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Chapter 63

Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys

VERSE 1

एतैः अन्यैः च बहुभिः वाक्यैः वाक्य विशारदः
माम् प्रशस्य अभ्यनुज्ञाप्य प्रविष्टः स स्वम् आलयम्

etaiḥ anyaiḥ ca bahubhiḥ vākyaiḥ vākya viśāradaḥ
mām praśasya abhyanujñāpya praviṣṭaḥ sa svam ālayam

SYNONYMS

vākya viśāradaḥ: sentences, expert in | saḥ: he that sage | etaiḥ: with these | anyaiḥ ca: with other, also | bahubhiḥ vākyaiḥ: with many, words | mām praśasya: me, on encouraging | abhi anujñāpya: making me to take leave of him | svam ālayam praviṣṭaḥ: his own, hermitage / heavens [dwelling,] he entered. |

TRANSLATION

"That expert in sentences, namely sage Nishaakara, entered his own dwelling on saying these and many other words of encouragement and after permitting me to take leave. [4-63-1]

VERSE 2

कंदरात् तु विसर्पित्वा पर्वतस्य शनैः शनैः
अहम् विंध्यम् समारुह्य भवतः प्रतिपालये

kaṃdarāt tu visarpitvā parvatasya śanaiḥ śanaiḥ
aham viṃdhyam samāruhya bhavataḥ pratipālaye

SYNONYMS

aham: I | parvatasya kandarāt: of mountain, from cave | śanaiḥ śanaiḥ: slowly, slowly | visarpitvā: on creeping | vindhyam samāruhya: Mt. Vindhya, on clambering up | bhavataḥ pratipālaye: towards your [arrival,] looking forward. |

TRANSLATION

"But on creeping slowly and slowly from the cave of that mountain I clambered up the Mt. Vindhya and I am looking forward for your arrival... [4-63-2]

VERSE 3

अद्य तु एतस्य कालस्य साग्रम् वर्ष शतम् गतम्
देश काल प्रतीक्षो अस्मि हृदि कृत्वा मुनेः वचः

adya tu etasya kālasya sāgram varṣa śatam gatam
deśa kāla pratīkṣo asmi hṛdi kṛtvā muneḥ vacaḥ

SYNONYMS

adya tu: as of now, but | etasya kālasya: of this, time | sa agram: with, a little more | varṣa śatam: years, hundred | gatam: slipped by | muneḥ vacaḥ: sage's, words | hṛdi kṛtvā: in heart, on making [minding] | deśa kāla pratīkṣaḥ asmi: place [events,] time, awaiting. |

TRANSLATION

"As of now, a little more than a hundred years have slipped by, and I am awaiting events and times minding sage's words in my heart... [4-63-3]

PURPORT

There is an inconsistency in accounting the years of Sage Nishaakara's living, dying and Sampaati's continuation on that mountain after sage's demise. It is said: 'for me lapsed are eight thousand years, without him...' at 4-60-9 by Sampaati and here he alone is saying that one hundred years are elapsed. For this there is another shade given to this verse in other mms and the compound varSa shatam gatam is replaced with varSa shata trayam 'years, hundred, three, three hundred years...' then the meaning will be 'that sage lived for eight thousand years, and he died a hundred years back, and I have been waiting for three hundred years after his demise...'
VERSE 4

महाप्रस्थानम् आसाद्य स्वर् गते तु निशाकरे
माम् निर्दहति संतापो वितर्कैः बहुभिः वृतम्

mahāprasthānam āsādya svar gate tu niśākare
mām nirdahati saṃtāpo vitarkaiḥ bahubhiḥ vṛtam

SYNONYMS

niśākare mahā prasthānam āsādya = ṇiśākara, great, voyage: to heavens, on obtaining | svar gate: to heaven, having gone | bahubhiḥ: with many | vi tarkaiḥ: illogical, thoughts | vṛtam: one who is enfolded in | mām: me | santāpaḥ nirdahati: anguish, burning [me] down. |

TRANSLATION

"But many illogical thoughts crowded round me when Sage Nishaakara has gone on great voyage to heaven, thus my anguish burned me down... [4-63-4]

VERSE 5

उदिताम् मरणे बुद्धिम् मुनि वाक्यैः निवर्तये
बुद्धिः या तेन मे दत्ता प्राणानाम् रक्षणे मम

uditām maraṇe buddhim muni vākyaiḥ nivartaye
buddhiḥ yā tena me dattā prāṇānām rakṣaṇe mama

SYNONYMS

, 6a| maraṇe uditām buddhim: for dying [suicide,] cropped up, thought | muni vākyaiḥ nivartaye: sage, by words of, I am reversing | mama prāṇānām rakṣaṇe: my, lives, regarding safeguarding | tena me yā buddhiḥ dattā: by him [sage,] to me, which, thought [pracodana = afflatus = a divine creative impulse, inspiration,] given [endowed] | sā: that afflatus | dīptā agni śikhā tamaḥ iva: flaring, fire, tongue of, to darkness, as with | me duḥkham: my, anguish | apa nayate: away, taking. |

TRANSLATION

"I have been reversing the thought cropped up for my suicide by virtue of the afflatus endowed to me by that sage, and I have been safeguarding my lives as that afflatus is taking away my anguish, as a tongue of flaring fire takes away darkness... [4-63-5, 6a]

VERSE 6

बुध्यता च मया वीर्यम् रावणस्य दुरात्मनः

budhyatā ca mayā vīryam rāvaṇasya durātmanaḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 7a| durātmanaḥ rāvaṇasya vīryam: dirty-minded one, Ravana's, valour | budhyatā: aware of | mayā maithilī: by me, Maithili | katham na trātā: how, [she is] not, saved | [iti: thus] | vāgbhiḥ: with words | putraḥ: [my] son is | sam tarjitaḥ: well, rebuked. |

TRANSLATION

"Though I am aware of the valour of that dirty-minded Ravana, I was rebuking my son saying, 'how you have not saved Maithili?' [4-63-6b, 7a]

VERSE 7

तस्या विलपितम् श्रुत्वा तौ च सीता वियोजितौ

tasyā vilapitam śrutvā tau ca sītā viyojitau

SYNONYMS

b, 8a| tasyā vilapitam śrutvā: her, bewailing, on hearing | tau ca sītā viyojitau: those two [Rama, Lakshmana,] also, as separated [from Seetha] | me daśaratha snehāt: my, with Dasharatha's, owing to friendship | putreṇa priyam: by [my] son, a cherish [of mine] | na utpāditam: not, effectuated. |

TRANSLATION

"My son has not effectuated my cherish even on hearing the bewail of Seetha, or at least on hearing that Rama and Lakshmana are separated from Seetha, or at least on knowing my friendship with Dasharatha..." Thus Sampaati spoke to monkeys. [4-63-7b, 8a]

VERSE 8

तस्य तु एवम् ब्रुवाणस्य संहतैः वानरैः सह

tasya tu evam bruvāṇasya saṃhataiḥ vānaraiḥ saha

SYNONYMS

b, 9a| tadā: then | samhataiḥ vānaraiḥ saha: clustered around, monkeys, with | tasya: to him | evam bruvāṇasya: in this way, who is speaking | vana cāriṇām samakṣam = of forest, movers: monkeys, before eyes | pakṣau: wings | ut petatuḥ = to up, flev: cropped up. |

TRANSLATION

Both the wings of Sampaati have then cropped up just before the eyes of those monkeys who are clustering around him, while Sampaati is speaking in this way to those monkeys... [4-63-8b, 9a]

VERSE 9

स दृष्ट्वा स्वाम् तनुम् पक्षैः उद्गतैः अरुण च्छदैः

sa dṛṣṭvā svām tanum pakṣaiḥ udgataiḥ aruṇa cchadaiḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 10a| saḥ: he tht Sampaati | aruṇa cchadaiḥ: with reddish [feathers,] covered [feathered] | udgataiḥ pakṣaiḥ: emerged, wings | svām tanum dṛṣṭvā: his own, body, on seeing | a tulam praharṣam lebhe: not, comparable, rejoice, he obtained | vānarān idam abravīt ca: to vanara-s, this, said, also. |

TRANSLATION

On looking at his own body which is now covered with newborn reddish-feathered wings Sampaati obtained an incomparable rejoice, and he also said this to vanara-s. [4-63-9b, 10a]

VERSE 10

निशाकरस्य राजर्षेः प्रभावात् अमित ओजसः

niśākarasya rājarṣeḥ prabhāvāt amita ojasaḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 11a| amita ojasaḥ: of illimitable, magnificence | rājarṣeḥ: of kingly sage | niśākarasya prabhāvāt: Nishaakara's, by efficacy | āditya raśmi nirdagdhau: by Sun's, rays, burnt down | pakṣau punaḥ upasthitau: both wings, again, present themselves [resurfaced.] |

TRANSLATION

By the efficacy of that kingly sage of illimitable magnificence both the wings of Sampaati that were burnt down by sunrays have resurfaced again. [4-63-10b, 11a]

VERSE 11

यौवने वर्तमानस्य मम आसीत् यः पराक्रमः

yauvane vartamānasya mama āsīt yaḥ parākramaḥ

SYNONYMS

b, 12a| yauvane vartamānasya: in youth, what that was prevailing | mama: my | yaḥ parākramaḥ: which, valour | āsīt: was present | tam eva adya avagacchāmi: that [valour,] alone, now, I am getting at [experiencing] | balam pauruṣam eva ca: vigour, valiance, like that, also. |

TRANSLATION

"Which valour, vigour, and valiance were prevailing in my youth, now I am experiencing them alone... [4-63-11b, 12a]

VERSE 12

सर्वथा क्रियताम् यत्नः सीताम् अधिगमिष्यथ

sarvathā kriyatām yatnaḥ sītām adhigamiṣyatha

SYNONYMS

b, 13a| sarvathā yatnaḥ kriyatām: anywise, let endeavour, be made | sītām adhi gamiṣyatha = ṣītha, [for sure,] you vill obtain: come by her | mama ayam pakṣa lābhaḥ: my, this, wings, regaining | vaḥ siddhi pratyaya kārakaḥ: to you all, for accomplishment, credibility, causer of. |

TRANSLATION

"Let an endeavour be made by all of you. For sure, you will come by Seetha. This event of my regaining wings shall be the causer of credibility in you all... [4-63-12b, 13a]

VERSE 13

इति उक्त्वा तान् हरीन् सर्वान् संपातिः पतगोत्तम

iti uktvā tān harīn sarvān saṃpātiḥ patagottama

SYNONYMS

b, 14a| pataga uttama: bird, the best | sampātiḥ: Sampaati | sarvān tān harīn: to all of, those, monkeys | iti uktvā: thus, on saying | kha gamaḥ = of a sky, goer's: of a bird | gatim: plight / flight | jijñāsuḥ: to ascertain | gireḥ śṛngāt ut papāta = from mountain's, top, up, fallen: took wing. |

TRANSLATION

On saying thus to all of those monkeys that best bird Sampaati took wing from that mountaintop to ascertain the plight of a sky-going bird when anew on the wing. [4-63-13b, 14a]

VERSE 14

तस्य तत् वचनम् श्रुत्वा प्रतिसंहृष्ट मानसाः
बभूवुः हरि शार्दूला विक्रम अभ्युदय उन्मुखाः

tasya tat vacanam śrutvā pratisaṃhṛṣṭa mānasāḥ
babhūvuḥ hari śārdūlā vikrama abhyudaya unmukhāḥ

SYNONYMS

b, c| hari śārdūlā: monkeys, tigerly ones | tasya tat vacanam śrutvā: his [Sampaati's,] that, word, on hearing | prati samhṛṣṭa mānasāḥ: in turn, gladdened, at hearts | vikrama abhyudaya unmukhāḥ: valour, inspirited, proactive | babhūvuḥ: they became. |

TRANSLATION

On hearing that word of Sampaati those tigerly monkeys are heartily gladdened and while their valour inspiriting them they have became proactive towards their task. [4-63-14]

VERSE 15

इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये किष्किन्ध काण्डे त्रि षष्टितमः सर्गः

iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye kiṣkindha kāṇḍe tri ṣaṣṭitamaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

atha: then | pavana samāna vikramāḥ: with air [gustily,] equal, in their gusto | pratilabdha pauruṣāḥ: redeemed, certitude | plavaga varāḥ: fly-jumpers, the best | abhijit abhimukhām: abhijit, [an opportune time,] who are waiting towards | janaka sutā pari mārgaṇa: Janaka's, daughter, in search | un mukhāḥ: forward, faced [pioneers] | diśam: to [southern] direction | yayuḥ: they journeyed on. |

TRANSLATION

Those best fly-jumpers having redeemed their certitude, then with a gustily gusto waited for an opportune time called abhijit lagna and then journeyed on to the southern direction, as they are the pioneers in searching Seetha, the daughter of Janaka. [4-63-15]

PURPORT

The auspicious and opportune time in a day is called abhijit lagna a little later to noon time. This is as said in astrology suuryaH ca caturdhakam lagnam abhijit pari kiirtitam | sarva doSha haram caiva prashastam shubha karmasu || The chapters from 59 to 63 are treated as interpolated ones and to support that statement, the action of Sampaati in flying away without offering further cooperation to monkeys in the search for Seetha, is exemplified. 'As and when he got wings he flew away like any ordinary bird as it goes as-it-pleases. If Sampaati were to be a true friend of Dasharatha and an admirer of Rama, he should have at least followed the monkeys up to seashore...' is the argument of those who hold these chapters as interpolated ones. But contradicting them, the others say, 'Sampaati is given small wings for his locomotive purpose, but not to fly aggressively... further, his part ends as and when he informs about the direction of Seetha and Ravana, as the role of Swayamprabha ended when she brought the monkeys out of Black Hole... hence these chapters are not interpolated...' thus the debate continues, endlessly...