“Om Sri Lakshmi Narashimhan Nahama”

Valmiki – Kishkinda Kanda – Chapter 57

Angada Narrates the Story of to

Summary

Angada informs Sampaati of their plight in searching for Seetha. As a part of it, he also details the plight of Rama. He explains that Seetha is unseen even after their meticulous search, thereof they transgressed the order of Sugreeva, thereby they did not return to , and therefore they resorted to fast-unto-death.

Chapter [Sarga] 57 in Detail

shokaat bhrasta svaram api shrutvaa te hari yuuthapaah |

shraddadhuh na eva tat vaakyam karmanaa tasya shankitaah || 4-57-1

Though Sampaati's voice is turned husky by his sadness for the demise of his brother Jataayu, the monkey commanders doubtingly disbelieved neither him nor even his words by the fact of his being an eagle intending to kill and eat up all the monkeys. [4-57-1]

te praayam upavistaah tu dristvaa gridhram plava.mgamaah |

cakruh buddhim tadaa raudraam sarvaan nah bhaksayisyati || 4-57-2

On seeing the eagle those fly-jumpers who sat for fast-unto-death have become furious at the eagle thinking that, "that eagle wishes to eat up all of us..." Thus, the monkeys deliberated the eagle's words. [4-57-2]

sarvathaa praayam aasiinaan yadi nah bhaksayisyati |

krita krityaa bhavisyaamah ksipram siddhim ito gataah || 4-57-3

"We are sitting for fast-unto-death and if that eagle wishes eat us let it be so... then our deliverance will be achieved in anyway and we will go to heaven from here..." Thus, some other monkeys gave thought to lower that eagle down. [4-57-3]

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Valmiki Ramayana – Kishkinda Kanda – Chapter 57 etaam buddhim tatah cakruh sarve te hari yuuthapaah |

avataarya gireh shri.ngaat gridhram aaha a.ngadah tadaa || 4-57-4

When all of the monkey chiefs made up their mind in this way, then some of them on going to the mountaintop brought that eagle down and then Angada spoke to the eagle. [4-57-4]

babhuuvuh riksarajo naama vaanarendrah prataapavaan |

mama aaryah paarthivah paksin dhaarmikau tasya ca aatmajau || 4-57-5

sugriivah caiva valii ca putrau ghana balau ubhau |

loke vishruta karmaa abhuut raajaa vaalii pitaa mama || 4-57-6

"Oh, bird, my noble grandfather is known as Riksharaja who was a valorous and an outstanding monkey among all monkeys, was the king of monkeys. He has two generous and great mighty sons namely and Sugreeva. My father Vali was highly renowned in the world for his bold acts, and he became the king later to my grandfather... [4-57-5, 6]

raajaa kritsnasya jagatah iksvaakuunaam mahaarathah |

raamo daasharathih shriimaan pravisto dandakaa vanam || 4-57-7

laksmanena saha bhraatraa vaidehyaa ca api bhaaryayaa |

pituh nidesha nirato dharmam panthaanam aashritah || 4-57-8

"Among Ikshvaku-s there is a great-charioteer, a king for the entire world, a peerless person, and he is the son of , namely Rama, and abiding by his father's directives and opting for righteous course of conduct, he moved into Dandaka forests along with his brother and even with his wife Vaidehi... [4-57-7, 8]

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Valmiki Ramayana – Kishkinda Kanda – Chapter 57 tasya bhaaryaa janasthaanaat raavanena hritaa balaat |

raamasya ca pituh mitram jataayuh naama gridhra raat || 4-57-9

dadarsha siitaam vaidehiim hriyamaanaam vihaayasaa |

" forcibly abducted his wife from Janasthaana, namely Seetha, the princess from Videha kingdom, and a kingly eagle named Jataayu, who is a friend of Rama's father Dasharatha, has seen her while she was being abducted by skyway. [4-57-9, 10a]

raavanam viratham kritvaa sthaapayitvaa ca maithiliim |

parishraantah ca vriddhah ca raavanena hato rane || 4-57-10

"Jataayu is overly tired when he made Ravana's chariot defective and withheld Maithili from abduction as he is senescent, then Ravana killed him in that conflict... [4-57-10b, c]

evam gridhro hatah tena raavanena baliiyasaa |

sa.nskritah ca api raamena gatah ca gatim uttamaam || 4-57-11

"Thus that eagle was killed by that mighty Ravana, but solemnized by the obsequies performed by Rama, he departed on a sublime avenue to heavens... [4-57-11]

tato mama pitrivyena sugriivena mahaatmanaa |

cakaara raaghavah sakhyam sah avadhiit pitaram mama || 4-57-12

mama pitraa viruddho hi sugriivah sacivaih saha |

nihatya vaalinam raamah tatah tam abhisecayat || 4-57-13

"Then Raghava made friendship with my paternal uncle Sugreeva, an intellectual autocrat, and Sugreeva got my father killed. Since Sugreeva antagonized my father, my father interdicted him along with his ministers, and Rama killed my father Vali and anointed Sugreeva... [4-57-12, 13]

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Valmiki Ramayana – Kishkinda Kanda – Chapter 57 sa raajye sthaapitah tena sugriivo vaanareshvarah |

raajaa vaanara mukhyaanaam tena prasthaapitaa vayam || 4-57-14

"Rama enthroned Sugreeva as the ruler of all -s and that king of all Vanara chiefs expedited all of us... [4-57-14]

evam raama prayuktaah tu maargamaanaah tatah tatah |

vaidehiim na adhigacchaamo raatrau suurya prabhaam iva || 4-57-15

"Though we are spearheaded by Rama and though we searched thereabouts for Vaidehi at the behest of Sugreeva, as with a nightly sunshine Vaidehi is unattainable for us... [4-57-15]

te vayam dandakaaranyam vicitya susamaahitaah |

ajnaanaat tu pravistaah sma dharanyaa vivritam bilam || 4-57-16

"Such as we were we searched Dandaka forest very meticulously, but we unwittingly entered into a wide-opened Black Hole of the earth... [4-57-16]

mayasya maayaa vihitam tat bilam ca vicinvataam |

vyatiitah tatra nah maasah yah raajnaa samayah kritah || 4-57-17

"During our search in that Black Hole, which was crafted by the wizardry of demon Maya, the month fixed by our king for our return has been elapsed... [4-57-17]

te vayam kapi raajasya sarve vacana kaarinah |

kritaam sa.msthaam atikraantaa bhayaat praayam upaasitaah || 4-57-18

"We who are all supposed to execute the order of our king, we have exceeded the established norm of timeframe, and for fear of fury from our king Sugreeva we sat down for fast- unto-death... [4-57-18]

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Valmiki Ramayana – Kishkinda Kanda – Chapter 57 kruddhe tasmin tu kaakutsthe sugriive ca sa laksmane |

gataanaam api sarvesaam tatra nah na asti jiivitam || 4-57-19

"When Rama along with Lakshmana, and even Sugreeva will be infuriated by our infringement of time, and even on our going to Kishkindha, as infringers there will be no survival for all of us..." Thus Angada narrated their plight to Sampaati. [4-57-19]

iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye kiskindha kaande sapta pancaashah sargah

Thus, this is the 57th chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.

Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate

References

Desiraju Hanumanta Rao. (2000). Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys.

Merriam-Webster. (2007). At http://www.m-w.com.

Reference.com. (2007). At http://www.reference.com.

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