[Advaita-l] saMkShepa rAmAyaNa 6 - kiShkindhA kANDam

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

॥ किष्किन्धाकाण्डम् ॥

पम्पा तीरे हनुमता संगतो वानरेण ह ॥५८॥
हनुमद्वचनाच्चैव सुग्रीवेण समागतः ।

“On the bank of lake pampA[1] he met a monkey named hanumAn on whose 
advice he made friendship with Sugriva.”(58b-59a)

[1] This lake is in the modern Karnataka state.

सुग्रीवाय च तत्सर्वं शंसद्रामो महाबलः ॥५९॥
आदितस्तद्यथा वृत्तं सीतायाश्च विशेषतः ।

“Mighty rAma related to sugrIva and hanumAn all that had happened right 
from the beginning upto Sita's abduction.”(59b-60a)

सुग्रीवश्चापि तत्सर्वं श्रुत्वा रामस्य वानरः ॥६०॥
चकार सख्यं रामेण प्रीतश्चैवाग्निसाक्षिकम् ।

“Having heard that entire story from rAma, the monkey sugrIva was pleased 
and made a pact of friendship with rAma with agni as witness[1].”(60-61a)

[1] A vow made in the presence of the sacred fire cannot be broken.

ततो वानरराजेन वैरानुकथनं प्रति ॥६१॥
रामायावेदितं सर्वं प्रणयाद्दुःखितेन च ।

“Then sugrIva, king of monkeys sorrowfully told his story[1] to rAma. 
This was said purely out of friendship.[2]”(61b-62a)

[1] sugrIva the younger brother of vAli the king of the vAnaras or 
monkeys.  dundubhi was a giant rAkshasa who took the form of a buffalo and 
attacked the vAnara kingdom.  vAli chased him into a cave and eventually 
defeated him but as he was gone a long time, sugrIva feared the worst and 
took over as ruler.  When vAli emerged he assumed that his brother had 
betrayed him and usurped the throne and in anger vAli exiled him along 
with those who supported him such as hanumAn.

[2] In other words, at this point he had no ulterior motives in telling 
all this.  He was merely sharing his troubles with a friend.  Perhaps he 
thought rAma would be sympathetic being a fellow exile himself.

प्रतिज्ञातं च रामेण तदा वालि वधं प्रति ॥६२॥
वालिनश्च बलं तत्र कथयामास वानरः ।

“Then rAma vowed to slay VAli. The monkey[1] described to him vali's 
might.[2]”(62b-63a)

[1] i.e. sugrIva.
[2] In an attempt to dissuade him from a rash decision.

सुग्रीवः शंकितश्चासीन्नित्यं वीर्येण राघवे ॥६३॥
राघवप्रत्ययार्थं तु दुन्दुभेः कायमुत्तमम् ।
दर्शयामास सुग्रीवो महापर्वतसंनिभम् ॥६४॥

“sugrIva was doubtful of the prowess of rAma; in order to convince him[1], 
sugrIva showed him the huge body of dundubhi resembling a great 
mountain.[2]”(63b-64)

[1] of the foolhardiness of going against vAli.
[2] See the note on shloka 61.  Despite his great size dundubhi was no 
match for vAli.

उत्स्मयित्वा महाबाहुः प्रेक्ष्य चास्थि महाबलः ।
पादाङ्गुष्टेन चिक्षेप संपूर्णं दशयोजनम् ॥६५॥

“The mighty strong-armed rAma, smiled and with his big toe, kicked the 
skeleton 10 yojanas[1] away.”(65)

[1] Approximately 80 miles.

बिभेद च पुनः सालान्सप्तैकेन महेषुणा ।
गिरिं रसातलं चैव जनयन्प्रत्ययं तथा ॥६६॥

“Then in order to create even more confidence[1], he shot one mighty arrow 
through seven sAla trees, a mountain, and even penetrating the 
rasAtAla.[2]”(66)

[1] in sugrIva
[2] rasAtAla is one of the seven underworlds.

ततः प्रीतमनास्तेन विश्वस्तः स महाकपिः ।
किष्किंधां रामसहितो जगाम च गुहां तदा ॥६७॥

“Then impressed by these acts, the great monkey[1] was convinced. 
Together with rAma he entered kiShkindhA through a cave.[2]”(67)

[1] i.e. sugrIva.
[2] kiShkindhA the capital city of the vAnara kingdom was located within a 
mountain.

ततोऽगर्जद्धरिवरः सुग्रीवो हेमपिंगलः ।
तेन नादेन महता निर्जगाम हरीश्वरः ॥६८॥

“Golden-brown sugrIva, the best of monkeys roared.  Vali, the king of 
monkeys came out with an loud shout.”(68)

अनुमान्य तदा ताराम् सुग्रीवेण समागतः ।
निजघान च तत्र एनम् शरेण एकेन राघवः ॥६९॥

“Despite tArA’s[1] attempts to dissuade him, he[2] entered into combat 
with sugrIva.  There rAghava[3] killed him with a single arrow.”(69)

[1] The wife of vAli.  This tArA is not connected with the Hindu/Buddhist 
goddess of the same name.
[2] i.e. vAli.
[3] i.e. rAma.

ततः सुग्रीववचनाद्धत्वा वालिनमाहवे ।
सुग्रीवमेव तद्राज्ये राघवः प्रत्यपादयत् ॥७०॥

“After he had killed vAli to fulfill his promise to sugrIva, rAghava 
installed sugrIva as king.”(70)

स च सर्वान्समानीय वानरान्वानरर्षभः ।
दिशः प्रस्थापयामास दिदृक्षुर्जनकात्मजाम् ॥७१॥

“That best of monkeys summoned all the monkeys and sent them searching in 
every direction out of desire to find janakas’ daughter[1].”(71)

[1] i.e. sItA.

-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>