Sloka & Translation

[Hanuman narrates to Svayamprabha the purpose of the monkey mission and the reasons for entering the cave.]

atha tānabravītsarvānviśrāntānhariyūthapān.

idaṅ vacanamēkāgrā tāpasī dharmacāriṇī৷৷4.52.1৷৷


atha thereafter, dharmacāriṇī righteous woman, ēkāgrā with concentration, tāpasī ascetic woman, viśrāntān had rested, tān those, sarvān all, hariyūthapān monkey leaders, idaṅ vacanam these words, abravīt said.

After the monkey leaders had taken rest, the noble ascetic with undiverted attention said these words:
vānarā! yadi vaḥ khēdaḥ pranaṣṭaḥ phalabhakṣaṇāt.

yadi caitanmayā śrāvyaṅ śrōtumicchāmi kathyatām৷৷4.52.2৷৷


vānarāḥ O monkey!, phalabhakṣaṇāt by eating fruits, vaḥ your, khēdaḥ sorrow, pranaṣṭaḥ yadi is relieved, ētat thus, mayā by me, śrāvyaṅ ca yadi if it can be heard, kathyatām it may be narrated, śrōtum to hear, icchāmi I wish.

'O monkeys! if you have been relieved of your fatigue after eating fruits, now tell me about yourself, if you think it can be told. I want to hear.
tasyāstadvacanaṅ śrutvā hanūmānmārutātmajaḥ.

ārjavēna yathātattvamākhyātumupacakramē৷৷4.52.3৷৷


mārutātmajaḥ son of the Wind-god, hanūmān Hanuman, tasyāḥ her, tat vacanam those words, śrutvā after hearing, ārjavēna frankly, yathātattvam faithfully, ākhyātum to narrate, upacakramē started.

When Hanuman, son of the Wind-god, heard her, he started narrating frankly and truthfully.
rājā sarvasya lōkasya mahēndravaruṇōpamaḥ.

rāmō dāśarathiśśīmānpraviṣṭō daṇḍakāvanam৷৷4.52.4৷৷

lakṣmaṇēna saha bhrātrā vaidēhyā cāpi bhāryayā.

tasya bhāryā janasthānādrāvaṇēna hṛtā balāt৷৷4.52.5৷৷


sarvasya for the entire, lōkasya world's, rājā king, mahēndravaruṇōpamaḥ comparable to Indra and Varuna, dāśarathiḥ Dasaratha's son, śrīmān prosperous, rāmaḥ Rama, bhrātrā with his brother, lakṣmaṇēna saha along with Lakshmana, bhāryayā with his wife, vaidēhyā saha with Vaidehi, daṇḍakāvanam Dandaka forest, praviṣṭaḥ entered, tasya his, bhāryā wife, rāvaṇēna by Ravana, janasthānāt from Janasthana, balāt forcibly, hṛtā she was abducted.

'Rama, son of Dasaratha, a prosperous king of all the worlds, comparable to Indra and Varuna came to the Dandaka forest along with his brother Laksmana and wife Vaidehi. Ravana abducted his wife from Janasthana.
vīrastasya sakhā rājñassugrīvō nāma vānaraḥ.

rājā vānaramukhyānāṅ yēna prasthāpitā vayam৷৷4.52.6৷৷


vīraḥ hero, vānaramukhyānām lord of monkeys, rājā king, sugrīvō nāma called Sugriva, vānaraḥ monkey, tasya his, rājñaḥ the king's, sakhā friend, yēna by whom, vayam we, prasthāpitāḥ are sent.

agastyacaritāmāśāṅ dakṣiṇāṅ yamarakṣitām.

sahaibhirvānarairghōrairaṅgadapramukhairvayam৷৷4.52.7৷৷

rāvaṇaṅ sahitāssarvē rākṣasaṅ kāmarūpiṇam.

sītayā saha vaidēhyā mārgadhvamiti cōditāḥ৷৷4.52.8৷৷


sarvē all, sahitāḥ together, vaidēhyā Videha, sītayā saha with Sita, kāmarūpiṇam he who changes his form at his will, rākṣasam demon, rāvaṇam Ravana, mārgadhvam direction, iti thus, vayam we, aṅgadapramukhaiḥ with Angada as chief, ēbhiḥ these also, mukhyaiḥ with leaders, vānaraiḥ saha along with the monkeys, agastyacaritām where sage Agasthya lived, yamarakṣitām protected by Yama, dakṣiṇām southern direction, āśām intent on, cōditāḥ to search.

'We along with the dreadful monkeys are sent with Angada as our chief to the southern direction, guarded by Yama and inhabited by sage Agasti. We are commanded to search Sita, princess of Videha and also the abode of the demon Ravana who assumes any form at his free will.
vicitya tu vayaṅ sarvē samagrāṅ dakṣiṇāṅ diśam.

paritrāntā bubhukṣitā vṛkṣamūlamupāśritāḥ৷৷4.52.9৷৷


vayam we, sarvē all, sarvam all over, samagrāṅ entirely, vayaṅ we, pariśrāntā exhausted, dakṣiṇāṅ diśam on the southern direction, vicitya after searching, bubhukṣitāḥ feeling hungry, vṛkṣamūlam under a tree, upāśritāḥ sheltered.

vivarṇavadanāssarvē sarvē dhyānaparāyaṇāḥ.

nādhigacchāmahē pāraṅ magnāścintāmahārṇavē৷৷4.52.10৷৷


sarvē all of us, vivarṇavadanāḥ pale-faced, sarvē all, dhyānaparāyaṇāḥ lost in thought, cintāmahārṇavē in the deep ocean of worry, magnāḥ immersed, pāram the shore, nādhigacchāmahē we were unable to find.

'We were all exhausted, lost in thought and worried, unable to cross this deep ocean of sorrow. We did not know how to proceed.
cārayantastataścakṣurdṛṣṭavantō vayaṅ bilam.

latāpādapasañcchannaṅ timirēṇa samāvṛtam৷৷4.52.11৷৷


tataḥ then, cakṣuḥ eyes, cārayantaḥ while we were looking around, latāpādapasañcchannam concealed by vines and trees, timirēṇa with darkness, samāvṛtam spread all over, vayam we, bilam cave, dṛṣṭavantaḥ we saw.

'Then while we were looking around we saw this cave concealed by trees and vines, with darkness spread all over.
asmāddhaṅsā jalaklinnāḥ pakṣaissalilavisravaiḥ.

kurarāssārasāścaiva niṣpatanti patatriṇaḥ৷৷4.52.12৷৷


asmāt this, salilavisravaiḥ by those with water dripping, pakṣaiḥ with wings, jalaklinnāḥ drenched in water, haṅsāḥ swans, kurarāḥ kuraras, sārasāścaiva sarasas also, patatriṇaḥ birds, niṣpatanti flying out.

'Drenched in water the swans, kuraras, and sarasas were seen emerging with water dripping from thier wings.
sādhvatra praviśāmēti mayā tūktāḥ plavaṅgamāḥ.

tēṣāmapi hi sarvēṣāmanumānamupāgatam৷৷4.52.13৷৷


atra here, sādhu it is proper, praviśāma let us enter, iti thus, mayā by me, plavaṅgamāḥ monkeys, uktāḥ have been told, tēṣām for them, sarvēṣāmapi for all of them, anumānam inferring, upāgatam came in.

'I suggested to the fellow-monkeys to enter this cave, inferring that there would be water and all of them came to the same conclusion.
gacchāma praviśāmēti bhartṛkāryatvarānvitāḥ.

tatō gāḍhaṅ nipatitā gṛhya hastau parasparam৷৷4.52.14৷৷


bhartṛkāryatvarānvitāḥ in haste to carry out the orders of our king, praviśāmaḥ let us enter, gacchāma let us go, nipatitāḥ we jumped in, tataḥ then, parasparam each one holding the other, hastau by hands, gāḍham firmly, gṛhya holding.

'We said, 'let us enter', since we were in a hurry to carry out our king's orders.Then we jumped in, holding one another's hand.
idaṅ praviṣṭāssahasā bilaṅ timirasaṅvṛtam.

ētannaḥ kāryamētēna kṛtyēna vayamāgatāḥ৷৷4.52.15৷৷

tvāṅ caivōpagatāssarvē paridyūnā bubhukṣitāḥ.


timirasaṅvṛtam shrouded in darkness, idaṅ bilam this grotto, sahasā at once, praviṣṭāḥ we entered, ētat this, naḥ our, kāryam task, ētēna by this, kṛtyēna by the task, vayam we, āgatāḥ we came, bubhukṣitāḥ hungry ones, paridyūnāḥ vexed, sarvē all of us, tvām your, upagatāścaiva we reached.

'Vexed and starved, we entered this grotto shrouded in darkness.This is our task and we reached here (in the process).
ātithyadharmadattāni mūlāni ca phalāni ca৷৷4.52.16৷৷

asmābhirupabhuktāni bubhukṣāparipīḍitaiḥ.


bubhukṣāparipīḍitaiḥ tormented by hunger and thirst, asmābhiḥ us, ātithyadharmadattāni given out of hospitality, mūlāni ca roots and, phalāni ca and fruits, upabhuktāni have eaten.

'You have given us roots and fruits out of hospitality and we have been taken them driven by hunger and thirst.
yattvayā rakṣitāssarvē mriyamāṇā bubhukṣayā৷৷4.52.17৷৷

brūhi pratyupakārārthaṅ kiṅ tē kurvantu vānarāḥ.


bubhukṣayā by starvation, mriyamāṇāḥ dying, sarvē all, yat as such, tvayā by you, rakṣitāḥ saved, vānarāḥ monkeys, tē to you, pratyupakārārtham to repay you in turn, kiṅ kurvantu what can they do, brūhi tell.

'We were dying from hunger when you saved us. Tell us what the monkeys can do to repay your debt?'.
ēvamuktā tu dharmajñairvānaraistaissvayaṅprabhā৷৷4.52.18৷৷

pratyuvāca tatassarvānidaṅ vānarapuṅgavān.


taiḥ vānaraiḥ by the monkeys, ēvam thus, uktāḥ addressed, dharmajñauḥ by the knowers of dharma, svayaṅprabhā Svayamprapbha, tataḥ then, sarvān all, vānarapuṅgavān leaders among the monkeys, idam this, pratyuvāca replied.

To the leaders among the monkeys, knowers of dharma, who said this Svayamprabha replied:
sarvēṣāṅ parituṣṭā.smi vānarāṇāṅ tarasvinām৷৷4.52.19৷৷

carantyā mama dharmēṇa na kāryamiha kēnacit.


tarasvinām of those quick and energetic ones, sarvēṣām about all of you, vānarāṇām of monkeys, parituṣṭā pleased, asmi I am, dharmēṇa in rghteousness, carantyāḥ while practising, mama to me, iha now, kēnacit any, kāryam service, na no need.

'I am very much pleased with all of you, smart monkeys. As I am engaged in the practice of righteousness, I do not need your services.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē kiṣkindhākāṇḍē dvipañcāśassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the fifty-second sarga in Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.