Canto 1: Bāla-kāṇḍa (Boyhood)Chapter 17: Brahmā Orders the Demigods to Incarnate and Assist RāmaText 1.17.18
Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 17: Brahmā Orders the Demigods to Incarnate and Assist Rāma
Text 1.17.18
मेरुमन्दरसङ्काशा वपुष्मन्तो महाबलाः।
ऋक्षवानरगोपुच्छाः क्षिप्रमेवाभिजज्ञिरे॥
meru-mandara-saṅkāśā vapuṣmanto mahā-balāḥ
ṛkṣa-vānara-gopucchāḥ kṣipram evābhijajñire
meru-mandara-saṅkāśāḥ = resembling the Meru and Mandara hills; vapuṣmantaḥ = with firm bodies; mahā-balāḥ = and great strength; ṛkṣa-vānara-gopucchāḥ = bears, monkeys and gopucchas; kṣipram eva = quickly; abhijajñire = took birth.
With firm bodies and great strength, bears, monkeys and gopucchas resembling the Meru and Mandara hills quickly took birth.
Having described the generation of the monkeys, the author now describes the creation of the bears and others. Gopucchas are monkeys with tails that resemble cows’ tails. These bears, monkeys and gopucchas quickly took birth, that is, they were mentally generated.