195. Angada continues to strive.

       After a long moment, Gaja stepped forward and said "I guess that I can fly ten yojanas." 
       Gavaaksha said "I can go over twenty yojanas."

   Sharabha said "I can indeed go up to thirty yojanas." 
      The great resplendent Gandhamaadana said "I can go up to fifty yojanas." 
       Mainda said "I guess I can jump just sixty yojanas." 
      Then Dvivida informed, "I can go up to seventy yojanas." 
     The mighty Shushena said "I surely can jump eighty yojanas."

   Jambavan, the oldest one among all of them said "Years ago I was quite strong and can jump effortlessly to the other shore.

      "Once I have performed circumambulation around the Omnipresent and Eternal Lord Vishnu in His incarnation as Trivikrama, when He grandiosely increased His physique from that of a Divine-Dwarfish Brahman boy to that of a huge bodied one filling the whole of the Universe to tread all the three worlds, during the time of Vedic-ritual of the Emperor Bali. Now you see that I am old and decrepit and I have become slow jumping soldier of misfortune, though my energy in youth was matchless and unsurpassable. Now, at this age I wonder if I can jump a couple of yojanas." 
       Then on reverencing the great Jambavan, the highly intelligent Angada said "Now let me tell you all what I think I am capable of. I am sure that I can vault over this ocean which is said to be a hundred yojanas breadth, but I am not sure whether I am capable of coming back."
    Jambavan told Angada, "oh, Angada,  I know about your capability in traversal. Why a hundred? If need be you surely are capable of going up to a hundred thousand yojanas and return without any difficulty. However, your going over these waters is not acceptable by all of us for the reason that you are our leader ipso facto the  linchpin to this mission. As such it is our moral, ethical and appropriate duty to protect you.

     "Oh, Angada, you are instrumental to this task and as you are privileged with sagacity and audacity you are the keystone for this task of searching Seetha. For us you are indeed a respectable one by yourself, and as the son of the respected Vali too, and oh, my lad, sheltered by you we are indeed motivated and made capable of achieving the objective of our task." 

      Angada retorted "If I am not to proceed to Lanka, and no one else is capable to take the jump, then we have to undertake self-immolation once again. I do not perceive any secure protection for our lives on our going to Kishkindha without fulfilling the bidding of that resolute king Sugreeva who, all of you know is a lord who shows either forgiveness or furiousness immoderately.  And our going to Kishkindha without fulfilling his bidding is as good as our entering into our own doom." 

      Hearing the ominous words of Angada Jambavan told him with a smile "Oh, brave Angada, this mission of yours will not be thwarted in the least. I will motivate him who will make all of us victorious in our efforts."
        On hearing Jambavan, Angada and all other vanaras were looking at Jambavan amazingly with a curious face. However, there was one vanara who was nonchalantly sitting comfortably in a lonely place and thinking hard about something which seemed obviously very important. He seemed totally unconcerned about what was going on between Angada and the other vanaras and Jambavan.

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