Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 56 of 67 · 24 verses
Sampati Appears
As all the monkeys sit fasting on that mountain ground, the king of the vultures comes to that place: a long-lived bird named Sampati, Jatayu’s glorious brother, famous for his strength and manhood. Coming out of a cave of the great Vindhya mountain and seeing the monkeys sitting there, he says gladly: “Fate, they say, follows a man in the world by its own ordering, since this food ordained for me has come to me after a long time. I will eat these monkeys one after another as each one dies.” So says the bird, looking at the leapers. Hearing the words of that bird, greedy for food, Angada, deeply distressed, says to Hanuman: “See: on the pretext of Sita, Yama himself, son of Vivasvat, has come to this place for the destruction of the monkeys. Rama’s task is not done, nor the king’s command, and this unknown calamity has suddenly come upon the monkeys. You have heard in full what Jatayu, king of the vultures, did there, wishing to please Vaidehi. So all beings, even those born as animals, do what pleases Rama, giving up their lives as we are. Bound by love and compassion they help one another; so, for his sake, give up your lives yourselves. Righteous Jatayu did what pleased Rama; we, worn out for Raghava’s sake, have given up our lives. We have gone into wildernesses and do not see Maithili. That king of the vultures is happy, killed in battle by Ravana; he is free of fear of Sugriva and has gone to the highest state. Through the death of Jatayu and of King Dasharatha and the abduction of Vaidehi, the monkeys have come into danger: the dwelling of Rama and Lakshmana with Sita in the forest, the killing of Valin by Raghava’s arrow, and the killing of all the rakshasas through Rama’s anger: all this disorder was brought about by Kaikeyi’s boon.” Hearing these painful words, and seeing the monkeys fallen on the ground, the great-minded king of the vultures, his mind greatly alarmed, speaks piteously. Hearing those words come from Angada’s mouth, the sharp-beaked vulture with a loud voice says: “Who is this who proclaims the killing of Jatayu, my brother, dearer to me than my life, as if shaking my mind? How did the fight between the rakshasa and the vulture happen in Janasthana? Today, after a long time, I have heard my brother’s name. I would like you to help me down from this mountain stronghold. I am delighted, after a very long time, to hear of my younger brother, who knew virtue and was praiseworthy for his valour. So I want to hear, bulls among monkeys, of the death of my brother Jatayu, who lived in Janasthana, and how Dasharatha was my brother’s friend, whose dear eldest son is Rama, beloved of his elders. Because my wings were burned by the rays of the sun, I cannot move. I want to come down from this mountain, tamers of foes.”
Press › to begin with verse 1.
उपविष्टास्तु ते सर्वे यस्मिन् प्रायं गिरिस्थले । हरयो गृध्रराजश्च तं देशमुपचक्रमे ॥ १ ॥
As all those monkeys sat fasting on that mountain ground, the king of the vultures came to that place,
Commentary on the whole sarga
Sampati Appears 1 min read.
Read the commentary
सम्पातिर्नाम नाम्ना तु चिरजीवी विहंगमः । भ्राता जटायुषः श्रीमान् विख्यातबलपौरुषः ॥ २ ॥
a long-lived bird named Sampati, brother of Jatayu, glorious, famed for strength and manhood.
कन्दरादभिनिष्क्रम्य स विन्ध्यस्य महागिरेः । उपविष्टान् हरीन् दृष्ट्वा हृष्टात्मा गिरमब्रवीत् ॥ ३ ॥
Coming out of a cave of the great Vindhya mountain, seeing the monkeys seated, he spoke words with a glad heart:
विधिः किल नरं लोके विधानेनानुवर्तते । यथायं विहितो भक्ष्यश्चिरान्मह्यमुपागतः ॥ ४ ॥
“Fate, they say, follows a man in the world by its ordering, as this food ordained has come to me after a long time.
परम्पराणां भक्षिष्ये वानराणां मृतं मृतम् । उवाचैतद् वचः पक्षी तान् निरीक्ष्य प्लवंगमान् ॥ ५ ॥
“I will eat the monkeys in succession, each as he dies.” The bird said these words, looking at those leapers.
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा भक्ष्यलुब्धस्य पक्षिणः । अङ्गदः परमायस्तो हनूमन्तमथाब्रवीत् ॥ ६ ॥
Hearing those words of that bird greedy for food, Angada, deeply distressed, then said to Hanuman:
पश्य सीतापदेशेन साक्षाद् वैवस्वतो यमः । इमं देशमनुप्राप्तो वानराणां विपत्तये ॥ ७ ॥
“See: on the pretext of Sita, Yama himself, son of Vivasvat, has come to this place for the destruction of the monkeys.
रामस्य न कृतं कार्यं न कृतं राजशासनम् । हरीणामियमज्ञाता विपत्तिः सहसाऽऽगता ॥ ८ ॥
“Rama’s task is not done, nor the king’s command; this unknown calamity has suddenly come upon the monkeys.
वैदेह्याः प्रियकामेन कृतं कर्म जटायुषा । गृध्रराजेन यत् तत्र श्रुतं वस्तदशेषतः ॥ ९ ॥
“The deed done by Jatayu, king of the vultures, wishing to please Vaidehi, which happened there, was heard by you in full.
तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि तिर्यग्योनिगतान्यपि । प्रियं कुर्वन्ति रामस्य त्यक्त्वा प्राणान् यथा वयम् ॥ १० ॥
“So all beings, even those gone into animal births, do what pleases Rama, giving up their lives, as we do.
अन्योन्यमुपकुर्वन्ति स्नेहकारुण्ययन्त्रिताः । ततस्तस्योपकारार्थं त्यजतात्मानमात्मना ॥ ११ ॥
“Bound by love and compassion, they help one another. So for his help, give up yourselves by yourselves.
प्रियं कृतं हि रामस्य धर्मज्ञेन जटायुषा । राघवार्थे परिश्रान्ता वयं संत्यक्तजीविताः ॥ १२ ॥
“What pleased Rama was done by righteous Jatayu. Worn out for Raghava’s sake, we have given up our lives.
कान्ताराणि प्रपन्नाः स्म न च पश्याम मैथिलीम् । स सुखी गृध्रराजस्तु रावणेन हतो रणे । मुक्तश्च सुग्रीवभयाद् गतश्च परमां गतिम् ॥ १३ ॥
“We have gone into wildernesses and do not see Maithili. But that king of the vultures is happy, killed by Ravana in battle, freed from fear of Sugriva, and gone to the highest state.
जटायुषो विनाशेन राज्ञो दशरथस्य च । हरणेन च वैदेह्याः संशयं हरयो गताः ॥ १४ ॥
“By the destruction of Jatayu and of King Dasharatha, and by the carrying off of Vaidehi, the monkeys have come into danger:
रामलक्ष्मणयोर्वासमरण्ये सह सीतया । राघवस्य च बाणेन वालिनश्च तथा वधः ॥ १५ ॥
“the dwelling of Rama and Lakshmana in the forest with Sita, and the killing of Valin by Raghava’s arrow,
रामकोपादशेषाणां रक्षसां च तथा वधम् । कैकेय्या वरदानेन इदं च विकृतं कृतम् ॥ १६ ॥
“and the killing of all the rakshasas from Rama’s anger: this disorder was brought about by the giving of Kaikeyi’s boon.”
तदसुखमनुकीर्तितं वचो भुवि पतितांश्च निरीक्ष्य वानरान् । भृशचकितमतिर्महामतिः कृपणमुदाहृतवान् स गृध्रराजः ॥ १७ ॥
Seeing these painful words recounted, and the monkeys fallen on the ground, the great-minded king of the vultures, his mind greatly alarmed, spoke piteously.
तत् तु श्रुत्वा तथा वाक्यमङ्गदस्य मुखोद्गतम् । अब्रवीद् वचनं गृध्रस्तीक्ष्णतुण्डो महास्वनः ॥ १८ ॥
Hearing those words so come from Angada’s mouth, the vulture with sharp beak and loud voice spoke these words:
कोऽयं गिरा घोषयति प्राणैः प्रियतरस्य मे । जटायुषो वधं भ्रातुः कम्पयन्निव मे मनः ॥ १९ ॥
“Who is this who proclaims with his voice the killing of Jatayu, my brother, dearer than my life, as if shaking my mind?
कथमासीज्जनस्थाने युद्धं राक्षसगृध्रयोः । नामधेयमिदं भ्रातुश्चिरस्याद्य मया श्रुतम् ॥ २० ॥
“How was there a fight in Janasthana between a rakshasa and a vulture? This name of my brother has been heard by me today after a long time.
इच्छेयं गिरिदुर्गाच्च भवद्भिरवतारितुम् । यवीयसो गुणज्ञस्य श्लाघनीयस्य विक्रमैः ॥ २१ ॥
“I would wish to be brought down by you from the mountain stronghold. Of my younger brother, knower of virtues, praiseworthy for his valours,
अतिदीर्घस्य कालस्य परितुष्टोऽस्मि कीर्तनात् । तदिच्छेयमहं श्रोतुं विनाशं वानरर्षभाः ॥ २२ ॥
“I am delighted by the mention after a very long time. So I wish to hear, bulls among monkeys, of the destruction
भ्रातुर्जटायुषस्तस्य जनस्थाननिवासिनः । तस्यैव च मम भ्रातुः सखा दशरथः कथम् ॥ २३ ॥
“of that brother of mine, Jatayu, who dwelt in Janasthana, and how Dasharatha was the friend of that same brother of mine,
यस्य रामः प्रियः पुत्रो ज्येष्ठो गुरुजनप्रियः । सूर्यांशुदग्धपक्षत्वान्न शक्नोमि विसर्पितुम् । इच्छेयं पर्वतादस्मादवतर्तुमरिंदमाः ॥ २४ ॥
“whose dear son is Rama, the eldest, dear to his elders. From having my wings burned by the sun’s rays I cannot move. I would wish to come down from this mountain, tamers of foes.”