Śrīmad Vālmīki Rāmāyana (English Translation)

On the monkey heroes getting despondent at the sight of the (Indian) ocean, which they found difficult to cross, Angada inquires of them if anyone of them was capable of leaping across the sea dividing India from Lankā. When all keep mum, he encourages all to proclaim each his own leaping capacity and prowess.

Even while Sampāti was thus talking with the monkeys, a pair of beautiful wings shoot forth on his sides. Feeling transported with joy at their sight and showing them to the monkeys, nay, assuring them that their purpose too will likewise be achieved, Sampāti soars to the sky in order to test the power of his wings. Feeling encouraged by this, the monkeys too resume their journey further south.

Sampāti communicates to the monkeys the prediction made by Sage Niśākara, who could foresee future events by dint of his intuitive perception, that descending as Śrī Rāma elsewhere the Lord will dispatch monkeys in quest of Sītā to the Vindhyan range and that Sampāti will get back his wings as soon as he tells the monkeys the whereabouts of Sītā.

Relating to Sage Niśākara the circumstances which led to his being burnt, Sampāti takes before the sage a vow to give up the ghost by leaping from a mountain-peak.

Having inspired confidence in the monkeys, Sampāti proceeds to relate to Angada and others, who longed to hear more about Sītā, the story of Sītā's abduction in greater detail. He tells them how, having fallen on the Vindhyan range with his wings completely burnt by the scorching sun, he swooned and regained consciousness only on the seventh day, when he came to know that it was the Vindhyan r...

Interrogated by Jāmbavān as to how Sampāti came to know about Sītā's, abduction by Rāvana, the vulture tells him that it was his son, Supārśwa, who related to him how, one day, while he was ranging along the seashore in search of food, he had seen a young lady, shining brightly as gold, being borne away by an ogre, of whom he had come to know later on from the words of an eminent sage that the...

Sampāti tells Angada how having once soared with his younger brother to the neighbourhood of the solar orb in his eagerness to test their relative strength and flying power, he had his own wings burnt in trying to save the wings of Jatāyu by spreading his own wings over them as a canopy, and dropped on a peak of the Vindhyan range. Inquired by Angada if he knew anything about the abduction of Sītā...

Having helped Sampāti to climb down the mountain, Angada narrates to him the whole story from the entry of Śrī Rāma into the Dandaka forest to his own fasting.

Praising Providence out of joy at the prospect of deriving sustenance for a long time on seeing a band of monkeys even as it emerged from a cave of the Vindhyan range on hearing their noise, the vulture king, Sampāti (the elder brother of Jatāyu), expresses his determination to eat them all up one after another. Depressed to hear the vow and declaring Jatāyu, who had met his death at the hands of...

Sick of hearing the praises of Sugrīva uttered by Hanumān and pointing out the faults of Sugrīva and denouncing him, Angada proclaims to the monkeys his decision to undertake a fast unto death and actually sits down to fast. Condemning Sugrīva with tears in their eyes and making the mountain caverns resound with their tale of woe commencing from the appearance of Śrī Rāma on the scene and ending w...

Seeking to divert the minds of the other monkeys from the rebellious note struck by Tāra, whose advice readily found favour with Angada and others, Hanumān warns Angada of the dire consequences which were sure to follow in case he chose to stay away from home and, assuring him of Sugrīva's amiability and disarming all his fears about him, tries to convince him that they had better return to Ki...

While the monkeys were feeling dejected on coming out of the cave to see the trees covered with blossom, which led them to conclude that the latter half of winter had approached, Prince Angada reminds them of the fierceness of Sugrīva and says that a fasting till death on their part will be preferable to an ignominious death at the latter's cruel hands. Another monkey general, Tāra, for his pa...

Narrating the whole story from the entry of Śrī Rāma into the forest round about the Pampā lake down to the entry of the monkeys into the cave, and complimenting Swayamprabhā on the hospitality shown by her and wishing to repay her hospitality, Hanumān inquires of her if hecan be of any service to her. Swayamprabhā, however, declines his offer saying that, being engaged in the practice of virtue,...

Telling the monkeys how the cave was brought into existence, the ascetic woman, whose name was Swayamprabhā, feeds the newcomers, the monkeys, with fruits and roots etc., and, when they had taken rest, inquires of them what brought them to that spot.

The time appointed by Sugrīva for finding out the whereabouts of Sītā in the southern quarter having been exceeded in ransacking the caves of the Vindhyan range, which were hard to explore, Hanumān and others, who were tormented with hunger and thirst, catch sight of a cave known by the name of Rksabila. Concluding, from the presence of birds with wet wings at the entrance of the cave, that there...

Asking the monkeys who accompanied him to the south and who had begun to feel diffident about their success to take note of the delay that was taking place in carrying out the command of Sugrīva and to beware of Sugrīva's wrath, which was sure to follow in consequence of the delay, Angada advises them to take heart and encourages them to pursue their search vigorously. Encouraged by his enlive...

Accompanied by Angada and others, Hanumān seeks for Sītā in the dense forests and caves of the Vindhyan range. Making their way into a forest whose trees had ceased to flower and bear fruits because of a curse pronounced by Sage Kandu, overwhelmed with grief occasioned by the loss of his son, the monkeys, who felt exhausted due to exertion, behold a demon. As the latter swoops upon the monkeys wit...

Even after scouring more than once the regions comprised in the quarter assigned to them, Vinata and others fail to get any clue to the whereabouts of Sītā. Returning despondent even before a month, they bow down to Śrī Rāma and Sugrīva and report their inability to find out Sītā. They feel convinced for many reasons that Hanumān alone will be able to discover Sītā.

While Sugrīva gave instructions to his various generals mentioning in detail the places they were to visit in the course of their expedition in search of Sītā, Śrī Rāma was struck by the knowledge of world geography revealed by Sugrīva and inquired of the latter how he had come to acquire such wonderful and accurate knowledge of geography. In reply to this Sugrīva tells him of the encounter of Vāl...

Bowing to the command of Sugrīva and leading their respective bands, Vinata and other monkey chiefs set forth towards the quarter assigned to them by Sugrīva.

With a view to inspiring confidence in Sītā, when found, Śrī Rāma hands over to Hanumān his signet ring as a token of recognition while sending him away to the south. Bowing down at Śrī Rāma's feet, Hanumān leaves his presence alongwith a contingent of the Vānara forces.

Sugrīva dispatches a contingent of monkeys under the leadership of Śatabali in order to seek for Sītā in the northern quarter.

Fixing a time-limit of one month, Sugrīva dispatches Susena and others to conduct a search for Sītā in the western quarter.

Specifying the different regions of the southern quarter and fixing a limit of one month for their return, Sugrīva dispatches Hanumān, Nīla, Angada and others to that quarter for finding out the whereabouts of Sītā.

Pointing out in pursuance of Śrī Rāma's command to one of his generals, Vinata by name, the regions in the east which could be penetrated into by monkeys, detailing the tracts worthy of note, and entrusting him with the task of conducting a search for Sītā in those regions, Sugrīva enjoins the general to return within a month after the work, adding that anyone returning after a month will be p...