Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 59 of 67 · 28 verses
Sampati’s Son Suparshva Saw Ravana
Hearing those nectar-sweet words spoken by the king of the vultures, the bulls among leapers are delighted. Jambavan, best of monkeys, rising suddenly from the ground with all the leapers, says to the king of the vultures: “Where is Sita? Who saw her? Who carried off Maithili? Tell us everything; be the refuge of the forest-dwellers. Who does not think of the valour of the arrows of Dasharatha’s son, falling with the force of the thunderbolt, and of those loosed by Lakshmana himself?” Pleased, comforting again the monkeys, freed from their fast and intent on hearing of Sita, Sampati says: “Hear how I learned of Vaidehi’s abduction, who told me of it, and where the large-eyed one is. Long ago I fell on this mountain stronghold, many yojanas wide, old, my breath and valour wasted. In this state my son, named Suparshva, best of birds, feeds me in due time. Gandharvas are sharp in desire, serpents sharp in anger, deer sharp in fear, and so we are sharp in hunger. Once, when I was tormented by hunger and longing for food, my son came at the end of the day without meat. Pained by my lack of food, that increaser of joy, appeasing me, told me truly: ‘Father, I flew up into the sky at the proper time looking for meat and settled at the gate of Mount Mahendra, alone, face down, to block the path of thousands of creatures moving through the ocean. There I saw someone like a heap of crushed collyrium going along carrying a woman radiant as the sunrise. Seeing them, I made up my mind to have them as food; but he begged me humbly, with conciliation, for passage. On earth there is no one, even among the low, who strikes those who come with conciliation; how much less one like me, father. He went off through the sky with speed, as if compressing it with his splendour. Then I was honoured by beings who move through the sky, and the great seers said to me, “By good fortune Sita is alive. Somehow he has passed you with his wife; you are safe, no doubt.” So I was told by those very radiant siddhas, and they told me that he was Ravana, king of the rakshasas. I saw the wife of Rama, son of Dasharatha, Janaka’s daughter, her ornaments and silk fallen away, overcome by the force of grief, her hair loose, crying out the names of Rama and Lakshmana. That is why I am late, father.’ So the best of speakers, Suparshva, told me the whole matter. Even having heard it, I had no thought of valour; how could a wingless bird undertake any deed? But hear what I can do, living by the qualities of speech and understanding; I will tell you what rests on your manhood. With words and wisdom I will do what pleases all of you, for whatever is the work of Dasharatha’s son is mine, no doubt. You are the best in understanding, strong, high-minded, sent by the king of the monkeys, hard to resist even for the gods. And the heron-feathered arrows of Rama and Lakshmana are made able to protect or subdue all three worlds. Dashagriva may be full of splendour and strength, but nothing is hard for able ones like you. So enough of delay; let a firm decision be made. Wise ones like you do not falter in action.”
Press › to begin with verse 1.
ततस्तदमृतास्वादं गृध्रराजेन भाषितम् । निशम्य वदता हृष्टास्ते वचः प्लवगर्षभाः ॥ १ ॥
Then, hearing those words, nectar-tasting, spoken by the king of the vultures, the bulls among leapers, speaking, were delighted.
Commentary on the whole sarga
Sampati’s Son Suparshva Saw Ravana 1 min read.
Read the commentary
जाम्बवान् वानरश्रेष्ठः सह सर्वैः प्लवङ्गमैः । भूतलात् सहसोत्थाय गृध्रराजानमब्रवीत् ॥ २ ॥
Jambavan, best of monkeys, with all the leapers, rising suddenly from the ground, said to the king of the vultures:
क्व सीता केन वा दृष्टा को वा हरति मैथिलीम् । तदाख्यातु भवान् सर्वं गतिर्भव वनौकसाम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Where is Sita, or by whom was she seen, or who carries off Maithili? Let you tell all that; be the refuge of the forest-dwellers.
को दाशरथिबाणानां वज्रवेगनिपातिनाम् । स्वयं लक्ष्मणमुक्तानां न चिन्तयति विक्रमम् ॥ ४ ॥
“Who does not think of the valour of the arrows of Dasharatha’s son, falling with the force of the vajra, and of those loosed by Lakshmana himself?”
स हरीन् प्रतिसम्मुक्तान् सीताश्रुतिसमाहितान् । पुनराश्वासयन् प्रीत इदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ ५ ॥
He, comforting again the monkeys freed from their fast, intent on the hearing of Sita, pleased, spoke these words:
श्रूयतामिह वैदेह्या यथा मे हरणं श्रुतम् । येन चापि ममाख्यातं यत्र चायतलोचना ॥ ६ ॥
“Let it be heard here how the abduction of Vaidehi was heard by me, and by whom it was told me, and where the large-eyed one is.
अहमस्मिन् गिरौ दुर्गे बहुयोजनमायते । चिरान्निपतितो वृद्धः क्षीणप्राणपराक्रमः ॥ ७ ॥
“I fell long ago on this mountain stronghold, extending many yojanas, old, my breath and valour wasted.
तं मामेवंगतं पुत्रः सुपार्श्वो नाम नामतः । आहारेण यथाकालं बिभर्ति पततां वरः ॥ ८ ॥
“Me, so gone, my son named Suparshva by name, best of birds, supports with food at the right time.
तीक्ष्णकामास्तु गन्धर्वास्तीक्ष्णकोपा भुजङ्गमाः । मृगाणां तु भयं तीक्ष्णं ततस्तीक्ष्णक्षुधा वयम् ॥ ९ ॥
“Gandharvas are sharp in desire, serpents sharp in anger, deer sharp in fear, and so we are sharp in hunger.
स कदाचित् क्षुधार्तस्य ममाहाराभिकांक्षिणः । गतसूर्येऽहनि प्राप्तो मम पुत्रो ह्यनामिषः ॥ १० ॥
“Once, when I was tormented by hunger, longing for food, at the end of day when the sun had gone, my son arrived without meat.
स मयाऽऽहारसंरोधात् पीडितः प्रीतिवर्धनः । अनुमान्य यथातत्त्वमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ ११ ॥
“He, pained by me through the stopping of food, the increaser of joy, having appeased me, spoke these words truly:
अहं तात यथाकालमामिषार्थी खमाप्लुतः । महेन्द्रस्य गिरेर्द्वारमावृत्य सुसमाश्रितः ॥ १२ ॥
“’Father, at the right time, wanting meat, I flew up into the sky, and settled well, blocking the gate of Mount Mahendra.
तत्र सत्त्वसहस्राणां सागरान्तरचारिणाम् । पन्थानमेकोऽध्यवसं संनिरोद्धुमवाङ्मुखः ॥ १३ ॥
“’There, of thousands of creatures moving through the ocean, I alone resolved to block the path, facing downward.
तत्र कश्चिन्मया दृष्टः सूर्योदयसमप्रभाम् । स्त्रियमादाय गच्छन् वै भिन्नाञ्जनचयोपमः ॥ १४ ॥
“’There someone was seen by me, going, taking a woman with radiance equal to the sunrise, like a heap of crushed collyrium.
सोऽहमभ्यवहारार्थं तौ दृष्ट्वा कृतनिश्चयः । तेन साम्ना विनीतेन पन्थानमनुयाचितः ॥ १५ ॥
“’I, seeing the two, made up my mind for food; by him, humbly, with conciliation, passage was begged.
नहि सामोपपन्नानां प्रहर्ता विद्यते भुवि । नीचेष्वपि जनः कश्चित् किमङ्ग बत मद्विधः ॥ १६ ॥
“’For there is no striker on earth of those who come with conciliation, even among the low any person; how much less, alas, one like me?
स यातस्तेजसा व्योम संक्षिपन्निव वेगितः । अथाहं खेचरैर्भूतैरभिगम्य सभाजितः ॥ १७ ॥
“’He went with splendour through the sky, swift, as if compressing it. Then I, approached by beings moving in the sky, was honoured.
दिष्ट्या जीवति सीतेति ह्यब्रुवन् मां महर्षयः । कथंचित् सकलत्रोऽसौ गतस्ते स्वस्त्यसंशयम् ॥ १८ ॥
“’The great seers said to me: “By good fortune Sita lives. Somehow he has gone with his wife; you are safe, without doubt.”
एवमुक्तस्ततोऽहं तैः सिद्धैः परमशोभनैः । स च मे रावणो राजा रक्षसां प्रतिवेदितः ॥ १९ ॥
“’So spoken to then by those very radiant siddhas, and that Ravana, king of the rakshasas, was made known to me:
पश्यन् दाशरथेर्भार्यां रामस्य जनकात्मजाम् । भ्रष्टाभरणकौशेयां शोकवेगपराजिताम् ॥ २० ॥
“’seeing the wife of Dasharatha’s son Rama, Janaka’s daughter, her ornaments and silk fallen, overcome by the force of grief,
रामलक्ष्मणयोर्नाम क्रोशन्तीं मुक्तमूर्धजाम् । एष कालात्ययस्तात इति वाक्यविदां वरः ॥ २१ ॥
“’crying the names of Rama and Lakshmana, her hair loosed: this is the passing of time, father.’ So the best of speakers
एतदर्थं समग्रं मे सुपार्श्वः प्रत्यवेदयत् । तच्छ्रुत्वापि हि मे बुद्धिर्नासीत् काचित् पराक्रमे ॥ २२ ॥
“Suparshva reported this whole matter to me. And even having heard it, I had no thought at all of valour.
अपक्षो हि कथं पक्षी कर्म किंचित् समारभेत् । यत् तु शक्यं मया कर्तुं वाग्बुद्धिगुणवर्तिना ॥ २३ ॥
“For how would a wingless bird undertake any deed? But what can be done by me, living by the qualities of speech and understanding,
श्रूयतां तत्र वक्ष्यामि भवतां पौरुषाश्रयम् । वाङ्मतिभ्यां हि सर्वेषां करिष्यामि प्रियं हि वः ॥ २४ ॥
“let it be heard; I will tell there what rests on your manhood. With speech and wisdom I will do what pleases all of you.
यद्धि दाशरथेः कार्यं मम तन्नात्र संशयः । तद् भवन्तो मतिश्रेष्ठा बलवन्तो मनस्विनः ॥ २५ ॥
“For whatever is the task of Dasharatha’s son, that is mine; there is no doubt here. So you, best in understanding, strong, high-minded,
प्रहिताः कपिराजेन देवैरपि दुरासदाः । रामलक्ष्मणबाणाश्च विहिताः कङ्कपत्रिणः ॥ २६ ॥
“sent by the king of the monkeys, hard to approach even by the gods; and the heron-feathered arrows of Rama and Lakshmana are made
त्रयाणामपि लोकानां पर्याप्तास्त्राणनिग्रहे । कामं खलु दशग्रीवस्तेजोबलसमन्वितः । भवतां तु समर्थानां न किंचिदपि दुष्करम् ॥ २७ ॥
“sufficient for the protection or subduing of all three worlds. Certainly Dashagriva is joined with splendour and strength; but for you, who are able, nothing at all is hard.
तदलं कालसङ्गेन क्रियतां बुद्धिनिश्चयः । नहि कर्मसु सज्जन्ते बुद्धिमन्तो भवद्विधाः ॥ २८ ॥
“So enough of clinging to time; let a decision of understanding be made. For wise ones like you do not falter in actions.”