Chapter 55
Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys
श्रुत्वा हनुमतो वाक्यम् प्रश्रितम् धर्म संहितम्
स्वामि सत्कार संयुक्तम् अंगदो वाक्यम् अब्रवीत्
śrutvā hanumato vākyam praśritam dharma saṃhitam
svāmi satkāra saṃyuktam aṃgado vākyam abravīt
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On hearing the polite and righteous words of Hanuma, which are just yeomanly towards Hanuma's lord, namely Sugreeva, Angada said these sentences. [4-55-1]
स्थैर्यमात्ममनःशौचमानृशंस्यमथाअर्जवम् यद्व
स्थैर्यम् आत्म मनः शौचम् आनृशंस्यम् अथ आर्जवम्
विक्रमः चैव धैर्यम् च सुग्रीवे न उपपद्यते
sthairyamātmamanaḥśaucamānṛśaṃsyamathāarjavam - yadva -
sthairyam ātma manaḥ śaucam ānṛśaṃsyam atha ārjavam
vikramaḥ caiva dhairyam ca sugrīve na upapadyate
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Un-deducible in Sugreeva are his steadiness, or harmlessness, or frankness, also thus salience, or even valiance, further more cleanliness of heart or soul. [4-55-2]
भ्रातुः ज्येष्ठस्य यो भार्याम् जीवितो महिषीम् प्रियाम्
धर्मेण मातरम् यः तु स्वीकरोति जुगुप्सितः
bhrātuḥ jyeṣṭhasya yo bhāryām jīvito mahiṣīm priyām
dharmeṇa mātaram yaḥ tu svīkaroti jugupsitaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Which Sugreeva has arrogated his elder brother's wife when that elder brother is still alive and well, where she is morally his motherlike, an empress and a lady love of that elder brother, thus he is despicable, and which Sugreeva closed the mouth of the cavity when his brother in all his belief assigned and stationed him alone at the mouth of the cavity to fightback the demon Dundubhi if he tries to escape, all the more when his own brother is still inside the cavity, thus he is nefarious, how then he can be said as one conversant with moral rectitude? [4-55-3, 4]
सत्यात् पाणि गृहीतः च कृत कर्मा महायशाः
विस्मृतो राघवो येन स कस्य सुकृतम् स्मरेत्
satyāt pāṇi gṛhītaḥ ca kṛta karmā mahāyaśāḥ
vismṛto rāghavo yena sa kasya sukṛtam smaret
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Which Sugreeva has overlooked no less than the great glorious Raghava, whom he truthfully befriended and from whom his own task of arrogating my kingdom by eliminating my father is facilitated, how then can he remember the good services of others like us? [4-55-5]
PURPORT
लक्ष्मणस्य भयेन इह न अधर्म भय भीरुणा
आदिष्टा मार्गितुम् सीताम् धर्मः तस्मिन् कथम् भवेत्
lakṣmaṇasya bhayena iha na adharma bhaya bhīruṇā
ādiṣṭā mārgitum sītām dharmaḥ tasmin katham bhavet
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"He has ordered and sent us for searching Seetha owing to the fear from Lakshmana, but not as a coward fearing his own unscrupulousness, how then can scrupulosity be manifest in him? [4-55-6]
तस्मिन् पापे कृतघ्ने तु स्मृति भिन्ने चल आत्मनि
आर्यः को विश्वसेत् जातु तत् कुलीनो विशेषतः
tasmin pāpe kṛtaghne tu smṛti bhinne cala ātmani
āryaḥ ko viśvaset jātu tat kulīno viśeṣataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Who is that respectable one who can put belief in Sugreeva, while that Sugreeva is shameful by his shameless act of eliminating my father, and unmindful of tradition in usurping my mother and throne, and unthankful in requiting Rama by himself, instead of using us as pawns, and changeful in ignoring his promise to Rama, but in fearing for Lakshmana? Will it be possible especially for one like me belonging to his family? [4-55-7]
राज्ये पुत्रः प्रतिष्ठाप्यः स गुणो निर्गुणो अपि वा
कथम् शत्रु कुलीनम् माम् सुग्रीवो जीवयिष्यति
rājye putraḥ pratiṣṭhāpyaḥ sa guṇo nirguṇo api vā
katham śatru kulīnam mām sugrīvo jīvayiṣyati
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Whether a son is honest or dishonest he alone is investable in the kingdom. How then can Sugreeva let me, the one from the family of his enemy, live on? [4-55-8]
PURPORT
भिन्न मन्त्रो अपराद्धः च हीन शक्तिः कथम् हि अहम्
किष्किन्धाम् प्राप्य जीवेयम् अनाथ इव दुर्बलः
bhinna mantro aparāddhaḥ ca hīna śaktiḥ katham hi aham
kiṣkindhām prāpya jīveyam anātha iva durbalaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"My slyness in planning to live in Black Hole has backfired, I am now culpable in not finding Seetha being the troop leader, and I am a powerless as you all are Sugreeva's side, how then can I live on indeed after reaching Kishkindha, like caitiff turned into a wretch. [4-55-9]
उपांशु दण्डेन हि माम् बंधनेन उपपादयेत्
शठः क्रूरो नृशंसः च सुग्रीवो राज्य कारणात्
upāṃśu daṇḍena hi mām baṃdhanena upapādayet
śaṭhaḥ krūro nṛśaṃsaḥ ca sugrīvo rājya kāraṇāt
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Indeed he surceases me by some mysterious trammelling punishment, for that Sugreeva becomes disingenuous, ferocious, also barbarous just for the reason of his kingship. [4-55-10]
बंधनात् च अवसादात् मे श्रेयः प्रायोपवेशनम्
अनुजानंतु माम् सर्वे गृहम् गच्छंतु वानराः
baṃdhanāt ca avasādāt me śreyaḥ prāyopaveśanam
anujānaṃtu mām sarve gṛham gacchaṃtu vānarāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Fast unto death behoves me than trammels and tramples, thus you all be acquiescent to my proposal and you may go back to your dwellings. [4-55-11]
अहम् वः प्रतिजानामि न गमिष्यामि अहम् पुरीम्
इह एव प्रायम् आसिष्ये श्रेयो मरणम् एव मे
aham vaḥ pratijānāmi na gamiṣyāmi aham purīm
iha eva prāyam āsiṣye śreyo maraṇam eva me
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"I am reiterating to you all that I do not wish to go to the city of Kishkindha, and here only I sit fasting unto death, as death alone is expedient to me. [4-55-12]
अभिवादन पूर्वम् तु राजा कुशलम् एव च
अभिवादन पूर्वम् तु राघवौ बलशालिनौ
abhivādana pūrvam tu rājā kuśalam eva ca
abhivādana pūrvam tu rāghavau balaśālinau
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"On my behalf Raghava-s wellbeing may be enquired firstly paying deference to them, so also the wellbeing of my paternal uncle and king may be enquired, only after paying deference to that lord of vanara-s. [4-55-13, 14a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"My step-mother Ruma may be asked after regarding her healthiness. And it will be apt of you to solace my mother Lady Tara, who by her nature is a warm-hearted and austerely lady who cherishes her son more, and such as she is she will obviously leave off her life on hearing that I breathed my last." So said Angada to all monkeys. [4-55-14b, 16a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On speaking to that point and after paying deference to older vanara-s available there, Angada puling glum facedly reclined on the sacred grass spread on ground. [4-55-16b, 17a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Apropos to Angada's recumbency on ground, the other outstanding Vanara-s snivellingly sluiced down seethingly effusive teardrops emotionally. [4-55-17b, 18a]
सुग्रीवम् चैव निन्दन्तः प्रशंसन्तः च वालिनम्
sugrīvam caiva nindantaḥ praśaṃsantaḥ ca vālinam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
While disesteeming Sugreeva but esteeming Vali, all of the vanara-s have gathered around Angada deciding to sit down for fasting unto death in step with Angada. [4-55-18b, 19a]
तत् वाक्यम् वालि पुत्रस्य विज्ञाय प्लवग ऋषभाः
tat vākyam vāli putrasya vijñāya plavaga ṛṣabhāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Those best ones among fly-jumpers on discerning the words of Angada, the son of Vali, and agreeing to what all said by Angada as appropriate, they positioned themselves on the sacred grass after touching waters sacramentally. The sacred-grass is spread as sacred beds to cast off their lives. The edges of grass blades are positioned southward. As they are on that northern shore of southern ocean, all those best monkeys who are bent on to self-immolation, they became recumbent facing eastward. [4-55-19b, 21a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
An unknown apprehensive dread came upon those monkeys when they discussed Rama's living in forests, Dasharatha's demise, calamity caused to Janasthaana, casualty to Jataayu, like that the stealing of Vaidehi and slaying of Vali. [4-55-21, 22]
PURPORT
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये किष्किन्ध काण्डे पंच पंचाशः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye kiṣkindha kāṇḍe paṃca paṃcāśaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
While those many fly-jumpers who mirror up great mountaintops by their physique are recumbent discussing stridently, the entrails of caves of mountain are rendered strident, and that mountain itself appeared like skyscape filled with strident clouds about to burst a good fortune. [4-55-23]
