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.
ततः तत् दारुणम् कर्म दुष्करम् साहसात् कृतम् |
आचचक्षे मुनेः सर्वम् सूर्य अनुगमनम् तथा || ४-६१-१
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]
भगवन् व्रण युक्तत्वात् लज्जया च अकुल इन्द्रियः |
परिश्रान्तो न शक्नोमि वचनम् परिभाषितुम् || ४-६१-२
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]
अहम् चैव जटायुः च संघर्षात् दर्प मोहितौ |
आकाशम् पतितौ दूरात् जिज्ञासन्तौ पराक्रमम् || ४-६१-३
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]
कैलास शिखरे बद्ध्वा मुनीनाम् अग्रतः पणम् |
रविः स्यात् अनुयातव्यो यावत् अस्तम् महागिरिम् || ४-६१-४
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]
अपि आवाम् युगपत् प्राप्तौ अपश्याव मही तले |
रथ चक्र प्रमाणानि नगराणि पृथक् पृथक् || ४-६१-५
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]
क्वचित् वादित्र घोषः च क्वचित् भूषण निःस्वनः |
गायन्तीः स्म अंगना बह्वीः पश्यावो रक्त वाससः || ४-६१-६
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]
तूर्णम् उत्पत्य च आकाशम् आदित्य पथम् आस्थितौ |
आवाम् आलोकयावः तत् वनम् शाद्वल संस्थितम् || ४-६१-७
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]
उपलैः इव संछन्ना दृश्यते भूः शिल उच्चयैः |
आपगाभिः च संवीता सूत्रैः इव वसुंधरा || ४-६१-८
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]
हिमवान् चैव विन्ध्यः च मेरुः च सुमहान् गिरिः |
भू तले संप्रकाशन्ते नागा इव जल आशये || ४-६१-९
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]
तीव्रः स्वेदः च खेदः च भयम् च आसीत् तदा अवयोः |
समाविशत मोहः च ततो मूर्च्छा च दारुणा || ४-६१-१०
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]
न च दिक् ज्ञायते याम्या न आग्नेयी न च वारुणी |
युग अन्ते नियतो लोको हतो दग्ध इव अग्निना || ४-६१-११
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.
मनः च मे हतम् भूयः चक्षुः प्राप्य तु संश्रयम् |
यत्नेन महता हि अस्मिन् मनः संधाय चक्षुषी || ४-६१-१२
यत्नेन महता भूयो भास्करः प्रतिलोकितः |
तुल्यः पृथ्वी प्रमाणेन भास्करः प्रतिभाति नौ || ४-६१-१३
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]
जटायुः माम् अनापृच्छ्य निपपात महीम् ततः |
तम् दृष्ट्वा तूर्णम् आकाशात् आत्मानम् मुक्तवान् अहम् || ४-६१-१४
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]
पक्षभ्याम् च मया गुप्तो जटायुः न प्रदह्यत |
प्रमादात् तत्र निर्दग्धः पतन् वायु पथात् अहम् || ४-६१-१५
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]
आशन्के तम् निपतितम् जनस्थाने जटायुषम् |
अहम् तु पतितो विन्ध्ये दग्ध पक्षो जडी कृतः || ४-६१-१६
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]
राज्यात् हीनो भ्रात्रा च पक्षाभ्याम् विक्रमेण च |
सर्वथा मर्तुम् एव इच्छन् पतिष्ये शिखरात् गिरेः || ४-६१-१७
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]
- - -
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये किष्किन्ध काण्डे एक षष्टितमः सर्गः
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© Mar, 2003, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao [Revised : December 04]