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title: "Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 59"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/kishkindha-kanda/sarga-59"
lang: "en"
---

# Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 59

> ततस्तदमृतास्वादं गृध्रराजेन भाषितम्।  
> निशम्य वदता हृष्टास्ते वचः प्लवगर्षभाः॥ १॥

The aforesaid leaders of monkeys were delighted to hear the words, sweet as nectar, uttered by the king of vultures, even as he spoke to them. (1)

> जाम्बवान् वानरश्रेष्ठः सह सर्वैः प्लवङ्गमैः।  
> भूतलात् सहसोत्थाय गृध्रराजानमब्रवीत्॥ २॥

Rising from the ground all at once alongwith all the monkeys, Jāmbavān, the foremost of all monkeys and bears, spoke as follows to Sampāti, the king of vultures : (2)

> क्व सीता केन वा दृष्टा को वा हरति मैथिलीम्।  
> तदाख्यातु भवान् सर्वं गतिर्भव वनौकसाम्॥ ३॥

“Where is Sītā and by whom was she seen? And who abducted the princess of Mithilā? Pray, relate all that and prove to be an asylum for the monkeys and bears (lit., dwellers in the woods). (3)

> को दाशरथिबाणानां वज्रवेगनिपातिनाम्।  
> स्वयं लक्ष्मणमुक्तानां न चिन्तयति विक्रमम्॥ ४॥

“Who is it that does not mind the might of the arrows of Śrī Rāma (son of Daśaratha), which rush with the speed of lightning, as well as of those discharged by Lakṣmaṇa himself?” (4)

> स हरीन् प्रतिसम्मुक्तान् सीताश्रुतिसमाहितान्।  
> पुनराश्वासयन् प्रीत इदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥ ५॥

Consoling once more the monkeys, who had now totally given up the vow of starving themselves to death and were all attention to hear more about Sītā, Sampāti joyously made the following reply : (5)

> श्रूयतामिह वैदेह्या यथा मे हरणं श्रुतम्।  
> येन चापि ममाख्यातं यत्र चायतलोचना॥ ६॥

“Hear how the abduction of Sītā (a princess of the Videha territory) was heard of by me here and also by whom the story was related to me, and where the large-eyed lady is. (6)

> अहमस्मिन् गिरौ दुर्गे बहुयोजनमायते।  
> चिरान्निपतितो वृद्धः क्षीणप्राणपराक्रमः॥ ७॥

“Long ago I fell on this mountain, which is difficult of access and is many Yojanas in extent. I am now old and find my vitality and prowess, too, depleted. (7)

> तं मामेवंगतं पुत्रः सुपार्श्वो नाम नामतः।  
> आहारेण यथाकालं बिभर्ति पततां वरः॥ ८॥

“My own son, well-known by the name of Supārśwa, the foremost of birds, nourished me with food at regular hours when I was reduced to this plight. (8)

> तीक्ष्णकामास्तु गन्धर्वास्तीक्ष्णकोपा भुजङ्गमाः।  
> मृगाणां तु भयं तीक्ष्णं ततस्तीक्ष्णक्षुधा वयम्॥ ९॥

“Ardent is the longing of Gandharvas (celestial musicians) for women and violent is the anger of serpents. Intense is the fear of antelopes, while we, birds, are noted more than the latter for our keen appetite. (9)

> स कदाचित् क्षुधार्तस्य ममाहाराभिकांक्षिणः।  
> गतसूर्येऽहनि प्राप्तो मम पुत्रो ह्यनामिषः॥ १०॥

“One day, my aforesaid son came to me actually without any flesh at an hour of the day when the sun had actually set; while I was tormented with hunger and was ardently longing for food. (10)

> स मयाऽऽहारसंरोधात् पीडितः प्रीतिवर्धनः।  
> अनुमान्य यथातत्त्वमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥ ११॥

“Honouring me when stung by me with harsh words for withholding food from me, Supārśwa, who heightened my joy on meeting me, made the following reply, which was in consonance with facts : (11)

> अहं तात यथाकालमामिषार्थी खमाप्लुतः।  
> महेन्द्रस्य गिरेर्द्वारमावृत्य सुसमाश्रितः॥ १२॥

“ ‘Having flown into the air in quest of flesh in time I stationed myself blocking the approach to the Mahendra mountain, O dear father ! (12)

> तत्र सत्त्वसहस्राणां सागरान्तरचारिणाम्।  
> पन्थानमेकोऽध्यवसं संनिरोद्धुमवाङ्मुखः॥ १३॥

“ ‘I stayed there alone, head downwards, with a view to obstructing completely the passage of thousands of creatures living in the sea. (13)

> तत्र कश्चिन्मया दृष्टः सूर्योदयसमप्रभाम्।  
> स्त्रियमादाय गच्छन् वै भिन्नाञ्जनचयोपमः॥ १४॥

“ ‘On that occasion was seen by me someone looking like a mass of collyrium, actually carrying a lady bright as the dawn. (14)

> सोऽहमभ्यवहारार्थं तौ दृष्ट्वा कृतनिश्चयः।  
> तेन साम्ना विनीतेन पन्थानमनुयाचितः॥ १५॥

“ ‘Seeing them, I resolved to seize them for your food. By him, however, I was asked for a passage in gentle words and in a submissive demeanour. (15)

> नहि सामोपपन्नानां प्रहर्ता विद्यते भुवि।  
> नीचेष्वपि जनः कश्चित् किमङ्ग बत मद्विधः॥ १६॥

“ ‘Indeed there is no creature on earth, even among the vile, who would strike those armed with conciliatory words; how, then, can a creature like myself do so, O dear father? (16)

> स यातस्तेजसा व्योम संक्षिपन्निव वेगितः।  
> अथाहं खेचरैर्भूतैरभिगम्य सभाजितः॥ १७॥

“ ‘He hurriedly passed on enveloping the sky as it were with splendour. Thereupon I was met and felicitated by living beings coursing in the air. (17)

> दिष्ट्या जीवति सीतेति ह्यब्रुवन् मां महर्षयः।  
> कथंचित् सकलत्रोऽसौ गतस्ते स्वस्त्यसंशयम्॥ १८॥

“ ‘Eminent sages actually said to me : By good luck Sītā is still alive; again it is undoubtedly well for you that the fellow somehow left with that lady without doing any harm to you. (18)

> एवमुक्तस्ततोऽहं तैः सिद्धैः परमशोभनैः।  
> स च मे रावणो राजा रक्षसां प्रतिवेदितः॥ १९॥

“ ‘After he had left I was spoken to as aforesaid by those highly glorious Siddhas. Nay, the fellow was further pointed out to have been no other than Rāvaṇa, the king of ogres. (19)

> पश्यन् दाशरथेर्भार्यां रामस्य जनकात्मजाम्।  
> भ्रष्टाभरणकौशेयां शोकवेगपराजिताम्॥ २०॥  
> रामलक्ष्मणयोर्नाम क्रोशन्तीं मुक्तमूर्धजाम्।  
> एष कालात्ययस्तात इति वाक्यविदां वरः॥ २१॥  
> एतदर्थं समग्रं मे सुपार्श्वः प्रत्यवेदयत्।  
> तच्छ्रुत्वापि हि मे बुद्धिर्नासीत् काचित् पराक्रमे॥ २२॥  
> अपक्षो हि कथं पक्षी कर्म किंचित् समारभेत्।  
> यत् तु शक्यं मया कर्तुं वाग्बुद्धिगुणवर्तिना॥ २३॥  
> श्रूयतां तत्र वक्ष्यामि भवतां पौरुषाश्रयम्।  
> वाङ् मतिभ्यां हि सर्वेषां करिष्यामि प्रियं हि वः॥ २४॥

“ ‘I remained looking on the consort of Śrī Rāma, son of Daśaratha, and daughter of Janaka, whose jewels had dropped from her person and whose silk covering had slipped from over her head, nay, who had been overcome with vehemence of grief and who was calling loudly the names of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, her hair dishevelled. This is how the time passed, O dear father !’ So did Supārśwa, the foremost of masters of expression, convey all this information to me. Even after actually hearing it the idea of showing valour did not occur to me at all. Indeed how can a bird shorn of its wings undertake to do anything? I, however, shall tell you something which can be done in that behalf by me, used as I am to helping others with my speech and understanding, but the execution of which depends entirely on your prowess. Surely, I will do with my word and intellect that which is really agreeable to you. (20—24)

> यद्धि दाशरथेः कार्यं मम तन्नात्र संशयः।  
> तद् भवन्तो मतिश्रेष्ठा बलवन्तो मनस्विनः॥ २५॥  
> प्रहिताः कपिराजेन देवैरपि दुरासदाः।  
> रामलक्ष्मणबाणाश्च विहिताः कङ्कपत्रिणः॥ २६॥  
> त्रयाणामपि लोकानां पर्याप्तास्त्राणनिग्रहे।  
> कामं खलु दशग्रीवस्तेजोबलसमन्वितः।  
> भवतां तु समर्थानां न किंचिदपि दुष्करम्॥ २७॥

“For that which is the concern of Śrī Rāma (a son of Daśaratha) is equally my concern: there is no doubt about it. You are pre-eminent in point of intelligence, mighty, high-minded and difficult to assail even for gods. Hence you have been dispatched here by Sugrīva (the ruler of monkeys). The shafts of Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, which have been evolved by the creator himself and are furnished with the plumes of a buzzard, are adequate to protect or subdue all the three worlds. Granted that Rāvaṇa (the ten-headed monster) is, truly speaking, fully endowed with energy and bodily strength; nothing whatsoever is, however, difficult to accomplish for you, powerful as you are. (25—27)

> तदलं कालसङ्गेन क्रियतां बुद्धिनिश्चयः।  
> नहि कर्मसु सज्जन्ते बुद्धिमन्तो भवद्विधाः॥ २८॥

“Therefore, there should be no more loss of time; let your mind be made up soon to do your best to find out Sītā. For, intelligent people like you do not lag behind in their undertakings.” (28)

Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana

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