Sundara Kanda, Sarga 61

Meaning

The heroic monkeys headed by Aṅgada, as well as the great monkey, Hanumān, thereupon accepted the advice of Jāmbavān. (1)

Meaning

Having made up their mind to accomplish the purpose of Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, and to bring the highest renown to him, and leaping from the aforesaid summit of the Mahendra mountain, all the jewels among monkeys—who were gigantic like the Meru and Mandāra mountains and resembled lordly elephants in rut, and were endowed with extraordinary might, nay, who were accomplished of purpose and felt exalted due to successes in their undertakings, leapt forward in the direction of Kiṣkindhā, full of joy, with Hanumān (son of the wind-god) at their head, covering the space, as it were, nay, bearing the celebrated, self-possessed and exceptionally mighty Hanumān, who was endowed with great impetuosity and was being honoured by heavenly beings by their gazes, as it were. (2—5)

Meaning

All were keen to break the pleasant tidings; all hailed war and all were determined to assist Śrī Rāma in subduing Rāvaṇa, and were high-minded. (6)

Meaning

Bounding into the air, the aforesaid monkeys arrived, leaping at a grove full of hundreds of trees and vying with the Nandana grove in paradise. (7)

Meaning

Those monkeys felt supremely eager to partake of the honey etc., in which the grove abounded or reaching that grove, Madhuvana by name, belonging to Sugrīva, which was an extensive grove protected on all sides, and as such inviolable for all created beings, nay, which captivated the soul of all created beings, which was constantly guarded by the exceptionally gallant monkey, Dadhimukha, maternal uncle of the high-souled Sugrīva, the foremost of monkeys, and which was pleasing to the mind, O Sugrīva, the ruler of monkeys. (8—10)

Meaning

Rejoiced to see the extensive Madhuvana, the aforesaid monkeys, who were reddish brown as honey, thereupon asked Prince Aṅgada for permission to taste the honey. (11)

Meaning

Securing the consent of those elderly monkeys headed by Jāmbavān, the prince then granted them permission to partake of the honey. (12)

Meaning

Authorized by the sagacious Prince Aṅgada (son of Vāli), those monkeys approached the trees swarming with bees. (13)

Meaning

Feasting on the fragrant roots and fruits too, they all experienced great joy and got excited through drink. (14)

Meaning

Having been granted permission by Aṅgada to partake of the honey, all the monkeys now felt extremely delighted. Nay, feeling rejoiced, they then began to dance merrily here and there. (15)

Meaning

While some sang, others laughed to their heart’s content, still others danced, while many more meekly bowed down. Again, some fell down, others moved quickly, still others bounded and some more raved. (16)

Meaning

Some leaned against one another, others disputed with one another, still others ran from one tree to another while many more jumped to the ground from tree-tops. (17)

Meaning

Some with increased impetuosity flew to the top of gigantic trees from the earth’s surface. While one was singing, another approached him laughing to his heart’s content; and while one was laughing, another went up to him weeping bitterly. (18)

Meaning

While one was pinching another, a third approached the former roaring. In short, greatly excited was that entire army of monkeys. None in that army was not drunk; and none in that army was not haughty. (19)

Meaning

Perceiving that grove being wrecked and the trees stripped off their leaves and blossom, the monkey named Dadhimukha (who had been placed in charge of the grove by King Sugriva) angrily checked the aforesaid monkeys. (20)

Meaning

While being upbraided by those arrogant monkeys, that elderly hero among the monkeys, who guarded the grove, and was endowed with terrific energy, further contemplated the means of protecting the grove against the monkeys. (21)

Meaning

He dauntlessly spoke harsh words to some, while others he smote immediately with his palms; coming at close quarters with others, he wrangled with them, while still others he approached with soothing words. (22)

Meaning

Dadhimukha began to be dragged violently by those monkeys, who were being forcibly checked by him even though their vehemence had become irresistible due to their inebriety, nay, who had cast away all fear and who had joined together, taking no account of the guilt involved in assaulting a servant of the king. (23)

Meaning

Scratching Dadhimukha with their claws, biting him with their teeth and taking the life out of him, as it were, with their slaps and kicks in their drunkenness, the aforesaid monkeys divested that extensive grove on all sides of all its edibles in the shape of fruits, honey and roots etc. (24)