Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 64 of 67 · 22 verses
Before the Ocean
Told by the king of the vultures, the leapers spring up and gather, full of joy, and roar with the valour of lions. Hearing Sampati’s words about Ravana’s abode, the monkeys come gladly to the ocean, longing to see Sita. Reaching that place, the monkeys of terrible valour see it lying there, the reflection of the whole vast world. Reaching the northern side of the southern ocean, the very mighty monkey heroes make their camp. Seeing it asleep in one place and playing in another, here covered with masses of water the size of mountains, crowded with lords of danavas who live in the underworld, hair-raising, the elephants among monkeys despair. Seeing the ocean, as hard to cross as the sky, all the monkeys despair together, saying, “How is it to be done?” Seeing the army downcast at the sight of the ocean, the best of monkeys comforts the frightened monkeys: “The mind must not be given to despair; despair is the greater fault. Despair kills a man as an angry snake kills a child. When the moment for valour has come, the man who gives in to despair loses his splendour, and his purpose does not succeed.” When that night has passed, Angada meets with the elder monkeys and takes counsel again. That army of monkeys, surrounding Angada, shines like the army of the Maruts standing around Vasava. Who else could have held that monkey army steady but Valin’s son, or Hanuman? Honouring the elder monkeys and the army, glorious Angada, tamer of foes, speaks meaningful words: “Who of great splendour will now leap the ocean? Who will make Sugriva, tamer of foes, true to his promise? What hero, what leaper, can cross a hundred yojanas? Who will free all these troop-leaders from great fear? By whose grace may we return from here, our aim achieved, happy, and see our wives, sons and homes? By whose grace may we go joyfully to Rama, to mighty Lakshmana and to Sugriva of the forest? If any monkey among you is able to leap the ocean, let him quickly give us here the holy gift of freedom from fear.” Hearing Angada, no one says anything; the whole monkey army is as if stunned. Again Angada, best of monkeys, says to the monkeys: “All of you are the best of the strong, of firm valour, born of distinguished families, and often honoured. None of you has ever been checked in going. Tell me, bulls among leapers, what power each of you has in leaping.”
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आख्याता गृध्रराजेन समुत्प्लुत्य प्लवङ्गमाः । संगताः प्रीतिसंयुक्ता विनेदुः सिंहविक्रमाः ॥ १ ॥
Told by the king of the vultures, the leapers, springing up, gathered, joined with joy, and roared, with the valour of lions.
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Before the Ocean 1 min read.
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सम्पातेर्वचनं श्रुत्वा हरयो रावणक्षयम् । हृष्टाः सागरमाजग्मुः सीतादर्शनकांक्षिणः ॥ २ ॥
Hearing Sampati’s words, the monkeys, Ravana’s abode, came delighted to the ocean, longing to see Sita.
अभिगम्य तु तं देशं ददृशुर्भीमविक्रमाः । कृत्स्नं लोकस्य महतः प्रतिबिम्बमवस्थितम् ॥ ३ ॥
And approaching that place, those of terrible valour saw, standing there, the reflection of the whole great world.
दक्षिणस्य समुद्रस्य समासाद्योत्तरां दिशम् । संनिवेशं ततश्चक्रुर्हरिवीरा महाबलाः ॥ ४ ॥
Reaching the northern side of the southern ocean, then the very mighty monkey heroes made their camp.
प्रसुप्तमिव चान्यत्र क्रीडन्तमिव चान्यतः । क्वचित् पर्वतमात्रैश्च जलराशिभिरावृतम् ॥ ५ ॥
As if asleep in one place, as if playing in another, in places covered with masses of water the size of mountains,
संकुलं दानवेन्द्रैश्च पातालतलवासिभिः । रोमहर्षकरं दृष्ट्वा विषेदुः कपिकुञ्जराः ॥ ६ ॥
crowded with lords of danavas dwelling in the underworld, hair-raising: seeing it, the elephants among monkeys despaired.
आकाशमिव दुष्पारं सागरं प्रेक्ष्य वानराः । विषेदुः सहिताः सर्वे कथं कार्यमिति ब्रुवन् ॥ ७ ॥
Seeing the ocean hard to cross like the sky, the monkeys despaired, all together, saying, “How is it to be done?”
विषण्णां वाहिनीं दृष्ट्वा सागरस्य निरीक्षणात् । आश्वासयामास हरीन् भयार्तान् हरिसत्तमः ॥ ८ ॥
Seeing the army despondent from the sight of the ocean, the best of monkeys comforted the monkeys afflicted by fear:
न विषादे मनः कार्यं विषादो दोषवत्तरः । विषादो हन्ति पुरुषं बालं क्रुद्ध इवोरगः ॥ ९ ॥
“The mind is not to be made to despair; despair is more faulty. Despair kills a man as an angry snake a child.
यो विषादं प्रसहते विक्रमे समुपस्थिते । तेजसा तस्य हीनस्य पुरुषार्थो न सिद्ध्यति ॥ १० ॥
“He who gives in to despair when valour has come near, his manly purpose does not succeed, deprived of splendour.”
तस्यां रात्र्यां व्यतीतायामङ्गदो वानरैः सह । हरिवृद्धैः समागम्य पुनर्मन्त्रममन्त्रयत् ॥ ११ ॥
When that night had passed, Angada with the monkeys, meeting with the elder monkeys, again took counsel.
सा वानराणां ध्वजिनी परिवार्याङ्गदं बभौ । वासवं परिवार्येव मरुतां वाहिनी स्थिता ॥ १२ ॥
That army of the monkeys, surrounding Angada, shone like the army of the Maruts standing surrounding Vasava.
कोऽन्यस्तां वानरीं सेनां शक्तः स्तम्भयितुं भवेत् । अन्यत्र वालितनयादन्यत्र च हनूमतः ॥ १३ ॥
Who else would be able to hold that monkey army steady, except Valin’s son, and except Hanuman?
ततस्तान् हरिवृद्धांश्च तच्च सैन्यमरिंदमः । अनुमान्याङ्गदः श्रीमान् वाक्यमर्थवदब्रवीत् ॥ १४ ॥
Then, honouring those elder monkeys and that army, glorious Angada, tamer of foes, spoke meaningful words:
क इदानीं महातेजा लङ्घयिष्यति सागरम् । कः करिष्यति सुग्रीवं सत्यसंधमरिंदमम् ॥ १५ ॥
“Who of great splendour will now leap the ocean? Who will make Sugriva, true to his promise, tamer of foes?
को वीरो योजनशतं लङ्घयेत प्लवङ्गमः । इमांश्च यूथपान् सर्वान् मोचयेत् को महाभयात् ॥ १६ ॥
“What hero, what leaper, could leap a hundred yojanas? And who could free all these troop-leaders from great fear?
कस्य प्रसादाद् दारांश्च पुत्रांश्चैव गृहाणि च । इतो निवृत्ताः पश्येम सिद्धार्थाः सुखिनो वयम् ॥ १७ ॥
“By whose grace might we, returned from here, our aims achieved, happy, see our wives and sons and homes?
कस्य प्रसादाद् रामं च लक्ष्मणं च महाबलम् । अभिगच्छेम संहृष्टाः सुग्रीवं च वनौकसम् ॥ १८ ॥
“By whose grace might we, delighted, approach Rama and very mighty Lakshmana, and Sugriva of the forest?
यदि कश्चित् समर्थो वः सागरप्लवने हरिः । स ददात्विह नः शीघ्रं पुण्यामभयदक्षिणाम् ॥ १९ ॥
“If any monkey among you is able in the leaping of the ocean, let him quickly give us here the holy gift of fearlessness.”
अङ्गदस्य वचः श्रुत्वा न कश्चित् किंचिदब्रवीत् । स्तिमितेवाभवत् सर्वा सा तत्र हरिवाहिनी ॥ २० ॥
Hearing Angada’s words, no one said anything. That whole monkey army there became as if stunned.
पुनरेवाङ्गदः प्राह तान् हरीन् हरिसत्तमः । सर्वे बलवतां श्रेष्ठा भवन्तो दृढविक्रमाः । व्यपदेशकुले जाताः पूजिताश्चाप्यभीक्ष्णशः ॥ २१ ॥
Again Angada, best of monkeys, said to those monkeys: “You are all the best of the strong, of firm valour, born of distinguished families, and honoured again and again.
नहि वो गमने भङ्गः कदाचित् कस्यचिद् भवेत् । ब्रुवध्वं यस्य या शक्तिः प्लवने प्लवगर्षभाः ॥ २२ ॥
“For there would never be a check to the going of any of you. Tell, bulls among leapers, what power each has in leaping.”