The Monkeys at Madhuvana

Shloka 1 (sundara.61.1)

ततो जाम्बवतो वाक्यमगृह्णन्त वनौकसः। अङ्गदप्रमुखा वीरा हनूमांश्च महाकपिः ॥ 61.1 ॥

tato jāmbavato vākyamagṛhṇanta vanaukasaḥ| aṅgadapramukhā vīrā hanūmāṃśca mahākapiḥ || 61.1 ||

Then the forest-dwelling heroes led by Angada, and the great monkey Hanuman, accepted the words of Jambavan.

Shloka 2 (sundara.61.2)

प्रीतिमन्तस्ततः सर्वे वायुपुत्रपुरःसराः। महेन्द्राग्रात् समुत्पत्य पुप्लुवुः प्लवगर्षभाः ॥ 61.2 ॥

prītimantastataḥ sarve vāyuputrapuraḥsarāḥ| mahendrāgrāt samutpatya pupluvuḥ plavagarṣabhāḥ || 61.2 ||

Then all those delighted, excellent monkeys, with the son of the Wind-god leading them, sprang up from the summit of Mount Mahendra and leapt forward.

Shloka 3 (sundara.61.3)

मेरुमन्दरसंकाशा मत्ता इव महागजाः। छादयन्त इवाकाशं महाकाया महाबलाः ॥ 61.3 ॥

merumandarasaṃkāśā mattā iva mahāgajāḥ| chādayanta ivākāśaṃ mahākāyā mahābalāḥ || 61.3 ||

Resembling Meru and Mandara, like great elephants in rut, huge of body and mighty, they seemed to blanket the very sky.

Shloka 4 (sundara.61.4)

सभाज्यमानं भूतैस्तमात्मवन्तं महाबलम्। हनूमन्तं महावेगं वहन्त इव दृष्टिभिः ॥ 61.4 ॥

sabhājyamānaṃ bhūtaistamātmavantaṃ mahābalam| hanūmantaṃ mahāvegaṃ vahanta iva dṛṣṭibhiḥ || 61.4 ||

They seemed to carry along with their very eyes that wise, mighty Hanuman of tremendous speed, honoured by all beings.

Shloka 5 (sundara.61.5)

राघवे चार्थनिर्वृत्तिं कर्तुं च परमं यशः। समाधाय समृद्धार्थाः कर्मसिद्धिभिरुन्नताः ॥ 61.5 ॥

rāghave cārthanirvṛttiṃ kartuṃ ca paramaṃ yaśaḥ| samādhāya samṛddhārthāḥ karmasiddhibhirunnatāḥ || 61.5 ||

Having resolved to accomplish Raghava's purpose and to win supreme fame, their aim fulfilled, they were elated at the success of their mission.

Shloka 6 (sundara.61.6)

प्रियाख्यानोन्मुखाः सर्वे सर्वे युद्धाभिनन्दिनः। सर्वे रामप्रतीकारे निश्चितार्था मनस्विनः ॥ 61.6 ॥

priyākhyānonmukhāḥ sarve sarve yuddhābhinandinaḥ| sarve rāmapratīkāre niścitārthā manasvinaḥ || 61.6 ||

All were eager to announce the welcome tidings, all rejoiced at the thought of battle, and all, resolute of mind, were determined on Rama's redress against Ravana.

Shloka 7 (sundara.61.7)

प्लवमानाः खमाप्लुत्य ततस्ते काननौकसः। नन्दनोपममासेदुर्वनं द्रुमशतायुतम् ॥ 61.7 ॥

plavamānāḥ khamāplutya tataste kānanaukasaḥ| nandanopamamāsedurvanaṃ drumaśatāyutam || 61.7 ||

Then those forest-dwellers, leaping through the sky, arrived at a grove resembling Nandana, filled with hundreds of trees and creepers.

Shloka 8 (sundara.61.8)

यत् तन्मधुवनं नाम सुग्रीवस्याभिरक्षितम्। अधृष्यं सर्वभूतानां सर्वभूतमनोहरम् ॥ 61.8 ॥

yat tanmadhuvanaṃ nāma sugrīvasyābhirakṣitam| adhṛṣyaṃ sarvabhūtānāṃ sarvabhūtamanoharam || 61.8 ||

That was the grove named Madhuvana, guarded by Sugriva, unassailable to all beings, and enchanting to the minds of all creatures.

Shloka 9 (sundara.61.9)

यद् रक्षति महावीरः सदा दधिमुखः कपिः। मातुलः कपिमुख्यस्य सुग्रीवस्य महात्मनः ॥ 61.9 ॥

yad rakṣati mahāvīraḥ sadā dadhimukhaḥ kapiḥ| mātulaḥ kapimukhyasya sugrīvasya mahātmanaḥ || 61.9 ||

Which the mighty hero-monkey Dadhimukha, maternal uncle of the great-souled Sugriva, monkey-king, always guarded.

Shloka 10 (sundara.61.10)

ते तद् वनमुपागम्य बभूवुः परमोत्कटाः। वानरा वानरेन्द्रस्य मनःकान्तं महावनम् ॥ 61.10 ॥

te tad vanamupāgamya babhūvuḥ paramotkaṭāḥ| vānarā vānarendrasya manaḥkāntaṃ mahāvanam || 61.10 ||

Having reached that great forest so dear to the mind of the monkey-lord, the monkeys became greatly excited.

Shloka 11 (sundara.61.11)

ततस्ते वानरा हृष्टा दृष्ट्वा मधुवनं महत्। कुमारमभ्ययाचन्त मधूनि मधुपिङ्गलाः ॥ 61.11 ॥

tataste vānarā hṛṣṭā dṛṣṭvā madhuvanaṃ mahat| kumāramabhyayācanta madhūni madhupiṅgalāḥ || 61.11 ||

Then those honey-hued monkeys, delighted at the sight of the great Madhuvana, begged the prince Angada for leave to taste the honey.

Shloka 12 (sundara.61.12)

ततः कुमारस्तान् वृद्धाञ्जाम्बवत्प्रमुखान् कपीन्। अनुमान्य ददौ तेषां निसर्गं मधुभक्षणे ॥ 61.12 ॥

tataḥ kumārastān vṛddhāñjāmbavatpramukhān kapīn| anumānya dadau teṣāṃ nisargaṃ madhubhakṣaṇe || 61.12 ||

Then the prince, having obtained the consent of the elder monkeys headed by Jambavan, granted them leave to feast upon the honey.

Shloka 13 (sundara.61.13)

ते निसृष्टाः कुमारेण धीमता वालिसूनुना। हरयः समपद्यन्त द्रुमान् मधुकराकुलान् ॥ 61.13 ॥

te nisṛṣṭāḥ kumāreṇa dhīmatā vālisūnunā| harayaḥ samapadyanta drumān madhukarākulān || 61.13 ||

Released by the wise son of Vali, the monkeys made for the trees that swarmed with bees.

Shloka 14 (sundara.61.14)

भक्षयन्तः सुगन्धीनि मूलानि च फलानि च। जग्मुः प्रहर्षं ते सर्वे बभूवुश्च मदोत्कटाः ॥ 61.14 ॥

bhakṣayantaḥ sugandhīni mūlāni ca phalāni ca| jagmuḥ praharṣaṃ te sarve babhūvuśca madotkaṭāḥ || 61.14 ||

Eating the fragrant roots and fruits, they all rejoiced greatly and became flushed with intoxication.

Shloka 15 (sundara.61.15)

ततश्चानुमताः सर्वे सुसंहृष्टा वनौकसः। मुदिताश्च ततस्ते च प्रनृत्यन्ति ततस्ततः ॥ 61.15 ॥

tataścānumatāḥ sarve susaṃhṛṣṭā vanaukasaḥ| muditāśca tataste ca pranṛtyanti tatastataḥ || 61.15 ||

Then all those forest-dwellers, thus permitted and greatly delighted, danced joyfully here and there.

Shloka 16 (sundara.61.16)

गायन्ति केचित् प्रहसन्ति केचिन्नृत्यन्ति केचित् प्रणमन्ति केचित्। पतन्ति केचित् प्रचरन्ति केचित् प्लवन्ति केचित् प्रलपन्ति केचित् ॥ 61.16 ॥

gāyanti kecit prahasanti kecinnṛtyanti kecit praṇamanti kecit| patanti kecit pracaranti kecit plavanti kecit pralapanti kecit || 61.16 ||

Some sang, some laughed loudly, some danced, some offered salutations; some fell down, some wandered about, some leapt, some chattered incoherently.

Shloka 17 (sundara.61.17)

परस्परं केचिदुपाश्रयन्ति परस्परं केचिदतिब्रुवन्ति। द्रुमाद् द्रुमं केचिदभिद्रवन्ति क्षितौ नगाग्रान्निपतन्ति केचित् ॥ 61.17 ॥

parasparaṃ kecidupāśrayanti parasparaṃ kecidatibruvanti| drumād drumaṃ kecidabhidravanti kṣitau nagāgrānnipatanti kecit || 61.17 ||

Some leaned upon one another, some argued loudly with one another; some ran from tree to tree, some fell from the treetops to the ground.

Shloka 18 (sundara.61.18)

महीतलात् केचिदुदीर्णवेगा महाद्रुमाग्राण्यभिसम्पतन्ति। गायन्तमन्यः प्रहसन्नुपैति हसन्तमन्यः प्ररुदन्नुपैति ॥ 61.18 ॥

mahītalāt kecidudīrṇavegā mahādrumāgrāṇyabhisampatanti| gāyantamanyaḥ prahasannupaiti hasantamanyaḥ prarudannupaiti || 61.18 ||

Some, surging up with force from the ground, sprang to the tops of great trees; one laughing came up to another who was singing, one weeping came up to another who was laughing.

Shloka 19 (sundara.61.19)

तुदन्तमन्यः प्रणदन्नुपैति समाकुलं तत् कपिसैन्यमासीत्। न चात्र कश्चिन्न बभूव मत्तो न चात्र कश्चिन्न बभूव दृप्तः ॥ 61.19 ॥

tudantamanyaḥ praṇadannupaiti samākulaṃ tat kapisainyamāsīt| na cātra kaścinna babhūva matto na cātra kaścinna babhūva dṛptaḥ || 61.19 ||

One provoking came up to another who was roaring; that army of monkeys had become utterly bewildered -- none there was who was not drunk, none there was who was not exultant.

Shloka 20 (sundara.61.20)

ततो वनं तत् परिभक्ष्यमाणं द्रुमांश्च विध्वंसितपत्रपुष्पान्। समीक्ष्य कोपाद् दधिवक्त्रनामा निवारयामास कपिः कपींस्तान् ॥ 61.20 ॥

tato vanaṃ tat paribhakṣyamāṇaṃ drumāṃśca vidhvaṃsitapatrapuṣpān| samīkṣya kopād dadhivaktranāmā nivārayāmāsa kapiḥ kapīṃstān || 61.20 ||

Then, seeing that grove being devoured and the trees stripped of leaf and flower, the monkey named Dadhimukha, in anger, sought to restrain those monkeys.

Shloka 21 (sundara.61.21)

स तैः प्रवृद्धैः परिभर्त्स्यमानो वनस्य गोप्ता हरिवृद्धवीरः। चकार भूयो मतिमुग्रतेजा वनस्य रक्षां प्रति वानरेभ्यः ॥ 61.21 ॥

sa taiḥ pravṛddhaiḥ paribhartsyamāno vanasya goptā harivṛddhavīraḥ| cakāra bhūyo matimugratejā vanasya rakṣāṃ prati vānarebhyaḥ || 61.21 ||

Threatened by those unruly ones, that elder hero-monkey of fierce splendour, guardian of the grove, resolved once more upon a plan to protect it from the monkeys.

Shloka 22 (sundara.61.22)

उवाच कांश्चित् परुषाण्यभीतमसक्तमन्यांश्च तलैर्जघान। समेत्य कैश्चित् कलहं चकार तथैव साम्नोपजगाम कांश्चित् ॥ 61.22 ॥

uvāca kāṃścit paruṣāṇyabhītamasaktamanyāṃśca talairjaghāna| sametya kaiścit kalahaṃ cakāra tathaiva sāmnopajagāma kāṃścit || 61.22 ||

Fearlessly he spoke harsh words to some, struck others relentlessly with his palms, closed in and quarrelled with some, and likewise approached others with conciliatory words.

Shloka 23 (sundara.61.23)

स तैर्मदादप्रतिवार्यवेगैर्बलाच्च तेन प्रतिवार्यमाणैः। प्रधर्षणे त्यक्तभयैः समेत्य प्रकृष्यते चाप्यनवेक्ष्य दोषम् ॥ 61.23 ॥

sa tairmadādaprativāryavegairbalācca tena prativāryamāṇaiḥ| pradharṣaṇe tyaktabhayaiḥ sametya prakṛṣyate cāpyanavekṣya doṣam || 61.23 ||

But those monkeys, their onrush born of intoxication impossible to check, having cast off all fear, closed upon him with force and, heedless of the wrong they did, dragged him about.

Shloka 24 (sundara.61.24)

नखैस्तुदन्तो दशनैर्दशन्तस्तलैश्च पादैश्च समापयन्तः। मदात् कपिं ते कपयः समन्तान्महावनं निर्विषयं च चक्रुः ॥ 61.24 ॥

nakhaistudanto daśanairdaśantastalaiśca pādaiśca samāpayantaḥ| madāt kapiṃ te kapayaḥ samantānmahāvanaṃ nirviṣayaṃ ca cakruḥ || 61.24 ||

Wounding him on every side with claws and teeth, and finishing him off with palms and feet in their intoxication, those monkeys stripped that great forest bare.