Angada Tells Sampati of Their Plight

Shloka 1 (kishkindha.57.1)

शोकाद् भ्रष्टस्वरमपि श्रुत्वा वानरयूथपाः। श्रद्दधुर्नैव तद्वाक्यं कर्मणा तस्य शङ्किताः ॥ 57.1 ॥

śokād bhraṣṭasvaramapi śrutvā vānarayūthapāḥ| śraddadhurnaiva tadvākyaṃ karmaṇā tasya śaṅkitāḥ || 57.1 ||

Though they heard those words spoken in a voice choked with grief, the monkey chieftains, wary because of his conduct, did not put faith in what he said.

Shloka 2 (kishkindha.57.2)

ते प्रायमुपविष्टास्तु दृष्ट्वा गृध्रं प्लवंगमाः। चक्रुर्बुद्धिं तदा रौद्रां सर्वान् नो भक्षयिष्यति ॥ 57.2 ॥

te prāyamupaviṣṭāstu dṛṣṭvā gṛdhraṃ plavaṃgamāḥ| cakrurbuddhiṃ tadā raudrāṃ sarvān no bhakṣayiṣyati || 57.2 ||

Those leaping monkeys, seated for their fast unto death, on seeing the vulture formed this dreadful thought: that it would devour them all.

Shloka 3 (kishkindha.57.3)

सर्वथा प्रायमासीनान् यदि नो भक्षयिष्यति। कृतकृत्या भविष्यामः क्षिप्रं सिद्धिमितो गताः ॥ 57.3 ॥

sarvathā prāyamāsīnān yadi no bhakṣayiṣyati| kṛtakṛtyā bhaviṣyāmaḥ kṣipraṃ siddhimito gatāḥ || 57.3 ||

"In any case, if it devours us as we sit here for death, our purpose will be wholly fulfilled — we shall swiftly gain deliverance from this very place."

Shloka 4 (kishkindha.57.4)

एतां बुद्धिं ततश्चक्रुः सर्वे ते हरियूथपाः। अवतार्य गिरेः शृङ्गाद् गृध्रमाहाङ्गदस्तदा ॥ 57.4 ॥

etāṃ buddhiṃ tataścakruḥ sarve te hariyūthapāḥ| avatārya gireḥ śṛṅgād gṛdhramāhāṅgadastadā || 57.4 ||

Then all the monkey chieftains resolved upon this thought, and having brought the vulture down from the mountain peak, Angada then addressed him:

Shloka 5 (kishkindha.57.5)

बभूवर्क्षरजो नाम वानरेन्द्रः प्रतापवान्। ममार्यः पार्थिवः पक्षिन् धार्मिकौ तस्य चात्मजौ ॥ 57.5 ॥

babhūvarkṣarajo nāma vānarendraḥ pratāpavān| mamāryaḥ pārthivaḥ pakṣin dhārmikau tasya cātmajau || 57.5 ||

"O bird, there was a mighty lord of the vanaras named Riksharaja — he was my revered ancestor and king, and he had two righteous sons.

Shloka 6 (kishkindha.57.6)

सुग्रीवश्चैव वाली च पुत्रौ घनबलावुभौ। लोके विश्रुतकर्माभूद् राजा वाली पिता मम ॥ 57.6 ॥

sugrīvaścaiva vālī ca putrau ghanabalāvubhau| loke viśrutakarmābhūd rājā vālī pitā mama || 57.6 ||

Sugreeva and Vali, both of mighty strength. My father Vali, renowned in the world for his deeds, became king.

Shloka 7 (kishkindha.57.7)

राजा कृत्स्नस्य जगत इक्ष्वाकूणां महारथः। रामो दाशरथिः श्रीमान् प्रविष्टो दण्डकावनम् ॥ 57.7 ॥

rājā kṛtsnasya jagata ikṣvākūṇāṃ mahārathaḥ| rāmo dāśarathiḥ śrīmān praviṣṭo daṇḍakāvanam || 57.7 ||

Rama, the great charioteer among the Ikshvakus, king of the entire world, the glorious son of Dasharatha, entered the Dandaka forest,

Shloka 8 (kishkindha.57.8)

लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा वैदेह्या सह भार्यया। पितुर्निदेशनिरतो धर्मं पन्थानमाश्रितः ॥ 57.8 ॥

lakṣmaṇena saha bhrātrā vaidehyā saha bhāryayā| piturnideśanirato dharmaṃ panthānamāśritaḥ || 57.8 ||

together with his brother Lakshmana and his wife Vaidehi, devoted to obeying his father's command and holding fast to the path of righteousness.

Shloka 9 (kishkindha.57.9)

तस्य भार्या जनस्थानाद् रावणेन हृता बलात्। रामस्य तु पितुर्मित्रं जटायुर्नाम गृध्रराट् ॥ 57.9 ॥

tasya bhāryā janasthānād rāvaṇena hṛtā balāt| rāmasya tu piturmitraṃ jaṭāyurnāma gṛdhrarāṭ || 57.9 ||

His wife, forcibly abducted from Janasthana by Ravana, was seen by the kingly vulture named Jatayu, a friend of Rama's father —

Shloka 10 (kishkindha.57.10)

ददर्श सीतां वैदेहीं ह्रियमाणां विहायसा। रावणं विरथं कृत्वा स्थापयित्वा च मैथिलीम्। परिश्रान्तश्च वृद्धश्च रावणेन हतो रणे ॥ 57.10 ॥

dadarśa sītāṃ vaidehīṃ hriyamāṇāṃ vihāyasā| rāvaṇaṃ virathaṃ kṛtvā sthāpayitvā ca maithilīm| pariśrāntaśca vṛddhaśca rāvaṇena hato raṇe || 57.10 ||

seeing Vaidehi Sita being carried off through the sky, he disabled Ravana's chariot and held Maithili back for a time, but, aged and worn, he was slain by Ravana in that battle.

Shloka 11 (kishkindha.57.11)

एवं गृध्रो हतस्तेन रावणेन बलीयसा। संस्कृतश्चापि रामेण जगाम गतिमुत्तमाम् ॥ 57.11 ॥

evaṃ gṛdhro hatastena rāvaṇena balīyasā| saṃskṛtaścāpi rāmeṇa jagāma gatimuttamām || 57.11 ||

Thus was the vulture slain by that mighty Ravana, but, given his last rites by Rama, he departed upon the most exalted path.

Shloka 12 (kishkindha.57.12)

ततो मम पितृव्येण सुग्रीवेण महात्मना। चकार राघवः सख्यं सोऽवधीत् पितरं मम ॥ 57.12 ॥

tato mama pitṛvyeṇa sugrīveṇa mahātmanā| cakāra rāghavaḥ sakhyaṃ so'vadhīt pitaraṃ mama || 57.12 ||

Thereafter Raghava made friendship with my noble uncle Sugreeva, and it was he who brought about the death of my father.

Shloka 13 (kishkindha.57.13)

मम पित्रा निरुद्धो हि सुग्रीवः सचिवैः सह। निहत्य वालिनं रामस्ततस्तमभिषेचयत् ॥ 57.13 ॥

mama pitrā niruddho hi sugrīvaḥ sacivaiḥ saha| nihatya vālinaṃ rāmastatastamabhiṣecayat || 57.13 ||

My father had driven Sugreeva out, along with his ministers; Rama then slew Vali and thereupon anointed Sugreeva king.

Shloka 14 (kishkindha.57.14)

स राज्ये स्थापितस्तेन सुग्रीवो वानरेश्वरः। राजा वानरमुख्यानां तेन प्रस्थापिता वयम् ॥ 57.14 ॥

sa rājye sthāpitastena sugrīvo vānareśvaraḥ| rājā vānaramukhyānāṃ tena prasthāpitā vayam || 57.14 ||

That Sugreeva, lord of the vanaras, was established on the throne by him; and it is that king of the chief vanaras who has dispatched us.

Shloka 15 (kishkindha.57.15)

एवं रामप्रयुक्तास्तु मार्गमाणास्ततस्ततः। वैदेहीं नाधिगच्छामो रात्रौ सूर्यप्रभामिव ॥ 57.15 ॥

evaṃ rāmaprayuktāstu mārgamāṇāstatastataḥ| vaidehīṃ nādhigacchāmo rātrau sūryaprabhāmiva || 57.15 ||

Thus commissioned by Rama, and searching here and there, we have not been able to find Vaidehi — as one cannot find the sun's radiance in the night.

Shloka 16 (kishkindha.57.16)

ते वयं दण्डकारण्यं विचित्य सुसमाहिताः। अज्ञानात् तु प्रविष्टाः स्म धरण्या विवृतं बिलम् ॥ 57.16 ॥

te vayaṃ daṇḍakāraṇyaṃ vicitya susamāhitāḥ| ajñānāt tu praviṣṭāḥ sma dharaṇyā vivṛtaṃ bilam || 57.16 ||

We, having searched Dandaka forest most meticulously, unwittingly entered a gaping cavern in the earth.

Shloka 17 (kishkindha.57.17)

मयस्य मायाविहितं तद् बिलं च विचिन्वताम्। व्यतीतस्तत्र नो मासो यो राज्ञा समयः कृतः ॥ 57.17 ॥

mayasya māyāvihitaṃ tad bilaṃ ca vicinvatām| vyatītastatra no māso yo rājñā samayaḥ kṛtaḥ || 57.17 ||

While searching within that cavern, wrought by the sorcery of the demon Maya, the very month that our king had fixed as our deadline slipped away from us.

Shloka 18 (kishkindha.57.18)

ते वयं कपिराजस्य सर्वे वचनकारिणः। कृतां संस्थामतिक्रान्ता भयात् प्रायमुपासिताः ॥ 57.18 ॥

te vayaṃ kapirājasya sarve vacanakāriṇaḥ| kṛtāṃ saṃsthāmatikrāntā bhayāt prāyamupāsitāḥ || 57.18 ||

We, all of us bound to obey the command of the vanara king, have overstepped the appointed limit, and now, out of fear, we have sat down to end our lives.

Shloka 19 (kishkindha.57.19)

क्रुद्धे तस्मिंस्तु काकुत्स्थे सुग्रीवे च सलक्ष्मणे। गतानामपि सर्वेषां तत्र नो नास्ति जीवितम् ॥ 57.19 ॥

kruddhe tasmiṃstu kākutsthe sugrīve ca salakṣmaṇe| gatānāmapi sarveṣāṃ tatra no nāsti jīvitam || 57.19 ||

"When Rama, scion of Kakutstha, together with Lakshmana, and Sugreeva too, are enraged, there will be no life left for any of us, even should we go there." Thus did Angada relate their plight to Sampati.