Hari Om.
Let us begin the fifty sixth sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
As gloom befell on the vAnaras due to fatigue and lack of success, they were terrified by the prospect of meeting sugrIva without success and facing a certain death in his hands. They were contemplating moving back into the cave of swayamprabhA. The diligent hanumAn, ever committed to the mission of rAma, sensed the danger to the mission from the siprited vAnaras and worked on the mind of angada. He cast seeds of doubt in angada about the stability of the purported support that he was getting from vAnaras to abandon the mission and stay in the cave forever. The prince was struck hard by this possibility of his men deserting him and leaving him high and dry, helping him neither gain glory of success nor facilitate escape. So angada decided that the best course was to fast unto death at the shores of the sea which looked unsurmountable like the mission itself. So he sat down on darbha grass resolving to drop their body dead by depriving it of food. Other vAnaras also thought this was the most honorable thing to do. They all sat down facing east on darbha grass whose tips pointed south indicating the desire for death of the vAnaras. They began to recall the events that led them this way. Onwards…
As the vAnaras squatted on the slopes of that hill, the long lived vulture by name sampAti, known for his might and courage, the brother of jaTAyu [3.51. Call him hero, call him loyal, call him jaTAyu!], emerged from the cave on that mountain of vindhya and came there. Beholding the squatting vAnaras, he was absolutely delighted and said –
विधिः किल नरं लोके विधानेनानुवर्तते।
यथाऽयं विहितो भक्ष्यश्चिरान्मह्यमुपागतः।।4.56.4।।
“indeed, the world of men is ruled by destiny. Or else, how did my food come near me after a long time! As the vAnaras (who are fasting unto death) drop down dead one by one, I shall eat them”.
परम्पराणां भक्षिष्ये वानराणां मृतं मृतम्।
उवाचेदं वचः पक्षी तान्निरीक्ष्य प्लवङ्गमान्।।4.56.5।।
Responding to the words of the vulture that was greedy to feed on them, angada lamented to hanumAn –
“Look, in the pretext of sItA, verily the vaisvata yama – god of death has arrived here to harm the vAnaras. While we neither fulfilled the mission of rAma nor the promise to the king sugrIva, the tragedy from unknown quarters has struck us. We have heard about the valour of the king of vultures, jaTAyu, who in order to rescue vaidEhI, laid down his very life. Indeed, all the beings, even the low born animals happily give up their own lives, driven by love and compassion, for the sake of rAma.
वैदेह्याः प्रियकामेन कृतं कर्म जटायुषा।
गृध्राराजेन यत्तत्र श्रुतं वस्तदशेषतः।।4.56.9।।
तथा सर्वाणि भूतानि तिर्यग्योनिगतान्यपि।
प्रियं कुर्वन्ति रामस्य त्यक्त्वा प्राणान्यथा वयम्।।4.56.10।।
अन्योऽन्यमुपकुर्वन्ति स्नेहकारुण्ययन्त्रिताः।
तेन तस्योपकारार्थं त्यजताऽत्मानमात्मना।।4.56.11।।
We have searched through the forests without success for maithilI. We are dejected and as good as dead. Blessed indeed is jaTAyu who gave joy to rAma through his untiring efforts for him and laid down own life. He is saved in his death in the hands of rAvaNa. Fighting for the sake of rAma and dharma, he not only reached hallowed worlds, he is also free from the fear of sugrIva.
स सुखी गृध्रराजस्तु रावणेन हतो रणे।।4.56.13।।
मुक्तश्च सुग्रीवभयाद्गतश्च परमां गतिम्।
Alas, the boons conferred on kaikEyI, the exile of rAma and his stay in the forests, the death of daSaratha, the vanquishing of innumerable demons due to the anger of rAma, the abduction of sItA, the death of jaTAyu and the felling of vAlI by the aroow of rAma – all these have put a big question mark on the lives of us vAnaras”.
The king of vultures, the great sampAtI, listened to the desperate lamentations of the vAnaras who were lying on the ground and was moved.
Here we conclude the fifty sixth 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: 4.57. Long gone jaTAyu saves the mission
Previous: 4.55. They decide to give up!
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
