रामायणम् — किष्किन्धाकाण्डम्

Summary AI Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa reach the shores of Lake Pampā at the start of spring. The flowering karṇikāra trees and the scent of lotuses remind Rāma of the abducted Sītā. He observes peacocks and birds, finding the cool breeze painful in his solitude. After lamenting his loss, Rāma walks toward Mount Ṛṣyamūka. Seeing the armed brothers, the resident monkeys retreat in fear and watch the strangers from the heights.

४.२

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे द्वितीयः सर्गः

Sugrīva sends Hanumān to identify two strangers.

Summary AI Sugrīva watches two armed men approach and retreats to a higher peak with his ministers. The monkeys leap across the ridges of Mount Ṛṣyamūka, scaring the local wildlife. Fearing the strangers are spies sent by Vālin, Sugrīva remains agitated despite Hanumān’s reassurances. He commands Hanumān to assume a humble form and engage the warriors. By studying their expressions and speech, Hanumān must determine their intentions. The counselor departs to meet them.

४.३

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे तृतीयः सर्गः

Hanumān meets Rāma and proposes an alliance.

Summary AI Hanumān leaps from Mount Ṛṣyamūka to approach the brothers. Disguised as a mendicant, he asks why warriors with lotus-petal eyes and heavy bows wander the woods as ascetics. He likens their weapons to rainbows and golden serpents. Hanumān identifies himself as the son of Vāyu and minister to the exiled Sugrīva, proposing a pact of friendship. Impressed by the monkey’s speech, Rāma asks Lakṣmaṇa to respond with kindness to their visitor.

४.४

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे चतुर्थः सर्गः

Hanumān leads the brothers to Sugrīva.

Summary AI Hanumān questions the brothers about their journey through the Pampā forest. Lakṣmaṇa describes Rāma’s exile from Ayodhyā and the abduction of Sītā, explaining that the demon Kabandha directed them to seek Sugrīva. Seeing that both parties suffer from lost kingdoms and stolen wives, Hanumān promises the monkey king’s assistance. The son of Vāyu then conducts the two brothers toward the summit of Mount Ṛṣyamūka to meet Sugrīva.

४.५

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे पञ्चमः सर्गः

Rāma and Sugrīva form an alliance by fire.

Summary AI Hanumān travels to the Malaya mountain to introduce Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa to Sugrīva. He explains Rāma’s lineage from the Ikṣvāku dynasty and the search for his abducted wife. Sugrīva sheds his fear, takes human form, and extends his hand to forge an alliance. Rāma grasps his hand and embraces him. Hanumān kindles a fire from wood, and the two allies perform a pradakṣiṇam around the flames to seal their bond as vayasya.

४.६

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे षष्ठः सर्गः

Sugrīva shows Sītā’s ornaments to Rāma.

Summary AI Sugrīva promises to recover Sītā. He fetches a bundle of ornaments and a silk garment from a mountain cave, which Sītā dropped while Rāvaṇa carried her away. Rāma recognizes the jewelry and collapses in grief. He presses the tokens to his chest and hisses with rage like a provoked serpent, demanding the location of the demon to exact revenge. Sugrīva remains by his side as the prince mourns.

४.७

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे सप्तमः सर्गः

Sugrīva comforts Rāma and pledges support.

Summary AI Sugrīva offers an añjali and promises to find Maithilī. He admits he knows nothing of the demon’s lineage but urges Rāma to regain his dhṛti. The monkey shares his own experience of loss to encourage composure. Rāma wipes his tears with his garment and embraces Sugrīva. He pledges his support and vows never to speak an untruth. Hearing this, Sugrīva and his ministers feel their own goals are already achieved.

४.८

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे अष्टमः सर्गः

Sugrīva seeks help against Vālin.

Summary AI Sugrīva affirms his alliance with Rāma. After breaking a flowering śāla branch to create a seat for Rāma, Sugrīva recounts his humiliation. He explains how his brother Vālin seized his wife and exiled him to the mountains. Rāma promises to strike Vālin with gold-decked arrows. Heartened by this vow, Sugrīva wipes away his tears and begins to detail the specific origins of their long-standing enmity.

४.९

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे नवमः सर्गः

Sugrīva recounts the conflict with Vālin.

Summary AI The demon Māyāvin challenges Vālin to a midnight duel at the gates of Kiṣkindhā. Vālin pursues the foe into a deep cavern, commanding Sugrīva to stand guard at the entrance. After a year, blood flows from the cave. Sugrīva seals the opening with a massive stone, performs funeral rites, and accepts the crown. Vālin eventually emerges alive after slaying the demon. Seeing Sugrīva on the throne, he views the kingship as betrayal and reacts with fury.

४.१०

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे दशमः सर्गः

Sugrīva describes his exile to Rāma.

Summary AI Sugrīva offers the royal parasol and cāmara to Vālin, but his brother rejects the peace offering. Before the ministers, Vālin recounts killing the demon Māyāvin and breaking through the boulder Sugrīva used to seal the cave. Believing his brother stole the throne, Vālin banishes him and seizes his wife, Rumā. Sugrīva flees to Mount Ṛṣyamūka. Upon hearing this, Rāma pledges to strike Vālin with sharp arrows and end Sugrīva’s exile.

४.११

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे एकादशः सर्गः

Rāma demonstrates his strength to Sugrīva.

Summary AI Sugrīva recounts Vālin’s feats, describing how the monkey king once battled the buffalo demon Dundubhi. After the demon challenged the ocean and Mount Himavat, he arrived at Kiṣkindhā. Vālin seized the buffalo by the horns, struck him down, and hurled the carcass. This act led to a curse from the sage Mataṅga when blood defiled his grove. Rāma proves his strength by using his toe to flick the massive skeleton across ten yojana-s.

४.१२

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे द्वादशः सर्गः

Lakṣmaṇa marks Sugrīva with a vine.

Summary AI Rāma pierces seven śāla trees and the mountain earth with a single arrow to prove his strength. Sugrīva challenges Vālin to a duel, but Rāma cannot distinguish the identical brothers and withholds his shot. Beaten, Sugrīva retreats. To prevent further confusion, Lakṣmaṇa ties a flowering gajapuṣpī vine around Sugrīva’s neck. Thus marked like a cloud garlanded by cranes, Sugrīva returns to the city to face his brother once more.

४.१३

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे त्रयोदशः सर्गः

Rāma visits the Saptajana hermitage.

Summary AI Rāma and Sugrīva travel toward Kiṣkindhā accompanied by Lakṣmaṇa and the monkey leaders. Along the route, they observe wild elephants and lotus-filled tanks. Sugrīva identifies the Saptajana hermitage, where seven sages performed austerities and ascended to heaven. The site remains guarded by spiritual power, marked by the smoke of sacred fires and celestial sounds. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa offer an añjali in reverence. The party then arrives at the city ruled by Vālin.

४.१४

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे चतुर्दशः सर्गः

Sugrīva challenges Vālin at Kiṣkindhā.

Summary AI Upon reaching the gates of Kiṣkindhā, Lakṣmaṇa fastens a gaja creeper around Sugrīva’s neck for identification. Rāma pledges to kill Vālin with a single arrow, citing his previous feat of piercing seven śāla trees. Encouraged, Sugrīva lets out a roar that scatters the forest deer and brings birds to the ground. This challenge echoes like crashing sea waves, summoning Vālin from the city to face his rival.

४.१५

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे पञ्चदशः सर्गः

Tārā advises Vālin against the duel.

Summary AI Sugrīva’s roar reaches the inner apartments. Enraged, Vālin strides out with eyes like flaming fire. Tārā catches him in an embrace, pleading for caution. She warns that Sugrīva’s renewed confidence signals a powerful ally. Citing reports from Aṅgada, she identifies this protector as Rāma, a sheltering tree for the distressed. She urges Vālin to abandon the feud, crown his brother as yauvarājya, and seek peace.

४.१६

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे षोडशः सर्गः

Rāma shoots Vālin during the duel.

Summary AI Vālin rejects Tārā’s warnings and marches from the city. He finds Sugrīva waiting. The brothers bind their garments and exchange blows with clenched fists. Sugrīva uproots a śāla tree to strike Vālin, who staggers. As Sugrīva’s strength fails, Rāma releases an arrow resembling a venomous snake. The shaft pierces Vālin’s chest, and he falls to the earth like a toppled indradhvaja banner.

४.१७

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे सप्तदशः सर्गः

Vālin questions Rāma’s concealed strike.

Summary AI Vālin collapses as Rāma’s arrow pierces his chest. Adorned with Indra’s golden mālā, the monkey king lies on the earth like a fallen celestial banner. As Rāma approaches, the wounded Vālin denounces the prince for striking from concealment. He challenges the ethics of a kṣatriya who kills a forest-dweller while hidden. Vālin asserts he could have retrieved Sītā himself, then falls silent as the pain overpowers him.

४.१८

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे अष्टादशः सर्गः

Rāma justifies the execution of Vālin.

Summary AI Rāma justifies his actions to Vālin, explaining that the Ikṣvāku kings govern the earth to enforce dharma. He cites Vālin’s seizure of his brother’s wife as a transgression of smṛti requiring the death penalty. Comparing the monkey to forest game, Rāma defends his use of a concealed arrow. Vālin accepts these legal arguments and seeks protection for his son Aṅgada. Purged of sins through punishment, the monkey king asks for Rāma’s forgiveness.

४.१९

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे एकोनविंशः सर्गः

Tārā mourns over the dying Vālin.

Summary AI Vālin lies dying on the forest floor. His wife Tārā rushes from the mountain caves and meets her panicked guards fleeing the battlefield. The monkeys urge her to secure the city and crown Aṅgada, but she rejects the kingdom to reach her husband's side. Finding Vālin fallen, she collapses in grief. Her cries move Sugrīva to remorse as he watches the queen and the young prince mourning their loss.

४.२०

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे विंशः सर्गः

Tārā resolves to fast after Vālin’s death.

Summary AI Tārā finds Vālin on the ground, pierced by Rāma’s arrow. She embraces his body, comparing the fallen king to an uprooted tree. Lamenting his silence, she claims he now favors the earth over her. She calls for their son, Aṅgada, to look upon his father one last time and asks Vālin to speak a final word. As other monkey women join the mourning, Tārā sits by her husband's side, intending to fast until death.

४.२१

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे एकविंशः सर्गः

Hanumān consoles the grieving Tārā.

Summary AI Hanumān approaches Tārā as she falls in grief beside Vālin’s body. He describes the human frame as a fragile bubble and speaks of the inescapable fruits of action. To steady her, he proposes the cremation of the king and the consecration of Aṅgada to the throne. Tārā rejects this counsel, asserting that a wife’s place remains with her husband even in death. She leaves the care of the kingdom to Sugrīva, staying by the fallen hero.

४.२२

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे द्वाविंशः सर्गः

Vālin entrusts his kingdom to Sugrīva.

Summary AI Breathing feebly, Vālin watches Sugrīva stand before the weeping Aṅgada. He blames fate for their conflict and asks Sugrīva to guard Aṅgada like a father. Vālin praises the wisdom of Tārā, urging his brother to follow her advice and serve Rāma. He transfers his divine golden mālā to Sugrīva, who accepts it in grief. Vālin instructs Aṅgada to remain loyal to the new king. As Vālin dies, Tārā collapses onto his body.

४.२३

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे त्रयोविंशः सर्गः

Nīla removes the arrow from Vālin.

Summary AI Tārā embraces the fallen king, lamenting his preference for the soil. Blood and dust cover his limbs as Nīla pulls the glowing arrow from his chest. Red streams pour from the wound like minerals from a mountain. Tārā instructs Aṅgada to touch his father’s feet in final salutation. Even as life departs, a royal luster clings to the king, though the golden mālā gifted by Indra is no longer visible.

४.२४

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे चतुर्विंशः सर्गः

The monkeys perform Vālin’s funeral rites.

Summary AI Rāma urges Sugrīva to accept the inevitability of kāla and fulfill his duty. Following Lakṣmaṇa’s instructions, the monkeys prepare a śibikā adorned with garlands and clothes. Sugrīva and Aṅgada carry Vālin toward the riverbank while scattering gems. After Tārā offers a final lament, Aṅgada places the body upon a sandalwood pyre and ignites the flames. The assembly then gathers at the water’s edge to offer libations for the departed king.

४.२५

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे पञ्चविंशः सर्गः

Sugrīva is consecrated as King.

Summary AI Sugrīva gathers with his ministers after funeral rites. Hanumān invites Rāma to enter the city, but Rāma declines to uphold the exile decree. He instructs the monkeys to crown Sugrīva and appoint Aṅgada as yuvarāja. While Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa retreat to a mountain cave for the rainy season, Sugrīva enters Kiṣkindhā. Leaders like Hanumān and Jāmbavān anoint him with consecrated waters from golden jars. Sugrīva regains his kingdom and his wife, Rumā.

४.२६

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे षड्विंशः सर्गः

Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa dwell on Prasravaṇa.

Summary AI Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa dwell in a cave on the peak of Mount Prasravaṇa. The slopes echo with the roars of lions among thickets of vines and clear pools. Rāma spends nights grieving for his wife until Lakṣmaṇa encourages him to summon strength. Agreeing to set aside sorrow, Rāma waits through the prāvṛṣ rains. He remains on the mountain for four months, preparing to move against Rāvaṇa when the śarat season begins.

४.२७

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे सप्तविंशः सर्गः

Rāma describes the monsoon at Mālyavān.

Summary AI Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa dwell on Mount Mālyavān as the monsoon begins. Dark clouds cover the sky, and lightning flashes, reminding Rāma of Sītā in the lap of Rāvaṇa. Peacocks dance and balākā birds fly in rows like white garlands. While the rain halts the expeditions of kings and scholars chant the Veda, Rāma suffers the pangs of separation. He decides to wait for autumn before asking Sugrīva to begin the search.

४.२८

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे अष्टाविंशः सर्गः

Hanumān urges Sugrīva to aid Rāma.

Summary AI The clear autumn sky reminds Rāma of his grief while Sugrīva remains distracted by palace life. Hanumān approaches the monkey king, urging him to repay his debt to his ally. He warns that a king who misses the season for action loses the merit of his deeds. Acknowledging his duty, Sugrīva orders Nīla to mobilize the monkey armies from every direction. He decrees that any leader failing to arrive within fifteen days will face death.

४.२९

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे एकोनत्रिंशः सर्गः

Rāma sends a warning to Sugrīva.

Summary AI Autumn arrives with clear skies and the cries of cakravāka birds, sharpening Rāma’s grief. While the monsoon clouds retreat, Sugrīva remains immersed in pleasure, neglecting his promise. Rāma reminds Lakṣmaṇa that the rainy season has passed and the time for military expeditions has come. He commands his brother to enter Kiṣkindhā with a warning: the path of death taken by Vālin remains open for those who ignore their samaya.

४.३०

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे त्रिंशः सर्गः

Lakṣmaṇa arrives at Kiṣkindhā in anger.

Summary AI Lakṣmaṇa expresses fury at Sugrīva’s neglect. Rāma urges restraint, advising his brother to use gentle words. Wielding a bow resembling a mountain peak, Lakṣmaṇa strides toward Kiṣkindhā, crushing stones. His presence terrifies the monkey guards, who flee from his gaze. He stands at the gates like a five-headed serpent. Inside, ministers rouse Sugrīva, urging him to honor his pact and face the prince who waits at the entrance.

४.३१

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे एकत्रिंशः सर्गः

Hanumān advises Sugrīva to reconcile with Rāma.

Summary AI Sugrīva gathers his counselors to address the arrival of Lakṣmaṇa. While the king maintains he has caused no offense, Hanumān identifies his neglect. He points to the flowering saptacchada trees and clear skies as signs that the season for campaigning has begun. Hanumān advises Sugrīva to abandon his distractions and seek reconciliation through an añjali greeting. This acknowledges Rāma’s role in slaying Vālin and reaffirms the monkey king’s commitment.

४.३२

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे द्वात्रिंशः सर्गः

Lakṣmaṇa enters Sugrīva’s inner palace.

Summary AI Lakṣmaṇa enters the cave city of Kiṣkindhā, passing guards who retreat from his anger. He walks through streets lined with jewel-encrusted mansions, reaching the inner enclosures of the royal palace. Inside, the sound of tāntrī-gīta music fills the air. He finds Sugrīva seated upon a kāñcana-āsana beside his wife Rumā, surrounded by women. Witnessing this indulgence while Rāma waits, Lakṣmaṇa’s eyes redden with the intensity of Yama.

४.३३

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे त्रयस्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Lakṣmaṇa rebukes Sugrīva for his delay.

Summary AI Lakṣmaṇa enters the inner palace, his face glowing with indignation over Rāma’s grief. Sugrīva springs from his golden throne to offer an añjali. Lakṣmaṇa condemns his indulgence in worldly pleasures. Citing ancient verses on the sin of ingratitude, Lakṣmaṇa warns the king that the path taken by the slain Vālin remains open for those who break their word. He demands immediate action in the search for Sītā.

४.३४

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे चतुस्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Tārā pacifies Lakṣmaṇa’s anger.

Summary AI Tārā approaches Lakṣmaṇa to defend Sugrīva’s loyalty. She explains that while the king was distracted by pleasures, like the ṛṣi Viśvāmitra with the apsaras Ghṛtācī, he remains grateful for Rāma’s help. She asserts that Sugrīva has already summoned the vānara hosts to confront the rākṣasa armies in Laṅkā. Tārā pledges the king’s life to the cause and urges Lakṣmaṇa to cool his anger, which terrifies the palace women.

४.३५

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे पञ्चत्रिंशः सर्गः

Sugrīva apologizes and pledges aid to Rāma.

Summary AI Lakṣmaṇa accepts the words of Tārā, prompting Sugrīva to cast off his fear. The king credits his kingdom to Rāma’s grace. He recounts Rāma’s strength in piercing the sapta mahādrumāḥ with a single arrow and asks for pardon for his delay. Pleased, Lakṣmaṇa praises the king’s gratitude. He asks Sugrīva to depart at once to comfort the grieving Rāma and offers an apology for his own harsh words.

४.३६

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे षट्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Sugrīva summons the monkey hosts.

Summary AI Sugrīva commands Hanumān to summon the monkey hosts from across the earth. Messengers travel to the peaks of Himavat and Vindhya, ordering leaders to arrive within ten days or face execution. Legions appearing like dark clouds gather in Kiṣkindhā. Some messengers retrieve medicinal auṣadha from an ancient sacrificial site of Maheśvara. They present these offerings to Sugrīva, reporting that the vast armies have assembled to serve his command.

४.३७

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे सप्तत्रिंशः सर्गः

Sugrīva leads the assembled army to Rāma.

Summary AI Sugrīva leaves his palace in a golden palanquin alongside Lakṣmaṇa. Accompanied by white umbrellas and the sound of conches, he travels to the forest to meet Rāma. Upon arrival, Sugrīva and his army prostrate before the prince. Rāma embraces him and provides counsel on balancing dharma, artha, and kāma. Sugrīva reports that millions of monkeys and bears are assembling to find Sītā. Seeing this, Rāma’s face brightens.

४.३८

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे अष्टात्रिंशः सर्गः

The monkey leaders present their forces.

Summary AI Rāma embraces Sugrīva, praising his loyalty. Immense clouds of dust blanket the sky as monkey hosts arrive from every quarter. Warriors such as Śatavali, Kesari, and Hanumān lead millions of followers with coats the color of gold and white clouds. The leaders offer salutations to Sugrīva, who presents the assembled vānara forces to Rāma. The troops then station themselves among mountain streams and forests to prepare for conflict.

४.३९

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे एकोनचत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Sugrīva sends Vinata to the east.

Summary AI Sugrīva presents his massive vānara army to Rāma and accepts command of the search. He orders the leader Vinata to march eastward with a hundred thousand monkeys. They must scour the banks of the Bhāgīrathī and Yamunā, the kingdoms of Magadha and Vaṅga, and Yavadvīpa. Sugrīva details landmarks like the Milky Ocean and the fiery vaḍavāmukha. The scouts have one month to locate Sītā or face execution.

४.४०

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे चत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Sugrīva sends Aṅgada and Hanumān south.

Summary AI Sugrīva dispatches a southern search party led by Aṅgada and Hanumān. He describes a route passing the Narmadā and Godāvarī, the Daṇḍaka forest, and the kingdoms of the Coḷas and Pāṇḍyas. The monkeys must visit Mount Malaya to honor Agastya before reaching the Pāṇḍya capital. Beyond the sea lies Rāvaṇa’s island. Sugrīva warns of the shadow-catching ogress Aṅgārakā and sets a one-month deadline for their return.

४.४१

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे एकचत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Sugrīva sends Susheṇa to the west.

Summary AI Sugrīva commands Susheṇa to lead monkey troops toward the western horizon. They search through the cities of Saurāṣṭra and Bāhlīka before reaching the confluence of the Sindhu and the ocean. The party must navigate the peaks of Hemagiri and avoid the fierce gandharva guardians of Pāriyātra. After exploring Mount Meru and the city of Prāgjyotiṣa, the monkeys must consult the sage Merusāvarṇi. Sugrīva sets a one-month deadline.

४.४२

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे द्विचत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Sugrīva sends Śatavali to the north.

Summary AI Sugrīva sends Śatavali and a vast army to search the northern lands. They travel past the Kuru and Kāmboja tribes to reach the snowy Himavat. The search spans the peaks of Sudarśana and the desolation near Mount Kailāsa. After passing the hermitages of the Siddhas, the monkeys enter Uttarakuru, a region of golden lotuses. This expedition concludes at Somagiri, marking the limit of the known world where the sun no longer shines.

४.४३

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे त्रिचत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Rāma gives Hanumān his signet ring.

Summary AI Sugrīva identifies Hanumān as the most capable messenger, comparing his speed to his father, Vāyu. Observing this trust, Rāma hands Hanumān a signet ring, or aṅgulīyam, inscribed with his name. This token allows Sītā to recognize Hanumān as a legitimate envoy. Hanumān places the ring on his forehead, bows at Rāma’s feet, and sets out. Leading the vānara army, he begins the search toward the south.

४.४४

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे चतुश्चत्वारिंशः सर्गः

The monkey armies depart in four directions.

Summary AI Following Sugrīva’s command, monkey armies spread across the earth. Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa remain on Prasravaṇa mountain to await the month’s deadline. Śatavali marches north, Vinata heads east, and Susheṇa travels west. Hanumān, Aṅgada, and Tāra depart for the south. The leaders vow to uproot trees, cleave the earth, and leap over a hundred yojana-s. They promise to kill Rāvaṇa and rescue Sītā as they gallop toward the horizons.

४.४५

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे पञ्चचत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Sugrīva explains his knowledge of geography.

Summary AI Sugrīva recounts his journey across the earth to Rāma. After mistaking blood from a cave for the death of Vālin, Sugrīva blocked the entrance. Upon Vālin’s return, Sugrīva fled through every cardinal direction. He describes the world passing by like a whirling firebrand, an alātacakra. Guided by Hanumān, he took refuge on Mount Ṛṣyamūka, where a curse by the sage Mataṅga prevents Vālin from entering.

४.४६

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे षट्चत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Scouts return after failing to find Sītā.

Summary AI The vānara leaders depart in all directions, scouring mountains and riverbeds. They search through caves and thickets for a month. Vinata, Śatavali, and Susheṇa eventually return to Mount Prasravaṇa, reporting their unsuccessful efforts across the north, east, and west to Sugrīva and Rāma. Having explored every valley in their assigned quarters, they place their remaining hope in Hanumān, who travels the direction where Sītā was carried.

४.४७

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे सप्तचत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Aṅgada kills a demon in the forest.

Summary AI Hanumān, Aṅgada, and Tāra lead the monkeys through the Vindhya caves. They enter a desolate forest cursed by the sage Kaṇḍu, where trees bear no fruit. In this landscape, they encounter a mountain-like demon. Mistaking him for Rāvaṇa, Aṅgada strikes the creature, killing him instantly. Despite their efforts, the search for Sītā remains unsuccessful, leaving the group exhausted as they prepare to move to another cave.

४.४८

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे अष्टचत्वारिंशः सर्गः

Aṅgada leads the search in the Vindhyas.

Summary AI Aṅgada gathers the exhausted search party in the Vindhya range. He warns of Sugrīva’s strict punishments and urges his companions to discard sleep. Supported by Gandhamādana, the monkeys climb a mountain to inspect groves of lodhra and saptaparṇa trees. Finding no sign of Sītā, they descend to the foothills. After resting briefly, Hanumān and the leaders resume their search through the southern caverns and forests.

४.४९

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे एकोनपञ्चाशः सर्गः

Monkeys discover a golden city in a cave.

Summary AI Hanumān leads the monkeys through the Vindhya range until they encounter a dark cave. Seeing swans emerging with wet wings, the group enters the tunnel. They walk a yojana through darkness before reaching a hidden grove of golden trees and palaces built of silver and gems. In this silent city filled with food, they find an ascetic woman dressed in deer skin. Hanumān greets the tāpasī and asks who owns these treasures.

४.५०

किष्किन्धाकाण्डे पञ्चाशः सर्गः

Svayamprabhā hosts the monkeys in the cave.

Summary AI The vānara-s enter a dark cave and discover a hidden city of gold. They encounter the ascetic Svayamprabhā clad in a kṛṣṇājina. She explains that the dānava Maya constructed these golden trees and jeweled palaces through māyā before Indra slew him. This realm now belongs to the apsaras Hemā. Svayamprabhā, the daughter of Merusāvarṇi, guards the site and offers the group food and water from the clear pools.

Other texts to read

किरातार्जुनीयम् भारविः

कुमारसंभवम् कालिदासः

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