Hari Om.
Let us begin the fifty second sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Tired in the body and spirit, vAnaras casting their net wide to search for sItA stumbled into a cave. Braving the unknown and the darkness that enveloped the cave, the vAnaras finally ended up in a bright spot where there also was a gracious host in the form an old and ascetic lady. They couldn’t ask for more! Adept in approaching strangers with both courtesy and articulation, hanumAn asked the woman who she was and whose property was the wonderful bright spot in the dark cave! The woman replied that her name was svayamprabhA and she was the daughter of the sage mErusAvarNi. The mansions, gardens, lotus ponds and all around was gifted to the apsara hEmA by lord brahma. It was built by the architect of the demons maya who tried to woo hEmA and offended indra. The gracious ascetic woman offered the vAnaras fruits and roots to quench their thirst and hunger and then sought to hear what brought them there. Onwards…
Having offered fruits and rest, the ascetic woman focused on understanding what brought them there. She addressed them and said –
“O vAnaras, if your hunger is satiated by partaking the fruits and your dispiritedness is removed, you may tell me about what brings you here, if you are sure that I may be told about it”.
वानरा यदि वः खेदः प्रनष्टः फलभक्षणात्।
यदि चैतन्मया श्राव्यं श्रोतुमिच्छामि कथ्यताम्।।4.52.2।।
Having heard her inquiry, hanumAn, the son of the wind-god, began a matter-of-fact narration of what brought them there –
राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य महेन्द्रवरुणोपमः।
रामो दाशरथिश्शीमान्प्रविष्टो दण्डकावनम्।।4.52.4।।
लक्ष्मणेन सह भ्रात्रा वैदेह्या चापि भार्यया।
तस्य भार्या जनस्थानाद्रावणेन हृता बलात्।।4.52.5।।
“The illustrious king of the whole world, equal in prowess to indra and varuNa, rAma, the son of daSaratha entered the danDaka forests along with his wife sItA and brother lakshmaNa. From the janasthAna, the demon rAvaNa forcibly abducted hiswife sItA. The warrior sugrIva is the friend of rAma and we have been commissioned by him on the mission led by the prince angada to search thoroughly for sItA and identify the whereabouts of the trickster demon rAvaNa in the southern direction in which the sage agastya moves about. Having widely searched about in the southern direction and not finding her, we were tired, hungry, and thirsty, lost in thought, not knowing what to do, with long faces, were submerged in the ocean of grief.
That is when we stumbled upon this cave that was enveloped with darkness, and from here water drenched aquatic birds such as kuraras and sAraras were emerging with wet wings from which water drops were dripping. Sensing a source of water and bent on accomplishing the mission of the master, I suggested to my mates about entering the cave and they all concurred. Then holding each others’ hands we entered the darkness and tired and vexed we came here and approached you. We were tormented and dying of hunger and by virtue of your hospitality we partook the fruits that you offered and kindly let us know as how the vAnaras can return the favor”.
यत्त्वया रक्षितास्सर्वे म्रियमाणा बुभुक्षया।।4.52.17।।
ब्रूहि प्रत्युपकारार्थं किं ते कुर्वन्तु वानराः।
Spoken to thus by the vAnaras, svayamprabhA replied –
“I am very pleased by all you enterprising vAnaras. I simply followed my righteous duty and hence you do not think of how to return the favor”.
सर्वेषां परितुष्टाऽस्मि वानराणां तरस्विनाम्।।4.52.19।।
चरन्त्या मम धर्मेण न कार्यमिह केनचित्।
Here we conclude the fifty 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: 4.53. The vAnaras all at sea!
Previous: 4.51. A much needed fueling break
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 