Bala Kanda Sarga 17
Book I : Bala Kanda - The Youthful Majesties
Bala Kanda Sarga 17 in English
Chapter [Sarga] 17 -
Introduction - The gods become progenitors Vanara heroes at the dictate of Brahma to come to the aid of Rama in annihilating Ravana. The Vanara race is procreated by numerous celestials endowing it with peculiar mighty physique and particular power to come to the help of Rama.
1. When Vishnu attained the sonship of the great-souled king Dasharatha, then Brahma the self-created addressed all of the gods this way. [1-17-1]
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]
3. Let vanara progeny equaling Vishnu's valour 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 kinnara-s, she-vidyaadhara-s, she-riksha-s and she-vanaras, and they shall be wizards of miracles and audacious ones, in travel they shall have air's speed, bestowed with intellect they shall be the knowers of ideation, and with their divine physique they shall be ineliminable, they shall be endowed with all the assaultive aspects of all missiles, and they shall be untiring in their efforts, like you who thrive on amrita, the ambrosia, unmindful of thirst and hunger. [1-17-3, 4, 5, 6]
Gandharva-s (Southey's Glendoveers) are celestial musicians inhabiting Indra's heaven and forming the orchestra at all the banquets of the principal deities. Yaksha-s, demigods attendant especially on Kubera, and employed by him in the care of his garden and treasures. Kimpurusha-s, demigods attached also to the service of Kubera, celestial musicians, represented like centaurs reversed with human figures and horses' heads. Siddha-s, are demigods or spirits of undefined attributes, occupying with the Vidyadhara-s the middle air or region between the earth and the sun. Griffith.
7. I have already created the eminent bear Jambavanta in earlier times, as he suddenly came forth from my yawning face. [1-17-7]
This is to say that Brahma has already created such a typical being, namely Jambavanta, prior to all the gods, as a role model in creation.
8. When Brahma addressed them thus, those gods have agreed to his order and accordingly started to parent sons in the semblance of Vanaras [1-17-8]
This pedigree is not yet given the label of monkeys. They are lookalike of monkeys but not monkeys, vaana ruupiNam resembling monkeys, as said in the verse. The word vanara is vane carati iti vanara-s because they range far and wide over forests they are called vanara-s, but not exactly a monkey race.
9. The great-souled celestial groups, namely the sages, siddha-s, vidyadhara-s, charana-s have created valiant sons that are forest rangers. [1-17-9]
10. Indra procreated the lord of vanara-s, namely Vali, who by his physique is like Mt. Mahendra, and the highest humidifier among all the humidifiers, namely the Sun, procreated Sugreeva. [1-17-10]
11. Brihaspati, the Jupiter, gave rise to a great Vanara named Tara, who is the most important one among all vanara-s, and who excels all by his intelligence. [1-17-11]
Tara here is a vanara hero but not Lady Tara, the wife of Vali. Here we have the wording of kapiH the monkey – for these forest rangers for first time.
12. The brilliant Gandhamadana is the son of Kubera, while the divine architect Vishvakarma procreated the great vanara called Nala. [1-17-12]
13. The bright son of Fire is Neela whose blaze is like that of fire and who excels other vanaras by his in resplendence, renown and courage. [1-17-13]
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]
15. The Rain-god procreated the vanara named Susheshana, and Thunder-god gave rise to the great mighty Sharabha. [1-17-15]
16, 17a. The direct son of Air-god is the marvellous 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 vanara chiefs he is the intelligent and the indefatigable one too. [1-17-16, 17a]
Garuda: The bird and vehicle of Vishnu. He is generally represented as a being something between a man and a bird and considered as the sovereign of the feathered race. He may be compared with the Simurgh of the Persians, the Anká of the Arabs, the Griffin of chivalry [without lion's body,] the Phoenix of Egypt, and the bird that sits upon the ash Yggdrasil of the Edda. – Griffith.
17b, 18a. Thus the gods have procreated many thousands of such valorous and guise changing vanaras who with their immeasurable strength and bravery are manifest for the elimination of the decahedral demon Ravana. [1-17-17b, 18a]
18b, 19a. And they with their elephantine, mountainous and prodigious bodies quickly took birth in bears, monkeys, sacred langoors. [1-17-18b, 19a]
19b, 20a. Those that are procreated have attained the shape, getup and valour of the god that has fathered them, and thus the monkey race is procreated separately and individually. [1-17-19b, 20a]
20b, 21a. Some of the vanara-s endowed with superior valour are born to female langoors, and like that some more to female bears and kinnaraa-s. [1-17-20b, 21a]
21b, 22, 23, 24a, b. Several of the gods, great-sages, gandharva-s, eagles, yaksha-s, and the celebrated reptiles, kimpusha-s, siddha-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]
24b, 25a. 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]
25b, 26a. All of them are the assaulters 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]
Rama and Lakshmana will use arrows and missiles as their weaponry in the ensuing final war with Ravana. The vanara soldiers use stones, trees, and their own claws and nails. The golden maces or clubs handled by Hanuman, Sugreeva, and Vali usually depicted in pictures are for more mythical ornamentation to glorify the characters. However, these Vanaras are well versed in the knowledge of such tactical weaponry, only to save themselves from their usage against them, but do not use them necessarily. In Sundara Kanda Hanuma will be tied by a magical weapon called Brahma astra when he is in Lanka. Though knowing the release from that Brahma astra, Hanuman does not utilise that knowledge there.
26b, 27a. They can rock greatest mountains, rip firm rooted trees, and with their speed they can agitate the of lord of rivers, namely the ocean. [1-17-26b, 27a]
27b, 28a. 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]
28b, 29a. They can catch ruttish elephants that tumultuously move in forests, and just with the sound of their blare they make sky flying birds to fall. [1-17-28b, 29a]
29b, 30a. Thus the gods and others have procreated millions of such noble souled Vanaras as the chiefs of warriors who can change their guise at their wish. [1-17-29b, 30a]
30a, 31b. Those vanaras generals who took birth thus became the prominent generals among the principle battalions of vanaras, and they have also procreated brave vanaras on their own. [1-17-30a, 31b]
31b, 32a. 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]
32b, 33. All of the vanaras stood by the brothers, namely the son of Indra Vali, and the son of sun Sugreeva, and even with the monkey generals like Nala, Neela and Hanuman et al. [1-17-32b, 33]
34. All of those who are well-versed in warfare and endowed with the might of divine eagle Garuda, used to thwart the pride of lions, tigers and great snakes just by their own prideful subjugation while they move about the forests. [1-17-34]
35. He who is adroit, extremely mighty, and highly indomitable, that Vali protected bears, langoors, and monkeys just by the strength of his arms. [1-17-35]
36. The earth with its mountains, forests and oceanward places is overspread with those brave ones that possess diverse physiques and peculiar indication marks of their stock. [1-17-36]
37. The earth is thus suffused 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]
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे बालकाण्डे सप्तदशः सर्गः ॥१-१७॥
पुत्रत्वम् तु गते विष्णौ राज्ञः तस्य महात्मनः । उवाच देवताः सर्वाः स्वयंभूः भगवान् इदम् ॥१-१७-१॥
सत्य संधस्य वीरस्य सर्वेषाम् नो हितैषिणः । विष्णोः सहायान् बलिनः सृजध्वम् काम रूपिणः ॥१-१७-२॥
माया विदः च शूराम् च वायु वेग समान् जवे । नयज्ञान् बुद्धि संपन्नान् विष्णु तुल्य पराक्रमान् ॥१-१७-३॥
असंहार्यान् उपायज्ञान् दिव्य संहनन अन्वितान् । सर्व अस्त्र गुण संपन्नानन् अमृत प्राशनान् इव ॥१-१७-४॥
अप्सरस्सु च मुख्यासु गन्धर्वाणाम् तनूषु च । यक्ष पन्नग कन्यासु ऋक्ष विद्याधरीषु च ॥१-१७-५॥
किंनरीणाम् च गात्रेषु वानरीनाम् तनूसु च । सृजध्वम् हरि रूपेण पुत्रान् तुल्य पराक्रमान् ॥१-१७-६॥
पूर्वम् एव मया सृष्टो जांबवान् ऋक्ष पुङ्गवः । जृंभमाणस्य सहसा मम वक्रात् अजायत ॥१-१७-७॥
ते तथा उक्ताः भगवता तत् प्रति श्रुत्य शासनम् । जनयामासुः एवम् ते पुत्रान् वानर रूपिणः ॥१-१७-८॥
ऋषयः च महात्मानः सिद्ध विद्याधर उरगाः । चारणाः च सुतान् वीरान् ससृजुः वन चारिणः ॥१-१७-९॥
वानरेन्द्रम् महेन्द्र आभम् इन्द्रः वालिनम् आत्मजम् । सुग्रीवम् जनयामास तपनः तपताम् वरः ॥१-१७-१०॥
बृहस्पतिः तु अजनयत् तारम् नाम महा कपिम् । सर्व वानर मुख्यानाम् बुद्धिमन्तम् अनुत्तमम् ॥१-१७-११॥
धनदस्य सुतः श्रीमान् वानरो गन्धमादनः । विश्वकर्मा तु अजनयन् नलम् नाम महा कपिम् ॥१-१७-१२॥
पावकस्य सुतः श्रीमान् नीलः अग्नि सदृश प्रभः । तेजसा यशसा वीर्यात् अत्यरिच्यत वीर्यवान् ॥१-१७-१३॥
रूप द्रविण संपन्नौ अश्विनौ रूपसंमतौ । मैन्दम् च द्विविदम् च एव जनयामासतुः स्वयम् ॥१-१७-१४॥
वरुणो जनयामास सुषेणम् नाम वानरम् । शरभम् जनयामास पर्जन्यः तु महाबलः ॥१-१७-१५॥
मारुतस्य औरसः श्रीमान् हनुमान् नाम वानरः । वज्र संहननोपेतो वैनतेय समः जवे ॥१-१७-१६॥
सर्व वानर मुख्येषु बुद्धिमान् बलवान् अपि । ते सृष्टा बहु साहस्रा दशग्रीव वधे उद्यताः ॥१-१७-१७॥
अप्रमेय बला वीरा विक्रान्ताः काम रूपिणः । ते गज अचल संकाशा वपुष्मंतो महाबलाः ॥१-१७-१८॥
ऋक्ष वानर गोपुच्छाः क्षिप्रम् एव अभिजज्ञिरे । यस्य देवस्य यद् रूपम् वेषो यः च पराक्रमः ॥१-१७-१९॥
अजायत समम् तेन तस्य तस्य पृथक् पृथक् । गोलान्गूलेषु च उत्पन्नाः किंचिद् उन्नत विक्रमाः ॥१-१७-२०॥
ऋक्षीषु च तथा जाता वानराः किंनरीषु च । देवा महर्षि गन्धर्वाः तार्क्ष्य यक्षा यशस्विनः ॥१-१७-२१॥
नागाः किम्पुरुषाः च एव सिद्ध विद्याधर उरगाः । बहवो जनयामासुः हृष्टाः तत्र सहस्रशः ॥१-१७-२२॥
चारणाः च सुतान् वीरान् ससृजुः वन चारिणः । वानरान् सु महाकायान् सर्वान् वै वन चारिणः ॥१-१७-२३॥
अप्सरस्सु च मुख्यासु तदा विद्यधरीषु च । नाग कन्यासु च तदा गन्धर्वीणाम् तनूषु च । काम रूप बलोपेता यथा काम विचारिणः ॥१-१७-२४॥
सिंह शार्दूल सदृशा दर्पेण च बलेन च । शिला प्रहरणाः सर्वे सर्वे पर्वत योधिनः ॥१-१७-२५॥
नख दन्ष्ट्र आयुधाः सर्वे सर्वे सर्व अस्त्र कोविदाः । विचाल येयुः शैलेन्द्रान् भेद येयुः स्थिरान् द्रुमान् ॥१-१७-२६॥
क्षोभ येयुः च वेगेन समुद्रम् सरिताम् पतिम् । दार येयुः क्षितिम् पद्भ्याम् आप्लवेयुः महा अर्णवन् ॥१-१७-२७॥
नभस्थलम् विशेयुर् च गृह्णीयुर् अपि तोयदान् । गृह्णीयुर् अपि मातंगान् मत्तान् प्रव्रजतो वने ॥१-१७-२८॥
नर्दमानाः च नादेन पात येयुः विहंगमान् । ईदृशानाम् प्रसूतानि हरीणाम् काम रूपिणाम् ॥१-१७-२९॥
शतम् शत सहस्राणि यूथपानाम् महात्मनाम् । ते प्रधानेषु यूथेषु हरीणाम् हरियूथपाः ॥१-१७-३०॥
बभूवुर् यूथप श्रेष्ठान् वीराम् च अजनयन् हरीन् । अन्ये ऋक्षवतः प्रस्थान् उपतस्थुः सहस्रशः ॥१-१७-३१॥
अन्ये नाना विधान् शैलान् काननानि च भेजिरे । सूर्य पुत्रम् च सुग्रीवम् शक्र पुत्रम् च वालिनम् ॥१-१७-३२॥
भ्रातरौ उपतस्थुः ते सर्वे च हरि यूथपाअः । नलम् नीलम् हनूमन्तम् अन्यांश्च हरि यूथपान् ॥१-१७-३३॥
ते तार्क्ष्य बल संपन्नाः सर्वे युद्ध विशारदाः । विचरन्तोऽर्दयन् सर्वान् सिंह व्याघ्र महोरगान् ॥१-१७-३४॥
महाबलो महाबाहुः वाली विपुल विक्रमः । जुगोप भुज वीर्येण ऋक्ष गोपुच्छ वानरान् ॥१-१७-३५॥
तैः इयम् पृध्वी शूरैः सपर्वत वन अर्णवा । कीर्णा विविध संस्थानैः नाना व्यंजन लक्षणैः ॥१-१७-३६॥
तैः मेघ बृन्दाचल कूट संनिभैः महाबलैः वानर यूथप अधिपैः । बभूव भूः भीम शरीर रूपैः समावृता राम सहाय हेतोः ॥१-१७-३७॥
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये बालकाण्डे सप्तदशः सर्गः ॥१-१७॥