Book IV : Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys
Sampaati hears about Jataayu's death when Angada cites it while lamenting for their misfortune. He praises that Jataayu is better off than the vanara-s for he encountered Ravana and attained martyrdom. On listening his brother's name and news of his death, Sampaati, who firstly wanted to gluttonise all the vanara-s, seeks their help to lower him down from mountain heights, to listen more of his brother Jataayu. |
upaviSTaaH tu te sarve yasmin praayam giri sthale |
harayo gR^idhra raajaH ca tam desham upacakrame || 4-56-1
saa.mpaatiH naama naamnaa tu cira jiivii viha.mgamaH |
bhraataa jaTaayuSaH shriimaan prakhyaata bala pauruSaH || 4-56-2
1, 2. te sarve harayaH= those, all, monkeys; yasmin giri sthale= at which, mountain, tableland; praayam upaviSTaaH tu= self-immolation, sat down; tam desham= to that, area; cira jiivii= long, lived [sempiternal]; gR^idhra raajaH= eagle, kingly; naamnaa saampaatiH naama= by name, Sampaati, known as; jaTaayuSaH bhraataa= Jataayu's, brother; shriimaan= celebrated one; prakhyaata bala pauruSaH= one renowned, for forcefulness, aggressiveness; vihamgamaH upacakrame= sky-flyer [eagle,] arrived there.
At which mountain's tableland those monkeys sat down for self-immolation, to that area the elder brother of Jataayu, a kingly eagle known as Sampaati by name, one renowned one for his forcefulness and aggressiveness, and a celebrated and sempiternal sky-flying eagle has arrived. [4-56-1, 2]
ka.ndaraat abhiniS.hkramya sa vindhyasya mahaagireH |
upaviSTaan hariin dR^iSTvaa hR^iSTaatmaa giram abraviit || 4-56-3
3. saH= he [Sampaati]; mahaa gireH= from great-mountain; vindhyasya= of Vindhya; kandaraat= from cave; abhi niS kramya= on coming out; upaviSTaan hariin dR^iSTvaa= those who sat down, monkeys, on seeing; hR^iSTa atmaa giram abraviit= gladdened, at heart, words, spoke.
On coming out of the cave of the great-mountain Vindhya, Sampaati is gladden at heart to see the monkeys sitting down there, and he spoke these words. [4-56-3]
vidhiH kila naram loke vidhaanena anuvar.htate |
yathaa ayam vihito bhakSyaH ciraat mahyam upaagataH || 4-56-4
4. loke= in world; vidhiH= fate / god; vidhaanena= procedurally [fatefully]; naram= after human; anuvartate kila= follows, indeed; yathaa= why because; ciraat= long-awaited; mahyam vihitaH= to me, fated; ayam bhakSyaH upa aagataH= this, food, came nigh of me.
"Whether it is good or bad, fate indeed follows humans in this world procedurally, why because, this fated and long-waited food has now come nigh of me... [4-56-4]
para.mparaaNaam bhakSiSye vaanaraaNaam mR^itam mR^itam |
uvaaca etat vacaH pakSii taan niriikSya plava.mgamaan || 4-56-5
5. vaanaraaNaam paramparaaNaam= of vanara-s, in the series; mR^itam mR^itam= dead one, on dying - whoever is dead while fasting, or, whomever I kill sequentially; bhakSiSye= I wish to eat; taan plavamgamaan niriikSya= them, fly-jumpers, on seeing; pakSii= bird Sampaati; etat vacaH uvaaca= these, words spoke.
"I wish to eat them frugally, killing one by one and eating one by one, preying on one on one day, and then preying upon the other on the other day..." thus that bird spoke those words on seeing the massy fly-jumpers. [4-56-5]
Here some translate this as 'I wish to eat the one by one as and when that monkey falls dead, then the next, on its falling dead...' In such a case, Angada would not have bothered or feared for this eagle, because it wants to vulture upon a cadaver. No need to fear if death occurs prior to their becoming prey to Sampaati. He feared to become the prey of eagle, whereby their sacred immolation is also going to fail along with other failures like searching Seetha, transgressing timeframe, hiding in Black Hole etc. Besides, a vulture is the most unpredictable bird, if it comes to it food.
tasya tat vacanam shrutvaa bhakSa lubdhasya pakSiNaH |
a.ngadaH param aayasto hanuuma.ntam atha abraviit || 4-56-6
6. bhakSa lubdhasya= food, greedy [gormandising]; tasya pakSiNaH tat vacanam shrutvaa= that, bird's, that, word, on hearing; atha= then; angadaH param aayastaH= Angada, becoming highly, breathless; hanuumantam abraviit= to Hanuma, spoke.
On hearing the words of that gormandising bird, Angada became highly breathless and then spoke to Hanuma. [4-56-6]
pashya siitaa - gR^idhraa - apadeshena saakSaat vaivasvato yamaH |
imam desham anupraapto vaanaraaNaam vipattaye || 4-56-7
7. siitaa apadeshena= Seetha, in the name of; [or, gR^idhraa apadeshena= eagle, in the name of]; vaivasvataH yamaH= Sun's son, Yama, the Terminator; saakSaat= manifestly; vaanaraaNaam vipattaye= for monkeys', fatality; imam desham anupraaptaH= to this, area, arrived; pashya= look.
"Look! In the name of an eagle, the son of the Sun, Yama, the Terminator, has manifestly arrived at this area for the fatality of monkeys... thus ill luck is still haunting us... [4-56-7]
Some mms have the name of Seetha compared to Yama, saying that Yama come in the name of Seetha, while some say it is Sampaati. Here Sampaati is taken as the manifestation of Death, rather than Seetha.
raamasya na kR^itam kaaryam na kR^itam raaja shaashanam |
hariiNaam iyam aj~naataa vipattiH sahasaa aagataa || 4-56-8
8. raamasya kaaryam na kR^itam= Rama's, task, not, done; raaja shaashanam na kR^itam= king's, decree, not, done; by us; hariiNaam= for monkeys; iyam a+ j~naataa vipattiH= this, not, known, catastrophe; sahasaa aagataa= abruptly, bechanced.
"We fulfilled neither Rama's task, nor the decree of our king, but this unknown catastrophe has abruptly bechanced for the monkeys... [4-56-8]
vaidehyaaH priya kaamena kR^itam karma jaTaayuSaa |
gR^idhra raajena yat tatra shrutam vaH tat asheSataH || 4-56-9
9. vaidehyaaH priya kaamena= for Vaidehi, to please [to do good,] wishing to; gR^idhra raajena= eagle, by kingly; jaTaayuSaa= by Jataayu; tatra= there [in Janasthaana]; yat karma kR^itam= which, deed, is done; tat= that - deed of confronting Ravana; a +sheSataH= without, remainder [completely]; vaH shrutam= by you al, heard.
"You all have heard in its entirety what deed the kingly Jataayu has done wishing to do good to Vaidehi... [4-56-9]
tathaa sar.hvaaNi bhuutaani tiryak yoni gataani api |
priyam kur.hvanti raamasya tyaktvaa praaNaan yathaa vayam || 4-56-10
10. tathaa= like that; tiryak yoni gataani api= in animal, uterus, gone in [birthed in animality,] even; sarvaaNi bhuutaani= all, beings; praaNaan tyaktvaa= lives. o forgoing; raamasya priyam kurvanti= for Rama, agreeable things, are doing; yathaa vayam= as with, us.
"Like that all beings, even those birthed in animality, are doing what that is agreeable to Rama even on forgoing their own lives, as with us... [4-56-10]
anyonyam upakur.hvanti sneha kaaruNya yantritaaH |
tataH tasya upakaara artham tyajata aatmaanam aatmanaa || 4-56-11
11. sneha kaaruNya yantritaaH= camaraderie, concern, by instinct; [tiryak yoni gataani api= in animal, uterus, birthed in, even]; anyonyam upakurvanti= mutually, succouring; tataH= therefore; tasya= for his [Rama's]; upakaara artham= succour, for purpose of; aatmaanam aatmanaa tyajata= one's self [soul,] by oneself [soulfully,] may leave off.
"Even animals will be mutually succouring by their instinct of concern and camaraderie, therefore, let each of us leave off our souls, soulfully... [4-56-11]
priyam kR^itvaa hi raamasya dharmaj~nena jaTaayuSaa |
raaghava arthe parishraantaa vayam sa.mtyakta jiivitaaH || 4-56-12
kaa.ntaaraaNi prapannaaH sma na ca pashyaama maithiliim |
12, 13a. dharmaj~nena jaTaayuSaa= right, knowing [conscientious,] by Jataayu; raamasya priyam kR^itvaa hi= for Rama, likable [act,] is done, isn't it; vayam= we [too]; raaghava arthe== Raghava, in the cause of; parishraantaa= overtired; samtyakta jiivitaaH= on leaving [the fear of,] our lives - without caring for our lives; kaantaaraaNi prapannaaH sma= in forests, obtained, we have; maithiliim na ca pashyaama= Maithili, not, even, we saw.
"Conscientious Jataayu has done a deed much liked by Rama, and we too have been trekking the forests without caring even for our lives in the cause of Rama, but we have not seen Maithili... [4-56-12, 13a]
sa sukhii gR^idhra raajaH tu raavaNena hato raNe |
muktaH ca sugriiva bhayaat gataH ca paramaam gatim || 4-56-13
13b, 13c. raNe raavaNena hataH= in combat, by Ravana, one who is killed; saH gR^idhra raajaH tu= he that, eagle, kingly one, on his part; sukhii= a happy [soul]; sugriiva bhayaat muktaH ca= from Sugreeva, fear of, relieved, also; paramaam gatim gataH ca= Sublimity, on Avenue, departed, also.
"He that kingly eagle Jataayu who is killed by Ravana is a happy soul, and he is even relieved from the fear of Sugreeva as he departed on the Avenue of Sublimity... [4-56-13b, c]
Sugreeva is not only the sovereign of monkeys but to all animal worlds also, and even to all birds of Aves kingdom, nidificatis aves, apes, oves... as Virgil would say. So slain by Ravana, Jataayu is absolved of sin and fear of Sugreeva, as well. Maheshvara Tiirtha.
jaTaayuSo vinaashena raaj~no dasharathasya ca |
haraNena ca vaidehyaaH sa.mshayam harayo gataaH || 4-56-14
14. jaTaayuSaH vinaashena= Jataayu's, by the ending; raaj~naH dasharathasya ca= king, Dasharatha's [end,] also; vaidehyaaH haraNena ca= of Vaidehi, purloin, also; harayaH samshayam gataaH= monkeys, in doubt [predicament,] piled into.
"By the ending of Jataayu and by the end of Dasharatha, also by the purloin of Vaidehi, all of the monkeys are piled into a predicament... [4-56-14]
Vividly: 'If Jataayu is not killed Seetha would not be abducted, even if Seetha is abducted, should Jataayu be living he might have detailed that abduction, and Rama might not have come to Kishkindha, but would have gone to Lanka straightaway. At least, if Dasharatha is not dead he would have called Rama and others back to Ayodhya, thus the question of Seetha's abduction does not arise. Because these two are dead, Seetha is abducted and their deaths became a deadly predicament for us... the monkeys...'
raama lakSmaNayoH vaasaam araNye saha siitayaa |
raaghavasya ca baaNena vaalinaH ca tathaa vadhaH || 4-56-15
raama kopaat asheSaaNaam raakSasaam ca tathaa vadham |
kaikeyyaa vara daanena idam ca vikR^itam kR^itam || 4-56-16
15, 16. kaikeyyaa vara daanena= to Kaikeyi, boon, by giving; siitayaa saha= Seetha, along with; araNye= in forest; raama lakSmaNayoH= of Rama, Lakshmana; vaasaam= dwelling; tathaa= as a result; raaghavasya baaNena= by Raghava's, arrow; vaalinaH vadhaH ca= Vali's, slaying, also; tathaa= as a result; raama kopaat= Rama, by fury; a + sheSaaNaam= without, leftovers; raakSasaam vadham ca= of demons, eliminating, also; idam vi kR^itam ca= this, wrong, deed [quandary,] also; kR^itam= is done [bechanced.]
"Just by giving boons to Kaikeyi, the quandaries like Rama's dwelling in forests along with Seetha and Lakshmana, as a result Rama's fury eliminating complete demons of Janasthaana, and as a result Raghava's arrow exterminating Val, have come to pass." Thus Angada is lamenting. [4-56-15,16]
tat asukham anukiirtitam vaco
bhuvi patitaan ca niriikshya vaanaraan |
bhR^isha cakita matiH mahaamatiH
kR^ipaNam udaahR^itavaan sa gR^idhraraajaH || 4-56-17
17. anu kiirtitam= eulogised; a+sukham= not, comfortable; tat vacaH= that, word - that information; [shrutvaa= on hearing]; bhuvi patitaan vaanaraan niriikshya= on ground, fallen [lay recumbent,] at monkeys, on observing; mahaamatiH= high, minded; saH gR^idhra rajaH [raaT]= he, eagles, king; bhR^isha= highly; cakita= perturbed; matiH= with mind; kR^ipaNam udaahR^itavaan= sorrowfully, spelled out - said word to the wise.
On observing the monkeys who lay recumbent on ground and on hearing them eulogising the death of Jataayu he that king of eagles Sampaati is highly perturbed at that uncomfortable information about Jatayu, and that high minded Sampaati sorrowfully spelled out this word. [4-56-17]
Some versions of Valmiki Ramayana end this chapter with this verse and continue next verses in the next chapter.
tat tu shrutvaa tadaa vaakyam a.ngadasya mukha udgatam |
abraviit vacanam gR^idhraH tiikSNa tuNDo mahaasvanaH || 4-56-18
18. tiikSNa tuNDaH= sharp [shredder,] billed; mahaa svanaH= thunderously, voicing; gR^idhraH= eagle; angadasya mukha udgatam= from Angada's, mouth, came out; tadaa= thus; tat vaakyam shrutvaa= that, sentence, on hearing; vacanam abraviit= sentence, said.
That shredder-billed eagle Sampaati said this sentence voicing thunderously on hearing words voiced by Angada. [4-56-18]
ko ayam giraa ghoSayati praaNaiH priyatarasya me |
jaTaayuSo vadham bhraatuH ka.mpayan iva me manaH || 4-56-19
19. me to me; praaNaiH priya tarasya= by lives, precious, more than; bhraatuH jaTaayuSaH vadham= of [my] bother, Jataayu's, about slaying; me manaH kampayan iva= my, heart, to quake, as though; giraa ghoSayati= by speech, who announces; ayam kaH= this one, who is.
"Who speaks to announce as though to quake my heart that Jatayu, the more precious brother of mine than my own lives, is slain? [4-56-19]
katham aasiit janasthaane yuddham raakSasa gR^idhrayoH |
naamadheyam idam bhraatuH cirasya adya mayaa shrutam || 4-56-20
20. janasthaane= in Janasthaana; raakshasa gR^idhrayoH= between demon, eagle; yuddham= combat; katham aasiit= how, occasioned; bhraatuH idam naamadheyam= of brother this, name; mayaa adya= by me, today; cirasya shrutam= after a long time, heard.
"How a combat occasioned between that eagle and a demon in Janasthaana, and how am I hearing this name of my brother after a long time... [4-56-20]
icCheyam giri durgaat ca bhavadbhiH avataaritum |
yaviiyaso guNaj~nasya shlaaghaniiyasya vikramaiH || 4-56-21
ati diirghasya kaalasya parituSTo asmi kiirtitanaat |
21, 22a. giri durgaat= from mountain, soars; bhavadbhiH ava taaritum= by you, to down, lowered; icCheyam= I wish to; guNa j~nasya= virtue, knower - straightforward; vikramaiH shlaaghaniiyasya= by valour, praiseworthy; yaviiyasaH= of younger brother; ati diirghasya kaalasya= after much, long, time; kiirtitanaat= by [your] praising; parituSTaH asmi= gladdened, I am.
"I wish you to get me down from these mountain soars. After a long time I have heard about my younger brother who is straightforward, praiseworthy for his valour, and I am glad that too spoke of him praisefully... [4-56-21, 22a]
tat icCheyam aham shrotum vinaasham vaanara R^iSabhaaH || 4-56-22
bhraatuH jaTaayuSaH tasya janasthaana nivaasinaH |
22b, 23a. vaanara R^iSabhaaH= oh, vanara, bullish ones - best ones; tat= thereby; aham= I; janasthaana nivaasinaH= in Janasthaana, dweller - when he was in bhraatuH= [as he is my] brother; tasya jaTaayuSaH= of his, of Jataayu; vinaasham shrotum icCheyam= of death, to listen, I wish to.
"Thereby, oh, best vanara-s, I wish to listen about the death of my brother Jataayu when he was in Janasthaana... [4-56-22b, 23a]
tasya eva ca mama bhraatuH sakhaa dasharathaH katham || 4-56-23
yasya raamaH priyaH putro jyeSTho guru jana priyaH |
23b, 24a. guru jana priyaH raamaH= for doyen, people, pleasant [creditable to,] Rama; yasya= whose [Dasharatha's]; priyaH putraH jyeSThaH= dear, son, eldest one; dasharathaH= [such a] Dasharatha; mama bhraatuH tasya eva ca sakhaa= my, bother, his [to Jataayu,] alone, also, friend; katham [mR^itam]= how, [died.]
"Whose eldest and dear son is Rama, the creditable one for doyens, that Dasharatha is the friend of my brother Jatayu/ But how did Dasharatha pass away? [4-56-23b, 24a]
suurya a.mshu dagdha pakSatvaat na shaknomi visarpitum |
icCheyam parvataat asmaat avatartum arindamaaH || 4-56-24
24b, c. arindamaaH= oh, enemy-chasteners; suurya amshu dagdha pakSatvaat= by Sun's, rays, burnt, owing to such wings; vi sarpitum= to widely, spread - lessened wing-spread; na shaknomi= not, capable I am; [tasmaat= therefore]; asmaat parvataat= from this, mountain; ava tartum= down, climb; icCheyam= I wish to.
"I am incapable to spread my wings widely as they are burnt by Sun's rays, hence oh, enemy-chasteners, I wish you to lower me down from this mountain..." Thus Sampaati sought for the help of monkeys. [4-56-24b, c]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye kiSkindha kaaNDe SaT pa.ncaashaH sargaH
Thus, this is the 56th chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
© Jan, 2003, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao [Revised : December 04]