Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 57

तत्तु श्रुत्वा तथा वाक्यमङ्गदस्य मुखोद्गतम्। अब्रवीद्वचनं गृध्रस्तीक्ष्णतुण्डो महास्वनः।।4.57.1।।

tattu śrutvā tathā vākyamaṅgadasya mukhodgatam| abravīdvacanaṃ gṛdhrastīkṣṇatuṇḍo mahāsvanaḥ

On hearing the words that came from Angada's mouth, the sharpbeaked, loudvoiced vulture (Sampati) said:

कोऽयं गिरा घोषयति प्राणैः प्रियतमस्य मे। जटायुषो वधं भ्रातुः कम्पयन्निव मे मनः।।4.57.2।।

ko'yaṃ girā ghoṣayati prāṇaiḥ priyatamasya me| jaṭāyuṣo vadhaṃ bhrātuḥ kampayanniva me manaḥ

'Who is it that was Pronouncing loudly the death of my dearest brother Jatayu? This news has shaken my mind.

कथमासीज्जनस्थाने युद्धं राक्षसगृध्रयोः। नामधेयमिदं भ्रातुश्चिरस्याद्य मया श्रुतम्।।4.57.3।।

kathamāsījjanasthāne yuddhaṃ rākṣasagṛdhrayoḥ| nāmadheyamidaṃ bhrātuścirasyādya mayā śrutam

'I heard my brother's name today after a long time.I wish to know how the demon and the vulture fought at Janasthana.

इच्छेयं गिरिदुर्गाच्च भवद्भिरवतारितुम्। यवीयसो गुणज्ञस्य श्लाघनीयस्य विक्रमैः।।4.57.4।। अतिदीर्घस्य कालस्य परितुष्टोऽस्मि परिकीर्तनात्।

iccheyaṃ giridurgācca bhavadbhiravatāritum| yavīyaso guṇajñasya ślāghanīyasya vikramaiḥ atidīrghasya kālasya parituṣṭo'smi parikīrtanāt|

'I wish to be brought down from this inaccessible mountain peak by all of you. I am glad to have heard from you the name of my younger brother after a long time. He is virtuous, valiant and praiseworthy.

तदिच्छेयमहं श्रोतुं विनाशं वानरर्षभाः।।4.57.5।। भ्रातुर्जटायुषस्तस्य जनस्थाननिवासिनः।

tadiccheyamahaṃ śrotuṃ vināśaṃ vānararṣabhāḥ bhrāturjaṭāyuṣastasya janasthānanivāsinaḥ|

'O bulls among monkeys I desire to hear about the death of my brother Jatayu, who was dwelling at Janasthana.

तस्यैव च मम भ्रातुस्सखा दशरथः कथम्।।4.57.6।। यस्य रामः प्रियः पुत्रो ज्येष्ठो गुरुजनप्रियः।

tasyaiva ca mama bhrātussakhā daśarathaḥ katham yasya rāmaḥ priyaḥ putro jyeṣṭho gurujanapriyaḥ|

'How did Dasaratha develop friendship with my brother? I hear that Rama who is the favourite firstborn of Dasaratha has endeared himself to all elders.

सूर्यांशुदग्धपक्षत्वान्न शक्नोम्युपसर्पितुम्।।4.57.7।। इच्छेयं पर्वतादस्मादवतर्तु मरिन्दमाः।

sūryāṃśudagdhapakṣatvānna śaknomyupasarpitum iccheyaṃ parvatādasmādavatartu marindamāḥ|

'O tamers of foes as my wings are burnt down by the Sun's rays it is not possible for me to move forward. I wish you help me to get down from this mountain'.

शोकाद्भ्रष्टस्वरमपि श्रुत्वा ते हरियूथपाः। श्रद्दधुर्नैव तद्वाक्यं कर्मणा तस्य शङ्किताः।।4.57.8।।

śokādbhraṣṭasvaramapi śrutvā te hariyūthapāḥ| śraddadhurnaiva tadvākyaṃ karmaṇā tasya śaṅkitāḥ

The leaders among monkeys did not trust his words even though his voice was choked with grief. They suspected his intentions.

ते प्रायमुपविष्टास्तु दृष्ट्वा गृध्रं प्लवङ्गमाः। चक्रुर्बुद्धिं तदा रौद्रां सर्वान्नो भक्षयिष्यति।।4.57.9।।

te prāyamupaviṣṭāstu dṛṣṭvā gṛdhraṃ plavaṅgamāḥ| cakrurbuddhiṃ tadā raudrāṃ sarvānno bhakṣayiṣyati

On seeing the vulture, the monkeys fasting unto death got a terrible thought in their minds that the vulture might eat them.

सर्वथा प्रायमासीनान्यदि नो भक्षयिष्यति। कृतकृत्या भविष्यामः क्षिप्रं सिद्धिमितो गताः।।4.57.10।।

sarvathā prāyamāsīnānyadi no bhakṣayiṣyati| kṛtakṛtyā bhaviṣyāmaḥ kṣipraṃ siddhimito gatāḥ

'Since we wish to die, we will be accomplishing our objective successfully if he eats us soon'.

एतां बुद्धिं ततश्चक्रुस्सर्वे ते वानरर्षभाः। अवतार्य गिरेश्शृङ्गाद्गृध्रमाहाङ्गदस्तदा।।4.57.11।।

etāṃ buddhiṃ tataścakrussarve te vānararṣabhāḥ| avatārya gireśśṛṅgādgṛdhramāhāṅgadastadā

Thus thought the chief among the monkeys. Angada having helped the vulture come down the mountain peak, said:

बभूवर्क्षरजा नाम वानरेन्द्रः प्रतापवान्। ममार्यः पार्थिवः पक्षिन् धार्मिक स्तस्य चात्मजौ।।4.57.12। सुग्रीवश्चैव वाली च पुत्रावोघबलावुभौ। लोकेविश्रुतकर्माभूद्राजा वाली पिता मम।।4.57.13।।

babhūvarkṣarajā nāma vānarendraḥ pratāpavān| mamāryaḥ pārthivaḥ pakṣin dhārmika stasya cātmajau||4.57.12| sugrīvaścaiva vālī ca putrāvoghabalāvubhau| lokeviśrutakarmābhūdrājā vālī pitā mama

'O powerful bird my revered grandfather Riksharaja was a glorious king of monkeys. He had two sons called Sugriva and Vali.Both were strong like floodwaters. My father Vali was wellknown in this world for his remarkable deeds.

बभूवर्क्षरजा नाम वानरेन्द्रः प्रतापवान्। ममार्यः पार्थिवः पक्षिन् धार्मिक स्तस्य चात्मजौ।।4.57.12। सुग्रीवश्चैव वाली च पुत्रावोघबलावुभौ। लोकेविश्रुतकर्माभूद्राजा वाली पिता मम।।4.57.13।।

babhūvarkṣarajā nāma vānarendraḥ pratāpavān| mamāryaḥ pārthivaḥ pakṣin dhārmika stasya cātmajau||4.57.12| sugrīvaścaiva vālī ca putrāvoghabalāvubhau| lokeviśrutakarmābhūdrājā vālī pitā mama

'O powerful bird my revered grandfather Riksharaja was a glorious king of monkeys. He had two sons called Sugriva and Vali.Both were strong like floodwaters. My father Vali was wellknown in this world for his remarkable deeds.

राजा कृत्स्नस्य जगत इक्ष्वाकूणां महारथः। रामो दाशरथिः श्रीमान्प्रविष्टो दण्डकावनम्।।4.57.14।। लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा वैदेह्या चापि भार्यया। पितुर्निदेशनिरतो धर्म्यं पन्थानमाश्रितः।।4.57.15।।

rājā kṛtsnasya jagata ikṣvākūṇāṃ mahārathaḥ| rāmo dāśarathiḥ śrīmānpraviṣṭo daṇḍakāvanam lakṣmaṇena saha bhrātrā vaidehyā cāpi bhāryayā| piturnideśanirato dharmyaṃ panthānamāśritaḥ

'The great warrior Rama is the son of Dasaratha, the scion of the Ikshvaku race and the king of the entire world. He entered Dandaka forest along with his brother Lakshmana and consort Vaidehi obeying his father's command following a righteous path.

राजा कृत्स्नस्य जगत इक्ष्वाकूणां महारथः। रामो दाशरथिः श्रीमान्प्रविष्टो दण्डकावनम्।।4.57.14।। लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा वैदेह्या चापि भार्यया। पितुर्निदेशनिरतो धर्म्यं पन्थानमाश्रितः।।4.57.15।।

rājā kṛtsnasya jagata ikṣvākūṇāṃ mahārathaḥ| rāmo dāśarathiḥ śrīmānpraviṣṭo daṇḍakāvanam lakṣmaṇena saha bhrātrā vaidehyā cāpi bhāryayā| piturnideśanirato dharmyaṃ panthānamāśritaḥ

'The great warrior Rama is the son of Dasaratha, the scion of the Ikshvaku race and the king of the entire world. He entered Dandaka forest along with his brother Lakshmana and consort Vaidehi obeying his father's command following a righteous path.

तस्य भार्या जनस्थानाद्रावणेन हृता बलात्। रामस्य तु पितुर्मित्रं जटायुर्नाम गृध्रराट्।।4.57.16।। ददर्श सीतां वैदेहीं ह्रियमाणां विहायसा।

tasya bhāryā janasthānādrāvaṇena hṛtā balāt| rāmasya tu piturmitraṃ jaṭāyurnāma gṛdhrarāṭ dadarśa sītāṃ vaidehīṃ hriyamāṇāṃ vihāyasā|

'His wife was abducted from Janasthana by Ravana. The king of vultures Jatayu, a friend of Rama's father observed princess of Videha, being forcibly carried away through the aerial region.

रावणं विरथं कृत्वा स्थापयित्वा च मैथिलीम्। परिश्रान्तश्च वृद्धश्च रावणेन हतो रणे।।4.57.17।।

rāvaṇaṃ virathaṃ kṛtvā sthāpayitvā ca maithilīm| pariśrāntaśca vṛddhaśca rāvaṇena hato raṇe

'Jatayu destroyed Ravana's aerial chariot and put Maithili in a (safe) place. But being old and exhausted, he was killed in a combat by Ravana.

एवं गृध्रो हतस्तेन रावणेन बलीयसा। संस्कृतश्चापि रामेण गतश्च गतिमुत्तमाम्।।4.57.18।।

evaṃ gṛdhro hatastena rāvaṇena balīyasā| saṃskṛtaścāpi rāmeṇa gataśca gatimuttamām

'Thus the vulture was slain by Ravana who was stronger. Cremated by Rama and his last rites performed, he reached the supreme heavenly abode. (It was the luck of Jatayu, unlike Dasaratha, to be cremated by Rama.)

ततो मम पितृव्येण सुग्रीवेण महात्मना। चकार राघवस्सख्यं सोऽवधीत्पितरं मम।।4.57.19।।

tato mama pitṛvyeṇa sugrīveṇa mahātmanā| cakāra rāghavassakhyaṃ so'vadhītpitaraṃ mama

'Then Rama made friendship with my father's brother, great self Sugriva and killed my father.