Chapter [Sarga] 61

Book IV : Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys

Chapter [Sarga] 61

Introduction

Sampaati details Sage Nishaakara as to how his wings were burnt, when he and his brother Jataayu were flying competitively near at the sun. He says that he wanted to commit suicide, as his two wings, eagle kingdom, valour and even brother, are lost.

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tataH tat daaruNam karma duSkaram saahasaat kR^itam |
aacacakSe muneH sarvam suurya anugamanam tathaa || 4-61-1

1. tataH= then; saahasaat kR^itam= indiscreetly, done; duS karam= not, practicable; daaruNam tat karma= impossible one, that, deed; tathaa= as well; suurya anugamanam= Sun, following; sarvam muneH= all of it, to sage [Nishaakara]; aacacakSe= [I have] informed.

"Then I have informed the Sage Nishaakara all about that impossible and impracticable deed done indiscreetly by me and Jataayu and our following the Sun in red heat, as well..." Thus Sampaati continued his legend. [4-61-1]

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bhagavan vraNa yuktatvaat lajjayaa ca akula indriyaH |
parishraanto na shaknomi vacanam paribhaaSitum || 4-61-2

2. bhagavan= oh, godly [sage]; vraNa yuktatvaat= ulcers, due to having them; lajjayaa ca= by shame, also; akula indriyaH= perturbed, senses; parishraantaH= haggard; such as I am; vacanam pari bhaaSitum= words, to elaborately, to speak on; na shaknomi= no, capable I am.

"Oh, godly sage, scorching sun has ulcerated me, shame perturbed my senses for not protecting Jatayu, further I am haggard to descend this mountain to come to you, such I am I am incapable to speak on, elaborately... [4-61-2]

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aham caiva jaTaayuH ca sa.ngharSaat darpa mohitau |
aakaasham patitau duuraat jij~naasantau paraakramam || 4-61-3

3. aham caiva jaTaayuH ca= I am, also thus, Jataayu, also; darpa mohitau= by arrogance, fascinated; paraakramam jij~naasantau= of [our relative] triumphs, inquisitive about; sangharSaat= competitively; duuraat aakaasham patitau= far-away, on sky, we two fell - we flew up.

"Fascinated by our arrogance and inquisitive of our relative triumphs, myself and Jataayu competitively flew up far-away on the sky... [4-61-3]

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kailaasa shikhare baddhvaa muniinaam agrataH paNam |
raviH syaat anuyaatavyo yaavat astam mahaagirim || 4-61-4

4. kailaasa shikhare= on Kailash, peak of; muniinaam agrataH= sages, before; mahaa girim= great mountain; astam= dusking [westerly mountain]; yaavat= till [sun reaches]; raviH anuyaatavyaH syaat= Sun, to be followed, he will be; thus; paNam baddhvaa= a stake, bound - staked by two of us.

"Before the sages on the peak of Mt. Kailash we have staked a stake that we two shall follow the Sun till he reaches the great westerly mountain, namely Mt. Dusk... [4-61-4]

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api aavaam yugapat praaptau apashyaava mahii tale |
ratha cakra pramaaNaani nagaraaNi pR^ithak pR^ithak || 4-61-5

5. api aavaam= even, we; yugapat= in a trice; praaptau= reached [the sky]; mahii tale= on earth's, surface; ratha cakra pramaaNaani= chariot, wheel, of a size; nagaraaNi= towns; pR^ithak pR^ithak= separately, singly; apashyaava= we have seen.

"We reached the sky in a trice to a height wherefrom we could see each of the townships on the surface of earth, separately and singly, in the size of a chariot's wheel... [4-61-5]

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kvacit vaaditra ghoSaH ca kvacit bhuuSaNa niHsvanaH |
gaayantiiH sma a.nganaa bahviiH pashyaavo rakta vaasasaH || 4-61-6

6. kvacit vaaditra ghoSaH ca= somewhere, instrumental, music, also; kvacit bhuuSaNa niHsvanaH= somewhere else, jewellery, tinkling; gaayantiiH= singing; rakta vaasasaH= those who in red, dressed; bahviiH anganaa= many, ladies; pashyaavaH sma= we saw; we have.

"We have seen and heard instrumental music somewhere, and somewhere else tinkling of jewellery, and elsewhere singing of many ladies dressed in red... [4-61-6]

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tuurNam utpatya ca aakaasham aaditya patham aasthitau |
aavaam aalokayaavaH tat vanam shaadvala sa.msthitam || 4-61-7

7. aakaasham tuurNam utpatya= to sky, quickly, on flying up; aaditya patham aasthitau= solar, path, abiding in; aavaam= we; tat vanam shaadvala samsthitam= that, forest, pasture [a patch of pasture,] positioned as; aalokayaavaH= we observed.

"On our quick rising to the sky and abiding in solar path we have observed that a forest is positioned just as a patch of pasture on earth... [4-61-7]

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upalaiH iva sa.mChannaa dR^ishyate bhuuH shila uccayaiH |
aapagaabhiH ca sa.mviitaa suutraiH iva vasu.ndharaa || 4-61-8

8. bhuuH= earth; shila uccayaiH= with mountains, heights; upalaiH samChannaa iva= with shingles, covered, as with; dR^ishyate= appearing to be; aapa gaabhiH ca= by water, goers [by rivers]; vasundharaa= [surface of] earth; suutraiH samviitaa iva= with yarn, interwoven, as with; [appeared to be.]

"From there the earth covered with pebble like mountain heights appeared shingly, and interwoven with yarn like rivers the surface of the earth is thready... [4-61-8]

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himavaan caiva vindhyaH ca meruH ca sumahaan giriH |
bhuu tale sa.mprakaashante naagaa iva jala aashaye || 4-61-9

9. himavaan ca eva= Himalaya, also, even; vindhyaH ca= Vindhya, also; su mahaan giriH= very, high, mountain; meruH ca= Meru, even; bhuu tale= on earth's, surface; jala aashaye= in water, receptacles [lakes]; naagaa iva= elephants, like; sam prakaashante= shining forth.

"Himalayas, even Mt. Vindhya, and even the very high mountain Mt. Meru, shone forth like elephants in lakes... [4-61-9]

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tiivraH svedaH ca khedaH ca bhayam ca aasiit tadaa avayoH |
samaavishata mohaH ca tato muurcChaa ca daaruNaa || 4-61-10

10. tadaa= then; avayoH= to two of us; tiivraH= abnormal; svedaH ca= sweating, also; khedaH ca= tiredness, also; bhayam ca= fear, also; aasiit= bechanced; tataH= then; mohaH= stupor; daaruNaa muurcChaa ca= severe, vertigo, also; sam aavishata ca= overspread - invaded us.

"Then there bechanced an abnormal sweating, tiredness and fear, and then stupor invading both of us, we two underwent a severe vertigo... [4-61-10]

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na ca dik j~naayate yaamyaa na aagneyii na ca vaaruNii |
yuga ante niyato loko hato dagdha iva agninaa || 4-61-11

11. yaamyaa dik= Yama's, direction of [south]; na ca j~naayate= not, also, in the know; aagneyii na= direction of Fire-god [south-east,] not known; vaaruNii na=direction of Rain-god [west,] not known; lokaH= world; yuga ante= at era, end; agninaa dagdha= by fire, burnt down; hataH iva= destructed, as though; niyataH= routine.

"We are not in the know of southern direction which belongs to Yama, the Terminator, nor of south-east which belongs to Fire-god, also not of west which belongs to Rain-god... and the world appeared as though burnt down by the fire at the end of era and destructed of its routine... [4-61-11]

Some good words from an unknown author: 'the air of great height must be treated with caution. When all the gods have been dethroned and nothing is left but the 'Self' beware of Vertigo. It was this that made Vivekananda careful in his ascent not to hurry the whole mass of souls as yet uninured to the precipices and the wind of chasms. He made each one to climb by small stages leaning upon the staff of his own religion or of the providential spiritual credos of his age and country. But too often his followers were impatient and sought to gain the summits without due rest and preparation. Hence it was hardly surprising that some fell and in their fall they were not only a danger to themselves but to those ho knew themselves to be inferior...' This we may say niraalamba avyakta upaasana and Gita has to say something about this 'baseless and bottomless adoration of the un-manifest...'kleþo adhikatara× teÿ˜m avyakta ˜sakta cetas˜m | avyakt˜× hi gati× du×kham dehavadbhi× av˜pyate || Gita, 12-5 The travail is for such as bend their minds / To reach th' Unmanifest. That viewless path / Shall scarce be trod by man bearing the flesh! - S. M. Arnold.

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manaH ca me hatam bhuuyaH cakshuH praapya tu sa.mshrayam |
yatnena mahataa hi asmin manaH sa.ndhaaya cakshuSii || 4-61-12
yatnena mahataa bhuuyo bhaaskaraH pratilokitaH |
tulyaH pR^ithvii pramaaNena bhaaskaraH pratibhaati nau || 4-61-13

12. me manaH hatam= my, brainpower, is deranged; cakshuH samshrayam praapya= eyes, dependency, on obtaining - depending on my sight; mahataa yatnena= laboriously, by trying; asmin= on that [sun]; bhuuyaH= again; manaH cakshuSii sandhaaya= brainpower, sight, keeping fixedly; bhuuyaH mahataa yatnena= again, strenuously, by trying; bhaaskaraH prati lokitaH= Sun, towards, seen by us - saw the sun directly; bhaaskaraH= Sun; pR^ithvii pramaaNena tulyaH= earth, of a size, equal to; nau pratibhaati= to us, appeared.

"Though my brainpower is deranged I again tried laboriously just depending on my sight. I again tried strenuously concentrating my brainpower and sight on Sun and I have directly seen the Sun. Then the Sun appeared in a size equal to the earth. [4-61-12, 13]

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jaTaayuH maam anaapR^icChya nipapaata mahiim tataH |
tam dR^iSTvaa tuurNam aakaashaat aatmaanam muktavaan aham || 4-61-14

14. jaTaayuH maam= Jataayu, me; an+ aapR^icChya= without, asking [informing]; mahiim nipapaata= on earth, fell down [tripped over]; tataH= then; aham= I; tam dR^iSTvaa= him, on seeing; tuurNam= quickly; aakaashaat= from sky; aatmaanam= myself; muktavaan= let loose- flew down.

"Without informing me Jataayu started to trip over the earth, and then on seeing him I too let myself loose from the sky... [4-61-14]

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pakSabhyaam ca mayaa gupto jaTaayuH na pradahyata |
pramaadaat tatra nirdagdhaH patan vaayu pathaat aham || 4-61-15

15. mayaa= by me; pakSabhyaam guptaH= with both wings, hidden - from sun; jaTaayuH= Jataayu; na pra dahyata= not, much, burnt [by Sun]; tatra= there - in sky; pramaadaat= accidentally; vaayu pathaat= from air's, way [sky]; patan= while falling - flying down; aham= I am; nir dagdhaH= completely, burnt - by sun.

"I have hidden Jataayu in sky with both my wings from the scorching Sun... hence, he is not burn that much... but I am completely burnt when falling from the sky... [4-61-15]

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aashanke tam nipatitam janasthaane jaTaayuSam |
aham tu patito vindhye dagdha pakSo jaDii kR^itaH || 4-61-16

16. tam jaTaayuSam= him, about Jataayu; janasthaane nipatitam aashanke= in Janasthaana, fell down, I supposed; aham tu= I, for my part; dagdha pakSaH= burnt, winged [bird]; jaDii kR^itaH= insensate, made as; vindhye= on Vindhya; patitaH= fell down.

"I supposed that Jataayu as has fallen in Janasthaana, but I have fallen on Mt. Vindhya, as a wing-burnt and insensate eagle... [4-61-16]

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raajyaat hiino bhraatraa ca pakSaabhyaam vikrameNa ca |
sarvathaa martum eva icChan patiSye shikharaat gireH || 4-61-17

17. raajyaat= from kingdom; bhraatraa ca= from brother, also; pakSaabhyaam= of both wings; vikrameNa ca= of valance, too; hiinaH= one who is divested of; such as I was I; sarvathaa= anywise; martum eva icChan= to die, only, wishing to; gireH shikharaat patiSye= of mountain, from top, I wished to fall.

"As one who is divested of his kingdom, his brother, both of his wings, and his own valance too, such as I was I wished to fall from the mountaintop to die, in any way... [4-61-17]

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye kiSkindha kaaNDe eka SaSTitamaH sargaH

Thus, this is the 61st chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.