Hari Om.
Let us begin the fifty eighth sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The vAnaras who were ready to lay down their lives by dropping dead than facing the ignominy of failure and punishment at the hands of sugrIva encountered a seemingly mean vulture who was salivating at the prospect of getting to eat them all. The prospect of being a prey frightened the vAnaras. The death they were ready for was coming sooner than they thought it would! And that triggered lamentations of what brought matters to this. The narrations of the exile of rAma, abduction of sItA and the heroic martyrdom of jaTAyu amongst themselves were overheard by the vulture. His heart melted at their plight and even more so at the mention of jaTAyu who was his very brother. He wanted to know the events that led to the death of jaTAyu and since his wings had been burnt and he was incapable of motion by himself, he requested the vAnaras to bring him down from the hill. The apprehensive vAnaras did so and narrated the abduction of sItA in detail and the saga of the valiant jaTAyu to sampAti. Onwards…
Responding to the tragic narration by the vAnaras who had almost given up their life, the vulture sampati broke down and wailed and then said –
“The vulture who laid down in his life in the fight with the mighty rAvaNa is my brother jaTAyu. Due to my advanced age and lack of wings, I am unable to avenge the felling of my brother. In the yore, at the time when the fight between indra and the demon vRtra was going on, jaTAyu and I soared high towards the blazing sun with a desire to outdo each other.
पुरा वृत्रवधे वृत्ते परस्परजयैषिणौ।
आदित्यमुपयातौ स्वो ज्वलन्तं रश्मिमालिनम्।।4.58.4।।
We both flied high and fast in the skies and upon reaching very high, jaTAyu was losing his strength and then overwhelmed by grief arising out of my affection for him, I covered him under my wings. My wings were burnt by the scorching rays of the sun and I fell down on the vindhyas and knew not the whereabouts of my brother after that”.
तमहं भ्रातरं दृष्ट्वा सूर्यरश्मिभिरर्दितम्।
पक्षाभ्यां छादयामास स्नेहात्परमविह्वलः।।4.58.6।।
Responding to the words of the brother of jaTAyu, prince angada said –
“If I heard it right, you are the brother of jaTAyu. Please tell us about the abode of rAvaNa, who has no idea what awaits him. Is it very far or near, if you are aware of it, please tell us”. Then the glorious brother of jaTAyu, sampAti spoke words befitting his stature and delighted the vAnaras –
“O vAnaras, I am a wingless vulture, devoid of much strength. However, I shall serve rAma through my words.
निर्दग्धपक्षो गृध्रोऽहं हीनवीर्य: प्लवङ्गमाः।
वाङ्मात्रेण तु रामस्य करिष्ये साह्यमुत्तमम्।।4.58.12।।
I am aware of the the worlds of varuNa, have known about the trivikrama glory of vishNu. The enmity between the gods and demons arising out of the churning of the milk ocean for the immortality conferring amRtam is also known to me. Even though I am advanced in age and unvital, my top priority is to serve rAma’s mission.
रामस्य यदिदं कार्यं कर्तव्यं प्रथमं मया।
जरया च हृतं तेजः प्राणाश्च शिथिला मम।।4.58.14।।
I beheld a young and beautiful woman, well decked with ornaments crying out rAma and lakshmaNa, trying to wriggle out of the clutches of the wicked rAvaNa who was forcibly abducting her. She was scattering her ornaments all over. The fine silk that adorned her was bright like the rising sun againt the backdrop of a mountain. It appeared like a streak of lightning against the dark cloud that rAvaNa resembled. I believe she is sItA since she was crying out for rAma.
तां तु सीतामहं मन्ये रामस्य परिकीर्तनात्।
श्रूयतां मे कथयतो निलयं तस्य रक्षसः।।4.58.18।।
Now listen, I shall tell you about the abode of that demon. He is the son of the viSravasa and verily the brother of kubEra. That demon by name rAvaNa dwells in the city of lanka. This city is an island built delightfully by the divine architect viSwakarma and is a hundred yOjanas in to the ocean. That city is golden – it has appealing golden gates, golden platforms, golden doors and golden palaces. There in those inner chambers of rAvaNa, surrounded and protected by the ogresses dwells the silk clad sItA. You will find the daughter of janaka there. Therefore, O vAnaras, be quick, dash a hundred yOjanas into the ocean and find lanka on the southern shores of the ocean. There you find rAvaNa and show your might and mettle.
My intuition tells me that you shall see sItA and return successfully. Among the birds, the sparrows subsisting on grains fly the lowest. In the next level fly the crows who subsist on food offerings and fruits. The kraunchas and the cranes fly in the third level above that. In the fourth level fly the hawks and above them the vultures in the fifth level. The young, delightful to behold and mighty swans fly in the sixth level. Beyond them in the seventh level will you find the descendants of the garuDas that we are.
ज्ञानेन खलु पश्यामि दृष्ट्वा प्रत्यागमिष्यथ।
आद्यः पन्थाः कुलिङ्गानां ये चान्ये धान्यजीविनः।।4.58.26।।
द्वितीयो बलिभोजानां ये च वृक्षफलाशिनः।
भासास्तृतीयं गच्छन्ति क्रौञ्चाश्च कुररैस्सह।।4.58.27।।
श्येनाश्चतुर्थं गच्छन्ति गृध्रा गच्छन्ति पञ्चमम्।
बलवीर्योपपन्नानां रूपयौवनशालिनाम्।।4.58.28।।
षष्ठस्तु पन्था हंसानां वैनतेयगतिः परा।
वैनतेयाच्च नो जन्म सर्वेषां वानरर्षभाः।।4.58.29।।
By virtue of our nature and the food that we eat, we can always see a hundred yOjanas away clearly. We are gifted with such a golden vision. Unlike the foot soldiers whose vision is extremely limited, we are blessed with a long vision. Hence I can see sItA and rAvaNa from here. The flesh-eater demon who has done such a despicable deed deserves retaliation and revenge. Brainstorm on ways to cross the ocean, find out the whereabouts of vaidEhI and be successful in your mission.
Now, I desire that you carry me to the ocean so that I can offer ablutions to my deceased and devout brother jaTAyu who has gone to the high heavens”.
The vAnaras did as per the desire of the vulture, carried him to the ocean and brought him back after he completed offering the ablutions to jaTAyu and were all joyous upon learning about the whereabouts of sItA.
Here we conclude the fifty eighth 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: 4.59. An eyewitness account
Previous: 4.57. Long gone jaTAyu saves the mission
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
