Book IV : Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys
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Sugreeva's apology pacifies Lakshmana. On knowing that Lakshmana is pacified by Tara's reasoning Sugreeva makes his apologetic statement and affirms his support to Rama. Then Lakshmana's rage comes to a halt and he too is appeased by the open declaration of Sugreeva about his adherence to Rama, and Lakshmana asks him to come to Rama. |
iti uktaH taarayaa vaakyam prashritam dharma sa.mhitam |
mR^idu svabhaavaH saumitriH pratijagraaha tat vacaH || 4-36-1
1. iti taarayaa= in that way, by Tara; prashritam= having submissiveness -words; dharma samhitam vaakyam= probity, imbibed, sentence - argument; uktaH= he who is said - Lakshmana; mR^idu svabhaavaH saumitriH= of tender, nature - soft-natured one, Soumitri; tat vacaH prati jagraaha= that, word, received - assented her perspective.
In that way when Tara has submissively argued with words containing probity, Saumitri gave assent to her perspective as he is soft by his nature. [4-36-1]
tasmin pratigR^ihiite tu vaakye hari gaNa iishvaraH |
lakSmaNaat sumahat traasam vastram klinnam iva atyajat || 4-36-2
2. tasmin pratigR^ihiite tu vaakye= that [word,] on conceding, but, [by Lakshmana]; hari gaNa iishvaraH= monkey, troops, king; lakSmaNaat su mahat traasam= of Lakshmana, highly, intense, scare; klinnam vastram iva= cloth, dampened, as with; atyajat got rid of.
And when Lakshmana conceded to that argument of Tara, Sugreeva, the king of monkey-troops, got rid of his highly intense scare of Lakshmana, like the riddance of a dampened cloth. [4-36-2]
This may be said as: 'Sugreeva lost his scare as a dampened cloth looses its water on squeezing it. But here there is no squeezing.
tataH kaNTha gatam maalyam citram bahu guNam mahat |
cicCheda vimadaH ca aasiit sugriivo vaanara iishvaraH || 4-36-3
3. tataH= then; vaanara iishvaraH sugriivaH= Vanara-s, king, Sugreeva; kaNTha gatam= neck, enwreathing; citram= admirable; bahu guNam= having several, attributes [according gratifications, or, one with several strands]; such a; mahat maalyam= superb, garland; cicCheda= ripped apart; vi madaH ca aasiit= without, insobriety, also, he became - he became sober.
Sugreeva, the king of vanara-s, then ripped apart the superb garland which is so far enwreathing his neck, and which has several strands according several gratifications, and he also became sober as though the insobriety is ripped from his mind. [4-36-3]
sa lakSmaNam bhiima balam sarva vaanara sattamaH |
abraviit prashritam vaakyam sugriivaH sa.mpraharSayan || 4-36-4
4. sarva vaanara sattamaH= among all, Vaanara-s, [most] powerful one; saH sugriivaH= he, Sugreeva; bhiima balam lakSmaNam= one with [most] formidable, prowess, to Lakshmana; sam pra harSayan= very, well, to please - placatingly; prashritam vaakyam abraviit= humble, sentence, he spoke.
Sugreeva who is the most powerful one among all vanara-s, then placatingly spoke this humble sentence to Lakshmana, whose prowess is most formidable. [4-36-4]
pranaSTaa shriiH ca kiirtiH ca kapi raajyam ca shaashvatam |
raama prasaadaat saumitre punaH ca aaptam idam mayaa || 4-36-5
5. saumitre= O, Soumitri; pra naSTaa= completely lost - mislaid; shriiH ca kiirtiH ca= prosperity, also, prominence, also; shaashvatam kapi raajyam ca= perpetual, kingdom, of monkeys, also; idam= all this; raama prasaadaat= at Rama's, beneficence; mayaa punaH aaptam ca= by me, again, recouped, also.
"My prosperity, prominence and this perpetual kingdom of monkeys are once mislaid, but oh, Soumitri, I regained all this just by the beneficence of Rama. [4-36-5]
kaH shaktaH tasya devasya khyaatasya svena karmaNaa |
taadR^isham pratikurviita a.mshena api nR^ipaatmaja || 4-36-6
6. nR^ipa aatmaja= O, king's, son [prince]; svena karmaNaa khyaatasya= by his own, course of action, renowned; devasya tasya= of lord, of him [Rama]; shaktaH kaH= a capable one, who is; amshena api= by fraction, even; taadR^isham= that kind of [inestimable help, or that kind of Rama]; prati kurviita= who is, in turn, to do [requital, or, doing against, repudiate.]
"Who is capable of requiting Rama, oh, prince Lakshmana, even by a fraction of that kind of inestimable help taken from him, as that lord is renowned by actions particular to himself, like daring and eliminating Vali.
Or
"Who is capable of repudiating such a lordly Rama, even by a fraction of one's own bravery, unless he is prepared to tread that kind of path on which Vali has gone. [4-36-6]
siitaam praapsyati dharmaatmaa vadhiSyati ca raavaNam |
sahaaya maatreNa mayaa raaghavaH svena tejasaa || 4-36-7
7. dharmaatmaa raaghavaH= virtue-souled, Raghava; sahaaya maatreNa mayaa= assistance, barely [in name only,] with me - while I and my assistance remain in name; svena tejasaa= by his own, resplendence siitaam praapsyati= Seetha, he acquires; raavaNam vadhiSyati ca= Ravana, he exterminates, also.
"Virtue-souled Raghava reacquires Seetha, and even exterminates Ravana by himself with his own resplendence, while I and my assistance remain only in name. [4-36-7]
sahaaya kR^ityam kim tasya yena sapta mahaadrumaaH |
shailaH ca vasudhaa caiva baaNena ekena daaritaaH || 4-36-8
8. yena= by whom; sapta mahaa drumaaH= seven, gigantic-trees; shailaH ca= mountain, even; vasudhaa caiva= earth, also thus; ekena baaNena daaritaaH= with one, arrow, ripped; tasya= to him; sahaaya kR^ityam kim= succour, measures, why - why extending help.
"Basically, why some measures of succour need be extended to him who has ripped seven gigantic-trees, a mountain, and even the earth, all just with one arrow! [4-36-8]
dhanur visphaaramaaNasya yasya shabdena lakSmaNa |
sa shailaa kampitaa bhuumiH sahaayaiH kim nu tasya vai || 4-36-9
9. lakSmaNa= oh, Lakshmana; dhanuH visphaaramaaNasya= bow, to one who is outstretching it; yasya= whose - Rama's; shabdena= by clangour [of bowstring that ensues]; sa shailaa bhuumiH kampitaa= with, mountains, earth, quaked; tasya sahaayaiH kim nu vai= to him, with aides, what, really [is the use,] verily.
"He who outstretches his bow with a clangour by which the earth with its mountains quakes, oh, Lakshmana, to him these aides are really of what aid, indeed! [4-36-9]
anuyaatraam nara indrasya kariSye aham naraSabha |
gacChato raavaNam hantum vairiNam sa puraHsaram || 4-36-10
10. narar Sabha= O, best among men [Lakshmana]; sa puraHsaram= along with, vanguards [of Ravana]; vairiNam raavaNam= enemy, Ravana; hantum gacChataH= to eliminate, he who is going [charging of Rama]; nara indrasya= of people's, king [Rama]; aham= I; anu yaatraam kariSye= behind, treading, I can do - I will just follow Rama.
"Lakshmana, I just can tread behind that king of people, Rama, on his charging to eliminate enemy Ravana along with all of his vanguards, that's all. [4-36-10]
yadi ki.mcit atikraantam vishvaasaat praNayena vaa |
preSyasya kSamitavyam me na kashcin na aparaadhyati || 4-36-11
11. vishvaasaat= either by faithfulness; praNayena vaa= in friendliness, or; kimcit ati kraantam yadi= a little, over, stepped, if; preSyasya= one who moves under another's will [messenger, attendant]; me= mine [that fault, if any]; kSamitavyam= it is to be pardoned; kashcit na aparaadhyati na [kascit na aparaadhyati iti na]= someone, not, causes offence [offender, thus, not there; none is unoffending.]
"If I have overstepped either in faith or friendliness, in the least, that may be pardoned for I am an attendant of yours. By the way, none is unoffending. [4-36-11]
As to why and how the offence of one's own folk is to be pardoned, is explained. kimcit 'in the least...' if the fault is very negligible it is to be excused, for greater the intensity of the mistake, greater will be the impossibility to pardon, and to my mind it appears that I have not committed any fault in the least. yadi 'if at all...' any fault is there, now there is none at all, but if you think there is a trace of if, you pardon it. vishvaasaat 'by faith...' taking the advantage of the faith you reposed in me, I have not done any wrong. praNayena 'in friendliness...' taking our friendship as a casual connection and thinking that Rama will not harm me even if were to do whatever I like... even thus I have not offended. preSyasya 'moved by my will...' I have not committed any crime manasaa, vacaa, karmaNaa 'by mind, speech and action... or, by body, mind and soul...' But if you still estimate that I have offended you, you ought to pardon for I am yours, and if you go on punishing your own folk for very small reasons, who is there that is not a wrongdoer, whom do you leave off, and at the end who are they that remain to be protected by you?' Seetha also says 'who is there that causes no offence?' in Sundara Kanda.
iti tasya bruvaaNasya sugriivasya mahaatmanaH |
abhavat lakSmaNaH priitaH premNaa ca idam uvaaca ha || 4-36-12
12. mahaa aatmanaH tasya sugriivasya= great-souled one, his, of Sugreeva; iti bruvaaNasya= in this way, while speaking; lakSmaNaH priitaH abhavat= Lakshmana, pleased, he became; premNaa idam uvaaca ha= with friendliness, this, said, indeed.
Lakshmana is pleased with that great-souled Sugreeva who is speaking thus, and said this he said to him, indeed, in friendliness. [4-36-12]
sarvathaa hi mama bhraataa sa naatho vaanareshvara |
tvayaa naathena sugriiva prashritena visheSataH || 4-36-13
13. vaanar eshvara= O, king of Vaanaras; sugriiva= O, Sugreeva; naathena= with defender [of his own word]; visheSataH prashritena tvayaa= especially, humble one, with you; mama bhraataa= my, brother; sarvathaa= in anyway; sa naathaH= is together with, a defender; hi= indeed.
"In anyway, my brother indeed has a defender with him, oh, king of vanara-s Sugreeva, especially you, who are a defender of your own word and a deferential one towards Rama. [4-36-13]
yaH te prabhaavaH sugriiva yat ca te shaucam iidR^isham |
arhaH tam kapi raajyasya shriyam bhoktum anuttamaam || 4-36-14
14. sugriiva= Sugreeva; te yaH prabhaavaH= your, which, preponderance - is there; iidR^isham yat te shaucam ca= this kind of, which, your, purity [plainness,] also; tam= that - [tvam= you]; kapi raajyasya= of monkey, kingdom's; anuttamaam shriyam bhoktum= unexcelled, prosperity of Kishkindha, to enjoy; arhaH= you are fitly.
"With this kind of preponderance and plainness you possess, Sugreeva, you are the only merited one to enjoy this unexcelled kingdom of monkeys. [4-36-14]
sahaayena ca sugriiva tvayaa raamaH prataapavaan |
vadhiSyati raNe shatruun aciraat na atra sa.mshayaH || 4-36-15
15. sugriiva= oh, Sugreeva; sahaayena tvayaa= as his supporter, with you; prataapavaan raamaH= undaunted, Rama; shatruun raNe enemies, in war; aciraat= before long; vadhiSyati= will eliminate; atra samshayaH na= therein, doubt, is not there.
"Before long, Sugreeva, dauntless Rama will be eliminating enemies in a war with you as his supporter, there is no doubt about it. [4-36-15]
dharmaj~nasya kR^itaj~nasya sa.ngraameSu anivartinaH |
upapannam ca yuktam ca sugriiva tava bhaaSitam || 4-36-16
16. sugriiva= oh, Sugreeva; you are; dharmaj~nasya kR^itaj~nasya= virtue-knower, gratitude-knower; sangraameSu a+ ni+ vartinaH= in battlegrounds, not, back, going [un-retreating one]; such as your are; tava bhaaSitam= your, spoken word; upapannam ca yuktam ca= conclusive, also, coherent, also.
"You are the knower of virtuousness and gratefulness and you do not retreat from battlegrounds, or, on your own word, thus what you have said is conclusive as well as coherent. [4-36-16]
doSaj~naH sati saamarthye ko anyo bhaaSitum arhati |
var.hjayitvaa mama jyeSTham tvaam ca vaanara sattama || 4-36-17
17. vaanara sattama= among Vanara-s, oh, ablest one; mama jyeSTham= my, elder [brother]; tvaam ca= you, also; varjayitvaa= leaving alone; anyaH= other one; kaH saamarthye sati= whoever, having capability, that being so; doSa j~naH= [one's own] lapse, knower; bhaaSitum arhati= to speak, it behoves him.
"Even though one has capability to know his own lapse and speak it up, oh, ablest among Vanara-s, who is he that behoves outspokenly, excepting my elder brother and you. [4-36-17]
sadR^ishaH ca asi raamasya vikrameNa balena ca |
sahaayo daivataiH dattaH ciraaya hari pu.ngava || 4-36-18
18. hari pungava= oh, monkey, the best; daivataiH ciraaya dattaH= by gods, after a long time, [you are] given - godsend; sahaayaH= aide; such as you are; vikrameNa balena ca= by [your] valour, vigour, also; raamasya sadR^ishaH asi= to Rama, a coequal, you are.
"You are a coequal to Rama by your valour and vigour and oh, best one among monkeys, gods have given you after a long time. [4-36-18]
The godsend and God-given has some discussion, where mythological import is that these Vanara-s are God-given and they existed even before the birth of Rama as Brahma ordered all gods to their progeniture. But Lakshmana is saying that Sugreeva is godsend gift and that too after a long time of their searching for Seetha, as thy have come searching for Sugreeva according to the advise of demon Kabandha.
kim tu shiighram ito viira niS.hkraama tvam mayaa saha |
saantvayasva vayasyam ca bhaaryaa haraNa duHkhitam || 4-36-19
19. kim tu= however, but; viira= oh, brave one; tvam mayaa saha= you, me, along with; itaH shiighram niSkraama= from here, quickly, start; bhaaryaa haraNa duHkhitam= by wife's, despoil, anguishing; vayasyam saantvayasva ca= your friend, embolden, also.
"However, you quickly start from here along with me, oh, brave one, and embolden your friend who is anguishing in the despoilment of his wife. [4-36-19]
yat ca shoka abhibhuutasya shrutvaa raamasya bhaaSitam |
mayaa tvam paruSaaNi uktaH tat kshamasva sakhe mama || 4-36-20
20. sakhe= oh, friend; shoka abhibhuutasya raamasya= by anguish, downhearted, of Rama; bhaaSitam shrutvaa= that which spoken, on hearing; mayaa= by me; tvam= you are [spoken to harshly]; paruSaaNi uktaH= bitter-words, you are spoken to by me; [ iti yat= that which topic is there]; tat= that topic; kshamasva= that may be pardoned.
"Oh, friend, on hearing that which querulously spoken by Rama, who is downhearted in his anguish, I too reflexively spoke bitter-words to you, and thus whatever I spoke that may be pardoned. [4-36-20]
This expression has detailed commentary insofar as the man-god relation. ucyamaano api paruSam na uttaram prati padyate 'though harsh words are spoken to Rama he does not rebut them...' This is evident when Khara, Duushana, Trishira, Vali, and other opponents confronted Rama. But here Rama querulously spoke of Sugreeva before despatching Lakshmana to Sugreeva. Because Sugreeva is his own adherent and such adherents to duty should not sidetrack themselves into earthly matters when an incredible mission is to be completed by them. That is why Rama came searching for Sugreeva alone basing of the information given by Kabandha.
If 'to err is human...' but 'to realize that error and making amends to it is divine...' That is what Sugreeva has done, at the suggestion of Hanuma, saying that: 'You pay deference to him with your forehead-bent...' as at 4-32-21. Sugreeva openly comes out to declare, 'who is he that does not err?' but he equally has the courage to accept what is amiss with him. From this it is concluded, that even if one does wrong, or sins, if he repentantly seeks pardon, his god, any god chosen by that devotee, will pardon him. This is the a kimcinatva 'selflessness in the least...' This is one among the many tenets of sharaNaagati 'dedication...' and this dedication is by manasaa, vacaa, karmaNaa 'by mind, speech and action... or, by body, mind and soul...' That is why Sugreeva says that he has not wronged by vishvaasaat, praNayena, preSyasya i.e., by body, mind or soul... so I am a true dedicate.
Then it may be asked as to why Lakshmana is enraged at Sugreeva. This is replied in two fold, 1] unable to see his brother's anguish Lakshmana vented out his ire; 2] Lakshmana being a total dedicate he wanted to reprimand the new dedicate Sugreeva and save him from his fickle-mindedness. That is why Lakshmana says sorry for what he has uttered in ire, earlier to the assertion of Sugreeva of his faithfulness. He asks Sugreeva to come to Rama, not to console Rama, but to embolden Rama saying that there is a real adherent in Sugreeva.
iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye kiSkindha kaaNDe SaT tri.mshaH sargaH
Thus, this is the 36th chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
© July, 2002, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao [Revised : September 04]
