The verse and its meaning · Sundarkand · Sundarkand — Rama and the Ocean

The Monkey Army's Strength

Sundarkand 55

ये कपिसब सुग्रीव समाना। इन्ह सम कोटिन्ह गनइ को नाना । रामकृपा अतुलित बल तिन्हहीँ। तृन समान त्रैलोकहि गनहीं ॥१ । अस मैं स्रवन सुना दसकन्धर । पदुम अठारह यूथप बन्दर । नाथ कटक महँ सो कपि नाहीँ। जो न तुम्हहिँ जीतइ रन माहीं ॥२ । परम क्रोध मीजहिँ सब हाथा । आयसु पै न देहि रघुनाथा । सोखहिँ सिन्धु सहित झष ब्याला। पूरहिँ न त भरि कुधर बिसाला ॥३ । मर्दि गर्द मिलवहिँ दससीसा । ऐसइ बचन कहहिँ सब कीसा । गर्जहिँ तर्जहिँ सहज असङ्का । मानहुँ ग्रसन चहत हहिँ लङ्का ॥४ । सहज सूर कपि भालु सब, पुनि सिर पर प्रभु राम । रावन काल कोटि कहँ, जीति सकहिँ संग्राम ॥५५

Meaning · English

Every monkey here equals Sugriva; who could count crores like them? By Rama's grace their strength is beyond measure, and they hold the three worlds as straw. Eighteen padma monkey chiefs, they all rage, awaiting only Rama's order. Born brave, with Rama above them, they could defeat crores of Deaths.

The messenger is answering Ravana's question about the enemy army. He starts with a few words. Kripa means grace, the kindly favour of a lord. Atulita means beyond weighing, with no scale to measure it. Yuthapa means a leader of a troop, and padma is a very large number, so eighteen padma chiefs means a count nobody can finish. Now the clauses. Each monkey is as strong as Sugriva, and there are crores of them. Their strength comes from Rama's grace, so they treat the three worlds as straw. Ravana has heard the count of chiefs, and the messenger adds that no monkey in the camp would fail to beat him in battle. They wring their hands in rage and are held back only because Raghunath has not given the order. They say they would dry up the sea with its fish and serpents, or fill it with mountains. They would grind the ten-headed king into dust. They roar and threaten without fear, as if about to swallow Lanka. The closing doha gives the reason. Monkeys and bears are brave by nature, and Rama stands over their heads. So even crores of Deaths could not stand against them. The messenger is warning Ravana, and the warning rests on two things: their own courage, and the lord who stands behind it.

Picture a tall tree with a huge hive in its branches. Each bee alone is small, yet people walk around that tree. The bees are the monkeys, the tree is Rama, and the hive's strength rests on what it is rooted in.

अर्थ · हिन्दी

In this book

• Before: The Spy's Fearful Answer · Sundarkand 54
• Next: Ravana Laughs at the Letter · Sundarkand 56
• All of Sundarkand · Ask Krishna about it

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