Summary
The Gods become progenitors [originators] of Vanara heroes at the dictate of Brahma to come to the aid of Rama in annihilating [destroying] Ravana. The monkey-like Vanara race is procreated [created] by numerous celestials endowing it with peculiar mighty physique and particular power to come to the help of Rama.
Chapter [Sarga] 17 in Detail
putratvam tu gate visnau raajnah tasya mahaatmanah |
uvaaca devataah sarvaah svaya.mbhuuh bhagavaan idam || 1-17-1
When Vishnu attained the son-ship of the great-souled king Dasharatha, then Brahma the self-created addressed all of the Gods this way. [1-17-1]
satya sa.ndhasya viirasya sarvesaam no hitaisinah |
visnoh sahaayaan balinah srijadhvam kaama ruupinah || 1-17-2
"Let mighty and guise changing helpmates be procreated to that truth abiding and valorous Vishnu who is the well-wisher of all of us. [1-17-2]
maayaa vidah ca shuuraam ca vaayu vega samaan jave |
nayajnaan buddhi sa.mpannaan visnu tulya paraakramaan || 1-17-3
asa.mhaaryaan upaayajnaan divya sa.mhanana anvitaan |
sarva astra guna sampannaanan amrita praashanaan iva || 1-17-4
apsarassu ca mukhyaasu gandharvaanaam tanuusu ca |
yaksha pannaga kanyaasu riksha vidyaadhariisu cha || 1-17-5
kimnariinaam cha gaatresu vaanariinaam tanuusu cha |
srijadhvam hari ruupena putraan tulya paraakramaan || 1-17-6
"Let monkey-shaped progeny equaling Vishnu's valor [personal bravery] be procreated from the physiques of prominent Apsara-s and Gandharva-s, from the girls of Yaksha-s and Pannaga-s, and also thus from the bodies of Kinnaras-s, she-vidyaadharaa-s, she-Riskha-s and she-monkeys, and they shall be wizards of miracles and audacious [adventurous] ones, in travel they shall have air's speed, bestowed with intellect they shall be the knower of ideation [the capacity to form ideas], and with their divine physique they shall be in-eliminable, they shall be endowed with all the assaultive [attacking] aspects of all missiles, and they shall be untiring [not tiring] in their efforts, like you who thrive on amrita, the ambrosia [something extremely pleasing to taste or smell], unmindful of thirst and hunger. [1-17-3, 4, 5, 6]
purvam eva mayaa sristo jaa.mbavaan rixa pungavah |
jri.mbhamaanasya sahasaa mama vakraat ajaayata || 1-17-7
"I have already created the eminent bear Jambavanta in earlier times, as he suddenly came forth from my yawning face. [1-17-7]
te tathaa uktaah bhagavataa tat prati shrutya shaasanam |
janayaamaasuh evam te putraan vaanara ruupinah || 1-17-8
When Brahma addressed them thus, those gods have agreed to his order and accordingly started to parent sons in the semblance [actual or apparent resemblance] of monkeys. [1-17-8]
risayah ca mahaatmaanah siddha vidyaadhara uragaah |
caaranaah ca sutaan viiraan sasrijuh vana caarinah || 1-17-9
The great-souled celestial groups, namely the sages, Siddhas-s, vidyaadharaa-s, Caarana-s have created valiant sons that are forest rangers. [1-17-9]
vaanarendram mahendra aabham indrah vaalinam aatmajam |
sugriivam janayaamaasa tapanah tapataam varah || 1-17-10
Indra procreated [created] the lord of Vanara-s, namely Vali, who by his physique is like Mt. Mahendra, and the highest humidifier [a device for supplying or maintaining a moderate degree of wetness especially of the atmosphere] among all the humidifiers, namely the Sun, procreated Sugreeva. [1-17-10]
brihaspatih tu ajanayat taaram naama mahaa kapim |
sarva vaanara mukhyaanaam buddhimantam anuttamam || 1-17-11
Brihaspati, the Jupiter, gave rise to a great monkey named Tara, who is the most important one among all Vanara-s, and who excels all by his intelligence. [1-17-11]
dhanadasya sutah shriimaan vaanaro gandhamaadanah |
vishvakarmaa tu ajanayan nalam naama mahaa kapim || 1-17-12
The brilliant Gandhamaadana is the son of Kubera, while the divine architect Vishvakarma procreated the great monkey called Nala. [1-17-12]
paavakasya sutah shriimaan niilah agni sadrisha prabhah |
tejasaa yashasaa viiryaat atyaricyata viiryavaan || 1-17-13
The bright son of Fire is Neela whose blaze is like that of fire and who excels other monkeys by his in resplendence [brilliance], renown and courage. [1-17-13]
rupa dravina sampannau ashvinau rupasa.mmatau |
maindam ca dvividam cha eva janayaamaasatuh svayam || 1-17-14
The Ashwin twin gods whose wealth is their beautiful appearance have personally procreated two Vanara-s namely Mainda and Dvivida, blessing them with beautiful appearance. [1-17-14]
varuno janayaamaasa susenam naama vaanaram |
sharabham janayaamaasa parjanyah tu mahaabalah || 1-17-15
The Rain-god procreated the Vanara named Susheshana, and Thunder-god gave rise to the great mighty Sharabha. [1-17-15]
maarutasya aurasah shriimaan hanumaan naama vaanarah |
vajra samhananopeto vainateya samah jave || 1-17-16
sarva vaanara mukhyesu buddhimaan balavaan api |
The direct son of Air-god is the marvelous and adventurous Hanuma with an indestructible body, and one identical in the speed of lady Vinata's son, namely Garuda, the divine eagle vehicle of Vishnu, and among all monkey chiefs he is the intelligent and the indefatigable [incapable of being fatigued or tired] one too. [1-17-16, 17a]
te sristaa bahu saahasraa dashagriiva vadhe udyataah || 1-17-17
aprameya balaa viiraa vikraantaah kaama ruupinah |
Thus the gods have procreated many thousands of such valorous and guise changing monkeys who with their immeasurable strength and bravery are manifest for the elimination of the decahedral [ten headed] demon Ravana. [1-17-17b, 18a]
te gaja achala sa.nkaashaa vapusma.nto mahaabalaah || 1-17-18
riksa vaanara gopucchaah ksipram eva abhijajnire |
And they with their elephantine, mountainous and prodigious bodies quickly took birth in bears, monkeys, sacred langoors. [1-17-18b, 19a]
yasya devasya yad ruupam veso yah ca paraakramah || 1-17-19
ajaayata samam tena tasya tasya prithak prithak |
Those that are procreated have attained the shape, getup and valor of the God that has fathered them, and thus the monkey race is procreated separately and individually. [1-17-19b, 20a]
golaanguulesu ca utpannaah ki.mchid unnata vikramaah || 1-17-20
riksiisu ca tathaa jaataa vaanaraah ki.nnariisu ca |
Some of the Vanara-s endowed with superior valor are born to female langoors, and like that some more to female bears and Kinnaras-s. [1-17-20b, 21a]
devaa maharsi gandharvaah taarxya yaxaa yashasvinah || 1-17-21
naagaah kimpurusaah cha eva siddha vidyaadhara uragaah |
bahavo janayaamaasuh hristaah tatra sahasrashah || 1-17-22
chaaranaah cha sutaan viiraan sasrijuh vana chaarinah |
vaanaraan su mahaakaayaan sarvaan vai vana chaarinah || 1-17-23
apsarassu ca mukhyaasu tadaa vidyadhariisu ca |
naaga kanyaasu ca tadaa gandharviinaam tanusu ca |
Several of the gods, great-sages, Gandharva-s, eagles, Yaksha-s, and the celebrated reptiles, Kimpusha-s, Siddhas-s, Vidyaadharaa-s, Uraga-s and Caarana-s and even the prominent maidens of Apsara-s, she-vidyaadharaa-s, Naaga, Gandharva-s then gladly procreated all of the thousands of forest-ranging and valiant Vanara sons from their bodies that are forest rangers. [21b, 22, 23, 24a, b]
kaama rupa balopetaa yathaa kaama vichaarinah || 1-17-24
si.mha shaardula sadrishaa darpena ca balena ca |
They are endowed with guise changing faculties, with bodily might and by their pride and might are identical to lions and tigers, and they are born-free in their movement in forests. [1-17-24b, 25a]
shilaa praharanaah sarve sarve parvata yodhinah || 1-17-25
nakha danstra aayudhaah sarve sarve sarva astra kovidaah |
All of them are the assaulters [attackers] with stones, and all are the attackers with trees, and all have their nails and claws as their weapons, yet all are experts in missiles. [1-17-25b, 26a]
vicaala yeyuh shailendraan bheda yeyuh sthiraan drumaan || 1-17-26
ksobha yeyuh ca vegena samudram saritaam patim |
They can rock greatest mountains, rip firm rooted trees, and with their speed they can agitate the lord of rivers, namely the ocean. [1-17-26b, 27a]
daara yeyuh ksitim padbhyaam aaplaveyuh mahaa arnavan || 1-17-27
nabhasthalam visheyur ca grihniiyur api toyadaan |
They can shatter the ground with their two feet, leap and cross over great oceans, and they can seize the clouds entering arch of heaven. [1-17-27b, 28a]
grihniiyur api maata.ngaan mattaan pravrajato vane || 1-17-28
nardamaanaah ca naadena paata yeyuh viha.mgamaan |
They can catch ruttish [lustful] elephants that tumultuously [rioting-ly] move in forests, and just with the sound of their blare they make sky flying birds to fall. [1-17-28b, 29a]
iidrishaanaam prasuutaani hariinaam kaama ruupinaam || 1-17-29
shatam shata sahasraani yuuthapaanaam mahaatmanaam |
Thus the Gods and others have procreated millions of such noble souled Vanaras as the chiefs of warriors who can change their guise [disguise] at their wish. [1-17-29b, 30a]
te pradhaanesu yuthesu hariinaam hariyuthapaah || 1-17-30
babhuuvur yuuthapa shresthaan viiraam ca ajanayan hariin |
Those Vanara generals who took birth thus became the prominent generals among the principle battalions of monkeys, and they have also procreated brave monkeys on their own. [1-17-30a, 31b]
anye riksavatah prasthaan upatasthuh sahasrashah || 1-17-31
anye naanaa vidhaan shailaan kaananaani ca bhejire |
Some thousands of them stayed on the ridges of Mt. Riskshavat while others reached many kinds of other mountains and forests. [1-17-31b, 32a]
suurya putram ca sugriivam shakra putram ca vaalinam || 1-17-32
bhraatarau upatasthuh te sarve cha hari yuuthapaaah |
nalam niilam hanumantam anyaa.mshcha hari yuthapaan || 1-17-33
All of the monkeys stood by the brothers, namely the son of Indra namely Vali, and the son of sun namely Sugreeva, and even with the monkey generals like Nala, Neela and Hanuma et al. [1-17-32b, 33]
te taarkshya bala sa.mpannaah sarve yuddha vishaaradaah |
vicharanto.ardayan sarvaan si.mha vyaaghra mahoragaan || 1-17-34
All of those who are well-versed in warfare and endowed with the might of divine eagle Garuda, used to thwart [frustrate] the pride of lions, tigers and great snakes just by their own prideful subjugation [to make submissive] while they move about the forests. [1-17-34]
mahaabalo mahaabaahuh vaalii vipula vikramah |
jugopa bhuja viiryena rixa gopuccha vaanaraan || 1-17-35
He who is adroit [clever], extremely mighty, and highly indomitable, that Vali protected bears, langoors, and monkeys just by the strength of his arms. [1-17-35]
taih iyam pridhvii shuraih saparvata vana arnavaa |
kiirnaa vividha sansthaanaih naanaa vya.njana laxanaih || 1-17-36
The earth with its mountains, forests and ocean ward places is overspread with those brave ones that possess diverse physiques and peculiar indication marks of their stock [family]. [1-17-36]
taih megha brindaacala kuta sa.mnibhaih
mahaabalaih vaanara yuuthapa adhipaih |
babhuuva bhuuh bhiima shariira ruupaih
samaavritaa raama sahaaya hetoh || 1-17-37
The earth is thus suffused [to spread over in the manner of fluid or light] with those mighty army generals of Vanara race whose physiques resembled the clusters of clouds and peaks of mountains, and who have emerged for the reason of helping Rama. [1-17-37]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye baala kaande saptadashah sargah ||
Thus, this is the 17th chapter in Bala Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate