Angada Rallies the Search Party

Shloka 1 (kishkindha.49.1)

अथाङ्गदस्तदा सर्वान् वानरानिदमब्रवीत् । परिश्रान्तो महाप्राज्ञः समाश्वास्य शनैर्वचः ॥ 49.1 ॥

athāṅgadastadā sarvān vānarānidamabravīt | pariśrānto mahāprājñaḥ samāśvāsya śanairvacaḥ || 49.1 ||

Then Angada, though himself exhausted, being highly wise, comforted all the vanaras and spoke slowly these words to them:

Shloka 2 (kishkindha.49.2)

वनानि गिरयो नद्यो दुर्गाणि गहनानि च । दरी गिरिगुहाश्चैव विचिता नः समन्ततः ॥ 49.2 ॥

vanāni girayo nadyo durgāṇi gahanāni ca | darī giriguhāścaiva vicitā naḥ samantataḥ || 49.2 ||

"The forests, mountains, rivers, fastnesses and thickets, the caves and mountain-caverns — all of it we have searched by us to its very end,

Shloka 3 (kishkindha.49.3)

तत्र तत्र सहास्माभिर्जानकी न च दृश्यते । तथा रक्षोऽपहर्ता च सीतायाश्चैव दुष्कृती ॥ 49.3 ॥

tatra tatra sahāsmābhirjānakī na ca dṛśyate | tathā rakṣo'pahartā ca sītāyāścaiva duṣkṛtī || 49.3 ||

yet nowhere, in any place, have we together seen Janaki, nor that wicked rakshasa who abducted Sita.

Shloka 4 (kishkindha.49.4)

कालश्च नो महान् यातः सुग्रीवश्चोग्रशासनः । तस्माद् भवन्तः सहिता विचिन्वन्तु समन्ततः ॥ 49.4 ॥

kālaśca no mahān yātaḥ sugrīvaścograśāsanaḥ | tasmād bhavantaḥ sahitā vicinvantu samantataḥ || 49.4 ||

A great deal of our time has already passed, and Sugreeva is a stern ruler; therefore let all of you together search on every side.

Shloka 5 (kishkindha.49.5)

विहाय तन्द्रीं शोकं च निद्रां चैव समुत्थिताम् । विचिनुध्वं तथा सीतां पश्यामो जनकात्मजाम् ॥ 49.5 ॥

vihāya tandrīṃ śokaṃ ca nidrāṃ caiva samutthitām | vicinudhvaṃ tathā sītāṃ paśyāmo janakātmajām || 49.5 ||

Set aside sloth, grief, and this creeping drowsiness; search on, so that we may find Sita, the daughter of Janaka.

Shloka 6 (kishkindha.49.6)

अनिर्वेदं च दाक्ष्यं च मनसश्चापराजयम् । कार्यसिद्धिकराण्याहुस्तस्मादेतद् ब्रवीम्यहम् ॥ 49.6 ॥

anirvedaṃ ca dākṣyaṃ ca manasaścāparājayam | kāryasiddhikarāṇyāhustasmādetad bravīmyaham || 49.6 ||

They say that freedom from despair, competence, and an unconquered mind are what bring success in any task; that is why I say this to you.

Shloka 7 (kishkindha.49.7)

अद्यापीदं वनं दुर्गं विचिन्वन्तु वनौकसः । खेदं त्यक्त्वा पुनः सर्वं वनमेव विचिन्वताम् ॥ 49.7 ॥

adyāpīdaṃ vanaṃ durgaṃ vicinvantu vanaukasaḥ | khedaṃ tyaktvā punaḥ sarvaṃ vanameva vicinvatām || 49.7 ||

Even now, let the forest-dwellers search this rugged forest; setting aside weariness, let this very forest be searched, in its entirety, once more.

Shloka 8 (kishkindha.49.8)

अवश्यं कुर्वतां तस्य दृश्यते कर्मणः फलम् । परं निर्वेदमागम्य नहि नोन्मीलनं क्षमम् ॥ 49.8 ॥

avaśyaṃ kurvatāṃ tasya dṛśyate karmaṇaḥ phalam | paraṃ nirvedamāgamya nahi nonmīlanaṃ kṣamam || 49.8 ||

For those who truly make the effort, the fruit of their labour is surely seen; but to fall into utter despair and close our eyes to the task would not be forgivable.

Shloka 9 (kishkindha.49.9)

सुग्रीवः क्रोधनो राजा तीक्ष्णदण्डश्च वानराः । भेतव्यं तस्य सततं रामस्य च महात्मनः ॥ 49.9 ॥

sugrīvaḥ krodhano rājā tīkṣṇadaṇḍaśca vānarāḥ | bhetavyaṃ tasya satataṃ rāmasya ca mahātmanaḥ || 49.9 ||

King Sugreeva is quick to anger and severe in punishment, O vanaras; we must ever be in fear of him, and of the great-souled Rama as well.

Shloka 10 (kishkindha.49.10)

हितार्थमेतदुक्तं वः क्रियतां यदि रोचते । उच्यतां हि क्षमं यत् तत् सर्वेषामेव वानराः ॥ 49.10 ॥

hitārthametaduktaṃ vaḥ kriyatāṃ yadi rocate | ucyatāṃ hi kṣamaṃ yat tat sarveṣāmeva vānarāḥ || 49.10 ||

This I have said for your own good; act upon it if it pleases you. But, O vanaras, let whatever seems fitting to all of you be spoken freely."

Shloka 11 (kishkindha.49.11)

अङ्गदस्य वचः श्रुत्वा वचनं गन्धमादनः । उवाच व्यक्तया वाचा पिपासाश्रमखिन्नया ॥ 49.11 ॥

aṅgadasya vacaḥ śrutvā vacanaṃ gandhamādanaḥ | uvāca vyaktayā vācā pipāsāśramakhinnayā || 49.11 ||

Having heard Angada's words, Gandhamadana spoke this reply, in a clear voice, though wearied with thirst and fatigue:

Shloka 12 (kishkindha.49.12)

सदृशं खलु वो वाक्यमङ्गदो यदुवाच ह । हितं चैवानुकूलं च क्रियतामस्य भाषितम् ॥ 49.12 ॥

sadṛśaṃ khalu vo vākyamaṅgado yaduvāca ha | hitaṃ caivānukūlaṃ ca kriyatāmasya bhāṣitam || 49.12 ||

"Indeed, what Angada has said befits him well; it is both wholesome and fitting — let his words be carried out.

Shloka 13 (kishkindha.49.13)

पुनर्मार्गामहे शैलान् कन्दरांश्च शिलांस्तथा । काननानि च शून्यानि गिरिप्रस्रवणानि च ॥ 49.13 ॥

punarmārgāmahe śailān kandarāṃśca śilāṃstathā | kānanāni ca śūnyāni giriprasravaṇāni ca || 49.13 ||

Let us again search the mountains, the caverns, and the rocks likewise, the empty forests, and the mountain-streams,

Shloka 14 (kishkindha.49.14)

यथोद्दिष्टानि सर्वाणि सुग्रीवेण महात्मना । विचिन्वन्तु वनं सर्वे गिरिदुर्गाणि संगताः ॥ 49.14 ॥

yathoddiṣṭāni sarvāṇi sugrīveṇa mahātmanā | vicinvantu vanaṃ sarve giridurgāṇi saṃgatāḥ || 49.14 ||

all those places assigned to us by the great-souled Sugreeva. Let all of us, together, search that forest and its mountain-fastnesses."

Shloka 15 (kishkindha.49.15)

ततः समुत्थाय पुनर्वानरास्ते महाबलाः । विन्ध्यकाननसंकीर्णां विचेरुर्दक्षिणां दिशम् ॥ 49.15 ॥

tataḥ samutthāya punarvānarāste mahābalāḥ | vindhyakānanasaṃkīrṇāṃ vicerurdakṣiṇāṃ diśam || 49.15 ||

Then those mighty vanaras, rising up once more, ranged through the southern quarter, thick with the forests of the Vindhyas.

Shloka 16 (kishkindha.49.16)

ते शारदाभ्रप्रतिमं श्रीमद्रजतपर्वतम् । शृङ्गवन्तं दरीवन्तमधिरुह्य च वानराः ॥ 49.16 ॥

te śāradābhrapratimaṃ śrīmadrajataparvatam | śṛṅgavantaṃ darīvantamadhiruhya ca vānarāḥ || 49.16 ||

Those vanaras climbed a glorious silver mountain, resembling an autumn cloud, rich in peaks and caverns,

Shloka 17 (kishkindha.49.17)

तत्र लोध्रवनं रम्यं सप्तपर्णवनानि च । विचिन्वन्तो हरिवराः सीतादर्शनकांक्षिणः ॥ 49.17 ॥

tatra lodhravanaṃ ramyaṃ saptaparṇavanāni ca | vicinvanto harivarāḥ sītādarśanakāṃkṣiṇaḥ || 49.17 ||

and there those best of vanaras, longing for a sight of Sita, searched through a lovely grove of lodhra trees and forests of saptaparna.

Shloka 18 (kishkindha.49.18)

तस्याग्रमधिरूढास्ते श्रान्ता विपुलविक्रमाः । न पश्यन्ति स्म वैदेहीं रामस्य महिषीं प्रियाम् ॥ 49.18 ॥

tasyāgramadhirūḍhāste śrāntā vipulavikramāḥ | na paśyanti sma vaidehīṃ rāmasya mahiṣīṃ priyām || 49.18 ||

Those vanaras of immense prowess, having climbed to its summit, though weary, still did not see Vaidehi, Rama's beloved queen.

Shloka 19 (kishkindha.49.19)

ते तु दृष्टिगतं दृष्ट्वा तं शैलं बहुकन्दरम् । अध्यारोहन्त हरयो वीक्षमाणाः समन्ततः ॥ 49.19 ॥

te tu dṛṣṭigataṃ dṛṣṭvā taṃ śailaṃ bahukandaram | adhyārohanta harayo vīkṣamāṇāḥ samantataḥ || 49.19 ||

Seeing that many-cavernned mountain stretching before their sight, the vanaras climbed higher still, looking about on every side.

Shloka 20 (kishkindha.49.20)

अवरुह्य ततो भूमिं श्रान्ता विगतचेतसः । स्थिता मुहूर्तं तत्राथ वृक्षमूलमुपाश्रिताः ॥ 49.20 ॥

avaruhya tato bhūmiṃ śrāntā vigatacetasaḥ | sthitā muhūrtaṃ tatrātha vṛkṣamūlamupāśritāḥ || 49.20 ||

Then, descending to the ground, exhausted and dispirited, they stood there a while, taking shelter at the foot of a tree.

Shloka 21 (kishkindha.49.21)

ते मुहूर्तं समाश्वस्ताः किंचिद्भग्नपरिश्रमाः । पुनरेवोद्यताः कृत्स्नां मार्गितुं दक्षिणां दिशम् ॥ 49.21 ॥

te muhūrtaṃ samāśvastāḥ kiṃcidbhagnapariśramāḥ | punarevodyatāḥ kṛtsnāṃ mārgituṃ dakṣiṇāṃ diśam || 49.21 ||

Having recovered a little there, their fatigue somewhat eased, they once again set out to search the whole of the southern quarter.

Shloka 22 (kishkindha.49.22)

हनुमत्प्रमुखास्तावत् प्रस्थिताः प्लवगर्षभाः । विन्ध्यमेवादितः कृत्वा विचेरुश्च समन्ततः ॥ 49.22 ॥

hanumatpramukhāstāvat prasthitāḥ plavagarṣabhāḥ | vindhyamevāditaḥ kṛtvā viceruśca samantataḥ || 49.22 ||

Setting out with Hanuman at their head, those bulls among vanaras made the Vindhyas their starting point and ranged on every side.