Hanuman Devastates Ashoka Grove and Is Taken to Court
After comforting Sita, Hanuman lays waste to the Ashoka grove and defeats many demons, including Akshayakumara. At last Meghnada binds him with the serpent noose and brings him before Ravana's court.
Sundar Kand · Episode 8 / 20
Episode Text
चलेउ नाइ सिरु पैठेउ बागा। फल खाएसि तरु तोरैं लागा॥ रहे तहाँ बहु भट रखवारे। कछु मारेसि कछु जाइ पुकारे॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
chaleu nāi siru paiṭheu bāgā। phala khāesi taru toraiṃ lāgā॥ rahe tahāṃ bahu bhaṭa rakhavāre। kachu mārési kachu jāi pukāre॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Bowing his head, he entered the garden. He ate the fruits and began to uproot the trees. Many warriors were posted there as guards; he killed some and others went and cried out.
नाथ एक आवा कपि भारी। तेहिं असोक बाटिका उजारी॥ खाएसि फल अरु बिटप उपारे। रच्छक मर्दि मर्दि महि डारे॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nātha eka āvā kapi bhārī। tehiṃ asoka bāṭikā ujārī॥ khāesi phala aru biṭapa upāre। rachchaka mardi mardi mahi ḍāre॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
[And said:] O Lord, a huge monkey has come. He has ruined the Ashoka grove. He ate the fruits, uprooted the trees, and crushing the guards again and again, threw them down on the ground.
सुनि रावन पठए भट नाना। तिन्हहि देखि गर्जेउ हनुमाना॥ सब रजनीचर कपि संघारे। गए पुकारत कछु अधमारे॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
suni rāvana paṭhae bhaṭa nānā। tinhahi dekhi garjeu hanumānā॥ saba rajanīcara kapi saṃghāre। gae pukārata kachu adhamāre॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
Hearing this, Ravana sent many warriors. Seeing them, Hanuman roared. He destroyed all the demons; some, half-dead, went away crying out.
पुनि पठयउ तेहिं अच्छकुमारा। चला संग लै सुभट अपारा॥ आवत देखि बिटप गहि तर्जा। ताहि निपाति महाधुनि गर्जा॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
puni paṭhayau tehiṃ achchhakumārā। calā saṃga lai subhaṭa apārā॥ āvata dekhi biṭapa gahi tarjā। tāhi nipāti mahādhuni garjā॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
Then Ravana sent Akshakumara. He set out with countless excellent warriors. Seeing him approach, Hanuman took up a tree and challenged him; after killing him, he roared with a great cry.
कछु मारेसि कछु मर्देसि कछु मिलएसि धरि धूरि। कछु पुनि जाइ पुकारे प्रभु मर्कट बल भूरि॥ १८ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kachu mārési kachu mardesi kachu milaesi dhari dhūri। kachu puni jāi pukāre prabhu markaṭa bala bhūri॥ 18 ॥
Meaning:
He killed some, crushed some, and seized some and cast them into the dust. Some then went and cried out, "O Lord, the monkey is immensely powerful."
सुनि सुत बध लंकेस रिसाना। पठएसि मेघनाद बलवाना॥ मारसि जनि सुत बाँधेसु ताही। देखिअ कपिहि कहाँ कर आही॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
suni suta badha laṅkesa risānā। paṭhaesi meghanāda balavānā॥ mārasi jani suta bāndhesu tāhī। dekhia kapihi kahā̃ kara āhī॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Hearing of his son's death, Ravana flew into rage and sent the mighty Meghanada. He said, 'Do not kill him; bind him and bring him. Let us see where this monkey comes from.'
चला इंद्रजित अतुलित जोधा। बंधु निधन सुनि उपजा क्रोधा॥ कपि देखा दारुन भट आवा। कटकटाइ गर्जा अरु धावा॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
calā indrajita atulita yodhā। bandhu nidhana suni upajā krodhā॥ kapi dekhā dāruna bhaṭa āvā। kaṭakaṭāi garjā aru dhāvā॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
Indrajit, the peerless warrior, set out. Hearing of his brother's death, anger arose in him. When Hanuman saw that a terrible fighter had come, he clattered his teeth, roared, and charged.
अति बिसाल तरु एक उपारा। बिरथ कीन्ह लंकेस कुमारा॥ रहे महाभट ताके संगा। गहि गहि कपि मर्दइ निज अंगा॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
ati bisāla taru eka upārā। biratha kīnha laṅkesa kumārā॥ rahe mahābhaṭa tāke saṅgā। gahi gahi kapi mardai nija aṅgā॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
He uprooted a huge tree and thus rendered the prince of Lanka, Meghanada, without a chariot. The great warriors with him were seized one by one, and Hanuman crushed them against his own body.
तिन्हहि निपाति ताहि सन बाजा। भिरे जुगल मानहुँ गजराजा॥ मुठिका मारि चढ़ा तरु जाई। ताहि एक छन मुरुछा आई॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tinhahi nipāti tāhi san bājā। bhire jugala mānahuṃ gajarājā॥ muṭhikā māri chaṛhā taru jāī। tāhi eka chana muruchā āī॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
After destroying them, he fought with him. They looked like two royal elephants locked in combat. Hanuman struck him with his fist and leapt up onto the tree. He fell unconscious for a moment.
ब्रह्म अस्त्र तेहि साँधा कपि मन कीन्ह बिचार। जौं न ब्रह्मसर मानउँ महिमा मिटइ अपार॥ १९ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
brahma astra tehi sāṃdhā kapi mana kīnha bicāra। jauṃ na brahmasara mānauṃ mahimā miṭai apāra॥ 19 ॥
Meaning:
Then he aimed the Brahma weapon at him; Hanuman reflected, 'If I do not submit to the Brahma weapon, its boundless glory will be diminished.'
ब्रह्मबान कपि कहुँ तेहिं मारा। परतिहुँ बार कटकु संघारा॥ तेहिं देखा कपि मुरुछित भयऊ। नागपास बाँधेसि लै गयऊ॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
brahmabāna kapi kahuṃ tehiṃ mārā। paratihuṃ bāra kaṭaku saṅghārā॥ tehiṃ dekhā kapi muruchita bhayau। nāgapāsa bāndhesi lai gayau॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
He struck Hanuman with the Brahma weapon, and even as he fell, Hanuman destroyed much of the army. Seeing that Hanuman had fallen unconscious, he bound him with the serpent noose and took him away.
जासु नाम जपि सुनहु भवानी। भव बंधन काटहिं नर ग्यानी॥ तासु दूत कि बंध तरु आवा। प्रभु कारज लगि कपिहिं बँधावा॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jāsu nāma japi sunahu bhavānī। bhava bandhana kāṭahiṃ nara gyānī॥ tāsu dūta ki bandha taru āvā। prabhu kāraja lagi kapihiṃ bãdhāvā॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
[Shiva says:] 'Listen, O Bhavani: by chanting whose name wise men cut the bonds of worldly existence, could that Lord's messenger ever be bound? Yet for the Lord's work, Hanuman willingly allowed himself to be bound.'
कपि बंधन सुनि निसिचर धाए। कौतुक लागि सभाँ सब आए॥ दसमुख सभा दीखि कपि जाई। कहि न जाइ कछु अति प्रभुताई॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kapi bandhana suni nisichara dhāe। kautuka lāgi sabhā̃ saba āe॥ dasamukha sabhā dīkhi kapi jāī। kahi na jāi kachu ati prabhutāī॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
Hearing that the monkey had been bound, the demons rushed out; for amusement they all came to the assembly. Hanuman went and saw Ravana's court. Its overwhelming splendor cannot be described.
कर जोरें सुर दिसिप बिनीता। भृकुटि बिलोकत सकल सभीता॥ देखि प्रताप न कपि मन संका। जिमि अहिगन महुँ गरुड़ असंका॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kara joreṃ sura disipa binītā। bhṛkuṭi bilokata sakala sabhītā॥ dekhi pratāpa na kapi mana saṅkā। jimi ahigana mahuṃ garuṛa asaṅkā॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
The gods and the guardians of the directions stood with folded hands, humbled and fearful, all watching Ravana's brow. Even after seeing such power, Hanuman's mind felt no fear. He stood as fearless as Garuda among a host of serpents.
कपिहि बिलोकि दसानन बिहसा कहि दुर्बाद। सुत बध सुरति कीन्हि पुनि उपजा हृदयँ बिषाद॥ २० ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
kapihi biloki dasānana bihasā kahi durbāda। suta badha surati kīnhi puni upajā hṛdayaṃ biṣāda॥ 20 ॥
Meaning:
Seeing Hanuman, Ravana laughed loudly and spoke abusive words. Then, remembering his son's death, sorrow arose in his heart.