Hari Om.
Let us begin the sixty first sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
sampAti continued to narrate the saga of how he got the first hand information about sItA’s abduction from his son supArSwa. He recalled soaring to the skies in a friendly contest with his brother jaTAyu and scorched by the sun, he tried to safeguard his brother under his wings and then with his own wings burnt, fell down on the vindhyas unconscious. He lied unconscious there on the hill for six nights. Upon regaining senses, he saw the great sage niSAkara who he and jaTAyu had met before. Mustering strength, he dragged himself and approached the sage. The sage recognized him and inquired about the mishap that seemed to have burnt his wings. Then sampAti began his narration to the sage…
sampAti continued… Then I began narrating the misadventure of trying to follow the sun. “O great sage, being wounded in my body, overcome by exhaustion and ashamed of my misadventure, I am struggling to speak. jaTAyu and myself, overcome by the spirit of competition, decided on the mount kailAsa to soar until the sun before he sets on the western mountains.
कैलासशिखरे बद्ध्वा मुनीनामग्रतः पणम्।
रविस्स्यादनुयातव्यो यावदस्तं महागिरिम्।।4.61.4।।
अथाऽवां युगपत्प्राप्तावपश्याव महीतले।
रथचक्रप्रमाणानि नगराणि पृथक्पृथक्।।4.61.5।।
As we soared high towards the sun, the cities on the earth looked the size of the wheel of a chariot and distinct. We heard the sound of musical instruments at places and at others we heard the tinkling of the ornaments. There were young maidens clad in red who were singing merrily. As we soared higher the forest looked like a lawn of grass.
तूर्णमुत्पत्य चाकाशमादित्यपथमाश्रितौ।
आवामालोकयावस्तद्वनं शाद्वलसन्निभम्।।4.61.7।।
उपलैरिव सञ्छन्ना दृश्यते भूश्शिलोच्चयैः।
आपगाभिश्च संवीता सूत्रैरिव वसुन्धरा।।4.61.8।।
From up there, the mountains resembled pebbles and rivers meandering around them looked like the thread connecting the pebbles.
हिमवांश्चैव विन्ध्यश्च मेरुश्च सुमहान्नगः।
भूतले सम्प्रकाशन्ते नागा इव जलाशये।।4.61.9।।
The majestic mountains himavAn, vindhya and mEru surrounded by the oceans on the earth looked like elephants in a pond. While we soared higher, we suffered perspiration and fear and began to fade out. Like at the end of the time with raging fire and deluge, we could not tell south from west or any other direction. We were very agitated. With great difficulty I set my sight on the burning sun and we found that the sun and the earth looked equal in size to us.
यत्नेन महता भूयो भास्करः प्रतिलोकितः।
तुल्यः पृथ्वीप्रमाणेन भास्करः प्रतिभाति नौ।।4.61.13।।
At this point, jaTAyu could bear it no longer and without informing me, began his descent. Quickly I followed him and protected him with my wings. Thus jaTAyu was saved but my wings were burnt and I fell unconscious on the vindhyas. I thought jaTAyu fell somewhere in the janasthAna. Shorn of the kingdom, my brother, my wings and my valour, I was left with no zeal to live and wanted to end my life by falling off the cliff”.
Here we conclude the sixty first 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: 4.62. Sage prophesies rAma’s advent
Previous: 4.60. sampAti sees the seer
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
