Ramayana · Book IV · Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa
Ramayana, Book IV, Canto 62: Sampáti’s Storyकिष्किन्धाकाण्डम्
Ralph T. H. Griffith’s English verse (1870–74), beside the Sanskrit of sarga 4.62.
Sanskrit
अथ ध्यात्वा मुहूर्तं च भगवानिदमब्रवीत्॥ १॥
पक्षौ च ते प्रपक्षौ च पुनरन्यौ भविष्यतः।
चक्षुषी चैव प्राणाश्च विक्रमश्च बलं च ते॥ २॥
पुराणे सुमहत्कार्यं भविष्यं हि मया श्रुतम्।
दृष्टं मे तपसा चैव श्रुत्वा च विदितं मम॥ ३॥
राजा दशरथो नाम कश्चिदिक्ष्वाकुवर्धनः।
तस्य पुत्रो महातेजा रामो नाम भविष्यति॥ ४॥
अरण्यं च सह भ्रात्रा लक्ष्मणेन गमिष्यति।
तस्मिन्नर्थे नियुक्तः सन् पित्रा सत्यपराक्रमः॥ ५॥
नैर्ऋतो रावणो नाम तस्य भार्यां हरिष्यति।
राक्षसेन्द्रो जनस्थाने अवध्यः सुरदानवैः॥ ६॥
सा च कामैः प्रलोभ्यन्ती भक्ष्यैर्भोज्यैश्च मैथिली।
न भोक्ष्यति महाभागा दुःखमग्ना यशस्विनी॥ ७॥
परमान्नं च वैदेह्या ज्ञात्वा दास्यति वासवः।
यदन्नममृतप्रख्यं सुराणामपि दुर्लभम्॥ ८॥
तदन्नं मैथिली प्राप्य विज्ञायेन्द्रादिदं त्विति।
अग्रमुद्धृत्य रामाय भूतले निर्वपिष्यति॥ ९॥
यदि जीवति मे भर्ता लक्ष्मणो वापि देवरः।
देवत्वं गच्छतोर्वापि तयोरन्नमिदं त्विति॥ १०॥
एष्यन्ति प्रेषितास्तत्र रामदूताः प्लवङ्गमाः।
आख्येया राममहिषी त्वया तेभ्यो विहङ्गम॥ ११॥
सर्वथा तु न गन्तव्यमीदृशः क्व गमिष्यसि।
देशकालौ प्रतीक्षस्व पक्षौ त्वं प्रतिपत्स्यसे॥ १२॥
उत्सहेयमहं कर्तुमद्यैव त्वां सपक्षकम्।
इहस्थस्त्वं हि लोकानां हितं कार्यं करिष्यसि॥ १३॥
त्वयापि खलु तत् कार्यं तयोश्च नृपपुत्रयोः।
ब्राह्मणानां गुरूणां च मुनीनां वासवस्य च॥ १४॥
इच्छाम्यहमपि द्रष्टुं भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ।
नेच्छे चिरं धारयितुं प्राणांस्त्यक्ष्ये कलेवरम्।
महर्षिस्त्वब्रवीदेवं दृष्टतत्त्वार्थदर्शनः॥ १५॥
English Griffith
“As to the saint I thus complained
My bitter tears fell unrestrained.
He pondered for a while, then broke
The silence, and thus calmly spoke:
“Forth from thy sides again shall spring,
O royal bird, each withered wing,
And all thine ancient power and might
Return to thee with strength of sight.
A noble deed has been foretold
In prophecy pronounced of old:
Nor dark to me are future things,
Seen by the light which penance brings.
A glorious king shall rise and reign,
The pride of old Ikshváku’s strain.
A good and valiant prince, his heir,
Shall the dear name of Ráma bear.
With his brave brother Lakshmaṇ he
An exile in the woods shall be,
Where Rávaṇ, whom no God may slay,777
Shall steal his darling wife away.
In vain the captive will be wooed
With proffered love and dainty food,
She will not hear, she will not taste:
But, lest her beauty wane and waste,
Lord Indra’s self will come to her
With heavenly food, and minister.
Then envoys of the Vánar race
By Ráma sent will seek this place.
To them, O roamer of the air,
The lady’s fate shalt thou declare.
Thou must not move—so maimed thou art
Thou canst not from this spot depart.
Await the day and moment due,
And thy burnt wings will sprout anew.
I might this day the boon bestow
And bid again thy pinions grow,
But wait until thy saving deed
The nations from their fear have freed.
Then for this glorious aid of thine
The princes of Ikshváku’s line,
And Gods above and saints below
Eternal gratitude shall owe.
Fain would mine aged eyes behold
That pair of whom my lips have told,
Yet wearied here I must not stay,
But leave my frame and pass away.”
Griffith’s notes (1)
- According to the promise, given him by Brahmá. See Book I, Canto XIV.