Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 7

एवमुक्तस्तु सुग्रीवो रामेणार्तेन वानरः। अब्रवीत्प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यं सबाष्पं बाष्पगद्गदः।।4.7.1।।

evamuktastu sugrīvo rāmeṇārtena vānaraḥ| abravītprāñjalirvākyaṃ sabāṣpaṃ bāṣpagadgadaḥ

On hearing the words of Rama in deep distress, the monkey replied to him with folded hands, his throat choked with tears:

न जाने निलयं तस्य सर्वथा पापरक्षसः। सामर्थ्यं विक्रमं वापि दौष्कुलेयस्य वा कुलम्4.7.2।।

na jāne nilayaṃ tasya sarvathā pāparakṣasaḥ| sāmarthyaṃ vikramaṃ vāpi dauṣkuleyasya vā kulam4.7.2||

'I do not have any knowledge of this sinful demon's dwelling , his capability, his valour or his clan or his despicable lineage.

सत्यं ते प्रतिजानामि त्यज शोकमरिन्दम। करिष्यामि तथा यत्नं यथा प्राप्स्यसि मैथिलीम्4.7.3।।

satyaṃ te pratijānāmi tyaja śokamarindama| kariṣyāmi tathā yatnaṃ yathā prāpsyasi maithilīm4.7.3||

'O subduer of enemies, give up sorrow. I promise I will make necessary effort so that you will obtain the princess from Mithila.

रावणं सगणं हत्वा परितोष्यात्मपौरुषम्। तथाऽस्मि कर्ता न चिराद्यथा प्रीतो भविष्यसि4.7.4।।

rāvaṇaṃ sagaṇaṃ hatvā paritoṣyātmapauruṣam| tathā'smi kartā na cirādyathā prīto bhaviṣyasi4.7.4||

'With all my capability I will kill Ravana and his clan. Thus I will be able to satisfy you soon with my efforts.

अलं वैक्लब्यमालम्ब्य धैर्यमात्मगतं स्मर। त्वद्विधानां न सदृशमीदृशं बुद्धिलाघवम्।।4.7.5।।

alaṃ vaiklabyamālambya dhairyamātmagataṃ smara| tvadvidhānāṃ na sadṛśamīdṛśaṃ buddhilāghavam

'Give up despair. It is enough. Be patient. Maintain your natural disposition.It is unworthy of men like you to entertain such frivolus thoughts?

मयाऽपि व्यसनं प्राप्तं भार्याविरहजं महत्। नाहमेवं हि शोचामि न च धैर्यं परित्यजे4.7.6।।

mayā'pi vyasanaṃ prāptaṃ bhāryāvirahajaṃ mahat| nāhamevaṃ hi śocāmi na ca dhairyaṃ parityaje4.7.6||

'Separated from my wife, I, too, am afflicted with deep grief. But I do not brood, I do not lose patience.

नाहं तामनुशोचामि प्राकृतो वानरोऽपि सन्। महात्मा च विनीतश्च किं पुनर्धृतिमान्भवान्4.7.7।।

nāhaṃ tāmanuśocāmi prākṛto vānaro'pi san| mahātmā ca vinītaśca kiṃ punardhṛtimānbhavān4.7.7||

'I am an ordinary monkey born. Even then, I do not brood over my wife. You are highsouled, humble and patient. Why do you grieve?

बाष्पमापतितं धैर्यान्निग्रहीतुं त्वमर्हसि। मर्यादां सत्त्वयुक्तानां धृतिं नोत्स्रष्टुमर्हसि4.7.8।।

bāṣpamāpatitaṃ dhairyānnigrahītuṃ tvamarhasi| maryādāṃ sattvayuktānāṃ dhṛtiṃ notsraṣṭumarhasi4.7.8||

'Restrain the flow of your tears. Be patient. Men (like you) endowed with equilibrium and dignity and patience ought not to leave their composure.

व्यसने वाऽर्थकृच्छ्रे वा भये वा जीवितान्तके। विमृशन्वै स्वया बुद्ध्या धृतिमान्नावसीदति4.7.9।।

vyasane vā'rthakṛcchre vā bhaye vā jīvitāntake| vimṛśanvai svayā buddhyā dhṛtimānnāvasīdati4.7.9||

'In times of grief or loss of wealth or at the hour of death, one who is patient does not abandon his wisdom, he does not despair.

बालिशस्तु नरो नित्यं वैक्लब्यं योऽनुवर्तते। स मज्जत्यवशश्शोके भाराक्रान्तेव नौर्जले4.7.10।।

bāliśastu naro nityaṃ vaiklabyaṃ yo'nuvartate| sa majjatyavaśaśśoke bhārākrānteva naurjale4.7.10||

A man who is unwise and distraught only gets sunk in grief like a heavily loaded boat (sinks) in water.

एषोऽञ्जलिर्मया बद्धः प्रणयात्त्वां प्रसादये। पौरुषं श्रय शोकस्य नान्तरं दातुमर्हसि4.7.11।।

eṣo'ñjalirmayā baddhaḥ praṇayāttvāṃ prasādaye| pauruṣaṃ śraya śokasya nāntaraṃ dātumarhasi4.7.11||

'I implore you with folded palms on account of our friendship to show manliness. You should not give in to grief.

ये शोकमनुवर्तन्ते न तेषां विद्यते सुखम्। तेजश्च क्षीयते तेषां न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि4.7.12।।

ye śokamanuvartante na teṣāṃ vidyate sukham| tejaśca kṣīyate teṣāṃ na tvaṃ śocitumarhasi4.7.12||

'There is no happiness for those who give way to sorrow. Their brilliance is dimmed. Therefore, you ought not grieve.

शोकेनाभिप्रपन्नस्य जीविते चापि संशयः। स शोकं त्यज राजेन्द्र धैर्यमाश्रय केवलम्4.7.13।।

śokenābhiprapannasya jīvite cāpi saṃśayaḥ| sa śokaṃ tyaja rājendra dhairyamāśraya kevalam4.7.13||

'Even the chances of survival are doubtful for a man who is overpowered by sorrow. Give up sorrow and have patience, O king

हितं वयस्यभावेन ब्रूमि नोपदिशामि ते। वयस्यतां पूजयन्मे न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि4.7.14।।

hitaṃ vayasyabhāvena brūmi nopadiśāmi te| vayasyatāṃ pūjayanme na tvaṃ śocitumarhasi4.7.14||

'Out of friendly concern I offer my opinion in your interest. I am not competent to advise you. Respecting my friendship, you should never yield to grief.'

मधुरं सान्त्वित स्तेन सुग्रीवेण स राघवः। मुखमश्रुपरिक्लिन्नं वस्त्रान्तेन प्रमार्जयत्4.7.15।।

madhuraṃ sāntvita stena sugrīveṇa sa rāghavaḥ| mukhamaśrupariklinnaṃ vastrāntena pramārjayat4.7.15||

Consoled by the sweet words of Sugriva, Rama wiped his face filled with tears by the hem of his upper cloth.

प्रकृतिस्थस्तु काकुत्स्थस्सुग्रीववचनात्प्रभुः। सम्परिष्वज्य सुग्रीवमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्4.7.16।।

prakṛtisthastu kākutsthassugrīvavacanātprabhuḥ| sampariṣvajya sugrīvamidaṃ vacanamabravīt4.7.16||

When lord Rama, the scion of the Kakutstha race was comforted by these words of Sugriva, he came to his senses, and clasping him said:

कर्तव्यं यद्वयस्येन स्निग्धेन च हितेन च। अनुरूपं च युक्तं च कृतं सुग्रीव तत्त्वया4.7.17।।

kartavyaṃ yadvayasyena snigdhena ca hitena ca| anurūpaṃ ca yuktaṃ ca kṛtaṃ sugrīva tattvayā4.7.17||

'O Sugriva you have done what a friend should have done in a befitting manner with your sweet words and good wishes.

एष च प्रकृतिस्थोऽहमनुनीतस्त्वया सखे। दुर्लभो हीदृशो बन्धुरस्मिन्काले विशेषतः4.7.18।।

eṣa ca prakṛtistho'hamanunītastvayā sakhe| durlabho hīdṛśo bandhurasminkāle viśeṣataḥ4.7.18||

'O friend you have guided me back to my senses thus. It is difficult to find a friend like you specially at this time.

किं तु यत्नस्त्वया कार्यो मैथिल्याः परिमार्गणे। राक्षसस्य च रौद्रस्य रावणस्य दुरात्मनः4.7.19।।

kiṃ tu yatnastvayā kāryo maithilyāḥ parimārgaṇe| rākṣasasya ca raudrasya rāvaṇasya durātmanaḥ4.7.19||

'Indeed, you must make effort to trace the princess from Mithila and the evilminded, fierce demon Ravana.

मया च यदनुष्ठेयं विस्रब्धेन तदुच्यताम्। वर्षास्विव च सुक्षेत्रे सर्वं सम्पद्यते तव4.7.20।।

mayā ca yadanuṣṭheyaṃ visrabdhena taducyatām| varṣāsviva ca sukṣetre sarvaṃ sampadyate tava4.7.20||

'Now tell me about my duty without any hesitation. I assure you that your desire will be fulfilled, just as seeds sown in a fertile land with timely rains bear fruit.

मया च यदिदं वाक्यमभिमानात्समीरितम्। तत्त्वया हरिशार्दूल तत्त्वमित्युपधार्यताम्4.7.21।।

mayā ca yadidaṃ vākyamabhimānātsamīritam| tattvayā hariśārdūla tattvamityupadhāryatām4.7.21||

'O tiger amongst monkeys accept my words uttered out of injured honour in their true sense.

अनृतं नोक्तपूर्वं मे न च वक्ष्ये कदाचन। एतत्ते प्रतिजानामि सत्येनैव च ते शपाम्यहमं।।4.7.22।।

anṛtaṃ noktapūrvaṃ me na ca vakṣye kadācana| etatte pratijānāmi satyenaiva ca te śapāmyahamaṃ

'I have never uttered a false word earlier nor will I do it in future. This is my promise. I swear by truth alone.'

ततः प्रहृष्टस्सुग्रीवो वानरैस्सचिवैस्सह। राघवस्य वचश्श्रुत्वा प्रतिज्ञातं विशेषतः4.7.23।।

tataḥ prahṛṣṭassugrīvo vānaraissacivaissaha| rāghavasya vacaśśrutvā pratijñātaṃ viśeṣataḥ4.7.23||

Sugriva and his counsellors felt glad on hearing Rama's words, particularly the assurance given by him.

एवमेकान्तसम्पृक्तौ ततस्तौ नरवानरौ। उभावन्योन्यसदृशं सुखं दुःखमभाषताम्4.7.24।।

evamekāntasampṛktau tatastau naravānarau| ubhāvanyonyasadṛśaṃ sukhaṃ duḥkhamabhāṣatām4.7.24||

Man and monkey then met privately and shared the weal and woe of one another.

महानुभावस्य वचो निशम्य हरिर्नृपाणामृषभस्य तस्य। कृतं स मेने हरिवीरमुख्य स्तदा स्वकार्यं हृदयेन विद्वान्4.7.25।।

mahānubhāvasya vaco niśamya harirnṛpāṇāmṛṣabhasya tasya| kṛtaṃ sa mene harivīramukhya stadā svakāryaṃ hṛdayena vidvān4.7.25||

Wise Sugriva, chief of monkeys, heard the words of the magnanimous Rama, a bull among men. He felt glad at heart thinking that his task has been achieved. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये किष्किन्धाकाण्डे सप्तमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the seventh sarga of Kishkindakanda of the Holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by the sage Valmiki.