October 5 - Sargas 63 and 64 of Kishkindha Kanda.
Sampati gets his wings and strength and former glory as vanaras witness the phenomenon in utter astonishment. Now convinced about the prophecy about their success, they proceed to the edge of the ocean.
Angada finds the vanaras are completely discouraged by the vastness and fierce appearance of the ocean. He assures them that each one of them is a great hero capable of valiant exploits. He invites each vanara to come forward and say how much distance he is capable of leaping across.
***
After getting the guidance and blessing of the sage Nishakara, Sampati crawled his way to a spot in the mountain where he stayed all this while. The sage attained heaven by virtue of his tapas. A long time passed.
Sampati, amidst thoughts of physical distress, had also been feeling great remorse that nothing had been done even by his son to impede the path of Ravana when he saw him carrying Sita away. Sampati himself had been a friend of Dasharatha and felt he owed it to Sita, Sri Rama, and Lakshmana to help them in their situation.
While all this was being narrated, the vanaras witnessed the strange sight of Sampati's wings growing back. Soon he was fully restored to his once youthful glory, all by virtue of that sage's blessings.
ऋषेर्निशाकरस्यैव प्रभावादमितात्मनः ।
आदित्यरश्मिनिर्दग्धौ पक्षौ मे पुनरुपस्थितौ ॥
Sampati exclaimed, "Oh, vanaras! Look, my wings that had been burnt so long ago by the sun's rays have sprouted back in full, all thanks to the spiritual prowess and grace of that great sage Nishakara!"
Gleefully, Sampati flew up and circled for a bit. Assuring that the vanaras now had proof that the sage's power of prophecy would work in their success too in discovering Sita, he urged them to proceed with determination and speed.
***
Proceeding with great enthusiasm to the edge of the ocean, the vanaras staked out a vantage spot to supervise its vast expanse.
The mighty vanaras were in for a shock.
सत्त्वैर्महद्भिर्विकृतैः क्रीडद्भिर्विविधैर्जले ।
व्यात्तास्यैस्सुमहाकायैरूर्मिभिश्च समाकुलम् ॥
प्रसुप्तमिव चान्यत्र क्रीडन्तमिव चान्यतः ।
क्वचित्पर्वतमात्रैश्च जलराशिभिरावृतम् ॥
सङ्कुलं दानवेन्द्रैश्च पातालतलवासिभिः ।
रोमहर्षकरं दृष्ट्वा विषेदुः कपिकुञ्जराः ॥
"Full of huge, grotesque creatures, all sporting in the waters, with huge waves, appearing to be asleep at some places and at others, with mountain-high waves, the limitless ocean stretched even into the kingdom of asuras in the nether regions. This was enough to thrill the mighty vanaras and also terrify them completely."
Angada saw the vanaras' reaction. He suggested they all rest for the night. The next morning, all the vanaras assembled around Angada. Valmiki remarks that it was indeed an impressive army of terrifically strong vanaras and only Angada and Hanuman could have held them together in order.
Angada now said to the assembly that they should not feel any discouragement.
विषादो हन्ति पुरुषं बालं कृद्ध इवोरगः "Oh, mighty vanaras, do not give in to discouragement. It destroys a man much like an angry serpent strikes down a boy."
Angada now called out that since each of the vanaras had immense powers, they should come one by one and present themselves and state how far they could leap across the ocean.
***
॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
