Hari Om.
Let us begin the sixty fourth sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The younger brother jaTAyu served the mission of rAma by entering into a valiant combat with well armed and a more capable rAvaNa [3.51. Call him hero, call him loyal, call him jaTAyu!] and didn’t bother for his own life. He inflicted quite a bit of damage on rAvaNa and in the end even if he was felled, held on to his life until rAma came his way and breathed his last only after being the first important informant of sItA’s abduction. On the other hand, the elder brother, disabled from a misadventure stretched through a difficult existence and held onto his life until the vAnaras came on rAma’s mission. Pepping up the spirits of vAnaras and through his sharp vision locating sItA in the far away lanka, sampAti helped rAma’s mission in a way that was contrasting to that of jaTAyu. He also regained his wings by doing his important bit for the mission of rAma. The vAnaras were exhilarated at this positive turn of events and discovered new spring in their steps and reached the shores of the ocean for further course of action as sampAti took to explore the skies with his renewed wings. Onwards…
The courageous vAnaras rose in utter exhilaration listening to the words of the king of vultures, sampAti. They quickly reached the shores of the ocean to find their way to the abode of rAvaNa. The mighty vAnaras reached the northern shores of the southern ocean and beheld the what appeared like the reflection of the entire world!
अभिक्रम्य तु तं देशं ददृशुर्भीमविक्रमाः।
कृत्स्नं लोकस्य महतः प्रतिबिम्बमिव स्थितम्।।4.64.3।।
The ocean was home to terrifying creatures sporting in the waters. Gigantic beings with scary faces and high tides dwelt there. At places, the ocean looked calm and at others it was sporty with tides rising to mountainous heights. The ocean was the passage to all the demons that dwelt in the nether worlds. Beholding such an ocean, the vAnaras experienced horripilation and felt diffident.
आकाशमिव दुष्पारं सागरं प्रेक्षय वानराः।
विषेदु स्सहसासर्वे कथं कार्यमिति ब्रुवन्।।4.64.8।।
Staring at the ocean that was endless and hard to cross like the skies, the vAnaras exclaimed as to how they can cross it. Sensing the fear and diffidence among the ranks at the sight of the ocean, the mighty son of vAlI, angada, with great presence of mind, sought to calm them down and spoke reassuringly –
न विषादे मनः कार्यं विषादो दोषवत्तमः।
विषादो हन्ति पुरुषं बालं क्रुद्ध इवोरगः।।4.64.11।।
यो विषादं प्रसहते विक्रमे पर्युपस्थिते।
तेजसा तस्य हीनस्य पुरुषार्थो न सिध्यति।।4.64.12।।
“Don’t fill your minds with despondency. It is the worst of all faults. Despondency harms men like an angry serpent hurts a child. One who resorts to despondency at a time when one must show valour can never achieve his goal”.
That night passed. The next morning, angada was attended to by the vAnara chiefs like indra is attended to by the maruts. He resumed strategizing with them. There were no one capable of influencing and pacifying the vAnara army other than angada and hanumAn.
कोऽन्यस्तां वानरीं सेनां शक्त:स्तम्भयितुं भवेत्।
अन्यत्र वालितनयादन्यत्र च हनूमतः।।4.64.15।।
Therefore, addressing the senior vAnara chiefs and taking them into confidence, angada spoke meaningfully –
“Who would be that illustrious vAnara from among you who would leap across the ocean. Who is it that would let the irrepressible sugrIva keep his promise. By virtue of whose valour shall we all victoriously return from here and reunite with our families? By whose grace shall we all be happly heading to meet rAma, the mighty lakshmaNa and sugrIva, If among you, there is someone capable of accomplishing the task of crossing the ocean, he may come forward and gift us the surety from fear”.
यदि कश्चित्समर्थो वस्सागरप्लवने हरिः।
स ददा त्विह न शशीघ्रं पुण्यामभयदक्षिणाम्।।4.64.21।।
No one said anything upon hearing the words of angada and the entire vAnara army froze. Then angada resumed –
“You are all mighty, accomplished and possess great valor belonging to great lineage and have received felicitations repeatedly for your accomplishments. You have never faced any obstacles in your pursuit. Therefore, O vAnaras, speak up about your abilities of how far you can leap across”.
Here we conclude the sixty fourth 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: 4.65. Who shall be the hero?
Previous: 4.63. The prophecy comes true and sampAti flies again
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
