Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 52 of 67 · 32 verses
Svayamprabha Brings Them Out
Then the ascetic woman who walks in dharma, attentive, says to all the rested leaders of monkey troops: “Monkeys, if your weariness has gone by eating the fruits, and if it may be told to me, I wish to hear your story.” Hearing her, Hanuman, son of the wind, begins to tell it truly and straightforwardly: “The king of the whole world, like great Indra and Varuna, glorious Rama, son of Dasharatha, entered the Dandaka forest with his brother Lakshmana and his wife Vaidehi. His wife was carried off by force from Janasthana by Ravana. The friend of that king is a hero, a monkey named Sugriva, king of the chief monkeys, by whom we were sent to the southern quarter frequented by Agastya and guarded by Yama, with these chief monkeys led by Angada, with the order: ‘Together, all of you, search for Ravana, the rakshasa who takes any form at will, and for Sita Vaidehi.’ Having searched the whole forest and the ocean in the southern direction, we were all hungry and took shelter at the foot of a tree, all of us pale-faced, all lost in thought, sunk in a great ocean of anxiety and finding no far shore. Then, casting our eyes about, we saw a great cave covered with creepers and trees, wrapped in darkness. From it came swans wet with water, with drops of water on their wings, ospreys, cranes and other birds. ‘Well, let us go in here,’ I told the leapers, and all of them came to the same conclusion. Then all of us, hurrying with our task, plunged into it, holding each other tightly by the hand. So we entered this dark cave suddenly. This is our task; this is the work for which we came. All of us came to you, worn out and hungry, and ate the roots and fruits given by the law of hospitality, tormented by hunger as we were. Since you have saved us all when we were dying of hunger, tell us what the monkeys can do for you in return.” Spoken to so by the monkeys, all-knowing Svayamprabha answers all those leaders of monkey troops: “I am pleased with all of you swift monkeys. As I walk in dharma, I have no need of anything here.” Hearing the ascetic’s good words, joined with dharma, Hanuman says to her of blameless eyes: “We have all come to you, who walk in dharma, for refuge. The time fixed for us by great-souled Sugriva has passed while we wandered in the cave. You should bring us out of this cave. We have overstepped Sugriva’s command and our lives are forfeit; save us all, afraid of Sugriva. We have a great task to do, you who walk in dharma, and it has not been done while we stayed here.” Spoken to so by Hanuman, the ascetic says: “I think it hard for one who has entered here to return alive. But by the great power of my austerity, won through my vows, I will bring all the monkeys out of this cave. Close your eyes, all you bulls among monkeys; it is not possible to go out with open eyes.” Then, delighted, longing to go, all of them quickly cover their eyes with their delicate-fingered hands. In the space of a blink, she brings the great-souled monkeys, their faces covered with their hands, out of the cave. Having comforted them, now out of that rough place, the ascetic who walks in dharma says to them all: “This is the glorious Vindhya mountain, full of many trees and creepers; this is Mount Prasravana; this is the great ocean. May all be well with you; I will go home, bulls among monkeys.” Having said this, Svayamprabha enters her glorious cave.
Press › to begin with verse 1.
अथ तानब्रवीत् सर्वान् विश्रान्तान् हरियूथपान् । इदं वचनमेकाग्रा तापसी धर्मचारिणी ॥ १ ॥
Then the ascetic woman walking in dharma, attentive, spoke these words to all those leaders of monkey troops, rested:
Commentary on the whole sarga
Svayamprabha Brings Them Out 1 min read.
Read the commentary
वानरा यदि वः खेदः प्रणष्टः फलभक्षणात् । यदि चैतन्मया श्राव्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तां कथाम् ॥ २ ॥
“Monkeys, if your weariness has vanished from eating the fruits, and if this is to be made heard by me, I wish to hear that story.”
तस्यास्तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा हनूमान् मारुतात्मजः । आर्जवेन यथातत्त्वमाख्यातुमुपचक्रमे ॥ ३ ॥
Hearing those words of hers, Hanuman, son of the wind, began to tell it straightforwardly, as it truly was:
राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य महेन्द्रवरुणोपमः । रामो दाशरथिः श्रीमान् प्रविष्टो दण्डकावनम् ॥ ४ ॥
“The king of the whole world, like great Indra and Varuna, glorious Rama, son of Dasharatha, entered the Dandaka forest,
लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा वैदेह्या सह भार्यया । तस्य भार्या जनस्थानाद् रावणेन हृता बलात् ॥ ५ ॥
“with his brother Lakshmana and his wife Vaidehi. His wife was carried off from Janasthana by force by Ravana.
वीरस्तस्य सखा राज्ञः सुग्रीवो नाम वानरः । राजा वानरमुख्यानां येन प्रस्थापिता वयम् ॥ ६ ॥
“The friend of that king is a hero, a monkey named Sugriva, king of the chief monkeys, by whom we were sent
अगस्त्यचरितामाशां दक्षिणां यमरक्षिताम् । सहैभिर्वानरैर्मुख्यैरङ्गदप्रमुखैर्वयम् ॥ ७ ॥
“to the southern quarter frequented by Agastya, guarded by Yama, we with these chief monkeys led by Angada:
रावणं सहिताः सर्वे राक्षसं कामरूपिणम् । सीतया सह वैदेह्या मार्गध्वमिति चोदिताः ॥ ८ ॥
“’Together, all of you, search for Ravana, the rakshasa taking forms at will, with Sita Vaidehi’: so we were urged.
विचित्य तु वनं सर्वं समुद्रं दक्षिणां दिशम् । वयं बुभुक्षिताः सर्वे वृक्षमूलमुपाश्रिताः ॥ ९ ॥
“Having searched the whole forest and the ocean in the southern direction, we, all hungry, took shelter at the foot of a tree,
विवर्णवदनाः सर्वे सर्वे ध्यानपरायणाः । नाधिगच्छामहे पारं मग्नाश्चिन्तामहार्णवे ॥ १० ॥
“all pale-faced, all given over to brooding; sunk in a great ocean of anxiety, we did not reach the far shore.
चारयन्तस्ततश्चक्षुर्दृष्टवन्तो महद् बिलम् । लतापादपसंछन्नं तिमिरेण समावृतम् ॥ ११ ॥
“Then, casting our eyes about, we saw a great cave, covered with creepers and trees, wrapped in darkness.
अस्माद्धंसा जलक्लिन्नाः पक्षैः सलिलरेणुभिः । कुरराः सारसाश्चैव निष्पतन्ति पतत्त्रिणः ॥ १२ ॥
“From it swans wet with water, with drops of water on their wings, ospreys and cranes too, birds, flew out.
साध्वत्र प्रविशामेति मया तूक्ताः प्लवङ्गमाः । तेषामपि हि सर्वेषामनुमानमुपागतम् ॥ १३ ॥
“’Well, let us enter here’: so the leapers were told by me. And the inference of all of them too came to the same.
अस्मिन् निपतिताः सर्वेऽप्यथ कार्यत्वरान्विताः । ततो गाढं निपतिता गृह्य हस्तैः परस्परम् ॥ १४ ॥
“Then all of us plunged into it, joined with haste for the task; then, plunging deep, holding each other by the hand,
इदं प्रविष्टाः सहसा बिलं तिमिरसंवृतम् । एतन्नः कार्यमेतेन कृत्येन वयमागताः ॥ १५ ॥
“we entered this cave suddenly, covered in darkness. This is our task; for this work we came.
त्वां चैवोपगताः सर्वे परिद्यूना बुभुक्षिताः । आतिथ्यधर्मदत्तानि मूलानि च फलानि च ॥ १६ ॥
“And we all came to you, worn out, hungry. The roots and fruits given by the law of hospitality
अस्माभिरुपयुक्तानि बुभुक्षापरिपीडितैः । यत् त्वया रक्षिताः सर्वे म्रियमाणा बुभुक्षया ॥ १७ ॥
“were eaten by us, tormented by hunger. Since we were all saved by you, dying of hunger,
ब्रूहि प्रत्युपकारार्थं किं ते कुर्वन्तु वानराः । एवमुक्ता तु सर्वज्ञा वानरैस्तैः स्वयंप्रभा ॥ १८ ॥
“say what the monkeys may do for you in repayment.” Spoken to so by those monkeys, all-knowing Svayamprabha
प्रत्युवाच ततः सर्वानिदं वानरयूथपान् । सर्वेषां परितुष्टास्मि वानराणां तरस्विनाम् ॥ १९ ॥
then replied to all those leaders of monkey troops: “I am pleased with all you swift monkeys.
चरन्त्या मम धर्मेण न कार्यमिह केनचित् । एवमुक्तः शुभं वाक्यं तापस्या धर्मसंहितम् ॥ २० ॥
“For me, walking by dharma, there is no need of anything here.” Spoken to so, the good words of the ascetic, joined with dharma,
उवाच हनुमान् वाक्यं तामनिन्दितलोचनाम् । शरणं त्वां प्रपन्नाः स्मः सर्वे वै धर्मचारिणीम् ॥ २१ ॥
Hanuman spoke words to her of blameless eyes: “We have all come for refuge to you, who walk in dharma.
यः कृतः समयोऽस्मासु सुग्रीवेण महात्मना । स तु कालो व्यतिक्रान्तो बिले च परिवर्तताम् ॥ २२ ॥
“The agreement that was made with us by great-souled Sugriva, that time has passed while we wandered in the cave.
सा त्वमस्माद् बिलादस्मानुत्तारयितुमर्हसि । तस्मात् सुग्रीववचनादतिक्रान्तान् गतायुषः ॥ २३ ॥
“You should bring us out of this cave. Therefore, having overstepped Sugriva’s word, our lives gone,
त्रातुमर्हसि नः सर्वान् सुग्रीवभयशङ्कितान् । महच्च कार्यमस्माभिः कर्तव्यं धर्मचारिणि ॥ २४ ॥
“you should save us all, afraid of Sugriva. And a great task is to be done by us, you who walk in dharma,
तच्चापि न कृतं कार्यमस्माभिरिह वासिभिः । एवमुक्ता हनुमता तापसी वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ २५ ॥
“and that task has not been done by us living here.” Spoken to so by Hanuman, the ascetic spoke these words:
जीवता दुष्करं मन्ये प्रविष्टेन निवर्तितुम् । तपसः सुप्रभावेण नियमोपार्जितेन च ॥ २६ ॥
“I think it hard for one living who has entered to return. But by the great power of austerity, won through vows,
सर्वानेव बिलादस्मात् तारयिष्यामि वानरान् । निमीलयत चक्षूंषि सर्वे वानरपुङ्गवाः ॥ २७ ॥
“I will bring all the monkeys out of this cave. Close your eyes, all you bulls among monkeys.
नहि निष्क्रमितुं शक्यमनिमीलितलोचनैः । ततो निमीलिताः सर्वे सुकुमाराङ्गुलैः करैः ॥ २८ ॥
“For it is not possible to go out with eyes not closed.” Then all, closing them, with hands of delicate fingers,
सहसा पिदधुर्दृष्टिं हृष्टा गमनकांक्षया । वानरास्तु महात्मानो हस्तरुद्धमुखास्तदा ॥ २९ ॥
suddenly covered their sight, delighted, longing to go. And the great-souled monkeys, their faces covered by hands then,
निमेषान्तरमात्रेण बिलादुत्तारितास्तया । उवाच सर्वांस्तांस्तत्र तापसी धर्मचारिणी ॥ ३० ॥
in the space of a blink were brought out of the cave by her. The ascetic walking in dharma spoke to all of them there;
निःसृतान् विषमात् तस्मात् समाश्वास्येदमब्रवीत् । एष विन्ध्यो गिरिः श्रीमान् नानाद्रुमलतायुतः ॥ ३१ ॥
having comforted them, come out of that rough place, she said this: “This is the glorious Vindhya mountain, joined with many kinds of trees and creepers;
एष प्रस्रवणः शैलः सागरोऽयं महोदधिः । स्वस्ति वोऽस्तु गमिष्यामि भवनं वानरर्षभाः । इत्युक्त्वा तद् बिलं श्रीमत् प्रविवेश स्वयंप्रभा ॥ ३२ ॥
“this is Mount Prasravana; this is the ocean, the great store of waters. May you be well; I will go home, bulls among monkeys.” Having said this, Svayamprabha entered that glorious cave.