Chapter 58
Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys
इति उक्तः करुणम् वाक्यम् वानरैः त्यक्त जीवितैः
स बाष्पो वानरान् गृध्रः प्रत्युवाच महास्वनः
iti uktaḥ karuṇam vākyam vānaraiḥ tyakta jīvitaiḥ
sa bāṣpo vānarān gṛdhraḥ pratyuvāca mahāsvanaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When those monkeys whose lives are almost purged spoke to Sampaati with such dreary words, that thunder-voiced eagle tearfully spoke to those vanara-s. [4-58-1]
यवीयान् मम स भ्राता जटायुः नाम वानराः
यम् आख्यात हतम् युद्धे रावणेन बलीयसा
yavīyān mama sa bhrātā jaṭāyuḥ nāma vānarāḥ
yam ākhyāta hatam yuddhe rāvaṇena balīyasā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, vanara-s, of whom it is enounced that mighty Ravana felled him in a combat, that one is my younger brother named Jatayu... [4-58-2]
वृद्ध भावात् अपक्षत्वात् शृण्वन् तत् अपि मर्षये
न हि मे शक्तिः अद्य अस्ति भ्रातुः वैर विमोक्षणे
vṛddha bhāvāt apakṣatvāt śṛṇvan tat api marṣaye
na hi me śaktiḥ adya asti bhrātuḥ vaira vimokṣaṇe
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Even though I hear that my brother is slain I have to resign myself from any activity owing to my oldness and my winglessness, and presently I am indeed incapacitated to retaliate my brother's enemy... [4-58-3]
पुरा वृत्र वधे वृत्ते स च अहम् च जय एषिणौ
आदित्यम् उपयातौ स्वो ज्वलंतम् रश्मि मालिनम्
purā vṛtra vadhe vṛtte sa ca aham ca jaya eṣiṇau
ādityam upayātau svo jvalaṃtam raśmi mālinam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Once, when the elimination of demon Vritta was taking place at the hand of Indra, we two eagle-brothers sportively desiring to surpass each other flew sunward, and we have gone very near to the scorch-rayed sun... [4-58-4]
आवृत्य आकाश मार्गेण जवेन स्वर् गतौ भृशम्
मध्यम् प्राप्ते च सूर्ये च जटायुः अवसीदति
āvṛtya ākāśa mārgeṇa javena svar gatau bhṛśam
madhyam prāpte ca sūrye ca jaṭāyuḥ avasīdati
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Covering the skyway we have gone to firmament much speedily, then bechanced is noontide and thus bechanced is the scorching of the noontime sun, and then Jataayu started to founder... [4-58-5]
तम् अहम् भ्रातरम् दृष्ट्वा सूर्य रश्मिभिः अर्दितम्
पक्षाभ्यम् छादयामास स्नेहात् परम विह्वलम्
tam aham bhrātaram dṛṣṭvā sūrya raśmibhiḥ arditam
pakṣābhyam chādayāmāsa snehāt parama vihvalam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"On seeing him who is being thwarted by scorching sunrays, then I started to cover my highly fretful brother with both of my wings in all my brotherliness... [4-58-6]
निर्दग्ध पत्रः पतितो विन्ध्ये अहम् वानरर्षभाः
अहम् अस्मिन् वसन् भ्रातुः प्रवृत्तिम् न उपलक्षये
nirdagdha patraḥ patito vindhye aham vānararṣabhāḥ
aham asmin vasan bhrātuḥ pravṛttim na upalakṣaye
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"And oh, vanara-chiefs, when sunrays have utterly burned my wings I fell down on this Mt. Vindhya, and while living hereabouts constrainedly, I could pay no attention to my brother's experiences or, at least his existence, or otherwise..." So lamented old Sampaati. [4-58-7]
जटायुषः तु एवम् उक्तो भ्रात्रा सम्पातिना तदा
युव राजो महाप्राज्ञः प्रत्युवाच अंगदः तदा
jaṭāyuṣaḥ tu evam ukto bhrātrā sampātinā tadā
yuva rājo mahāprājñaḥ pratyuvāca aṃgadaḥ tadā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
When Sampaati the brother of Jataayu spoke in that way, then the highly discerning crown prince Angada replied him. [4-58-8]
जटायुषो यदि भ्राता श्रुतम् ते गदितम् मया
आख्याहि यदि जानासि निलयम् तस्य रक्षसः
jaṭāyuṣo yadi bhrātā śrutam te gaditam mayā
ākhyāhi yadi jānāsi nilayam tasya rakṣasaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"If you are the brother of Jataayu, if you have heard whatever I have said in praise of Jataayu, and if you are aware of the whereabouts of Ravana... please tell it... [4-58-9]
अदीर्घ दर्शिनम् तम् वा रावणम् राक्षसाधिपम्
अन्तिके यदि वा दूरे यदि जानासि शंस नः
adīrgha darśinam tam vā rāvaṇam rākṣasādhipam
antike yadi vā dūre yadi jānāsi śaṃsa naḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"If you are aware of the location of that bigoted and knavish demon Ravana, please inform us. Doesn't matter whether that location is nearby or far off as we can search far and wide..." Thus Angada asked Sampaati. [4-58-10]
ततो अब्रवीत् महातेजा भ्राता ज्येष्ठो जटायुषः
आत्म अनुरूपम् वचनम् वानरान् संप्रहर्षयन्
tato abravīt mahātejā bhrātā jyeṣṭho jaṭāyuṣaḥ
ātma anurūpam vacanam vānarān saṃpraharṣayan
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then Sampaati, the high-spirited elder brother of Jataayu, spoke these words that are self-befitting and that would highly gladden the monkeys. [4-58-11]
निर्दग्ध पक्षो गृध्रो अहम् गत वीर्यः प्लवम् गमाः
वाङ् मात्रेण तु रामस्य करिष्ये साह्यम् उत्तमम्
nirdagdha pakṣo gṛdhro aham gata vīryaḥ plavam gamāḥ
vāṅ mātreṇa tu rāmasya kariṣye sāhyam uttamam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I am an eagle with utterly burnt wings and vanished valiance, even then, I wish to render a best service in the task of Rama, at least verbally... [4-58-12]
जानामि वारुणान् लोकान् विष्णोः त्रैविक्रमान् अपि
देव असुर विमर्दाम् च हि अमृतस्य च मंथनम्
jānāmi vāruṇān lokān viṣṇoḥ traivikramān api
deva asura vimardām ca hi amṛtasya ca maṃthanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I have seen the netherworlds of Rain-god viz., earth and its substrata like atala. vitala, sutala, paataala terrains... and I have even seen those empyrean worlds that were triply trodden by Vishnu, and the intermediary regions of upper and lower worlds where gods and demons combated ghastlily, and because I am that aged I have also seen the unseeable Milky Ocean when it was churned for ambrosia... [4-58-13]
रामस्य यत् इदम् कार्यम् कर्तव्यम् प्रथमम् मया
जरया च हतम् तेजः प्राणाः च शिथिला मम
rāmasya yat idam kāryam kartavyam prathamam mayā
jarayā ca hatam tejaḥ prāṇāḥ ca śithilā mama
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"It is I who am to render service in this task of Rama firstly, than you vanara-s, as the common enemy of Rama and Jataayu is my first enemy, but I am decrepit as oldness has marred my vigour and vitality... [4-58-14]
तरुणी रूप संपन्ना सर्व आभरण भूषिता
ह्रियमाणा मया दृष्टा रावणेन दुरात्मना
taruṇī rūpa saṃpannā sarva ābharaṇa bhūṣitā
hriyamāṇā mayā dṛṣṭā rāvaṇena durātmanā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I have seen a youngish lady while she is being stolen away by the black-hearted demon Ravana. She richly in her mien, embellished with every befitting jewellery for a princess, and that lady in fury was bewailing calling, 'Rama... Rama...' even calling 'Lakshmana...' and she was throwing her ornaments down and her limbs were highly wriggly to set herself free from that demon... [4-58-15, 16]
सूर्य प्रभा इव शैल अग्रे तस्याः कौशेयम् उत्तमम्
असिते राक्षसे भाति यथा वा तडित् अंबुदे
sūrya prabhā iva śaila agre tasyāḥ kauśeyam uttamam
asite rākṣase bhāti yathā vā taḍit aṃbude
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"In the flank of that blackish demon her best ochry silk-sari was dazzling like sunshine atop a blackish mountain, or like lighting athwart a blackish ocean... [4-58-17]
PURPORT
ताम् तु सीताम् अहम् मन्ये रामस्य परिकीर्तनात्
श्रूयताम् मे कथयतो निलयम् तस्य रक्षसः
tām tu sītām aham manye rāmasya parikīrtanāt
śrūyatām me kathayato nilayam tasya rakṣasaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Thus, I deem her to be Seetha by her excessive laudation of Rama, and let the location of that demon be heard from me while I say about it... [4-58-18]
पुत्रो विश्रवसः साक्षात् भ्राता वैश्रवणस्य च
अध्यास्ते नगरीम् लंकाम् रावणो नाम राक्षसः
putro viśravasaḥ sākṣāt bhrātā vaiśravaṇasya ca
adhyāste nagarīm laṃkām rāvaṇo nāma rākṣasaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Literally, he is the son of Vishravasa and brother of Kubera, and he presides over the city named Lanka and he is known as Ravana... [4-58-19]
PURPORT
इतो द्वीपे समुद्रस्य संपूर्णे शत योजने
तस्मिन् लंका पुरी रम्या निर्मिता विश्वकर्मणा
ito dvīpe samudrasya saṃpūrṇe śata yojane
tasmin laṃkā purī ramyā nirmitā viśvakarmaṇā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"There is a lavish city in the oceanic island afar a hundred yojana-s all in all from here, which Vishvakarma, the Divine-Architect, has built, and it is called Lanka. [4-58-20]
जांबूनदमयैः द्वारैः चित्रैः कांचन वेदिकैः
प्रासादैः हेम वर्णैः च महद्भिः सुसमाकृता
jāṃbūnadamayaiḥ dvāraiḥ citraiḥ kāṃcana vedikaiḥ
prāsādaiḥ hema varṇaiḥ ca mahadbhiḥ susamākṛtā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Its multi-storied buildings are built very symmetrically and they will be in golden tinge with completely golden doors. The golden podia of verandas are amazing. That city is securely enclosed in a gigantic rampart that will be dazzling in the colour of sun... [4-58-21, 22a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Therein that Lanka pitiable Vaidehi wearing ochry silk sari is lodged in the palace-chambers of Ravana, highly sentineled and baulked by demonesses, and you can find king Janaka's daughter Maithili in there... [4-58-22b, 23]
PURPORT
लंकायाम् अथ गुप्तायाम् सागरेण समंततः
संप्राप्य सागरस्य अंतम् संपूर्णम् शत योजनम्
laṃkāyām atha guptāyām sāgareṇa samaṃtataḥ
saṃprāpya sāgarasya aṃtam saṃpūrṇam śata yojanam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Now, oh, fly-jumpers, first get to the other shore of the island in southern ocean, which ocean spans in an overalled width of hundred yojana-s from this side of seashore, then landing on the other seashore you can see Lanka secluded all around by ocean, and in such a water-walled Lanka you can see Ravana... hence, hurry up, and promptly triumph over Lanka... [4-58-24, 25]
ज्ञानेन खलु पश्यामि दृष्ट्वा प्रत्यागमिष्यथ
आद्यः पंथाः कुलिंगानाम् ये च अन्ये धान्य जीविनः
jñānena khalu paśyāmi dṛṣṭvā pratyāgamiṣyatha
ādyaḥ paṃthāḥ kuliṃgānām ye ca anye dhānya jīvinaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I foresee by my prognosis that your sighting Seetha is definite at that place, and definite is your return from there. The first flight level of birds is that of the small Kulinga birds, house sparrows, songbirds and the like subsisting on food-grains. The second flight level is that of the birds that are the eaters of leftovers like crows and doves, or the eaters of tree-fruits like parrots. The third flight level is that of the wading birds like Bhaasa, Kraunca, Kurara birds and cranes, herons and the like. The fourth flight level is that of hawks and the fifth is that of the vultures. [4-58-26, 27, 28a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"And the sixth flight level is that of the swans which derive their valour, vigour, handsomeness and youthfulness by their majestic birth. But the uppermost path is that of the sons of Lady Vinata, namely the Divine Eagle Garuda, and Anuuru, the non-stopping charioteer of Sun. Because we eagles have our lineal descent from the Divine Eagle, we can soar to the uppermost flyable path and see keenly... [4-58-28b, 29]
PURPORT
गर्हितम् तु कृतम् कर्म येन स्म पिशित अशनाः
प्रतिकार्यम् च मे तस्य वैरम् भ्रातृ कृतम् भवेत्
garhitam tu kṛtam karma yena sma piśita aśanāḥ
pratikāryam ca me tasya vairam bhrātṛ kṛtam bhavet
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"By which raw-flesh-eating demon this deplorable deed of abducting Seetha is done, if that demon is retaliated by Rama and you all, my vendetta towards the very same demon, caused by his animosity towards my brother Jataayu will also be fulfilled... [4-58-30]
इह स्थः अहम् प्रपश्यामि रावणम् जानकीम् तथा
अस्माकम् अपि सौपर्णम् दिव्यम् चक्षुर् बलम् तथा
iha sthaḥ aham prapaśyāmi rāvaṇam jānakīm tathā
asmākam api sauparṇam divyam cakṣur balam tathā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Staying here I am clearly seeing Ravana and like that Janaki... even for us eagles, our sight and power will be excellent like that of Garuda, the Divine Eagle... [4-58-31]
तस्मात् आहार वीर्येण निसर्गेण च वानराः
आयोजन शतात् साग्रात् वयम् पश्याम नित्यशः
tasmāt āhāra vīryeṇa nisargeṇa ca vānarāḥ
āyojana śatāt sāgrāt vayam paśyāma nityaśaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Thereby, oh, vanara-s, dietetically and congenitally we eagles can always see till the end of hundred yojana-s, comprehensively... [4-58-32]
PURPORT
अस्माकम् विहिता वृत्तिः निसार्गेण च दूरतः
विहिता पाद मूले तु वृत्तिः चरण योधिनाम्
asmākam vihitā vṛttiḥ nisārgeṇa ca dūrataḥ
vihitā pāda mūle tu vṛttiḥ caraṇa yodhinām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"The leg-fighters, namely cocks, are destined to have their livelihood just at the base of their feet, but our livelihood is to be obtained from the farthest... alas... [4-58-33]
PURPORT
उपायो दृश्यताम् कश्चित् लंघने लवण अंभसः
अभिगम्य तु वैदेहीम् समृद्ध अर्था गमिष्यथ
upāyo dṛśyatām kaścit laṃghane lavaṇa aṃbhasaḥ
abhigamya tu vaidehīm samṛddha arthā gamiṣyatha
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Let some idea be searched to leap the salty ocean. For sure, you will return to Kishkindha on your finding Vaidehi, and on your becoming productive of you objective... [4-58-34]
समुद्रम् नेतुम् इच्छामि भवद्भिः वरुण आलयम्
प्रदास्यामि उदकम् भ्रातुः स्वर् गतस्य महात्मनः
samudram netum icchāmi bhavadbhiḥ varuṇa ālayam
pradāsyāmi udakam bhrātuḥ svar gatasya mahātmanaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I wish you would shift me to the residence of Rain-god, namely the ocean, for oblating water in respect of my great-souled brother Jataayu who departed to heaven..." Thus Sampaati spoke to the monkeys. [4-58-35]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये किष्किन्ध काण्डे अष्ट पंचाशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye kiṣkindha kāṇḍe aṣṭa paṃcāśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then those vanara-s of utmost dynamism on taking wing-burnt-bird Sampaati to the husband rivulets and rivers, namely the ocean, placed him on the shoreline. Again, the vanara-s sincerely brought back that king of birds, Sampaati, after his offering oblations to Jataayu, and lodged him as a returnee at his own place. On deriving indication form Sampaati regarding Seetha, Ravana and Lanka, those returnless vanara-s returned to their search while their gladness returning to them. [4-58-36, 37]