Hanumān Sītā Sambhāshaṇam

After many days of watching quietly in the Aśoka Vaṭikā, Hanumān came down from the Śiṃśupā tree and showed himself to Sītā Devī. At first she feared that this small vānara was Rāvaṇa in disguise, and she tested him closely. Hanumān proved who he was by telling of Rāma’s good qualities and by giving her Rāma’s signet ring. They talked at length. Hanumān told her of the vānara friendship with Rāma, Sugrīva’s oath, Rāma’s grief, and the army that would come. Sītā gave him her cūḍāmaṇi (hair jewel) as a sign for Rāma and asked him to tell Rāma of her plight and the deadline of one month. Hanumān offered to carry her back on his back. She refused and said that Rāma himself must free her. This account is in the Sundara Kāṇḍa of the Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa.

The first words

Hanumān came down from the Śiṃśupā tree with great care. He waited for a moment when the rākshasī guards were not watching and went to Sītā. He spoke to her gently in human speech. He told of Rāma’s family, his noble nature, and the story of his exile, so that she would know he was no common vānara and no enemy.

Sītā was startled and afraid. She looked at him with wonder and deep doubt. She had seen Rāvaṇa take many forms, and she feared that this small, friendly creature might be one more of his disguises. She fainted for a moment from the shock of hearing Rāma spoken of so unexpectedly. (Sundara Kāṇḍa, Chapter 34)

Sītā’s doubt

When she had come to herself, Sītā spoke to Hanumān directly. She said: “Who are you? Rāvaṇa is a great māyāvī (master of illusion). He has come to me before in the form of an ascetic and of a brahmin, to deceive me. Now are you taking the form of a small vānara so that I will trust you, and then will you take your true shape and torment me more? If you are really sent by Rāma, prove it.”

She asked him close questions: about Rāma’s looks, his qualities and his weapons, the story of their exile, and the events at Janasthāna. Hanumān had a clear and right answer to each one. He had been at Kishkindhā himself and had heard the whole story from Rāma and Sugrīva. (Sundara Kāṇḍa, Chapters 34–35)

The signet ring

The proof that settled it was the signet ring. Rāma had given Hanumān his mudrā (seal ring), which carried the name Rāma, for just this moment. Hanumān gave it to her.

Sītā took the ring in both hands and wept over it. She pressed it to her eyes and to her heart. There was no doubt now. It was Rāma’s ring, given only to one he trusted fully, with his own name on it. The grief she had held back broke out. She wept openly and asked about Rāma: was he well, had he not forgotten her, would he come soon? (Sundara Kāṇḍa, Chapter 36)

Hanumān’s report

Hanumān told her everything. Rāma suffered deeply from being parted from her. He did not sleep, he had no wish for food or pleasure, and he thought only of finding her. On the banks of the Pampā he had wept for her at the beauty of the lake and the pairs of birds there.

Sugrīva, bound by a sacred oath taken before Agni (the Agni-sākshi ceremony), had called out his whole vānara army. He had sent search parties in all four directions, each with a fixed deadline. Hanumān himself had crossed the ocean of a hundred yojanas alone to find her.

He described the vānara army, crores upon crores of warriors, many of them greater than Hanumān himself. He told her that Rāma would come at the head of this army and destroy Laṅkā, root and branch. (Sundara Kāṇḍa, Chapters 37–38)

The offer to carry Sītā

Hanumān then made an offer. He could carry Sītā on his back across the ocean even now. He could also grow in size to carry the vānara leaders, and together they could overcome the defences of Laṅkā or simply fly away.

Sītā listened carefully and then said no. She gave two reasons. The first was propriety. She would not touch any man other than Rāma, even in need. The faithfulness of a patnī (wife) is whole or it is nothing. The second was what was fitting. Rāma’s honour required that he come as a conqueror and win her back by his own power, not through the flight of another. The carrying away had been done by deceit, so the rescue must be done by victory. If Hanumān carried her away like a thief, what glory would that be for Rāma? (Sundara Kāṇḍa, Chapter 38)

The cūḍāmaṇi

Before he left, Sītā gave Hanumān her cūḍāmaṇi. This was the fine jewel for the hair that Janaka had given her at her wedding. Indra had first given it to Janaka as a gift at a great yajña (fire ritual). It was the most precious ornament she had, and she had kept it even in captivity.

She told Hanumān to give it to Rāma. He would know it at once, because it was the gift of his father-in-law and she had worn it on her head at their marriage. When he saw it, Rāma would know without doubt that Sītā was alive and waiting.

She also sent a message with it: the story of the crow, which she would tell in more detail later through Hanumān’s telling, and her urgent plea. One month was left of Rāvaṇa’s deadline. Let Rāma come quickly. (Sundara Kāṇḍa, Chapters 38–39)

Sources

• Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, Sundara Kāṇḍa, Chapters 34–39