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SETUBANDHA
33
task during the deluge, 33 and can endure even the submarine fire?
42, 43. Rāma then spoke as he rubbed his breast, dark as the leaves of a Tamāla tree, with his left hand time and again: it had manifestly weakened, and forgotten the joy of the touch of his beloved's bosom. He drowned the noise of the sea with his voice, and eclipsed its fame with his own fame; its fortitude with his own fortitude; its strength with his own strength; and its firmness with his own firmness. . 44. 'Lord of the apes,34 while the ocean remains untraversable, and the apes are stupefied, and myself downhearted, thou alone hast assumed the burden of this enterprise, even though heavy.'
45. Just as the precious, ever glorious gems emerge from the calm untraversable ocean; similarly, weighty words, the source of ever brilliant fame, emanated from Jämbavat who was sedate and unassailable.
46. 'A vast enterprise collapses where there is no truly great stable support like yourselves; even as the earth sinks when deprived of the support of the mountains.35
47. 'Hanūmat hath almost achieved the task, the core of which was to know (the whereabouts of Sítā). Whosoever among the apes now applies himself to it can attain fame.
48. "So let us all together entreat the ocean,36 which, though untraversable, hath easily been crossed by Hanūmat, and hath treated with respect diverse requests of the gods and demons.
49. "But if it doth not give up its obduracy maintained without reason, even when implored by me, ye will behold the host of apes gone to the other shore by land, having swept away the barrier of the sea!
33. i.e., submerges the earth. 34. Ref. to Sugrīva.
35. The mountains with their deep roots are fancied as supporting the earth.
36. i.e., for passage to Lanka. S. 5
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