Part 33

Surveying the monkey-host consisting of many hundreds and thousands,--crest-fallen, Jambavan thus spake unto Hanuman,--"O hero among the monkey-multitude, best of those versed in all branches of learning, staying apart in silent, why dost thou not speak? O Hanuman, thou art alike in energy and strength, equal to Sugriva, monarch of monkeys, and to Rama and Lakshmana. Arishtanemi's son, the mighty Vainateya,[200] famous by the cognomen of Garutroin, is the foremost of birds. Many a time and oft I have seen that exceedingly powerful, mighty-armed one, endowed with strength of will,--raise up serpents in the ocean. The strength that is in his wings is equal to the might and virtue of thy arm. Thy energy and prowess are not surpassed by him. And thy strength, and thy understanding, thy energy, and thy vigour, O foremost of monkeys, (is known among all creatures). Why dost not thou prepare thyself furnished with everything that is noble or great, (for this feat)? That foremost of Apsaras,--the famous Punjikathala, more famed under the name of Anjana, is the spouse of the monkey Kesarin. Famed over the three worlds, and incomparable on earth by virtue of her beauty, by an imprecation, my son, she was born in the monkey-race, capable of wearing shapes at her will. Once on a time, that daughter of the high-souled lord of monkeys, Kunjara,--endeued with youth and beauty,-- decked in a delightful garland, and clad in silk, --assuming a human form, was ranging on the summit of a mountain, resembling a mass of clouds in the rainy season. And it came to pass that as that one of expansive eyes was standing on the summit of the mount, the Wind gently stole away her elegant yellow cloth with crimson skirts. And he had a sight of her fair and fine face, together with her well-developed breasts. And soon as the Wind saw that illustrious one of spacious hips and slender waist, and whose every limb was lovely,-- he was amain overcome by desire. And all his frame possessed by _Manmatha_, and deprived of self, the Wind embraced that blameless one by means of his long arms. Thereat, influenced by fear, that one of excellent vows said,-- 'Who is it that desireth to lay violent hands upon my chastity?' Hearing Anjana's words, the Wind answered,-- 'I do not wrong thee, O thou of shapely hips. Let not fear enter thy heart. As, O famous damsel, by embracing thee, I have mentally entered into thy womb, thou shalt bear a son, intelligent and endeued with prowess. And, gifted with great strength, and possessing exceeding energy, and having vast vigor, he shall equal me in bounding and leaping.' Thus addressed, O mighty monkey, thy mother, O long-armed one, O foremost of monkeys, gave birth to thee in a cave. And in that mighty forest, thou, a child, desirous of eating, seeing the Sun risen, and taking him to be a fruit, sprang up and leaped into the sky. And, O mighty monkey, going three thousand _yojanas_, thou, struck by his energy, didst not feel poverty of spirit. And, seeing thee rushing through the heavens, O mighty monkey, Indra, growing wroth, hurled his thunder-bolt at thee. Thereat, breaking thy left jaw, thou (didst fall) on the mountain-top. From this circumstance, thy name hath been known as _Hanuman_.[201] Witnessing thee beaten back, that bearer of perfumes himself, the Wind, that breaketh everything before him. in wrath did not blow through the three worlds. Thereat, all the gods--lords of the universe--influenced by fear in consequence of the triune world waxing agitated, began to pacify the wrathful Wind. And on the Wind being mollified, Brahma conferred on him a boon, saying,--'O child, O thou of true prowess, (thy son) shall be incapable of being slain in battle by means of weapons.' And seeing him[202] sustain no (serious) injury consequent on the impact of the thunder-bolt, He of a thousand eyes, pleased in his soul, also conferred on (thee) an excellent boon, O lard, saying,--'Thy death shall take place according to thy will.' Thou, endowed with dreadful vigor, art the son of Kesari by his wife; and, resembling the Wind in energy, thou hast sprung from his loins. Thou art the son of the Wind, my child--equal to him in the power of leaping. Now we are without our lives. And now thou, endowed with dexterity and vigor, and like another king of the monkeys,[203] art before us. On the occasion of Vishnu's enveloping the earth with three steps, I, O child, had circumambulated the earth with her mountains, woods and forests, one and twenty times. Then, commissioned by the gods, we had gathered annuals, which being cast on the deep, caused ambrosia to come out after churning. At that time, great was our strength. But now I have grown old, and my prowess hath left me. At present we have thee, furnished with every virtue. Therefore, possessed of vigor, do thou bestir thyself, and bound over (the main). Thou art the most qualified of all. This entire monkey host is eager to behold thy prowess. O redoubtable monkey, do thou arise! Do thou leap over the mighty ocean. Thy motion, Hanuman, surpasseth that of all beings. All the monkeys are depressed. Why, O Hanuman, dost thou overlook this? Put forth thy vigor, O thou endowed with mighty vehemence, like Vishnu crossing over the three worlds in three steps." Exhorted by the foremost of monkeys, that one famed for his speech, that monkey,the offspring of the Wind-god, gladdening the monkey-hosts, wore (a fit) shape for crossing the ocean.[204]

[200] Offspring uf Vinata, Garuda's mother.--T.

[201] _Hanu_--means _jaw_. _Hanuman_ means--_he with the (fractured) jaw.-- T._

[202] Hanuman.--T.

[203] Sugriva.--T.

[204] Here is another epithet of Hanuman--_Pavamatmaja_--son unto the Wind-god. Left out on the score of redundency.--T.

SECTION LXVII.

Seeing that foremost of monkeys enlarge his person for crossing over an hundred _yojanas_, and suddenly filled with energy,(the monkeys) at once renounced sorrow, and, filled with delight, set up ululations and fell to eulogizing the mighty Hanuman. And, struck with amazement,they, (staying) all round, joyfully gazed (at him); even as creatures beheld Narayana, when stretching forth his three steps, he prepared himself (for the succeeding feat). And, eulogized by them, the wondrous mighty Hanuman increased; and, flourishing his tail from joy, attained strength. And as, extolled by the principal elderly monkeys, he became fraught with effulgence, his beauty was great. As a lion fills himself with vigor in an open cave, so the son of the Wind-god filled himself with energy. And the face of him, as that intelligent one was filling himself with force, was aflame like a frying-pan, or like unto fumeless fire. Rising in the midst of the monkeys, Hanuman with his down standing on end through joy, saluting the aged monkeys, said,--"Wind, the friend of Fire, shattereth mountain-summits; and, ever blowing in the eye of the sky, he is possessed of strength, and is of immeasurable (might). Begot from his loins, I am the son of the fast-coursing and high-souled Wind, coursing swiftly. I am his equal in all these accomplishments[205]. I can, without once stopping, circumambulate the extensive and heaven-cleaving mountain, Meru, for a thousand times. And, dashing the ocean with my arms, I can deluge the world with its mountains, rivers and lakes. Lashed by the force of my legs and thighs, that abode of Varuna, the sea, out which have sprung the ferocious aquatic animals, overleaps its continents. And for once that lord of birds, Vinata's offspring, living on serpents, courseth through the welkin, I can course through it a thousand times. And I can touch the flaming effulgent Sun ere, beginning his journey from the Rising hill, he ascends the Setting hill. And, ye foremost of monkeys, I can, fiercely rushing on, come again without touching the earth. And I can bound beyond stars and planets, suck up the oceans, and rive the earth. And a monkey, I can, leaping, crush mountains; and, leaping, I can drain the mighty ocean dry. And, when I shall leap in the sky, flowers from various shrubs and trees shall follow me to-day. And then my course, (flecked with flowers), shall resemble even the sky (studded with stars). And, ye monkeys, then all creatures shall see me, now ranging through the profound firmament, now shooting up, and now descending on the other shore). Resembling Mahameru, me ye shall behold, ye monkeys, making my way, covering up the sky, as if devouring up the heavens. I shall, leaping and concentrating my energy, scatter the clouds, shake the hills, and suck up the ocean. The strength of Vinata's son, or the Wind-god's, or mine, (surpasses that of every other creature). None save the sovereign of birds, or the exceedingly mighty Wind, can follow me in flight. In the twinkling of an eye I shall spread through the unsupported sky, like lightning darting from clouds. And at the time of leaping over the ocean, my form shall resemble that of the energizing Vishnu, when He had assumed the triune energy. I perceive through my intelligence, (and my mental motion tallies), that I shall behold Vaidehi. Therefore, ye monkeys, rejoice. In vehemence like unto Garuda, I shall, I conceive, go an _Ayuta yojanas_. I can, suddenly summoning energy, bring hither ambrosia from the very grasp of Vasava or Brahma, himself.[206] I shall leap sheer over Lanka. Even this is my impression." Filled with delight, the monkeys there amazed see that foremost of monkeys, endued with immeasurable might, storming. And, hearing his speech capable of removing the grief of kindred, that best of monkeys Jambavan, transported with joy, said,--"O hero! O son of Kesari! O offspring of the Wind! the huge sorrow of thy kindred hath, my child, been destroyed by thee. And these foremost of monkeys assembled, who wish for thy welfare, shall, with intent minds, perform acts tending to thy weal,--so that thou mayst succeed in thy undertaking. And by the grace of the saints, and with the permission of the aged monkeys, and by the blessing of the superiors, do thou bound over the mighty main. Till thou return, we shall stay on one leg.[207] The lives of all these rangers of the forest shall go along with thee." Then that tiger-like monkey said unto those rangers of the woods,--"None in this world would be able to sustain my impetus in the act of bounding. Here are these summits, firm and spacious, of this mountain, Mahendra, thronged with crags. I shall rush forward from these summits of Mahendra, interspersed with trees and adorned with masses of ore. And as I leap over a hundred _yojanas_, these mighty summits shall sustain my impetus." Then he equalling the Wind, that monkey, the son of the Wind-god, pounder of enemies, ascended that best of mountains, Mahendra; covered with various trees and flowers, furnished with swards; ranged by deer; containing plants and blossoms with trees bearing fruits and flowers daily; having tigers and lions and infuriated elephants; swarming with maddened birds; and abounding with fountains. Ascending (Mahendra), that foremost of monkeys endeued with exceeding strength, and resembling Mahendra himself in prowess, began to range from one mighty summit to another. Thereat, hurt by the arms of that high-souled one, that mighty mountain began to cry,[208] like a mighty mad elephant tormented by a lion. And water rushed out of masses of rocks scattered around. And that mighty mountain had its deer and elephants afflicted with afright; and its giant trees shaken: and its spacious uplands deserted by various Gandharva couples engaged in drinking and dalliance, and by birds flying away, and by bevies of Vidyadharas; and its huge serpents distressed, and its cliffs and peaks toppling down. And with its serpents hissing, with their bodies half issuing (from their holes), the mountain seemed as if it shone with pennons displayed. And the heap of crags forsaken by saints exercised with fear and agitation, looked doleful, like a wayfarer left in a vast forest by his companions. And that intelligent, magnanimous and heroic monkey--destroyer of hostile heroes,--endowed with speed, concentrating his soul on his energy, mentally went to Lanka.

[205] _i. e._ pertaining to leaping.--T.

[206] Vasava, Indra, carries celestial ambrosia, and Brahma, that which is the aliment in _Yoga_--or spiritual rapture.--T.

[207] _i. e._ practise austerities on thy behalf.--T.

[208] Through the voices of the animals inhabiting it. -- T.

END OF KISHKINDHAKANDAM.

SUNDARA KANDAM.

SECTION I.