Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 55

श्रुत्वा हनुमतो वाक्यं प्रश्रितं धर्मसंहितम्। स्वामिसत्कारसंयुक्तमङ्गदो वाक्यमब्रवीत्।।4.55.1।।

śrutvā hanumato vākyaṃ praśritaṃ dharmasaṃhitam| svāmisatkārasaṃyuktamaṅgado vākyamabravīt

On hearing Hanuman's humble words (of advice) consistent with righteousness and full of devotion to his master, the king, Angada said:

स्थैर्यमात्ममनश्शौचमानृशंस्यमथाऽर्जवम्। विक्रमश्चैव धैर्यं च सुग्रीवे नोपपद्यते।।4.55.2।।

sthairyamātmamanaśśaucamānṛśaṃsyamathā'rjavam| vikramaścaiva dhairyaṃ ca sugrīve nopapadyate

'Sugriva has no steadfastness, purity of body and mind, compassion, rectitude, valour and patience.

भ्रातुर्ज्येष्ठस्य यो भार्यां जीवतो महिषीं प्रियाम्। धर्मेण मातरं यस्तु स्वीकरोति जुगुप्सितः।।4.55.3।। कथं स धर्मं जानीते येन भ्रात्रा महात्मना। युद्धायाभिनियुक्तेन बिलस्य पिहितं मुखम्।।4.55.4।।

bhrāturjyeṣṭhasya yo bhāryāṃ jīvato mahiṣīṃ priyām| dharmeṇa mātaraṃ yastu svīkaroti jugupsitaḥ kathaṃ sa dharmaṃ jānīte yena bhrātrā mahātmanā| yuddhāyābhiniyuktena bilasya pihitaṃ mukham

'He usurped his elder brother's queen, while he was still alive. It is morally abominable since an elder brother's wife is like a mother. How can a person who blocks the entrance of a cave while his noble brother is engaged in fighting inside be treated as righteous?

भ्रातुर्ज्येष्ठस्य यो भार्यां जीवतो महिषीं प्रियाम्। धर्मेण मातरं यस्तु स्वीकरोति जुगुप्सितः।।4.55.3।। कथं स धर्मं जानीते येन भ्रात्रा महात्मना। युद्धायाभिनियुक्तेन बिलस्य पिहितं मुखम्।।4.55.4।।

bhrāturjyeṣṭhasya yo bhāryāṃ jīvato mahiṣīṃ priyām| dharmeṇa mātaraṃ yastu svīkaroti jugupsitaḥ kathaṃ sa dharmaṃ jānīte yena bhrātrā mahātmanā| yuddhāyābhiniyuktena bilasya pihitaṃ mukham

'He usurped his elder brother's queen, while he was still alive. It is morally abominable since an elder brother's wife is like a mother. How can a person who blocks the entrance of a cave while his noble brother is engaged in fighting inside be treated as righteous?

सत्यात्पाणिगृहीतश्च कृतकर्मा महायशाः। विस्मृतो राघवो येन स कस्य तु कृतं स्मरेत्।।4.55.5।।

satyātpāṇigṛhītaśca kṛtakarmā mahāyaśāḥ| vismṛto rāghavo yena sa kasya tu kṛtaṃ smaret

'Illustrious Rama, who faithfully held his hand was forgotten after he received his help. Indeed whose help would he remember?

लक्ष्मणस्य भयाद्येन नाधर्मभयभीरुणा। आदिष्टा मार्गितुं सीतां धर्ममस्मिन्कथं भवेत्।।4.55.6।।

lakṣmaṇasya bhayādyena nādharmabhayabhīruṇā| ādiṣṭā mārgituṃ sītāṃ dharmamasminkathaṃ bhavet

'Sugriva ordered search for Sita out of fear of Lakshmana and not out of fear of unrighteousness. How can such a man be pious?

तस्मिन्पापे कृतघ्ने तु स्मृतिहीने चलात्मनि। आर्यः को विश्वसेज्जातु तत्कुलीनो जिजीविषुः।।4.55.7।।

tasminpāpe kṛtaghne tu smṛtihīne calātmani| āryaḥ ko viśvasejjātu tatkulīno jijīviṣuḥ

'He is a sinner and an ungrateful person as he does not remember others' help. He is fickleminded. Which respectable person will believe him? Which member of his family will wish to live?

राज्ये पुत्रः प्रतिष्ठाप्यस्सगुणो विगुणोऽपि वा। कथं शत्रुकुलीनं मां सुग्रीवो जीवयिष्यति।।4.55.8।।

rājye putraḥ pratiṣṭhāpyassaguṇo viguṇo'pi vā| kathaṃ śatrukulīnaṃ māṃ sugrīvo jīvayiṣyati

'If I am the king's son, virtuous or otherwise, I will be installed in the kingdom (as successor). How can Sugriva suffer me to live when I am his enemy's descendant?

भिन्नमन्त्रोऽपराद्धश्च हीनशक्तिः कथं ह्यहम्। किष्किन्धां प्राप्य जीवेयमनाथ इव दुर्बलः।।4.55.9।।

bhinnamantro'parāddhaśca hīnaśaktiḥ kathaṃ hyaham| kiṣkindhāṃ prāpya jīveyamanātha iva durbalaḥ

'My alternate strategy has failed. I have already made a mistake (by announcing my plan). My advisors are holding different views. I am powerless. How can a weakling, an orphan like me live in Kishkinda?

पांशुदण्डेन हि मां बन्धने नोपपादयेत्। शठः क्रूरो नृशंसश्च सुग्रीवो राज्यकारणात्।।4.55.10।।

pāṃśudaṇḍena hi māṃ bandhane nopapādayet| śaṭhaḥ krūro nṛśaṃsaśca sugrīvo rājyakāraṇāt

'Sugriva is deceitful, cruel and treacherous. He will inflict secret punishment on me by way of imprisonment for the sake of the kingdom.

बन्धनाद्वाऽवसादान्मे श्रेयः प्रायोपवेशनम्। अनुजानीत मां सर्वे गृहं गच्छन्तु वानराः।।4.55.11।।

bandhanādvā'vasādānme śreyaḥ prāyopaveśanam| anujānīta māṃ sarve gṛhaṃ gacchantu vānarāḥ

'It is better for me to fast unto death rather than suffer imprisonment. Permit me to do so. You may all go back.

अहं वः प्रतिजानामि नागमिष्याम्यहं पुरीम्। इहैव प्रायमासिष्ये श्रेयो मरणमेव मे।।4.55.12।।

ahaṃ vaḥ pratijānāmi nāgamiṣyāmyahaṃ purīm| ihaiva prāyamāsiṣye śreyo maraṇameva me

'I swear I will not return to the city. I will fast unto death here only. Death for me is desirable.

अभिवादनपूर्वं हि राघवौ बलशालिनौ। अभिवादनपूर्वं तु राजा कुशलमेव च।।4.55.13।। वाच्यस्तातो यवीयान्मे सुग्रीवो वानरेश्वरः।

abhivādanapūrvaṃ hi rāghavau balaśālinau| abhivādanapūrvaṃ tu rājā kuśalameva ca vācyastāto yavīyānme sugrīvo vānareśvaraḥ|

'Convey my greetings with due courtesy to Rama and Lakshmana on my behalf and my respects to my father's younger brother, king of monkeys, Sugriva and wish him well.

आरोग्यपूर्वं कुशलं वाच्या माता रुमा च मे।।4.55.14।। मातरं चैव मे तारामाश्वासयितुमर्हथ।

ārogyapūrvaṃ kuśalaṃ vācyā mātā rumā ca me mātaraṃ caiva me tārāmāśvāsayitumarhatha|

'You should convey my mother as well as Ruma my good wishes for their health and wellbeing. You should console my mother Tara also.

प्रकृत्या प्रियपुत्रा सा सानुक्रोशा तपस्विनी।।4.55.15।। विनष्टमिह मां श्रुत्वा व्यक्तं हास्यति जीवितम्।

prakṛtyā priyaputrā sā sānukrośā tapasvinī vinaṣṭamiha māṃ śrutvā vyaktaṃ hāsyati jīvitam|

'By nature my mother, is compassionate. She is fond of me. (But) she is helpless. On hearing about my death, she will certainly give up her life'.

एतावदुक्त्वा वचनं वृद्धांस्तानभिवाद्य च।।4.55.16।। विवेश चाङ्गदो भूमौ रुदन्दर्भेषु दुर्मनाः।

etāvaduktvā vacanaṃ vṛddhāṃstānabhivādya ca viveśa cāṅgado bhūmau rudandarbheṣu durmanāḥ|

Having expresed so much of his feelings, disheartened Angada saluted the elderly monkeys and started crying. Then he spread the darbha grass and lay down on the ground.

तस्य संविशतस्तत्र रुदन्तो वानरर्षभाः।।4.55.17।। नयनेभ्यः प्रमुमुचुरुष्णं वै वारि दुःखिताः।

tasya saṃviśatastatra rudanto vānararṣabhāḥ nayanebhyaḥ pramumucuruṣṇaṃ vai vāri duḥkhitāḥ|

Seeing him lie down the bulls among the monkeys became sad and shed hot tears from their eyes.

सुग्रीवं चैव निन्दन्तः प्रशंसन्तश्च वालिनम्।।4.55.18।। परिवार्याङ्गदं सर्वे व्यवसन्प्रायमासितुम्।

sugrīvaṃ caiva nindantaḥ praśaṃsantaśca vālinam parivāryāṅgadaṃ sarve vyavasanprāyamāsitum|

Blaming Sugriva and praising Vali, all the companions of Angada sat there surrounding him after having decided to fast unto death .

मतं तद्वालिपुत्रस्य विज्ञाय प्लवगर्षभाः।।4.55.19।। उपस्पृश्योदकं तत्र प्राङ्मुखास्समुपाविशन्। दक्षिणाग्रेषु दर्भेषु उदक्तीरं समाश्रिताः।।4.55.20।। मुमूर्षवो हरिश्रेष्ठा एतत् क्षममिति स्म ह।

mataṃ tadvāliputrasya vijñāya plavagarṣabhāḥ upaspṛśyodakaṃ tatra prāṅmukhāssamupāviśan| dakṣiṇāgreṣu darbheṣu udaktīraṃ samāśritāḥ mumūrṣavo hariśreṣṭhā etat kṣamamiti sma ha|

With the opinion of Vali's son ascertained, all the great monkeys thought it proper to die. They sipped water and assembled on the northern shore of the sea facing the east with the darbha grass spread on the ground, their edges pointing southward.

मतं तद्वालिपुत्रस्य विज्ञाय प्लवगर्षभाः।।4.55.19।। उपस्पृश्योदकं तत्र प्राङ्मुखास्समुपाविशन्। दक्षिणाग्रेषु दर्भेषु उदक्तीरं समाश्रिताः।।4.55.20।। मुमूर्षवो हरिश्रेष्ठा एतत् क्षममिति स्म ह।

mataṃ tadvāliputrasya vijñāya plavagarṣabhāḥ upaspṛśyodakaṃ tatra prāṅmukhāssamupāviśan| dakṣiṇāgreṣu darbheṣu udaktīraṃ samāśritāḥ mumūrṣavo hariśreṣṭhā etat kṣamamiti sma ha|

With the opinion of Vali's son ascertained, all the great monkeys thought it proper to die. They sipped water and assembled on the northern shore of the sea facing the east with the darbha grass spread on the ground, their edges pointing southward.

रामस्य वनवासं च क्षयं दशरथस्य च।।4.55.21।। जनस्थानवधं चैव वधं चैव जटायुषः। हरणं चैव वैदेह्या वालिनश्च वधं रणे।।4.55.22।। रामकोपं च वदतां हरीणां भयमागतम्।

rāmasya vanavāsaṃ ca kṣayaṃ daśarathasya ca janasthānavadhaṃ caiva vadhaṃ caiva jaṭāyuṣaḥ| haraṇaṃ caiva vaidehyā vālinaśca vadhaṃ raṇe rāmakopaṃ ca vadatāṃ harīṇāṃ bhayamāgatam|

Overtaken by the fear of death, the monkeys kept talking about Rama's exile into the forest, Dasaratha's death, destruction of demons in Janasthana, the death of Jatayu, abduction of Sita, Vali's death and Rama's anger.

रामस्य वनवासं च क्षयं दशरथस्य च।।4.55.21।। जनस्थानवधं चैव वधं चैव जटायुषः। हरणं चैव वैदेह्या वालिनश्च वधं रणे।।4.55.22।। रामकोपं च वदतां हरीणां भयमागतम्।

rāmasya vanavāsaṃ ca kṣayaṃ daśarathasya ca janasthānavadhaṃ caiva vadhaṃ caiva jaṭāyuṣaḥ| haraṇaṃ caiva vaidehyā vālinaśca vadhaṃ raṇe rāmakopaṃ ca vadatāṃ harīṇāṃ bhayamāgatam|

Overtaken by the fear of death, the monkeys kept talking about Rama's exile into the forest, Dasaratha's death, destruction of demons in Janasthana, the death of Jatayu, abduction of Sita, Vali's death and Rama's anger.

स संविशद्भिबहुभिर्महीधरो महाद्रिकूटप्रतिमैः प्लवङ्गमैः। बभूव सन्नादितनिर्दरान्तरो भृशं नदद्भिर्जलदैरिवोल्बणैः।।4.55.23।।

sa saṃviśadbhibahubhirmahīdharo mahādrikūṭapratimaiḥ plavaṅgamaiḥ| babhūva sannāditanirdarāntaro bhṛśaṃ nadadbhirjaladairivolbaṇaiḥ

While the numerous monkeys, resembling peaks of high mountains were roaring, it resounded through the mountain caves. It was like the sound of the stormy thunderclouds. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये किष्किन्धाकाण्डे पञ्चपञ्चाशस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the fiftyfifth sarga in Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.