Canto 51
Advice to Deliver
Unnerved continued Hanuman
With Ravan who scared all gods.
Wishes Sugreev thou all well
With the message that follows.
Help as it would thee all now
Heed thee advice of my Lord.
Dasarath was a godly king
Fame he earned for rule his fair.
Son his eldest Lord Rama
So to honour his dad’s word
Gave up lawful right on crown.
For the help his wife the third
Rendered him in some battle
Gave word Dasarath to her then
Honour bound he would be to
Fulfill wishes three of hers,
Came when time to crown Rama
Sought as she crown for her son
Went Ram with his spouse Seetha
In tow with his brother Lakshman
To Dandak woods on exile then.
Janaka’s daughter that worthy
Woman that wed first Dasarath’s son
Kidnapped was she from those woods.
With his sibling Lord Rama
Went on searching for Seetha.
Came he soon to Kishkindha
Made he pact with Sugreeva.
Vow as per his Lord Rama
Slew the sibling of Sugreev
Vali who stole wife of his.
Vali’s valour world all knows
Felled him but Ram at one go.
Got as Sugreev Vanar Crown
Besides hand of Vali’s wife
Apart from his stolen one
So to keep the word he gave
To Lord Ram to find Seetha
Sent he vanars in their scores
Covering earth and heaven as well.
Find thou in the vanar ranks
Valorous all in their thousands
Conquer who could on their own
Worlds all three there at one go.
It’s me Hanuman, Vayu’ son
Flew the sea of hundred leagues
To reach Lanka in search of
Seetha kidnapped wife of Ram.
Scanned I Lanka’s width ’n breadth
Found I Seetha in the end.
O well learned king Ravan
Is it fair for thee confine
Wife of another in thy land?
It’s no dharma for the king
Breaks he rules of humankind.
Bodes it ill for all thy folk
That thee annoy Ram and his
Sibling who could destroy all
And sundry as well at their will.
For thine unfairness to Ram
In snaring loving spouse of his
Sure to rue thy citizens all.
Send back Seetha to her man
Pray heed advice of this mine
Given in keeping thy interest.
Fail thou heed my Lord’s advice
Found as I now in thy land
Seetha faithful wife of Ram
Rest of it is left to him
How to book thee for thy foul.
Being such a learned king
Wonder how thou fail to know
Seetha would prove thee costly.
Pays it to know Rama’s wife
Is not the one to get seduced
By the vile of devil itself.
May thou live for ever so long
Boon thou got from God Himself
Fail if thee to mend thy ways
Sure thou soon would come to grief.
Know the rider that God put
For thee to keep death at bay
Is on hand to see thy end.
In battles all with gods and such
Boon hath it that come thou clean.
It’s thy fate that failed thee true
To seek no harm from men and us,
It’s thus Ram and we vanars
Bring would thy end in combat.
Lay not as knives two in sheath
So’s the case with good and bad.
Blessed as gods thee for good deeds
Punish they would now for foul acts.
How thou fail to see writing
On the wall when Seetha’s man
Could slay Vali thy equal!
Rama if were to give nod
For that matter I would now
Sink thy Lanka in the seas.
Tied are my hands for Rama
Vowed he would slay well in time
Hands with his own who that dared
Kidnap his dear spouse Seetha.
Spare would Rama not even
Indra were to harm his cause,
What would come of folk like thee
Were they to cross swords with him?
Know Seetha thou here confine
Would cause curtains to come down
On the Lankan stage of thine.
She’s like the hangman’s rope
Brought by thyself to Lanka
On thine own to hang thyself.
With her power of chariness
Burn as well she might thy land.
Why drag down them all of them
Hordes of wives and thy siblings.
O Ravan the Lankan king
Heed thee advice of Sugreev.
Know Ram is no mere mortal
Power hath he to destroy all
Exists whatever in three worlds
And bring life back onto earth.
In all races of worlds all
None there equals him as man.
Makes it’s no joke to join
Battle with the god in him.
That thou hurt the god on earth
Hope there none for thee in life.
In their bid to save thy life
All three worlds if ever combine
Yet Ram would make bite thee dust.
Destined if were one to die
At the hands of Seetha’s man
Gods themselves know wash their hands.
Treating Hanuman’s words ranting
Lost his cool then Lankan king.