Book IV : Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys
After befriending Rama Sugreeva promises him to bring back Seetha from whatever place she is held captive. He informs that he has seen Seetha travelling overhead in the sky while being abducted. He also says that the lady while being abducted has dropped her ornaments wrapping in her upper cloth at their place atop the mountain. Then Sugreeva shows the ornaments to Rama asking him to identify them. Rama recognises the ornaments and the upper cloth of Seetha, and angered at the scandalous act of abduction he avows to eradicate that demon along with his clansmen. |
punareva abraviit priitaH raaghavam raghunandanam |
ayam aakhyaati te raama sevakaH mantri sattamaH || 4-6-1
hanumaan yan nimittam tvam nirjanam vanam aagataH |
lakshmaNena saha bhraatraa vasataH ca vane tava ||4-6-2
rakshasaa apahR^itaa bhaaryaa maithilii janaka aatmajaa |
tvayaa viyuktaa rudatii lakshmaNena ca dhiimataa || 4-6-3
1, 2, 3. priitaH= gladdened; Sugreeva; raghu nandanam raaghavam= to Rama; punaH eva= again, thus; abraviit= said; raama= oh, Rama; tvam= you; bhraatraa= brother; lakshmaNena saha= Lakshmana, along with; yat nimittam= what, for; nir janam vanam= to uninhabited, forest; aagataH= have come; te= your; sevakaH= servant; mantri sattamaH= minister, the best; ayam= he; hanumaan=Hanuma; aakhyaati= has said; vane= in forest; vasataH = while living; tava= your; tvayaa= your; bhaaryaa= wife; dhiimataa= courageous one; lakshmaNena ca= without Lakshmana also; viyuktaa= not alongside of [her]; rudatii= wailing; janaka aatma jaa= King Janaka's, daughter; maithilii= Maithilee [Seetha]; rakshasaa= by demon; apahR^itaa= stolen.
Then Sugreeva who is gladdened again spoke to Rama of Raghu's dynasty, "My best minister and this servant of yours Hanuma informed me of the reason for which you have come to uninhabited forests along with your brother Lakshmana, and that while living in the forest, and when you and this courageous Lakshmana are not her alongside a demon stole your wife Maithili, the daughter of Janaka, wailing as she was. [4-6-3]
antaram prepsunaa tena hatvaa gR^idhram jaTaayuSam |
bhaaryaa viyogajam duHkham praapitaH tena rakshsaa || 4-6-4
4. antaram= opportune time; prepsunaa= waiting for; tena= by an arch demon?; tena rakshasaa= by him, that demon; JaTaayusham gR^idhram hatvaa= one named Jataayu, eagle, on killing; bhaaryaa viyogajam= wife, separation; duhkham= agony; praapitaH= he caused to you; hanuma aakhyaati= Hanuma, has said.
"And he also said about that arch demon's killing an eagle named Jatayu on waiting for an opportunity, and his causing an agony in you by way of separating your wife. [4-6-4]
bharyaa viyogajam duHkham na chiraat tvam vimokshyase |
aham taam aanayiSyaami naSTaam vedashrutiim iva || 4-6-5
5. tvam bharyaa viyogajam duHkham= you, wife, caused by separation, agony; na chiraat= not, long [before long]; vimokshyase= you will get rid off; aham= I; taam= her; aanayishyaami= will fetch; naSTaam= lost; veda shrutim= Veda, scriptures; yathaa= like.
"Before long you will get rid off your agony caused by the separation of wife, for I will fetch her very soon, like the retrieval Vedic Scriptures. [4-6-5]
When four Veda-s were stolen by demons called Madhu and Kaitabha, Vishnu retrieved them, in his Fish incarnation. Again when demons called Somakaasura stole them Vishnu in the form of Hayagreeva, Horse-faced Divinity, retrieved them. Here it is suggested that Sugreeva is reminding Rama of his earlier incarnation like the fish and horse-faced Hayagriiva, and compares Seetha with the Veda-s, that cannot be humbled down or controlled, or stolen by any single being.
rasaatale vaa vartantiim vartantiim vaa nabhaH tale |
aham aaniiya daasyaami tava bhaaryaam arindama || 4-6-6
6. arindama= oh, enemy destroyer Rama; rasaatale vartantiim vaa= in netherworlds, let her be abiding, either; nabhahtale=in empyrean worlds; vartantiim vaa= be in, or; aham= I will; aaniiya= will bring back; daasyaami tava= will give, you; bhaaryaam= your wife;
"Oh! Enemy destroyer, Rama, I will fetch your wife to give her to you whether she is in netherworlds or even in empyrean worlds. [4-6-6]
idam tathyam mama vacaH tvam avehi ca raaghava |
na shakyaa saa jarayitum api saH indraiH sura asuraiH || 4-6-7
tava bhaaryaa mahaabaaho bhakshyam viSa kR^itam yathaa |
7, 8a. Raaghava; mama idam vacaH tathyam= my, this, word, is definite; tvam avehi= you, know it; mahaabaahuH= oh, dextrous one; tava bhaaryaa= your wife; saa= she is; viSakR^itam bhakshyam yathaa= with poison, [made-up] foodstuff, as with; sa IndraiH sura asuraiH api= along with Indra, by gods, or by demons, even; jarayitum= to digest; na shakyaa= not, possible she is.
"You may know that this word of mine is definite oh, Raghava. Your wife is as good as an indigestible foodstuff made with poison, indigestive even to Indra, put together with all gods and demons. [4-6-7, 8a]
tyaja shokam mahaabaaho taam kaantaam aanayaami te | 4-6-8
anumaanaat tu jaanaami maithilii saa na sa.mshayaH |
hriyamaaNaa mayaa dR^iSTaa rakshasaa rauudra karmaNaa || 4-6-9
kroshantii raama raameti lakshmaNeti ca visvaram |
sphurantii raavaNasya anke pannagendra vadhuuH yathaa || 4-6-10
8b, 9,10. mahaabaahuH= great-shouldered one; tyaja shokam= give-up, lamentation; te kaantaam taam aanayaami= your, lady, her, I will bring back; rakshasaa raudra karmanaa= by demon, with cruel, deeds; hriyamaaNaa= while being abducted; rama raama iti= Rama, Rama thus; Lakshmana iti ca= Lakshmana, thus, also; visvaram= piteously; kroshantii= crying; yathaa pannaga indra vadhuuH= as with, serpent, lord's, wife; raavaNasya anke= in Ravana's, flank; sphurantii= writhing; mayaa dR^iSTaa= by me, seen; saa maithilii= she, [is definitely,] Seetha; anumaanaat jaanaami= by inference, but, I know; tu na samshayaH= but, no, doubt.
"Give-up your lamentation, oh, great-shouldered one, for I will bring back that lady for you. And by inference I know her... undoubtedly I have seen Maithilee while that demon with cruel deeds was abducting her... then she was crying piteously calling 'Rama, Rama...' and also calling 'Lakshmana...' and she was writhing in the flanks of Ravana like the wife of serpent's lord... [4-6-8b, 9, 10]
aatmanaa pa~ncamam maam hi dR^iSTvaa shaila tale sthitam |
uttariiyam tayaa tyak.htam shubhaani aabharaNaani ca || 4-6-11
11. shaila tale sthitam= on mountain's, cliff, staying; aatmanaa= myself; pancamam= being the fifth one; maam dR^iSTvaa= me, on seeing; tayaa uttariiyam tyaktam= by her, her upper cloth, was dropped; shubhaani= auspicious; aabharaNaani ca= jewellery also.
"Myself being the fifth one on the cliff of the mountain, on seeing me she dropped the upper cloth of her sari along with auspicious jewellery. [4-6-11]
While there are four more besides Sugreeva on the cliff of the mountain, like Hanuma, Nala, Neela, and Taara, Seetha 'has seen' Sugreeva 'alone' and dropped the bundle of jewellery aiming at Sugreeva. It is said that Seetha has blessed Sugreeva by mercifully eying him, and thus his turmoil is going to alleviate at the grace of her divine look, for she is Goddess Lakshmi.
taani asmaabhiH gR^ihiitaani nihitaani ca raaghava |
aanayiSyaami aham taani pratyabhij~naatum arhasi || 4-6-12
12. taani= them; asmaabhiH= we; gR^ihiitaani= took; nihitaani ca= stored, too; Raaghava; aham taani aanayiSyaami= I, them, will get; prati abhij~naatum arhasi= to identify, apt of you.
"We took those jewellery items and stored them, Raaghava... I will get them and it will be apt of you to identify them..." thus said Sugreeva to Rama. [4-6-12]
tam abraviit tataH raamaH sugriivam priya vaadinam |
aanayasva sakhe shiighram kim artham pravilambase || 4-6-13
13. tataH= then; raamaH= Rama; tam priya vaadinam= to him, to that pleasant talker; sugriivam= to Sugreeva; abraviit= said thus; shiighram= quickly; aanayasva= get them; sakhe= my friend; kim artham= what, for; pravilambase= you are delaying.
Then Rama said to that pleasant talker Sugreeva, "Get them quickly, my friend, what for you are delaying." [4-6-13]
evam uk.htaH tu sugriivaH shailasya gahanaam guhaam |
pravivesha tataH shiighram raaghava priya kaamyayaa || 4-6-14
14. evam uktaH tu= thus, said to; Sugreeva; raaghava priya kaamyayaa= for Raghava's, yearning, to fulfil; tataH= then shailasya= of the mountain's; gahanaam= cavernous; guhaam= cave; shiighram= quickly; pravivesha= on entering.
Thus said Sugreeva then entered the cavernous cave of that mountain quickly, to fulfil the yearning of Raghava. [4-6-14]
uttariiyam gR^ihiitvaa tu sa taani aabharaNaani ca |
idam pashya iti raamaaya darshayaamaasa vaanaraH || 4-6-15
15. uttariiyam= upper cloth [the parcel]; gR^ihiitvaa tu= taken, also; shubhaani aabharanaani ca= auspicious, jewellery, also; idam pashya= this, you see; iti Raamaaya= thus, to Rama; vaanaraH= the monkey; darshayaamaasa= started to show.
On taking and bringing the parcel of that upper cloth with the auspicious jewellery, "This, you see..." saying thus that monkey started to show them to Rama. [4-6-15]
tato gR^ihiitvaa vaasaH tu shubhaani aabharaNaani ca |
abhavat baaSpa sam.hruddhaH niihaareNa iva candramaaH || 4-6-16
16. tataH= then; gR^ihiitvaa= on taking; tat vaasaH= that, cloth; shubhaani aabharanaani ca= auspicious, jewellery, too; abhavat= became; baaSpa samruddhaH= tears, obscured [overfilled]; niihaareNa iva candramaaH= by mist, like, the Moon.
Then on taking that cloth and also the auspicious jewellery, Rama became like mist filled moon with overfilling tears. [4-6-16]
siitaa sneha pravR^ittena sa tu baaSpeNa duuSitaH |
haa priye iti rudan dhairyam ut.hsR^ijya nyapatat kshitau || 4-6-17
17. saH tu= he, but; siita sneha pravR^ittena= for Seetha's, friendship, outpoured; baaSpeNa duuSitaH= by tears, blemished; haa priye= oh, dear; iti rudan= thus, wailing; dhairyam= courage; utsR^ijya= leaving off; nyapatat= fallen; kshitau= on ground.
But he who is blemished by tears that outpoured in all his friendship with Seetha, leaving off his courage fell on the ground wailing, 'oh, dear... oh, dear...' [4-6-17]
hR^idi kR^itvaa sa bahushaH tam ala.nkaaram uttamam |
nishashvaasa bhR^isham sarpaH bilastha iva roSitaH || 4-6-18
18. saH= he; alankaaram uttamam= decorative ornaments, the best ones; bahushaH= many times; hR^idi kR^itvaa= at heart, closely kept [on hugging]; roshitaH bilastha sarpaH iva= wrathful, in snake pit, serpent, as with; bhR^isham= much; nishashvaasa= sighed [hissed.]
The more he hugged those best decorative ornaments close to his heart, the more he hissed like a wrathful serpent in a snake pit. [4-6-18]
avicChinna ashru vegaH tu saumitrim prekshya paarshvataH |
paridevayitum diinam raamaH sam upacakrame || 4-6-19
19. Rama; a + vicChinna ashru vegaaH tu= un, ending, tears, with rush of; paarshvataH= at his side; Saumitrim= at Lakshmana; prekshya= on seeing; diinam= piteously; paridevayitum= to wail; sam upacakrame= he started to.
With the unending rush of tears he saw Lakshmana at his side and started to wail piteously. [4-6-19]
pashya lakshmaNa vaidehyaa sa.mtyak.htam hriyamaaNayaa |
uttariiyam idam bhuumau shariiraad bhuuSaNaani ca || 4-6-20
20. Lakshmana; hriyamaaNayaa= while being abducted; vaidehyaa= from Vaidehi's; shariiraat= from body [on shedding]; bhuumau= onto ground; sam tyaktam= dropped; idam uttariiyam= this, upper cloth; bhuushaNaani ca= ornaments, too; pashya= you see.
"Lakshmana, see this upper cloth and these ornaments too of Vaidehi, shed from her body and dropped onto the ground while she is being abducted. [4-6-20]
shaadvalinyaam dhruvam bhuumyaam siitayaa hriyamaaNayaa |
ut.hsR^iSTam bhuuSaNaam idam tathaa ruupam hi dR^ishyate || 4-6-21
21. hriyamaaNayaa= when being abducted; siitayaa= by Seetha; idam bhuushaNam= these ornaments; utsR^iSTam= dropped; shaadvalinyaam= with green pastures; bhuumyaam= on the ground; dhruvam= undoubtedly; tathaa ruupam= in their original shape; dR^ishyate hi= are appearing, indeed.
"Seetha must have definitely dropped these ornaments onto pastureland, for they appear to be in their original shape, indeed." So said Rama to Lakshmana. [4-6-21]
evam uktasaH tu raameNa lakshmaNo vaakyam idam abraviit |
na aham jaanaami keyuure na aham jaanaami kunDale || 4-6-22
nuupure tu abhijanaami nityam paada abhiva.ndanaat |
22. evam uktaH tu raameNa= thus said, but, by Rama; lashmanaH= Lakshmana; vaakyam idam abraviit= sentence, this said; aham keyuure na jaanaami= I, bracelets, do not, know; aham na jaanaami kunDale= I, do not, know, earrings; nityam paada abhivandanaat= always, to feet, because I salute; nuupure tu= anklets, but; abhijanaami= I know them well.
When Rama thus said Lakshmana said this, "I know not the bracelets and I know not the earrings But because I always salute her feet I know these anklets well...[4-6-22]
This is a celebrated and controversial stanza. This is not found in ancient manuscripts or in Baroda version. Hanuma inspects the ornaments of Seetha in captivity in Sundara Kanda and a list is narrated there. But here, though no such listing is given, Lakshmana says he does not know the ornaments of upper body, but is aware of the anklets, for he always adores the feet of Seetha. The traditionalists attribute the kainkarya, the dedicated character to Lakshmana, and establish this verse as a supreme characterization of Lakshmana. Lakshmana regards Seetha as one of his mother. The wife of an elder brother is just another mother.
tataH tu raaghavo vaakyam sugriivam idam abraviit || 4-6-23
bruuhi sugriiva kam desham hriyantii lakshitaa tvayaa |
rakshasaa raudraruupeNa mama praaNapriyaa priyaa || 4-6-24
23. tataH= then; saH= he; Raaghava; sugriivam= to Sugreeva; diina= sadly; idam abraviit= this, spoke; Sugreeva; mama praaNa [praaNaiH] priyaa priyaa= than my, own life-like [more than my life,] dearer; dear one; rakshasaa raudra ruupeNa= by demon, ferocious, in look; kam desham hriyantii= towards which, country, while being abducted; lakshitaa tvayaa= spotted, by you; bruuhi= tell.
" Then Rama sadly asked to Sugreeva, "tell me Sugreeva, towards which country that ferocious looking demon abducted my dear one dearest than my lives, as spotted by you... [4-6-23]
kva vaa vasati tat rakshaJH mahat vyasanadam mama |
yan nimittam aham sarvaan naashayiSyaami raakshasaan || 4-6-25
25. aham= I; yat nimittam= in respect of which [demon]; sarvaan raakshasaan naasha yiSyaami= all, demons, I wish to eliminate; tat mama mahat vyasana dam= that, to me, great, woe, causer [troublemaker]; kva vaa vasati= where, either, lives.
"For the sake of which demon I wish to eliminate whole of the demons, that troublemaker of mine, where does he live, either... [4-6-25]
harataa maithiliim yena maam ca roSayataa dhruvam |
aatmano jiivita antaaya mR^ityu dvaaram apaavR^itam || 4-6-26
26. yena= by whom; maithiliim harataa= of Maithili, abductor of; maam roSayataa ca= me, caused indignation, even; dhruvam aatmanaH jiivita antaaya definitely, by himself, his life, to end [suicidally]; mR^ityu dvaaram apaavR^itam= death's, doors, opened up.
"By whom Maithili is abducted and thus caused indignation in me, he has opened up the doors of his death suicidally. [4-6-26]
mama dayita tamaa hR^itaa vanaat rajanicareNa vimathya yena saa |
kathaya mama ripum tam adya vai plavagapate yama sannidhim nayaami || 4-6-27
27. plavagapate= fly-jumper's, king; yena rajani chareNa= by which, night-walker; mama dayita tamaa= my, dearest than all; saa= she who is; vimathya vanaat hR^itaa= molesting, in forests, stolen; mama ripum tam kathaya= of my, enemy, about him, you tell; adya vai= today, for sure; yama sannidhim= Yama's, fore of; nayaami= lead him, I will.
" Oh, king of the fly-jumpers, tell me which demon forcibly stole her, my dearest one than all, by molesting her in the forest, tell me about that enemy of mine, for sure I will lead him to the fore of Death today itself... [4-6-27]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye kiSkindha kaaNDe SaSTaH sargaH
Thus, this is the 6th chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
© 2000, Desiraju Hanumanta Rao, [Revised : March, '04]