Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 64

आख्याता गृध्रराजेन समुत्प्लुत्य प्लवङ्गमाः। सङ्गताः प्रीतिसंयुक्ता विनेदुर्भीमविक्रमाः।।4.64.1।।

ākhyātā gṛdhrarājena samutplutya plavaṅgamāḥ| saṅgatāḥ prītisaṃyuktā vinedurbhīmavikramāḥ

Hearing the words spoken by the king of vultures, the highly courageous monkeys assembled together and leaped with joyscreaming.

सम्पातेर्वचनं श्रुत्वा हरयो रावणक्षयम्। हृष्टास्सागरमाजग्मुस्सीतादर्शनकाङ्क्षिणः।।4.64.2।।

sampātervacanaṃ śrutvā harayo rāvaṇakṣayam| hṛṣṭāssāgaramājagmussītādarśanakāṅkṣiṇaḥ

On hearing the words of Sampati, the monkeys felt glad and, eager to see Sita, reached the ocean, the passage to the abode of Ravana.

अभिक्रम्य तु तं देशं ददृशुर्भीमविक्रमाः। कृत्स्नं लोकस्य महतः प्रतिबिम्बमिव स्थितम्।।4.64.3।।

abhikramya tu taṃ deśaṃ dadṛśurbhīmavikramāḥ| kṛtsnaṃ lokasya mahataḥ pratibimbamiva sthitam

Having reached the ocean, the monkeys, endowed with frightening courage, stood looking at the vast ocean which appeared like an image of the whole world.

दक्षिणस्य समुद्रस्य समासाद्योत्तरां दिशम्। सन्निवेशं ततश्चक्रुर्हरिवीरा महाबलाः।।4.64.4।।

dakṣiṇasya samudrasya samāsādyottarāṃ diśam| sanniveśaṃ tataścakrurharivīrā mahābalāḥ

Powerful and heroic monkeys assembled at the northern end of the southern ocean.

सत्त्वैर्महद्भिर्विकृतैः क्रीडद्भिर्विविधैर्जले। व्यात्तास्यैस्सुमहाकायैरूर्मिभिश्च समाकुलम्।।4.64.5।। प्रसुप्तमिव चान्यत्र क्रीडन्तमिव चान्यतः। क्वचित्पर्वतमात्रैश्च जलराशिभिरावृतम्।।4.64.6।। सङ्कुलं दानवेन्द्रैश्च पातालतलवासिभिः। रोमहर्षकरं दृष्ट्वा विषेदु: कपिकुञ्जराः।।4.64.7।।

sattvairmahadbhirvikṛtaiḥ krīḍadbhirvividhairjale| vyāttāsyaissumahākāyairūrmibhiśca samākulam prasuptamiva cānyatra krīḍantamiva cānyataḥ| kvacitparvatamātraiśca jalarāśibhirāvṛtam saṅkulaṃ dānavendraiśca pātālatalavāsibhiḥ| romaharṣakaraṃ dṛṣṭvā viṣedu: kapikuñjarāḥ

The ocean was of terrifying form filled with various violent species of grotesque creatures of huge bodies playing in the water. Full of violent tides, it appeared asleep at one place and apparently sporting in another. In some places it was rising as high as a mountain with huge volumes of water. It was as if roaring with the demon chiefs residing in the underworld. The great monkeys were worried seeing the huge ocean which created horripilation in them.

सत्त्वैर्महद्भिर्विकृतैः क्रीडद्भिर्विविधैर्जले। व्यात्तास्यैस्सुमहाकायैरूर्मिभिश्च समाकुलम्।।4.64.5।। प्रसुप्तमिव चान्यत्र क्रीडन्तमिव चान्यतः। क्वचित्पर्वतमात्रैश्च जलराशिभिरावृतम्।।4.64.6।। सङ्कुलं दानवेन्द्रैश्च पातालतलवासिभिः। रोमहर्षकरं दृष्ट्वा विषेदु: कपिकुञ्जराः।।4.64.7।।

sattvairmahadbhirvikṛtaiḥ krīḍadbhirvividhairjale| vyāttāsyaissumahākāyairūrmibhiśca samākulam prasuptamiva cānyatra krīḍantamiva cānyataḥ| kvacitparvatamātraiśca jalarāśibhirāvṛtam saṅkulaṃ dānavendraiśca pātālatalavāsibhiḥ| romaharṣakaraṃ dṛṣṭvā viṣedu: kapikuñjarāḥ

The ocean was of terrifying form filled with various violent species of grotesque creatures of huge bodies playing in the water. Full of violent tides, it appeared asleep at one place and apparently sporting in another. In some places it was rising as high as a mountain with huge volumes of water. It was as if roaring with the demon chiefs residing in the underworld. The great monkeys were worried seeing the huge ocean which created horripilation in them.

सत्त्वैर्महद्भिर्विकृतैः क्रीडद्भिर्विविधैर्जले। व्यात्तास्यैस्सुमहाकायैरूर्मिभिश्च समाकुलम्।।4.64.5।। प्रसुप्तमिव चान्यत्र क्रीडन्तमिव चान्यतः। क्वचित्पर्वतमात्रैश्च जलराशिभिरावृतम्।।4.64.6।। सङ्कुलं दानवेन्द्रैश्च पातालतलवासिभिः। रोमहर्षकरं दृष्ट्वा विषेदु: कपिकुञ्जराः।।4.64.7।।

sattvairmahadbhirvikṛtaiḥ krīḍadbhirvividhairjale| vyāttāsyaissumahākāyairūrmibhiśca samākulam prasuptamiva cānyatra krīḍantamiva cānyataḥ| kvacitparvatamātraiśca jalarāśibhirāvṛtam saṅkulaṃ dānavendraiśca pātālatalavāsibhiḥ| romaharṣakaraṃ dṛṣṭvā viṣedu: kapikuñjarāḥ

The ocean was of terrifying form filled with various violent species of grotesque creatures of huge bodies playing in the water. Full of violent tides, it appeared asleep at one place and apparently sporting in another. In some places it was rising as high as a mountain with huge volumes of water. It was as if roaring with the demon chiefs residing in the underworld. The great monkeys were worried seeing the huge ocean which created horripilation in them.

आकाशमिव दुष्पारं सागरं प्रेक्षय वानराः। विषेदु स्सहसासर्वे कथं कार्यमिति ब्रुवन्।।4.64.8।।

ākāśamiva duṣpāraṃ sāgaraṃ prekṣaya vānarāḥ| viṣedu ssahasāsarve kathaṃ kāryamiti bruvan

All the monkeys were worried when they suddenly saw the ocean which looked impassable like the sky. They wondered if they can at all accomplish the task (of finding Sita)

विषण्णां वाहिनीं दृष्ट्वा सागरस्य निरीक्षणात्। आश्वासयामास हरीन्भयार्तान् हरिसत्तमः।।4.64.9।।

viṣaṇṇāṃ vāhinīṃ dṛṣṭvā sāgarasya nirīkṣaṇāt| āśvāsayāmāsa harīnbhayārtān harisattamaḥ

Angada, the best among the monkeys saw the worried army despondent gazing at the ocean, and comforted the frightened troops.

तान्विषादेन महता विषण्णान्वानरर्षभान्। उवाच मतिमान्काले वालिसूनुर्महाबलः।।4.64.10।।

tānviṣādena mahatā viṣaṇṇānvānararṣabhān| uvāca matimānkāle vālisūnurmahābalaḥ

Angada,the strong and wise son of Vali, spoke thus to the tensed vanaras in the right time:

न विषादे मनः कार्यं विषादो दोषवत्तमः। विषादो हन्ति पुरुषं बालं क्रुद्ध इवोरगः।।4.64.11।।

na viṣāde manaḥ kāryaṃ viṣādo doṣavattamaḥ| viṣādo hanti puruṣaṃ bālaṃ kruddha ivoragaḥ

'Do not be despondent. It is the biggest flaw. It destroys a person like an angry serpent killing a young child.

यो विषादं प्रसहते विक्रमे पर्युपस्थिते। तेजसा तस्य हीनस्य पुरुषार्थो न सिध्यति।।4.64.12।।

yo viṣādaṃ prasahate vikrame paryupasthite| tejasā tasya hīnasya puruṣārtho na sidhyati

'If one succumbs to despondency while he has to exhibit his valour, his brilliance gets diminished and he does not succeed in his manly pursuits'.

तस्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायामङ्गदो वानरैस्सह। हरिवृद्धैस्समागम्य पुनर्मन्त्रममन्त्रयत्।।4.64.13।।

tasyāṃ rātryāṃ vyatītāyāmaṅgado vānaraissaha| harivṛddhaissamāgamya punarmantramamantrayat

With the night over, Angada joined the older monkeys again and sought their counsel.

सा वानराणां ध्वजिनी परिवार्याङ्गदं बभौ। वासवं परिवार्येव मरुतां वाहिनी स्थिता।।4.64.14।।

sā vānarāṇāṃ dhvajinī parivāryāṅgadaṃ babhau| vāsavaṃ parivāryeva marutāṃ vāhinī sthitā

The army of monkeys encircled Angada like the army of Maruts surrounding Indra.

कोऽन्यस्तां वानरीं सेनां शक्त:स्तम्भयितुं भवेत्। अन्यत्र वालितनयादन्यत्र च हनूमतः।।4.64.15।।

ko'nyastāṃ vānarīṃ senāṃ śakta:stambhayituṃ bhavet| anyatra vālitanayādanyatra ca hanūmataḥ

Who else other than the son of Vali and Hanuman can resist and pacify the monkeyarmy?

ततस्तान्हरिवृद्धांश्च तच्च सैन्यमरिन्दमः। अनुमान्याङ्गदश्श्रीमान्वाक्यमर्थवदब्रवीत्।।4.64.16।।

tatastānharivṛddhāṃśca tacca sainyamarindamaḥ| anumānyāṅgadaśśrīmānvākyamarthavadabravīt

Then the illustrious Angada, subduer of foes took the counsel of elderly monkeys and the army into confidence and thus addressed them all in meaningful words:

क इदानीं महातेजा लङ्घयिष्यति सागरम्। कः करिष्यति सुग्रीवं सत्यसन्धमरिन्दमम्।।4.64.17।।

ka idānīṃ mahātejā laṅghayiṣyati sāgaram| kaḥ kariṣyati sugrīvaṃ satyasandhamarindamam

'Now which mighty monkey will cross the ocean? Who will prove Sugriva, subduer of enemies, true to his promise?

को वीरो योजनशतं लङ्घयेत प्लवङ्गमाः। इमांश्च यूथपान् सर्वान्मोक्षयेत्को महाभयात्।।4.64.18।।

ko vīro yojanaśataṃ laṅghayeta plavaṅgamāḥ| imāṃśca yūthapān sarvānmokṣayetko mahābhayāt

'O monkeys which one can leap a hundred yojanas and liberate the monkey leaders from the great fear of Sugriva?

कस्य प्रभावाद्धारांश्च पुत्रांश्चैव गृहाणि च। इतो निवृत्ताः पश्येम सिद्धार्थास्सुखिनो वयम्।।4.64.19।।

kasya prabhāvāddhārāṃśca putrāṃścaiva gṛhāṇi ca| ito nivṛttāḥ paśyema siddhārthāssukhino vayam

'By whose effort can we be successful and return home happily from here to meet wives and sons?

कस्य प्रसादाद्रामं च लक्ष्मणं च महाबलम्। अभिगच्छेम संहृष्टास्सुग्रीवं च वनौकसम्।।4.64.20।।

kasya prasādādrāmaṃ ca lakṣmaṇaṃ ca mahābalam| abhigacchema saṃhṛṣṭāssugrīvaṃ ca vanaukasam

'By whose grace shall we approach Rama and Lakshmana and even the monkey king Sugriva happily?

यदि कश्चित्समर्थो वस्सागरप्लवने हरिः। स ददा त्विह न शशीघ्रं पुण्यामभयदक्षिणाम्।।4.64.21।।

yadi kaścitsamartho vassāgaraplavane hariḥ| sa dadā tviha na śaśīghraṃ puṇyāmabhayadakṣiṇām

'If there is any one among you who is capable of leaping across the ocean he will be giving all of us the sacred gift of life quickly?'

अङ्गदस्य वच श्शृत्वा न कश्चित् किञ्चिदब्रवीत्। स्तिमिते वा भवत्सर्वा सा तत्र हरिवाहिनी।।4.64.22।।

aṅgadasya vaca śśṛtvā na kaścit kiñcidabravīt| stimite vā bhavatsarvā sā tatra harivāhinī

After hearing Angada, no one spoke a word. The entire army of monkeys became still and motionless.

पुनरेवाङ्गदः प्राह तान्हरीन्हरिसत्तमः। सर्वे बलवतां श्रेष्ठा भवन्तो दृढविक्रमाः।।4.64.23।। व्यपदेश्य कुले जाताः पूजिताश्चाप्यभीक्ष्णशः।

punarevāṅgadaḥ prāha tānharīnharisattamaḥ| sarve balavatāṃ śreṣṭhā bhavanto dṛḍhavikramāḥ vyapadeśya kule jātāḥ pūjitāścāpyabhīkṣṇaśaḥ|

Angada, the best of the monkeys again addressed them saying, 'you are all mighty, eminent and courageous, born in renowned families and have been honoured again and again(for your actions).

न हि वो गमने सङ्गः कदाचित्कस्यचित्क्वचित्। ब्रुवध्वं यस्य या शक्तिः प्लवने प्लवगर्षभाः।।4.64.24।।

na hi vo gamane saṅgaḥ kadācitkasyacitkvacit| bruvadhvaṃ yasya yā śaktiḥ plavane plavagarṣabhāḥ

'None of you at any time have faced any obstruction in doing your deeds. You are efficient in leaping. O bulls among monkeys now speak out, who among you can fly and how far? इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये किष्किन्धाकाण्डे चतुष्षष्टितमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the sixtyfourth sarga in Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.