Sampati's News and Jambavan's Reminder

At first the old vulture had thought that food had walked up to him of its own accord: so many vanaras, dying one by one of hunger. But at the name Jatayu his heart shook. He called out, "Who speaks of the death of the brother dearer to me than life? It is long since I heard his name. Help me down from this rock. My wings were burned by the rays of the sun, and I cannot fly."

The vanaras were afraid at first. Then Angada helped him down and told him the whole story of Jatayu. Tears ran from the vulture's eyes.

Sampati's story

"I am Sampati, Jatayu's elder brother. In our youth the two of us raced to see who could fly to the sun. By noon Jatayu was faint with the heat. I covered him with my wings. He was saved, but my wings were burned away and I fell on the Vindhya mountains. Since then I have had no news of my brother."

Then he said what the vanaras had combed the earth for a month to hear. "I have seen Sita. Ravana was carrying a young woman through the sky. She was crying 'Ram' and 'Lakshmana' and letting her ornaments fall. Ravana is the son of Vishrava and the brother of Kubera. He lives in Lanka. Across the sea from here, a full hundred yojanas away, is an island. On it stands the city of Lanka, built by Vishwakarma. We vultures see a very long way. I can see it from where I sit: Sita is there, surrounded by rakshasis."

He added that a sage had once told him that when he showed Ram's messengers where Sita was, his wings would grow again. And as they all watched, new red wings came out on Sampati. He flew joyfully up into the sky.

A hundred yojanas

The vanaras leapt for joy. They knew where Sita was. But when they reached the shore, their spirits cooled. Before them lay water as boundless as the sky, heaving with waves like hills.

Angada asked, "Heroes, which of you can leap a hundred yojanas?"

One said, "I can do ten." Another, "Twenty." Others said thirty, fifty, eighty. Old Jambavan said, "In my youth I could have gone much further. Now I am old; even so I could manage ninety. But that will not serve." Angada said, "I can go a hundred, but whether I could come back is doubtful." Jambavan stopped him. "You are our master. A master is not sent."

They all fell silent.

Jambavan's reminder

To one side Hanuman sat quietly, as if none of this concerned him. Jambavan went to him.

"Hanuman, why do you alone sit silent? In strength, in fire and in understanding you are the equal of Ram and Lakshmana. Do you not remember your own story? Your mother is Anjana, and you are the son of the Wind. As a child you took the rising sun for a fruit and leapt three hundred yojanas into the sky to catch it. Indra struck you with his thunderbolt and broke your jaw, your hanu, and that is how you came to be called Hanuman. Your father, in anger, stopped blowing, and the three worlds were in distress. The gods then gave you boons: no weapon can kill you, and death will come to you only when you wish it."

"Rise, hero. This whole army is looking to you. As Vishnu measured the three worlds in three strides, leap this ocean."

As Jambavan spoke, Hanuman's body grew. His face shone like a blazing fire. He lashed his tail and roared, "I am the son of the Wind. I can cross this ocean. I could tear up Lanka and bring it here. I will not return until I have seen Sita."

The vanaras cheered. Hanuman set off for the peak of Mount Mahendra, and the mountain trembled under his feet.

The Sundara Kanda of the Ramcharitmanas opens at this very moment:

Jamvant ke bachan suhaye, suni Hanumant hriday ati bhaye.

"Jambavan's words were pleasing, and hearing them Hanuman was glad at heart."

Here the Kishkindha Kanda ends. The strength that was needed had been in Hanuman all along. He only needed someone to remind him.