Destruction of Honey forest (Chapter 61)

This article is part of “Sundara Kandam of Sage Valmiki”

Sixty -first Chapter

Destruction of Honey forest

(The monkeys start their return journey and reached the honey forest of Sugreeva. Being given permission to drink the honey, they destroy the forest , insult and hurt Dadhimuka who was the uncle of Sugreeva and in charge of the security of the forest.)

The great monkey Hanuman and other monkey warriors including Angadha agreed to the suggestion of Jambhavan.

All those monkeys who were as big as Meru and Mandhara mountains, who were like elephants who were aroused ,who were very strong, who were having huge sized bodies, who had thought properly of methods to complete the work of Raghava which would bring them great fame and had achieved their objectives and who were enthusiastic because of that , who were in a hurry to tell the good news and who were anxious to fight the war became determined to show their gratitude to Rama and followed Hanuman who wasÂ praised by all beings, who was very strong, who was very clever, and who was very wise, as if they were carrying him with their eyes, and left Mahendra mountains and rushed together as if to hide the sky. 2-6

Those monkeys who had jumped towards the sky and who were rushing fast within a short time reached a forest which was full of plants and climbers and which was similar to a garden. 7

That forest which could not be entered by any animal , which was stealing the minds of all beings and which was being looked after properly was the Honey forest of Sugreeva. 8

(Madhu could be translated as honey or Alcoholic drink also)

This forest was being protected by Dadhimuka who was a monkey chief and also a Very great hero, uncle of Sugreeva and a great soul. 9

Those monkeys reaching that forest which was very dear to the monkey king became very much enthusiastic. 10

Then those monkeys who were brown like honey, seeing ,that honey forest, became very happy and requested for honey. 11

That crown prince after making the elderly monkeys agree for the proposal gave them permission to drink the honey. 12

Those monkeys who were even earlier happy after getting the permission became even happier and some of them started dancing. 13

Some of them were singing, some falling down, some dancing, some laughing, some jumping and falling down, some running here and there, some jumping and running, and some prattling. 14

Some of them embraced each other, some started pushingÂ each other, some shouting at each other and some playing with each other. 15

Some of them jumped from one tree to another, some jumping to the ground from the edge of the tree and some caught hold of the edges of trees crown by jumping and running. 16

One laughing monkey approached a singing one, one with a weeping face approached a laughing one, another approached the crying one dancing all the way and another approached the dancing one, shouting all the way. 17

That monkey army because of drinking of honey lost their senses and became disorderly. There was none among them who was not delirious and there was none among them who was not satisfied. 18

The monkey called Dadhivakthra seeing that the trees were bereft of leaves and flowers and also seeing that the forest was being destroyed fully became very angry and prevented them. 19

(Please note that this monkey is different from Dadhimukha who was the uncle of Sugreeva)

He who was the security in chief of the forest, who was the oldest among the monkey chiefs, who was very heroic, after being insulted in several ways by those who have lost their senses, thought of the methods by which he can save the forest. 20

He shouted very bad words addressing some monkeys , kicked several times with his feet some, quarreled with some entering their midst and requesting with good words some of them. 21

They who were prevented by those commanding words and they who were not realizing that they were doing mistake joined together and surrounded him, fell on him and dragged him round. 22

All those monkeys being out of their senses scarred him with their nails, bit him by their teeth, and destroyed the forest fully with their hands and legs. 23

Thus ends the sixty first chapter of Sundara Kanda which is in the Ramayana which is the first epic written by Valmiki

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