Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 48

Meaning

Alongwith Tāra and Aṅgada the monkey, Hanumān, for his part, proceeded all at once to march towards the region duly assigned to him by Surgīva. (1)

Meaning

Travelling a long distance in the company of all those monkey chiefs and then exploring the caves and the dense forests of the Vindhyan range, Hanumān for his part halted. (2)

Meaning

Even though scouring the mountain peaks, rivers and places difficult of access, lakes, huge trees as well as groves of various kinds of trees, mountains and forest trees on all sides, all those heroic monkeys failed to perceive Sītā, daughter of Janaka and a princess of Mithilā. (3-4)

Meaning

Subsisting on roots as well as on fruits of various kinds, they say, while conducting their search, the monkeys, who were difficult to overpower, stayed wherever they could. (5)

Meaning

That vast region round about the Vindhyan range, however, was difficult to explore, full of caves and dense forests as it was, and consisting of a wilderness which was waterless, uninhabited, desolate and frightful to look at. (6)

Meaning

Having scoured even such forests, although that vast region was difficult to comb, full of caves and thick forests as it was, and presently leaving that region, severly tormented as they were with hunger and thirst as a result of roaming in a waterless tract, all the monkey chiefs for their part, who had no fear from any quarter, penetrated in a body into another region, which was difficult to assail, and where the trees were unfruitful, flowerless and even without leaves, nay, where the streams were devoid of water and where even roots were most difficult to get, where there were no buffaloes nor deer nor elephants nor tigers nor even birds nor any other animals found in a forest. (7—10)

Meaning

Here there were neither trees nor annual plants nor climbers nor creepers nor were there in that area lotus plants with smooth leaves nor open lotuses charming to look at and fragrant and frequented by bees. There was an eminent sage, Kaṇḍu by name, who was highly blessed and truthful of speech, whose only wealth was his asceticism, who was supremely irascible and was difficult to overcome by virtue of his austerities. In that forest there lived in the past his son, a ten-year-old boy, who died in that he had reached the end of his life. The great sage felt enraged because of this mishap. Subjected at that juncture to a curse by that pious-minded soul, the whole of the vast forest became unfit to harbour any creature, difficult to assail and devoid of beasts and birds. The monkeys, for their part, who were inclined to do what was pleasing to Sugrīva, carefully explored the forest regions of that area as well as the mountain caves as also the sources of rivers. Yet even there the high-souled ones did not find Sītā (the daughter of King Janaka), nor even her abductor, Rāvaṇa. Having penetrated into that dreadful forest, which was overgrown with creepers and briars, the monkeys for their part beheld a fearful demon of terrible deeds,who had no fear from gods (by virtue of a boon granted by them). The monkeys felt disquieted to see that frightful demon standing like a hill. (11—18)

Meaning

Seeing the demon, who looked like a mountain, all the monkeys stood with their loins tightly girded. The mighty demon too threatened all those monkeys, saying : “You are gone !” (19)

Meaning

Highly enraged, Aṇgada, son of Vālī, forthwith rushed to meet the demon, who was swooping upon him raising his clenched fist (to strike Aṅgada), and struck him with his palm, thinking him to be Rāvaṇa : so the tradition goes. Vomiting blood from his mouth when struck by Aṅgada (son of Vālī), the said demon fell flat on the ground like a mountain thrown off its base. The said wicked fellow being dead, the monkeys, who shone with a triumphant air, ransacked once more almost all the mountain-caves in that region (mistaking the demon to be Rāvaṇa). When the entire region had been explored without any result, all the aforesaid monkeys for their part then penetrated into another fearful mountain-cave, which was not distant. Coming out exhausted after the search, the monkeys assembled once more at the foot of a tree in a lonely place and sat down distressed in mind due to frustration. (20—24)