Hari Om.
Let us begin the sixty first sarga of the sundara kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
During his conversation with sItA when she lamented that she has only two months left to be saved, hanumAn offered her instant relief and asked her sit on his back and that he would reach her to rAma just like fire carried the offerings to the intended gods. She had refused at the time for two reasons, one, she would touch another man other than rAma on her own volition. The second reason was she wanted rAma to have the glory of saving her. This was much appreciated by hanumAn and also deepened his devotion towards her. Having reached his mates, he exhorted them to consider going to lanka from here, wiping out the demons and bringing sItA back, perhaps with a view to invigorate them. The prince angada was game for that. He was raring to go! But the wise jAmbavAn who knew the mission very well and was experienced gently rejected this idea. This was primarily the mission of rAma and has to be executed as per his thoughts. With these words he set the stage for the vAnara team to go to where rAma, lakshmaNa and sugrIva were waiting on the praSravaNa mountain. Onwards…
The vAnaras agreed to the counsel of jAmabavAn. The mighty vAnaras led by angada and hanumAn left the peaks of mahEndra and leapt into the skies. They were towering like the mEru and mandara mountains, assertive like the wild elephants and they covered the sky fully as they leapt. They were full of admiration and affection for the supremely self-confident, likeable by all, swift and mighty hanumAn and couldn’t take their eyes off him. It seemed as if they were carrying him with their gaze!
सभाज्यमानं भूतैस्तमात्मवन्तं महाबलम्।
हनूमन्तं महावेगं वहन्त इव दृष्टिभिः।।5.61.4।।
Their objective was to accomplish for rAma and bring fame to him. Achievers that they were, every vAnara could outdo the other and spoke pleasantly. Eager for the battle, all the strong minded vAnaras were determined and invested in the battle of rAma.
As the leapt towards praSravaNa, the vAnaras approached a pleasure grove that was home to thousands and thousands of trees and creepers. It was the pleasure grove of the king sugrIva and was called madhuvana. It was always under surveillance by a warrior called dadhimukha and was not accessible to anyone although it was a delight for every being. The protector dadhimukha was the maternal uncle of sugrIva.
Seeing the madhuvana, the delightful grove of their king, the vAnaras were ecstatic and longing to gorge honey and fruits, they requested the prince angada for permission. The prince obliged and gave the vAnaras a freehand to have honey as much as they wanted. Having been permitted by the benevolent prince, the son of vAlI, the vAnaras were joyous and climbed the trees gorging the fragrant fruits and honey. They were overjoyed and were on a high!
Some of them sang, some of them laughed, some of them danced and some of them prostrated. Some of them fell attempting to move, some roamed around, some leaned on others and some indulged in excessive talk. Some jumped from one tree to another, some fell down on the earth from the tree tops and yet some others jumped on to the tall treetops from below.
A vAnara who was singing went to another who was laughing. A laughing one approached some one who was crying. While someone was pushing another, yet another was shouting at them. There was total commotion there as there was no one there who was not intoxicated by drinking excess honey and yet there was no one who felt satisfied!
समाकुलं तत्कपिसैन्यमासीन्मधुप्रसानोत्कटसत्त्वचेष्टम्।
न चात्र कश्चिन्न बभूव मत्तो न चात्र कश्चिन्न बभूव तृप्तः।।5.61.18।।
The protector of the grove dadhimukha watched this and was livid at the unruly vAnaras for causing destruction at will and he warned them all sternly. He yelled at some and when they didn’t care, he slapped them. He picked up a scuffle with someone while he tried to reason with some other. Being intoxicated the vANaras uttered foul words and abused dadhimukha, so much so they saw nothing wrong in assaulting him and did so. They scratched him with their nails, bit with their teeth, slapped and kicked him. All the vAnaras together ransacked the pleasure grove.
Here we conclude the sixty first sarga of the sundara kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
Click on the above link for word by word meaning from IITK website
Click on the above link to listen to the audio by SrIrAma ghanApATi
Next: 5.62. Achievers have a right to revel!
Previous: 5.60. They’re raring to go but reined in!
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
