Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 62

Meaning

“Having submitted to Niśākara, the foremost of sages, as above, I fell asobbing, sore distressed as I was. Reflecting a while, the venerable sage, however, spoke as follows : (1)

Meaning

“ ‘You will get back other pair of wings as well as vision and renewed vitality as also valour and strength too. (2)

Meaning

“ ‘It has actually been heard by me (predicted) in the old traditional history that a very remarkable event is going to take place in future. It has not only been learnt by me through hearsay but also foreseen by me by virtue of my asceticism. (3)

Meaning

“There will be a certain king, Daśaratha by name, the promoter of Ikṣwāku’s race. A son, Rāma by name, endowed with extraordinary energy, will be born to him. (4)

Meaning

“Called upon by his father to do so, Śrī Rāma of unfailing prowess will proceed to the forest with his younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa, and his consort, Sītā. (5)

Meaning

“ ‘An ogre (lit., One born in the line of Nirṛti, the deity presiding over the south-east), Rāvaṇa by name, the ruler of ogres, incapable of being slain by gods and demons alike, will carry off his consort, Sītā, in Janasthāna. (6)

Meaning

“Plunged in sorrow, the illustrious and highly blessed Sītā, a princess of Mithilā, however, will not partake of anything, even though tempted with offers of dishes—worth coveting—requiring mastication and those which can be easily gulped. (7)

Meaning

“Learning of this, Indra (the ruler of gods) will offer (through his messenger Mātali, a dish of) milk boiled with rice and sugar, a dish which will be like ambrosia and difficult to get even for gods. (8)

Meaning

“Receiving that dish and taking out the foremost part of it on coming to know for certain that it has come from Indra, Sītā (a princess of Mithilā) for her part will pour it on the ground as an offering to Śrī Rāma, saying: ‘If my husband or even Lakṣmaṇa, my brother-in-law, is alive, or even if they have attained the celestial state, let this food actually reach them.’ (9-10)

Meaning

“Dispatched as messengers of Śrī Rāma, monkeys will arrive on that spot. To them, O bird, the information about Sītā (the consort of Śrī Rāma) should be communicated by you. (11)

Meaning

“On no account, however, should you venture out. Where can you go in this state? Wait for a suitable place and time, you will recover your wings. (12)

Meaning

“I can furnish you with wings this very day. (But in that case you will fly away to some other place). Continuing here, however, you will do a friendly act of service to mankind by enabling Śrī Rāma to trace out Sītā and kill Rāvaṇa, a sworn enemy of mankind. (13)

Meaning

“Indeed it is your duty too to render the aforesaid service to those two princes (Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa), to the Brāhmaṇas as well as to your teachers (viz., ourselves) and other hermits as also to Indra, inasmuch as the interests of all these, including yourself, will be served by it. (14)

Meaning

“I too long to see the two brothers, Śrī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa; yet I do not wish to preserve my life for a long time and will cast off my body.” Thus spoke the great Ṛṣi Niśākara, who had for his part realized the substance forming the Reality (viz., Brahma) and mastered the Veda (which enables one to realize It). (15)