Canto XVI: The Vanars

When Vishnu thus had gone on earth, From the great King to take his birth, The self-existent Lord of all Addressed the Gods who heard his call:-- "For Vishnu's sake, the strong and true, Who seeks the good of all of you, Make helps, in war to lend him aid, In forms that change at will, arrayed, Of wizard skill and hero might, Outstrippers of the wind in flight, Skilled in the arts of counsel, wise, And Vishnu's peers in bold emprise; With heavenly arts and prudence fraught, By no devices to be caught; Skilled in all weapons' lore and use As they who drink the immortal juice. And let the nymphs supreme in grace, And maidens of the minstrel race, Monkeys and snakes, and those who rove Free spirits of the hill and grove, And wandering Daughters of the Air, In monkey form brave children bear. So erst the lord of bears I shaped, Born from my mouth as wide I gaped."

Thus by the mighty Sire addressed They all obeyed his high behest, And thus begot in countless swarms Brave sons disguised in sylvan forms. Each God, each sage became a sire, Each minstrel of the heavenly choir. Each faun, of children strong and good Whose feet should roam the hill and wood. Snakes, bards, and spirits, serpents bold Had sons too numerous to be told. Báli, the woodland hosts who led, High as Mahendra's lofty head, Was Indra's child. That noblest fire, The Sun, was great Sugríva's sire. Tára, the mighty monkey, he Was offspring of Vrihaspati-- Tára the matchless chieftain, boast For wisdom of the Vánar host. Of Gandhamádan brave and bold The father was the Lord of Gold. Nala the mighty, dear to fame, Of skilful Viśvakarmá came. From Agni, Níla bright as flame, Who in his splendor, might, and worth, Surpassed the sire who gave him birth. The heavenly Aśvins, swift and fair, Were fathers of a noble pair, Who, Dwivida and Mainda named, For beauty like their sires were famed. Varun was father of Sushen, Of Śarabh, he who sends the rain. Hanumán, best of monkey kind, Was son of him who breathes the wind-- Like thunderbolt in frame was he, And swift as Garud's self could flee. These thousands did the Gods create Endowed with might that none could mate, In monkey forms that changed at will-- So strong their wish the fiend to kill. In mountain size, like lions thewed, Up-sprang the wondrous multitude, Auxiliar hosts in every shape, Monkey and bear and highland ape. In each the strength, the might, the mien Of his own parent God were seen. Some chiefs of Vánar mothers came, Some of she-bear and minstrel dame, Skilled in all arms in battle's shock, The brandished tree, the loosened rock; And prompt, should other weapons fail, To fight and slay with tooth and nail. Their strength could shake the hills amain. And rend the rooted trees in twain, Disturb with their impetuous sweep The Rivers' Lord, the Ocean deep, Rend with their feet the seated ground, And pass wide floods with airy bound-- Or forcing through the sky their way The very clouds by force could stay. Mad elephants that wander through The forest wilds, could they subdue, And with their furious shout could scare Dead upon earth the birds of air. So were the sylvan chieftains formed; Thousands on thousands still they swarmed. These were the leaders honored most, The captains of the Vánar host, And to each lord and chief and guide Was monkey offspring born beside. Then by the bears' great monarch stood The other roamers of the wood, And turned, their pathless homes to seek, To forest and to mountain peak. The leaders of the monkey band By the two brothers took their stand, Sugríva, offspring of the Sun, And Báli, Indra's mighty one. They both endowed with Garud's might, And skilled in all the arts of fight, Wandered in arms the forest through, And lions, snakes, and tigers, slew. But every monkey, ape, and bear Ever was Báli's special care; With his vast strength and mighty arm He kept them from all scathe and harm. And so the earth with hill, wood, seas, Was filled with mighty ones like these-- Of various shape and race and kind, With proper homes to each assigned. With Ráma's champions fierce and strong The earth was overspread, High as the hills and clouds, a throng With bodies vast and dread.