Sloka & Translation

[Sampati sees Angada and other monkeys -- hears about the death of his brother Jatayu.]

उपविष्टास्तु ते सर्वे यस्मिन्प्रायं गिरिस्थले।

हरयो गृध्रराजश्च तं देशमुपचक्रमे।।4.56.1।।

सम्पातिर्नाम नाम्ना तु चिरञ्जीवी विहङ्गमः।

भ्राता जटायुषः श्रीमान्विख्यातबलपौरुषः।।4.56.2।।


ते they, सर्वे all, हरयः monkeys, यस्मिन् that, गिरिस्थले on the plateau of the mountain, प्रायम् उपविष्टाः seated preparing to die by fasting unto death, तं देशम् that location, गृध्रराजः king of vultures, नाम्ना by name, सम्पातिर्नाम as Sampati, चिरञ्जीवी longlived, जटायुष: Jatayu, भ्राता brother, श्रीमान् prosperous, विख्यातबलपौरुषः widely known for his strength, विहङ्गमः a vulture, उपचक्रमे came there.

While the monkeys were preparing to fast unto death on the plateau of the mountain, Sampati, the prosperous king of vultures, the longlived elder brother of Jatayu widely known for his strength, appeared there.
कन्दरादभिनिष्क्रम्य स विन्ध्यस्य महागिरेः।

उपविष्टान्हरीन्दृष्ट्वा हृष्टात्मा गिरमब्रवीत्।।4.56.3।।


सः he, महागिरेः of the great mountain, विन्ध्यस्य Vindhya's, कन्दरात् from the cave, अभिनिष्क्रम्य emerging, उपविष्टान् seated, हरीन् monkeys, दृष्ट्वा after seeing, हृष्टात्मा delighted, गिरम् word, अब्रवीत् spoke.

Coming out of the cave of the great mount Vindhya, Sampati was glad to see the monkeys seated there and said to himself:
विधिः किल नरं लोके विधानेनानुवर्तते।

यथाऽयं विहितो भक्ष्यश्चिरान्मह्यमुपागतः।।4.56.4।।


लोके in this world, विधिः destiny, विधानेन in accordance with, नरम् अनुवर्तते किल said to follow, यथा as, चिरात् for long, मह्यम् for me, विहितः fixed, अयम् this, भक्ष्यः eatable, उपागतः has come.

'Destiny rules the world of men in accordance with a divine arrangement. Or else, it would not have brought me food after a long time (of fasting)'. (The monkeys are food for Sampati)'
परम्पराणां भक्षिष्ये वानराणां मृतं मृतम्।

उवाचेदं वचः पक्षी तान्निरीक्ष्य प्लवङ्गमान्।।4.56.5।।


वानराणाम् of monkeys, परम्पराणाम् one after the other, मृतं मृतम् as and when they die, भक्षिष्ये I will eat, तान् them, प्लवङ्गमान् monkeys, निरीक्ष्य looking at them, पक्षी the vulture, इदं these, वचः words, उवाच spoke.

Looking at them, the vulture continued, 'I will eat these monkeys one after the other as and when they die'.
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा भक्ष्यलुब्धस्य पक्षिणः।

अङ्गदः परमायस्तो हनूमन्तमथाब्रवीत्।।4.56.6।।


भक्ष्यलुब्धस्य of the greedy for food, तस्य पक्षिणः of the vulture, तत् वचनम् that words, श्रुत्वा on hearing, अथ then, अङ्गदः Angada, परमायस्तः highly dejected, हनूमन्तम् to Hanumanta, अब्रवीत् said.

Hearing the words of the vulture greedily waiting for food, deeply dejected Angada spoke to Hanuman:
पश्य सीतापदेशेन साक्षाद्वैवस्वतो यमः।

इमं देशमनुप्राप्तो वानराणां विपत्तये।।4.56.7।।


सीतापदेशेन in the name of Sita, वैवस्वतः Vaivasvata, यमः Yama, साक्षात् himself in person, वानराणाम् to monkeys, विपत्तये to kill, इमं देशम् this place, अनुप्राप्तः has come, पश्य see.

'See, Yama, son of Vaivasvata, has arrived here in person to destroy the monkeys in the name of Sita. (Sita became the direct agent for causing the destruction of monkeys).
रामस्य न कृतं कार्यं राज्ञो न च वचः कृतम्।

हरीणामियमज्ञाता विपत्तिस्सहसागता।।4.56.8।।


रामस्य Rama's, कार्यम् task, न कृतम् not carried out, राज्ञ: the king's, वचः words, न च कृतम् not carried out, हरीणाम् for the monkeys, इयम् this, अज्ञाता unknown, विपत्ति: calamity, सहसा suddenly, आगता has set in.

'Rama's task has not been performed. Sugriva's order has not been excuted. And (now) suddenly this calamity has overtaken the monkeys unawares.
वैदेह्याः प्रियकामेन कृतं कर्म जटायुषा।

गृध्राराजेन यत्तत्र श्रुतं वस्तदशेषतः।।4.56.9।।


वैदेह्याः the princess of Videha, प्रियकामेन in order to please her, गृध्रराजेन by the king of vultures, जटायुषा by Jatayu, तत्र there, यत् कर्म whatever task, कृतम् has been accomplished, तत् that, अशेषतः fully, वः for you, श्रुतम् heard.

'We have heard in detail about the task accomplished by Jatayu, the king of vultures, in order to please Sita, the princess of Videha.
तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि तिर्यग्योनिगतान्यपि।

प्रियं कुर्वन्ति रामस्य त्यक्त्वा प्राणान्यथा वयम्।।4.56.10।।


तथा that way, तिर्यग्योनिगतान्यपि those born as animals even, सर्वाणि all, भूतानि creatures, प्राणान् life, त्यक्त्वा risking, वयं यथा like us, रामस्य for Rama, प्रियम् please, कुर्वन्ति you will.

अन्योऽन्यमुपकुर्वन्ति स्नेहकारुण्ययन्त्रिताः।

तेन तस्योपकारार्थं त्यजताऽत्मानमात्मना।।4.56.11।।


स्नेहकारुण्ययन्त्रिताः bound by friendship and compassion, अन्योन्यम् mutually, उपकुर्वन्ति help, तेन by him, तस्य Rama's, उपकारार्थम् for wellbeing, आत्मानम् his life, आत्मना by himself, त्यजत by giving up.

'Bound by friendship and compassion each one helps the other. In fact, Jatayu did this by giving up his life on his own, for the sake of Rama.
प्रियं कृतं हि रामस्य धर्मज्ञेन जटायुषा।

राघवार्थे परिश्रान्ता वयं सन्त्यक्तजीविताः।।4.56.12।।

कान्ताराणि प्रपन्नाः स्म न च पश्याम मैथिलीम्।


धर्मज्ञेन by the righteous, जटायुषा by Jatayu, रामस्य Rama's, प्रियम् wellbeing, कृतं हि is done, वयम् we, राघवार्थे for Rama's sake, परिश्रान्ताः exhausted, सन्त्यक्तजीविताः all of us are giving up life, कान्ताराणि forests, प्रपन्नाः ventured, स्म we, मैथिलीम् Maithili, न च पश्याम we have not seen.

'Jatayu, the knower of dharma, has laid down his life for the wellbeing of Rama. We are exhausted in the process of helping Rama. We have lost hope of our lives after entering these forests. Yet we have failed to find the princess from Mithila.
स सुखी गृध्रराजस्तु रावणेन हतो रणे।।4.56.13।।

मुक्तश्च सुग्रीवभयाद्गतश्च परमां गतिम्।


रणे in combat, रावणेन by Ravana, हतः was slain, सः he, गृध्रराजस्तु king of vultures, सुखी is happy, सुग्रीवभयात् fear of Sugriva, मुक्तश्च relieved, परमाम् supreme, गतिम् status, गतश्च attained.

'The king of vultures was slain by Ravana in a combat. He attained supreme status. He had no fear for Sugriva (as we have).
जटायुषो विनाशेन राज्ञो दशरथस्य च।।4.56.14।।

हरणेन च वैदेह्या स्संशयं हरयो गताः।


जटायुषः Jatayu's, विनाशेन by the death, राज्ञः king's, दशरथस्य च and Dasaratha's, वैदेह्याः princess from Videha, हरणेन च by abducting, हरयः monkeys, संशयं गताः are caught in doubtful situation.

'The survival of monkeys has become doubtful due to the death of Jatayu, death of king Dasaratha and the abduction of the princess from Videha.
रामलक्ष्मणयोर्वासश्च अरण्ये सह सीतया।।4.56.15।।

राघवस्य च बाणेन वालिनश्च तथा वधः।

रामकोपादशेषाणां रक्षसानां तथा वधः।।4.56.16।।

कैकेय्या वरदानेन इदं च विकृतं कृतम्।


कैकेय्याः to Kaikeyi, वरदानेन the granting of boons, सीतया सह along with Sita, अरण्ये in the forest, रामलक्ष्मणयोः of Rama and Lakshmana, वासः residence, तथा so also, राघवस्य Rama's, बाणेन with arrow, वालिनः Vali's, वधश्च death, तथा so also, रामकोपात् due to Rama's anger, अशेषाणाम् of the entire lot, रक्षसानाम् demons, वधश्च death, इदम् this, विकृतं च unwanted consequence, कृतम् was done.

'The exile of Rama and Lakshmana into the forest along with Sita, so also the death of Vali and of the demons in the hands of Rama due to his anger are all evil
consequences of a boon granted to Kaikeyi.'
तदसुखमनुकीर्तितं वचो

भुवि पतितांश्च समीक्ष्य वानरान्।

भृशचलितमतिर्महामतिः

कृपणमुदाहृतवान् स गृध्रराट्।।4.56.17।।


अनुकीर्तितम् which was described, असुखम् unhappy , तत् that, वचः words, भुवि on the earth, पतितान् fallen, वानरान् monkeys, समीक्ष्य observing, महामतिः wise, सः he, गृध्राराट् the king of vultures, भृशचलितमतिः shaken up mentally, कृपणम् wretched, उदाहृतवान् narrated.

The wise king of vultures was shaken up mentally on seeing the monkeys lying on the ground and hearing the unhappy narration of Angada.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आतिकाव्ये किष्किन्धाकाण्डे षटपञ्चाशस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the fiftysixth sarga in Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.