Hari Om.
Let us begin the first sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Jai Sri Ram
Srimath sundarakAnDam
SrIrAma and lakshmaNa moved in the southern direction upon the advice of kabandha and soon reached the banks of pampa. Scared of the stranger duo, sugrIva sent his trusted minister hanumAn to find out if they were sent by his brother-turned-enemy vAlI to eliminate him. The intelligent minister is floored at first sight by the charming duo and soon unites them with sugrIva! Upon learning the cause of enmity between the vAnara brothers, rAma vows to eliminate vAlI and follows through quickly. sugrIva on his part promises to find the whereabouts of sItA.
rAma coronates sugrIva as the king of kishkindhA and vAlI’s son angada as the heir apparent. rAma gives sugrIva the rainy season to catch up with his luxury and be ready at the turn of the autumn for the mission of locating the whereabouts of sItA. sugRIva agrees but lost in luxuries doesn’t communicate to rAma of the progress even after autumn had set. rAma dispatches lakshmaNa to remind sugrIva of his promise and warns of dire consequences if he doesn’t keep his word. A livid lakshmaNa heads to kishkindhA but is pacified by tArA, the wife of vAlI.
sugrIva orders the vAnaras all over the world to report to duty for the mission of finding sItA. They report in crores and crores at his stern command and giving a very detailed account of the places to be found in each direction, sugrIva dispatches four teams to the four quarters of the earth, with a special star studded team to the south. The vAnaras from the other three quarters return but the south-bound vAnaras after many adventures land in front of the sea. Exhausted, they decide to give up their lives by fast-unto-death. At this point, the disabled vulture king who lost his wings, brother of jaTAyu, apprehends them and salivates at the prospect of so many vANaras ready to die so that he can have them for his food. The vAnaras are terrified and start ruminating and lamenting over the mission of rAma and the episodes there in. At the mention of jATAyu, sampAti is moved and immediately and asks for details.
The vAnaras are helped by the far-sighted sampAti and learn that sItA is lamenting a hundred yOjanas away in lanka. The vulture king offers witness account as well as the legend from his own life as narrated by sage niSAkara several years ago. He was actually appointed by the sage to be of help to vAnaras when they would come by after several years in search of sItA. This invaluable help ensured that sampAti got his wings back and flew away happily by being of service to rAma.
The vAnaras were delighted by this important information but the happiness was short lived as they found not many of them could leap a hundred yOjanas in one go. Only angada and hanumAn could. But angada was not supposed to get into action being the leader of the group. The time was ripe for the old and wise jAmbavAn to exhort hanumAn into action. He reminded hanumAn of his great birth and the boons of invincibility and immortality bestowed on him by the gods. Exhorted thus and reminded of his great valour, hanumAn stood up and grew to gigantic proportions. Even so, he bowed to the elders in humility and declared his intent and ability in a manner that reassured the vAnaras and threw them to rapturous delight. He got on top of the mount mahEndra, home to great flora, fauna and a number of sages, vidyAdharas, gandharvas, chAraNas and others. He stamped his foot and it shook the mountain that holds the earth firm! Boulders rolled down. With his sight firmly set on lanka, hanumAn kindled his peerless might and mentally reached lanka even before the flight of ultimate resolve. Onwards.. in to the Srimath sundara kAnDam – the quintessential quest.
ततो रावणनीतायाः सीतायाः शत्रुकर्शनः।
इयेष पदमन्वेष्टुं चारणाचरिते पथि।।5.1.1।।
From there, the top of the mahEndra mountain, hanumAn, the tormentor of enemies, resolved to take the path followed by the celestial bards (chAraNas) in order to find the whereabout of sItA, who was abducted by rAvaNa. Having resolved to perform a task that was without doubt formidable which no one else could accomplish, stretched his neck and head erect and looked like a bull. On the green and marshy grasslands atop the mahEndra mountain, the mighty and resolute hanumAn moved around at will like a lion, scaring away, even trampling other animals, and felling trees by his chest. The mountain was colorful with blooms that were blue, red, yellow and green. The black and white deposits of minerals were present in their natural form. The yakshas, kinneras, gandharvas, nAgas, capable of assuming any form at will, surrounded by their retinues sported there. On that mountain, home to best of elephants, hanumAn appeared like a mountain in the middle of the lake.
स सूर्याय महेन्द्राय पवनाय स्वयंभुवे।
भूतेभ्यश्चाञ्जलिं कृत्वा चकार गमने मतिम्।।5.1.8।।
hanumAn turned east and prostrated to lord sUrya, indra, pavana and brahma. He also paid respects to the beings there and decided to start. He then turned south, determined to take the leap for the glory of rAma and rose high like the tides of the ocean on full moon and no moon days in full view of the vAnara leaders.
प्लवङ्गप्रवरैर्दृष्टः प्लवने कृतनिश्चयः।
ववृधे रामवृद्ध्यर्थं समुद्र इव पर्वसु।।5.1.10।।
Assuming a giant figure, hanumAn, desirous of crossing over the ocean, pressed the mountain hard with his feet and hands. By the impact of that mighty push, the immovable mountain shook and the trees shed their fragrant blooms on the ground making the mountain full of flowers and water streams erupted forth like saliva emanating from a mighty elephant. Fumes of the minerals gold, silver and sulfur appeared and the animals inhabiting the caves of the mountain let of shrieks which filled the quarters. Agitated serpents opened their glorious hoods and stung the rocks with their venom which couldn’t be neutralized by all the herbs present on the mountain. As the mountain caught fire, the vidyAdharas who along with their mistresses had assembled for enjoying their drinks, leapt into the skies leaving behind the golden cups and jugs, the sweetmeats and the sword and weapons that they had carried to that recreational spot. The vidyAdharas, proficient in several fields, well decked with garlands, smeared with fragrant sandal paste, intoxicated along with their surprised and smiling wives sporting lovely necklaces and anklets levitated in the skies and watched the proceedings on the mountain. It is then that they had the words of the seers, sages, chAraNas and siddhas who were also stationed in the skies –
“This mountainous and extremely swift hanumAn is desirous of crossing over this ocean that is home to crocodiles. For the sake of rAma and that of the vAnaras, this hanumAn has set out on this extremely formidable and impossible task of reaching to the unreachable other shore of the ocean”.
रामार्थं वानरार्थं च चिकीर्षन् कर्म दुष्करम्।
समुद्रस्य परं पारं दुष्प्रापं प्राप्तुमिच्छति।।5.1.30।।
Listening to these words of the sages, the vidyAdharas beheld the best of vAnaras who was immeasurably glorious on the mahEndra mountain.
Getting set for the leap across the ocean, hanumAn let out a thunderous roar, shook his tail and its hair like the mighty garuDa would shake the snake that it was carrying away! He pressed down with his hands, contracted his feet and ears, held his breath, lifted his head, cast his eyes in the direction of his path. Possessed by splendour, energy and valour, the best of the vAnaras addressed his mates and said-
यथा राघवनिर्मुक्तः शरः श्वसनविक्रमः।
गच्छेत्तद्वद्गमिष्यामि लङ्कां रावणपालिताम्।।5.1.39।।
“Just like the arrow released by rAghava that travels with the speed of the wind, I shall go to lanka ruled by rAvaNa and if I don’t find sItA there in lanka, with the same speed I shall go to the abode of the gods. And if despite my efforts I don’t find sItA in the abode of the gods, I will tie up the king of the demons rAvaNa and bring him here. I shall certainly accomplish my task and come back with sItA or I will uproot the entire lanka and get it over along with rAvaNa”!
एवमुक्त्वा तु हनुमान्वानरान्वानरोत्तमः।।5.1.43।।
उत्पपाताथ वेगेन वेगवानविचारयन्।
सुपर्णमिव चात्मानं मेने स कपिकुञ्जरः।।5.1.44।।
Having spoken thus, the best of the vAnaras took the giant leap into the sky and felt like garuDa. By the drag of his speed, several trees on the mountain were uprooted and flew into the sky along with him which seemed as if the kin come some distance to see off a dear one who is set for a long journey.
ऊरुवेगोद्धता वृक्षा मुहूर्तं कपिमन्वयुः।
प्रस्थितं दीर्घमध्वानं स्वबन्धुमिव बान्धवाः।।5.1.47।।
The sAl and other great trees that followed hanumAn appeared like the troops that would follow the king. Followed by several trees in full bloom and with flowers strewn upon him, hanumAn looked spectacular and appeared like a flying mountain with fireflies around it. Due to his speed, the trees shed their flowers and like the kin stay back after following the dear guest for a while during see off, they fell down into the sea. The flowers due to their lightweight and the speed of hanumAn were scattered all over the sea and the ocean looked like the sky in which stars have risen. Strewn with a variety of colorful flowers, hanumAn appeared like a cloud lined with lightning. The strong hands that emerged out of him as he flew across resembled five hooded serpents that emerged from a mountain, his eyes shone like fire on a mountain, his red posterior resembled mounds of minerals. He appeared as if he was swallowing the sky and the ocean. His face and nose shone in copper colour reminiscent of the time of sunset and sunrise. His tail stood up like the flag of indra. The tail encircled his bright persona and appeared like the halo around the sun. The wind that emerged through the armpits as he flew across came out like a jet making noise like the thunder. He further looked like a meteor risen in the north, like the setting sun and like a giant elephant. His shadow that reflected in the waters below looked like a ship that was sailing.
Through whichever region of the sea, the great vAnara flew by, trough was produced aided by his own force and that of the blowing winds and the sea water rose high like a mountain, or a whirlpool was created at that place. The drag that was created by his speed made the sea water reach for the clouds blurring the difference between them. As the waters rose thus in response to the low pressure created by his speed, it exposed the aquatic life of the sea, just like the limbs of a person are exposed in their sleep when the upper cloth slips off. The serpents that beheld the flying hanumAn thought he was garuDa. His shadow that fell on the sea measured thirty yOjanas in length and ten yOjanas in width and made for a pretty sight. By the force of the speed of hanumAn, the clouds were pulled towards him and followed him like smaller birds would follow garuDa. Now entered the clouds and now he emerged from them appearing like the moon that enters and emerges from the clouds.
Beholding the fast flying hanumAn, the gods, gandharvas and chAraNas rained flowers on him. The best of vAnaras who was on his way to accomplish the mission of rAma was not tortured by the heat of the sun and the wind touched him gently.
तताप न हि तं सूर्यः प्लवन्तं वानरोत्तमम्।
सिषेवे च तदा वायू रामकार्यार्थसिद्धये।।5.1.84।।
Watching hanumAn who was flying in the skies without any sign of weariness, the sages were pleased. The gods and the gandharvas sang the praises of the splendorous vAnara. All the learned ones, yakshas, birds, nAgas and demons were delighted with awe and praised him.
The lord of the ocean – sAgara began contemplation about what he could do to felicitate hanumAn who was going on the mission of the ikshvAku clan. He was enhanced by the emperor of the ikshvAku dynasty – king sagara and hence was indebted to that clan. He didn’t hanumAn to fail of fatigue in this key assignment of the ikshvAkus and hence he thought he should arrange for rest and refreshment of the vAnara so that he can continue his mission without fail. If he failed to do so, he reckoned, he would be poorly spoken about by others.
साहाय्यं वानरेन्द्रस्य यदि नाहं हनूमत:।
करिष्यामि भविष्यामि सर्ववाच्यो विवक्षताम्।।5.1.88।।
With a pious thought of repaying his gratitude to the ikshvAkus he approached the golden mountain mainaka who lay hidden deep inside the ocean and said –
“Number of valiant demons enter the world through the gateway to the netherworlds. Right now, you are sitting blocking their way [and thus performing an important role]. O mainAka, you are capable of vertical and horizontal movements and hence I exhort you to rise up into the skies and represent me in helping hanumAn who is on a mission of the ikshvAkus who are reverential for me. O golden peaked mount, you are the dwelling place of the gods and the gandharvAs. Rise up, let the flying hanumAn, who is determined to accomplish a great mission, rest a moment, rejuvenate and then resume. Taking cognizance of the torment rAma is experiencing due to the abduction of sItA, rise into the sky and help in comforting the fatigue of hanumAn. Let this good deed be done at once without delay, for a lapse in this will annoy the good and invite their wrath”.
Thus exhorted and charged by sAgara, the golden peaked mainAka rose up from the ocean into the skies, just how the sun rises from the sea. As the golden peaks emerged, the sky was assumed a dazzling golden hue. hanumAn on his part took this emerging mountain to be an obstacle on his path and speeding into the peak, he hit and felled it with his chest!
स तमुच्छ्र्रतमत्यर्थं महावेगो महाकपिः।।5.1.108।।
उरसा पातयामास जीमूतमिव मारुतः।
The mountain with the felled peak, grasping the speed of the vAnara was delighted and went into raptures. He assumed a human form and joyously spoke thus to the valiant vAnara who was speeding in the sky –
“Indeed, you have accomplished the impossible, O best among the vAnaras. Please drop down on to my peak and relieve your fatigue momentarily.
राघवस्य कुले जातैरुदधिः परिवर्धितः।
स त्वां रामहिते युक्तं प्रत्यर्चयति सागरः।।5.1.113।।
The sea has been enhanced by those born in the clan of the raghus. Since you are engaged in the welfare of rAma, sAgara, the lord of the sea felicitates you. The eternal dharma lays down that one should pay back the favour that has been received and hence sAgara wants to return the favour and you should oblige. With lot of affection, he has exhorted me for your sake, so that you can rest a while on my peaks and then resume your mission of crossing the remaining of the hundred yOjanas. There are plenty of fragrant fruits and roots on me. You may please partake of those, rest a while and resume your journey.
O leader of the vAnaras, even we both have an important relation which is famous in the three worlds for what it has accomplished. O son of the wind god, among those who fly fast, I consider you to the fastest. A guest deserves felicitation even if he is a commoner. Then what to speak of lofty individuals such as yourself. You are the son of the wind god who is a chief among gods. You are equal to him in your speed. Your felicitation would automatically mean that of the wind god. And hence you are worship worthy for me. Listen to the reason about my obligation to the wind god.
In the kRta yuga, O dear, mountains had wings. They could fly in all directions with the speed of garuDa at will. Their aerial travel caused fear in the gods and sages since their accidental fall can wipe out settlements. Enraged by this possibility, the thousand eyed indra, performer of a hundred yAgas, took his thunderbolt and cut off the wings of the mountains. As the angry chief of the gods wielding the thunder came after me, the great wind god, enhanced my speed and threw me into this salt water body. Thus my wings were saved. Therefore, O great vAnara you are as worship worthy for me as your father is. That is the famous relation between us. Therefore, in this great mission of yours, please oblige my request as well as that of sAgara and fill us with delight. Keep aside the effort for a while and accept our felicitation, O best among vAnaras. Accept our affection and I have been rendered joyous by seeing you”.
एवमुक्तः कपिश्रेष्ठस्तं नगोत्तममब्रवीत्।
प्रीतोऽस्मि कृतमातिथ्यं मन्युरेषोऽपनीयताम्।।5.1.131।।
The greatest of the vAnaras then addressed the best of the mountains and said –
“I am delighted by the felicitation that you have conferred and so please don’t mind. The day is almost ending and my duty is hastening me. I have promised that I shall not take a break in the middle of the mission”.
With these words and a smile, hanumAn affectionately touched the peak of the mount mainAka and re-entered the clear skies, in the path of his father, the wind god, leaving behind the mountain to resume his flight. Levitating in the skies and coursing through, he cast a glance at the mountain.
तद् द्वितीयं हनुमतो दृष्ट्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्।
प्रशशंसुः सुराः सर्वे सिद्धाश्च परमर्षयः।।5.1.137।।
Taking note of the second impossible act pulled off by hanumAn, the gods, sages and sidhhas were delighted and praised him [and his resolve]. The lord of the gods, indra, was pleased with the golden mountain mainAka and affectionately with a choked voice said –
“This vAnara is on course for the welfare of rAma, son of daSaratha, attempting the flight across the ocean. There is much reason to fear but he is fearless. You have felicitated that hanumAn and hence I am very pleased with you”.
The great mountain was very thrilled to have propitiated lord indra and having received this blessings, remained there (without entering back into the waters for fear of indra). And hanumAn continued his journey and kept crossing the ocean. Then the gods, gandharvas, sidhhas and the great sages approached the resplendent mother of nAgas by name surasa and said –
“This illustrious son of windgod, hanumAn is flying across the ocean. Please cause an obstruction for him momentarily. Assume the form of giant, mountainous ogress with yellow eyes and a large mouth resembling the sky with big teeth. We want to assess the might and valour of this vAnara. We want to see if he will win you with an idea or will be distressed at your sight”.
बलमिच्छामहे ज्ञातुं भूयश्चास्य पराक्रमम्।
त्वां विजेष्यत्युपायेन विषादं वा गमिष्यति।।5.1.148।।
Spoken to thus and honoured by the gods, surasA assumed the form of a demoness in the middle of the sea. She assumed a terrifying and ugly form and engulfed the flying hanumAn and said –
“Enter into my mouth, O great vAnara. I shall consume you once you enter inside”.
Responding to the words of surasA, the great vAnara saulted her and with a pleasant countenance said –
“The son of daSaratha by name rAma entered the danDaka forests along with his consort sItA and brother lakshmaNa. It is for the mission of rAma, confirming to his order, I am going, and you ought to be helpful in the cause of rAma. I promise you, once I locate maithilI and convey the message to rAma, I shall return and enter your mouth”.
Listening to the words of hanumAn, surasA, the mother of the nAgas and who was capable of assuming any form at will, with the goal to assess his valour, said that it was a boon conferred on her that no one could cross over her in the ocean insisted that he enter her mouth right away honouring the boon conferred on her by the lord brahma in the yore. With those insistent words, she stood in front of hanumAn with a mouth wide open. At this, hanumAn was annoyed and asked her to open her mouth wide enough to accommodate him.
She opened her mouth to a width of ten yOjanas and immediately hanumAn grew to the proportion of ten yOjanas. Responding to the expansion of hanumAn like a cloud, surasa increased the width of her mouth to twenty yOjanas.
Livid at her expanding mouth, hanumAn expanded to thirty yOjanas. Then she expanded to forty and he to fifty yOjanas. In response she expanded her mouth to sixty and he responded by increasing to seventy. She upped the ante and made it eighty, he responded by making himself like a mountain ninety yOjanas wide. She now made her mouth as wide as hundred yOjanas. At this point, the supremely intelligent hanumAn saw her wide-open mouth with a long tongue that looked terrifying like the hell, shrunk to the scale of just an inch and entered her mouth. He came out of that immediately and being static in the sky said –
“O dAkshayini, salutations. I have made the boon conferred on you true and entered your mouth and so let me go now to where vaidEhI is”.
The dEvI surasA beheld him who appeared like the moon emerged out of the clutches of rAhu and assuming her natural form addressed him and said
अर्थसिद्ध्यै हरिश्रेष्ठ गच्छ सौम्य यथासुखम्।
समानयस्व वैदेहीं राघवेण महात्मना।।5.1.171।।
“O gentle and best of vAnaras, go forth as per your pleasure in order to accomplish the mission and unite vaidEhI with the great rAghava.
तत्तृतीयं हनुमतो दृष्ट्वा कर्म सुदुष्करम्।
साधु साध्विति भूतानि प्रशशंसुस्तदा हरिम्।।5.1.172।।
All the beings that were following the flight and exploits of hanumAn, at this third formidable task which he performed exclaimed in approval – sAdhu sAdhu, well done, well done. hanumAn rose into the skies well above the ocean and picked up speed like the great garuDa. He flew by the celestial path which receives copious rainfall from the rain bearing clouds. The musical greats like tumburu, nArada et. al. riding on lions, tigers, elephants, birds and serpents passed by that region. The great fire god who could strike like the thunderbolt roamed the region in his aerial vehicle. In that region studded with celestial objects, those who acquired excessive merit and won the heavens, great sages, gandharvas and yakshas dwelt there. That was the path of the sun and the moon. Around there in a derted place lived the viSwavasus. Lord indra’s elephant airAvata sported there. The vidyAdhara groups frequented that region. In that mystic region, hanumAn continued his journey in the skies like garuDa and he was seen almost everywhere, appearing like a levitating large mountain.
प्लवमानं तु तं दृष्ट्वा सिंहिका नाम राक्षसी।
मनसा चिन्तयामास प्रवृद्धा कामरूपिणी।।5.1.182।।
Beholding the flying hanumAn, an ogress by name simhikA, capable of taking any form, expanded herself and thought that she had got a prey after a long time and that she can eat this giant being and be fulfilled after a long time. Thinking thus, she grabbed his shadow. With his shadow grabbed, hanumAn felt he was being pulled back in the skies and his valour was eroding just like a giant ship is pushed back by enormous wind on the ocean!
समाक्षिप्तोऽस्मि सहसा पङ्गूकृतपराक्रमः।
प्रतिलोमेन वातेन महानौरिव सागरे।।5.1.185।।
Thinking thus, the vAnara looked around, up and down and spotted the giant ogress that had risen from the sea. Seeing that terrifying ugly ogress, hanumAn remembered the words of sugrIva [4.41] who while describing the milestones on the southern sojourn had foretold about this mystic ogress. He had no doubt that it was the same. Quickly, the wise hanumAn estimated her abilities and grew to giant proportions. In response, simhikA opened her mouth wide and displayed her nether like mouth cavity and went after him. Noticing her open mouth and the vital life force containing regions in her mouth, hanumAn shrunk himself and becoming hard like a thunderbolt entered her mouth at a great speed. The sidhhas and chAraNas who were following hanumAn’s flight saw him enter her mouth like the moon enters rAhu during the eclipse.
In her mouth, hanumAn struck at her vitals with his sharp nails and at the speed of mind emerged out of it!
ततस्तस्या नखैस्तीक्ष्णैर्मर्माण्युत्कृत्य वानरः।
उत्पपाताथ वेगेन मनः सम्पातविक्रमः।।5.1.194।।
Having felled the ogress with his great grip, firmness and ingenuity, hanumAn again assumed his giant form. With her heart torn by hanumAn, the ogress simhikA miserably fell into the sea. The sky faring beings witnessed this and immediately told hanumAn that a terrific deed has been accomplished by him in felling this mighty ogress. They wished him well in continuing his mission.
भीममद्य कृतं कर्म महत्सत्त्वं त्वया हतम्।।5.1.197।।
साधयार्थमभिप्रेतमरिष्टं प्लवतां वर।
यस्य त्वेतानि चत्वारि वानरेन्द्र यथा तव।।5.1.198।।
धृतिर्दृष्टिर्मतिर्दाक्ष्यं सः कर्मसु न सीदति।
They further said – “O leader of vAnaras, whoever has these four qualities that you have – determination, vision, wisdom and ability, will never slip in the pursuit of his goal.”
Felicitated thus by them, the worshipped vAnara took to the skies again like garuDa with a view to accomplish his mission.
Having reached the other shore of the sea, he now saw forest cover on the earth and the Malaya mountain. The vAnara, giant like a large cloud, beheld the beaches, the forests by the sea, the rivers (consorts of the sea) at the river mouths and then reflected on his own size and thought –
“By the very sight of my enormous body and the speed, the demons will develop a curiosity about me. [Sensing the danger to his mission in that], hanumAn assumed his normal size just like a self-restrained sheds delusion.
ततः शरीरं संक्षिप्य तन्महीधरसन्निभम्।।5.1.205।।
पुनः प्रकृतिमापेदे वीतमोह इवात्मवान्।
The mighty hanumAn re-assumed his normal form just like the lord vAmana trivikrama returned to his normal form after taking the space equal to his three steps.
He who was capable of assuming a host of attractive forms, having reached the farther shore that was impossible for others, took up a smaller form reflecting upon his objective in his mind. Then the great hanumAn landed on the lamba mountain, on a peak that was wonderful and charming filled with kEtaka, uddhAlaka and coconut trees. Shaking off his body on the top of the mountain, hanumAn scared the beasts around and from there sighted lanka that was on the top of a mountain.
By his might and speed, having leapt over the ocean replete with serpents, ogres and high tides, hanumAn landed on the shore and beheld the city of lanka that resembled amarAvatI – the capital of the gods.
Here we conclude the first sarga of the sundara kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Click on the above link for word by word meaning from IITK website
Click on the above link to listen to the audio by SrIrAma ghanApATi
Next: 5.02. hanumAn mulls his options
Previous: 4.67. hanumAn wipes vAnaras’ worries away
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
