Page 26 - Bhakthinivedana 2012 July English Magazine.pmd

ITHIHA:SA

THE BIRD - SAMPA:THI

Telugu article by A Ushashri, Sriramnagar
Translated into English by Ramakrishna Toopurani

Beginning with the nightingale
among the poets- Va:lmi:ki
maharshi, we have introduced
ourselves to the wonderful birds

like the pair of krauncha birds, the
suka-sa:rika birds and Jata:yau.
As we cross Ayo:dhya ka:nda

and enter into the Kishkinda
ka:nda, we come across one more
significant bird, Sampa:thi. We
shall now hear of this wonderful
bird.

Sugri:va had divided all his army
and sent them in four directions
in search of mother Si:tha. The

group that went to south was nor beasts were seen in that forest. Perhaps the
headed by the crown prince Angada. In this group, trees yielded no herbs; therefore it was not used by
the heros of importance were Ni:la, Hanuma, humans.
Saho:thra, Sara:ri,Saragulma,Sushe:na, Jambava:n
and others. The existence of such forest was told by Sugri:va

Searching all the places as charted out by Sugri:va, prior to their departure. They remembered it now.
the va:naras reached the mount Vindhya. They They tried to figure out why the forest was not
explored all the caves, mountain peaks, rivers, lakes inhabited by beings of any kind. Earlier, in that

and other inaccessible locations in that region; yet forest lived Kandu, a man of immense austerity. He
mother Si:tha was not found. Moving further, they had a sixteen year old son. As Death took away
reached a forest devoid of any beings. prematurely his sons life, the angered Kandu cursed
that the forest should become a place unfit for
In that forest, nothing was available to eat or drink. any being to live. With great difficulty the va:naras

There were beautiful trees, but they bore no flowers crossed that region and continued their search for
or fruit. Perhaps, the trees are like those planted by Si:tha. A ra:kshasa, by name Kru:rakarma, rushed
the authorities by the side of roads.Neither birds at them yelling that he would eat away all of them.

26 Bhakthinivedana • July 2012