Sloka & Translation

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

अथ तानब्रवीत्सर्वान्विश्रान्तान्हरियूथपान्।

इदं वचनमेकाग्रा तापसी धर्मचारिणी।।4.52.1।।


अथ thereafter, धर्मचारिणी righteous woman, एकाग्रा with concentration, तापसी ascetic woman, विश्रान्तान् had rested, तान् those, सर्वान् all, हरियूथपान् monkey leaders, इदं वचनम् these words, अब्रवीत् said.

After the monkey leaders had taken rest, the noble ascetic with undiverted attention said these words:
वानरा यदि वः खेदः प्रनष्टः फलभक्षणात्।

यदि चैतन्मया श्राव्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि कथ्यताम्।।4.52.2।।


वानराः O monkey, फलभक्षणात् by eating fruits, वः your, खेदः sorrow, प्रनष्टः यदि is relieved, एतत् thus, मया by me, श्राव्यं च यदि if it can be heard, कथ्यताम् it may be narrated, श्रोतुम् to hear, इच्छामि 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.
तस्यास्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा हनूमान्मारुतात्मजः।

आर्जवेन यथातत्त्वमाख्यातुमुपचक्रमे।।4.52.3।।


मारुतात्मजः son of the Windgod, हनूमान् Hanuman, तस्याः her, तत् वचनम् those words, श्रुत्वा after hearing, आर्जवेन frankly, यथातत्त्वम् faithfully, आख्यातुम् to narrate, उपचक्रमे started.

When Hanuman, son of the Windgod, heard her, he started narrating frankly and truthfully.
राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य महेन्द्रवरुणोपमः।

रामो दाशरथिश्शीमान्प्रविष्टो दण्डकावनम्।।4.52.4।।

लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा वैदेह्या चापि भार्यया।

तस्य भार्या जनस्थानाद्रावणेन हृता बलात्।।4.52.5।।


सर्वस्य for the entire, लोकस्य world's, राजा king, महेन्द्रवरुणोपमः comparable to Indra and Varuna, दाशरथिः Dasaratha's son, श्रीमान् prosperous, रामः Rama, भ्रात्रा with his brother, लक्ष्मणेन सह along with Lakshmana, भार्यया with his wife, वैदेह्या सह with Vaidehi, दण्डकावनम् Dandaka forest, प्रविष्टः entered, तस्य his, भार्या wife, रावणेन by Ravana, जनस्थानात् from Janasthana, बलात् forcibly, हृता 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.
वीरस्तस्य सखा राज्ञस्सुग्रीवो नाम वानरः।

राजा वानरमुख्यानां येन प्रस्थापिता वयम्।।4.52.6।।


वीरः hero, वानरमुख्यानाम् lord of monkeys, राजा king, सुग्रीवो नाम called Sugriva, वानरः monkey, तस्य his, राज्ञः the king's, सखा friend, येन by whom, वयम् we, प्रस्थापिताः are sent.

अगस्त्यचरितामाशां दक्षिणां यमरक्षिताम्।

सहैभिर्वानरैर्घोरैरङ्गदप्रमुखैर्वयम्।।4.52.7।।

रावणं सहितास्सर्वे राक्षसं कामरूपिणम्।

सीतया सह वैदेह्या मार्गध्वमिति चोदिताः।।4.52.8।।


सर्वे all, सहिताः together, वैदेह्या Videha, सीतया सह with Sita, कामरूपिणम् he who changes his form at his will, राक्षसम् demon, रावणम् Ravana, मार्गध्वम् direction, इति thus, वयम् we, अङ्गदप्रमुखैः with Angada as chief, एभिः these also, मुख्यैः with leaders, वानरैः सह along with the monkeys, अगस्त्यचरिताम् where sage Agasthya lived, यमरक्षिताम् protected by Yama, दक्षिणाम् southern direction, आशाम् intent on, चोदिताः 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.
विचित्य तु वयं सर्वे समग्रां दक्षिणां दिशम्।

परित्रान्ता बुभुक्षिता वृक्षमूलमुपाश्रिताः।।4.52.9।।


वयम् we, सर्वे all, सर्वम् all over, समग्रां entirely, वयं we, परिश्रान्ता exhausted, दक्षिणां दिशम् on the southern direction, विचित्य after searching, बुभुक्षिताः feeling hungry, वृक्षमूलम् under a tree, उपाश्रिताः sheltered.

विवर्णवदनास्सर्वे सर्वे ध्यानपरायणाः।

नाधिगच्छामहे पारं मग्नाश्चिन्तामहार्णवे।।4.52.10।।


सर्वे all of us, विवर्णवदनाः palefaced, सर्वे all, ध्यानपरायणाः lost in thought, चिन्तामहार्णवे in the deep ocean of worry, मग्नाः immersed, पारम् the shore, नाधिगच्छामहे 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.
चारयन्तस्ततश्चक्षुर्दृष्टवन्तो वयं बिलम्।

लतापादपसञ्च्छन्नं तिमिरेण समावृतम्।।4.52.11।।


ततः then, चक्षुः eyes, चारयन्तः while we were looking around, लतापादपसञ्च्छन्नम् concealed by vines and trees, तिमिरेण with darkness, समावृतम् spread all over, वयम् we, बिलम् cave, दृष्टवन्तः we saw.

'Then while we were looking around we saw this cave concealed by trees and vines, with darkness spread all over.
अस्माद्धंसा जलक्लिन्नाः पक्षैस्सलिलविस्रवैः।

कुररास्सारसाश्चैव निष्पतन्ति पतत्रिणः।।4.52.12।।


अस्मात् this, सलिलविस्रवैः by those with water dripping, पक्षैः with wings, जलक्लिन्नाः drenched in water, हंसाः swans, कुरराः kuraras, सारसाश्चैव sarasas also, पतत्रिणः birds, निष्पतन्ति flying out.

'Drenched in water the swans, kuraras, and sarasas were seen emerging with water dripping from thier wings.
साध्वत्र प्रविशामेति मया तूक्ताः प्लवङ्गमाः।

तेषामपि हि सर्वेषामनुमानमुपागतम्।।4.52.13।।


अत्र here, साधु it is proper, प्रविशाम let us enter, इति thus, मया by me, प्लवङ्गमाः monkeys, उक्ताः have been told, तेषाम् for them, सर्वेषामपि for all of them, अनुमानम् inferring, उपागतम् came in.

'I suggested to the fellowmonkeys to enter this cave, inferring that there would be water and all of them came to the same conclusion.
गच्छाम प्रविशामेति भर्तृकार्यत्वरान्विताः।

ततो गाढं निपतिता गृह्य हस्तौ परस्परम्।।4.52.14।।


भर्तृकार्यत्वरान्विताः in haste to carry out the orders of our king, प्रविशामः let us enter, गच्छाम let us go, निपतिताः we jumped in, ततः then, परस्परम् each one holding the other, हस्तौ by hands, गाढम् firmly, गृह्य 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.
इदं प्रविष्टास्सहसा बिलं तिमिरसंवृतम्।

एतन्नः कार्यमेतेन कृत्येन वयमागताः।।4.52.15।।

त्वां चैवोपगतास्सर्वे परिद्यूना बुभुक्षिताः।


तिमिरसंवृतम् shrouded in darkness, इदं बिलम् this grotto, सहसा at once, प्रविष्टाः we entered, एतत् this, नः our, कार्यम् task, एतेन by this, कृत्येन by the task, वयम् we, आगताः we came, बुभुक्षिताः hungry ones, परिद्यूनाः vexed, सर्वे all of us, त्वाम् your, उपगताश्चैव we reached.

'Vexed and starved, we entered this grotto shrouded in darkness.This is our task and we reached here (in the process).
आतिथ्यधर्मदत्तानि मूलानि च फलानि च।।4.52.16।।

अस्माभिरुपभुक्तानि बुभुक्षापरिपीडितैः।


बुभुक्षापरिपीडितैः tormented by hunger and thirst, अस्माभिः us, आतिथ्यधर्मदत्तानि given out of hospitality, मूलानि च roots and, फलानि च and fruits, उपभुक्तानि have eaten.

'You have given us roots and fruits out of hospitality and we have been taken them driven by hunger and thirst.
यत्त्वया रक्षितास्सर्वे म्रियमाणा बुभुक्षया।।4.52.17।।

ब्रूहि प्रत्युपकारार्थं किं ते कुर्वन्तु वानराः।


बुभुक्षया by starvation, म्रियमाणाः dying, सर्वे all, यत् as such, त्वया by you, रक्षिताः saved, वानराः monkeys, ते to you, प्रत्युपकारार्थम् to repay you in turn, किं कुर्वन्तु what can they do, ब्रूहि tell.

'We were dying from hunger when you saved us. Tell us what the monkeys can do to repay your debt?'.
एवमुक्ता तु धर्मज्ञैर्वानरैस्तैस्स्वयंप्रभा।।4.52.18।।

प्रत्युवाच ततस्सर्वानिदं वानरपुङ्गवान्।


तैः वानरैः by the monkeys, एवम् thus, उक्ताः addressed, धर्मज्ञौः by the knowers of dharma, स्वयंप्रभा Svayamprapbha, ततः then, सर्वान् all, वानरपुङ्गवान् leaders among the monkeys, इदम् this, प्रत्युवाच replied.

To the leaders among the monkeys, knowers of dharma, who said this Svayamprabha replied:
सर्वेषां परितुष्टाऽस्मि वानराणां तरस्विनाम्।।4.52.19।।

चरन्त्या मम धर्मेण न कार्यमिह केनचित्।


तरस्विनाम् of those quick and energetic ones, सर्वेषाम् about all of you, वानराणाम् of monkeys, परितुष्टा pleased, अस्मि I am, धर्मेण in rghteousness, चरन्त्याः while practising, मम to me, इह now, केनचित् any, कार्यम् service, न 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.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये किष्किन्धाकाण्डे द्विपञ्चाशस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the fiftysecond sarga in Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.