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Kishkindha Kaanda - Sarga 50
In this Sarga, Hanumān, Tāra, Aṅgada and the other Vānaras continue the search in the southerly direction. They become hungry, thirsty and feel exhausted.
Then they come across a cave known as Ṛkshabila. They see Swans, Krouncas and other birds coming out of the cave with wet bodies. They infer that there must be a water source inside the cave. They enter the cave and walk for a distance of one Yōjana holding each other's hands.
There they see a brightly lit area with many trees, lotus pools and mansions made of gold and adorned with gems. Then they see a woman, who is a Tapasvi, there. Hanumān asks her who she is and whose cave it was.
4.50.1-2 ஸஹ தாராங்கதாப்யாம் து
ஸங்கம்ய ஹநுமாந்கபி: ।
விசிநோதி ஸ்ம விந்த்யஸ்ய
குஹாஸ்ச கஹநாநி ச ।
ஸிம்ஹஸார்தூலஜுஷ்டாஸ்ச
குஹாஸ்ச ஸரிதஸ்ததா ।
விஷமேஷு நகேந்த்ரஸ்ய
மஹாப்ரஸ்ரவணேஷு ச ॥
saha tārāṅgadābhyāṃ tu
saṅgamya hanumānkapiḥ ।
vicinōti sma vindhyasya
guhāṡca gahanāni ca ।
siṃhaṡārdūlajuṣṭāṡca
guhāṡca saritastadā ।
viṣamēṣu nagēndrasya
mahāprasravaṇēṣu ca ॥
Then Hanumān, the Vānara, joined Tāra and Aṅgada,
and searched the thickets of the Vindhyas,
its caves which were haunts of lions and tigers,
its great cascades and the many
uneven places of that lordly mountain.
4.50.3 ஆஸேதுஸ்தஸ்ய ஸைலஸ்ய
கோடிம் தக்ஷ்ணிபஸ்சிமாம் ।
தேஷாம் தத்ரைவ வஸதாம்
ஸ காலோ வ்யத்யவர்தத ॥
āsēdustasya ṡailasya
kōṭiṃ dakṣṇipaṡcimām ।
tēṣāṃ tatraiva vasatām
sa kālō vyatyavartata ॥
Then they reached the peak
on the southwest of that mountain;
and as they tarried there,
a great deal of time passed by.
4.50.4 ஸ ஹி தேஸோ துரந்வேஷ்யோ
குஹாகஹநவாந்மஹாந் ।
தத்ர வாயுஸுதஸ்ஸர்வம்
விசிநோதி ஸ்ம பர்வதம் ॥
sa hi dēṡō duranvēṣyō
guhāgahanavānmahān ।
tatra vāyusutassarvam
vicinōti sma parvatam ॥
That vast area with its caves and thickets
was extremely difficult to search;
but the son of Vāyu managed
to comb the entire mountain.
4.50.5-7a பரஸ்பரேண ரஹிதா
அந்யோந்யஸ்யாவிதூரத: ।
கஜோ கவாக்ஷோ கவய:
ஸரபோ கந்தமாதந: ।
மைந்தஸ்ச த்விவிதஸ்சைவ
ஹநுமாந் ஜாம்பவாந்நல: ।
அங்கதோ யுவராஜஸ்ச
தாரஸ்ச வநகோசர: ।
கிரிஜாலாவ்ருதாந்தேஸாந்
மார்கித்வா தக்ஷிணாம் திஸம் ॥
parasparēṇa rahitā
anyōnyasyāvidūrataḥ ।
gajō gavākṣō gavayaḥ
ṡarabhō gandhamādanaḥ ।
maindaṡca dvividaṡcaiva
hanumān jāmbavānnalaḥ ।
aṅgadō yuvarājaṡca
tāraṡca vanagōcaraḥ ।
girijālāvṛtāndēṡān
mārgitvā dakṣiṇāṃ diṡam ॥
Gaja, Gavāksha, Gavaya, Ṡarabha,
Gandhamādana, Mainda and Dwivida,
Hanumān, Jāmbavan and Nala,
the Crown Prince Aṅgada, and Tāra
who was familiar with forests,
spread themselves out, but not too far from each other
and searched the region that is
covered by chains of mountains,
in that southerly direction.
4.50.7b-8a விசிந்வந்தஸ்ததஸ்தத்ர
தத்ருஸுர்விவ்ருதம் பிலம் ।
துர்கம்ருக்ஷபிலம் நாம
தாநவேநாபிரக்ஷிதம் ॥
vicinvantastatastatra
dadṛṡurvivṛtaṃ bilam ।
durgamṛkṣabilaṃ nāma
dānavēnābhirakṣitam ॥
Then, as they were searching that area,
they saw the entrance of an impenetrable cave
known as Ṛkshabila, that was guarded by a Dānava.
4.50.8b-9a க்ஷுத்பிபாஸாபரீதாஸ்து
ஸ்ராந்தாஸ்து ஸலிலார்திந: ।
அவகீர்ணம் லதாவ்ருக்ஷை:
தத்ருஸுஸ்தே மஹாபிலம் ॥
kṣutpipāsāparītāstu
ṡrāntāstu salilārthinaḥ ।
avakīrṇaṃ latāvṛkṣaiḥ
dadṛṡustē mahābilam ॥
Exhausted, hungry and thirsty, craving for water,
they beheld that great cave
overgrown with creepers and trees.
4.50.9b-10a தத்ர க்ரௌஞ்சாஸ்ச ஹம்ஸாஸ்ச
ஸாரஸாஸ்சாபி நிஷ்க்ரமந் ।
ஜலார்த்ராஸ்சக்ரவாகாஸ்ச
ரக்தாங்கா: பத்மரேணுபி: ॥
tatra krauñcāṡca haṃsāṡca
sārasāṡcāpi niṣkraman ।
jalārdrāṡcakravākāṡca
raktāṅgāḥ padmarēṇubhiḥ ॥
There came out of it Krouncas, swans,
Sārasas and Cakravākas, their bodies wet with water
and red with a coat of lotus pollen on them.
4.50.10b-11a ததஸ்தத்பிலமாஸாத்ய
ஸுகந்தி துரதிக்ரமம் ।
விஸ்மயவ்யக்ரமநஸோ
பபூவுர்வாநரர்ஷபா: ॥
tatastadbilamāsādya
sugandhi duratikramam ।
vismayavyagramanasō
babhūvurvānararṣabhāḥ ॥
Approaching that impenetrable cave,
from which also was effusing pleasant fragrance
those bulls among Vānaras
were taken by surprise and became perplexed.
4.50.11b-12a ஸம்ஞ்ஜாதபரிஸங்காஸ்தே
தத்பிலம் ப்லவகோத்தமா: ।
அப்யபத்யந்த ஸம்ஹ்ருஷ்டா:
தேஜோவந்தோ மஹாபலா: ॥
saṃñjātapariṡaṅkāstē
tadbilaṃ plavagōttamāḥ ।
abhyapadyanta saṃhṛṣṭāḥ
tējōvantō mahābalāḥ ॥
Feeling better by the hopes it raised,
the mighty strong, foremost of the Vānaras
of great radiance approached that cave.
4.50.12b-13a நாநாஸத்த்வஸமாகீர்ணம்
தைத்யேந்த்ரநிலயோபமம் ।
துர்தர்ஸமிவ கோரம் ச
துர்விகாஹ்யம் ச ஸர்வஸ: ॥
nānāsattvasamākīrṇam
daityēndranilayōpamam ।
durdarṡamiva ghōraṃ ca
durvigāhyaṃ ca sarvaṡaḥ ॥
It was teeming with creatures of every kind,
and looked like the abode of the King of Daityas.
Its appearance was quite forbidding
and it was difficult to enter from any direction.
4.50.13b-14a தத: பர்வதகூடாபோ
ஹநூமாந்மாருதாத்மஜ: ।
அப்ரவீத்வாநராந்ஸர்வாந்
காந்தாரவநகோவித: ॥
tataḥ parvatakūṭābhō
hanūmānmārutātmajaḥ ।
abravīdvānarānsarvān
kāntāravanakōvidaḥ ॥
Then Hanumān, the son of Vāyu,
imposing like a mountain crest,
who was well versed with forest areas,
said to all those Vānaras:
4.50.14b-15a கிரிஜாலாவ்ருதாந்தேஸாந்
மார்கித்வா தக்ஷிணாம் திஸம் ।
வயம் ஸர்வே பரிஸ்ராந்தா
ந ச பஸ்யாம மைதிலீம் ॥
girijālāvṛtāndēṡān
mārgitvā dakṣiṇāṃ diṡam ।
vayaṃ sarvē pariṡrāntā
na ca paṡyāma maithilīm ॥
We have scouted this southern region
covered by chains of mountains and
all of us are exhausted and
have not found Maithili.
4.50.15b-17a அஸ்மாச்சாபி பிலாத்தம்ஸா:
க்ரௌஞ்சாஸ்ச ஸஹ ஸாரஸை: ।
ஜலார்த்ராஸ்சக்ரவாகாஸ்ச
நிஷ்பதந்தி ஸ்ம ஸர்வஸ: ।
நூநம் ஸலிலவாநத்ர
கூபோ வா யதி வா ஹ்ரத: ।
ததா சேமே பிலத்வாரி
ஸ்நிக்தாஸ்திஷ்டந்தி பாதபா: ॥
asmāccāpi bilāddhaṃsāḥ
krauñcāṡca saha sārasaiḥ ।
jalārdrāṡcakravākāṡca
niṣpatanti sma sarvaṡaḥ ।
nūnaṃ salilavānatra
kūpō vā yadi vā hradaḥ ।
tathā cēmē biladvāri
snigdhāstiṣṭhanti pādapāḥ ॥
Swans, Krouncas, Sārasas and Cakravākas that are wet
come out of this cave from all over.
Certainly there must be a well or lake with water in here.
Even the trees at the entrance are very healthy.
4.50.17b-18a இத்யுக்த்வா தத்பிலம் ஸர்வே
விவிஸுஸ்திமிராவ்ருதம் ।
அசந்த்ரஸூர்யம் ஹரயோ
தத்ருஸூ ரோமஹர்ஷணம் ॥
ityuktvā tadbilaṃ sarvē
viviṡustimirāvṛtam ।
acandrasūryaṃ harayō
dadṛṡū rōmaharṣaṇam ॥
Hearing those words, all those Vānaras
entered the cave that was enveloped in darkness,
never seen by the sun or the moon,
that made one’s hair stand on its end.
4.50.18b-19a நிஸாம்ய தஸ்மாத்ஸிம்ஹாம்ஸ்ச
தாம்ஸ்தாம்ஸ்ச ம்ருகபக்ஷ்ணி: ।
ப்ரவிஷ்டா ஹரிஸார்தூலா
பிலம் திமிரஸம்வ்ருதம் ॥
niṡāmya tasmātsiṃhāṃṡca
tāṃstāṃṡca mṛgapakṣṇiḥ ।
praviṣṭā hariṡārdūlā
bilaṃ timirasaṃvṛtam ॥
Those tigers among Vānaras, as they
entered that cave enveloped in darkness,
saw lions and other beasts and birds coming out of it.
4.50.19b-20a ந தேஷாம் ஸஜ்ஜதே த்ருஷ்டி:
ந தேஜோ ந பராக்ரம: ।
வாயோரிவ கதிஸ்தேஷாம்
த்ருஷ்டிஸ்தமஸி வர்ததே ॥
na tēṣāṃ sajjatē dṛṣṭiḥ
na tējō na parākramaḥ ।
vāyōriva gatistēṣām
dṛṣṭistamasi vartatē ॥
Neither did their sight falter,
nor their strength or their prowess,
nor their speed that rivaled that of the wind.
They could see even in the dark. Ṡlōkas 19 to 20 which contradict Ṡlōkas 21 to 23, could be an alternate narrative from certain manuscripts.
4.50.20b-21a தே ப்ரவிஷ்டாஸ்து வேகேந
தத்பிலம் கபிகுஞ்ஜரா: ।
ப்ரகாஸமபிராமம் ச
தத்ருஸுர்தேஸமுத்தமம் ॥
tē praviṣṭāstu vēgēna
tadbilaṃ kapikuñjarāḥ ।
prakāṡamabhirāmaṃ ca
dadṛṡurdēṡamuttamam ॥
Entering the cave quickly
those elephants among Vānaras
saw an area that was brightly lit and enchanting.
4.50.21b-22a ததஸ்தஸ்மிந்பிலே பீமே
நாநாபாதபஸங்குலே ।
அந்யோந்யம் ஸம்பரிஷ்வஜ்ய
ஜக்முர்யோஜநமந்தரம் ॥
tatastasminbilē bhīmē
nānāpādapasaṅkulē ।
anyōnyaṃ sampariṣvajya
jagmuryōjanamantaram ॥
Holding each other’s hands,
they went a distance of one Yōjana in that
frightening cave overgrown with vegetation.
To be Continued