Chapter 48
Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys
सह तार अंगदाभ्याम् तु सहसा हनुमान् कपिः
सुग्रीवेण यथा उद्दिष्टम् तम् देशम् उपचक्रमे
saha tāra aṃgadābhyām tu sahasā hanumān kapiḥ
sugrīveṇa yathā uddiṣṭam tam deśam upacakrame
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hanuma, the monkey, quickly started along with Angada, Lt. Tara, and others to that province which Sugreeva has indicated, namely the south. [4-48-1]
स तु दूरम् उपागम्य सर्वैः तैः कपि सत्तमैः
ततो विचित्य विन्ध्यस्य गुहाः च गहनानि च
sa tu dūram upāgamya sarvaiḥ taiḥ kapi sattamaiḥ
tato vicitya vindhyasya guhāḥ ca gahanāni ca
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Arriving at a remote place with all of those powerful monkeys, then Hanuma searched the caves and forests of Vindhya Mountains, and on their mountaintops, at impassable places, at rivers and lakes, and in stands of trees with beamy trees, also on diverse mountains, forests and trees. [4-48-2, 3]
अन्वेषमाणाः ते सर्वे वानराः सर्वतो दिशम्
न सीताम् ददृशुर् वीरा मैथिलीम् जनक आत्मजाम्
anveṣamāṇāḥ te sarve vānarāḥ sarvato diśam
na sītām dadṛśur vīrā maithilīm janaka ātmajām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Though all of those brave vanara-s have searched in all directions they have not noticed the princess of Mithila and the daughter of Janaka, namely Seetha. [4-48-4]
ते भक्षयन्तो मूलानि फलानि विविधानि अपि
अन्वेषमाणा दुर्धर्षा न्यवसन् तत्र तत्र ह
te bhakṣayanto mūlāni phalāni vividhāni api
anveṣamāṇā durdharṣā nyavasan tatra tatra ha
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Feeding upon unalike fruits and tubers, sojourning here and there, those invulnerable vanara-s conducted their search. [4-48-5]
स तु देशो दुरन्वेषो गुहा गहनवान् महान्
निर्जलम् निर्जनम् शून्यम् गहनम् घोर दर्शनम्
sa tu deśo duranveṣo guhā gahanavān mahān
nirjalam nirjanam śūnyam gahanam ghora darśanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
But that province is an inscrutable one, deeply caved, deeply forested, much less of water and still less of people, a void and an impenetrable one with a ghastly look. [4-48-6]
ता दृशानि अन्या अपि अरण्यानि विचित्य भृइश पीडिताः
स देशः च दुरन्वेष्यो गुहा गहनवान् महान्
tā dṛśāni anyā api araṇyāni vicitya bhṛiśa pīḍitāḥ
sa deśaḥ ca duranveṣyo guhā gahanavān mahān
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
They are highly tormented when they vainly searched there, and even in another province that is also of the same kind, waterless and people-less, and an unreachable one, abstrusely caved and forested. [4-48-7]
त्यक्त्वा तु तम् ततः देशम् सर्वे वै हरि यूथपाः
देशम् अन्यम् दुराधर्षम् विविशुः च अकुतो भयाः
tyaktvā tu tam tataḥ deśam sarve vai hari yūthapāḥ
deśam anyam durādharṣam viviśuḥ ca akuto bhayāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then all of those monkey commanders gave up that province and entered another impermeable province as they are fearless from any quarter. [4-48-8]
यत्र वन्ध्य फला वृक्षा विपुष्पाः पर्ण वर्जिताः
निस्तोयाः सरितो यत्र मूलम् यत्र सुदुर्लभम्
yatra vandhya phalā vṛkṣā vipuṣpāḥ parṇa varjitāḥ
nistoyāḥ sarito yatra mūlam yatra sudurlabham
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Whereat the trees are infertile for fruiting, destitute of leaves and flowers, and whereat the brooks are deprived of waters, and whereat it is highly impossible to get even tubers, there they entered. [4-48-9]
न सन्ति महिषा यत्र न मृगा न च हस्तिनः
शार्दूलाः पक्षिणो वा अपि ये च अन्ये वन गोचराः
na santi mahiṣā yatra na mṛgā na ca hastinaḥ
śārdūlāḥ pakṣiṇo vā api ye ca anye vana gocarāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Where there are no buffalos, no elephants, no animals, nor even birds or tigers, or no other forest moving beings are there, for they do not have their feed there, they entered such a province. [4-48-10]
न च अत्र वृक्षा न ओषध्यो न वल्ल्यो न अपि वीरुधः
स्निग्ध पत्राः स्थले यत्र पद्मिन्यः फुल्ल पंकजाः
na ca atra vṛkṣā na oṣadhyo na vallyo na api vīrudhaḥ
snigdha patrāḥ sthale yatra padminyaḥ phulla paṃkajāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Where there are no useful trees, nor herbal plants, nor climbing plants on trees, nor creeping plants on earth, and lotus-lakes which will be normally pleasing for sight have no soft leaves, nor bloomed lotuses on their creepers, and even honeybees are discarding them as they are not richly fragranced, in such a province those vanara-s have entered. [4-48-11,12a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
A highly fortunate, veracious, ascetically wealthy sage known as Kandu is there in that province, and that great sage is a highly short-tempered, and an impossible one to subjugate by virtue of his own self-discipline. [4-48-12b, 13a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
In that forest that sage lost his son, a ten-year-old boy, as that boy's life ended there by which that great sage is infuriated. [4-48-13b, 14a]
तेन धर्माअत्मना शप्तम् कृत्स्नम् तत्र महद् वनम्
tena dharmāatmanā śaptam kṛtsnam tatra mahad vanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thereby that virtue-souled sage cursed that great forest in it entirety to become an uninhabitable and impermeable forest abandoned by birds and animals. [4-48-14b, 15a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
But those monkeys conscientiously searched such a forest up to its fringes, including its mountains, caves, fountains, and rivers. [4-48-15b, 16a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
But not finding the daughter of Janaka or even her kidnapper Ravana there, those monkeys who are the perfecters of that which is acceptable to Sugreeva, have entered another fearsome forest. [4-48-16b, 17a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On entering another fearsome forest which is overly encompassed with climbers and shrubberies they saw a demon of fiendish deeds who is fearless of gods. [4-48-17b, 18a]
तम् दृष्ट्वा वनरा घोरम् स्थितम् शैलम् इव असुरम्
tam dṛṣṭvā vanarā ghoram sthitam śailam iva asuram
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
All of those vanara-s are amazed to see that fiendish demon standing similar to a mountainous boulder, and apprehending an imminent danger on observing that mountain similar demon, those vanara-s have tightly girthed their wrestler's girdle-cloth. [4-48-18b, 19a]
सो अपि तान् वानरान् सर्वान् नष्टाः स्थ इति अब्रवीत् बली
so api tān vānarān sarvān naṣṭāḥ stha iti abravīt balī
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Even that mighty demon shouting at all vanara-s, 'you are all dead... stay,' rushed towards them shoving up his clenched fist. [4-48-19b, 20a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Angada, the son of Vali, then presumed him who is onrushing as Ravana and saying, 'he is Ravana...' he quickly thwacked that demon indeed with his palm. [4-48-20b, 21a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When Vali's son whacked him that demon spewed forth blood from his throat and fell onto ground alike an inverted mountain. [4-48-21b, 22a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When that demon breathed his last all of those monkeys with triumphal shimmer have wellnigh searched everywhere, and even in that cave of that mountain where that demon appeared, presuming that cave belonged to Ravana. [4-48-22b, 23a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then all those forest dwelling monkeys searched everywhere else, and like that they entered another horrible cave which is nearby. [4-48-23b, 24a]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये किष्किन्ध काण्डे अष्ट चत्वारिंशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye kiṣkindha kāṇḍe aṣṭa catvāriṃśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On searching that cave they came out saddened as their search is futile, and coming together they sat down at the base of a lonely tree downheartedly as their efforts are unsuccessful in searching Seetha. [4-48-24]
