Ramayana Condensed in the Poet's Own Words /432

414
 
THE RAMAYANA
 
"You should enquire of the welfare of

Bharata as from me and tell him that I

have accomplished my purpose and am

here along with my wife and Laks-

mana..
 
"
 
इति प्रतिसमादिष्टो हनुमान् मारुतात्मजः ।

मानुषं धारयन् रूपम् अयोध्यां त्वरितो ययौ ।

Being commanded thus, Hanuman, the

son of Vayu, took on a human form and

went quickly to Ayodhya.
 

 
क्रोशमात्रे त्वयोध्यायाधीश्चीरकृष्णाजिनाम्बरम् ।

ददर्श भरतं दीनं कृशमा श्रमवासिनम् ।

पादुके ते पुरस्कृत्य शासन्तं वै वसुन्धराम् ॥
वै
 

At a distance of barely a Krosa to

Ayodhya, he saw at his hermitage

Bharata, clad in the skin of the black

antelope, dejected, emaciated and ruling

the kingdom on behalf of the two sandals

(of Rama).
 

 
तं धर्ममिव धर्मज्ञं देहवन्तमिवापरम् ।
 

उवाच प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यं हनुमान् मारुतात्मजः ॥
 

To him, who was well-versed in dharma

and who was like another Dharma incar-

nate, Hanuman, the son of Vayu, said

these words with folded hands :