Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 120 of 128 · 24 verses
Indra Revives the Fallen Monkeys
When Kakutstha has gone, great Indra, chastiser of Paka, greatly pleased, says to Raghava, who stands with joined palms: the sight of us is never fruitless for you, Rama, bull among men; we are pleased; tell us what your heart desires. Delighted, Raghava answers: if you are pleased with me, lord of the gods, I will speak; make my words true, best of speakers. Let all the monkeys who showed valour for my sake and went to Yama’s abode regain their lives and rise. I wish to see all the monkeys who were parted from their sons and wives for my sake glad at heart, giver of honour. Valiant and brave, they did not count death; they strove and fell; revive them, Purandara. By your grace let those devoted to my good, who did not count death, be reunited with their families: this is the boon I choose. I wish to see the monkeys, the gopuccha monkeys and the bears healthy, without wounds, full of strength and manhood. Wherever the monkeys stay, let there be flowers, roots and fruits even out of season, and clear rivers.
Hearing great Raghava’s words, great Indra answers with affection: this is a great boon you have asked, my child, best of the Raghus, and I have never spoken twice, so it will be done. Let all those who were killed in battle by the rakshasas rise, the bears with the gopucchas, whose faces and arms were cut off; healthy, without wounds, full of strength and manhood, the monkeys will rise like sleepers at the end of sleep; all of them will be reunited with friends, kin, relatives and their own people in the greatest joy; the trees will be bright with flowers and full of fruit out of season, great archer, and the rivers full of water. Then all the best monkeys, their limbs, wounded before, now whole and unscarred, rise as if from sleep, and wonder, “What is this?” Seeing Kakutstha’s purpose fulfilled, all the best of the gods, greatly pleased, praise Rama with Lakshmana and say: go from here to Ayodhya, king, and send the monkeys home. Comfort Maithili, your glorious, devoted wife; see your brother Bharata, keeping vows in his grief for you, and great-souled Shatrughna and all your mothers, scorcher of foes; have yourself consecrated, and go and gladden the citizens. Having said this to Rama and Saumitri, the thousand-eyed god goes away, delighted, with the gods in aerial chariots bright as the sun. Kakutstha, with his brother Lakshmana, salutes all those best of the gods and orders the army to camp. Then that great army, protected by Lakshmana and Rama, its people glad, glorious, blazing with splendour, shines on every side like a night led by the cool-rayed moon.
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प्रतिप्रयाते काकुत्स्थे महेन्द्रः पाकशासनः । अब्रवीत् परमप्रीतो राघवं प्राञ्जलिं स्थितम् ॥ १ ॥
When Kakutstha had gone back, great Indra, chastiser of Paka, greatly pleased, said to Raghava, standing with joined palms:
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Indra Revives the Fallen Monkeys 1 min read.
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अमोघं दर्शनं राम तवास्माकं नरर्षभ । प्रीतियुक्ताः स्म तेन त्वं ब्रूहि यन्मनसेप्सितम् ॥ २ ॥
“The sight of us is never fruitless for you, Rama, bull among men; we are filled with pleasure; so say what you desire in your mind.”
एवमुक्तो महेन्द्रेण प्रसन्नेन महात्मना । सुप्रसन्नमना हृष्टो वचनं प्राह राघवः ॥ ३ ॥
Spoken to so by great Indra, pleased and great-souled, Raghava, very pleased at heart, delighted, spoke these words:
यदि प्रीतिः समुत्पन्ना मयि ते विबुधेश्वर । वक्ष्यामि कुरु मे सत्यं वचनं वदतां वर ॥ ४ ॥
“If pleasure has arisen in you toward me, lord of the gods, I will speak; make my words true, best of speakers.
मम हेतोः पराक्रान्ता ये गता यमसादनम् । ते सर्वे जीवितं प्राप्य समुत्तिष्ठन्तु वानराः ॥ ५ ॥
“Those who showed valour for my sake and went to Yama’s abode, let all those monkeys regain their lives and rise up.
मत्कृते विप्रयुक्ता ये पुत्रैर्दारैश्च वानराः । तान् प्रीतमनसः सर्वान् द्रष्टुमिच्छामि मानद ॥ ६ ॥
“The monkeys who were parted from sons and wives for my sake, I wish to see all of them glad at heart, giver of honour.
विक्रान्ताश्चापि शूराश्च न मृत्युं गणयन्ति च । कृतयत्ना विपन्नाश्च जीवयैतान् पुरंदर ॥ ७ ॥
“Valiant and brave, they did not count death; having made their effort, they perished: revive these, Purandara.
मत्प्रियेष्वभिरक्ताश्च न मृत्युं गणयन्ति ये । त्वत्प्रसादात् समेयुस्ते वरमेतमहं वृणे ॥ ८ ॥
“Devoted to what is dear to me, those who did not count death, by your grace let them be reunited: this boon I choose.
नीरुजो निर्व्रणांश्चैव सम्पन्नबलपौरुषान् । गोलाङ्गूलांस्तथर्क्षांश्च द्रष्टुमिच्छामि मानद ॥ ९ ॥
“I wish to see, giver of honour, the gopuccha monkeys and the bears healthy and unwounded, full of strength and manhood.
अकाले चापि पुष्पाणि मूलानि च फलानि च । नद्यश्च विमलास्तत्र तिष्ठेयुर्यत्र वानराः ॥ १० ॥
“And let there be flowers, roots and fruits even out of season, and clear rivers, wherever the monkeys may stay.”
श्रुत्वा तु वचनं तस्य राघवस्य महात्मनः । महेन्द्रः प्रत्युवाचेदं वचनं प्रीतिसंयुतम् ॥ ११ ॥
Hearing the words of that great-souled Raghava, great Indra replied with these words, full of affection:
महानयं वरस्तात यस्त्वयोक्तो रघूत्तम । द्विर्मया नोक्तपूर्वं च तस्मादेतद् भविष्यति ॥ १२ ॥
“Great is this boon, my child, which has been spoken by you, best of the Raghus; and I have never spoken twice before; so this will be.
समुत्तिष्ठन्तु ते सर्वे हता ये युधि राक्षसैः । ऋक्षाश्च सह गोपुच्छैर्निकृत्ताननबाहवः ॥ १३ ॥
“Let all those rise who were killed in battle by the rakshasas, and the bears with the gopucchas, whose faces and arms were cut off.
नीरुजो निर्व्रणाश्चैव सम्पन्नबलपौरुषाः । समुत्थास्यन्ति हरयः सुप्ता निद्राक्षये यथा ॥ १४ ॥
“Healthy, unwounded, full of strength and manhood, the monkeys will rise, like sleepers at the end of sleep.
सुहृद्भिर्बान्धवैश्चैव ज्ञातिभिः स्वजनेन च । सर्व एव समेष्यन्ति संयुक्ताः परया मुदा ॥ १५ ॥
“With friends and kin, relatives and their own people, all will be reunited, joined with the greatest joy.
अकाले पुष्पशबलाः फलवन्तश्च पादपाः । भविष्यन्ति महेष्वास नद्यश्च सलिलायुताः ॥ १६ ॥
“The trees will be bright with flowers out of season and bear fruit, great archer, and the rivers full of water.”
सव्रणैः प्रथमं गात्रैरिदानीं निर्व्रणैः समैः । ततः समुत्थिताः सर्वे सुप्त्वेव हरिसत्तमाः ॥ १७ ॥
With limbs wounded before, now whole and unwounded, all the best of monkeys then rose up as if from sleep.
बभूवुर्वानराः सर्वे किं त्वेतदिति विस्मिताः । काकुत्स्थं परिपूर्णार्थं दृष्ट्वा सर्वे सुरोत्तमाः ॥ १८ ॥
All the monkeys were amazed: “What is this?” Seeing Kakutstha with his purpose fulfilled, all the best of the gods,
अब्रुवन् परमप्रीताः स्तुत्वा रामं सलक्ष्मणम् । गच्छायोध्यामितो राजन् विसर्जय च वानरान् ॥ १९ ॥
greatly pleased, praising Rama with Lakshmana, said: “Go from here to Ayodhya, king, and dismiss the monkeys.
मैथिलीं सान्त्वयस्वैनामनुरक्तां यशस्विनीम् । भ्रातरं भरतं पश्य त्वच्छोकाद् व्रतचारिणम् ॥ २० ॥
“Comfort this Maithili, devoted and glorious; see your brother Bharata, keeping vows from grief for you,
शत्रुघ्नं च महात्मानं मातॄः सर्वाः परंतप । अभिषेचय चात्मानं पौरान् गत्वा प्रहर्षय ॥ २१ ॥
“and great-souled Shatrughna, and all your mothers, scorcher of foes; have yourself consecrated, and go and gladden the citizens.”
एवमुक्त्वा सहस्राक्षो रामं सौमित्रिणा सह । विमानैः सूर्यसंकाशैर्ययौ हृष्टः सुरैः सह ॥ २२ ॥
Having said this to Rama with Saumitri, the thousand-eyed one went, delighted, with the gods, in aerial chariots like the sun.
अभिवाद्य च काकुत्स्थः सर्वांस्तांस्त्रिदशोत्तमान् । लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा वासमाज्ञापयत् तदा ॥ २३ ॥
And Kakutstha, having saluted all those best of the thirty gods, with his brother Lakshmana then ordered the camp.
ततस्तु सा लक्ष्मणरामपालिता महाचमूर्हृष्टजना यशस्विनी । श्रिया ज्वलन्ती विरराज सर्वतो निशा प्रणीतेव हि शीतरश्मिना ॥ २४ ॥
Then that great army, guarded by Lakshmana and Rama, its people delighted, glorious, blazing with splendour, shone on every side like a night led by the cool-rayed moon.