Sampati Narrates His Own Story

Shloka 1 (kishkindha.60.1)

ततः कृतोदकं स्नातं तं गृध्रं हरियूथपाः। उपविष्टा गिरौ रम्ये परिवार्य समन्ततः ॥ 60.1 ॥

tataḥ kṛtodakaṃ snātaṃ taṃ gṛdhraṃ hariyūthapāḥ| upaviṣṭā girau ramye parivārya samantataḥ || 60.1 ||

Then, after that vulture had offered the water-oblation and bathed, the monkey chieftains, surrounding him on every side, sat down upon that lovely mountain.

Shloka 2 (kishkindha.60.2)

तमङ्गदमुपासीनं तैः सर्वैर्हरिभिर्वृतम्। जनितप्रत्ययो हर्षात् सम्पातिः पुनरब्रवीत् ॥ 60.2 ॥

tamaṅgadamupāsīnaṃ taiḥ sarvairharibhirvṛtam| janitapratyayo harṣāt sampātiḥ punarabravīt || 60.2 ||

Then Sampati, now surrounded by all those monkeys and trusted by them, spoke again with joy to Angada, who sat close by:

Shloka 3 (kishkindha.60.3)

कृत्वा निःशब्दमेकाग्राः शृण्वन्तु हरयो मम। तथ्यं संकीर्तयिष्यामि यथा जानामि मैथिलीम् ॥ 60.3 ॥

kṛtvā niḥśabdamekāgrāḥ śṛṇvantu harayo mama| tathyaṃ saṃkīrtayiṣyāmi yathā jānāmi maithilīm || 60.3 ||

"Monkeys, be silent now and listen to me with undivided attention; I shall tell you truly how I came to know of Maithili.

Shloka 4 (kishkindha.60.4)

अस्य विन्ध्यस्य शिखरे पतितोऽस्मि पुरानघ। सूर्यतापपरीताङ्गो निर्दग्धः सूर्यरश्मिभिः ॥ 60.4 ॥

asya vindhyasya śikhare patito'smi purānagha| sūryatāpaparītāṅgo nirdagdhaḥ sūryaraśmibhiḥ || 60.4 ||

O sinless Angada, long ago I fell here upon the peak of this very Vindhya mountain, my limbs utterly scorched by the sun's rays and overwhelmed by its heat.

Shloka 5 (kishkindha.60.5)

लब्धसंज्ञस्तु षड्रात्राद् विवशो विह्वलन्निव। वीक्षमाणो दिशः सर्वा नाभिजानामि किंचन ॥ 60.5 ॥

labdhasaṃjñastu ṣaḍrātrād vivaśo vihvalanniva| vīkṣamāṇo diśaḥ sarvā nābhijānāmi kiṃcana || 60.5 ||

After six nights I regained consciousness, but, helpless and as though bewildered, I could recognise nothing at all, though I gazed in every direction.

Shloka 6 (kishkindha.60.6)

ततस्तु सागरान् शैलान् नदीः सर्वाः सरांसि च। वनानि च प्रदेशांश्च निरीक्ष्य मतिरागता ॥ 60.6 ॥

tatastu sāgarān śailān nadīḥ sarvāḥ sarāṃsi ca| vanāni ca pradeśāṃśca nirīkṣya matirāgatā || 60.6 ||

But then, observing all the oceans, mountains, rivers, lakes, forests and regions, my wits gradually returned to me.

Shloka 7 (kishkindha.60.7)

हृष्टपक्षिगणाकीर्णः कन्दरोदरकूटवान्। दक्षिणस्योदधेस्तीरे विन्ध्योऽयमिति निश्चितः ॥ 60.7 ॥

hṛṣṭapakṣigaṇākīrṇaḥ kandarodarakūṭavān| dakṣiṇasyodadhestīre vindhyo'yamiti niścitaḥ || 60.7 ||

Teeming with joyful flocks of birds, with its caverned flanks and lofty peaks, standing on the shore of the southern ocean — I concluded that this must indeed be the Vindhya.

Shloka 8 (kishkindha.60.8)

आसीच्चात्राश्रमं पुण्यं सुरैरपि सुपूजितम्। ऋषिर्निशाकरो नाम यस्मिन्नुग्रतपाऽभवत् ॥ 60.8 ॥

āsīccātrāśramaṃ puṇyaṃ surairapi supūjitam| ṛṣirniśākaro nāma yasminnugratapā'bhavat || 60.8 ||

Here there was a sacred hermitage, revered even by the gods, where dwelt a sage of fierce austerity named Nishakara.

Shloka 9 (kishkindha.60.9)

अष्टौ वर्षसहस्राणि तेनास्मिन्नृषिणा गिरौ। वसतो मम धर्मज्ञे स्वर्गते तु निशाकरे ॥ 60.9 ॥

aṣṭau varṣasahasrāṇi tenāsminnṛṣiṇā girau| vasato mama dharmajñe svargate tu niśākare || 60.9 ||

After that righteous sage Nishakara had departed to heaven, eight thousand years passed as I dwelt upon this mountain.

Shloka 10 (kishkindha.60.10)

अवतीर्य च विन्ध्याग्रात् कृच्छ्रेण विषमाच्छनैः। तीक्ष्णदर्भां वसुमतीं दुःखेन पुनरागतः ॥ 60.10 ॥

avatīrya ca vindhyāgrāt kṛcchreṇa viṣamācchanaiḥ| tīkṣṇadarbhāṃ vasumatīṃ duḥkhena punarāgataḥ || 60.10 ||

Descending slowly and with great difficulty from the treacherous peak of the Vindhya, I came down again, in much distress, upon the earth with its sharp-bladed grass.

Shloka 11 (kishkindha.60.11)

तमृषिं द्रष्टुकामोऽस्मि दुःखेनाभ्यागतो भृशम्। जटायुषा मया चैव बहुशोऽधिगतो हि सः ॥ 60.11 ॥

tamṛṣiṃ draṣṭukāmo'smi duḥkhenābhyāgato bhṛśam| jaṭāyuṣā mayā caiva bahuśo'dhigato hi saḥ || 60.11 ||

Longing greatly to see that sage, I made my way there in deep distress, for Jatayu and I had both visited him many times before.

Shloka 12 (kishkindha.60.12)

तस्याश्रमपदाभ्याशे ववुर्वाताः सुगन्धिनः। वृक्षो नापुष्पितः कश्चिदफलो वा न दृश्यते ॥ 60.12 ॥

tasyāśramapadābhyāśe vavurvātāḥ sugandhinaḥ| vṛkṣo nāpuṣpitaḥ kaścidaphalo vā na dṛśyate || 60.12 ||

Near his hermitage sweet-scented breezes blew; no tree there was to be seen that was not in blossom, none without fruit.

Shloka 13 (kishkindha.60.13)

उपेत्य चाश्रमं पुण्यं वृक्षमूलमुपाश्रितः। द्रष्टुकामः प्रतीक्षे च भगवन्तं निशाकरम् ॥ 60.13 ॥

upetya cāśramaṃ puṇyaṃ vṛkṣamūlamupāśritaḥ| draṣṭukāmaḥ pratīkṣe ca bhagavantaṃ niśākaram || 60.13 ||

Drawing near that sacred hermitage, I took shelter at the foot of a tree and waited there, desiring to behold the venerable Nishakara.

Shloka 14 (kishkindha.60.14)

अथ पश्यामि दूरस्थमृषिं ज्वलिततेजसम्। कृताभिषेकं दुर्धर्षमुपावृत्तमुदङ्मुखम् ॥ 60.14 ॥

atha paśyāmi dūrasthamṛṣiṃ jvalitatejasam| kṛtābhiṣekaṃ durdharṣamupāvṛttamudaṅmukham || 60.14 ||

Then I saw, at a distance, that unassailable sage, ablaze with radiance, returning northward-facing, having completed his ablutions.

Shloka 15 (kishkindha.60.15)

तमृक्षाः सृमरा व्याघ्राः सिंहा नानासरीसृपाः। परिवार्योपगच्छन्ति दातारं प्राणिनो यथा ॥ 60.15 ॥

tamṛkṣāḥ sṛmarā vyāghrāḥ siṃhā nānāsarīsṛpāḥ| parivāryopagacchanti dātāraṃ prāṇino yathā || 60.15 ||

Bears, deer, tigers, lions, and reptiles of every kind followed close behind him, surrounding him, even as creatures follow after a benefactor.

Shloka 16 (kishkindha.60.16)

ततः प्राप्तमृषिं ज्ञात्वा तानि सत्त्वानि वै ययुः। प्रविष्टे राजनि यथा सर्वं सामात्यकं बलम् ॥ 60.16 ॥

tataḥ prāptamṛṣiṃ jñātvā tāni sattvāni vai yayuḥ| praviṣṭe rājani yathā sarvaṃ sāmātyakaṃ balam || 60.16 ||

As, when a king enters his palace, his whole retinue of ministers and troops withdraws, so too, on perceiving the sage's approach, all those creatures dispersed and went their way.

Shloka 17 (kishkindha.60.17)

ऋषिस्तु दृष्ट्वा मां तुष्टः प्रविष्टश्चाश्रमं पुनः। मुहूर्तमात्रान्निर्गम्य ततः कार्यमपृच्छत ॥ 60.17 ॥

ṛṣistu dṛṣṭvā māṃ tuṣṭaḥ praviṣṭaścāśramaṃ punaḥ| muhūrtamātrānnirgamya tataḥ kāryamapṛcchata || 60.17 ||

The sage, seeing me, was glad; and though he had entered his hermitage, within a moment he came out again and asked me the purpose of my coming.

Shloka 18 (kishkindha.60.18)

सौम्य वैकल्यतां दृष्ट्वा रोम्णां ते नावगम्यते। अग्निदग्धाविमौ पक्षौ प्राणाश्चापि शरीरके ॥ 60.18 ॥

saumya vaikalyatāṃ dṛṣṭvā romṇāṃ te nāvagamyate| agnidagdhāvimau pakṣau prāṇāścāpi śarīrake || 60.18 ||

'O gentle one, seeing the ruin of your feathers, you are scarcely to be recognised; these two wings of yours are burnt by fire, and yet the breath of life remains within your body —

Shloka 19 (kishkindha.60.19)

गृध्रौ द्वौ दृष्टपूर्वौ मे मातरिश्वसमौ जवे। गृध्राणां चैव राजानौ भ्रातरौ कामरूपिणौ ॥ 60.19 ॥

gṛdhrau dvau dṛṣṭapūrvau me mātariśvasamau jave| gṛdhrāṇāṃ caiva rājānau bhrātarau kāmarūpiṇau || 60.19 ||

I have seen before two vulture-brothers, swift as the wind, capable of assuming any form at will, and kingly among vultures —

Shloka 20 (kishkindha.60.20)

ज्येष्ठोऽवितस्त्वं सम्पाते जटायुरनुजस्तव। मानुषं रूपमास्थाय गृह्णीतां चरणौ मम ॥ 60.20 ॥

jyeṣṭho'vitastvaṃ sampāte jaṭāyuranujastava| mānuṣaṃ rūpamāsthāya gṛhṇītāṃ caraṇau mama || 60.20 ||

you, Sampati, are the elder of the two, are you not — and Jatayu is your younger brother; you both used to assume human form and touch my feet.

Shloka 21 (kishkindha.60.21)

किं ते व्याधिसमुत्थानं पक्षयोः पतनं कथम्। दण्डो वायं धृतः केन सर्वमाख्याहि पृच्छतः ॥ 60.21 ॥

kiṃ te vyādhisamutthānaṃ pakṣayoḥ patanaṃ katham| daṇḍo vāyaṃ dhṛtaḥ kena sarvamākhyāhi pṛcchataḥ || 60.21 ||

Has this happened through some illness? How did your wings fall away? Or has this punishment been inflicted on you by someone? Tell me everything, since I ask.'