Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 13

Meaning

Duly lifting up his great bow, decked with gold, and taking his arrows, which shone brightly like the sun and were so effective in battle, and accompanied by Sugrīva, Śrī Rāma (the eldest brother of Lakṣmaṇa), whose mind was set on virtue, proceeded from Ṛṣyamūka to Kiṣkindhā, which stood protected by Vālī’s valour. (1-2)

Meaning

In front of the high-souled Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, strode Sugrīva who had a strongly built neck, as well as Lakṣmaṇa, who was possessed of extraordinary might. (3)

Meaning

Behind him came the valiant Hanumān, Nala and the powerful Nīla and Tāra, who was endowed with exceptional energy and was a commander of commanders of monkey hordes. (4)

Meaning

Observing trees which were bending under the load of their blossom as well as rivers journeying to the sea and carrying placid waters, also caves and cliffs, mountain-clefts and holes, also outstanding peaks and hollows pleasing to the sight, nay, seeing on the way ponds full of water, rendered charming by their waters, transparent as a cat’s-eye jewel, and lotuses still in the state of buds up to their very mouths and rendered noisy by ducks, cranes, swans, Vañjulas, water-fowls, Cakrawākas and also by other birds, also beholding in the forest wild deer grazing on the tender shoots of grass, fearlessly moving everywhere or standing on tablelands and further perceiving fearful wild elephants in rut—which proved a menace to ponds in that they damaged their brinks (and rendered the water turbid), which were adorned with white tusks and moved all alone, nay, which tore asunder with their tusks the edges of mountains and looked like moving mountains—and monkeys looking like elephants and bathed in the dust of the earth, as well as other denizens of the forest and birds moving in the air, they moved apace following the will of Sugrīva. (5—12)

Meaning

Seeing a grove consisting of a cluster of trees, Śrī Rāma for his part among those who were moving apace towards Kiṣkindhā spoke to Sugrīva as follows : (13)

Meaning

“Here shines prominently a clump of trees resembling a cloud in the sky. I wish to know, my friend, what is that which is huge as a mass of clouds and hemmed in at the end by plantain trees? I wish to know this; for great is my curiosity in the matter. I seek to overcome this curiosity through you.” (14-15)

Meaning

Hearing the aforesaid question of the high-souled Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, Sugrīva, still moving on, forthwith related to him as follows the history of that momentous grove : (16)

Meaning

“This extensive hermitage relieves the fatigue of all in that it is rich in gardens and groves and contains delicious roots, fruits and water. (17)

Meaning

“Here lived sages of most austere vows, Saptajanas by name, who were seven only in number, held their heads downward while practising their austerities and as a rule slept on water. (18)

Meaning

“They subsisted on air inhaled once at the end of seven nights and had their abode fixed (never stepping out of it). After seven hundred years they ascended in their bodies to heaven. (19)

Meaning

“By virtue of their glory this hermitage, surrounded as it is by an enclosure of trees, is most difficult to assail even for gods and demons including Indra (the ruler of gods). (20)

Meaning

“Birds as well as other wild creatures eschew it; even they that step into it through ignorance never return. (21)

Meaning

“Sounds of ornaments together with sweet accents are heard in this hermitage, as also the music of instruments and singing and an ethereal fragrance is inhaled, O scion of Raghu! (22)

Meaning

“The three sacred fires (viz., Dakṣiṇa, Gārhapatya and Āhavanīya) are also lit; here is seen their smoke, grey as the body of a dove, enveloping the tops of trees like a cloud. (23)

Meaning

“With their crests crowned with smoke and covered by a mass of clouds, the trees sparkle like mountains of cat’s-eye gems. (24)

Meaning

“Piously disposed alongwith your brother, Lakṣmaṇa, make obeisance, O pious-minded scion of Raghu, with joined palms with a view to the pleasure of the aforesaid sages. (25)

Meaning

“Indeed no evil of any kind, O Rāma, stays in the body of those who bow down with reverence to the aforesaid Ṛṣis, who contemplated on the Self.” (26)

Meaning

“With joined palms alongwith his brother, Lakṣmaṇa, Śrī Rāma thereupon offered salutations to the memory of those high-souled Ṛṣis. (27)

Meaning

“Having made obeisance to the memory of those sages alongwith his brother, Lakṣmaṇa, Śrī Rāma, whose mind was set on virtue, Sugrīva as well as the other monkeys walked on with a highly rejoiced mind. (28)

Meaning

“Having covered a long distance from that hermitage of the Saptajanas, they sighted the celebrated Kiṣkindhā, which stood protected by Vālī and was difficult to assail. (29)

Meaning

Taking up their weapons, Lakṣmaṇa (the younger brother of Śrī Rāma), Śrī Rāma as well as the monkeys, for their part, whose terrific energy had become visible, came once more to the city of Kiṣkindhā, which was protected by the valour of Vālī (sprung from the loins of Indra) with a view to the destruction of the enemy in the person of Vālī at this very place. (30)