Sampaati details Sage Nishaakara as to how his wings were burnt, when he and his brother Jataayu were flying competitively near at the sun. He says that he wanted to commit suicide, as his two wings, eagle kingdom, valour and even brother, are lost.
tataḥ tat dāruṇam karma duṣkaram sāhasāt kṛtam |
ācacakṣe muneḥ sarvam sūrya anugamanam tathā || 4-61-1
1. tataH = then; saahasaat kR^itam = indiscreetly, done; duS karam = not, practicable; daaruNam tat karma = impossible one, that, deed; tathaa = as well; suurya anugamanam = Sun, following; sarvam muneH = all of it, to sage [Nishaakara]; aacacakSe = [I have] informed.
"Then I have informed the Sage Nishaakara all about that impossible and impracticable deed done indiscreetly by me and Jataayu and our following the Sun in red heat, as well..." Thus Sampaati continued his legend. [4-61-1]
bhagavan vraṇa yuktatvāt lajjayā ca akula indriyaḥ |
pariśrānto na śaknomi vacanam paribhāṣitum || 4-61-2
2. bhagavan = oh, godly [sage]; vraNa yuktatvaat = ulcers, due to having them; lajjayaa ca = by shame, also; akula indriyaH = perturbed, senses; parishraantaH = haggard; such as I am; vacanam pari bhaaSitum = words, to elaborately, to speak on; na shaknomi = no, capable I am.
"Oh, godly sage, scorching sun has ulcerated me, shame perturbed my senses for not protecting Jatayu, further I am haggard to descend this mountain to come to you, such I am I am incapable to speak on, elaborately... [4-61-2]
aham caiva jaṭāyuḥ ca saṃgharṣāt darpa mohitau |
ākāśam patitau dūrāt jijñāsantau parākramam || 4-61-3
3. aham caiva jaTaayuH ca = I am, also thus, Jataayu, also; darpa mohitau = by arrogance, fascinated; paraakramam jij~naasantau = of [our relative] triumphs, inquisitive about; sangharSaat = competitively; duuraat aakaasham patitau = far-away, on sky, we two fell - we flew up.
"Fascinated by our arrogance and inquisitive of our relative triumphs, myself and Jataayu competitively flew up far-away on the sky... [4-61-3]
kailāsa śikhare baddhvā munīnām agrataḥ paṇam |
raviḥ syāt anuyātavyo yāvat astam mahāgirim || 4-61-4
4. kailaasa shikhare = on Kailash, peak of; muniinaam agrataH = sages, before; mahaa girim = great mountain; astam = dusking [westerly mountain]; yaavat = till [sun reaches]; raviH anuyaatavyaH syaat = Sun, to be followed, he will be; thus; paNam baddhvaa = a stake, bound - staked by two of us.
"Before the sages on the peak of Mt. Kailash we have staked a stake that we two shall follow the Sun till he reaches the great westerly mountain, namely Mt. Dusk... [4-61-4]
api āvām yugapat prāptau apaśyāva mahī tale |
ratha cakra pramāṇāni nagarāṇi pṛthak pṛthak || 4-61-5
5. api aavaam = even, we; yugapat = in a trice; praaptau = reached [the sky]; mahii tale = on earth's, surface; ratha cakra pramaaNaani = chariot, wheel, of a size; nagaraaNi = towns; pR^ithak pR^ithak = separately, singly; apashyaava = we have seen.
"We reached the sky in a trice to a height wherefrom we could see each of the townships on the surface of earth, separately and singly, in the size of a chariot's wheel... [4-61-5]
kvacit vāditra ghoṣaḥ ca kvacit bhūṣaṇa niḥsvanaḥ |
gāyantīḥ sma aṃganā bahvīḥ paśyāvo rakta vāsasaḥ || 4-61-6
6. kvacit vaaditra ghoSaH ca = somewhere, instrumental, music, also; kvacit bhuuSaNa niHsvanaH = somewhere else, jewellery, tinkling; gaayantiiH = singing; rakta vaasasaH = those who in red, dressed; bahviiH anganaa = many, ladies; pashyaavaH sma = we saw; we have.
"We have seen and heard instrumental music somewhere, and somewhere else tinkling of jewellery, and elsewhere singing of many ladies dressed in red... [4-61-6]
tūrṇam utpatya ca ākāśam āditya patham āsthitau |
āvām ālokayāvaḥ tat vanam śādvala saṃsthitam || 4-61-7
7. aakaasham tuurNam utpatya = to sky, quickly, on flying up; aaditya patham aasthitau = solar, path, abiding in; aavaam = we; tat vanam shaadvala samsthitam = that, forest, pasture [a patch of pasture,] positioned as; aalokayaavaH = we observed.
"On our quick rising to the sky and abiding in solar path we have observed that a forest is positioned just as a patch of pasture on earth... [4-61-7]
upalaiḥ iva saṃchannā dṛśyate bhūḥ śila uccayaiḥ |
āpagābhiḥ ca saṃvītā sūtraiḥ iva vasuṃdharā || 4-61-8
8. bhuuH = earth; shila uccayaiH = with mountains, heights; upalaiH samChannaa iva = with shingles, covered, as with; dR^ishyate = appearing to be; aapa gaabhiH ca = by water, goers [by rivers]; vasundharaa = [surface of] earth; suutraiH samviitaa iva = with yarn, interwoven, as with; [appeared to be.]
"From there the earth covered with pebble like mountain heights appeared shingly, and interwoven with yarn like rivers the surface of the earth is thready... [4-61-8]
himavān caiva vindhyaḥ ca meruḥ ca sumahān giriḥ |
bhū tale saṃprakāśante nāgā iva jala āśaye || 4-61-9
9. himavaan ca eva = Himalaya, also, even; vindhyaH ca = Vindhya, also; su mahaan giriH = very, high, mountain; meruH ca = Meru, even; bhuu tale = on earth's, surface; jala aashaye = in water, receptacles [lakes]; naagaa iva = elephants, like; sam prakaashante = shining forth.
"Himalayas, even Mt. Vindhya, and even the very high mountain Mt. Meru, shone forth like elephants in lakes... [4-61-9]
tīvraḥ svedaḥ ca khedaḥ ca bhayam ca āsīt tadā avayoḥ |
samāviśata mohaḥ ca tato mūrcchā ca dāruṇā || 4-61-10
10. tadaa = then; avayoH = to two of us; tiivraH = abnormal; svedaH ca = sweating, also; khedaH ca = tiredness, also; bhayam ca = fear, also; aasiit = bechanced; tataH = then; mohaH = stupor; daaruNaa muurcChaa ca = severe, vertigo, also; sam aavishata ca = overspread - invaded us.
"Then there bechanced an abnormal sweating, tiredness and fear, and then stupor invading both of us, we two underwent a severe vertigo... [4-61-10]
na ca dik jñāyate yāmyā na āgneyī na ca vāruṇī |
yuga ante niyato loko hato dagdha iva agninā || 4-61-11
11. yaamyaa dik = Yama's, direction of [south]; na ca j~naayate = not, also, in the know; aagneyii na = direction of Fire-god [south-east,] not known; vaaruNii na = direction of Rain-god [west,] not known; lokaH = world; yuga ante = at era, end; agninaa dagdha = by fire, burnt down; hataH iva = destructed, as though; niyataH = routine.
"We are not in the know of southern direction which belongs to Yama, the Terminator, nor of south-east which belongs to Fire-god, also not of west which belongs to Rain-god... and the world appeared as though burnt down by the fire at the end of era and destructed of its routine... [4-61-11]
Some good words from an unknown author: 'the air of great height must be treated with caution. When all the gods have been dethroned and nothing is left but the 'Self' beware of Vertigo. It was this that made Vivekananda careful in his ascent not to hurry the whole mass of souls as yet uninured to the precipices and the wind of chasms. He made each one to climb by small stages leaning upon the staff of his own religion or of the providential spiritual credos of his age and country. But too often his followers were impatient and sought to gain the summits without due rest and preparation. Hence it was hardly surprising that some fell and in their fall they were not only a danger to themselves but to those ho knew themselves to be inferior...'
This we may say
niraalamba avyakta upaasana and Gita has to say something about this 'baseless and
bottomless adoration of the un-manifest...' klesho
adhikataraH teShaam avyakta aasakta cetasaam | avyaktaaH hi gatiH duHkham dehavadbhiH avaapyate ||
Gita, 12-5- The travail is for such as bend their minds / To reach th' Unmanifest.
That viewless path / Shall scarce be trod by man bearing the flesh! - S. M. Arnold.
manaḥ ca me hatam bhūyaḥ cakṣuḥ prāpya tu saṃśrayam |
yatnena mahatā hi asmin manaḥ saṃdhāya cakṣuṣī || 4-61-12
yatnena mahatā bhūyo bhāskaraḥ pratilokitaḥ |
tulyaḥ pṛthvī pramāṇena bhāskaraḥ pratibhāti nau || 4-61-13
12. me manaH hatam = my, brainpower, is deranged; cakshuH samshrayam praapya = eyes, dependency, on obtaining - depending on my sight; mahataa yatnena = laboriously, by trying; asmin = on that [sun]; bhuuyaH = again; manaH cakshuSii sandhaaya = brainpower, sight, keeping fixedly; bhuuyaH mahataa yatnena = again, strenuously, by trying; bhaaskaraH prati lokitaH = Sun, towards, seen by us - saw the sun directly; bhaaskaraH = Sun; pR^ithvii pramaaNena tulyaH = earth, of a size, equal to; nau pratibhaati = to us, appeared.
"Though my brainpower is deranged I again tried laboriously just depending on my sight. I again tried strenuously concentrating my brainpower and sight on Sun and I have directly seen the Sun. Then the Sun appeared in a size equal to the earth. [4-61-12, 13]
jaṭāyuḥ mām anāpṛcchya nipapāta mahīm tataḥ |
tam dṛṣṭvā tūrṇam ākāśāt ātmānam muktavān aham || 4-61-14
14. jaTaayuH maam = Jataayu, me; an aapR^icChya = without, asking [informing]; mahiim nipapaata = on earth, fell down [tripped over]; tataH = then; aham = I; tam dR^iSTvaa = him, on seeing; tuurNam = quickly; aakaashaat = from sky; aatmaanam = myself; muktavaan = let loose- flew down.
"Without informing me Jataayu started to trip over the earth, and then on seeing him I too let myself loose from the sky... [4-61-14]
pakṣabhyām ca mayā gupto jaṭāyuḥ na pradahyata |
pramādāt tatra nirdagdhaḥ patan vāyu pathāt aham || 4-61-15
15. mayaa = by me; pakSabhyaam guptaH = with both wings, hidden - from sun; jaTaayuH = Jataayu; na pra dahyata = not, much, burnt [by Sun]; tatra = there - in sky; pramaadaat = accidentally; vaayu pathaat = from air's, way [sky]; patan = while falling - flying down; aham = I am; nir dagdhaH = completely, burnt - by sun.
"I have hidden Jataayu in sky with both my wings from the scorching Sun... hence, he is not burn that much... but I am completely burnt when falling from the sky... [4-61-15]
āśanke tam nipatitam janasthāne jaṭāyuṣam |
aham tu patito vindhye dagdha pakṣo jaḍī kṛtaḥ || 4-61-16
16. tam jaTaayuSam = him, about Jataayu; janasthaane nipatitam aashanke = in Janasthaana, fell down, I supposed; aham tu = I, for my part; dagdha pakSaH = burnt, winged [bird]; jaDii kR^itaH = insensate, made as; vindhye = on Vindhya; patitaH = fell down.
"I supposed that Jataayu as has fallen in Janasthaana, but I have fallen on Mt. Vindhya, as a wing-burnt and insensate eagle... [4-61-16]
rājyāt hīno bhrātrā ca pakṣābhyām vikrameṇa ca |
sarvathā martum eva icchan patiṣye śikharāt gireḥ || 4-61-17
17. raajyaat = from kingdom; bhraatraa ca = from brother, also; pakSaabhyaam = of both wings; vikrameNa ca = of valance, too; hiinaH = one who is divested of; such as I was I; sarvathaa = anywise; martum eva icChan = to die, only, wishing to; gireH shikharaat patiSye = of mountain, from top, I wished to fall.
"As one who is divested of his kingdom, his brother, both of his wings, and his own valance too, such as I was I wished to fall from the mountaintop to die, in any way... [4-61-17]
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iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye kiṣkindha kāṇḍe eka ṣaṣṭitamaḥ sargaḥ
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© Mar, 2003, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao [Revised : December 04