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Chapter 47

Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys

VERSE 1

दर्शनार्थम् तु वैदेह्याः सर्वतः कपि कुंजराः
व्यादिष्टाः कपि राजेन यथा उक्तम् जग्मुर् अंजसा

darśanārtham tu vaidehyāḥ sarvataḥ kapi kuṃjarāḥ
vyādiṣṭāḥ kapi rājena yathā uktam jagmur aṃjasā

SYNONYMS

kapi rājena vyādiṣṭāḥ [vi ā diś]: by monkeys, king, commanded | kapi kunjarāḥ: monkeys, elephantine | yathā uktam: as, said [true to command] | vaidehyāḥ darśanārtham: of Vaidehi, for a glimpse | anjasā: with post-haste | sarvataḥ jagmuḥ: everywhere, essayed at. |

TRANSLATION

As commanded by the king of monkeys Sugreeva all of the elephantine monkeys essayed everywhere with post-hast for a glimpse of Vaidehi. [4-47-1]

VERSE 2

ते सरांसि सरित् कक्षान् आकाशम् नगराणि च
नदी दुर्गान् तथा शैलान् विचिन्वन्ति समन्ततः

te sarāṃsi sarit kakṣān ākāśam nagarāṇi ca
nadī durgān tathā śailān vicinvanti samantataḥ

SYNONYMS

te = those: monkeys | sarāmsi saritaḥ kakṣān: at lakes, river's [on riverbanks,] chambers, [creeper-pens] | ākāśam nagarāṇi ca: sky [empty space, unpeopled lands,] cities, also | tathā: thus | nadī dur gān śailān: with rivers, not, passable places, mountains | samantataḥ vi cinvanti: everywhere, thoroughly, searched out. |

TRANSLATION

Those monkeys have thoroughly searched at lakes, in the pens of creepers on riverbanks, in vacant lands and in crowded cities and at impassable places with rivers and mountains. [4-47-2]

VERSE 3

सुग्रीवेण समाख्याताः सर्वे वानर यूथपाः
तत्र देशान् प्रविचिन्वन्ति स शैल वन काननान्

sugrīveṇa samākhyātāḥ sarve vānara yūthapāḥ
tatra deśān pravicinvanti sa śaila vana kānanān

SYNONYMS

sugrīveṇa sam ākhyātāḥ: by Sugreeva, well-said [explicitly, commanded] | sarve vānara yūthapāḥ: all, monkey's, commanders | tatra: in that matter | pra sa śaila vana kānanān: inclusive of, mountains, woodlands, thick forests | [sarvān: all of the] | deśān: provinces | vi cinvanti: carefully, searched. |

TRANSLATION

All the monkey commanders explicitly commanded by Sugreeva, very carefully searched all the provinces inclusive of mountains, woodlands, and thick forests of those provinces. [4-47-3]

VERSE 4

विचिन्त्य दिवसम् सर्वे सीता अधिगमने धृताः
समायान्ति स्म मेदिन्याम् निशा कालेषु वानराः

vicintya divasam sarve sītā adhigamane dhṛtāḥ
samāyānti sma medinyām niśā kāleṣu vānarāḥ

SYNONYMS

sarve vānarāḥ: all of the, monkeys | sītā adhigamane dhṛtāḥ: in Seetha's, attaining, firmed up | divasam vicintya: by day, on searching | niśā kāleṣu: at night, time | medinyām: onto earth | sam āyānti sma: well [together,] come, they are. |

TRANSLATION

All the Vanara-s firmed up in finding Seetha have searched nooks and corners of earth by day, and at nighttimes they used to come together onto earth at scheduled places. [4-47-4]

VERSE 5

सर्व ऋतुकान् च देशेषु वानराः स फलान् द्रुमान्
आसाद्य रजनीम् शय्याम् चक्रुः सर्वेषु अहस्सु ते

sarva ṛtukān ca deśeṣu vānarāḥ sa phalān drumān
āsādya rajanīm śayyām cakruḥ sarveṣu ahassu te

SYNONYMS

te vānarāḥ: those, Vanara-s | sarveṣu ahassu [ te]: in all [those,] days | sarva ṛtukān ca: all, seasonal, also | sa phalān drumān: with, fruits, trees | deśeṣu āsādya: in [those and those] provinces, on getting at | rajanīm śayyām cakruḥ: at nights [at bedtime,] bed, made. |

TRANSLATION

In all those days those Vanara-s used to come to trees which have fruits of all seasons, to make those trees as their beds at bedtime. [4-47-5]

PURPORT

Or to say in another way: drumaan saphalaan cakruH = 'trees, blessed to be fruitful...' Fruting trees will be aplenty with fruits, if monkeys visit them. Because monkeys resided on all the trees of all provinces, Rama blesses all of the trees of those and those countries through those monkeys, namely the agents of Rama, to be full of fruits. Even now allowing a troop of monkeys into orchard or groves is tolerable and sacred. But after a sumptuous meal, they start all their monkey tricks and ransack gardens, which is intolerable and then they are driven out.
VERSE 6

तत् अहः प्रथमम् कृत्वा मासे प्रस्रवणम् गताः
कपि राजेन संगम्य निराशाः कपि कुंजराः

tat ahaḥ prathamam kṛtvā māse prasravaṇam gatāḥ
kapi rājena saṃgamya nirāśāḥ kapi kuṃjarāḥ

SYNONYMS

tat ahaḥ prathamam kṛtvā: that, day [of their starting,] first, on making [counting] | māse: in month | kapi kunjarāḥ: monkey, elephants | nir āśāḥ: without, hope | prasravaṇam gatāḥ: , Mt. Prasavana, went [returned] | kapi rājena sangamya = vith monkey, king, joined: met with Sugreeva. |

TRANSLATION

Counting the day of their starting as day one, those elephantine monkeys returned to Mt. Prasavana within one month, hopeless of Seetha, and met Sugreeva, the king of monkeys, who is with Rama awaiting the return of monkeys. [4-47-6]

VERSE 7

विचित्य तु दिशम् पूर्वाम् यथा उक्ताम् सचिवैः सह
अदृष्ट्वा विनतः सीताम् आजगाम महाबलः

vicitya tu diśam pūrvām yathā uktām sacivaiḥ saha
adṛṣṭvā vinataḥ sītām ājagāma mahābalaḥ

SYNONYMS

mahābalaḥ: great-mighty one | vinataḥ: Cmdr. Vinata | sacivaiḥ saha: 1] ministers, 2] colleagues, together with | yathā uktām: as, said [as advised by Sugreeva] | pūrvām diśam vicitya: eastern, quarter, on searching | sītām a dṛṣṭvā: Seetha, not, seeing [finding] | ā jagāma: came back. |

TRANSLATION

Cmdr. Vinata, the great-mighty vanara, came back after searching eastern quarter as Sugreeva had advised, but without finding Seetha there. [4-47-7]

VERSE 8

दिशम् अपि उत्तराम् सर्वाम् विविच्य स महाकपिः
आगतः सह सैन्येन वीरः शतबलिः तदा

diśam api uttarām sarvām vivicya sa mahākapiḥ
āgataḥ saha sainyena vīraḥ śatabaliḥ tadā

SYNONYMS

tadā: then | vīraḥ mahā kapiḥ śatabaliḥ: valiant one, matchless, monkey, Shatabali | sainyena saha: army, along with | sarvām uttarām diśam api: whole of, northern, direction, even | vi vicya: = explored | [sītām a dṛṣṭvā: Seetha, without seeing] | saḥ: such as he is | āgataḥ: he came back. |

TRANSLATION

Even the valiant and matchless monkey Shatabali explored whole of the northern direction along with his army, but he too came back as Seetha is undiscovered there. [4-47-8]

VERSE 9

सुषेणः पश्चिमाम् आशाम् विविच्य सह वानरैः
समेत्य मासे पूर्णे तु सुग्रीवम् उपचक्रमे

suṣeṇaḥ paścimām āśām vivicya saha vānaraiḥ
sametya māse pūrṇe tu sugrīvam upacakrame

SYNONYMS

suṣeṇaḥ vānaraiḥ saha: Sushena [father-in-law of Sugreeva,] vanara-s, along with | paścimām āśām vivicya: in western, direction, on searching | māse pūrṇe tu: a month, on completion, but | [a dṛṣṭvā sītām: without seeing, Seetha] | sametya: came back | sugrīvam upacakrame: to Sugreeva, nearby arrived. |

TRANSLATION

Sushena, the father-in-law of Sugreeva, searching whole of western quarter along with vanara-s, but not finding Seetha there, he came back when one month is completed, and approached Sugreeva. [4-47-9]

VERSE 10

तम् प्रस्रवण पृष्ठस्थम् समासाद्य अभिवाद्य च
आसीनम् सह रामेण सुग्रीवम् इदम् अब्रुवन्

tam prasravaṇa pṛṣṭhastham samāsādya abhivādya ca
āsīnam saha rāmeṇa sugrīvam idam abruvan

SYNONYMS

rāmeṇa saha āsīnam: Rama, along with, one who is seated | prasravaṇa pṛṣṭhastham: Mt. Prasavana, on peak of | tam sugrīvam: him, Sugreeva | sam āsādya: on reaching | abhivādya ca: on revering, also | idam abruvan: this, [all the expeditionists] spoke. |

TRANSLATION

All of the expeditionists have reached and venerated Sugreeva who is sitting along with Rama on the peak of Mt. Prasavana and spoke this to him. [4-47-10]

VERSE 11

विचिताः पर्वताः सर्वे वनानि गहनानि च
निम्नगाः सागर अन्ताः च सर्वे जनपदाः तथा

vicitāḥ parvatāḥ sarve vanāni gahanāni ca
nimnagāḥ sāgara antāḥ ca sarve janapadāḥ tathā

SYNONYMS

sarve parvatāḥ vicitāḥ: all, mountains, are searched | gahanāni vanāni ca: serried, forests, also | nimn agāḥ: low, going [flowing, rivers that slope down] | sāgara antāḥ ca: ocean's, edge of [or, along the rivers that slope down into oceans] | tathā: likewise | sarve jana padāḥ = all, people's, places [inhabitations: are thoroughly searched.] |

TRANSLATION

"All of the mountains, all of the serried forests, all of the riversides up to the edge of oceans, likewise, all of the inhabitations have been searched. [4-47-11]

VERSE 12

गुहाः च विचिताः सर्वा याः च ते परिकीर्तिताः
विचिताः च महागुल्मा लता वितत संतताः

guhāḥ ca vicitāḥ sarvā yāḥ ca te parikīrtitāḥ
vicitāḥ ca mahāgulmā latā vitata saṃtatāḥ

SYNONYMS

sarvāḥ: all | te pari kīrtitāḥ: by you, explicitly, extolled | yāḥ: which of those | guhāḥ: caves are there | vicitāḥ: thoroughly searched | latā vitata santatāḥ: climbers, entwined with, thickly | mahā gulmāḥ: immense, shrubby hutches | vicitāḥ ca: rummaged, also. |

TRANSLATION

"Those caves that were explicitly extolled by you, they are all thoroughly searched, and immense shrubby hutches that are thickly entwined with climber plants have also been rummaged. [4-47-12]

VERSE 13

गहनेषु च देशेषु दुर्गेषु विषमेषु च
सत्त्वानि अतिप्रमाणानि विचितानि हतानि च
ये चैव गहना देशा विचिताः ते पुनः पुनः

gahaneṣu ca deśeṣu durgeṣu viṣameṣu ca
sattvāni atipramāṇāni vicitāni hatāni ca
ye caiva gahanā deśā vicitāḥ te punaḥ punaḥ

SYNONYMS

gahaneṣu: in compacted places | dur geṣu: impenetrable areas | viṣameṣu ca: asymmetrical, [lopsided lands] | deśeṣu: in such provinces | ati pramāṇāni: too much, in size [colossal beings] | sattvāni: living beings [creatures] | vicitāni: are hunted out | hatāni ca: are killed [by us,] also | gahanāḥ ye deśāḥ: impassable ones, which of those, provinces are there | te: they are | punaḥ punaḥ vicitāḥ: again, again, searched high and low. |

TRANSLATION

"Search is conducted in the compacted, lopsided, and impenetrable provinces, and colossal beings are hunted out and killed presuming that Ravana might have assumed those odd shapes, and the impassable provinces are searched high and low, time and again. [4-47-13]

VERSE 14

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये किष्किन्ध काण्डे सप्त चत्वारिन्शः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye kiṣkindha kāṇḍe sapta catvārinśaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

vānarendra: oh, Vanara king | udāra sattva abhijanaḥ: exceptionally, mighty, high-born one | saḥ hanūmān: he that, Hanuma | maithilīm jñāsyasi: about Maithili, he ascertains | sītā yām eva diśam gatā: Seetha, in which, direction, alone, has gone [taken away] | tām: that direction | vāyu sutaḥ hanūmān: Air-god's, son, Hanuma | āsthitaḥ: resorted to. |

TRANSLATION

"Hanuma is high-born and exceptionally mighty, oh, Sugreeva, the king of vanara-s, he will ascertain about Maithili, because the son of Air-god, Hanuma, resorted to the direction in which Seetha is taken away." Thus, monkey chiefs reported to their king Sugreeva. [4-47-14]