Chapter 24 — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 24

Valmiki Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda

Verse 24.17

मूर्ध्नि स्थास्याम्यहं यत्तो लक्ष्मणेन समन्वितः। जाम्बवांश्च सुषेणश्च वेगदर्शी च वानरः॥ ऋक्षमुख्या महात्मानः कुक्षिं रक्षन्तु ते त्रयः।

mūrdhni sthāsyāmyahaṃ yatto lakṣmaṇena samanvitaḥ| jāmbavāṃśca suṣeṇaśca vegadarśī ca vānaraḥ|| ṛkṣamukhyā mahātmānaḥ kukṣiṃ rakṣantu te trayaḥ|

English Meaning

I myself along with Lakşmaņa, shall heedfully stay in the fore-front. And the monkeys, Jāmvabān, Sușeņa and Vagadarci, the three high-souled, foremost bears,* shall protect the interior (of the forces). *The epithet 'bear' coming after 'monkey' may look incongruous; but, I fancy, 'monkeys' is used in the general sense of being connected with the monkeys-hest.

M.N. Dutt (1891–94, public domain)