Sampati's Tale: The Flight Too Near the Sun

Shloka 1 (kishkindha.61.1)

ततस्तद् दारुणं कर्म दुष्करं सहसा कृतम् । आचचक्षे मुनेः सर्वं सूर्यानुगमनं तथा ॥ 61.1 ॥

tatastad dāruṇaṃ karma duṣkaraṃ sahasā kṛtam | ācacakṣe muneḥ sarvaṃ sūryānugamanaṃ tathā || 61.1 ||

Then I recounted to the sage everything about that terrible and difficult deed done so rashly, and of our following after the sun as well.

Shloka 2 (kishkindha.61.2)

भगवन् व्रणयुक्तत्वाल्लज्जया चाकुलेन्द्रियः । परिश्रान्तो न शक्नोमि वचनं परिभाषितुम् ॥ 61.2 ॥

bhagavan vraṇayuktatvāllajjayā cākulendriyaḥ | pariśrānto na śaknomi vacanaṃ paribhāṣitum || 61.2 ||

Oh venerable one, being full of wounds and confused by shame, exhausted as I am, I am not able to speak elaborately.

Shloka 3 (kishkindha.61.3)

अहं चैव जटायुश्च संघर्षाद् गर्वमोहितौ । आकाशं पतितौ दूराज्जिज्ञासन्तौ पराक्रमम् ॥ 61.3 ॥

ahaṃ caiva jaṭāyuśca saṃgharṣād garvamohitau | ākāśaṃ patitau dūrājjijñāsantau parākramam || 61.3 ||

I and Jatayu, deluded by pride, competitively flew far up into the sky, curious about our own valor.

Shloka 4 (kishkindha.61.4)

कैलासशिखरे बद्ध्वा मुनीनामग्रतः पणम् । रविः स्यादनुयातव्यो यावदस्तं महागिरिम् ॥ 61.4 ॥

kailāsaśikhare bad‍dhvā munīnāmagrataḥ paṇam | raviḥ syādanuyātavyo yāvadastaṃ mahāgirim || 61.4 ||

Having made a wager before the sages on the peak of Kailasa, we vowed that the sun must be followed until it sets behind the great mountain.

Shloka 5 (kishkindha.61.5)

अप्यावां युगपत् प्राप्तावपश्याव महीतले । रथचक्रप्रमाणानि नगराणि पृथक् पृथक् ॥ 61.5 ॥

apyāvāṃ yugapat prāptāvapaśyāva mahītale | rathacakrapramāṇāni nagarāṇi pṛthak pṛthak || 61.5 ||

Having reached the sky together at once, we saw upon the earth's surface the cities, each separate, no bigger than a chariot-wheel.

Shloka 6 (kishkindha.61.6)

क्वचिद् वादित्रघोषश्च क्वचिद् भूषणनिःस्वनः । गायन्तीः स्माङ्गना बह्वीः पश्यावो रक्तवाससः ॥ 61.6 ॥

kvacid vāditraghoṣaśca kvacid bhūṣaṇaniḥsvanaḥ | gāyantīḥ smāṅganā bahvīḥ paśyāvo raktavāsasaḥ || 61.6 ||

Somewhere we heard the sound of musical instruments, somewhere the tinkling of ornaments; we saw many women, clad in red, singing.

Shloka 7 (kishkindha.61.7)

तूर्णमुत्पत्य चाकाशमादित्यपदमास्थितौ । आवामालोकयावस्तद् वनं शाद्वलसंस्थितम् ॥ 61.7 ॥

tūrṇamutpatya cākāśamādityapadamāsthitau | āvāmālokayāvastad vanaṃ śādvalasaṃsthitam || 61.7 ||

Rising up swiftly into the sky, we stood upon the sun's path; we beheld that forest lying below like a mere meadow.

Shloka 8 (kishkindha.61.8)

उपलैरिव संछन्ना दृश्यते भूः शिलोच्चयैः । आपगाभिश्च संवीता सूत्रैरिव वसुंधरा ॥ 61.8 ॥

upalairiva saṃchannā dṛśyate bhūḥ śiloccayaiḥ | āpagābhiśca saṃvītā sūtrairiva vasuṃdharā || 61.8 ||

The earth appeared covered with rocks as though with pebbles, and the ground seemed bound about with rivers as if with threads.

Shloka 9 (kishkindha.61.9)

हिमवांश्चैव विन्ध्यश्च मेरुश्च सुमहागिरिः । भूतले सम्प्रकाशन्ते नागा इव जलाशये ॥ 61.9 ॥

himavāṃścaiva vindhyaśca meruśca sumahāgiriḥ | bhūtale samprakāśante nāgā iva jalāśaye || 61.9 ||

The Himalaya, the Vindhya, and the vast mountain Meru shone upon the earth's surface like elephants standing in a pool of water.

Shloka 10 (kishkindha.61.10)

तीव्रः स्वेदश्च खेदश्च भयं चासीत् तदावयोः । समाविशत मोहश्च ततो मूर्च्छा च दारुणा ॥ 61.10 ॥

tīvraḥ svedaśca khedaśca bhayaṃ cāsīt tadāvayoḥ | samāviśata mohaśca tato mūrcchā ca dāruṇā || 61.10 ||

Then a terrible sweat, exhaustion and fear overcame the two of us; then a stupor and a dreadful faintness invaded us.

Shloka 11 (kishkindha.61.11)

न च दिग् ज्ञायते याम्या न चाग्नेयी न वारुणी । युगान्ते नियतो लोको हतो दग्ध इवाग्निना ॥ 61.11 ॥

na ca dig jñāyate yāmyā na cāgneyī na vāruṇī | yugānte niyato loko hato dagdha ivāgninā || 61.11 ||

Nor could we tell the direction of Yama, nor of Agni, nor of Varuna; the world seemed as fixed and still as though burnt and destroyed at the end of an age by fire.

Shloka 12 (kishkindha.61.12)

मनश्च मे हतं भूयश्चक्षुः प्राप्य तु संश्रयम् । यत्नेन महता ह्यस्मिन् मनः संधाय चक्षुषी ॥ 61.12 ॥

manaśca me hataṃ bhūyaścakṣuḥ prāpya tu saṃśrayam | yatnena mahatā hyasmin manaḥ saṃdhāya cakṣuṣī || 61.12 ||

My mind was dazed, but again gaining reliance upon my eyes, with great effort I fixed my mind and my eyes upon it.

Shloka 13 (kishkindha.61.13)

यत्नेन महता भूयो भास्करः प्रतिलोकितः । तुल्यपृथ्वीप्रमाणेन भास्करः प्रतिभाति नौ ॥ 61.13 ॥

yatnena mahatā bhūyo bhāskaraḥ pratilokitaḥ | tulyapṛthvīpramāṇena bhāskaraḥ pratibhāti nau || 61.13 ||

Again, with great effort, I looked straight at the sun; the sun then appeared to us equal in size to the earth.

Shloka 14 (kishkindha.61.14)

जटायुर्मामनापृच्छ्य निपपात महीं ततः । तं दृष्ट्वा तूर्णमाकाशादात्मानं मुक्तवानहम् ॥ 61.14 ॥

jaṭāyurmāmanāpṛcchya nipapāta mahīṃ tataḥ | taṃ dṛṣṭvā tūrṇamākāśādātmānaṃ muktavānaham || 61.14 ||

Jatayu, without asking me, fell down to the earth; seeing him fall, I too swiftly let myself go from the sky.

Shloka 15 (kishkindha.61.15)

पक्षाभ्यां च मया गुप्तो जटायुर्न प्रदह्यत । प्रमादात् तत्र निर्दग्धः पतन् वायुपथादहम् ॥ 61.15 ॥

pakṣābhyāṃ ca mayā gupto jaṭāyurna pradahyata | pramādāt tatra nirdagdhaḥ patan vāyupathādaham || 61.15 ||

Shielded by my two wings, Jatayu was not burnt; but I, falling from the path of the wind, was accidentally scorched there completely.

Shloka 16 (kishkindha.61.16)

आशङ्के तं निपतितं जनस्थाने जटायुषम् । अहं तु पतितो विन्ध्ये दग्धपक्षो जडीकृतः ॥ 61.16 ॥

āśaṅke taṃ nipatitaṃ janasthāne jaṭāyuṣam | ahaṃ tu patito vindhye dagdhapakṣo jaḍīkṛtaḥ || 61.16 ||

I suppose that he, Jatayu, fell in Janasthana; but I fell upon the Vindhya, my wings burnt, rendered senseless.

Shloka 17 (kishkindha.61.17)

राज्याच्च हीनो भ्रात्रा च पक्षाभ्यां विक्रमेण च । सर्वथा मर्तुमेवेच्छन् पतिष्ये शिखराद् गिरेः ॥ 61.17 ॥

rājyācca hīno bhrātrā ca pakṣābhyāṃ vikrameṇa ca | sarvathā martumevecchan patiṣye śikharād gireḥ || 61.17 ||

Bereft of kingdom, of my brother, of both wings and of valor, wishing only to die in any way, I resolved to fall from the mountain's peak.