Chapter 9
Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys
वाली नाम मम भ्राता ज्येष्ठः शत्रु निषूदनः
पितुः बहुमतः नित्यम् मम च अपि तथा पुरा
vālī nāma mama bhrātā jyeṣṭhaḥ śatru niṣūdanaḥ
pituḥ bahumataḥ nityam mama ca api tathā purā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Oh, great enemy destroyer Rama, my elder brother Vali is a very dear one to our father, and even for me too he was so, earlier. [4-9-1]
पितरि उपरते तस्मिन् ज्येष्ठो अयम् इति मंत्रिभिः
कपीनाम् ईश्वरो राज्ये कृतः परम सम्मतः
pitari uparate tasmin jyeṣṭho ayam iti maṃtribhiḥ
kapīnām īśvaro rājye kṛtaḥ parama sammataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
After the demise of our father all the ministers have glorified him immensely and made him the king of all the monkeys as he is the elder. [4-9-2]
राज्यम् प्रशासतः तस्य पितृ पैतामहम् महत्
अहम् सर्वेषु कालेषु प्रणतः प्रेष्यवत् स्थितः
rājyam praśāsataḥ tasya pitṛ paitāmaham mahat
aham sarveṣu kāleṣu praṇataḥ preṣyavat sthitaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
While he was ruling the great kingdom of my father and forefathers, I have always bowed down to him like a servant and stood by him. [4-9-3]
मायावी नाम तेजस्वी पूर्वजो दुन्दुभेः सुतः
तेन तस्य महद् वैरम् वालिनः स्त्री कृतम् पुरा
māyāvī nāma tejasvī pūrvajo dundubheḥ sutaḥ
tena tasya mahad vairam vālinaḥ strī kṛtam purā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
There was a fierce demon named Maayaavi, the elder brother of Dundubhi and the son of one demon named Maya. There was a great enmity between this Maayaavi and Vali owing to some female. [4-9-4]
स तु सुप्ते जने रात्रौ किष्किन्धा द्वारम् आगतः
नर्दति स्म सुसम्रब्धो वालिनम् च आह्वयत् रणे
sa tu supte jane rātrau kiṣkindhā dvāram āgataḥ
nardati sma susamrabdho vālinam ca āhvayat raṇe
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
He that Maayaavi arrived at the doors of Kishkindha in a night when the people are sleeping, and blared very much inviting Vali for a fight. [4-9-5]
प्रसुप्तः तु मम भ्राता नर्दितो भैरव स्वनम्
श्रुत्वा न ममृषे वाली निष्पपात जवात् तदा
prasuptaḥ tu mama bhrātā nardito bhairava svanam
śrutvā na mamṛṣe vālī niṣpapāta javāt tadā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then my brother who was also sleeping well, on hearing that bellowing in a clamouring voice, did not tolerate and came out speedily. [4-9-6]
स तु वै निःसृतः क्रोधात् तम् हन्तुम् असुरोत्तमम्
वार्यमाणः ततः स्त्रीभिः मया च प्रणत आत्मना
sa tu vai niḥsṛtaḥ krodhāt tam hantum asurottamam
vāryamāṇaḥ tataḥ strībhiḥ mayā ca praṇata ātmanā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Though the females and myself bowed reverently to prevent Vali, he came out of palace in all his anger to kill that great demon. [4-9-7]
स तु निर्धूय सर्वान् नो निर्जगाम महाबलः
ततः अहम् अपि सौहार्दान् निःसृतः वालिना सह
sa tu nirdhūya sarvān no nirjagāma mahābalaḥ
tataḥ aham api sauhārdān niḥsṛtaḥ vālinā saha
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
But Vali spurned all of us away and forged ahead, and then I also have started to go along with Vali in all my predisposition. [4-9-8]
स तु मे भ्रातरम् दृष्ट्वा माम् च दूरात् अवस्थितम्
असुरो जात संत्रासः प्रदुद्राव तदा भृशम्
sa tu me bhrātaram dṛṣṭvā mām ca dūrāt avasthitam
asuro jāta saṃtrāsaḥ pradudrāva tadā bhṛśam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
A great fear was induced in that demon on seeing my brother and me too coming from a distance, and then he quickly ran away. [4-9-9]
तस्मिन् द्रवति संत्रस्ते हि आवाम् द्रुततरम् गतौ
प्रकाशः अपि कृतः मार्गः चन्द्रेण उद्गच्छता तदा
tasmin dravati saṃtraste hi āvām drutataram gatau
prakāśaḥ api kṛtaḥ mārgaḥ candreṇa udgacchatā tadā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
While he is running away in fear we quickly followed him on a path that is barely lit by moonlight of the moon who is just coming up. [4-9-10]
स तृणैः आवृतम् दुर्गम् धरण्या विवरम् महत्
प्रविवेश असुरः वेगात् आवाम् आसाद्य विष्ठितौ
sa tṛṇaiḥ āvṛtam durgam dharaṇyā vivaram mahat
praviveśa asuraḥ vegāt āvām āsādya viṣṭhitau
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
That demon speedily entered an un-enterable cavity under the ground, covered with grass, and we too having reached there speedily stood at the aperture of that cavity for a while. [4-9-11]
तम् प्रविष्टम् रिपुम् दृष्ट्वा बिलम् रोष वशम् गतः
माम् उवाच ततो वाली वचनम् क्षुभित इन्द्रियः
tam praviṣṭam ripum dṛṣṭvā bilam roṣa vaśam gataḥ
mām uvāca tato vālī vacanam kṣubhita indriyaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then Vali has gone into the enfoldment of fury on observing the entry of that demon into the hole, whereby his senses felt outraged, and he said this sentence to me. [4-9-12]
इह तिष्ठ अद्य सुग्रीव बिल द्वारि समाहितः
यावत् अत्र प्रविश्य अहम् निहन्मि समरे रिपुम्
iha tiṣṭha adya sugrīva bila dvāri samāhitaḥ
yāvat atra praviśya aham nihanmi samare ripum
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then Vali said to me, "Now you stay here on the alert, Sugreeva, at the entrance of this hole till I return on destroying the enemy in a fight on my entering this hole..." [4-9-13]
मया तु एतत् वचः श्रुत्वा याचितः स परंतपः
शापयित्वा च माम् पद्भ्याम् प्रविवेश बिलम् ततः
mayā tu etat vacaḥ śrutvā yācitaḥ sa paraṃtapaḥ
śāpayitvā ca mām padbhyām praviveśa bilam tataḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
On hearing those words I requested him to allow me too to come in to the hole, but he being the great tormentor of his enemies disallowed it, and he made me to swear on his feet and entered that hole. [4-9-15]
तस्य प्रविष्टस्य बिलम् साग्रः संवत्सरः गतः
स्थितस्य च बिल द्वारि सः कालः व्यत्यवर्तत
tasya praviṣṭasya bilam sāgraḥ saṃvatsaraḥ gataḥ
sthitasya ca bila dvāri saḥ kālaḥ vyatyavartata
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Well over a year is over after his entering into that cleavage, and to me too who stayed at the entrance of the cleavage that much time had passed away. [4-9-15]
अहम् तु नष्टम् तम् ज्ञात्वा स्नेहात् आगत संभ्रमः
भ्रातरम् न प्रपश्यामि पाप शङ्कि च मे मनः
aham tu naṣṭam tam jñātvā snehāt āgata saṃbhramaḥ
bhrātaram na prapaśyāmi pāpa śaṅki ca me manaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
I thought I lost him for my brother is unseen, and in all fondness towards him my mind started to doubt about some harm might have befallen on him. [4-9-16]
अथ दीर्घस्य कालस्य बिलात् तस्मात् विनिःसृतम्
सः फेनम् रुधिरम् दृष्ट्वा ततो अहम् भृशदुःखितः
atha dīrghasya kālasya bilāt tasmāt viniḥsṛtam
saḥ phenam rudhiram dṛṣṭvā tato aham bhṛśaduḥkhitaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
After a long time blood with foam gushed out that hole, and on seeing it I was deeply saddened. [4-9-17]
नर्दताम् असुराणाम् च ध्वनिः मे श्रोत्रम् आगतः
न रस्तस्य च संग्रामे क्रोशतो अपि स्वनो गुरोः
nardatām asurāṇām ca dhvaniḥ me śrotram āgataḥ
na rastasya ca saṃgrāme krośato api svano guroḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Sounds of screaming demon came to my ear, but the screeches of my brother who is involved in fight are unheard, in the least. [4-9-18]
अहम् तु अवगतः बुद्ध्या चिह्नैः तैः भ्रातरम् हतम्
पिधाय च बिल द्वारम् शिलया गिरि मात्रया
aham tu avagataḥ buddhyā cihnaiḥ taiḥ bhrātaram hatam
pidhāya ca bila dvāram śilayā giri mātrayā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Oh, friend, Rama... I have surmised and concluded in mind by the indications that my brother is finished, and covered the cavity's opening with a mountain similar boulder, and performed water oblations to my deceased brother with saddening pain, and then returned to Kishkindha. But the ministers have persuaded and heard from me the actual happening though I was concealing it. [4-9-19, 20]
ततः अहम् तैः समागम्य समेतैः अभिषेचितः
राज्यम् प्रशासतः तस्य न्यायतो मम राघव
tataḥ aham taiḥ samāgamya sametaiḥ abhiṣecitaḥ
rājyam praśāsataḥ tasya nyāyato mama rāghava
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then duly summoned by all of those ministers I was crowned, and while I was ruling the kingdom judiciously, oh, Raghava, that semi-human Vali returned on killing that demoniac enemy. [4-9-21, 22a]
अभिषिक्तम् तु माम् दृष्ट्वा कोपात् संरक्त लोचनः
abhiṣiktam tu mām dṛṣṭvā kopāt saṃrakta locanaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
But on seeing me crowned his eyes were reddened in anger, and he arrested all my ministers as he spoke rudely. [4-9-22b, 23a]
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
And oh, Raghava, though I was capable enough to counter him, my reason was controlled by my esteem to brotherhood, and I was indisposed to commit that sin of defying brotherhood. [4-9-23b, 24a]
हत्वा शत्रुम् सः मे भ्राता प्रविवेश पुरम् तदा
hatvā śatrum saḥ me bhrātā praviveśa puram tadā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
He that brother of mine entered the capital thus on destroying the enemy, and I hailed him as usual while respecting that audacious soul, but his inner self is unsatisfied and I remained unblest. [4-9-24b, 25]
इति वाल्मीकि रामायणे आदि काव्ये किष्किन्ध काण्डे नवमः सर्गः
iti vālmīki rāmāyaṇe ādi kāvye kiṣkindha kāṇḍe navamaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Oh, lord Rama, though I bowed with the crown touching his feet, he that rancorous Vali showed no quarter towards me." So said Sugreeva to Rama. [4-9-25]