Chapter 62

Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys

VERSE 1

एवम् उक्त्वा मुनिश्रेष्ठम् अरुदम् भृश दुःखितः
अथ ध्यात्वा मुहूर्तम् तु भगवान् इदम् अब्रवीत्

evam uktvā muniśreṣṭham arudam bhṛśa duḥkhitaḥ
atha dhyātvā muhūrtam tu bhagavān idam abravīt

SYNONYMS

evam muniśreṣṭham uktvā: that way, to sage the best, having said | bhṛśa duḥkhitaḥ arudam: highly, despaired, I wept | atha: then | bhagavān: that godly sage | muhūrtam dhyātvā idam abravīt: on meditating, for a while, this, said. |

TRANSLATION

"On informing the sage in this way I wept as I was highly despaired. Then on meditating for a while that sage said this..." Thus Sampaati continued his narration, and now he reports to Angada and others what that is said by Sage Nishaakara to him. [4-62-1]

VERSE 2

पक्षौ च ते प्रपक्षौ च पुनः अन्यौ भविष्यतः
चक्षुषी चैव प्राणाः च विक्रमः च बलम् च ते

pakṣau ca te prapakṣau ca punaḥ anyau bhaviṣyataḥ
cakṣuṣī caiva prāṇāḥ ca vikramaḥ ca balam ca te

SYNONYMS

te: your | punaḥ anyau pakṣau ca: again, other, wings | pra pakṣau ca: good [small,] wings, also | bhaviṣyataḥ: [anew] they become [they emerge] | cakṣuṣī ca prāṇāḥ ca vikramaḥ ca balam ca: eyes [sight,] also, lives' [force,] also, valour, also, power, also | [bhaviṣyanti: will be there, they comeback.] |

TRANSLATION

" 'Again both of your wings will emerge as small wings anew, also thus your valour, power, and life-force will comeback...' Thus Sage Nishaakara started to console Sampaati. [4-62-2]

VERSE 3

पुराणे सुमहत् कार्यम् भविष्यम् हि मया श्रुतम्
दृष्टम् मे तपसा चैव श्रुत्वा च विदितम् मम

purāṇe sumahat kāryam bhaviṣyam hi mayā śrutam
dṛṣṭam me tapasā caiva śrutvā ca viditam mama

SYNONYMS

su mahat kāryam bhaviṣyam hi: very, great, happening, will happen, indeed | purāṇe mayā śrutam: in olden days, by me, heard | me tapasā caiva: by me, ascetically, also thus | dṛṣṭam: perceived | śrutvā mama viditam: by hearing, to me, known. |

TRANSLATION

" 'In olden days I have heard that a very great happening is going to happen indeed, and it is known to me as I perceived it ascetically... [4-62-3]

VERSE 4

राजा दशरथो नाम कश्चित् इक्ष्वाकु वर्धनः
तस्य पुत्रो महातेजा रामो नाम भविष्यति

rājā daśaratho nāma kaścit ikṣvāku vardhanaḥ
tasya putro mahātejā rāmo nāma bhaviṣyati

SYNONYMS

daśarathaḥ nāma: Dasharatha, known as | ikṣvāku vardhanaḥ: Ikshvaku dynasty, enhancer of | kaścit rājā = someone, a king: is there | tasya: to him | rāmaḥ nāma: Rama, known as | mahātejā putraḥ bhaviṣyati: great-resplendent, son, will be there. |

TRANSLATION

"There is some king known as Dasharatha, an enhancer of Ikshvaku dynasty, and to him there will be a great-resplendent a son who will be known as Rama... [4-62-4]

VERSE 5

अरण्यम् च सह भ्रात्रा लक्ष्मणेन गमिष्यति
तस्मिन् अर्थे नियुक्तः सन् पित्रा सत्य पराक्रमः

araṇyam ca saha bhrātrā lakṣmaṇena gamiṣyati
tasmin arthe niyuktaḥ san pitrā satya parākramaḥ

SYNONYMS

satya para ākramaḥ = truth, valiant one: Rama | pitrā: by father | tasmin arthe niyuktaḥ san: in that, objective, assigned, he is | bhrātrā lakṣmaṇena saha: brother, Lakshmana, along with | araṇyam gamiṣyati: to forest, he goes. |

TRANSLATION

" 'When his father assigns him for that objective of his going to forests, that truth-valiant Rama goes to forests along with his brother Lakshmana... [4-62-5]

VERSE 6

नैरृतो रावणो नाम तस्य भार्याम् हरिष्यति
राक्षसेन्द्रो जनस्थानात् अवध्यः सुर दानवैः

nairṛto rāvaṇo nāma tasya bhāryām hariṣyati
rākṣasendro janasthānāt avadhyaḥ sura dānavaiḥ

SYNONYMS

janasthānāt: from Janasthaana | tasya bhāryām: his [Rama's,] wife | rākṣasendraḥ: demons', chief | sura dānavaiḥ a vadhyaḥ: [even] by gods, demons, an un, killable one | rāvaṇaḥ nāma: Ravana, known as | nairṛtaḥ: demon | hariṣyati: abducts. |

TRANSLATION

" 'A demon named Ravana, the chief of demons, and an unkillable one even for gods or demons abducts Rama's wife from Janasthaana... [4-62-6]

VERSE 7

सा च कामैः प्रलोभ्यन्ती भक्ष्यैः भोज्यैः च मैथिली
न भोक्ष्यति महाभागा दुःख मग्ना यशस्विनी

sā ca kāmaiḥ pralobhyantī bhakṣyaiḥ bhojyaiḥ ca maithilī
na bhokṣyati mahābhāgā duḥkha magnā yaśasvinī

SYNONYMS

mahābhāgā: highly privileged | duḥkha magnā: in sorrow, sunken | yaśasvinī: prestigious lady | sā maithilī: she, that Maithili | kāmaiḥ: by desirable [items] | bhakṣyaiḥ bhojyaiḥ ca: by masticatory, swallowable foods [feasts and banquets] | pralobhyantī: verily lured | na bhokṣyati = not, enjoys them: does not touch them. |

TRANSLATION

" 'She that Maithili, a highly privileged and prestigious lady does not touch any food, though she is highly lured by banquets and feasts by that Ravana, for she will be sunken in sorrow... [4-62-7]

VERSE 8

परमान्नम् च वैदेह्या ज्ञात्वा दास्यति वासवः
यत् अन्नम् अमृत प्रख्यम् सुराणाम् अपि दुर्लभम्

paramānnam ca vaidehyā jñātvā dāsyati vāsavaḥ
yat annam amṛta prakhyam surāṇām api durlabham

SYNONYMS

vāsavaḥ jñātvā: Indra, on knowing [Seetha's plight] | surāṇām api dur labham = for gods, even, un, attainable: food | amṛta prakhyam: nectarous, renowned as | yat annam = vhic fūd: is there in all three worlds, that | parama annam: nectarean, food | vaidehyā dāsyati: for Vaidehi, he gives. |

TRANSLATION

" 'On knowing Seetha's plight Indra gives a nectarean food for Vaidehi, which food is renowned to be Nectarous and unattainable even by gods... [4-62-8]

VERSE 9

तत् अन्नम् मैथिली प्राप्य विज्ञाय इन्द्रात् इदम् तु इति
अग्रम् उद्धृत्य रामाय भू तले निर्वपिष्यति

tat annam maithilī prāpya vijñāya indrāt idam tu iti
agram uddhṛtya rāmāya bhū tale nirvapiṣyati

SYNONYMS

maithilī tat annam prāpya: Maithili, that, food, on getting | idam indrāt iti: this [food is,] from Indra, thus | vijñāya: on knowing | agram uddhṛtya: first [part, first morsel,] taking up | rāmāya: for Rama | bhū tale: on earth's, surface | nirvapiṣyati [nir vap iṣyati] = out, sovs, śe dispenses it: she cedes it as seeds in sowing. |

TRANSLATION

" 'But on getting that food, and on knowing that it is from Indra, Maithili takes up the first morsel and dispenses it on the surface of earth for Rama, saying... [4-62-9]

VERSE 10

यदि जीवति मे भर्ता लक्ष्मणो वा अपि देवरः
देवत्वम् गतयोः वा अपि तयोः अन्नम् इदम् तु इति

yadi jīvati me bhartā lakṣmaṇo vā api devaraḥ
devatvam gatayoḥ vā api tayoḥ annam idam tu iti

SYNONYMS

me bhartā jīvati yadi: my, husband, is living, if | devaraḥ lakṣmaṇaḥ vā api: younger brother-in-law, Lakshmana, or, even | [jīvati yadi: is living, if] | devatvam gatayoḥ vā api: godhood, gone into [attained,] or, even | tayoḥ: to both of them | idam annam: this is, food | iti = thus: on saying she will offer food. |

TRANSLATION

" 'If my husband is living, or even my younger brother-in-law Lakshmana is living, or even if they have attained godhood, this food belongs to both of them...' Saying so Seetha offers oblation to them... [4-62-10

VERSE 11

एष्यन्ति प्रेषिताः तत्र राम दूताः प्लवंगमाः
आख्येया राम महिषी त्वया तेभ्यो विहंगम

eṣyanti preṣitāḥ tatra rāma dūtāḥ plavaṃgamāḥ
ākhyeyā rāma mahiṣī tvayā tebhyo vihaṃgama

SYNONYMS

vihan gama: oh, sky-flyer [Sampaati] | rāma dūtāḥ plavan gamāḥ: Rama's, harbingers, fly-jumpers | preṣitāḥ: sent by [Rama] | tatra eṣyanti: to there [where Seetha is,] will be coming | tvayā: by you | tebhyaḥ: to them | rāma mahiṣī: [about] Rama's, queen | ākhyeyā = tellable: you inform them about her. |

TRANSLATION

" 'Ushered by Rama, oh, sky-flyer Sampaati, fly-jumpers will be going over to the place where Seetha is captivated as harbingers of Rama, and you ought to tell those monkeys about the queen of Rama... [4-62-11]

VERSE 12

सर्वथा तु न गंतव्यम् ईदृशः क्व गमिष्यसि
देश कालौ प्रतीक्षस्व पक्षौ त्वम् प्रतिपत्स्यसे

sarvathā tu na gaṃtavyam īdṛśaḥ kva gamiṣyasi
deśa kālau pratīkṣasva pakṣau tvam pratipatsyase

SYNONYMS

sarvathā na gantavyam: in any case, not, to be gone [go-as-you-please] | īdṛśaḥ kva gamiṣyasi: this kind [of a wingless eagle,] where, you wish to go | deśa kālau pratīkṣasva: place [scene,] time, be awaiting for | tvam pakṣau pratipatsyase: you, both wings, will regain. |

TRANSLATION

" 'In any case you ought not to go-as-you-please... a wingless eagle of your kind where you wish to go... await the times and scenes, you will regain both of your wings... [4-62-12]

VERSE 13

उत्सहेयम् अहम् कर्तुम् अद्य एव त्वाम् स पक्षकम्
इह स्थः त्वम् तु लोकानाम् हितम् कार्यम् करिष्यसि

utsaheyam aham kartum adya eva tvām sa pakṣakam
iha sthaḥ tvam tu lokānām hitam kāryam kariṣyasi

SYNONYMS

aham tvām: I, you | adya eva sa pakṣakam: now, itself, you as, with, wings [as a winged eagle] | kartum utsaheyam: to make, I am capable | tu: but | tvam iha sthaḥ: you, staying, here only | lokānām hitam kāryam kariṣyasi = for vorlds, agrīable, dīd, you do: can you do? |

TRANSLATION

" 'I am capable of making you a winged eagle now itself, but how can you stay here and do an agreeable deed to the worlds! So you have to wait. [4-62-13]

VERSE 14

त्वया अपि खलु तत् कार्यम् तयोः च नृप पुत्रयोः
ब्राह्मणानाम् गुरूणाम् च मुनीनाम् वासवस्य च

tvayā api khalu tat kāryam tayoḥ ca nṛpa putrayoḥ
brāhmaṇānām gurūṇām ca munīnām vāsavasya ca

SYNONYMS

tvayā api: by you, even | tayoḥ nṛpa putrayoḥ: to both of, king's, sons | brāhmaṇānām gurūṇām munīnām: to Brahmans, to teachers, to sages | vāsavasya ca: of Indra, also | tat kāryam: that, deed | khalu: is to be done, isn't it. |

TRANSLATION

" 'That deed aimed at the wellbeing of both those princes, Rama and Lakshmana, and of Brahmans, teaches, sages and also of Indra is to be done by you alone, isn't it! [4-62-14]

VERSE 15

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये किष्किन्ध काण्डे द्वि षष्टितमः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye kiṣkindha kāṇḍe dvi ṣaṣṭitamaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

aham api: I, even | bhrātarau rāma lakṣmaṇau: brothers, Rama, Lakshmana | draṣṭum icchāmi: to see, I wish to | ciram prāṇān dhārayitum: prolongedly, lives, to bear | na icche: not, I wish | kalevaram tyakṣye: mortal body, I castaway | dṛṣṭa tattva artha darśinaḥ: had discerned, of quintessence, essence [sum and substance,] a discerner | maharṣi tu: great sage, on his part | tat idam abravīt = that, this, [: in this way,] said - to me. |

TRANSLATION

" 'Even I wish to see those brothers, Rama and Lakshmana, but I do not wish to bear lives prolongedly, hence I castaway my mortal body...' and thus that is what the great sage Nishakara said to me. Saying so that sage, who is a discerner who discerned the sum and substance of Supreme Person castaway his mortal body in his ascent to heaven." Sampaati continued his narration in this way. [4-62-15]