Chapter [Sarga] 48

Book IV : Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys

Chapter [Sarga] 48

Introduction

Hanuma's search for Seetha, together with Angada and others is started. They search certain mountains and forests belonging to Vindhya, but in vain. They enter many uninhabited forests and places. Angada kills a demon presuming him to be Ravana. Their hearts sadden when their search became futile at these places.

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saha taara a.ngadaabhyaam tu sahasaa hanumaan kapiH |
sugriiveNa yathaa uddiSTam tam desham upacakrame || 4-48-1

1. kapiH hanumaan= the monkey, Hanuma; taara angadaabhyaam saha= Lt. Tara, Angada and others, along with; sahasaa= quickly; sugriiveNa yathaa uddiSTam= by Sugreeva, as, indicated; tam desham [gantum] upacakrame= that, province, [to go to,] started out.

Hanuma, the monkey, quickly started along with Angada, Lt. Tara, and others to that province which Sugreeva has indicated, namely the south. [4-48-1]

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sa tu duuram upaagamya sarvaiH taiH kapi sattamaiH |
tato vicitya vindhyasya guhaaH ca gahanaani ca || 4-48-2
parvataagra nadii durgaan saraa.nsi vipula drumaan |
vR^ikSa khaNDaan ca vividhaan parvataan vana paadapaan || 4-48-3

2, 3. saH= he Hanuma; sarvaiH taiH kapi sattamaiH= with all, of them, monkey, powerful ones; duuram upaagamya= remote [place,] arriving at; tataH= then; vindhyasya guhaaH ca gahanaani ca= Vindhya mountain's, caves, also, forests, also; vicitya= having searched; parvata agra nadii durgaan= mountain, tops, [and] rivers, impassable ones; saraamsi= lakes; vipula drumaan vR^ikSa khaNDaan ca= wide, trees, trees, stands of, also - forest areas having beamy trees; vividhaan parvataan vana paadapaan= diverse, mountains, forests, trees; he searched.

Arriving at a remote place with all of those powerful monkeys, then Hanuma searched the caves and forests of Vindhya Mountains, and on their mountaintops, at impassable places, at rivers and lakes, and in stands of trees with beamy trees, also on diverse mountains, forests and trees. [4-48-2, 3]

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anveSamaaNaaH te sarve vaanaraaH sarvato disham |
na siitaam dadR^ishur viiraa maithiliim janaka aatmajaam || 4-48-4

4. viiraaH te vaanaraaH= brave ones, those, vanara-s; sarve sarvataH disham= all, in all, quarters; anveSamaaNaaH= while searching; maithiliim janaka aatmajaam siitaam= Maithili, Janaka's, daughter, Seetha; na dadR^ishuH= not, seen.

Though all of those brave vanara-s have searched in all directions they have not noticed the princess of Mithila and the daughter of Janaka, namely Seetha. [4-48-4]

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te bhakSayanto muulaani phalaani vividhaani api |
anveSamaaNaa durdharSaa nyavasan tatra tatra ha || 4-48-5

5. durdharSaa te= invulnerable, those - vanara-s; vividhaani muulaani phalaani api= various [unalike,] tubers, fruits, even; bhakSayantaH= on eating; anveSamaaNaa= during their search; tatra tatra nyavasan ha= there, there, sojourned, indeed.

Feeding upon unalike fruits and tubers, sojourning here and there, those invulnerable vanara-s conducted their search. [4-48-5]

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sa tu desho dur.hanveSo guhaa gahanavaan mahaan |
nirjalam nirjanam shuunyam gahanam ghora darshanam || 4-48-6

6. guhaa gahanavaan= having caves, forests; saH mahaan deshaH tu= that, great, province, on its part; dur anveSaH= difficult, to search - inscrutable one; nir jalam= without, water; nir janam= without, people; shuunyam= a void; gahanam ghora darshanam= forest [impenetrable,] ghastly, for a sight.

But that province is an inscrutable one, deeply caved, deeply forested, much less of water and still less of people, a void and an impenetrable one with a ghastly look. [4-48-6]

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taa dR^ishaani anyaa api araNyaani vicitya bhR^iisha piiDitaaH |
sa deshaH ca dur.hanveSyo guhaa gahanavaan mahaan || 4-48-7

7. taa dR^ishaani= that sort of - province; anyaa araNyaani api= other, forests, even; vicitya= having searched; bhR^iisha piiDitaaH= muchly, tormented [for Seetha is unseen]; guhaa gahanavaan mahaan= having caves, forests, abstruse one; saH deshaH ca= that, province, also; dur anveSyaH= un, searchable.

They are highly tormented when they vainly searched there, and even in another province that is also of the same kind, waterless and people-less, and an unreachable one, abstrusely caved and forested. [4-48-7]

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tyak{}tvaa tu tam tataH desham sarve vai hari yuuthapaaH |
desham anyam duraadhar.hSam vivishuH ca akuto bhayaaH || 4-48-8

8. sarve hari yuuthapaaH= all, monkey, commanders; tataH tam desham tyaktvaa= then, that - province, giving up; a+ kutaH bhayaaH= not, in anyway, fearing ones; duraadharSam anyam desham vivishuH impermeable one, another, province, they entered into; vai= indeed.

Then all of those monkey commanders gave up that province and entered another impermeable province as they are fearless from any quarter. [4-48-8]

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yatra vandhya phalaa vR^ikSaa vipuSpaaH parNa varjitaaH |
nistoyaaH sarito yatra muulam yatra sudurlabham || 4-48-9

9. yatra= whereat; vR^ikSaaH vandhya phalaa= trees, with infertile, fruits - fruitless trees; vi puSpaaH= without, flowers; parNa varjitaaH= leaves, destitute of; yatra= where; saritaH= brooks nis toyaaH= deprived of, waters; yatra= where; muulam= tubers; su dur labham= highly, impossible, to get.

Whereat the trees are infertile for fruiting, destitute of leaves and flowers, and whereat the brooks are deprived of waters, and whereat it is highly impossible to get even tubers, there they entered. [4-48-9]

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na santi mahiSaa yatra na mR^igaa na ca hastinaH |
shaarduulaaH pakSiNo vaa api ye ca anye vana gocaraaH || 4-48-10

10. yatra= where; mahiSaa na santi= buffalos, not, are there; mR^igaaH na= animals, not there; hastinaH shaarduulaaH= elephants, tigers; na= not there; pakSiNaH vaa api= birds, or, even; vana gocaraaH= forest moving beings; ye anye ca= those, any other [animals,] also; na= not there.

Where there are no buffalos, no elephants, no animals, nor even birds or tigers, or no other forest moving beings are there, for they do not have their feed there, they entered such a province. [4-48-10]

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na ca atra vR^ikshaa na oSadhyo na vallyo na api viirudhaH |
snigdha patraaH sthale yatra padminyaH phulla pa.nkajaaH || 4-48-11
prekSaNiiyaaH sugandhaaH ca bhramaraiH ca varjitaaH |

11, 12a. yatra= where; vR^ikshaa na= [useful] trees, are not there; oSadhyaH na= herbal plants, not; vallyaH na= climber-plants, not; viirudhaH= plants creeping on ground; na api= not, even; atra= there; snigdha patraaH= soft, leaves [of lotuses]; sthale= in the place [where they grow]; padminyaH= lotus-creepers; phulla panka jaaH= bloomed, from mud, birthed [lotuses birthed in lakes]; su gandhaaH ca= richly, fragranced, also; prekSaNiiyaaH= pleasing fro sight; bhramaraiH ca= by honeybees, also; varjitaaH= discarded.

Where there are no useful trees, nor herbal plants, nor climbing plants on trees, nor creeping plants on earth, and lotus-lakes which will be normally pleasing for sight have no soft leaves, nor bloomed lotuses on their creepers, and even honeybees are discarding them as they are not richly fragranced, in such a province those vanara-s have entered. [4-48-11,12a]

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kaNDur naama mahaabhaagaH satya vaadii tapo dhanaH || 4-48-12
maharSiH parama amar.hSii niyamaiH duS.hpradhar.hSaNaH |

12b, 13a. satya vaadii= veracious one; mahaabhaagaH= highly fortunate one; tapaH dhanaH= by asceticism, wealthy; parama amarSii= highly, short-tempered one; niyamaiH= by his self-discipline; duS pra dharSaNaH= impossible, verily, one to subjugate; kaNDuH naama= Kandu, known as; maharSiH= great-sage; [tatra aasiit= there, he is.]

A highly fortunate, veracious, ascetically wealthy sage known as Kandu is there in that province, and that great sage is a highly short-tempered, and an impossible one to subjugate by virtue of his own self-discipline. [4-48-12b, 13a]

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tasya tasmin vane putro baalako dasha vaarSikaH || 4-48-13
praNaSTo jiivita antaaya kruddhaH tena mahaamuniH |

13b, 14a. tasmin vane= in that, forest; tasya= his - sage's; dasha vaarSikaH= ten, year old one; putraH baalaka= son, a boy; jiivita antaaya praNaSTaH= by the end of, lost, life [boy]; tena= by that; mahaa muniH kruddhaH= great, sage, is infuriated.

In that forest that sage lost his son, a ten-year-old boy, as that boy's life ended there by which that great sage is infuriated. [4-48-13b, 14a]

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tena dharmaaatmanaa shaptam kR^itsnam tatra mahad vanam || 4-48-14
asharaNyam duraadharSam mR^iga pakSi vivarjitam |

14b, 15a. tatra= thereby; mahat kR^itsnam vanam= great [forest,] in entirety, forest; a + sharaNyam= not, inhabitable; duraadharSam= impermeable [forest]; mR^iga pakSi vivarjitam= by animals, birds, completely, abandoned; to become like that; tena dharmaaatmanaa shaptam= by him, by that virtue-souled one, cursed.

Thereby that virtue-souled sage cursed that great forest in it entirety to become an uninhabitable and impermeable forest abandoned by birds and animals. [4-48-14b, 15a]

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tasya te kaanana antaan tu giriiNaam kandaraaNi ca || 4-48-15
prabhavaaNi nadiinaam ca vicinvanti samaahitaaH |

15b, 16a. te= those [monkeys]; samaahitaaH= conscientiously; tasya= its [that forest's]; kaanana antaan tu= forest, up to its fringes, but; giriiNaam kandaraaNi ca= mountains, caves, even; nadiinaam= of rivers; prabhavaaNi ca= fountains, also; vicinvanti= searched.

But those monkeys conscientiously searched such a forest up to its fringes, including its mountains, caves, fountains, and rivers. [4-48-15b, 16a]

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tatra ca api mahaatmaano na apashyan janaka aatmajaam || 4-48-16
hartaaram raavaNam vaa api sugriiva priya kaariNaH |

16b, 17a. mahaatmaanaH= noble-mined ones [monkeys]; sugriiva priya kaariNaH= to Sugreeva, acceptable deeds, perfecters of; tatra ca api= there, also, even; janaka aatmajaam= Janaka's, daughter; hartaaram raavaNam vaa api= kidnapper, Ravana, or, even; na apashyan= while not, on seeing; they entered another forest.

But not finding the daughter of Janaka or even her kidnapper Ravana there, those monkeys who are the perfecters of that which is acceptable to Sugreeva, have entered another fearsome forest. [4-48-16b, 17a]

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te pravishya tu tam bhiimam lataa gulma samaavR^itam || 4-48-17
dadR^ishuH bhiima karmaaNam asuram sura nirbhayam |

17b, 18a. te= they; lataa gulma sam aavR^itam= with climbers, shrubberies, overly encompassed with; bhiimam= fearsome [another forest]; pravishya= on entering; bhiima karmaaNam= of fiendish, deeds; sura nir bhayam= from gods, un, fearing; asuram dadR^ishuH= a demon, they saw.

On entering another fearsome forest which is overly encompassed with climbers and shrubberies they saw a demon of fiendish deeds who is fearless of gods. [4-48-17b, 18a]

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tam dR^iSTvaa vanaraa ghoram sthitam shailam iva asuram || 4-48-18
gaaDham parihitaaH sarve dR^iSTvaa tam parvata upamam |

18b, 19a. sarve vanaraa= all of the, vanara-s; shailam iva sthitam= boulder, like, standing; ghoram tam asuram dR^iSTvaa= fiendish, him, at demon, on seeing; they are amazed; parvata upamam= mountain, similar [demon]; tam dR^iSTvaa= him, on seeing; gaaDham pari hitaaH= tightly, around, girthed - their wrestler's girdle-cloth.

All of those vanara-s are amazed to see that fiendish demon standing similar to a mountainous boulder, and apprehending an imminent danger on observing that mountain similar demon, those vanara-s have tightly girthed their wrestler's girdle-cloth. [4-48-18b, 19a]

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so api taan vaanaraan sarvaan naSTaaH stha iti abraviit balii || 4-48-19
abhyadhaavata samkruddho muSTim udyamya sa.mgatam |

19b. 20a. balii= mighty one [demon]; saH api= he [demon,] even; naSTaaH= you [are all are] dead; stha= stay; iti= thus; taan sarvaan vaanaraan abraviit= to them, to all vanara-s, said - shouting; sam kruddhaH= highly, frenzied; sangatam muSTim udyamya= clenched, fist, shoving up; abhyadhaavata= towards [monkeys,] rushed.

Even that mighty demon shouting at all vanara-s, 'you are all dead... stay,' rushed towards them shoving up his clenched fist. [4-48-19b, 20a]

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tam aapatantam sahasaa vaali putro a.ngadaH tadaa || 4-48-20
raavaNo ayam iti j~naatvaa talena abhijaghaana ha |

20b, 21a. tadaa vaali putraH angadaH= then, Vali's, son, Angada; aa patantam tam= coming, falling upon, at him; ayam raavaNaH iti j~naatvaa= he is, Ravana, thus, knowing [presuming]; sahasaa talena abhijaghaana ha= quickly, with his palm, thwacked, indeed.

Angada, the son of Vali, then presumed him who is onrushing as Ravana and saying, 'he is Ravana...' he quickly thwacked that demon indeed with his palm. [4-48-20b, 21a]

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sa vaali putra abhihato vak{}traat shoNitam udvaman || 4-48-21
asuro nyapatat bhuumau paryasta iva parvataH |

21b, 22a. vaali putra abhihataH= by Vali's, son, one who is whacked; saH asuraH= he, that demon; vaktraat shoNitam ud vaman= from throat, blood, up spewed [spewed forth]; paryasta= upside down - inverted; bhuumau= on ground; parvataH iva= mountain, alike; nyapatat= fell down.

When Vali's son whacked him that demon spewed forth blood from his throat and fell onto ground alike an inverted mountain. [4-48-21b, 22a]

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te tu tasmin nir ucChvaase vaanaraa jita kaashinaH || 4-48-22
vyacinvan praayashaH tatra sarvam tat giri gahvaram |

22b, 23a. tasmin= he [demon]; nir ucChvaase= without, exhales [breathed his last]; jita kaashinaH= with triumphal, shimmer; te= those [monkeys]; tatra= there; praayashaH= wellnigh; sarvam tat giri gahvaram vyacinvan= all, that [demon's,] mountain, cave, they searched.

When that demon breathed his last all of those monkeys with triumphal shimmer have wellnigh searched everywhere, and even in that cave of that mountain where that demon appeared, presuming that cave belonged to Ravana. [4-48-22b, 23a]

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vicitam tu tataH sarvam sarve te kaanana okasaH || 4-48-23
anyat eva aparam ghoram vivishur giri gahvaram |

23b, 24a. sarve te kaanana okasaH= all, those, forest, as their dwelling - monkeys; vicitam tu sarvam= searched, but, all [everywhere else]; tataH= then; anyat eva= another, like that; ghoram= horrible one aparam= nearby one; giri gahvaram= mountain, cave; vivishuH= entered.

Then all those forest dwelling monkeys searched everywhere else, and like that they entered another horrible cave which is nearby. [4-48-23b, 24a]

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te vicitya punaH khinnaa viniSpatya samaagataaH |
ekaa.nte vR^ikSa muule tu niSedur diina maanasaaH || 4-48-24

24. te punaH vicitya= they, again, on searching; khinnaaH= saddened; viniSpatya= came out; samaagataaH= came together; diina maanasaaH= saddened, at heart - downheartedly; ekaante vR^ikSa muule= at a lonely, tree, at its base; niSeduH= sat down.

On searching that cave they came out saddened as their search is futile, and coming together they sat down at the base of a lonely tree downheartedly as their efforts are unsuccessful in searching Seetha. [4-48-24]

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye kiSkindha kaaNDe aSTa catvaarimshaH sargaH

Thus, this is the 48th chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.