Chapter 60

Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys

VERSE 1

ततः कृत उदकम् स्नातम् तम् गृध्रम् हरि यूथपाः
उपविष्टा गिरौ रम्ये परिवार्य समन्ततः

tataḥ kṛta udakam snātam tam gṛdhram hari yūthapāḥ
upaviṣṭā girau ramye parivārya samantataḥ

SYNONYMS

tataḥ: then | hari yūthapāḥ: monkey, commanders | kṛta udakam: then, who made [offered,] water-oblations | snātam: bathed [for purification ] | tam gṛdhram: him, that eagle | samantataḥ parivārya: all over, surrounding him | ramye girau upaviṣṭāḥ: on beautiful, mountain, they sat. |

TRANSLATION

Then the monkey commanders sat on that beautiful mountain surrounding the eagle from all over, after that eagle has offered water-oblations for his deceased Jataayu and bathed for purification. [4-60-1]

VERSE 2

तम् अंगदम् उपासीनम् तैः सर्वैः हरिभिः वृतम्
जनित प्रत्ययो हर्षात् संपातिः पुनः अब्रवीत्

tam aṃgadam upāsīnam taiḥ sarvaiḥ haribhiḥ vṛtam
janita pratyayo harṣāt saṃpātiḥ punaḥ abravīt

SYNONYMS

taiḥ sarvaiḥ haribhiḥ vṛtam: by them, all, monkeys, surrounded by | upāsīnam: who sat nearby | tam angadam: to him, to Angada | janita pratyayaḥ: who caused, trust [trustworthy Sampaati] | sampātiḥ: Sampaati | harṣāt punaḥ abravīt: with gladness, again, spoke. |

TRANSLATION

Sampaati who earned trustworthiness of monkeys, and who is sitting surrounded by all monkeys, again gladly spoke to Angada who sat at his close by. [4-60-2]

VERSE 3

कृत्वा निःशब्दम् एक अग्राः शृण्वन्तु हरयो मम
तथ्यम् संकीर्तयिष्यामि यथा जानामि मैथिलीम्

kṛtvā niḥśabdam eka agrāḥ śṛṇvantu harayo mama
tathyam saṃkīrtayiṣyāmi yathā jānāmi maithilīm

SYNONYMS

harayaḥ: oh, monkeys | maithilīm yathā jānāmi: about Maithili, as to how, I came to know | tathyam: in actuality | samkīrtayiṣyāmi: I wish to recount | niḥ śabdam kṛtvā = vithout, sound, on making: you become silent, and | eka agrāḥ: single, pointedly [alertly] | mama śṛṇvantu: mine [words,] you listen. |

TRANSLATION

"Oh, monkeys, you all be quiet and listen to my words alertly as I wish to recount the actuality as to how I came to know about Maithili... [4-60-3]

VERSE 4

अस्य विन्ध्यस्य शिखरे पतितो अस्मि पुरा अनघ
सूर्य ताप परीत अंगो निर्दग्धः सूर्य रश्मिभिः

asya vindhyasya śikhare patito asmi purā anagha
sūrya tāpa parīta aṃgo nirdagdhaḥ sūrya raśmibhiḥ

SYNONYMS

anagha: oh, impeccable [Angada] | purā: once | sūrya raśmibhiḥ nirdagdhaḥ: by sunrays, completely, burnt down | sūrya tāpa parīta angaḥ: by sun's, heat, overspread, limbs [sun's heat overspreading my limbs] | asya vindhyasya śikhare: this, Vindhya's, on peak | patitaḥ asmi: fallen, I was |

TRANSLATION

"Oh, impeccable Angada, once I have fallen on the peak of this Mt. Vindhya when sunrays completely burned my wings and limbs scorching in sun's heat... [4-60-4]

VERSE 5

लब्ध संज्ञः तु षड् रात्रात् विवशो विह्वलन् इव
वीक्षमाणो दिशः सर्वा न अभिजानामि किंचन

labdha saṃjñaḥ tu ṣaḍ rātrāt vivaśo vihvalan iva
vīkṣamāṇo diśaḥ sarvā na abhijānāmi kiṃcana

SYNONYMS

ṣaḍ rātrāt: six, nights after | labdha sanjñaḥ tu: on getting, sensitivity, but | vihvalan iva: frantic, like | vi vaśaḥ: out, of control [helpless] | sarvāḥ diśaḥ vīkṣamāṇaḥ: in all, directions, on looking | kimcana: in the least | na abhijānāmi: not, I recognised. |

TRANSLATION

"On getting sensitivity after six days, and on looking in all directions I could not recognise anything in the least, as I was helpless and frantic... [4-60-5]

VERSE 6

ततः तु सागरान् शैलान् नदीः सर्वाः सरांसि च
वनानि च प्रदेशान् च समीक्ष्य मतिः आगताम्

tataḥ tu sāgarān śailān nadīḥ sarvāḥ sarāṃsi ca
vanāni ca pradeśān ca samīkṣya matiḥ āgatām

SYNONYMS

tataḥ tu: then, but | sarvāḥ sāgarān śailān nadīḥ: all, oceans, mountains, rivers | sarāmsi ca vanāni ca pradeśān ca: lakes, also, forests, also, provinces, also | nirīkṣya: on observing | matiḥ āgatām: to senses, came [I could sensate.] |

TRANSLATION

"But then on observing all the oceans, mountains, rivers, lakes, provinces and forests, I could regain senses... [4-60-6]

VERSE 7

हृष्ट पक्षि गण आकीर्णः कन्दर उदर कूटवान्
दक्षिणस्य उदधेः तीरे विन्ध्यो अयम् इति निश्चितः

hṛṣṭa pakṣi gaṇa ākīrṇaḥ kandara udara kūṭavān
dakṣiṇasya udadheḥ tīre vindhyo ayam iti niścitaḥ

SYNONYMS

hṛṣṭa pakṣi gaṇa ākīrṇaḥ: cheerful, bird, group [flocks, teams] teeming | kandara udara kūṭavān: caves, at midriffs, with peaks | ayam: this one is this mountain is | dakṣiṇasya udadheḥ tire: southerly, ocean's, at coast of | vindhyaḥ iti niścitaḥ: Mt. Vindhya, thus, I resolved. |

TRANSLATION

"Since this mountain is teeming with teams of birds, caves in its midriffs, and it is with peaks of its own kind, thus I resolved this to be Mt. Vindhya at the coast of southern ocean... [4-60-7]

VERSE 8

आसीत् च अत्र आश्रमम् पुण्यम् सुरैः अपि सुपूजितम्
ऋषिः निशाकरो नाम यस्मिन् उग्र तपा अभवत्

āsīt ca atra āśramam puṇyam suraiḥ api supūjitam
ṛṣiḥ niśākaro nāma yasmin ugra tapā abhavat

SYNONYMS

atra: there | suraiḥ api su pūjitam: by gods, even, well, reverenced | puṇyam āśramam āsīt: a sacred, hermitage, is there | yasmin: wherein | niśākaraḥ nāma: sage Nishaakara, known as | ugra tapāḥ: of intense, ascesis | ṛṣiḥ abhavat: a sage, was there. |

TRANSLATION

"There was a sacred hermitage belonging to a sage of intense ascesis known as Sage Nishaakara which was reverenced even by gods. [4-60-8]

VERSE 9

अष्टौ वर्ष सहस्राणि तेन अस्मिन् ऋषिणा गिरौ
वसतो मम धर्मज्ञो स्वर् गते तु निशाकरे

aṣṭau varṣa sahasrāṇi tena asmin ṛṣiṇā girau
vasato mama dharmajño svar gate tu niśākare

SYNONYMS

dharma jñaḥ: probity, knower of | niśākare: of Nishaakara's | svar gate tu: to heaven, after going, on his part | tena ṛṣiṇā: by him, that sage | [vinā: without] | asmin girau vasataḥ: on this, mountain, while living | mama: for me | aṣṭau varṣa sahasrāṇi eight, years, thousand: eight thousand years | [gatau: lapsed.] |

TRANSLATION

"Eight thousand years have lapsed while I was living here on this mountain after the departure of that probity knowing sage Nishakara to heaven. [4-60-9]

VERSE 10

अवतीर्य च विन्ध्य अग्रात् कृच्छ्रेण विषमात् शनैः
तीक्ष्ण दर्भाम् वसुमतीम् दुःखेन पुनर् आगतः

avatīrya ca vindhya agrāt kṛcchreṇa viṣamāt śanaiḥ
tīkṣṇa darbhām vasumatīm duḥkhena punar āgataḥ

SYNONYMS

viṣamāt vindhya agrāt: lopsided [mountainsides,] from Vindhya's, peak | śanaiḥ: slowly | kṛcchreṇa: onerously | ava tīrya = dovn, scending: on descending | tīkṣṇa darbhām: sharp [thorny,] sacred-grass-blades having | vasumatīm: earth | duḥkhena punaḥ āgataḥ: with distress, again, I reached. |

TRANSLATION

'I again reached the earth descending from the lopsided peak of Mt. Vindhya, onerously and slowly, whereat the sacred-grass-blades are thorny... [4-60-10]

PURPORT

The grass blades became thorny because sages nipped their apices and they dried up and became thorny for a wingless eagle perching almost on its belly.
VERSE 11

तम् ऋषिम् द्रष्टु कामो अस्मि दुःखेन अभ्यागतो भृशम्
जटायुषा मया चैव बहुशो अभिगतो हि सः

tam ṛṣim draṣṭu kāmo asmi duḥkhena abhyāgato bhṛśam
jaṭāyuṣā mayā caiva bahuśo abhigato hi saḥ

SYNONYMS

bhṛśam duḥkhena abhyāgataḥ = vith muc, vith anguiś, one vho neared: such as me | tam ṛṣim draṣṭu kāmaḥ asmi: him, sage, to see, desiring, I have become | saḥ = he: that sage | jaṭāyuṣā mayā caiva: by Jataayu, by me, also thus | bahuśaḥ abhigataḥ hi: many times, [he was] approached, indeed. |

TRANSLATION

"As I was desiring to see that sage I neared that place with much anguish, because I and Jataayu approached that sage for many a time in earlier times... [4-60-11]

VERSE 12

तस्य आश्रम पदाभ्याशे ववुः वाताः सुगन्धिनः
वृक्षो न अपुष्पितः कश्चित् अफलो वा न दृश्यते

tasya āśrama padābhyāśe vavuḥ vātāḥ sugandhinaḥ
vṛkṣo na apuṣpitaḥ kaścit aphalo vā na dṛśyate

SYNONYMS

tasya āśrama padābhyāśe: his, hermitage near about | su gandhinaḥ vātāḥ vavuḥ: sweet, smelling, wind, whiffled | a puṣpitaḥ vṛkṣaḥ: not, flowered, trees | kaścit: whatsoever | na dṛśyate: not, seen | a phalaḥ vā: without, fruits, either | na: is not seen. |

TRANSLATION

"Near about his hermitage wind wiffles with a sweet-smell, and no tree is flowerless and no tree is fruitless, whatsoever it is... [4-60-12]

VERSE 13

उपेत्य च आश्रमम् पुण्यम् वृक्ष मूलम् उपाश्रितः
द्रष्टु कामः प्रतीक्षे च भगवंतम् निशाकरम्

upetya ca āśramam puṇyam vṛkṣa mūlam upāśritaḥ
draṣṭu kāmaḥ pratīkṣe ca bhagavaṃtam niśākaram

SYNONYMS

puṇyam āśramam: to sacred, hermitage | upetya [upa etya: near, on going] = drawing nigh of | vṛkṣa mūlam upa āśritaḥ: at a tree, base, near, sheltering [myself] | bhagavantam niśākaram: at godly, Nishaakara | draṣṭu kāmaḥ: to see, desirous of | pratīkṣe = ī am avaiting: [historical present] I awaited. |

TRANSLATION

"On nearing that sacred hermitage and sheltering myself at the base of a tree, I waited there desirous to see that godly Nishaakara... [4-60-13]

VERSE 14

अथ पश्यमि दूरस्थम् ऋषिम् ज्वलित तेजसम्
कृत अभिषेकम् दुर्धर्षम् उपावृत्तम् उदन् मुखम्

atha paśyami dūrastham ṛṣim jvalita tejasam
kṛta abhiṣekam durdharṣam upāvṛttam udan mukham

SYNONYMS

atha: then | kṛta abhiṣekam: on performing, holy bath | upa āvṛttam: return, returning | udan mukham: north, facing | jvalita tejasam: irradiating [the ambience,] with radiance | durdharṣam: unassailable one | dūra stham ṛṣim: distantly, available, sage | paśyami = ī am sīing: I saw. |

TRANSLATION

"Then I saw the sage available distantly, returning facing north after performing his holy bath, an unassailable sage irradiating the ambience with his radiance... [4-60-14]

VERSE 15

तम् ऋक्षाः सृमरा व्याघ्राः सिंहा नाना सरी सृपाः
परिवार्य उपगच्छन्ति दातारम् प्राणिनो यथा

tam ṛkṣāḥ sṛmarā vyāghrāḥ siṃhā nānā sarī sṛpāḥ
parivārya upagacchanti dātāram prāṇino yathā

SYNONYMS

prāṇinaḥ: by living beings | dātāram [dhātāram] yathā = after a donor [or, after Brahma,] as vith: the following | tam = him: sage | pari vārya: around, surrounding | ṛkṣāḥ sṛmarā vyāghrāḥ simhā: bears, antelopes, tigers, lions | nānā sarī sṛpāḥ: diverse, reptiles, snakes | upa gacchanti = at hīl, they are going: following him. |

TRANSLATION

"Bears, antelopes, tigers, lions, and diverse reptiles and snakes are following him at his heel, as with living beings following a donor, or all-donating Brahma... [4-60-15]

VERSE 16

ततः प्राप्तम् ऋषिम् ज्ञात्वा तानि सत्त्वानि वै ययुः
प्रविष्टे राजनि यथा सर्वम् स अमात्यकम् बलम्

tataḥ prāptam ṛṣim jñātvā tāni sattvāni vai yayuḥ
praviṣṭe rājani yathā sarvam sa amātyakam balam

SYNONYMS

rājani praviṣṭe: on a king's, entry [into palace-chambers] | sarvam sa amātyakam balam: all of the, with, ministerial, military staff | yathā: as to how [they retrace their steps] | ṛṣim prāptam: sage's, entry [into hermitage] | jñātvā: on noticing | tataḥ tāni sattvāni vai yayuḥ: then, those, beings [animals etc.,] went away. |

TRANSLATION

"As to how the ministerial and military staff retrace steps when a king enters his place-chambers, so also the animals and other beings on knowing the sage's entry into his hermitage, retraced their steps and went away... [4-60-16]

VERSE 17

ऋषिः तु दृष्ट्वा माम् तुष्टः प्रविष्टः च आश्रमम् पुनः
मुहूर्त मात्रान् निर्गम्य ततः कार्यम् अपृच्छत

ṛṣiḥ tu dṛṣṭvā mām tuṣṭaḥ praviṣṭaḥ ca āśramam punaḥ
muhūrta mātrān nirgamya tataḥ kāryam apṛcchata

SYNONYMS

ṛṣiḥ tu dṛṣṭvā mām: sage, on his part, on seeing, me | tuṣṭaḥ: gladdened | āśramam praviṣṭaḥ: into hermitage, [though] entered | tataḥ: then | punaḥ: again | muhūrta mātrān: in a moment, that much [after] | nir gamya: out, on coming | kāryam apṛcchata: then, work [objective of my coming,] he asked about. |

TRANSLATION

"But the sage is gladdened on seeing me and though he has entered into his hermitage he again came out in a moment and asked about the objective of my visit... [4-60-17]

VERSE 18

सौम्य वैकल्यताम् दृष्ट्वा रोम्णाम् ते न अवगम्यते
अग्नि दग्धौ इमौ पक्षौ प्राणाः चापि शरीरके

saumya vaikalyatām dṛṣṭvā romṇām te na avagamyate
agni dagdhau imau pakṣau prāṇāḥ cāpi śarīrake

SYNONYMS

saumya: oh, gentle [Sampaati] | te romṇām vaikalyatām: your, hair's [feathers'] deformity | dṛṣṭvā: on seeing | na avagamyate: not, being identified [you are] | imau pakṣau agni dagdhau: these two, wings, by fire, burnt | prāṇāḥ cāpi śarīrake: lives, only, [remaining] in body. |

TRANSLATION

" 'On seeing the deformity of your feathers, oh, gentle Sampaati, you unidentifiable. These two wings of yours are fire burnt, but lives are let out in your body...' Thus, the sage started to talk to me... [4-60-18]

VERSE 19

गृध्रौ द्वौ दृष्ट पूर्वौ मे मातरिश्व समौ जवे
गृध्राणाम् चैव राजानौ भ्रातरौ काम रूपिणौ

gṛdhrau dvau dṛṣṭa pūrvau me mātariśva samau jave
gṛdhrāṇām caiva rājānau bhrātarau kāma rūpiṇau

SYNONYMS

gṛdhrāṇām rājānau: for [among] eagles, kingly ones | jave mātariśva samau: in speed, to Fire-god [but, here it is his friend Wind-god,] similar to | kāma rūpiṇau = by viś, form: changers - this is an inconsistent statement | bhrātarau dvau gṛdhrau: bothers, two, eagles | me: by me | dṛṣṭa pūrvau: were seen, earlier. |

TRANSLATION

" 'I have earlier seen you two eagle brothers, kingly eagles among eagles, similar in your speed to Wind-god and form-changers by your wish... [4-60-19]

VERSE 20

ज्येष्ठो अवित स्त्वम् तु संपाते जटायुः अनुजः तव
मानुषम् रूपम् आस्थाय गृह्णीताम् चरणौ मम

jyeṣṭho avita stvam tu saṃpāte jaṭāyuḥ anujaḥ tava
mānuṣam rūpam āsthāya gṛhṇītām caraṇau mama

SYNONYMS

sampāte: oh, Sampaati | tvam tu: you, on your part | jyeṣṭhaḥ: are the elder | avita = really: isn't it | tava anujaḥ jaṭāyuḥ: your, younger brother is, Jataayu | mānuṣam rūpam āsthāya: human, forms, taking up | mama caraṇau gṛhṇītām = my, fīt, you tūk: you touched my feet. |

TRANSLATION

" 'You are the elder, isn't it! And Jataayu is your younger brother. You used to touch my feet taking up human forms... [4-60-20]

VERSE 21

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये किष्किन्ध काण्डे षष्टितमः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye kiṣkindha kāṇḍe ṣaṣṭitamaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

te: to you | vyādhi samutthānam: illness, result of | kim: what is it | pakṣayoḥ patanam katham: wings, falling, how | kena: by whom | ayam daṇḍaḥ dhṛtaḥ vā: this, scourge, is imposed, either | pṛcchataḥ = vhile ī am asking: inquire into | sarvam ākhyāhi: all, you tell. |

TRANSLATION

"Is this falling of wings a result of any illness, if so what is it... or is this any scourge imposed on you, if so, who is he... tell me all who am inquiring into those details... [4-60-21]