Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 26

Meaning

Surrounding Sugrīva, who was tormented with grief and stood in wet clothes, having just finished his bath after cremation, those at the top of the Vānara army then stood near him. (1)

Meaning

Approaching the mighty-armed Śrī Rāma, who was unwearied in action, all stood with joined palms as so many Ṛṣis by the side of Brahmā, the father of the Prajāpatis, the progenitors of the universe. (2)

Meaning

Thereupon Hanūmān, son of the wind-god, who looked like Sumeru (the golden mountain), and whose countenance shone like the rising sun, submitted as follows with joined palms : (3)

Meaning

“By your grace, O scion of Kakutstha, has this great ancestral kingdom which was most difficult to acquire, of the high-minded monkeys endowed with sharp teeth and rich in consummate strength, been acquired by Sugrīva, O lord ! Entering in state the prosperous city of Kiṣkindhā, when duly permitted by you, he, with his host of near and dear ones, will perform in the proper way all his kingly duties. Having gone through as a part of the installation ceremony the ceremonial bath with water made fragrant by perfumes and medicinal herbs in accordance with the scriptural ordinance, he will offer special worship to you with garlands and jewels. You should, therefore, visit this lovely mountain-cave in which the city of Kiṣkindhā is comprised. (4—7)

Meaning

“Pray, unite the monkeys with a master and thereby afford exceptional delight to them.” Requested thus by Hanumān, the wise Śrī Rāma (a scion of Raghu), the slayer of hostile warriors, who was an adept in expression, replied as follows to Hanumān: “Obeying, O gentle Hanumān, the directions of my late lamented father, I will not enter for fourteen years even a village, much less a town. Let the valiant Sugrīva, the foremost of monkeys, be installed without delay on the throne of Kiṣkindhā with due ceremony as soon as he has entered the highly prosperous and wonderful cave comprising the city of Kiṣkindhā.” Having replied thus to Hanumān, Śrī Rāma spoke as follows to Sugrīva : (8—11)

Meaning

“Conversant as you are with the rules of conduct, both wordly as well as religious, install in the office of Prince Regent this gallant prince, Aṅgada, too, who is rich in moral character and endowed with extraordinary strength and valour. (12)

Meaning

“Being the eldest son of your elder brother and equal to him in prowess, this boy, Aṅgada, noble-minded as he is, deserves the office of Prince Regent. (13)

Meaning

“This is the first rainy month of Śrāvaṇa (roughly corresponding to July), in which showers are expected. The four months known by the name of rainy months have already commenced, O gentle one ! (14)

Meaning

This is not the time for endeavour in the nature of a search for Sītā. Therefore, re-enter you the beautiful city of Kiṣkindhā; while I, O dear one, shall dwell with Lakṣmaṇa on this mountain. (15)

Meaning

“This lovely cavern, O gentle brother, is commodious and airy, contains plenty of water in the form of cascades and bounds in lotuses and lilies. (16)

Meaning

“When the autumnal month of Kārtika (roughly corresponding to October) has duly set in, make you an endeavour to get rid of Rāvaṇa: such is our understanding, O dear friend ! For the present enter you your palace. (17)

Meaning

“Get yourself installed on the throne and bring extreme delight to your near and dear ones.” Duly letting him go in these words by Śrī Rāma, Sugrīva, the foremost of monkeys, entered in state the delightful city of Kiṣkindhā, protected so long by Vālī. Saluting the aforesaid king of monkeys when he had entered the city, thousands of monkeys duly entered the city keeping on every side of Sugrīva, the ruler of monkeys. Seeing Sugrīva (the ruler of hordes of monkeys) and reverently saluting him with their head bent low, all his subjects thereupon fell prostrate on the ground in a body. Calling on all his subjects to rise and speaking politely to them, the valiant Sugrīva, who was possessed of extraordinary might, duly entered the pleasing gynaeceum of his brother, Vālī. When Sugrīva, the foremost of monkeys, had come out of the gynaeceum after entering it and returned to the assembly hall, his near and dear ones consecrated him with a ceremonial bath as a part of the installation ceremony, even as the gods consecrated Indra, the thousand-eyed god. They brought him a white canopy decorated with gold as also a pair of white whisks provided with handles of gold—which brought him renown—nay, all kinds of jewels and all specimens of seeds and herbs, the fibrous offshoots of trees exuding milk, and flowers, also white raiments as well as white fragrant substances for smearing one’s body with, fragrant flowers growing on land and water, pieces of sandalwood of the Divya class, numerous fragrant substances of various kinds, grains of unbroken rice dyed in turmeric (which are considered to be auspicious) and gold, panic seeds, honey and ghee, curds and tiger’s skin as also a pair of costly shoes. (18—27)

Meaning

Taking a fragrant paste (for painting one’s body with), Gorocana (a bright yellow orpiment prepared from the bile of a cow) and Manaḥśilā (realgar), there arrived on the spot sixteen excellent joyous maids.(28)

Meaning

Having propitiated the foremost of Brāhmaṇas with gifts of jewels and raiments, as well as with edibles of various kinds, they then proceeded to consecrate with a ceremonial bath, as a part of the installation ceremony, Sugrīva, the foremost of monkeys, in accordance with the scriptural ordinance. (29)

Meaning

Then those knowing sacred texts propitiated the sacred fire, once it had been girdled by blades of the sacred Kuśa grass and duly ignited, with offerings consecrated through the recitation of sacred texts. (30)

Meaning

Then, having installed Sugrīva, his face turned east-ward, with due ceremony with the recitation of sacred texts, on an excellent seat with legs of gold and covered with rich draperies in a lovely attic, decorated with bright coloured garlands, nay, collecting water from the different streams and rivers as well as from sacred places in all the four quarters and bringing water from all the seas and storing the holy water in pitchers of gold, the foremost of monkeys, Gaja, Gavākṣa, Gavaya, Śarabha, Gandhamādana, Mainda and Dwivida as well as Hanumān and Jāmbavān, the chief of bears, bathed Sugrīva with that limpid and fragrant water poured through beautiful horns of bulls and jars of gold according to the procedure laid down in the scriptures and enjoined by eminent sages, even as the Vasus (a class of gods, eight in number) bathed the thousand-eyed Indra. (31—36)

Meaning

When Sugrīva had thus been consecrated with a ceremonial bath, the foremost of monkeys for their part, who were all lofty-minded and numbered hundreds of thousands, roared loudly with delight.(37)

Meaning

Doing the bidding of Śrī Rāma and closely embracing Aṅgada, Sugrīva, the lord of monkeys, for his part installed him in the office of Prince Regent. (38)

Meaning

Aṅgada having been installed in the office of Prince Regent, the high-minded monkeys, who were all full of sympathy for Aṅgada, acclaimed Sugrīva, saying “Excellent ! Excellent !!” (39)

Meaning

Sugrīva and Aṅgada being present in Kiṣkindhā in the capacity of a ruler and Prince Regent, respectively, all felt rejoiced and extolled the high-souled Śrī Rāma as also Lakṣmaṇa again and again. (40)

Meaning

Crowded with joyous and well-fed people and decorated with buntings and flags, the city of Kiṣkindhā, which was situated inside a mountain-cave, presented a lovely look. (41)

Meaning

Having reported to the high-souled Śrī Rāma the fact of his having gone through the momentous consecration as the ruler of Kiṣkindhā at that time, and having got back his wife, Rumā, the valiant Sugrīva (the leader of the monkey army) inherited the kingdom even as Indra, the suzerain lord of gods, attained the sovereignty of gods. (42)