Summary
Hanuma's search for Seetha, together with Angada and others is started. They search certain mountains and forests belonging to Vindhya, but in vain. They enter many uninhabited forests and places. Angada kills a demon presuming him to be Ravana. Their hearts sadden when their search became futile at these places.
Chapter [Sarga] 48 in Detail
saha taara a.ngadaabhyaam tu sahasaa hanumaan kapih |
sugriivena yathaa uddistam tam desham upacakrame || 4-48-1
Hanuma, the monkey, quickly started along with Angada, Lt. Tara, and others to that province which Sugreeva has indicated, namely the south. [4-48-1]
sa tu duuram upaagamya sarvaih taih kapi sattamaih |
tato vicitya vindhyasya guhaah ca gahanaani ca || 4-48-2
parvataagra nadii durgaan saraa.nsi vipula drumaan |
vriksa khandaan ca vividhaan parvataan vana paadapaan || 4-48-3
Arriving at a remote place with all of those powerful monkeys, then Hanuma searched the caves and forests of Vindhya Mountains, and on their mountaintops, at impassable places, at rivers and lakes, and in stands of trees with beamy trees, also on diverse mountains, forests and trees. [4-48-2, 3]
anvesamaanaah te sarve vaanaraah sarvato disham |
na siitaam dadrishur viiraa maithiliim janaka aatmajaam || 4-48-4
Though all of those brave Vanara-s have searched in all directions they have not noticed the princess of Mithila and the daughter of Janaka, namely Seetha. [4-48-4]
te bhaksayanto muulaani phalaani vividhaani api |
anvesamaanaa durdharsaa nyavasan tatra tatra ha || 4-48-5
Feeding upon unalike fruits and tubers, sojourning here and there, those invulnerable Vanara-s conducted their search. [4-48-5]
sa tu desho dur.hanveso guhaa gahanavaan mahaan |
nirjalam nirjanam shuunyam gahanam ghora darshanam || 4-48-6
But that province is an inscrutable one, deeply caved, deeply forested, much less of water and still less of people, a void and an impenetrable one with a ghastly look. [4-48-6]
taa drishaani anyaa api aranyaani vicitya bhriisha piiditaah |
sa deshah ca dur.hanvesyo guhaa gahanavaan mahaan || 4-48-7
They are highly tormented when they vainly searched there, and even in another province that is also of the same kind, waterless and people-less, and an unreachable one, abstrusely caved and forested. [4-48-7]
tyaktvaa tu tam tatah desham sarve vai hari yuuthapaah |
desham anyam duraadhar.hsam vivishuh ca akuto bhayaah || 4-48-8
Then all of those monkey commanders gave up that province and entered another impermeable province as they are fearless from any quarter. [4-48-8]
yatra vandhya phalaa vriksaa vipuspaah parna varjitaah |
nistoyaah sarito yatra muulam yatra sudurlabham || 4-48-9
Whereat the trees are infertile for fruiting, destitute of leaves and flowers, and whereat the brooks are deprived of waters, and whereat it is highly impossible to get even tubers, there they entered. [4-48-9]
na santi mahisaa yatra na mrigaa na ca hastinah |
shaarduulaah paksino vaa api ye ca anye vana gocaraah || 4-48-10
Where there are no buffalos, no elephants, no animals, nor even birds or tigers, or no other forest moving beings are there, for they do not have their feed there, they entered such a province. [4-48-10]
na ca atra vrikshaa na osadhyo na vallyo na api viirudhah |
snigdha patraah sthale yatra padminyah phulla pa.nkajaah || 4-48-11
preksaniiyaah sugandhaah ca bhramaraih ca varjitaah |
Where there are no useful trees, nor herbal plants, nor climbing plants on trees, nor creeping plants on earth, and lotus-lakes which will be normally pleasing for sight have no soft leaves, nor bloomed lotuses on their creepers, and even honeybees are discarding them as they are not richly fragranced, in such a province those Vanara-s have entered. [4-48-11,12a]
kandur naama mahaabhaagah satya vaadii tapo dhanah || 4-48-12
maharsih parama amar.hsii niyamaih dus.hpradhar.hsanah |
A highly fortunate, veracious, ascetically wealthy sage known as Kandu is there in that province, and that great sage is a highly short-tempered, and an impossible one to subjugate by virtue of his own self-discipline. [4-48-12b, 13a]
tasya tasmin vane putro baalako dasha vaarsikah || 4-48-13
pranasto jiivita antaaya kruddhah tena mahaamunih |
In that forest that sage lost his son, a ten-year-old boy, as that boy's life ended there by which that great sage is infuriated. [4-48-13b, 14a]
tena dharmaaatmanaa shaptam kritsnam tatra mahad vanam || 4-48-14
asharanyam duraadharsam mriga paksi vivarjitam |
Thereby that virtue-souled sage cursed that great forest in it entirety to become an uninhabitable and impermeable forest abandoned by birds and animals. [4-48-14b, 15a]
tasya te kaanana antaan tu giriinaam kandaraani ca || 4-48-15
prabhavaani nadiinaam ca vicinvanti samaahitaah |
But those monkeys conscientiously searched such a forest up to its fringes, including its mountains, caves, fountains, and rivers. [4-48-15b, 16a]
tatra ca api mahaatmaano na apashyan janaka aatmajaam || 4-48-16
hartaaram raavanam vaa api sugriiva priya kaarinah |
But not finding the daughter of Janaka or even her kidnapper Ravana there, those monkeys who are the perfecters of that which is acceptable to Sugreeva, have entered another fearsome forest. [4-48-16b, 17a]
te pravishya tu tam bhiimam lataa gulma samaavritam || 4-48-17
dadrishuh bhiima karmaanam asuram sura nirbhayam |
On entering another fearsome forest which is overly encompassed with climbers and shrubberies they saw a demon of fiendish deeds who is fearless of gods. [4-48-17b, 18a]
tam dristvaa vanaraa ghoram sthitam shailam iva asuram || 4-48-18
gaadham parihitaah sarve dristvaa tam parvata upamam |
All of those Vanara-s are amazed to see that fiendish demon standing similar to a mountainous boulder, and apprehending an imminent danger on observing that mountain similar demon, those Vanara-s have tightly girthed their wrestler's girdle-cloth. [4-48-18b, 19a]
so api taan vaanaraan sarvaan nastaah stha iti abraviit balii || 4-48-19
abhyadhaavata samkruddho mustim udyamya sa.mgatam |
Even that mighty demon shouting at all Vanara-s, 'you are all dead... stay,' rushed towards them shoving up his clenched fist. [4-48-19b, 20a]
tam aapatantam sahasaa vaali putro a.ngadah tadaa || 4-48-20
raavano ayam iti jnaatvaa talena abhijaghaana ha |
Angada, the son of Vali, then presumed him who is onrushing as Ravana and saying, 'he is Ravana...' he quickly thwacked that demon indeed with his palm. [4-48-20b, 21a]
sa vaali putra abhihato vaktraat shonitam udvaman || 4-48-21
asuro nyapatat bhuumau paryasta iva parvatah |
When Vali's son whacked him that demon spewed forth blood from his throat and fell onto ground alike an inverted mountain. [4-48-21b, 22a]
te tu tasmin nir ucchvaase vaanaraa jita kaashinah || 4-48-22
vyacinvan praayashah tatra sarvam tat giri gahvaram |
When that demon breathed his last all of those monkeys with triumphal shimmer have well-nigh [almost] searched everywhere, and even in that cave of that mountain where that demon appeared, presuming that cave belonged to Ravana. [4-48-22b, 23a]
vicitam tu tatah sarvam sarve te kaanana okasah || 4-48-23
anyat eva aparam ghoram vivishur giri gahvaram |
Then all those forest dwelling monkeys searched everywhere else, and like that they entered another horrible cave which is nearby. [4-48-25b, 24a]
te vicitya punah khinnaa vinispatya samaagataah |
ekaa.nte vriksa muule tu nisedur diina maanasaah || 4-48-24
On searching that cave they came out saddened as their search is futile, and coming together they sat down at the base of a lonely tree downheartedly as their efforts are unsuccessful in searching Seetha. [4-48-24]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye kiskindha kaande asta catvaarimshah sargah
Thus, this is the 48th chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate