Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 52

अथ तानब्रवीत्सर्वान्विश्रान्तान्हरियूथपान्। इदं वचनमेकाग्रा तापसी धर्मचारिणी।।4.52.1।।

atha tānabravītsarvānviśrāntānhariyūthapān| idaṃ vacanamekāgrā tāpasī dharmacāriṇī

After the monkey leaders had taken rest, the noble ascetic with undiverted attention said these words:

वानरा यदि वः खेदः प्रनष्टः फलभक्षणात्। यदि चैतन्मया श्राव्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि कथ्यताम्।।4.52.2।।

vānarā yadi vaḥ khedaḥ pranaṣṭaḥ phalabhakṣaṇāt| yadi caitanmayā śrāvyaṃ śrotumicchāmi kathyatām

'O monkeys if you have been relieved of your fatigue after eating fruits, now tell me about yourself, if you think it can be told. I want to hear.

तस्यास्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा हनूमान्मारुतात्मजः। आर्जवेन यथातत्त्वमाख्यातुमुपचक्रमे।।4.52.3।।

tasyāstadvacanaṃ śrutvā hanūmānmārutātmajaḥ| ārjavena yathātattvamākhyātumupacakrame

When Hanuman, son of the Windgod, heard her, he started narrating frankly and truthfully.

राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य महेन्द्रवरुणोपमः। रामो दाशरथिश्शीमान्प्रविष्टो दण्डकावनम्।।4.52.4।। लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा वैदेह्या चापि भार्यया। तस्य भार्या जनस्थानाद्रावणेन हृता बलात्।।4.52.5।।

rājā sarvasya lokasya mahendravaruṇopamaḥ| rāmo dāśarathiśśīmānpraviṣṭo daṇḍakāvanam lakṣmaṇena saha bhrātrā vaidehyā cāpi bhāryayā| tasya bhāryā janasthānādrāvaṇena hṛtā balāt

'Rama, son of Dasaratha, a prosperous king of all the worlds, comparable to Indra and Varuna came to the Dandaka forest along with his brother Laksmana and wife Vaidehi. Ravana abducted his wife from Janasthana.

राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य महेन्द्रवरुणोपमः। रामो दाशरथिश्शीमान्प्रविष्टो दण्डकावनम्।।4.52.4।। लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा वैदेह्या चापि भार्यया। तस्य भार्या जनस्थानाद्रावणेन हृता बलात्।।4.52.5।।

rājā sarvasya lokasya mahendravaruṇopamaḥ| rāmo dāśarathiśśīmānpraviṣṭo daṇḍakāvanam lakṣmaṇena saha bhrātrā vaidehyā cāpi bhāryayā| tasya bhāryā janasthānādrāvaṇena hṛtā balāt

'Rama, son of Dasaratha, a prosperous king of all the worlds, comparable to Indra and Varuna came to the Dandaka forest along with his brother Laksmana and wife Vaidehi. Ravana abducted his wife from Janasthana.

वीरस्तस्य सखा राज्ञस्सुग्रीवो नाम वानरः। राजा वानरमुख्यानां येन प्रस्थापिता वयम्।।4.52.6।।

vīrastasya sakhā rājñassugrīvo nāma vānaraḥ| rājā vānaramukhyānāṃ yena prasthāpitā vayam

There is a heroic monkey named Sugriva, lord of the monkey chiefs and friend of that king, by whom we have been sent.

अगस्त्यचरितामाशां दक्षिणां यमरक्षिताम्। सहैभिर्वानरैर्घोरैरङ्गदप्रमुखैर्वयम्।।4.52.7।। रावणं सहितास्सर्वे राक्षसं कामरूपिणम्। सीतया सह वैदेह्या मार्गध्वमिति चोदिताः।।4.52.8।।

agastyacaritāmāśāṃ dakṣiṇāṃ yamarakṣitām| sahaibhirvānarairghorairaṅgadapramukhairvayam rāvaṇaṃ sahitāssarve rākṣasaṃ kāmarūpiṇam| sītayā saha vaidehyā mārgadhvamiti coditāḥ

'We along with the dreadful monkeys are sent with Angada as our chief to the southern direction, guarded by Yama and inhabited by sage Agasti. We are commanded to search Sita, princess of Videha and also the abode of the demon Ravana who assumes any form at his free will.

अगस्त्यचरितामाशां दक्षिणां यमरक्षिताम्। सहैभिर्वानरैर्घोरैरङ्गदप्रमुखैर्वयम्।।4.52.7।। रावणं सहितास्सर्वे राक्षसं कामरूपिणम्। सीतया सह वैदेह्या मार्गध्वमिति चोदिताः।।4.52.8।।

agastyacaritāmāśāṃ dakṣiṇāṃ yamarakṣitām| sahaibhirvānarairghorairaṅgadapramukhairvayam rāvaṇaṃ sahitāssarve rākṣasaṃ kāmarūpiṇam| sītayā saha vaidehyā mārgadhvamiti coditāḥ

'We along with the dreadful monkeys are sent with Angada as our chief to the southern direction, guarded by Yama and inhabited by sage Agasti. We are commanded to search Sita, princess of Videha and also the abode of the demon Ravana who assumes any form at his free will.

विचित्य तु वयं सर्वे समग्रां दक्षिणां दिशम्। परित्रान्ता बुभुक्षिता वृक्षमूलमुपाश्रिताः।।4.52.9।।

vicitya tu vayaṃ sarve samagrāṃ dakṣiṇāṃ diśam| paritrāntā bubhukṣitā vṛkṣamūlamupāśritāḥ

Having searched the whole southern region, all of us, exhausted and hungry, took shelter at the foot of a tree.

विवर्णवदनास्सर्वे सर्वे ध्यानपरायणाः। नाधिगच्छामहे पारं मग्नाश्चिन्तामहार्णवे।।4.52.10।।

vivarṇavadanāssarve sarve dhyānaparāyaṇāḥ| nādhigacchāmahe pāraṃ magnāścintāmahārṇave

'We were all exhausted, lost in thought and worried, unable to cross this deep ocean of sorrow. We did not know how to proceed.

चारयन्तस्ततश्चक्षुर्दृष्टवन्तो वयं बिलम्। लतापादपसञ्च्छन्नं तिमिरेण समावृतम्।।4.52.11।।

cārayantastataścakṣurdṛṣṭavanto vayaṃ bilam| latāpādapasañcchannaṃ timireṇa samāvṛtam

'Then while we were looking around we saw this cave concealed by trees and vines, with darkness spread all over.

अस्माद्धंसा जलक्लिन्नाः पक्षैस्सलिलविस्रवैः। कुररास्सारसाश्चैव निष्पतन्ति पतत्रिणः।।4.52.12।।

asmāddhaṃsā jalaklinnāḥ pakṣaissalilavisravaiḥ| kurarāssārasāścaiva niṣpatanti patatriṇaḥ

'Drenched in water the swans, kuraras, and sarasas were seen emerging with water dripping from thier wings.

साध्वत्र प्रविशामेति मया तूक्ताः प्लवङ्गमाः। तेषामपि हि सर्वेषामनुमानमुपागतम्।।4.52.13।।

sādhvatra praviśāmeti mayā tūktāḥ plavaṅgamāḥ| teṣāmapi hi sarveṣāmanumānamupāgatam

'I suggested to the fellowmonkeys to enter this cave, inferring that there would be water and all of them came to the same conclusion.

गच्छाम प्रविशामेति भर्तृकार्यत्वरान्विताः। ततो गाढं निपतिता गृह्य हस्तौ परस्परम्।।4.52.14।।

gacchāma praviśāmeti bhartṛkāryatvarānvitāḥ| tato gāḍhaṃ nipatitā gṛhya hastau parasparam

'We said, 'let us enter', since we were in a hurry to carry out our king's orders.Then we jumped in, holding one another's hand.

इदं प्रविष्टास्सहसा बिलं तिमिरसंवृतम्। एतन्नः कार्यमेतेन कृत्येन वयमागताः।।4.52.15।। त्वां चैवोपगतास्सर्वे परिद्यूना बुभुक्षिताः।

idaṃ praviṣṭāssahasā bilaṃ timirasaṃvṛtam| etannaḥ kāryametena kṛtyena vayamāgatāḥ tvāṃ caivopagatāssarve paridyūnā bubhukṣitāḥ|

'Vexed and starved, we entered this grotto shrouded in darkness.This is our task and we reached here (in the process).

आतिथ्यधर्मदत्तानि मूलानि च फलानि च।।4.52.16।। अस्माभिरुपभुक्तानि बुभुक्षापरिपीडितैः।

ātithyadharmadattāni mūlāni ca phalāni ca asmābhirupabhuktāni bubhukṣāparipīḍitaiḥ|

'You have given us roots and fruits out of hospitality and we have been taken them driven by hunger and thirst.

यत्त्वया रक्षितास्सर्वे म्रियमाणा बुभुक्षया।।4.52.17।। ब्रूहि प्रत्युपकारार्थं किं ते कुर्वन्तु वानराः।

yattvayā rakṣitāssarve mriyamāṇā bubhukṣayā brūhi pratyupakārārthaṃ kiṃ te kurvantu vānarāḥ|

'We were dying from hunger when you saved us. Tell us what the monkeys can do to repay your debt?'.

एवमुक्ता तु धर्मज्ञैर्वानरैस्तैस्स्वयंप्रभा।।4.52.18।। प्रत्युवाच ततस्सर्वानिदं वानरपुङ्गवान्।

evamuktā tu dharmajñairvānaraistaissvayaṃprabhā pratyuvāca tatassarvānidaṃ vānarapuṅgavān|

To the leaders among the monkeys, knowers of dharma, who said this Svayamprabha replied:

सर्वेषां परितुष्टाऽस्मि वानराणां तरस्विनाम्।।4.52.19।। चरन्त्या मम धर्मेण न कार्यमिह केनचित्।

sarveṣāṃ parituṣṭā'smi vānarāṇāṃ tarasvinām carantyā mama dharmeṇa na kāryamiha kenacit|

'I am very much pleased with all of you, smart monkeys. As I am engaged in the practice of righteousness, I do not need your services. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये किष्किन्धाकाण्डे द्विपञ्चाशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the fiftysecond sarga in Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.