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Valmiki Ramayana 4.42

Vālmīkirāmāyaṇa 4.42

Language
Sanskrit

4.42.1

tataḥ saṃdiśya sugrīvaḥ śvaśuraṃ paścimāṃ diśam
vīraṃ śatabaliṃ nāma vānaraṃ vānararṣabhaḥ

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.2

uvāca rājā mantrajñaḥ sarvavānarasaṃmatam
vākyam ātmahitaṃ caiva rāmasya ca hitaṃ tathā

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.3

vṛtaḥ śatasahasreṇa tvadvidhānāṃ vanaukasām
vaivasvata sutaiḥ sārdhaṃ pratiṣṭhasva svamantribhiḥ

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.4

diśaṃ hy udīcīṃ vikrāntāṃ himaśailāvataṃsakām
sarvataḥ parimārgadhvaṃ rāmapatnīm aninditām

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.5

asmin kārye vinivṛtte kṛte dāśaratheḥ priye
ṛṇān muktā bhaviṣyāmaḥ kṛtārthārthavidāṃ varāḥ

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.6

kṛtaṃ hi priyam asmākaṃ rāghaveṇa mahātmanā
tasya cet pratikāro 'sti saphalaṃ jīvitaṃ bhavet

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.7

etāṃ buddhiṃ samāsthāya dṛśyate jānakī yathā
tathā bhavadbhiḥ kartavyam asmatpriyahitaiṣibhiḥ

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.8

ayaṃ hi sarvabhūtānāṃ mānyas tu narasattamaḥ
asmāsu cāgataprītī rāmaḥ parapuraṃjayaḥ

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.9

imāni vanadurgāṇi nadyaḥ śailāntarāṇi ca
bhavantaḥ parimārgaṃs tu buddhivikramasaṃpadā

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.10

tatra mlecchān pulindāṃś ca śūrasenāṃs tathaiva ca
prasthālān bharatāṃś caiva kurūṃś ca saha madrakaiḥ

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.11

kāmbojān yavanāṃś caiva śakān āraṭṭakān api
bāhlīkān ṛṣikāṃś caiva pauravān atha ṭaṅkaṇān

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.12

cīnān paramacīnāṃś ca nīhārāṃś ca punaḥ punaḥ
anviṣya daradāṃś caiva himavantaṃ vicinvatha

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.13

lodhrapadmakaṣaṇḍeṣu devadāruvaneṣu ca
rāvaṇaḥ saha vaidehya mārgitavyas tatas tataḥ

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.14

tataḥ somāśramaṃ gatvā devagandharvasevitam
kālaṃ nāma mahāsānuṃ parvataṃ taṃ gamiṣyatha

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.15

mahatsu tasya śṛṅgeṣu nirdareṣu guhāsu ca
vicinudhvaṃ mahābhāgāṃ rāmapatnīṃ yaśasvinīm

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.16

tam atikramya śailendraṃ hemavargaṃ mahāgirim
tataḥ sudarśanaṃ nāma parvataṃ gantum arhatha

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.17

tasya kānanaṣaṇḍeṣu nirdareṣu guhāsu ca
rāvaṇaḥ saha vaidehyā mārgitavyas tatas tataḥ

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.18

tam atikramya cākāśaṃ sarvataḥ śatayojanam
aparvatanadī vṛkṣaṃ sarvasattvavivarjitam

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.19

taṃ tu śīghram atikramya kāntāraṃ romaharṣaṇam
kailāsaṃ pāṇḍuraṃ śailaṃ prāpya hṛṣṭā bhaviṣyatha

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.20

tatra pāṇḍurameghābhaṃ jāmbūnadapariṣkṛtam
kuberabhavanaṃ divyaṃ nirmitaṃ viśvakarmaṇā

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.21

viśālā nalinī yatra prabhūtakamalotpalā
haṃsakāraṇḍavākīrṇā apsarogaṇasevitā

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.22

tatra vaiśravaṇo rājā sarvabhūtanamaskṛtaḥ
dhanado ramate śrīmān guhyakaiḥ saha yakṣarāṭ

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

4.42.23

tasya candranikaśeṣu parvateṣu guhāsu ca
rāvaṇaḥ saha vaidehyā mārgitavyas tatas tataḥ

Forth went the legions of the west:
And wise Sugríva addressed
S'atabal, summoned from the crowd.
To whom the sovereign cried aloud:
'Go forth, O Vánarf, go forth,
Explore the regions of the north.
Thy host a hundred thousand be,
And Yama's sons attend on thee.
With dauntless courage, strength, and skill
Search every river, wood, and hill.
Through every land in order go
Right onward to the Hills of Snow.
Search mid the peaks that shine afar,
In woods of Lodh and Deodár.
Search if with Janak's daughter, screened
By sheltering rocks, there lie the fiend
The holy grounds of Soma tread
By Gods and minstrels visited.
Reach Kála's mount, and flats that lie
Among the peaks that tower on high.
Then leave that hill that gleams with ore,
And fair Sudars'an's heights explore.
Then on to Devasakhát hie.
Loved by the children of the sky.
A dreary land you then will see
Without a hill or brook or tree,
A hundred leagues, bare, wild, and dread
In lifeless desolation, spread.
Pursue your onward way, and haste
Through the dire horrors of the waste
Until triumphant with delight
You reach Kailása'stering height.
There stands a palace decked with gold,
For King Kuvera wrought of old,
A home the heavenly artist planned
And fashioned with his cunning hand.
There lotuses adorn the flood
With full-blown flower and opening bud
Where swans and mallards float, and gay
Apsarases come down to play.
There King Vaisravan's self, the lord
By all the universe adored,
Who golden gifts to mortals sends,
Lives with the Guhyakas his friends.
Search every cavern in the steep,
And green glens where the moonbeams sleep.
If haply in that distant ground
The robber and the dame be found.
Then on to Krauncha's hill, and through
His fearful pass your way pursue:
Though dark and terrible the vale
Your wonted courage must not fail.
There through abyss and cavern seek,
On lofty ridge, and mountain peak.
On, on! pursue your journey still
By valley, lake, and towering hill.
Reach the North Kurus' land, where rest
The holy spirits of the blest;
Where golden buds of lilies gleam
Resplendent on the silver stream,

Ralph T. H. Griffith 1870, The Rámáyan of Válmíki, translated into English verse

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