Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 14 of 67 · 22 verses
Sugriva’s Second Challenge
They all go quickly to Kishkindha, Valin’s city, and stand hidden by trees in the dense forest. Casting his eyes all around the forest he loves, broad-necked Sugriva works himself into a great fury. With a terrible roar, surrounded by his companions, he challenges Valin to battle, as if splitting the sky with his roars, thundering like a great cloud driven by the wind. Then, like the young sun, with the gait of a proud lion, seeing Rama, skilled in action, Sugriva says: “We have reached Kishkindha, Valin’s city, surrounded by a net of monkeys, with gateways of refined gold, rich in flags and engines. Hero, the promise you made long ago to kill Valin, make it fruitful quickly, as the season comes and makes a creeper bear fruit.” Spoken to so by Sugriva, righteous Raghava, slayer of enemies, says to him: “You have made a sign of recognition with this gajapushpi; Lakshmana pulled it up and put it around your neck. With the creeper at your neck, you shine even more, hero, like the sun in the sky ringed by a garland of stars. Today, monkey, with a single release of an arrow in battle, I will free you from the fear and enmity that come from Valin. Show me your enemy in a brother’s form, Sugriva. Valin, struck down, will soon be writhing in the dust of the forest. If he comes into my sight and goes back alive, then you may blame me at once for the fault. You saw with your own eyes the seven salas split by my arrow; by that strength, know Valin as killed in battle today. I have never before spoken a lie, though I have long been in hardship, and seized by love of dharma I will never speak one. I will make my promise fruitful; give up your alarm, as Shatakratu makes a field of ripe rice fruitful with rain. Sugriva, make the sound to challenge Valin with his golden garland, so that the monkey will come out. Proud of victory, boastful of conquest, never before defeated by you, Valin, who loves a fight, will come out of the city without hesitation. Those who know their own strength do not tolerate an enemy’s challenge in battle, hero, especially in front of women.” Hearing Rama’s words, golden-tawny Sugriva roars with a cruel roar, as if splitting the sky. At that sound the cattle run, their radiance lost, like noble women thrown into confusion when the king’s faults touch them; the deer flee quickly like horses broken in battle; and birds fall to the ground like planets whose merit is exhausted. Then the son of the sun, his splendour grown with courage, confident, quickly lets out a roar like the thunder of clouds, like the ocean with its waves tossed by the wind.
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सर्वे ते त्वरितं गत्वा किष्किन्धां वालिनः पुरीम् । वृक्षैरात्मानमावृत्य व्यतिष्ठन् गहने वने ॥ १ ॥
They all, going quickly to Kishkindha, Valin’s city, covering themselves with trees, stood in the dense forest.
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Sugriva’s Second Challenge 1 min read.
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विसार्य सर्वतो दृष्टिं कानने काननप्रियः । सुग्रीवो विपुलग्रीवः क्रोधमाहारयद् भृशम् ॥ २ ॥
Casting his eyes all round the forest, Sugriva, lover of forests, broad-necked, worked himself into great anger.
ततस्तु निनदं घोरं कृत्वा युद्धाय चाह्वयत् । परिवारैः परिवृतो नादैर्भिन्दन्निवाम्बरम् ॥ ३ ॥
Then, making a terrible roar, he challenged to battle, surrounded by his companions, as if splitting the sky with roars,
गर्जन्निव महामेघो वायुवेगपुरःसरः । अथ बालार्कसदृशो दृप्तसिंहगतिस्ततः ॥ ४ ॥
thundering like a great cloud driven ahead by the wind’s force. Then, like the young sun, with the gait of a proud lion,
दृष्ट्वा रामं क्रियादक्षं सुग्रीवो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । हरिवागुरया व्याप्तां तप्तकाञ्चनतोरणाम् ॥ ५ ॥
seeing Rama, skilled in action, Sugriva said these words: “Spread with a net of monkeys, with gateways of refined gold,
प्राप्ताः स्म ध्वजयन्त्राढ्यां किष्किन्धां वालिनः पुरीम् । प्रतिज्ञा या कृता वीर त्वया वालिवधे पुरा ॥ ६ ॥
“we have reached Kishkindha, Valin’s city, rich in flags and engines. The promise that was made by you, hero, about the killing of Valin long ago,
सफलां कुरु तां क्षिप्रं लतां काल इवागतः । एवमुक्तस्तु धर्मात्मा सुग्रीवेण स राघवः ॥ ७ ॥
“make it fruitful quickly, as the season, come, makes a creeper fruitful.” Spoken to so by Sugriva, that righteous Raghava,
तमेवोवाच वचनं सुग्रीवं शत्रुसूदनः । कृताभिज्ञानचिह्नस्त्वमनया गजसाह्वया ॥ ८ ॥
slayer of enemies, said these words to that same Sugriva: “You have made a mark of recognition with this gajapushpi.
लक्ष्मणेन समुत्पाट्य एषा कण्ठे कृता तव । शोभसेऽप्यधिकं वीर लतया कण्ठसक्तया ॥ ९ ॥
“This was pulled up by Lakshmana and put on your neck. You shine even more, hero, with the creeper clinging to your neck,
विपरीत इवाकाशे सूर्यो नक्षत्रमालया । अद्य वालिसमुत्थं ते भयं वैरं च वानर ॥ १० ॥
“like the sun in the sky turned about with a garland of stars. Today, monkey, the fear and enmity that come from Valin
एकेनाहं प्रमोक्ष्यामि बाणमोक्षेण संयुगे । मम दर्शय सुग्रीव वैरिणं भ्रातृरूपिणम् ॥ ११ ॥
“I will free you from, with one release of an arrow in battle. Show me, Sugriva, the enemy in the form of a brother.
वाली विनिहतो यावद्वने पांसुषु चेष्टते । यदि दृष्टिपथं प्राप्तो जीवन् स विनिवर्तते ॥ १२ ॥
“Valin, struck down, will be writhing in the dust in the forest. If, having come into the path of my sight, he goes back alive,
ततो दोषेण मागच्छेत् सद्यो गर्हेच्च मां भवान् । प्रत्यक्षं सप्त ते साला मया बाणेन दारिताः ॥ १३ ॥
“then you may come at once with the fault and blame me. Before your eyes, seven salas were split by me with an arrow.
तेनावेहि बलेनाद्य वालिनं निहतं रणे । अनृतं नोक्तपूर्वं मे चिरं कृच्छ्रेऽपि तिष्ठता ॥ १४ ॥
“By that strength, know Valin killed in battle today. A lie has not been spoken by me before, though long standing in hardship,
धर्मलोभपरीतेन न च वक्ष्ये कथंचन । सफलां च करिष्यामि प्रतिज्ञां जहि संभ्रमम् ॥ १५ ॥
“and seized by love of dharma I will not speak one in any way. I will make my promise fruitful; give up alarm,
प्रसूतं कलमक्षेत्रं वर्षेणेव शतक्रतुः । तदाह्वाननिमित्तं च वालिनो हेममालिनः ॥ १६ ॥
“as Shatakratu with rain a field of rice in ear. And for the purpose of challenging Valin with his golden garland,
सुग्रीव कुरु तं शब्दं निष्पतेद् येन वानरः । जितकाशी जयश्लाघी त्वया चाधर्षितः पुरात् ॥ १७ ॥
“Sugriva, make that sound by which the monkey will rush out. Proud of victory, boastful of conquest, not defeated by you before,
निष्पतिष्यत्यसङ्गेन वाली स प्रियसंयुगः । रिपूणां धर्षितं श्रुत्वा मर्षयन्ति न संयुगे ॥ १८ ॥
“Valin, lover of battle, will rush out of the city without hesitation. For hearing the challenge of enemies, they do not tolerate it in battle,
जानन्तस्तु स्वकं वीर्यं स्त्रीसमक्षं विशेषतः । स तु रामवचः श्रुत्वा सुग्रीवो हेमपिङ्गलः ॥ १९ ॥
“those who know their own strength, hero, especially in the presence of women.” Hearing Rama’s words, Sugriva, golden-tawny,
ननर्द क्रूरनादेन विनिर्भिन्दन्निवाम्बरम् । तत्र शब्देन वित्रस्ता गावो यान्ति हतप्रभाः ॥ २० ॥
roared with a cruel roar, as if splitting the sky. At that sound the cattle, terrified, go, their radiance lost,
राजदोषपरामृष्टाः कुलस्त्रिय इवाकुलाः । द्रवन्ति च मृगाः शीघ्रं भग्ना इव रणे हयाः । पतन्ति च खगा भूमौ क्षीणपुण्या इव ग्रहाः ॥ २१ ॥
like noble women thrown into confusion, touched by the faults of the king; and the deer flee quickly, like horses broken in battle; and birds fall to the ground like planets whose merit is exhausted.
ततः स जीमूतकृतप्रणादो नादं ह्यमुञ्चत् त्वरया प्रतीतः । सूर्यात्मजः शौर्यविवृद्धतेजाः सरित्पतिर्वाऽनिलचञ्चलोर्मिः ॥ २२ ॥
Then that son of the sun, his splendour grown with courage, confident, quickly let out a roar, making a sound like thunderclouds, like the lord of rivers with waves tossed by the wind.