# Araṇya Kāṇḍa 68 — Kabandha advises friendship with Sugrīva *Restored by cremation, he urges a pledge before fire and explains how the two can help each other* Portion: Kabandha and the proposed alliance · Verses: 22 · Ref format: 3.68. ## Sequence - The brothers prepare the fire in a mountain cleft, and Lakṣmaṇa kindles the pyre all around (68.1–2) - as Kabandha's great body burns, he rises from it in a radiant form, wearing spotless clothing and a divine garland (68.3–5) - standing in a shining swan-drawn aerial vehicle, he addresses Rāma (68.6–7) - invoking the need for sound policy when one's strength is reduced, he says that an alliance is essential to success (68.8–10) - he names Sugrīva, driven out by his brother Vālin and now living with four companions on Ṛṣyamūka beside Pampā (68.11–12) - Rāma should pledge friendship before a fire (68.13) - Kabandha describes Sugrīva as grateful, capable, courageous, and himself in need of help, so that each can aid the other (68.14–16) - he urges Rāma to lay down his weapon and approach peacefully → Sugrīva knows the world's regions and the haunts of the rākṣasas (68.17–19) - Sugrīva can send monkeys searching in every direction, through mountains, rivers, and caves, and help recover Sītā wherever she has been taken (68.20–22). ## Verses **3.68.1** evam uktau tu tau vīrau kabandhena nareśvarau giripradaram āsādya pāvakaṃ visasarjatuḥ Thus addressed by Kabandha, the two heroic lords of men, reaching a mountain-cleft, set a fire ablaze. **3.68.2** lakṣmaṇas tu maholkābhir jvalitābhiḥ samantataḥ citām ādīpayām āsa sā prajajvāla sarvataḥ And Lakṣmaṇa, with great blazing firebrands, kindled the pyre all around; it blazed up on every side. **3.68.3** tac charīraṃ kabandhasya ghṛtapiṇḍopamaṃ mahat medasā pacyamānasya mandaṃ dahati pāvaka That great body of Kabandha, resembling a lump of ghee, being cooked in its fat, the fire burned slowly. **3.68.4** sa vidhūya citām āśu vidhūmo 'gnir ivotthitaḥ araje vāsasī vibhran mālāṃ divyāṃ mahābalaḥ Shaking off the pyre swiftly, the mighty one rose up like a smokeless flame, wearing a pair of dustless garments and a divine garland. **3.68.5** tataś citāyā vegena bhāsvaro virajāmbaraḥ utpapātāśu saṃhṛṣṭaḥ sarvapratyaṅgabhūṣaṇaḥ Then from the pyre, with speed, radiant, clad in spotless raiment, adorned on every limb, he sprang up swiftly, full of joy. **3.68.6** vimāne bhāsvare tiṣṭhan haṃsayukte yaśaskare prabhayā ca mahātejā diśo daśa virājayan Standing in a radiant, glory-conferring aerial car yoked with swans, of great splendor, illuminating the ten directions with his radiance, **3.68.7** so 'ntarikṣagato rāmaṃ kabandho vākyam abravīt śṛṇu rāghava tattvena yathā sīmām avāpsyasi Kabandha, moving through the sky, spoke these words to Rāma: “Listen truly, Rāghava, how you will reach your goal. **3.68.8** rāma ṣaḍ yuktayo loke yābhiḥ sarvaṃ vimṛśyate parimṛṣṭo daśāntena daśābhāgena sevyate “Rāma, there are six expedients in the world by which everything is weighed; one worn down to the end of his plight is attended by (even) a tenth part of relief. **3.68.9** daśābhāgagato hīnas tvaṃ rāma sahalakṣmaṇaḥ yat kṛte vyasanaṃ prāptaṃ tvayā dārapradharṣaṇam “Reduced to a tenth part and brought low are you, Rāma, together with Lakṣmaṇa — you on whose account calamity has come, the violation of your wife. **3.68.10** tad avaśyaṃ tvayā kāryaḥ sa suhṛt suhṛdāṃ vara akṛtvā na hi te siddhim ahaṃ paśyāmi cintayan “Therefore you must without fail make him your friend, O best of friends; for, reflecting, I do not see success for you without doing this. **3.68.11** śrūyatāṃ rāma vakṣyāmi sugrīvo nāma vānaraḥ bhrātrā nirastaḥ kruddhena vālinā śakrasūnunā “Listen, Rāma, I will tell you: there is a monkey named Sugrīva, cast out by his angry brother Vālin, the son of Śakra. **3.68.12** ṛṣyamūke girivare pampāparyantaśobhite nivasaty ātmavān vīraś caturbhiḥ saha vānaraiḥ “On the excellent mountain Ṛṣyamūka, made beautiful by the borders of Pampā, the self-possessed hero dwells with four monkeys. **3.68.13** vayasyaṃ taṃ kuru kṣipram ito gatvādya rāghava adrohāya samāgamya dīpyamāne vibhāvasau “Go there quickly today from here, O Rāghava, and make him your friend, meeting him before the blazing fire as a pledge of good faith. **3.68.14** na ca te so 'vamantavyaḥ sugrīvo vānarādhipaḥ kṛtajñaḥ kāmarūpī ca sahāyārthī ca vīryavān “And that Sugrīva, lord of monkeys, is not to be despised by you — grateful, able to take any form at will, seeking an ally, and valorous. **3.68.15** śaktau hy adya yuvāṃ kartuṃ kāryaṃ tasya cikīrṣitam kṛtārtho vākṛtārtho vā kṛtyaṃ tava kariṣyati “For you two are able today to accomplish the task he wishes done; whether his own aim be achieved or not, he will do your work. **3.68.16** sa ṛkṣarajasaḥ putraḥ pampām aṭati śaṅkitaḥ bhāskarasyaurasaḥ putro vālinā kṛtakilbiṣaḥ “He, the son of Ṛkṣarajas, roams about Pampā in fear — the true-born son of the Sun, wronged by Vālin. **3.68.17** saṃnidhāyāyudhaṃ kṣipram ṛṣyamūkālayaṃ kapim kuru rāghava satyena vayasyaṃ vanacāriṇam “Laying down your weapon at once, O Rāghava, make the monkey whose home is Ṛṣyamūka, that forest-ranger, your friend in good faith. **3.68.18** sa hi sthānāni sarvāṇi kārtsnyena kapikuñjaraḥ naramāṃsāśināṃ loke naipuṇyād adhigacchati “For that elephant among monkeys, through his skill, knows thoroughly all the haunts in the world of the eaters of human flesh. **3.68.19** na tasyāviditaṃ loke kiṃ cid asti hi rāghava yāvat sūryaḥ pratapati sahasrāṃśur ariṃdama “There is nothing at all in the world unknown to him, O Rāghava, as far as the thousand-rayed Sun shines, O tamer of foes. **3.68.20** sa nadīr vipulāñ śailān giridurgāṇi kandarān anviṣya vānaraiḥ sārdhaṃ patnīṃ te 'dhigamiṣyati “Searching rivers, vast mountains, mountain-fastnesses, and caverns together with his monkeys, he will find your wife. **3.68.21** vānarāṃś ca mahākāyān preṣayiṣyati rāghava diśo vicetuṃ tāṃ sītāṃ tvadviyogena śocatīm “And he will send forth monkeys of huge body, O Rāghava, to search the quarters for that Sītā, who grieves at separation from you. **3.68.22** sa meruśṛṅgāgragatām aninditāṃ praviśya pātālatale 'pi vāśritām plavaṃgamānāṃ pravaras tava priyāṃ nihatya rakṣāṃsi punaḥ pradāsyati That foremost of monkeys — even should your blameless beloved have gone to the summit of Mount Meru, or entered and taken refuge in the depths of the underworld — will slay the rākṣasas and restore her to you.