Sundara Kãnda: Hanuman's Odyssey

Canto 30 - Hanuman's Dilemma

Picture perfect of Seetha
From his hiding got Hanuman.

Divined having Seetha thus
Gloated Hanuman his fortune.

Hoping to see Rama's wife
Roam as my peers world over
Blessed am I that gods all willed
It's me but who finds her now.

Having come to Ravan's land
Won't my spying aid Rama?

Privy if to ins and outs
Of the fortress of Lanka
Won't that come all so handy
For Lord Ram to win this war?

Isn't lament pulling her
How to infuse hope in her!

Worry she had none of yore
Neck deep now she in sorrow
Won't I owe it to my Lord
Console should I his beloved.

Were I to fail to infuse hope
In the hapless Rama's spouse
Of what avail this trip mine?

Fail if I to inform her
Rama's intent to reach her
In her state of helplessness
Won't I leave her high and dry?

Truly it's my chance of life
Make I could Ram feel at ease
With the news of her welfare.

How to make it to Seetha
Encircled by Ravan's guards?

Fail if I to sound her now
In her hapless state of mind
Might end her life as it dawns.

Fail if I to speak to her
What am I to tell her man?

Were I to go back to Rama
Without a word from his beloved
Won't that make him frustrated?

Fail if I were to lift her
Before we close in on Ravan
Won't she bring her life to close?

Why rush back to Kishkindha
Why not find I ways 'n means
To appraise her of Rama's plans.

Speak I might as wellto her
To make her know there all to know.

Were I to converse in Sanskrit
Might she take me for Ravan
In the guise of Rama's friend.

Let me talk in native slang
That she takes me for vanar.

In her state of shock Seetha
See might in me weird creature.

Fearing Ravan came in disguise
What if Seetha starts shouting?

With the knives all drawn out now
Won't guards all those gherao me?

Might they as well try to kill
Me to serve as mid-day meal.

Well, would they find me sitting duck
Won't I jump from branch to branch.

As I go on gaining size
Won't they shiver all down their spines?

Forces to fetch to rein me
Won't they all to Ravan run?

Won't then Ravan send his force
Chance that gives me to take them.

But in that sea of his army
How to find an escape route?

If I were to get captured
Fail I would to contact her,
So she fails to get the wind
Of the state of Rama's mind?

Seetha as would stay perturbed
Won't that make my trip wasted?

Keeps that Rama in darkness
Place where Ravan confined her.

Were I to get killed or captured
Leaves that Rama in square one.

Can one Rama find to cross
Sea this vast to reach Seetha?

Take I can allRavan's men
But that drags on for so long
Thus I can't go back in time.

How can one ever zero on
One who wins the war on hand
Gauge I till width of the gulf
Wise it not to go for jump.

If I were to turn my tail
How would Seetha get my trial,
Were I to try to talk to her
Won't I have a war on hand?

Won't the success of errands
Come to depend on the one
Vested who is with the same?

Won't the best of well-laid plans
Go awry in hands of those
That lack tact to tackle them?

Better I fail not Rama's cause
With some thoughtless act of mine.

How to make her take it cool
That me her man sent for her! 

In the hearing of her now
Mutter if I would Rama's tale
Might it as well dawn on her
It was her Lord that sent me.

Won't my words in praise of Ram
Bring back memories of their time?

So to sing then Rama's tale
In the hearing of his spouse
Perched then Hanuman on low branch.