Kishkinda Kanda: Chapter 55

श्रुत्वा हनुमतो वाक्यं प्रश्रितं धर्मसंहितम्। स्वामिसत्कारसंयुक्तमङ्गदो वाक्यमब्रवीत्॥
Hearing Hanuman's speech, uttered meekly, fraught with morality, and reflecting honour upon Sugriva, Angada said,

स्थैर्यमात्ममनःशौचमानृशंस्यमथार्जवम्। विक्रमश्चैव धैर्यं च सुग्रीवे नोपपद्यते॥
Firmness, and mental sanctity, mercy, candour, prowess, and patience, are not in Sugriva.

भ्रातुज्येष्ठस्य यो भार्यां जीवतो महिषीं प्रियाम्। धर्मेण मातरं यस्तु स्वीकरोति जुगुप्सितः॥ कथं स धर्मं जानीते येन भ्रात्रा दुरात्मना। युद्धायाभिनियुक्तेन बिलस्य पिहितं मुखम्॥
He that, while her son is living, appropriateth the beloved queen of his elder brother, mother to him by morality, is hated (of all beings). How can he that could cover up the mouth of the cave, when he had been desired by his brother gone on martial mission, to guard the same,—(how can he) know morality?

सत्यात् पाणिगृहीतश्च कृतकर्मा महायशाः। विस्मृतो राघवो येन स कस्य सुकृतं स्मरेत्॥ लक्ष्मणस्य भयेनेह नाधर्मभयभीरुणा। आदिष्टा मार्गितुं सीता धर्मस्तस्मिन् कथं भवेत्॥
Whose good office remembereth he who could forget the renowned Räghava himself of mighty deeds, after having, in the name of truth, taken his hand? How can he reap religious merit that directed us to search Sītā here, from fear of Laksmana, and not from fear of unrighteousness?

तस्मिन् पापे कृतघ्ने तु स्मृतिभिन्ने चलात्मनि। आर्यः को विश्वसेज्जातु तत्कुलीनो विशेषतः॥
What noble person, in especial, sprung in his race, shall any longer repose confidence in that impious one of unstable soul who has run amuck of morality?

राज्ये पुत्रः प्रतिष्ठाप्य सगुणो निर्गुणोऽपि वा। कथं शत्रुकुलीनं मां सुग्रीवो जीवयिष्यति।।।।।
Meritorious or otherwise, how can Sugriva, having installed in the kingdom me, son (of his enemy) and the enemy sprung in his race, suffer me to live?

भिन्नमन्त्रोऽपराद्धश्च भिन्नशक्तिः कथं ह्यहम्। किष्किन्धां प्राप्य जीवेयमनाथ इव दुर्बलः॥
How can I, whose counsels have been revealed, who have transgressed, and who have been deprived of my power, repairing to Kiş kindhā like one forlorn and feeble, live?

उपांशुदण्डेन हि मां बन्धनेनोपपादयेत्। शठः क्रूरो नृशंसश्च सुग्रीवो राज्यकारणात्॥
For the sake of his kingdom, Sugrīva, wily, cunning and cruel, shall put me in solitary confinement.

बन्धनाच्चावसादान्मे श्रेयः प्रायोपवेशनम्। अनुजानन्तु मां सर्वे गृहं गच्छन्तु वानराः॥
For me fasting to death is better than being confined-and suffering the consequent misery. Do you grant me your permission; and go to your homes, you monkeys.

अहं वः प्रतिजानामि न गमिष्याम्यहं पुरीम् । इहैव प्रायमासिष्ये श्रेयो मरणमेव मे॥
I vow before you, to the palace I will never repair. At this very spot will I fast for death; as death is good for me.

अभिवादनपूर्वं तु राजा कुशलमेव च। अभिवादनपूर्वं तु राघवौ बलशालिनौ॥ वाच्यस्तातो यवीयान् मे सुग्रीवो वानरेश्वरः। आरोग्यपूर्वं कुशलं वाच्या माता रुमा च मे॥
Bowing to the king as well as to the powerful Rāghava, you should communicate my wellbeing to Sugriva— lord of my health and peace to my mother Umā.

मातरं चैव मे तासमाश्वासयितुमर्हथ। प्रकृत्या प्रियपुत्रा सा सानुक्रोशा तपस्विनी॥ विनष्टमिह मां श्रुत्वा व्यक्तं हास्यति जीवितम्। एतावदुक्त्वा वचनं वृद्धांस्तानभिवाद्य च॥ विवेश चाङ्गदो भूमौ रुदन् दर्भेषु दुर्मखः।
It behoves you also to console my mother, Tārā. Naturally fond of her son, and overflowing with tenderness, that lorn one, hearing of my apes-and death at this place, shall certainly renounce her life. Having said this, Angada, saluting the elders, with a woebegone face entered the earth covered with grass.

तस्य संविशतस्तत्र रुदन्तो वानरर्षभाः॥ नयनेभ्यः प्रमुमुचुरुष्णं वै वारि दुःखिताः। सुग्रीवं चैव निन्दन्तः प्रशंसन्तश्च वालिनम्॥ परिवार्याङ्गदं सर्वे व्यवसन् प्रायमासितुम्।
When he had entered, those foremost monkeys, stricken with sorrow, weeping shed warm tears from their eyes. And censuring Sugrīva and praising Vāli, they, surrounding Angada, determined to starve themselves to death.

तद् वाक्यं वालिपुत्रस्य विज्ञाय प्लवगर्षभाः॥ उपस्पृश्योदकं सर्वे प्राङ्मुखाः समुपाविशन्। दक्षिणाग्रेषु दर्भेषु उदक्तीरं समाश्रिताः॥ मुमूर्षवो हरिश्रेष्ठा एतत् क्षममिति स्म ह।
Taking to heart the speech of Väli's son, those prime monkeys, sipping water, sat down facing the East. And sitting on the edge of the water on grass pointing to the south, the foremost monkeys, wishing for surcease, thought within themselves,-Even this is fit for us.

रामस्य वनवासं च क्षयं दशरथस्य च॥ जनस्थानवधं चैव वधं चैव जयायुषः। हरणं चैव वैदेह्या वालिनश्च वधं तथा। रामकोपं च वदतां हरीणां भयमागतम्॥
And as they spoke of the exile of Rāma and the demise of Daſaratha, the carnage in Janasthāna, the slaying of Jațāyu, the ravishment of Vaidehī, the slaughter of Vāli, and the ire of Rāma, the monkeys were seized with fear.

स संविशद्भिर्बहुभिर्महीधरो महाद्रिकूटप्रतिमैः प्लवङ्गमैः। बभूव संनादितनिर्झरान्तरो भृशं नदद्भिर्जलदैरिवाम्बरम्॥
When those monkeys resembling mountainsummits had entered in, they set up cries, which, like to the rumbling of clouds, making the sky resound, made that mountain with its rills reverberate.