Canto 60
Angad on Rebound
Spoke thus Angad Vali’s son:
Found as Hanuman Seetha now
Why not we fetch her to Ram?
How it feels if we tell him
Found though we failed to fetch her.
Know we all could fly across
Ocean this vast to reach there
And slay Ravan and his men.
Then we could bring Seetha back
And make Rama meet his spouse.
Slain as Hanuman Ravan’s men
What is left for us to do
Than lead Seetha back to Ram?
Why to bother folk back home
For what we could do on our own?
When he expects her the least
Won’t it be a pleasant surprise
That we fetch her to him thus.
Having heard thus Angad speak
Said then Jambavan in response:
Sent we were to find Seetha
Not to take her back with us.
Exceed if we Rama’s brief
Might we earn his ire as well.
Better we mind all Rama’s vow
That he would slay with his hands
The one who dared to snare his wife.
Should we go by route thee show
Won’t we make him fail his word?
Sounds it prudent that we might
Go back to Ram with her news.
Move thine surely saves bother
For the rest of folks back home
But know Ram would like it not.
Canto 61
Eying the Madhuvan
At that Angad retracted
Agreed he to fall in line.
Thought it fit then vanar folk
To let Hanuman lead them back.
Moved as they like cloud in skies
Played the sun then hide and seek.
Kept all vanars their eyes on
Hanuman at the head of them.
Felt all they were indebted
For him having saved their lives.
Buoyed were all by the thought
That Ram would be pleased with them,
Proud all felt that they could help
Lord Rama who helped their Lord.
In that mood they saw Madhuvan
Garden like which nowhere there
Full of honeycombs on huge trees.
Garden that was Sugreev’s own
Dared none ever to step in there.
Aided by all well-built guards
Dadhimukh, Sugreev’s own uncle
Guarded that place round the clock.
Tempted as were vanars all
Licked their fingers all of them.
Pleaded all with Prince Angad
To let them have a glassful each
Of honey in plenty in Madhuvan.
Nod as he got from elders
Gave nod Angad to vanars.
Swarmed then simians all over
Honey they savoured to last drop.
Left they not a fruit or root
Fill to the hilt they had all.
In their mirth then those simians
Danced they all till legs them failed.
Sang some then in sonorous tunes
Blabbered others as in small groups.
Pranks they played of every sort
Spared they none of one another.
Leapt as some from tree to tree
Others did jump from branch to branch.
Lost they all then their bearings
Poked some of them their noses.
Turned they naughty all in end
Spread they all then far and wide.
Wretched as made they garden rare
Warned then Dadhimukh all of them.
Heeded but they not his words
Made that Dadhimukh think over.
Took he then them all to task
And that spoiled their party.
Swarmed all vanars then Dadhimukh
As would bees when stirred from comb
And that frightened Dadhimukh then.
With their nails all long and sharp
Scratched as some the garden chief
Dug their teeth strong others in him.
