यदि कश्चित् समर्थो वः सागरप्लवने हरिः। स ददात्विह नः शीघ्रं पुण्यामभयदक्षिणाम्
If any of you monkeys is capable of crossing the ocean, let him quickly grant us here the blessed gift of safety.
अङ्गदस्य वचः श्रुत्वा न कश्चित् किंचिदब्रवीत्। स्तिमितेवाभवत् सर्वा सा तत्र हरिवाहिनी
Hearing Angada's words, no one said anything; the entire monkey army there became as if stunned and motionless.
पुनरेवाङ्गदः प्राह तान् हरीन् हरिसत्तमः। सर्वे बलवतां श्रेष्ठा भवन्तो दृढविक्रमाः। व्यपदेशकुले जाताः पूजिताश्चाप्यभीक्ष्णशः
Then again Angada, the foremost of monkeys, addressed those monkeys: 'All of you are the best among the strong, firm in valor, born in noble lineages, and honored repeatedly.'
नहि वो गमने भङ्गः कदाचित् कस्यचिद् भवेत्। ब्रुवध्वं यस्य या शक्तिः प्लवने प्लवगर्षभाः
There will never be any hindrance to your journey; each of you, O foremost of the monkeys, speak according to your own ability in leaping.
thumb|पञ्चषष्ठितमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे किष्किन्धाकाण्डे पञ्चषष्ठितमः सर्गः ॥४-
Listen now to the sixty-fifth chapter in the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Kiṣkindhā section.
अथाङ्गदवचः श्रुत्वा ते सर्वे वानरर्षभाः। स्वं स्वं गतौ समुत्साहमूचुस्तत्र यथाक्रमम्
Then, having heard Aṅgada's words, all those foremost monkeys, each in turn, declared their own enthusiasm for the journey.
गजो गवाक्षो गवयः शरभो गन्धमादनः। मैन्दश्च द्विविदश्चैव सुषेणो जाम्बवांस्तथा
Gaja, Gavākṣa, Gavaya, Śarabha, Gandhamādana, Mainda, Dvivida, Suṣeṇa, and also Jāmbavān—
आबभाषे गजस्तत्र प्लवेयं दशयोजनम्। गवाक्षो योजनान्याह गमिष्यामीति विंशतिम्
There, Gaja said: 'I can leap ten yojanas.' Gavākṣa said: 'I will go twenty yojanas.'
शरभो वानरस्तत्र वानरांस्तानुवाच ह। त्रिंशतं तु गमिष्यामि योजनानां प्लवङ्गमाः
There, the monkey Śarabha said to those monkeys: 'O leaping ones, I will go thirty yojanas.'
ऋषभो वानरस्तत्र वानरांस्तानुवाच ह। चत्वारिंशद् गमिष्यामि योजनानां न संशयः
There, the monkey Ṛṣabha said to those monkeys: 'I will go forty yojanas, without doubt.'
वानरांस्तु महातेजा अब्रवीद् गन्धमादनः। योजनानां गमिष्यामि पञ्चाशत्तु न संशयः
Then Gandhamādana, of great energy, said to the monkeys: 'I will go fifty yojanas, without doubt.'
मैन्दस्तु वानरस्तत्र वानरांस्तानुवाच ह। योजनानां परं षष्टिमहं प्लवितुमुत्सहे
There, Mainda the monkey said to those monkeys: 'I am able to leap sixty yojanas.'
ततस्तत्र महातेजा द्विविदः प्रत्यभाषत। गमिष्यामि न संदेहः सप्ततिं योजनान्यहम्
Then, the mighty Dvivida spoke there: 'I will go seventy yojanas, without doubt.'
सुषेणस्तु महातेजाः सत्त्ववान् कपिसत्तमः। अशीतिं प्रतिजानेऽहं योजनानां पराक्रमे
And Suṣeṇa, the most valiant and virtuous among monkeys, declared: 'I promise to go eighty yojanas with my strength.'
तेषां कथयतां तत्र सर्वांस्ताननुमान्य च। ततो वृद्धतमस्तेषां जाम्बवान् प्रत्यभाषत
As they all spoke thus, and after acknowledging them all, the eldest among them, Jāmbavān, then spoke.
पूर्वमस्माकमप्यासीत् कश्चिद् गतिपराक्रमः। ते वयं वयसः पारमनुप्राप्ताः स्म साम्प्रतम्
In the past, we too possessed some prowess in speed, but now we have reached the limit of our age.
किं तु नैवं गते शक्यमिदं कार्यमुपेक्षितुम्। यदर्थं कपिराजश्च रामश्च कृतनिश्चयौ
Yet, even so, this task cannot be neglected, for which both the monkey king and Rāma are firmly resolved.
साम्प्रतं कालमस्माकं या गतिस्तां निबोधत। नवतिं योजनानां तु गमिष्यामि न संशयः
Now, hear what speed remains to us at this time: I will go ninety yojanas, without doubt.
तांश्च सर्वान् हरिश्रेष्ठाञ्जाम्बवानिदमब्रवीत्। न खल्वेतावदेवासीद् गमने मे पराक्रमः
To all those best of monkeys, Jāmbavān said: 'This was not the extent of my prowess in travel.'
मया वैरोचने यज्ञे प्रभविष्णुः सनातनः। प्रदक्षिणीकृतः पूर्वं क्रममाणस्त्रिविक्रमम्
In the sacrifice of Vairocana, I once circumambulated the eternal, all-powerful Viṣṇu, as he took his three strides.
स इदानीमहं वृद्धः प्लवने मन्दविक्रमः। यौवने च तदासीन्मे बलमप्रतिमं परम्
Now I am old, and my vigor in leaping is slow; but in my youth, my strength was truly incomparable and supreme.
सम्प्रत्येतावदेवाद्य शक्यं मे गमने स्वतः। नैतावता च संसिद्धिः कार्यस्यास्य भविष्यति
At present, today, I am only able to go this far on my own; but with just this, the success of this task will not be achieved.
अथोत्तरमुदारार्थमब्रवीदङ्गदस्तदा। अनुमान्य तदा प्राज्ञो जाम्बवन्तं महाकपिः
Then, for the sake of a noble purpose, Angada spoke further, having first taken counsel with the wise Jāmbavān, the great monkey.
अहमेतद् गमिष्यामि योजनानां शतं महत्। निवर्तने तु मे शक्तिः स्यान्न वेति न निश्चितम्
I myself will go this great distance of a hundred yojanas; but whether I have the strength to return or not, that is not certain.
तमुवाच हरिश्रेष्ठं जाम्बवान् वाक्यकोविदः। ज्ञायते गमने शक्तिस्तव हर्यृक्षसत्तम
To him, the foremost of monkeys, Jāmbavān, skilled in speech, replied: 'Your strength for the journey is known, O best of the monkey and bear heroes.'
कामं शतसहस्रं वा नह्येष विधिरुच्यते। योजनानां भवान् शक्तो गन्तुं प्रतिनिवर्तितुम्
Indeed, you are able to go and return even a hundred thousand yojanas; but this is not the proper order of things.
नहि प्रेषयिता तात स्वामी प्रेष्यः कथंचन। भवतायं जनः सर्वः प्रेष्यः प्लवगसत्तम
For, dear one, a master is never to be sent as a messenger; all these people, O best of monkeys, are to be sent by you.
भवान् कलत्रमस्माकं स्वामिभावे व्यवस्थितः। स्वामी कलत्रं सैन्यस्य गतिरेषा परंतप
You are like a spouse to us, established in the role of master; the master is the spouse of the army, and its guide, O subduer of enemies.
अपि वै तस्य कार्यस्य भवान् मूलमरिंदम। तस्मात् कलत्रवत् तात प्रतिपाल्यः सदा भवान्
Indeed, you are the root of this task, O destroyer of foes; therefore, dear one, you must always be protected as one would a spouse.
मूलमर्थस्य संरक्ष्यमेष कार्यविदां नयः। मूले हि सति सिध्यन्ति गुणाः सर्वे फलोदयाः
The root of a purpose must be protected; this is the policy of those who know how to accomplish tasks. When the root is secure, all virtues and the fruits of action are attained.