Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 46

Meaning

The leaders of monkeys having left, Śrī Rāma said to Sugrīva, “How do you directly know the entire terrestrial globe?” (1)

Meaning

And Sugrīva then with his body bent low through humility replied as follows to Śrī Rāma : “Pray, let my submission be heard. I shall narrate everything in extenso. (2)

Meaning

“When Vālī for his part was driving back the demon, Māyāvī* (son of Dundubhi) by name, living in the form of a buffalo, towards the Malaya mountain, the buffalo forthwith entered into a cave of the Malaya mountain. Vālī too entered the cave of the Malaya mountain on that occasion with intent to kill the demon. (3-4)

Meaning

“Having been placed there (by Vālī), I thereupon obediently stood at the entrance of the cave. Vālī, however, did not come out at that juncture even though a year had elapsed. (5)

Meaning

“Then the cave was forthwith filled with a gushing stream of blood. I was amazed to see it and felt oppressed with the sting of grief on the score of my elder brother, Vālī. (6)

Meaning

“I was, however, immediately seized with the idea that my elder brother, Vālī, had most evidently been killed. A rock as big as a hill was placed by me at the entrance of the cave in the hope that, unable to come out, the buffalo would perish without nourishment. Hopeless about Vāli’s life, I thereupon came away to Kiṣkindhā. (7-8)

Meaning

“Having attained a vast dominion and secured Tārā (Vāli’s wedded wife) with (my own wedded wife) Rumā, I began to live in Kiṣkindhā with my friends, free from anxiety. (9)

Meaning

“Having killed the demon, Vālī, the foremost of monkeys, returned in the meantime. Thereupon I restored the kingdom to him out of respect, seized as I was also with fear. (10)

Meaning

“Wishing to kill me, the said malevolent Vālī, who had a thick coat of hair on his body and whose mind was extremely agonized, angrily pursued me, who was running for life with my ministers. (11)

Meaning

“Pursued by the aforesaid Vālī, I as such then ran fast beholding various streams, forests and cities too. (12)

Meaning

“At that time the earth, which was turned into the imprint of a cow’s hoof, as it were, (and entailed no exertion in going round it), was seen by me much like a mirror (clearly revealing, as it did, everything on its surface) and a whirling firebrand due to the swiftness of my movement. (13)

Meaning

“Reaching the eastern quarter then, I beheld trees of all kinds, delightful mountains with caves, as well as lakes of every kind. (14)

Meaning

“I saw there the eastern mountain adorned with minerals and also the ocean of milk, the constant abode of celestial nymphs. (15)

Meaning

“Flying on and on when pursued by Vālī, and then returning, I forthwith departed all of a sudden, O powerful prince. (16)

Meaning

“Turning from the eastern quarter, I then made for the southern quarter, crowded with trees growing on the Vindhyan range and graced by sandalwood trees. (17)

Meaning

“Seeing Vālī from behind the trees and hills again and again, and still steadily pursued by Vālī, I reached a quarter different from the south, viz., the western quarter. (18)

Meaning

“Observing various lands as also the western mountain, the foremost of mountains, and finally reaching the western mountain, the crown of all mountains, I ran with all speed towards the north. (19)

Meaning

“When, constantly and steadily pursued by Vālī, I did not find shelter even on seeking the Himālayan range and Mount Meru and, even so, the Northern Sea, Hanumān, who was richly endowed with wisdom (and who was all along with me), thereupon submitted to me as follows : ‘It is now recollected by me, O king, how Vālī, the lord of monkeys, was at one time actually cursed by Sage Mataṅga that if he should ever venture into the limits of his hermitage, his head would surely get split into a hundred pieces. (20—22)

Meaning

“ ‘Our residence there would be happy and free from fear.’ Then, reaching the Ṛṣyamūka mountain, O prince, I took up my abode there. During those days Vālī dared not enter that region for fear of the imprecation pronounced by Ṛṣi Mataṅga. In this way, O king, the entire terrestrial globe was directly perceived by me at that time and then I withdrew to the cave on Mount Ṛṣyamūka.” (23-24)