Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 46 of 67 · 24 verses
How Sugriva Knows the World
When the lords of the monkeys have gone, Rama says to Sugriva: “How do you know the whole circle of the earth?” Sugriva, bowing, answers Rama: “Listen; I will tell you everything in detail. When Valin drove the danava named Dundubhi, in the form of a buffalo, toward Mount Malaya, the buffalo entered a cave of Malaya, and Valin, wanting to kill him, entered Malaya too. I was posted there at the mouth of the cave, humbly. Valin did not come out, though a year passed. Then the cave filled with a rush of blood. Seeing it, I was amazed, tormented by the poison of grief for my brother. Then, my wits gone, thinking my elder clearly killed, I placed a rock like a mountain at the mouth of the cave: ‘Unable to come out, the buffalo will perish.’ Then, hopeless of his life, I came to Kishkindha, took the great kingdom and Tara along with Ruma, and lived there with my friends, free of fever. Then Valin, bull among monkeys, came back, having killed the buffalo. Then I gave him the kingdom, constrained by respect and fear. Wicked Valin, his senses agitated, wanting to kill me, drove me as I fled with my ministers. Pursued by that Valin I ran, seeing rivers of many kinds, forests and cities. Then the earth seemed to me like the surface of a mirror, like a whirling firebrand, made as small as a cow’s hoofprint. Going to the east, I saw many kinds of trees, lovely mountains with caves and many lakes. There I saw the mountain of sunrise, adorned with minerals, and the milk ocean, always the home of apsarases. Driven and chased by Valin, I turned back suddenly and set out again, lord. From that direction I set out again to the south, covered with Vindhya trees, adorned with sandal trees. Seeing it among the trees and mountains, chased by Valin, I came again from the south to the west. Seeing many lands and the best of mountains, Asta, and reaching that best mountain Asta, I ran north: Himavan and Meru and the northern ocean. When, chased by Valin, I found no refuge, wise Hanuman said to me: ‘Now I remember, king, how Valin, lord of the monkeys, was cursed by Matanga: if Valin should enter this circle of the hermitage, his head would burst into a hundred pieces. Living there will be pleasant and untroubled for us.’ Then, prince, we reached Mount Rishyamuka, and Valin did not enter it then, for fear of Matanga. So, king, I saw the whole circle of the earth with my own eyes, and then came to the cave.”
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गतेषु वानरेन्द्रेषु रामः सुग्रीवमब्रवीत् । कथं भवान् विजानीते सर्वं वै मण्डलं भुवः ॥ १ ॥
When the lords of the monkeys had gone, Rama said to Sugriva: “How do you know the whole circle of the earth?”
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सुग्रीवश्च ततो राममुवाच प्रणतात्मवान् । श्रूयतां सर्वमाख्यास्ये विस्तरेण वचो मम ॥ २ ॥
And Sugriva then, bowing, said to Rama: “Let it be heard; I will tell all my account in detail.
यदा तु दुन्दुभिं नाम दानवं महिषाकृतिम् । प्रतिकालयते वाली मलयं प्रति पर्वतम् ॥ ३ ॥
“When Valin drove the danava named Dundubhi, in the form of a buffalo, toward Mount Malaya,
तदा विवेश महिषो मलयस्य गुहां प्रति । विवेश वाली तत्रापि मलयं तज्जिघांसया ॥ ४ ॥
“then the buffalo entered a cave of Malaya. Valin too entered there, Malaya, wishing to kill him.
ततोऽहं तत्र निक्षिप्तो गुहाद्वारि विनीतवत् । न च निष्क्रामते वाली तदा संवत्सरे गते ॥ ५ ॥
“Then I was posted there at the mouth of the cave, humbly. And Valin did not come out, then, when a year had passed.
ततः क्षतजवेगेन आपुपूरे तदा बिलम् । तदहं विस्मितो दृष्ट्वा भ्रातुः शोकविषार्दितः ॥ ६ ॥
“Then the hole was filled with a rush of blood. Seeing that, I was amazed, tormented by the poison of grief for my brother.
अथाहं गतबुद्धिस्तु सुव्यक्तं निहतो गुरुः । शिला पर्वतसंकाशा बिलद्वारि मया कृता ॥ ७ ॥
“Then I, my wits gone, ‘clearly my elder is killed’, made a rock like a mountain at the mouth of the hole:
अशक्नुवन्निष्क्रमितुं महिषो विनशिष्यति । ततोऽहमागां किष्किन्धां निराशस्तस्य जीविते ॥ ८ ॥
“’Unable to come out, the buffalo will perish.’ Then I came to Kishkindha, hopeless of his life.
राज्यं च सुमहत् प्राप्य तारां च रुमया सह । मित्रैश्च सहितस्तत्र वसामि विगतज्वरः ॥ ९ ॥
“And having won the very great kingdom, and Tara with Ruma, I lived there with friends, free of fever.
आजगाम ततो वाली हत्वा तं वानरर्षभः । ततोऽहमददां राज्यं गौरवाद् भययन्त्रितः ॥ १० ॥
“Then Valin, bull among monkeys, came, having killed him. Then I gave the kingdom, constrained by respect and fear.
स मां जिघांसुर्दुष्टात्मा वाली प्रव्यथितेन्द्रियः । परिकालयते वाली धावन्तं सचिवैः सह ॥ ११ ॥
“He, wishing to kill me, wicked Valin, his senses agitated, drove me as I ran with my ministers.
ततोऽहं वालिना तेन सोऽनुबद्धः प्रधावितः । नदीश्च विविधाः पश्यन् वनानि नगराणि च ॥ १२ ॥
“Then I, pursued by that Valin, ran, seeing rivers of many kinds, forests and cities.
आदर्शतलसंकाशा ततो वै पृथिवी मया । अलातचक्रप्रतिमा दृष्टा गोष्पदवत् कृता ॥ १३ ॥
“Then the earth was seen by me like the surface of a mirror, like a whirling firebrand, made like a cow’s hoofprint.
पूर्वां दिशं ततो गत्वा पश्यामि विविधान् द्रुमान् । पर्वतान् सदरीन् रम्यान् सरांसि विविधानि च ॥ १४ ॥
“Then, going to the eastern direction, I saw trees of many kinds, lovely mountains with caves, and lakes of many kinds.
उदयं तत्र पश्यामि पर्वतं धातुमण्डितम् । क्षीरोदं सागरं चैव नित्यमप्सरसालयम् ॥ १५ ॥
“There I saw the mountain of sunrise, adorned with minerals, and the milk ocean, the abode of apsarases always.
परिकाल्यमानस्तु तदा वालिनाभिद्रुतो ह्यहम् । पुनरावृत्य सहसा प्रस्थितोऽहं तदा विभो ॥ १६ ॥
“Being driven then, chased by Valin, turning back suddenly, I set out then, lord.
दिशस्तस्यास्ततो भूयः प्रस्थितो दक्षिणां दिशम् । विन्ध्यपादपसंकीर्णां चन्दनद्रुमशोभिताम् ॥ १७ ॥
“From that direction again I set out to the southern direction, crowded with Vindhya trees, adorned with sandal trees.
द्रुमशैलान्तरे पश्यन् भूयो दक्षिणतोऽपराम् । अपरां च दिशं प्राप्तो वालिना समभिद्रुतः ॥ १८ ॥
“Seeing among trees and mountains, again from the south to the other, I reached the western direction, chased by Valin.
स पश्यन् विविधान् देशानस्तं च गिरिसत्तमम् । प्राप्य चास्तं गिरिश्रेष्ठमुत्तरं सम्प्रधावितः ॥ १९ ॥
“Seeing many lands and Asta, best of mountains, and reaching Asta, best of mountains, I ran north.
हिमवन्तं च मेरुं च समुद्रं च तथोत्तरम् । यदा न विन्दे शरणं वालिना समभिद्रुतः ॥ २० ॥
“Himavan and Meru and the northern ocean: when, chased by Valin, I found no refuge,
ततो मां बुद्धिसम्पन्नो हनुमान् वाक्यमब्रवीत् । इदानीं मे स्मृतं राजन् यथा वाली हरीश्वरः ॥ २१ ॥
“then wise Hanuman said words to me: ‘Now I remember, king, how Valin, lord of the monkeys,
मतङ्गेन तदा शप्तो ह्यस्मिन्नाश्रममण्डले । प्रविशेद् यदि वै वाली मूर्धास्य शतधा भवेत् ॥ २२ ॥
“’was cursed then by Matanga: if Valin should enter this circle of the hermitage, his head would become a hundred pieces.
तत्र वासः सुखोऽस्माकं निरुद्विग्नो भविष्यति । ततः पर्वतमासाद्य ऋष्यमूकं नृपात्मज ॥ २३ ॥
“’There our living will be pleasant and untroubled.’ Then, reaching Mount Rishyamuka, prince,
न विवेश तदा वाली मतङ्गस्य भयात् तदा । एवं मया तदा राजन् प्रत्यक्षमुपलक्षितम् । पृथिवीमण्डलं सर्वं गुहामस्म्यागतस्ततः ॥ २४ ॥
“Valin did not enter then, from fear of Matanga. So, king, the whole circle of the earth was perceived by me then with my own eyes; then I came to the cave.”