Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 58

Meaning

Spoken to in these pitiful words by the monkeys, who had given up all hope of their life, the vulture, full of tears, replied as follows to the monkeys in a loud voice : (1)

Meaning

“He was my younger brother, Jaṭāyu by name, O monkeys, whom you have spoken of as killed in an encounter by Rāvaṇa, who was superior in strength to him. (2)

Meaning

“Due to old age and loss of my wings, I forbear even on hearing of it; for I have no more strength left in me to requite his mortal enmity towards my brother. (3)

Meaning

“Seeking to conquer Indra in the olden days, when the death of the demon Vṛtra had taken place at the hands of Indra, Jaṭāyu and myself too soared with inordinate speed through the airspace to heaven. Turning back from heaven after conquering him, we flew up still higher and drew near the sun encircled by its aureole of rays and illumining heaven. When, however, the sun reached the meridian, Jaṭāyu for his part began to grow faint. (4-5)

Meaning

“Seeing my aforesaid brother tormented by the sun’s rays and greatly unnerved, I covered him with my wings out of affection. (6)

Meaning

“My wings having been fully burnt, I dropped down on the Vindhyan range, O leaders of monkeys! Living on this mountain, as I did, I got no news of my brother,” (7)

Meaning

Told thus by Sampāti, the brother of Jaṭāyu on that occassion, the highly intelligent Aṅgada, the Prince Regent of Kiṣkindhā, for his part, then replied as follows : (8)

Meaning

“If you are the brother of Jaṭāyu and if you have listened to what has been narrated by me, please say if you know the abode of that ogre. (9)

Meaning

“If you actually know that short-sighted Rāvaṇa, the vilest of ogres, to be living near or far, please tell us.” (10)

Meaning

Sampāti, the elder brother of Jaṭāyu, who was endowed with extraordinary energy, thereupon spoke the following words becoming of himself, bringing supreme delight to the monkeys thereby : (11)

Meaning

“A vulture whose wings have been entirely burnt and whose virility has departed for good, O monkeys, I would render foremost service to Śrī Rāma through you, who are engaged in his service, at least through my speech only. (12)

Meaning

“I have knowledge of the worlds presided over by Varuṇa (the god of water) as also those measured in three strides by Lord Viṣṇu (descended in the form of the Divine Dwarf and then assuming inordinate proportions). I am equally aware of the conflicts that took place between the gods and the demons and also how nectar was churned out of the ocean of milk. (13)

Meaning

“Even though my energy has been snatched away by old age and my vitality is ebbing, this errand of Śrī Rāma, which you have mentioned, must be accomplished by me first. (14)

Meaning

“A Lovely young lady richly endowed with comeliness and adorned with all kinds of jewels was seen by me the other day crying out ‘Rāma !’, ‘O Rāma !’ ‘O Lakṣmaṇa, nay, dropping down her ornaments and tossing her limbs in her attempt to extricate herself while being borne away by the evil-minded Rāvaṇa. (15-16)

Meaning

“Her exquisite silken robe shone against the dark-complexioned ogre as the splendour of the sun against a mountain-peak or as a flash of lightning in the sky. (17)

Meaning

“From the fact that she was uttering the name of Rāma again and again, I believe her to have been Sītā without doubt. Now hear from me, as I speak, about the abode of that ogre. (18)

Meaning

“The son of Sage Viśravā himself and a (half-) brother of Kubera (son of Viśravā), the ogre, Rāvaṇa by name, lives in the city of Laṅkā. (19)

Meaning

“On a well-known island in the sea, situated at a distance of full one hundred Yojanas (or eight hundred miles) from this shore, lies the lovely city of Laṅkā, constructed by Viśwakarmā (the architect of gods), abounding in wonderful gates of Jāmbūnada (gold found on the banks of the Jammu river) and stately mansions of golden hue with terraces of gold and enclosed by a massive fortification wall bright as the sun. “In that city lives the agonized Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory), clad in silk, confined in the gynaeceum of Rāvaṇa and strongly guarded by ogresses. There you will be able to see Sītā (a princess of Mithilā), daughter of King Janaka. (20—23)

Meaning

“Duly reaching the end of the sea, which lies at a distance of a full hundred Yojanas (or eight hundred miles), and arriving at its southern coast you will be able to see after that Rāvaṇa in Laṅkā, protected by the sea on all sides. Reaching there expeditiously show your valour soon, O monkeys ! (24-25)

Meaning

“I perceive through intuition that you will indeed be able to return after seeing Sītā. The first shortest flight in point of height is that of sparrows and other birds who live on grain. (26)

Meaning

“The second, in order of height, is that of birds such as crows living on fragments of food left at a meal and those such as parrots that subsist on the fruits of trees. Bhāsas and herons as well as ospreys take a flight which is third in order of height. (27)

Meaning

“Hawks take a flight which is fourth in order of height; while vultures take a flight which is fifth in order of height. The sixth in order of height is the flight of swans endowed with strength and virility and graced with comeliness and youth; while the flight of Garuḍa (son of Vinatā) is the highest. We all vultures claim our descent from Aruṇa, the younger son of Vinatā, O leaders of monkeys ! (28-29)

Meaning

“The enmity shown towards my brother, Jaṭāyu, by that ogre (lit., one who feeds on raw flesh), by whom the execrable act in the shape of Sītā’s abduction was actually perpetrated, remains to be repaid by me, which will be automatically done through your agency. (30)

Meaning

“Standing here I vividly perceive Rāvaṇa and Sītā (daughter of Janaka). We also possess the supersensuous vision of Garuḍa of charming wings. (31)

Meaning

“Therefore, through the potency of our food and by virtue of our nature (as descendants of Vinatā) we can always see to a distance of more than one hundred Yojanas (or eight hundred miles), O monkeys ! (32)

Meaning

“Moreover, our sustenance has been ordained by Nature with food seen at a distance, while that of cocks (lit., birds contending with their claws) has been ordained with food obtained at the foot of a tree. (33)

Meaning

“Some means may be found out to cross the sea (of brackish waters). Having met Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory) you will surely return to Kiṣkindhā, fully accomplished of purpose. (34)

Meaning

“I wish myself to be taken by you to the sea, the abode of Varuṇa (the god of water). I will duly offer water to the spirit of my high-souled younger brother, Jaṭāyu, who has ascended to heaven.” (35)

Meaning

Actually taking Sampāti, whose wings had been completely burnt, to the aforesaid region lying on the shore of the ocean (the lord of rivers and streams), and then, after he had offered water to the spirit of his younger brother, taking the said king of birds back to the same place where he lived, the aforesaid monkeys, who were endowed with extraordinary energy, felt rejoiced to receive the information regarding Rāvaṇa and Sītā. (36-37)