Then out spake the highly energetic and exceedingly mighty king of
monkeys,--"Why is this host agitated like a bark driven hither and
thither by the wind?" Hearing Sugriva's speech, Vali's son said,--"Dost
thou not see both those heroes--sons of Dacaratha:--Rama and that mighty
car-warrior--Lakshmana--covered with arrows? And (dost thou not see)
those high-souled ones lying in the field of battle, covered with
blood?" Thereat, the lord of monkeys, Sugriva, spake unto his son,[156]
Angada--"I do not deem it without cause. This may have come to pass
through sheer fear. These monkeys with sad faces, leaving their arms
behind them, are flying in all directions, their eyes distended in
affright. And they are not ashamed of each other, and they do not cast
their looks back. And they hug each other, and go leaping over the
fallen". In the meanwhile, that hero, Bibhishana, bearing a mace in his
hand, (approaching), greeted Sugriva as well as Raghava with blessings
of victory. And Sugriva, seeing Bibhishana, capable of inspiring fear in
the monkeys, spoke unto the high-souled sovereign of bears, who stood
by,--"This is Bibhishana that hath come hither, seeing whom the foremost
among the monkeys, from fear of Ravana's son who, they apprehend, he
is,--are fleeing away, seized with a panic. Do thou at once stay these
agitated with fear and scampering all around; and proclaim,--'This is
_Bibhishana_, who hath come here.'" Thus directed, Jambavan--king of
bears--restraining those that were flying, composed the monkeys. Hearing
the bear-king's words, and seeing Bibhishana, the monkeys, renouncing
fear, desisted (from their flight). Then the righteous Bibhishana,
viewing Rama's as well as Lakshmana's body pierced with arrows, was
exceedingly aggrieved. And washing their eyes with water, he, with his
mind overpowered with grief, began to weep and broke out into
lamentation,--"The Rakshasas, fighting in wily ways, have brought to
this pass these ones endowed with prowess and possessed of every
perfection and gifted with might (of arm). And with his guileful mind,
that brother's son of mine, wicked-souled and an evil son (unto
me),--hath deceived these ones of straight prowess. Pierced with
innumerable shafts, and covered with blood, these are lying on the
ground like Salyakas[157]. Those depending on whose prowess, I had
sought eminence, those foremost of men, sleep here soundly for
renouncing their bodies. Living, today I am in distress: and my desire
of dominion is annihilated; and my foe, Ravana, hath his promise
fulfilled and his aim crowned with success". As Bibhishana was thus
lamenting, the lord of monkeys--Sugriva--endowed with strength,
embracing him, spoke unto him,--"O thou cognisant of righteousness, thou
wilt herein Lanka obtain empire: no doubt of this; and Ravana along with
his sons will be disappointed in their expectations. Both these--Rama
and Lakshmana--are under the _aegis_ of Garuda; and, casting off their
stupor: they will in battle slay Ravana along with his adherents".
Having thus soothed and comforted the Rakshasa, Sugriva addressed his
father-in-law, who was at his side, saying,--"Do thou along with numbers
of heroic monkeys, taking those repressors of foes, the brothers--Rama
and Lakshmana--when they shall have regained their consciousness, repair
to Kishkindha. And I, slaying Ravana along with his sons and friends,
shall bring back Mithila's daughter, even as Sakra recovered the lost
Sri". Hearing the words of the monkey-king, Sushena said,--"I had
witnessed the war of yore between the gods and the Asuras. Then the
Danavas, enveloping themselves, momentarily destroyed the deities,
albeit versed in arms and accomplished in weapons. And they, their
senses lost, and their lives departed, Vrihashpati treated by means of
his knowledge of _mantras_, as well with medicines. Let Sampati, Panaca,
and other monkeys speedily hie to the Milky Ocean for the purpose of
bringing those medicines. And the monkeys well know that mighty
mountainous medicine--divine and capable of reviving the dead,--and made
by the deities themselves--_vicalya_. There are (the mountains) named
Chandra and Drona: where the ambrosia was churned, there is that supreme
drug. And those mountains have been placed by the deities in the mighty
deep. And, O king, let the son of the Wind-god go thither". In the
meanwhile, the wind arose, and masses of clouds appeared along with
lightning. And the wind blew, agitating the waters of the deep, and
shaking the mountains. And mighty trees of the ocean-islands, broken
down by the terrible wing-raised wind, began to topple headlong into the
salt waters. And the serpents dwelling there were seized with affright;
and speedily all the aquatic animals dived deep into the salt sea. And
then in a moment the monkeys saw Vinata's son, possessed of terrific
strength,--like unto a flaming fire. And seeing him come, the serpents
began to dart away,--those exceedingly powerful ones that, turning into
shafts, had bound those persons.[158] Then, touching the Kakutsthas and
saluting them, Suparna rubbed with his hands their countenances
furnished with the splendour of the Moon. And their wounds, on being
touched by Vinata's son, were (immediately) healed; and the bodies of
both speedily became cool and shone with an excellent complexion. And
they attained immense energy and prowess; and a double share of
strength, and of rational and perceptive powers, and of memory. And then
raising them up, the exceedingly energetic Garuda, resembling Vasava
himself, embraced both joyfully. And then Rama addressed (Garuda),
saying,--"By thy grace we have through means survived the mighty
calamity that had sprung from Ravana's son; and we have also speedily
been rendered strong. And my heart is delighted on having thee, like
unto my father, Dacaratha, or my grand sire, Aja. Who art thou,
furnished with beauty, and bearing wreaths and unguents (on thy person);
clad in stainless attire; and adorned in noble ornaments?" Unto him
spake the exceedingly energetic son of Vinata endowed with great
strength,--the lord of birds, with a pleased heart, and his eyes wild
with glee,--"O Kakutstha, I am thy friend--thy life ranging
externally--Garutman. I am come hither for aiding you. Neither the
highly powerful Asuras, nor the exceedingly strong monkeys, nor the
celestials along with the Gandharbas, having him of an hundred
sacrifices at their head are,--capable of delivering (any one) from
these dreadful arrowy bonds, which had been forged by Indrajit of
tortuous deeds by help of illusion. These serpents--offspring of
Kadru--are sharp-fanged and venomous; and had bound thee as arrows
through the potency of illusion. O Rama having truth for prowess, thou
art fortunate,--along with that destroyer of foe in fight, Lakshmana.
Hearing this, I, summoning energy, have come hither swiftly. And I,
doing by thee as a friend, have from affection at once set you free from
these dreadful arrowy bonds. But thou shouldst always be on thy guard.
By nature the Rakshasas have cunning shifts in fight and thou, who art
heroic and of a pure spirit, canst but rely on thy simplicity alone for
strength. Therefore thou must not trust the Rakshasas in the field of
battle. By this one instance (thou must know; that Rakshasas are ever
deceitful in fight". Having said this, the wondrous mighty Suparna,
embracing Rama) tenderly (again), said,--"My friend Raghava, O thou who
even cherishest affection for thy foes, permit me thou. I shall go at
pleasure. And, O Raghava, entertain no curiosity as to our
friendship.[159] When, O hero, thou shalt have achieved success in
battle, thou shalt know all about this friendship of ours. And with the
surges of thy shafts, making Lanka contain only children and aged, and
slaying thy foe, Ravana, thou shalt recover Sita". Having spoken thus,
Suparna, endowed with fleet vigor, having rendered Rama hale in the
midst of the monkeys,--having gone round them and embraced them
also,--that one possessed of prowess,--set out, covering up the sky,
like unto the wind. And seeing Raghu's sons rendered hale, the
monkey-leaders set up leonine roars, and began to flourish their tails.
And then beat the kettle-drums and the drums struck up. And conchs were
cheerfully blown; and shouts were sent. And others struck at their arms
with their hands. And the monkeys, accustomed to battle with trees,
uprooting them, stood by hundreds and thousands. And emitting tremendous
roars and thereby frightening the night-rangers, the monkeys, eager for
encounter, approached the gate of Lanka. And that mighty and dreadful
din raised by the monkeys, resembled the terrible rumbling of the clouds
at midnight about the end of Summer.
[156] His _step-son_, for Sugriva had married Angada's father's wife,
after Rama had slain Vali in Kishkindha.--T.
[157] A tree.
[158] Rama and Lakshmana.
[159] i.e. _how it happened._