Kishkinda Kanda: Chapter 65

अथाङ्गदवचः श्रुत्वा ते सर्वे वानरर्षभाः। स्वं स्वं गतौ समुत्साहमूचुस्तत्र यथाक्रमम्॥
Hearing Angada's speech, those foremost monkeys one after another began to speak, touching their respective competence in coursing.

गजो गवाक्षो गवयः शरभो गन्धमादनः। मैन्दश्च द्विविदश्चैव सुषेणो जाम्बवांस्तथा॥
Gaja, and Gavākṣa, and Gavaya, and Sarabha, and Gandhamādana, and Mainda, and Dwivida, and Angada, and Jāmbavān.

आबभाषे गजस्तत्र प्लवेयं दशयोजनम्। गवाक्षो योजनान्याह गमिष्यामीति विंशतिम्॥
Gaja said, “I can leap over ten Yojanas," and Gavaksa said, "I shall go twenty Yojanas."

शरभो वानरस्तत्र वानरास्तानुवाच ह। त्रिंशतं तु गमिष्यामि योजनानां प्लवङ्गमाः॥
There monkey Sarabha said to those monkeys, “You monkey, I shall go thirty Yojanas."

ऋषभो वानरस्तत्र वानरांस्तानुवाच ह। चत्वारिंशद् गमिष्यामि योजनानां न संशयः॥
And the monkey, Rhishava, said to those monkeys,-"I shall, without doubt, go forty Yojanas."

वानरांस्तु महातेजा अब्रवीद् गन्धमादनः। योजनानां गमिष्यामि पञ्चाशत्तु न सशंयः॥
And the exceedingly energetic monkey, Gandhamädana, said, I shall for certain go fifty Yojanas.

मैन्दस्तु वानरस्तत्र वानरांस्तानुवाच ह। योजनानां परं षष्टिमहं प्लवितुमुत्सहे॥
And the monkey Mainda said to the monkeys there, I shall undertake to leap over sixty Yojanas.

ततस्तत्र महातेजा द्विविदः प्रत्यभाषत। गमिष्यामि न संदेहः सप्ततिं योजनान्यहम्॥
And then the highly energetic Dwivida said,-I Shall, for certain, go seventy Yojanas.

सुषेणस्तु महातेजाः सत्त्ववान् कपिसत्तमः। अशीतिं प्रतिजानेऽहं योजनानां पराक्रमे॥
And the highly powerful Suşena, possessed of strength-foremost of monkeys said—I declare that in motion I am equal to eighty Yojanas.

तेषां कथयतां तत्र सर्वांस्ताननुमान्य च। ततो वृद्धतमस्तेषां जाम्बवान् प्रत्यभाषत॥
As they were speaking thus,' the oldest of them all, Jambavān, saluting them answered.

पूर्वमस्माकमप्यासीत् कश्चिद् गतिपराक्रमः। ते वयं वयसः पारमनुप्राप्ताः स्म साम्प्रतम्॥ किं तु नैवं गते शक्यमिदं कार्यमुपेक्षितुम्। यदर्थं कपिराजश्च रामश्च कृतनिश्चयौ॥ साम्प्रतं कालमस्माकं या गतिस्तां निबोधत। नवतिं योजनानां तु गमिष्यामि न संशयः॥
Formerly we had power of motion. But now we have waxed exceeding old. Although this is so, yet we can not overlook this, as both Rama and the monkey-king (by sending us) have become sure of success. At present do you understand the course that is ours. I shall go ninety Yojanas. There is no doubt whatever about this.

तांश्च सर्वान् हरिश्रेष्ठाञ्जाम्बवानिदमब्रवीत्। न खल्वेतावदेवासीद् गमने मे पराक्रमः॥ मया वैरोचने यज्ञे प्रभविष्णुः सनातनः। प्रदक्षिणीकृतः पूर्वं क्रममाणस्त्रिविक्रमः॥
Jāmbavān said this to those choice monkeys. But (formerly) my prowess in leaping was forsooth not such.* Of old in the sacrifice of Virocana's son, the external Lord Visnu, when he had covered the entire universe with three steps, was circumambulated by me. *i.e. it was greater.

स इदानीमहं वृद्धः प्लवने मन्दविक्रमः। यौवने च तदासीन्मे बलमप्रतिमं परम्॥
But I who was all this, have waxed old, and my vigour sits feebly upon me. In my youth, ever, my strength was exceeding great and incomparable.

सम्प्रत्येतावदेवाद्य शक्यं मे गमने स्वतः। नैतावता च संसिद्धिः कार्यस्यास्य भविष्यति॥
Now I can only by my own energy, course thus far. But has a bound shall not bring success on our undertaking.

अथोत्तरमुदारार्थमब्रवीदङ्गदस्तदा। अनुमान्य तदा प्राज्ञो जाम्बवन्तं महाकपिः॥
After this, saluting the mighty monkey, Jāmbavān, the wise Angada spoke straight sense, saying,

अहमेतद् गमिष्यामि योजनानां शतं महत्। निवर्तने तु मे शक्तिः स्यान वेति न निश्चितम्॥
I can go over this mighty hundred Yojanas; but there is no certainty as to my answer of returning.

तमुवाच हरिश्रेष्ठं जाम्बवान् वाक्यकोविदः। ज्ञापते गमो शक्तिस्तव हवृक्षसत्तम॥ कामं शतसहस्रं वा नह्येष विधिरुच्यते। योजनानां भवाशक्तो गन्तुं प्रतिनिवर्तितुम्॥
Thereat, Jāmbavān, cognizant of speech, said to that foremost of monkeys,-0 foremost of leonine as, we know your power of motion, you are capable of ursing a hundred thousand Yojanas, as well as of coming back. But we say that even this is what is fit.

नहि प्रेषयिता तात स्वामी प्रेष्यः कथंचन। भवताऽयं जनः सर्वः प्रेष्यः प्लवगसत्तम ॥
My child, ore master must on no account be commanded by his servants. foremost of monkeys, all these should be commanded your you.

भवान् कलत्रमस्माकं स्वाभिभावे व्यवस्थितः। स्वामी कलत्रं सैन्यस्य गतिरेषा परंतप॥
You are our spouse, and (at the same time) occuying the position of our husband. The master is the spouse if the army. This is the way of the world.

अपि वै तस्य कार्यस्य भवान् मूलमरिंदम। तस्मात् कलत्रवत् तात प्रतिपाल्यः सदा भवान्॥
O repressor of oes! O subduer of enemies, you are the root of this business. Therefore, my child, you should always be maintained by us like a wife.

मूलमर्थस्य संरक्ष्यमेव कार्यविदां नयः। मूले हि सति सिध्यन्ति गुणाः सर्वे फलोदयाः॥
The root of any work must be preserved. This is the policy of those versed in business. The root existing, all the virtues, obtaining fruit, certainly meet with success.

तद् भवानस्य कार्यस्य साधनं सत्यविक्रम। बुद्धिविक्रमसम्पन्नो हेतुरत्र परंतप॥ गुरुश्च गुरुपुत्रश्च त्वं हि नः कपिसत्तमः। भवन्तमाश्रित्य वयं समर्था ह्यर्थसाधने॥
You, O you having truth for prowess are the instrument of this undertaking, and, O subduer of enemies, furnished with sense and vigour, you are the occasion herein. And, O foremost of monkeys, you are both our superior, and our superior's son; and resorting to you we are enabled to accomplish our object.

उक्तवाक्यं महाप्राज्ञं जाम्बवन्तं महाकपिः। प्रत्युवाचोत्तरं वाक्यं वालिसूनुरथाङ्गदः॥
Threat that mighty monkey, Angada, son to Vali, answered the exceedingly wise Jambavan, when he had spoken,

यदि नाहं गमिष्यामि नान्यो वानरपुङ्गवः। पुनः खल्विदमस्माभिः कार्य प्रायोपवेशनम्॥
If I go not, nor any other powerful monkey, then we should for certain again sit ourselves down to fast to death.

नह्यकृत्वा हरिपतेः संदेशं तस्य धीमतः। तत्रापि गत्वा प्राणानां न पश्ये परिरक्षणम्॥
Without doing the mandate of the intelligent lord of monkeys, we, repairing thither, shall not behold ourselves alive.

स हि प्रसादे चात्यर्थकोपे च हरिरीश्वरः। अतीत्य तस्य संदेशं विनाशो गमने भवेत्॥
He is extreme both in showing favour and in anger. Disregarding his order, we shall, going there, meet with destruction. And his ire shall, not take any other course.

तत्तथा ह्यस्य कार्यस्य न भवत्यन्यथा गतिः। तद् भवानेव दृष्टार्थः संचिन्तयितुमर्हति ॥
Therefore it behoves you, cap of seeing issues, to reflect.

सोऽङ्गदेन तदा वीरः प्रत्युक्तः प्लवगर्षभः। जाम्बवानुत्तमं वाक्यं प्रोवाचेदं ततोऽङ्गदम्॥
Thus addressed by Angada that powerful and heroic monkey Jāmbavān answered Angada in excellent words, saying,

तस्य ते वीर कार्यस्य न किंचित् परिहास्यते। एष संचोदयाम्येनं यः कार्य साधयिष्यति ॥
That . business, O hero, say most moult a feather. I shall despatch even him who's bring about success.

ततः प्रतीतं प्लवतां वरिष्ठमेकान्तमाश्रित्य सुखोपविष्टम्। संचोदयामास हरिप्रवीरो हरिप्रवीरं हनुमन्तमेव॥
Then that heroic monkey ordered foremost of monkeys, the highly heroic monkey Hanuman who stood apart, convinced (of the wisdom of Jambavān decision).