THE VALMIKI RAMAYANA

BALA KANDA

sçOdS:   sgI:     Canto 17(Contd)
§Xvanraï¤Ïp¢äO:     Birth  of   bears  monkeys  and  others
gaElaÄñl£x¤   caEÏp°a:   kE¢ct¯   s|mt¢v@ma:   .
§X£x¤   c   tTa   jata   vanra:   ¢k°r£x¤   c   ¡21¡

gaElaÄñl£x¤

the female of the monkeys having tail like that of the cow

and

uÏp°a:

were born

kE¢ct¯

some

s|mt¢v@ma:

of admitted valour

§X£x¤

in the females of bears

and

tTa

in that manner

jata:

were born

vanra:

apes

¢k°r£x¤

in Kinnara females

and

Some   of   the   famous   and   valorous   apes   were   born of females   with   tails resembling   the   cows'   and   others   of   females   of   the bear and the   Kinnara class   (21).

dEva   mh¢xIgÓDvaIÞtaßyIyXa   yS¢Þvn:   .
naga:   ¢k|p¤âxaàWv   ¢sÑG¢vïaDraErga:   ¡22¡

dEva:

the gods

mh¢xI

great sages

gÓDvaI:

the Gandharvas

taßyI

vultures

yXa:

Yakshas

yS¢Þvn:

of great fame

naga:

great serpents

¢k|p¤âxa:

Kimpurushas

and

also

¢sÑG

Sidhas

¢vïaDr

Vidhyadharas

urga:

great reptiles

bhvaE jnyamas¤h¦I¾aÞtæO sh*S: .
vanran¯ s¤mhakayan¯ svaIn¯ vW vnca¢rN: ¡23¡

bhv:

many

jnyamas¤:

were created

¶¾a:

in a happy frame of mind

tæO

there and then

sh*S:

several thousands

vanran¯

monkeys

s¤mhakayan¯

having huge forms

svaIn¯

all

verily

vnca¢rN:

roaming about in the forests

AÔsrÞs¤ c m¤Áyas¤ tTa ¢vïaDr£x¤ c .
nagkÓyas¤ c tTa gÓDv£Na| tn¥x¤ c ¡24¡

AÔsrÞs¤

in the celestial nymphs

and

m¤Áyas¤

in the chief ones

tTa

likewise

¢vïaDr£x¤

in the Vidhyadhara damsels

also

nagkÓyas¤

in the females of great serpents

and

tTa

and

gÓDv£Na|

0n the gandharva women

tn¥x¤

in their bodies

and

At   that   time   and   place,   many   gods   who   were   joyous   and   well-known   ,   great sages,   Gandharvas,   Garudas,   Yakshas,
Nagas,   Kimpurushas,   Sidhas, Vidhyadharas,and   serpents   brought
forth   mammoth   monkeys   roaming   about in   the   dense   foests
in   thousands,   from   women   belonging   to   celestial nymphs,
Vidhyadhara   ladies,   Naga   damsels,   and   Gandharva lasses   (22-24).

kamãpblaEpEta   yTakam¢vca¢rN:   .
¢s|hSaÑ¥IlsSa   dpIN   c   blEn   c   ¡25¡

kamãp

capable of taking any form at will

blaEpEta:

endowed with strength

yTakam

at will

¢vca¢rN:

wandering

¢s|h

lion

SaÑ¥Il

tiger

sSa:

rivalling with

dpIN

in pride

and

blEn

with strength

and

These   (monkeys)   were   capable   of   assuming   any   form   at   will,   were   freely roaming   about   as   they   like   and   were   proud   and
strong   like   the   lions   and the   tigers   (25).
¢Slap#hrNa:   svI   svI   padpyaE¢Dn:   .
nKd|¾®ay¤Da:   svI   svI   svaIÞæOkaE¢vda:   ¡26¡

¢Sla

mountainous rocks

p#hrNa:

using them as missiles

svI

all

svI

all

padp

trees

yaE¢Dn:

to engage in war with

nails

d¾®

outhanging canine teeth

Aay¤Da:

armed (as if with weapons)

svI

all

svI

all

svI

all

AÞæO

arrows

kaE¢vda:

capable of wielding all kinds of weapons

All   of   them   were   capable   of   pulling   out   mountains   and   throwing   them, uprooting   trees   and   fighting   with   them,   having   all   knowledge   about   various weapons   and   using   their   teeth   and   nails   as   means
of   fighting   in   battle   (26).

¢vcalyEy¤:   SWlEÓd#an¯   BEdyEy¤:   ¢ÞTtan¯   d#man¯   .
XaEByEy¤à   vEgEn   sm¤d#|   s¢rta|   p¢tm¯   ¡27¡

¢vcalyEy¤:

will shake

SWlEÓd#an¯

great mountains

BEdyEy¤:

tear asunder

¢ÞTtan¯

firmly rooted

d#man¯

trees

XaEByEy¤:

churn

and

vEgEn

through speed

sm¤d#|

the ocean

s¢rta|

of the rivers

p¢tm¯

the husband (since they go to the ocean)

They   could   shake   mountains,   could   split   asunder   trees   which   are   firm   and using   their   force   they   could   agitate   the   ocean,   the   lord   of   the   rivers   (27).

daryEy¤:   ¢X¢t|   pëYamaÔlvEy¤mIhaNIvm¯   .
nB:ÞTl|   ¢vSEy¤à   g¦£y¤r¢p   taEydan¯   ¡28¡

daryEy¤:

to cleave

¢X¢t|

the earth

pëYa|

with their legs

AaÔlvEy¤:

leap across

mhaNIvm¯

the mighty ocean

nB:ÞTl|

the skies

¢vSEy¤:

enter

and

g¦£y¤:

will capture

A¢p

also

taEydan¯

the clouds

They   could   split   the   earth   with   their   feet,   could   cross   great   oceans,   could enter   space   and   grasp   the   clouds   (28).

g¦£y¤r¢p   matÄñan¯   mäOan¯   p#v#¢jtan¯   vnE   .
ndImanaà   nadEn   patyEy¤¢vIhÄñman¯   ¡29¡

g¦£y¤:

will capture

A¢p

also

matÄñan¯

the elephants

mäOan¯

in rut

p#v#¢jtan¯

moving around swiftly

vnE

in the forest

ndImana:

roaring aloud

and

nadEn

with the sound itself

patyEy¤:

fell

¢vhÄñman¯

the birds

They   could   catch   elephants   which   are   intoxicated     and   rushing   here   and there   in   the   wilds;   and   could   bring   down   to   the   ground   birds,   through their   roaring   alone   (29).

iISana|   p#s¥ta¢n   hr£Na|   kamã¢pNam¯   .
St|   Stsh*a¢N   y¥Tpana|   mhaÏmnam¯   ¡30¡

iISana|

like these

p#s¥ta¢n

were born

hr£Na|

of the monkeys

kamã¢pNam¯

capable of assuming the shape one desires

St|

a hundred

sh*a¢N

thousands

y¥Tpana|

army chiefs

mhaÏmnam¯

great souls

Thus were born hundred thousands of high-souled apes and hundreds of their leaders, who could assume any form at will (30).
PROCEED TO NEXT SLOKAS RETURN TO PREVIOUS SLOKAS RETURN TO INDEX OF BALA KANDA