Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 56

उपविष्टास्तु ते सर्वे यस्मिन्प्रायं गिरिस्थले। हरयो गृध्रराजश्च तं देशमुपचक्रमे।।4.56.1।। सम्पातिर्नाम नाम्ना तु चिरञ्जीवी विहङ्गमः। भ्राता जटायुषः श्रीमान्विख्यातबलपौरुषः।।4.56.2।।

upaviṣṭāstu te sarve yasminprāyaṃ giristhale| harayo gṛdhrarājaśca taṃ deśamupacakrame sampātirnāma nāmnā tu cirañjīvī vihaṅgamaḥ| bhrātā jaṭāyuṣaḥ śrīmānvikhyātabalapauruṣaḥ

While the monkeys were preparing to fast unto death on the plateau of the mountain, Sampati, the prosperous king of vultures, the longlived elder brother of Jatayu widely known for his strength, appeared there.

उपविष्टास्तु ते सर्वे यस्मिन्प्रायं गिरिस्थले। हरयो गृध्रराजश्च तं देशमुपचक्रमे।।4.56.1।। सम्पातिर्नाम नाम्ना तु चिरञ्जीवी विहङ्गमः। भ्राता जटायुषः श्रीमान्विख्यातबलपौरुषः।।4.56.2।।

upaviṣṭāstu te sarve yasminprāyaṃ giristhale| harayo gṛdhrarājaśca taṃ deśamupacakrame sampātirnāma nāmnā tu cirañjīvī vihaṅgamaḥ| bhrātā jaṭāyuṣaḥ śrīmānvikhyātabalapauruṣaḥ

While the monkeys were preparing to fast unto death on the plateau of the mountain, Sampati, the prosperous king of vultures, the longlived elder brother of Jatayu widely known for his strength, appeared there.

कन्दरादभिनिष्क्रम्य स विन्ध्यस्य महागिरेः। उपविष्टान्हरीन्दृष्ट्वा हृष्टात्मा गिरमब्रवीत्।।4.56.3।।

kandarādabhiniṣkramya sa vindhyasya mahāgireḥ| upaviṣṭānharīndṛṣṭvā hṛṣṭātmā giramabravīt

Coming out of the cave of the great mount Vindhya, Sampati was glad to see the monkeys seated there and said to himself:

विधिः किल नरं लोके विधानेनानुवर्तते। यथाऽयं विहितो भक्ष्यश्चिरान्मह्यमुपागतः।।4.56.4।।

vidhiḥ kila naraṃ loke vidhānenānuvartate| yathā'yaṃ vihito bhakṣyaścirānmahyamupāgataḥ

'Destiny rules the world of men in accordance with a divine arrangement. Or else, it would not have brought me food after a long time (of fasting)'. (The monkeys are food for Sampati)'

परम्पराणां भक्षिष्ये वानराणां मृतं मृतम्। उवाचेदं वचः पक्षी तान्निरीक्ष्य प्लवङ्गमान्।।4.56.5।।

paramparāṇāṃ bhakṣiṣye vānarāṇāṃ mṛtaṃ mṛtam| uvācedaṃ vacaḥ pakṣī tānnirīkṣya plavaṅgamān

Looking at them, the vulture continued, 'I will eat these monkeys one after the other as and when they die'.

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा भक्ष्यलुब्धस्य पक्षिणः। अङ्गदः परमायस्तो हनूमन्तमथाब्रवीत्।।4.56.6।।

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā bhakṣyalubdhasya pakṣiṇaḥ| aṅgadaḥ paramāyasto hanūmantamathābravīt

Hearing the words of the vulture greedily waiting for food, deeply dejected Angada spoke to Hanuman:

पश्य सीतापदेशेन साक्षाद्वैवस्वतो यमः। इमं देशमनुप्राप्तो वानराणां विपत्तये।।4.56.7।।

paśya sītāpadeśena sākṣādvaivasvato yamaḥ| imaṃ deśamanuprāpto vānarāṇāṃ vipattaye

'See, Yama, son of Vaivasvata, has arrived here in person to destroy the monkeys in the name of Sita. (Sita became the direct agent for causing the destruction of monkeys).

रामस्य न कृतं कार्यं राज्ञो न च वचः कृतम्। हरीणामियमज्ञाता विपत्तिस्सहसागता।।4.56.8।।

rāmasya na kṛtaṃ kāryaṃ rājño na ca vacaḥ kṛtam| harīṇāmiyamajñātā vipattissahasāgatā

'Rama's task has not been performed. Sugriva's order has not been excuted. And (now) suddenly this calamity has overtaken the monkeys unawares.

वैदेह्याः प्रियकामेन कृतं कर्म जटायुषा। गृध्राराजेन यत्तत्र श्रुतं वस्तदशेषतः।।4.56.9।।

vaidehyāḥ priyakāmena kṛtaṃ karma jaṭāyuṣā| gṛdhrārājena yattatra śrutaṃ vastadaśeṣataḥ

'We have heard in detail about the task accomplished by Jatayu, the king of vultures, in order to please Sita, the princess of Videha.

तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि तिर्यग्योनिगतान्यपि। प्रियं कुर्वन्ति रामस्य त्यक्त्वा प्राणान्यथा वयम्।।4.56.10।।

tathā sarvāṇi bhūtāni tiryagyonigatānyapi| priyaṃ kurvanti rāmasya tyaktvā prāṇānyathā vayam

In that way all creatures, even those born as animals, do what is dear to Rama by risking their lives, just as we do.

अन्योऽन्यमुपकुर्वन्ति स्नेहकारुण्ययन्त्रिताः। तेन तस्योपकारार्थं त्यजताऽत्मानमात्मना।।4.56.11।।

anyo'nyamupakurvanti snehakāruṇyayantritāḥ| tena tasyopakārārthaṃ tyajatā'tmānamātmanā

'Bound by friendship and compassion each one helps the other. In fact, Jatayu did this by giving up his life on his own, for the sake of Rama.

प्रियं कृतं हि रामस्य धर्मज्ञेन जटायुषा। राघवार्थे परिश्रान्ता वयं सन्त्यक्तजीविताः।।4.56.12।। कान्ताराणि प्रपन्नाः स्म न च पश्याम मैथिलीम्।

priyaṃ kṛtaṃ hi rāmasya dharmajñena jaṭāyuṣā| rāghavārthe pariśrāntā vayaṃ santyaktajīvitāḥ kāntārāṇi prapannāḥ sma na ca paśyāma maithilīm|

'Jatayu, the knower of dharma, has laid down his life for the wellbeing of Rama. We are exhausted in the process of helping Rama. We have lost hope of our lives after entering these forests. Yet we have failed to find the princess from Mithila.

स सुखी गृध्रराजस्तु रावणेन हतो रणे।।4.56.13।। मुक्तश्च सुग्रीवभयाद्गतश्च परमां गतिम्।

sa sukhī gṛdhrarājastu rāvaṇena hato raṇe muktaśca sugrīvabhayādgataśca paramāṃ gatim|

'The king of vultures was slain by Ravana in a combat. He attained supreme status. He had no fear for Sugriva (as we have).

जटायुषो विनाशेन राज्ञो दशरथस्य च।।4.56.14।। हरणेन च वैदेह्या स्संशयं हरयो गताः।

jaṭāyuṣo vināśena rājño daśarathasya ca haraṇena ca vaidehyā ssaṃśayaṃ harayo gatāḥ|

'The survival of monkeys has become doubtful due to the death of Jatayu, death of king Dasaratha and the abduction of the princess from Videha.

रामलक्ष्मणयोर्वासश्च अरण्ये सह सीतया।।4.56.15।। राघवस्य च बाणेन वालिनश्च तथा वधः। रामकोपादशेषाणां रक्षसानां तथा वधः।।4.56.16।। कैकेय्या वरदानेन इदं च विकृतं कृतम्।

rāmalakṣmaṇayorvāsaśca araṇye saha sītayā rāghavasya ca bāṇena vālinaśca tathā vadhaḥ| rāmakopādaśeṣāṇāṃ rakṣasānāṃ tathā vadhaḥ kaikeyyā varadānena idaṃ ca vikṛtaṃ kṛtam|

'The exile of Rama and Lakshmana into the forest along with Sita, so also the death of Vali and of the demons in the hands of Rama due to his anger are all evil consequences of a boon granted to Kaikeyi.'

रामलक्ष्मणयोर्वासश्च अरण्ये सह सीतया।।4.56.15।। राघवस्य च बाणेन वालिनश्च तथा वधः। रामकोपादशेषाणां रक्षसानां तथा वधः।।4.56.16।। कैकेय्या वरदानेन इदं च विकृतं कृतम्।

rāmalakṣmaṇayorvāsaśca araṇye saha sītayā rāghavasya ca bāṇena vālinaśca tathā vadhaḥ| rāmakopādaśeṣāṇāṃ rakṣasānāṃ tathā vadhaḥ kaikeyyā varadānena idaṃ ca vikṛtaṃ kṛtam|

'The exile of Rama and Lakshmana into the forest along with Sita, so also the death of Vali and of the demons in the hands of Rama due to his anger are all evil consequences of a boon granted to Kaikeyi.'

तदसुखमनुकीर्तितं वचो भुवि पतितांश्च समीक्ष्य वानरान्। भृशचलितमतिर्महामतिः कृपणमुदाहृतवान् स गृध्रराट्।।4.56.17।।

tadasukhamanukīrtitaṃ vaco bhuvi patitāṃśca samīkṣya vānarān| bhṛśacalitamatirmahāmatiḥ kṛpaṇamudāhṛtavān sa gṛdhrarāṭ

The wise king of vultures was shaken up mentally on seeing the monkeys lying on the ground and hearing the unhappy narration of Angada. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आतिकाव्ये किष्किन्धाकाण्डे षटपञ्चाशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the fiftysixth sarga in Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.