Chapter 52
Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys
अथ तान् अब्रवीत् सर्वान् विश्रांतान् हरि यूथपान्
इदम् वचनम् एकाग्रा तापसी धर्म चारिणी
atha tān abravīt sarvān viśrāṃtān hari yūthapān
idam vacanam ekāgrā tāpasī dharma cāriṇī
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When those monkey commanders are relaxed after refreshments, then that sainted lady, who concentrates single-mindedly and who is a pursuer of probity, spoke this word to all of them. [4-52-1]
वानरा यदि वः खेदः प्रनष्टः फल भक्षणात्
यदि च एतत् मया श्राव्यम् श्रोतुम् इच्छामि कथताम्
vānarā yadi vaḥ khedaḥ pranaṣṭaḥ phala bhakṣaṇāt
yadi ca etat mayā śrāvyam śrotum icchāmi kathatām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, vanara-s, if your enervation is eased off by devouring fruits, and if I may listen to that episode of yours, I wish to listen to it." Thus Swayamprabha addressed the monkeys. [4-52-2]
तस्याः तत् वचनम् श्रुत्वा हनुमान् मारुत आत्मजः
आर्जवेन यथा तत्त्वम् आख्यातुम् उपचक्रमे
tasyāḥ tat vacanam śrutvā hanumān māruta ātmajaḥ
ārjavena yathā tattvam ākhyātum upacakrame
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hanuma, the son of Air-god, sincerely started to narrate their episode in its pithiness on hearing her words. [4-52-3]
राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य महेन्द्र वरुण उपमः
रामो दाशरथिः श्रीमान् प्रविष्टो दण्डका वनम्
rājā sarvasya lokasya mahendra varuṇa upamaḥ
rāmo dāśarathiḥ śrīmān praviṣṭo daṇḍakā vanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"The king of all the world and one similar to Mahendra and Rain-god, such an illustrious Rama of Dasharatha entered Dandaka forest with his bother Lakshmana, even along with his wife Vaidehi, but Ravana coercively abducted his wife from Janasthaana. [4-52-4, 5]
वीरः तस्य सखा राज्ञः सुग्रीवो नाम वानरः
राजा वानर मुख्यानाम् येन प्रस्थापिता वयम्
vīraḥ tasya sakhā rājñaḥ sugrīvo nāma vānaraḥ
rājā vānara mukhyānām yena prasthāpitā vayam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"A valiant one and the king of important vanara-s known as Sugreeva is a vanara and the friend of that kingly Rama, and that vanara king expedited us. [4-52-6]
अगस्त्य चरिताम् आशाम् दक्षिणाम् यम रक्षिताम्
सहैभिर्वानरैमुख्यैरङ्गदप्रमुखैर्वयम् यद्वा
सह
एभिः वानरैः मुख्यैः अंगद प्रमुखैः वयम्
agastya caritām āśām dakṣiṇām yama rakṣitām
sahaibhirvānaraimukhyairaṅgadapramukhairvayam - yadvā -
saha
ebhiḥ vānaraiḥ mukhyaiḥ aṃgada pramukhaiḥ vayam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"He mobilised us along with these important vanara-s and Angada as helmsman to this southerly prospect, which is the walkabout of Sage Agastya and watched over by Yama, the Death-god, saying, 'you all shall collectively search for Seetha of Videha kingdom together with the demon Ravana, a guise-changer by his wish.' [4-52-7, 8]
विचित्य तु वयम् सर्वे समग्रम् समुद्रम् दक्षिणाम् दिशम्
वयम् बुभुक्षिताः सर्वे वृक्ष मूलम् उपाश्रिताः
vicitya tu vayam sarve samagram - samudram - dakṣiṇām diśam
vayam bubhukṣitāḥ sarve vṛkṣa mūlam upāśritāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"On searching out the southerly direction in its entirety we are all hungered and we all gathered around at a tree-stem. [4-52-9]
विवर्ण वदनाः सर्वे सर्वे ध्यान परायणाः
न अधिगच्छामहे पारम् मग्नाः चिन्ता महाअर्णवे
vivarṇa vadanāḥ sarve sarve dhyāna parāyaṇāḥ
na adhigacchāmahe pāram magnāḥ cintā mahāarṇave
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"All of us were whey-faced, all of us were preoccupied with propositions, thus deluged in the depthless deep of our despair we could not overreach the other shore of our oceanic despair. [4-52-10]
चारयन्तः ततः चक्षुः दृष्टवन्तो महद् बिलम्
लता पादप संछन्नम् तिमिरेण समावृतम्
cārayantaḥ tataḥ cakṣuḥ dṛṣṭavanto mahad bilam
latā pādapa saṃchannam timireṇa samāvṛtam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Then straggling our eyes we perceived this wide cavity wrapped up with vines and woods and enwrapped in darkling. [4-52-11]
अस्मात् हंसा जल क्लिन्नाः पक्षैः सलिल रेणुभिः
कुरराः सारसाः चैव निष्पतन्ति पतत्रिणः
asmāt haṃsā jala klinnāḥ pakṣaiḥ salila reṇubhiḥ
kurarāḥ sārasāḥ caiva niṣpatanti patatriṇaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Swans, water-hawks, saarasa-waterfowls were coming out of this cavity drenched in water and sprinkling drops of water with the flaps of their wings. [4-52-12]
साधु अत्र प्रविशाम इति मया तु उक्ताः प्लवंगमाः
तेषाम् अपि हि सर्वेषाम् अनुमानम् उपागतम्
sādhu atra praviśāma iti mayā tu uktāḥ plavaṃgamāḥ
teṣām api hi sarveṣām anumānam upāgatam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I said to all of them, 'Good! Let us enter it,' while they too had some inference about the availability of water in here. [4-52-13]
अस्मिन् निपतिताः सर्वे अपि अथ कार्य त्वरान्विताः
ततो गाढम् निपतिता गृह्य हस्तौ परस्परम्
asmin nipatitāḥ sarve api atha kārya tvarānvitāḥ
tato gāḍham nipatitā gṛhya hastau parasparam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"As our task was hastening us then we all readied ourselves to fall in the cavity by tightly clasping each other's hand, and then we fell in this cavity. [4-52-14]
इदम् प्रविष्टाः सहसा बिलम् तिमिर संवृतम्
एतत् नः कार्यम् एतेन कृत्येन वयम् आगताः
idam praviṣṭāḥ sahasā bilam timira saṃvṛtam
etat naḥ kāryam etena kṛtyena vayam āgatāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Thus we readily entered this Black Cavity, and this much is our activity in here as we all have come here by our escapade for water, and we neared you when we were ravenous and retrogressing. [4-52-15, 16a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"And we who are overly harassed by hunger have devoured the fruits and tubers you have offered with the grace of your hospitality. [4-52-16]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"You have rescued all of us who were on the verge of hunger-deaths, and what is to be done by vanara-s for you in requital that you may please tell." Thus Hanuma spoke to that sainted lady. [4-52-17b, 18a]
एवम् उक्ता तु सर्वज्ञा वानरैः तैः स्वयंप्रभा
evam uktā tu sarvajñā vānaraiḥ taiḥ svayaṃprabhā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When she is spoken thus by those vanara-s then that omniscient Swayamprabha replied this to all of the vanara commanders. [4-52-18b, 19a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I am very happy with all of the mighty vanara-s and what I have done to you is a part of my conduct in equity, hence nothing need be done now in my favour, in the least. [4-52-9b, 20a]
PURPORT
एवम् उक्तः शुभम् वाक्यम् तापस्या धर्म संहितम्
evam uktaḥ śubham vākyam tāpasyā dharma saṃhitam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When Hanuma is said that blessed word by that sainted lady in that way, that which is agreeable to propriety, then Hanuma said this sentence to her who is with an unreprovable discernment. [4-52-20b, 21a]
शरणम् त्वाम् प्रपन्नाः स्मः सर्वे वै धर्मचारिणिम्
śaraṇam tvām prapannāḥ smaḥ sarve vai dharmacāriṇim
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"We are now under the auspices of your ladyship comporting yourself in scrupulosity. We lapsed the time stipulated for us by the noble-souled Sugreeva by our roving around in this cavity. [4-52-21b, 22]
सा त्वम् अस्मात् बिलात् अस्मान् उत्तारयितुम् अर्हसि
तस्मात् सुग्रीव वचनात् अतिक्रान्तान् गत आयुषः
sā tvam asmāt bilāt asmān uttārayitum arhasi
tasmāt sugrīva vacanāt atikrāntān gata āyuṣaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Such as you are, a righteous lady, it will be apt of you to cross us over this cavity, as we have overextended the timeframe fixed by Sugreeva, whereby our longevity itself is threatened. [4-52-23]
त्रातुम् अर्हसि नः सर्वान् सुग्रीव भय शन्कितान्
महत् च कार्यम् अस्माभिः कर्तव्यम् धर्मचारिणि
trātum arhasi naḥ sarvān sugrīva bhaya śankitān
mahat ca kāryam asmābhiḥ kartavyam dharmacāriṇi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, prudent lady, sail all of us through. We are rendered as hesitaters with the fear from Sugreeva. We still have to achieve an admirable achievement and that deed is also left undone as we are held-up in here." Thus Hanuma spoke to her. [4-52-24, 25a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When Hanuma said thus that sainted lady said sentence, "I believe outgoing is impracticable for the incomers in aliveness from this cavity. [4-52-25b, 26a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"By the sublime efficacy of ascesis acquired through my practices of numerous self-restraints I wish to sail all of the vanara-s through the incarceration, called this cavity. [4-52-26b, 27a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"All of you best vanara-s shall close up your eyelids, for it is indeed impossible to attempt an exit with unclose eyes." Thus that sainted lady said to monkeys. [4-52-27b, 28a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then all of those desirers of departure are gladdened and immediately shut their eyelids, and further they lidded them with their delicately fingered hands. [4-52-28b, 29a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
She then sailed those noble souled vanara-s who covered their faces with their hands through that cavity barely within a minute. [4-52-29b. 30a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
That virtuous and sainted lady on comforting all of the monkeys, who are taken out of that precarious cavity, spoke this to them at the exterior of cavity. [4-52-30b, 31a]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि
काव्ये किष्किन्ध काण्डे द्वि पंचाशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi
kāvye kiṣkindha kāṇḍe dvi paṃcāśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"This one which is surrounded by diverse trees and vines is the magnificent Vindhya Mountain, this mountain is Prasravana, and this vast expanse of water is the southerly ocean. Now I wish to return to my mansion... oh, best vanara-s, let safety betide you." saying thus Swayamprabha the Sainted Lady, re-entered the ostentatious cavity, called Riksha Bila. [4-52-31b, 32]