पुर रखवारे देखि बहु काजा। तिन्ह के निकट न जाइ कपिराजा॥
लाँघि गयउ अति लघु रूप बनाई। सो सब देखत रहा सुखाई॥
अर्थ:Seeing many guards stationed in the city, the king of monkeys did not go near them. Instead, he leaped over them in his most tiny form — they remained unaware as he passed over with ease.
हरि प्रेरित तेहिं अवसर चला। देख रावन मंदिर बिसाला॥
चाँदी सोन के खंभन बारा। अति बिचित्र जनु ब्रह्म अँडाखारा॥
अर्थ:Prompted by the Lord, Hanuman moved forward and beheld Ravana's vast and magnificent palace. With pillars of silver and gold, it was so wondrously beautiful that it seemed like the cosmic egg of Brahma himself.
देखेसि रावन आलस त्यागी। बैठ सभा मद माँस पियागी॥
तेहि मध्य एक पुरुष बिसाला। बाहु चतुर्दस लोचन लाला॥
अर्थ:Hanuman observed Ravana in his assembly, wide awake and attended by those who had consumed meat and wine. In the centre sat an enormous figure with fourteen arms and red-gleaming eyes — the ten-headed Ravana himself.
सेवहिं सिद्ध बिबुध मुनि देवा। ब्रह्मादिक करि बिनय सेवा॥
बहु बिधि रावन देख अभागे। सभय जोरि कर तहँ सब लागे॥
अर्थ:Siddhas, gods, sages, and even Brahma and other celestials served him in fear, their hands folded in salutation. Hanuman noted how even the greatest beings trembled before the wicked Ravana.
तहँ रहि कपि मन बिचार करेसी। कहाँ सीता जाइ जुगुति करेसी॥
सुंदर बन एक देख अनूपा। देखत मन भयउ अति अनुरूपा॥
अर्थ:Hanuman stayed there and pondered in his mind: "Where can Sita be? I must find a way." Then he spotted a beautiful, incomparable grove nearby; just looking at it, his mind felt it was a fitting place to search.
देखि नहिं पाई जानकी। भवन भवन तजि धाई॥
सुंदर बन एक ओर तहँ। होइहि तहँ सुखदाई॥
अर्थ:Hanuman could not find Janaki (Sita) anywhere and rushed through palace after palace. Then he noticed a beautiful garden to one side; he felt certain that she would be found there.
ताड़का बन बिचरत कपि आई। बन बन खोजत हिय हरषाई॥
चंपक बकुल कदंब पाटली। सेवत मधुप सब माधुरी॥
अर्थ:The monkey wandered through the lovely grove, searching every thicket with joy in his heart. Champak, Bakul, Kadamba, and Patali trees bloomed on every side; bees hovered, drinking their sweetness.
फल बिसाल सब बिरुद्ध बिधि। पुष्प सुगंध मंद मंद हि॥
सुंदर बाग देख मन हरषा। मनहुँ जग भरि भरि भई बरषा॥
अर्थ:Huge fruits of many varieties hung from the trees; flowers spread their gentle fragrance all around. Beholding the beautiful garden, Hanuman's heart filled with joy — it seemed as though the whole world had blossomed in this one place.
देखेसि अनेक नारि बिधि बेषा। जाइ निकट नहिं देखि नरेषा॥
सकल रूप गुन मंजु मनोहर। बिचरत बाग रचत बहु जोहर॥
अर्थ:He saw many women in various attire moving through the garden, but among the charming and beautiful forms he did not see the one he sought. All were lovely and graceful, roaming through the garden in their activities.
एक बिभीषन केर गृह। जहँ हरि पूजन होई॥
कपि देखेउ तहँ तुलसिका। सहित सुंदर रोई॥
अर्थ:Hanuman found one house — the home of Vibhishan — where the worship of Lord Hari was being performed. There he saw a Tulsi plant, beautifully kept, which confirmed to him that a devotee of Ram lived here.
मंदिर महँ भइ रोषन भारी। देखे तहँ अनेक नारि नारी॥
सीता नहिं देखि हनुमाना। हृदयँ व्याकुल भयउ सयाना॥
अर्थ:The palace interior was ablaze with light; he saw many women there. But Sita was nowhere to be found — the wise Hanuman became deeply distressed and troubled in his heart.
तब हनुमंत विकल ह्वै सोचा। राम हृदय धरि निज मन पोचा॥
जद्यपि कपि मन चाह बिसाला। प्रभु काजु सिद्ध होउ तत्काला॥
अर्थ:Then Hanuman became anxious and began to reflect, holding Ram in his heart and reproaching his own mind. "Though my heart desires greatly," he thought, "let the Lord's work be accomplished at once."
तेहि अवसर रावनु तहँ आवा। संग नारि बहु किए बनावा॥
सभय सीय देखि महँ रोई। बैठि तरु तर कपि रहेउ सोई॥
अर्थ:At that very moment Ravana came there, accompanied by many women adorned with ornaments. Hanuman from the treetop saw Sita sitting below, trembling with fear and weeping.
देखि मनहुँ साची सुधि पाई। गयउ हरषित मन बहु सुखदाई॥
कपि गट ऊपर रहेउ धरि धीरा। जब हनुमान देख रघुबीरा॥
अर्थ:Seeing Sita, Hanuman felt as though he had received the true news; his heart rejoiced with great happiness. He remained still atop the tree, composed and patient, as he continued to observe.
अस जियँ जानि सुमिरि नरहरी। बैठ बिटप पर कपि अति धीरी॥
चरन देखि सब संकट नासा। चलेउ हरषि हिय पाइ बिस्वासा॥
अर्थ:Knowing this in his heart and remembering the Lord, Hanuman sat very calmly in the tree. By the sight of Sita's lotus feet, all his anxieties were dispelled; his heart filled with faith and he rejoiced.
अशोक बन असोक छाया। तहँ बैठि भयउ मन माया॥
सुंदर परम सुभग अति तेही। तिन्ह मध्य सीय रही जेही॥
अर्थ:In the Ashoka grove, in the shade of the Ashoka tree — from where illusion too seemed to retreat — he found her. Most beautiful and supremely auspicious, Sita sat in the midst of those trees.
