Sundara Kanda · Sarga 60 of 68 · 20 verses
Jambavan’s Counsel
Angada takes up Hanuman’s idea. Mainda and Dvivida, sons of the Ashvins, made invincible by Brahma’s boon, once crushed a great army of the gods and drank the nectar; those two alone could destroy Lanka. He himself could destroy it and Ravana; and Hanuman alone has burned it. It does not seem right, for monkeys of their fame, to go back and report, “We saw the queen but did not bring her.” No one in any world equals them in leaping or in valour. Let them go, conquer Lanka, kill Ravana, and bring Sita back to place her between Rama and Lakshmana.
Old Jambavan, pleased by their spirit, answers wisely: that is not the right course, great-minded prince. They were ordered to search the southern quarter, not to bring Sita back, by the king of the monkeys or by wise Rama. Rama would not be pleased by a Sita won by someone else. That tiger among kings has vowed before all the monkey chiefs, naming his own lineage, to win Sita himself; how could he let his vow be made false? The deed would be fruitless and he would not be satisfied; their valour would have been shown in vain. “So let us all go to where Rama and Lakshmana are, with radiant Sugriva, to report this task. Your idea is not without merit, prince; but see the success of the task as Rama has set his mind on it.”
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तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा वालिसूनुरभाषत । अश्विपुत्रौ महावेगौ बलवन्तौ प्लवंगमौ ॥ १ ॥
Hearing those words of his, Vali’s son said: “These two sons of the Ashvins, very swift, mighty monkeys,
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पितामहवरोत्सेकात् परमं दर्पमास्थितौ । अश्विनोर्माननार्थं हि सर्वलोकपितामहः ॥ २ ॥
“full of the greatest pride from the arrogance of the Grandsire’s boon: to honour the Ashvins, the Grandsire of all the worlds
सर्वावध्यत्वमतुलमनयोर्दत्तवान् पुरा । वरोत्सेकेन मत्तौ च प्रमथ्य महतीं चमूम् ॥ ३ ॥
“long ago gave them matchless immunity from death at anyone’s hands. Drunk with the arrogance of that boon, they crushed the great army
सुराणाममृतं वीरौ पीतवन्तौ महाबलौ । एतावेव हि संक्रुद्धौ सवाजिरथकुञ्जराम् ॥ ४ ॥
“of the gods, and the two mighty heroes drank the nectar. These two alone, when angry, could destroy Lanka with its horses, chariots and elephants;
लङ्कां नाशयितुं शक्तौ सर्वे तिष्ठन्तु वानराः । अहमेकोऽपि पर्याप्तः सराक्षसगणां पुरीम् ॥ ५ ॥
“let all the other monkeys stand by. I alone am enough to destroy by force that city with its hosts of rakshasas,
तां लङ्कां तरसा हन्तुं रावणं च महाबलम् । किं पुनः सहितो वीरैर्बलवद्भिः कृतात्मभिः ॥ ६ ॥
“that Lanka, and mighty Ravana; how much more joined with you heroes, mighty, self-controlled,
कृतास्त्रैः प्लवगैः शक्तैर्भवद्भिर्विजयैषिभिः । वायुसूनोर्बलेनैव दग्धा लङ्केति नः श्रुतम् ॥ ७ ॥
“skilled in weapons, able monkeys, wanting victory. We have heard that Lanka was burned by the strength of the Wind’s son alone.
दृष्टा देवी न चानीता इति तत्र निवेदितुम् । न युक्तमिव पश्यामि भवद्भिः ख्यातपौरुषैः ॥ ८ ॥
“To report there, ‘The queen was seen but not brought’, does not seem right to me for you, whose manliness is famed.
नहि वः प्लवने कश्चिन्नापि कश्चित् पराक्रमे । तुल्यः सामरदैत्येषु लोकेषु हरिसत्तमाः ॥ ९ ॥
“For none of you is equalled in leaping, nor in valour, in the worlds with the gods and daityas, best of monkeys.
जित्वा लङ्कां सरक्षौघां हत्वा तं रावणं रणे । सीतामादाय गच्छामः सिद्धार्था हृष्टमानसाः ॥ १० ॥
“Having conquered Lanka with its floods of rakshasas and killed that Ravana in battle, let us take Sita and go, our purpose achieved, glad at heart.
तेष्वेवं हतवीरेषु राक्षसेषु हनूमता । किमन्यदत्र कर्तव्यं गृहीत्वा याम जानकीम् ॥ ११ ॥
“Since the heroes of the rakshasas have been killed like this by Hanuman, what else is there to do here? Let us take Janaki and go,
रामलक्ष्मणयोर्मध्ये न्यस्याम जनकात्मजाम् । किं व्यलीकैस्तु तान् सर्वान् वानरान् वानरर्षभान् ॥ १२ ॥
“and place Janaka’s daughter between Rama and Lakshmana. What use is it to trouble all those monkeys, those bulls among monkeys?
वयमेव हि गत्वा तान् हत्वा राक्षसपुङ्गवान् । राघवं द्रष्टुमर्हामः सुग्रीवं सहलक्ष्मणम् ॥ १३ ॥
“Let us ourselves go and kill those bulls among rakshasas, and then we deserve to see Raghava, and Sugriva with Lakshmana.”
तमेवं कृतसंकल्पं जाम्बवान् हरिसत्तमः । उवाच परमप्रीतो वाक्यमर्थवदर्थवित् ॥ १४ ॥
To him, his mind made up like this, Jambavan, best of monkeys, greatly pleased, who knew what is to the purpose, spoke meaningful words:
नैषा बुद्धिर्महाबुद्धे यद् ब्रवीषि महाकपे । विचेतुं वयमाज्ञप्ता दक्षिणां दिशमुत्तमाम् ॥ १५ ॥
“This is not the right idea, great-minded one, what you say, great monkey. We were ordered to search the excellent southern quarter,
नानेतुं कपिराजेन नैव रामेण धीमता । कथंचिन्निर्जितां सीतामस्माभिर्नाभिरोचयेत् ॥ १६ ॥
“not to bring her back, by the king of the monkeys nor by wise Rama. He would not be pleased with Sita somehow won by us.
राघवो नृपशार्दूलः कुलं व्यपदिशन् स्वकम् । प्रतिज्ञाय स्वयं राजा सीताविजयमग्रतः ॥ १७ ॥
“Raghava, tiger among kings, the king himself, naming his own family, vowed before all the chief monkeys the winning of Sita;
सर्वेषां कपिमुख्यानां कथं मिथ्या करिष्यति । विफलं कर्म च कृतं भवेत् तुष्टिर्न तस्य च ॥ १८ ॥
“how will he make that false? The deed done would be fruitless, and he would have no satisfaction;
वृथा च दर्शितं वीर्यं भवेद् वानरपुङ्गवाः । तस्माद् गच्छाम वै सर्वे यत्र रामः सलक्ष्मणः । सुग्रीवश्च महातेजाः कार्यस्यास्य निवेदने ॥ १९ ॥
“and our valour would have been shown in vain, bulls among monkeys. So let us all go to where Rama is with Lakshmana, and radiant Sugriva, to report this task.
न तावदेषा मतिरक्षमा नो यथा भवान् पश्यति राजपुत्र । यथा तु रामस्य मतिर्निविष्टा तथा भवान् पश्यतु कार्यसिद्धिम् ॥ २० ॥
“This idea of ours is not unfit, as you see it, prince; but see the accomplishment of the task as Rama’s mind is set on it.”