Hari Om.
Let us begin the forty second sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The composition of the team as well as the incentives of a successful quest differed considerably for the east bound team and the south bound team. The east bound team was led by a warrior named vinata and they were categorically told to come successful within a month failing which they would deserve nothing but death! But sugrIva, although he stipulated the same deadline for the star studded southern line up, he sought to incentivize their success and said who were comes back after a successful quest and reports that he has seen sItA shall luxuriate on par with him and would be safe despite offending him repeatedly! It clearly showed how sugrIva was optimizing his resources in the direction where chances of success were maximum and how he was motivating the team. This apart, the detailed description of the landmarks that these teams would encounter in this quest were quite elaborately provided. It is time to move further in the clockwise direction, i.e. west. Onwards…
After dispatching the search party to the south, sugrIva called the vAnara sushENa who looked imposing like a cloud. Then paying his respects to his father-in-law, the mighty father of tArA, he summoned the sons of the sage marichi, also known as anshumAn along with a two hundred thousand mighty and valorous vAnaras who were intelligent and were swift like garuDa in movement and ordered them to go in quest of vaidehI to the western direction and said –
“Go to saurAshTra, bAhlIkA, chandrachitra and all the lovely and myriad villages and towns there. Then to kukshI which is full of punnAga, bakula, uddAlaka and kEtaka trees and search for sItA in these places. You will find a number of westward bound rivers with cool and clear waters and a number of forests, groves, hermitages, desert, treacherous mountain ranges where you should conduct the quest. Going further west, you will encounter the western ocean infested with whales and crocodiles. There after go to the kEtaka, tamAlA and cocnut groves where vAnaras roam freely and look for sItA and the abode of rAvaNa. Then conduct the quest on the sea shore, mountains and forests, in the delightful muravIpatnam, jaTApuram, avantI, angalEpA and all the large cities and regions there.
There on the meeting point of the river sindhu and the western ocean (is also known as sindhu samudra), you will find a hundred peaked mountain called sOmagiri which is home to lions with wings (pakshagama) who can carry of the whales and elephants to their nests! Tuskers trumpeting like thunder roam this region happily. The vAnaras capable of assuming forms at will should search this skyscraping golden peak thoroughly. There after spread over a hundred yOjanas is the mountain pariyAtra, impossible to behold, home to twenty four crore blazing gandharvas who should not be approached by the vAnaras. There a re a number of fruits that you find here but you should stay away from those, for they are guarded by these demi gods who are fierce in their bravery. There is nothing to fear from them if you have behave naturally like vAnaras and so conduct your quest for jAnakI in this place. Then you will find a mountain by name vajra in the color of a gem and hard as diamond. Search in the caves of these hundred yOjana mountain range. Then in the fourth quarter of the western ocean you will find a mountain called chakravAn where the divine sculptor viSwakarma has built the wheel (chakra) called sahasrAra. This is where the lord purushOttama (vishNU) slayed the demons hayagrIva and panchajana and secured the discuss and the conch. Search for sItA along with rAvaNa in this region.
Then spread over sixty four yOjanas is the mountain varAha with golden peaks that extends into the nether worlds in the ocean where you find the city called prAgjyOtisha that is abode of the terrible demon naraka. There on the peaks and the large caves conduct your quest. Going further west you will find a series of golden mountains and caves which are dotted with lovely water falls where you can hear the roars of the lions, tigers and trumpets of the elephants. In this range you will find the mountain called mEgha. This is where the gods consecrated lord indra.
Then there are a series of sixty thousand hills glowing in the hues of the rising sun having trees in full bloom. There in the middle of those you will find the king of mountains, mEru. Pleased with the mountain, the Sun god conferred the boon that by His grace the day and night will have golden brilliance on it and the gods and demi gods that dwell there will be highly devoted and have a golden glow. The viSwEdEvas, vasus, maruts and other gods come here in the evening and worship the Sun god. Worshipped by them, the Sun god sets behind the mountains crossing the thousand yOjanas in half a muhurta and goes invisible to all beings. On the top of that peak lives the noose-wielding lord of the western direction varuNa, in the abode built by viSwakarma and where you will find variety of trees and birds. Between the mountain asta and mEru, search thoroughly for sItA in all the peaks and caves.
This is where the great and glorious sage mErusAvarNi lives who is a great knower of dharma and has the brilliance of sun. Please prostrate before him headlong and inquire with him about the whereabouts of sItA.
एताव ज्जीवलोकस्य भास्करो रजनीक्ष्ये।
कृत्वा वितिमिरं सर्वमस्तं गच्छति पर्वतम्।।4.42.50।।
At this point, at the stroke of night, the sun sets here and this is the limit of the habitat of living beings. The vAnaras can go in quest only until here and beyond this is not lit by the sun and beyond the bounds and we really don’t know what exists beyond this.
एतावद्वानरैश्शक्यं गन्तुं वानरपुङ्गवाः।
अभास्करममर्यादं न जानीमस्ततः परम्।।4.42.51।।
Go in your quest until the mountain where the sun sets and return within a month and if you don’t, you will deserve death in my hands. My father-in-law, a great warrior shall accompany you. This mighty armed elder is wise and knows a lot and you shall heed to him. Of course, you are all quite capable yourselves as well.
With the landmarks that I have provided, go in search of the princess in the western direction and in finding her we shall feel accomplished having returned the favor to the one who has bestowed his favor on us. From time to time and place to place, take appropriate decisions and conduct your quest in places other than what I have detailed”.
Taking the orders thus from the expert sugrIva, the vAnaras led by sushENa, invited the rest of the team to join them in the quest of sItA in the quarter ruled by varuNa.
Here we conclude the forty second sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 4.43. Northern expedition till the abode of the Gods
Previous: 4.41. Star studded team for the southern quest
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
