, with his eyes whirling with ire, resolved to destroy that crow. And taking a blade of Kuça off his seat, he tied it to a Brahma weapon. And that blade, facing the bird, appeared with its flaming face, like the fire that would destroy the world. And he hurled that burning blade at the crow. And it pursued the crow high up in the welkin. Being thus pursued, that crow, in order to save himself, traversed various regions. And being then renounced by his father (Indra) and the great ascetics, he, ranging the three worlds, at last resorted to his (Rāma's) shelter. And, placing himself on the earth, he sought his shelter, and Kākutstha, out of mercy, saved him, albeit worthy of being killed. And he spoke unto him, greatly famished, of a pale countenance and lying on the earth,—It is impossible to render this Brahma weapon fruitless. Therefore, do thou speak (as to what is to be done.)—He then destroyed the right eye of the crow. Having given up his eye, he saved himself. Then bowing unto Rāma as well as king Daçaratha, the crow, liberated by that hero, went to his own abode. 'Thou hadst on my behalf discharged the Brahma weapon even at a crow. Why then, O lord of earth, dost thou forbear him who had carried me off from thee? O foremost of men, do thou dispense unto me thy kindness capable of inspiring hope. O lord, possessing a lord in thee, I (now) appear as if I had none. That kindness is a prime virtue—I have heard even from thee; and I know that thou art exceedingly energetic and possessed of great strength and high courage,—unfettered by considerations of time and space, incapable of being agitated, thou in gravity resemblest the ocean, and like unto that lord of the earth furnished with seas—Vāsava. O Rāghava, being thus the foremost of those acquainted with weapons, powerful, and possessed of strength, wherefore dost thou not direct thy weapon against the Rākshasas?' Neither Nāgas, nor Gandharbas, nor the gods, nor the Maruts, are competent to resist the onset of Rāma in battle. If that puissant one still retains any regard for me, why doth he not by means of sharpened shafts make root and branch work with the Rākshasas? And why, taking the permission of his brother, that repressor of foes, the heroic Lakshmana gifted with great strength, doth not deliver me? If those foremost of men be indeed equal to Indra and the Wind, and incapable of being repressed even by the celestials, wherefore do they disregard me? Surely I must be guilty of some great crime, since although capable, those subduers of enemies do not look at me.' Hearing Vaidehi's piteous words uttered with tearful eyes, that leader of monkey-bands, the exceedingly energetic Hanumān, said,—"O exalted one, I swear by truth, Rāma turneth away his countenance (from every work) in consequence of grief for thee. And Rāma being seized with sorrow, Lakshmana burns in grief. Now that I have been able to obtain a sight of thee, this is no season for sorrow. O auspicious one, even now thou shalt witness the end of this woe. Filled with hope from my sight of thee, those foremost of persons, those mighty princes, shall reduce the worlds to ashes. And, O thou of expansive eyes, slaying in battle the wicked Rāvana with his allies, Rāghava shall take thee back to his palace. Now tell me what I shall communicate unto Rāghava, and the highly powerful Lakshmana, and the energetic Sugriva, and all the assembled monkeys." Thus addressed, Sitā again spoke unto him, saying,—Do thou on my behalf, bowing down the head, enquire after the welfare of that protector of men whom Kaucalyā hath brought forth. Do thou on my behalf, and on account of my words, enquire after the welfare of him, who, renouncing wreaths and gems of all kinds, and beloved damsels possessed of transcendent beauty, and wealth such as is difficult to obtain on this spacious earth; and who, honoring and bowing unto his father and mother, followed Rāma,—in whom Sumitra hath an excellent son,—of that righteous one, who, espousing the cause of his brother, renouncing choice happiness, followeth his brother to the forest, ministering unto him; who is lion-shouldered, long-armed, intelligent, and of a prepossessing presence; who beareth himself towards Rāma as if he were his sire, and towards me, as if I were his mother; of that heroic Lakshmana who did not know when I was ravished away;—the servant of the elders, crowned with auspiciousness,—who is competent and reineth in his tongue; who is the foremost of those dear unto the king's son,[358] and worthy of my father-in-law; who is dearer [unto Rāma) than even my own self; of Lakshmana, brother into Rāma; that energetic one who undertaketh even such tasks as he is not equal to, and seeing whom Rāghava hath forgotten his deceased sire[359],—him for the sake of my words, thou must ask as to his welfare. Lakshmana is always mild and pure, and dear unto Rāma. Do thou speak to him so, that, O best of monkeys, he may remove my miseries. O leader of monkey-bands, do thou bring about success on this undertaking. From this preliminary endeavour of thine, Rāghava shall take pains on my behalf.—This also shalt thou say again and again unto that hero—my lord,—'O son of Daçaratha, I shall keep on this life for another month; and this I swear unto thee by truth that I will not live beyond this month. O hero, even as Vishnu rescued Kauçiki from the nether regions,[360] it behoveth thee to rescue me, who have ignominiously been confined by the impious Rāvana."— Thereupon, saying,—"Hand this unto Rāghava," Sitā gave to Hanumān a noble and excellent jewel for the head[361], which was tied up in her attire. Then taking that best of gems, the hero tried to fix it on his finger; but it did not enter into it.[362] And taking the gem, and bowing unto Sitā and going round her, that foremost of monkeys remained by her side in humble guise. And experiencing rapture in consequence of his seeing Sitā, he mentally presented himself before Rāma, and Lakshmana graced with auspicious marks. And taking that costly and superb gem, which by virtue of some power, king Janaka's daughter had managed to hide (from the gaze of the Rāshasis), Hanumlān, feeling delighted like one, shaken by the wind blowing on the top of the foremost of mountains, and then getting away from it, prepared to set out.