Chapter 57

Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys

VERSE 1

शोकात् भ्रष्ट स्वरम् अपि श्रुत्वा ते हरि यूथपाः
श्रद्दधुः न एव तत् वाक्यम् कर्मणा तस्य शन्किताः

śokāt bhraṣṭa svaram api śrutvā te hari yūthapāḥ
śraddadhuḥ na eva tat vākyam karmaṇā tasya śankitāḥ

SYNONYMS

hari yūthapāḥ: monkey, commanders | śokāt bhraṣṭa svaram api: by sadness, spoiled [husky,] voiced, though | tat vākyam śrutvā: that, word [of Sampaati,] on hearing | tasya karmaṇā śankitāḥ = by his [ṣampāti's,] dīd: fact [as a powerful eagle,] doubting | na eva śraddadhuḥ = not, even, believed: disbelieved Sampaati. |

TRANSLATION

Though Sampaati's voice is turned husky by his sadness for the demise of his brother Jataayu, the monkey commanders doubtingly disbelieved neither him nor even his words by the fact of his being an eagle intending to kill and eat up all the monkeys. [4-57-1]

VERSE 2

ते प्रायम् उपविष्टाः तु दृष्ट्वा गृध्रम् प्लवंगमाः
चक्रुः बुद्धिम् तदा रौद्राम् सर्वान् नः भक्षयिष्यति

te prāyam upaviṣṭāḥ tu dṛṣṭvā gṛdhram plavaṃgamāḥ
cakruḥ buddhim tadā raudrām sarvān naḥ bhakṣayiṣyati

SYNONYMS

prāyam upaviṣṭāḥ: for fast-unto-death, those who sat on | te plavamgamāḥ: those, fly-jumpers | gṛdhram dṛṣṭvā: eagle, on seeing | tadā: then | naḥ sarvān bhakṣayiṣyati: us, all of us, it wishes to eat | raudrām buddhim cakruḥ = furious, thinking, they made: they are furious at eagle. |

TRANSLATION

On seeing the eagle those fly-jumpers who sat for fast-unto-death have become furious at the eagle thinking that, "that eagle wishes to eat up all of us..." Thus, the monkeys deliberated the eagle's words. [4-57-2]

VERSE 3

सर्वथा प्रायम् आसीनान् यदि नः भक्षयिष्यति
कृत कृत्या भविष्यामः क्षिप्रम् सिद्धिम् इतो गताः

sarvathā prāyam āsīnān yadi naḥ bhakṣayiṣyati
kṛta kṛtyā bhaviṣyāmaḥ kṣipram siddhim ito gatāḥ

SYNONYMS

prāyam āsīnān: for fast-unto-death, we who sit with | naḥ bhakṣayiṣyati yadi: us, it wishes to eat, if | itaḥ kṣipram siddhim gatāḥ = from here, quickly, deliverance, on going into: on getting | sarvathā kṛta kṛtyā bhaviṣyāmaḥ = anyvise, acieved, vith acievement, ve vill be: our ends will be achieved. |

TRANSLATION

"We are sitting for fast-unto-death and if that eagle wishes eat us let it be so... then our deliverance will be achieved in anyway and we will go to heaven from here..." Thus, some other monkeys gave thought to lower that eagle down. [4-57-3]

VERSE 4

एताम् बुद्धिम् ततः चक्रुः सर्वे ते हरि यूथपाः
अवतार्य गिरेः शृंगात् गृध्रम् आह अंगदः तदा

etām buddhim tataḥ cakruḥ sarve te hari yūthapāḥ
avatārya gireḥ śṛṃgāt gṛdhram āha aṃgadaḥ tadā

SYNONYMS

tataḥ: then | te sarve hari yūthapāḥ: they, all, monkey, chiefs | etām buddhim cakruḥ: this kind of, thinking, they made | gṛdhram gireḥ śṛngāt: eagle from mountain's, top | avatārya: brought down | tadā angadaḥ: then, Angada | āha: spoke to it. |

TRANSLATION

When all of the monkey chiefs made up their mind in this way, then some of them on going to the mountaintop brought that eagle down, and then Angada spoke to the eagle. [4-57-4]

VERSE 5

बभूवुः ऋक्षरजो नाम वानरेन्द्रः प्रतापवान्
मम आर्यः पार्थिवः पक्षिन् धार्मिकौ तस्य च आत्मजौ

babhūvuḥ ṛkṣarajo nāma vānarendraḥ pratāpavān
mama āryaḥ pārthivaḥ pakṣin dhārmikau tasya ca ātmajau

SYNONYMS

, 6: pakṣin: oh, bird | pratāpavān: valorous one | vānarendraḥ: among monkeys, outstanding one | mama āryaḥ: to me, noble [my grandfather] | ṛkṣarajaḥ nāma: Rikshaja, known as | pārthivaḥ babhūvuḥ: king, was there | ghana balau: greatly, mighty ones | ubhau: both | sugrīvaḥ caiva valī ca: Sugreeva, also thus, Vali, also | tasya: his | dhārmikau: generous ones | ātmajau putrau: own, sons | mama pitā vālī: my, father, Vali | loke viśruta karma: in world, highly renowned, [bold] acts | rājā abhūt: king, he became. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh, bird, my noble grandfather is known as Rikshaja who was a valorous and an outstanding monkey among all monkeys, was the king of monkeys. He has two generous and great mighty sons namely Vali and Sugreeva. My father Vali was highly renowned in the world for his bold acts, and he became the king later to my grandfather... [4-57-5, 6]

VERSE 7

राजा कृत्स्नस्य जगतः इक्ष्वाकूणाम् महारथः
रामो दाशरथिः श्रीमान् प्रविष्टो दण्डका वनम्

rājā kṛtsnasya jagataḥ ikṣvākūṇām mahārathaḥ
rāmo dāśarathiḥ śrīmān praviṣṭo daṇḍakā vanam

SYNONYMS

, 8: ikṣvākūṇām: among Ikshvaku-s | mahārathaḥ: great-charioteer | kṛtsnasya jagataḥ rājā: for entire, world, king | śrīmān: peerless person | dāśarathiḥ: Dasharatha's, son | rāmaḥ: Rama | pituḥ nideśa nirataḥ: father's, directives, abides by | dharmam panthānam āśritaḥ: righteous, course of conduct, opting for | bhrātrā lakṣmaṇena saha: brother, Lakshmana, along with | bhāryayā vaidehyā ca api: wife, Vaidehi, also, even | daṇḍakā vanam praviṣṭaḥ: Dandaka, forest, moved into. |

TRANSLATION

"Among Ikshvaku-s there is a great-charioteer, a king for the entire world, a peerless person, and he is the son of Dasharatha, namely Rama, and abiding by his father's directives and opting for righteous course of conduct, he moved into Dandaka forests along with his brother Lakshmana and even with his wife Vaidehi... [4-57-7, 8]

VERSE 9

तस्य भार्या जनस्थानात् रावणेन हृता बलात्
रामस्य च पितुः मित्रम् जटायुः नाम गृध्र राट्

tasya bhāryā janasthānāt rāvaṇena hṛtā balāt
rāmasya ca pituḥ mitram jaṭāyuḥ nāma gṛdhra rāṭ

SYNONYMS

, 10a: tasya bhāryā: his, wife | janasthānāt rāvaṇena: from Janasthaana, by Ravana | balāt hṛtā: forcibly, is abducted | rāmasya pituḥ mitram: Rama's, father's, friend | jaṭāyuḥ nāma gṛdhra rāṭ: Jataayu, named, eagle, king | vihāyasā: by skyway | hriyamāṇām vaidehīm sītām: being abducted, princess from Videha kingdom | dadarśa: saw. |

TRANSLATION

"Ravana forcibly abducted his wife from Janasthaana, namely Seetha, the princess from Videha kingdom, and a kingly eagle named Jataayu, who is a friend of Rama's father Dasharatha, has seen her while she was being abducted by skyway. [4-57-9, 10a]

VERSE 10

रावणम् विरथम् कृत्वा स्थापयित्वा च मैथिलीम्
परिश्रान्तः च वृद्धः च रावणेन हतो रणे

rāvaṇam viratham kṛtvā sthāpayitvā ca maithilīm
pariśrāntaḥ ca vṛddhaḥ ca rāvaṇena hato raṇe

SYNONYMS

b, c| rāvaṇam vi ratham kṛtvā: Ravana is, without [defective,] chariot, on making | sthāpayitvā ca maithilīm: on holding over, even, Maithili [from abduction] | pari śrāntaḥ ca: overly, tired, also | vṛddhaḥ ca: being old | raṇe rāvaṇena hataḥ: in confrontation, by Ravana, killed. |

TRANSLATION

"Jatayu is overly tired when he made Ravana's chariot defective and withheld Maithili from abduction as he is senescent, then Ravana killed him in that conflict... [4-57-10b, c]

VERSE 11

एवम् गृध्रो हतः तेन रावणेन बलीयसा
संस्कृतः च अपि रामेण गतः च गतिम् उत्तमाम्

evam gṛdhro hataḥ tena rāvaṇena balīyasā
saṃskṛtaḥ ca api rāmeṇa gataḥ ca gatim uttamām

SYNONYMS

gṛdhraḥ: eagle | evam: in this way | balīyasā tena rāvaṇena hataḥ: by mighty, by him, by Ravana, is killed | rāmeṇa sanskṛtaḥ ca api: by Rama, solemnised by [performed], obsequies, also, even | uttamām gatim gataḥ: sublime, on avenue, he departed. |

TRANSLATION

"Thus that eagle was killed by that mighty Ravana, but solemnised by the obsequies performed by Rama, he departed on a sublime avenue to heavens... [4-57-11]

VERSE 12

ततो मम पितृव्येण सुग्रीवेण महात्मना
चकार राघवः सख्यम् सः अवधीत् पितरम् मम

tato mama pitṛvyeṇa sugrīveṇa mahātmanā
cakāra rāghavaḥ sakhyam saḥ avadhīt pitaram mama

SYNONYMS

, 13| tataḥ rāghavaḥ mama pitṛvyeṇa: then, Raghava, with my, paternal uncle | mahā ātmanā sugrīveṇa sakhyam cakāra: with great-souled [intellectual autocrat,] with Sugreeva, made, friendship | saḥ mama pitaram avadhīt: he [Sugreeva,] my, father, got killed | sugrīvaḥ sacivaiḥ saha: Sugreeva, ministers, along with | mama pitrā viruddhaḥ: with my, father, antagonised | rāmaḥ vālinam nihatya: Rama, Vali, on killing |

TRANSLATION

"Then Raghava made friendship with my paternal uncle Sugreeva, an intellectual autocrat, and Sugreeva got my father killed. Since Sugreeva antagonised my father, my father interdicted him along with his ministers, and Rama killed my father Vali and anointed Sugreeva... [4-57-12, 13]

VERSE 14

स राज्ये स्थापितः तेन सुग्रीवो वानरेश्वरः
राजा वानर मुख्यानाम् तेन प्रस्थापिता वयम्

sa rājye sthāpitaḥ tena sugrīvo vānareśvaraḥ
rājā vānara mukhyānām tena prasthāpitā vayam

SYNONYMS

tena rājye sthāpitaḥ: by him [by Rama,] in kingdom, established [enthroned] | vānara īśvaraḥ saḥ sugrīvaḥ: vanara-s', ruler, he, that Sugreeva | vānara mukhyānām rājā: of [all] vanara, chiefs, he is the king | tena vayam prasthāpitā: by him, we all are, expedited. |

TRANSLATION

"Rama enthroned Sugreeva as the ruler of all vanara-s and that king of all vanara chiefs expedited all of us... [4-57-14]

VERSE 15

एवम् राम प्रयुक्ताः तु मार्गमाणाः ततः ततः
वैदेहीम् न अधिगच्छामो रात्रौ सूर्य प्रभाम् इव

evam rāma prayuktāḥ tu mārgamāṇāḥ tataḥ tataḥ
vaidehīm na adhigacchāmo rātrau sūrya prabhām iva

SYNONYMS

evam rāma prayuktāḥ tu: thus, by Rama, spearheaded, though | tataḥ tataḥ mārgamāṇāḥ: there, there, while searching | rātrau sūrya prabhām iva: in night, sun, shine, as with | vaidehīm na adhigacchāmaḥ: at Vaidehi, not, we attained. |

TRANSLATION

"Though we are spearheaded by Rama and though we searched thereabouts for Vaidehi at the behest of Sugreeva, as with a nightly sunshine Vaidehi is unattainable for us... [4-57-15]

VERSE 16

ते वयम् दण्दकारण्यम् विचित्य सुसमाहिताः
अज्ञानात् तु प्रविष्टाः स्म धरण्या विवृतम् बिलम्

te vayam daṇdakāraṇyam vicitya susamāhitāḥ
ajñānāt tu praviṣṭāḥ sma dharaṇyā vivṛtam bilam

SYNONYMS

te vayam = they, ve vere: such as we were | su samāhitāḥ: very, meticulously | daṇdaka araṇyam: Dandaka forest | vicitya: having searched, a j~naanaat tu = without, knowledge [unwittingly,] but | dharaṇyā vivṛtam bilam: earth's, wide-opened, hole [Black Hole] | praviṣṭāḥ sma: entered, we have. |

TRANSLATION

"Such as we were we searched Dandaka forest very meticulously, but we unwittingly entered into a wide-opened Black Hole of the earth... [4-57-16]

VERSE 17

मयस्य माया विहितम् तत् बिलम् च विचिन्वताम्
व्यतीतः तत्र नः मासः यः राज्ञा समयः कृतः

mayasya māyā vihitam tat bilam ca vicinvatām
vyatītaḥ tatra naḥ māsaḥ yaḥ rājñā samayaḥ kṛtaḥ

SYNONYMS

mayasya māyā vihitam: by demon Maya's, with wizardary, crafted | tat bilam vicinvatām: that, hole, while searching | naḥ: for us | yaḥ rājñā samayaḥ kṛtaḥ: which, by king, time, framed | māsaḥ: month | tatra vyatītaḥ: in there, elapsed. |

TRANSLATION

"During our search in that Black Hole, which was crafted by the wizardry of demon Maya, the month fixed by our king for our return has been elapsed... [4-57-17]

VERSE 18

ते वयम् कपि राजस्य सर्वे वचन कारिणः
कृताम् संस्थाम् अतिक्रान्ता भयात् प्रायम् उपासिताः

te vayam kapi rājasya sarve vacana kāriṇaḥ
kṛtām saṃsthām atikrāntā bhayāt prāyam upāsitāḥ

SYNONYMS

kapi rājasya vacana kāriṇaḥ: monkey, king's, word [order,] executives [bound] | sarve te vayam: all, such as, we are | kṛtām samsthām ati krāntā: made [established,] norm, over, stepped | bhayāt prāyam upāsitāḥ: owing to fear [from Sugreeva,] fast-unto-death, we sat down. |

TRANSLATION

"We who are all supposed to execute the order of our king, we have exceeded the established norm of timeframe, and for fear of fury from our king Sugreeva we sat down for fast-unto-death... [4-57-18]

VERSE 19

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये किष्किन्ध काण्डे सप्त पंचाशः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye kiṣkindha kāṇḍe sapta paṃcāśaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

tasmin kākutsthe: that, Kakutstha Rama | sa lakṣmaṇe: with, Lakshmana | sugrīve ca: with Sugreeva, also | kruddhe: while becoming infuriated | tatra: there [to Kishkindha] | gatānām api: on going, even | naḥ sarveṣām jīvitam na asti: for us, all, survival, not, will be there. |

TRANSLATION

"When Rama along with Lakshmana, and even Sugreeva will be infuriated by our infringement of time, and even on our going to Kishkindha, as infringers there will be no survival for all of us..." Thus Angada narrated their plight to Sampaati. [4-57-19]