Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 61 of 67 · 17 verses
The Flight Toward the Sun
Then Sampati tells the sage the whole of that terrible, hard deed done in haste, the following of the sun: “Blessed one, because of my wounds and shame my senses are troubled; exhausted, I can hardly speak. Jatayu and I, deluded by pride from rivalry, flew far into the sky to test our valour. On the peak of Kailasa, in front of the sages, we made a wager: the sun was to be followed until it reached the great mountain of setting. Reaching the sky together, we saw on the earth below cities, each the size of a chariot wheel. Here the sound of instruments, there the jingle of ornaments; we saw many women in red clothes singing. Flying up swiftly into the sky and taking the sun’s path, we looked at the forest, set on grassland. The earth seemed covered with pebbles, its masses of rock, and wrapped in rivers as with threads. Himavan, the Vindhya and the great Meru shone on the earth like elephants in a lake. Then sharp sweat, exhaustion and fear came upon us both, and bewilderment, and then a terrible faint. We could not tell south, nor south-east, nor west; the world, fixed at the end of an age, seemed struck and burned by fire. My mind failed again; but my eye found a support, and with great effort, fixing my mind and eyes on it, I looked at the sun again with great effort: the sun seemed to us equal in size to the earth. Jatayu, without asking me, fell toward the earth. Seeing him, I quickly let myself drop from the sky. Jatayu, protected by my wings, was not burned; but through carelessness I was burned there as I fell from the path of the wind. I suppose Jatayu fell in Janasthana; but I fell on the Vindhya, my wings burned, numbed. Deprived of my kingdom and my brother, of my wings and my valour, wanting in every way only to die, I will throw myself from the peak of the mountain.”
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ततस्तद् दारुणं कर्म दुष्करं सहसा कृतम् । आचचक्षे मुनेः सर्वं सूर्यानुगमनं तथा ॥ १ ॥
Then he told the sage all that terrible deed, hard to do, done suddenly, and the following of the sun:
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भगवन् व्रणयुक्तत्वाल्लज्जया चाकुलेन्द्रियः । परिश्रान्तो न शक्नोमि वचनं परिभाषितुम् ॥ २ ॥
“Blessed one, from my being wounded and from shame my senses are troubled; exhausted, I am not able to speak words.
अहं चैव जटायुश्च संघर्षाद् गर्वमोहितौ । आकाशं पतितौ दूराज्जिज्ञासन्तौ पराक्रमम् ॥ ३ ॥
“I and Jatayu, deluded by pride from rivalry, flew into the sky far, wishing to know our valour.
कैलासशिखरे बद्ध्वा मुनीनामग्रतः पणम् । रविः स्यादनुयातव्यो यावदस्तं महागिरिम् ॥ ४ ॥
“On the peak of Kailasa, in front of the sages, having made a wager: ‘The sun is to be followed until it reaches the great mountain of setting.’
अप्यावां युगपत् प्राप्तावपश्याव महीतले । रथचक्रप्रमाणानि नगराणि पृथक् पृथक् ॥ ५ ॥
“Even having reached it together, we two saw on the surface of the earth cities, each separately the size of a chariot wheel.
क्वचिद् वादित्रघोषश्च क्वचिद् भूषणनिःस्वनः । गायन्तीः स्माङ्गना बह्वीः पश्यावो रक्तवाससः ॥ ६ ॥
“Somewhere the sound of instruments, somewhere the jingle of ornaments; we see many women in red clothes singing.
तूर्णमुत्पत्य चाकाशमादित्यपदमास्थितौ । आवामालोकयावस्तद् वनं शाद्वलसंस्थितम् ॥ ७ ॥
“And quickly flying up into the sky, standing on the sun’s path, we looked at that forest, set on grassland.
उपलैरिव संछन्ना दृश्यते भूः शिलोच्चयैः । आपगाभिश्च संवीता सूत्रैरिव वसुंधरा ॥ ८ ॥
“The earth, with its masses of rock, is seen as if covered with pebbles; and the earth wrapped in rivers as with threads.
हिमवांश्चैव विन्ध्यश्च मेरुश्च सुमहागिरिः । भूतले सम्प्रकाशन्ते नागा इव जलाशये ॥ ९ ॥
“Himavan and the Vindhya and the very great mountain Meru shine on the surface of the earth like elephants in a lake.
तीव्रः स्वेदश्च खेदश्च भयं चासीत् तदावयोः । समाविशत मोहश्च ततो मूर्च्छा च दारुणा ॥ १० ॥
“Then sharp sweat and exhaustion and fear came upon us both, and bewilderment entered, and then a terrible faint.
न च दिग् ज्ञायते याम्या न चाग्नेयी न वारुणी । युगान्ते नियतो लोको हतो दग्ध इवाग्निना ॥ ११ ॥
“And neither the southern direction is known, nor the south-eastern, nor the western. The world, fixed at the end of an age, seemed struck, as if burned by fire.
मनश्च मे हतं भूयश्चक्षुः प्राप्य तु संश्रयम् । यत्नेन महता ह्यस्मिन् मनः संधाय चक्षुषी ॥ १२ ॥
“And my mind was struck again; but my eye found a support. Having fixed my mind and eyes on it with great effort,
यत्नेन महता भूयो भास्करः प्रतिलोकितः । तुल्यपृथ्वीप्रमाणेन भास्करः प्रतिभाति नौ ॥ १३ ॥
“with great effort the sun was looked at again. The sun appears to us of size equal to the earth.
जटायुर्मामनापृच्छ्य निपपात महीं ततः । तं दृष्ट्वा तूर्णमाकाशादात्मानं मुक्तवानहम् ॥ १४ ॥
“Jatayu, without asking me, then fell toward the earth. Seeing him, I quickly let myself go from the sky.
पक्षाभ्यां च मया गुप्तो जटायुर्न प्रदह्यत । प्रमादात् तत्र निर्दग्धः पतन् वायुपथादहम् ॥ १५ ॥
“And protected by my wings, Jatayu was not burned. Through carelessness I was burned there, falling from the path of the wind.
आशङ्के तं निपतितं जनस्थाने जटायुषम् । अहं तु पतितो विन्ध्ये दग्धपक्षो जडीकृतः ॥ १६ ॥
“I suppose that Jatayu fell in Janasthana. But I fell on the Vindhya, my wings burned, numbed.
राज्याच्च हीनो भ्रात्रा च पक्षाभ्यां विक्रमेण च । सर्वथा मर्तुमेवेच्छन् पतिष्ये शिखराद् गिरेः ॥ १७ ॥
“Deprived of kingdom and of my brother, of wings and of valour, wishing in every way only to die, I will fall from the peak of the mountain.”