Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 19 of 67 · 28 verses
Tara Runs to Her Fallen Husband
The great king of the monkeys, lying pierced by the arrow, answered with reasoned words, makes no reply. His limbs broken by rocks, badly battered by trees, overcome by Rama’s arrow, he faints at the end of his life. His wife Tara hears that Valin, tiger among leapers, has been killed in battle by an arrow released by Rama. Hearing of the terrible killing of her husband, so unwelcome to her and her son, she rushes out of the mountain cave, deeply distressed. The very mighty monkeys of Angada’s retinue, seeing Rama with his bow, flee in terror. She sees the frightened monkeys running toward her, like deer driven from the herd whose leader has been killed. Grieving, she goes to them in their grief, all terrified by Rama as if pursued by his arrows, and says: “Monkeys, you who went before that lion of a king, why do you flee in terror, leaving him, wretched ones? If that brother was struck down by his cruel brother for the sake of the kingdom, by arrows shot from afar by Rama, flying far...” Hearing the monkey queen’s words, the monkeys, who take any form at will, speak timely words to the lady, in agreement: “Mother of a living son, turn back and protect your son Angada. Death, in Rama’s form, has killed Valin and is taking him away. Having hurled trees and huge rocks, Valin was struck down by arrows like the thunderbolt, as if by the thunderbolt itself. With this tiger among leapers, splendid as Shakra, killed, the whole monkey army is overwhelmed and has fled. Let the city be guarded by heroes and let Angada be consecrated; the leapers will serve Valin’s son once he is in his father’s place. Or if you do not like this place, lovely-faced one, the monkeys will quickly take to the strongholds this very day. There are forest-dwellers here without wives and with wives; we have very great fear of those greedy ones who were cheated of theirs.” Hearing the words of those who have not gone far, the lady with the lovely smile answers in a way worthy of herself: “What do I want with my son, or with the kingdom, or with my own life, when that fortunate lion among monkeys, my husband, is perishing? I will go to the feet of that great soul himself, who has been struck down by the arrow Rama shot.” Saying this, she runs, weeping, faint with grief, beating her head and breast with her arms in her pain. As she goes she sees her husband fallen on the ground: the slayer of danava lords who never turned back in battle, the hurler of great mountains as Vasava hurls thunderbolts, filled with the force of great winds, roaring like a mass of great clouds, of valour equal to Shakra’s, now quiet like a cloud that has rained, the terrible, roaring hero struck down by a hero, like a lion killed by a tiger for the sake of meat; like a shrine honoured by the whole world, with its flags and altar, torn down by Suparna for the sake of a serpent. She sees Rama standing leaning on his mighty bow, and Rama’s younger brother, and her husband’s younger brother. Passing them by, she reaches her husband killed in battle, and, looking at him, stricken and bewildered, she falls to the ground. Rising again as if from sleep, saying “My noble lord!”, she weeps, seeing her husband bound in the cords of death. Seeing her crying like an osprey, and seeing Angada arrive, Sugriva falls into bitter despair.
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स वानरमहाराजः शयानः शरपीडितः । प्रत्युक्तो हेतुमद्वाक्यैर्नोत्तरं प्रत्यपद्यत ॥ १ ॥
That great king of the monkeys, lying pained by the arrow, answered with reasoned words, gave no reply.
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Tara Runs to Her Fallen Husband 1 min read.
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अश्मभिः परिभिन्नाङ्गः पादपैराहतो भृशम् । रामबाणेन चाक्रान्तो जीवितान्ते मुमोह सः ॥ २ ॥
His limbs broken by rocks, greatly battered by trees, and overcome by Rama’s arrow, he fainted at the end of his life.
तं भार्या बाणमोक्षेण रामदत्तेन संयुगे । हतं प्लवगशार्दूलं तारा शुश्राव वालिनम् ॥ ३ ॥
His wife Tara heard that Valin, tiger among leapers, had been killed in battle by the release of an arrow given by Rama.
सा सपुत्राप्रियं श्रुत्वा वधं भर्तुः सुदारुणम् । निष्पपात भृशं तस्मादुद्विग्ना गिरिकन्दरात् ॥ ४ ॥
Hearing the most terrible killing of her husband, unwelcome to her and her son, she rushed out greatly distressed from that mountain cave.
ये त्वङ्गदपरीवारा वानरा हि महाबलाः । ते सकार्मुकमालोक्य रामं त्रस्ताः प्रदुद्रुवुः ॥ ५ ॥
And those very mighty monkeys who were Angada’s retinue, seeing Rama with his bow, fled in terror.
सा ददर्श ततस्त्रस्तान् हरीनापततो द्रुतम् । यूथादेव परिभ्रष्टान् मृगान् निहतयूथपान् ॥ ६ ॥
Then she saw the terrified monkeys rushing quickly, like deer fallen away from the herd, their herd-leader killed.
तानुवाच समासाद्य दुःखितान् दुःखिता सती । रामवित्रासितान् सर्वाननुबद्धानिवेषुभिः ॥ ७ ॥
Grieving, she approached them in their grief, all terrified by Rama, as if pursued by arrows, and said:
वानरा राजसिंहस्य यस्य यूयं पुरःसराः । तं विहाय सुवित्रस्ताः कस्माद् द्रवत दुर्गताः ॥ ८ ॥
“Monkeys, you who were the forerunners of that lion of a king, leaving him, why do you flee, very terrified, wretched ones?
राज्यहेतोः स चेद् भ्राता भ्रात्रा क्रूरेण पातितः । रामेण प्रहितैर्दूरान्मार्गणैर्दूरपातिभिः ॥ ९ ॥
“If that brother was felled by his cruel brother for the sake of the kingdom, by arrows sent from far by Rama, flying far...”
कपिपत्न्या वचः श्रुत्वा कपयः कामरूपिणः । प्राप्तकालमविश्लिष्टमूचुर्वचनमङ्गनाम् ॥ १० ॥
Hearing the monkey queen’s words, the monkeys, taking forms at will, spoke timely words, in agreement, to the lady:
जीवपुत्रे निवर्तस्व पुत्रं रक्षस्व चाङ्गदम् । अन्तको रामरूपेण हत्वा नयति वालिनम् ॥ ११ ॥
“Mother of a living son, turn back, and protect your son Angada. Death, in Rama’s form, having killed Valin, is leading him away.
क्षिप्तान् वृक्षान् समाविध्य विपुलाश्च तथा शिलाः । वाली वज्रसमैर्बाणैर्वज्रेणेव निपातितः ॥ १२ ॥
“Having hurled trees and huge rocks, Valin was struck down by arrows like the vajra, as by the vajra.
अभिभूतमिदं सर्वं विद्रुतं वानरं बलम् । अस्मिन् प्लवगशार्दूले हते शक्रसमप्रभे ॥ १३ ॥
“This whole monkey army is overwhelmed and has fled, now that this tiger among leapers, of splendour equal to Shakra’s, is killed.
रक्ष्यतां नगरी शूरैरङ्गदश्चाभिषिच्यताम् । पदस्थं वालिनः पुत्रं भजिष्यन्ति प्लवंगमाः ॥ १४ ॥
“Let the city be protected by heroes, and let Angada be consecrated. The leapers will serve Valin’s son when he stands in his place.
अथवारुचितं स्थानमिह ते रुचिरानने । आविशन्ति च दुर्गाणि क्षिप्रमद्यैव वानराः ॥ १५ ॥
“Or else, if this place here does not please you, lovely-faced one, the monkeys will enter the strongholds quickly, this very day.
अभार्याः सहभार्याश्च सन्त्यत्र वनचारिणः । लुब्धेभ्यो विप्रलब्धेभ्यस्तेभ्यो नः सुमहद्भयम् ॥ १६ ॥
“There are forest-roamers here without wives and with wives; from those greedy ones, who were cheated, we have very great fear.”
अल्पान्तरगतानां तु श्रुत्वा वचनमङ्गना । आत्मनः प्रतिरूपं सा बभाषे चारुहासिनी ॥ १७ ॥
Hearing the words of those gone only a little distance, the lady with the lovely smile spoke what was worthy of herself:
पुत्रेण मम किं कार्यं राज्येनापि किमात्मना । कपिसिंहे महाभागे तस्मिन् भर्तरि नश्यति ॥ १८ ॥
“What have I to do with my son, or with the kingdom, or with myself, when that fortunate lion among monkeys, my husband, is perishing?
पादमूलं गमिष्यामि तस्यैवाहं महात्मनः । योऽसौ रामप्रयुक्तेन शरेण विनिपातितः ॥ १९ ॥
“I will go to the feet of that very great soul, who has been struck down by the arrow sent by Rama.”
एवमुक्त्वा प्रदुद्राव रुदती शोकमूर्च्छिता । शिरश्चोरश्च बाहुभ्यां दुःखेन समभिघ्नती ॥ २० ॥
Saying this, she ran, weeping, faint with grief, beating her head and breast with her arms in sorrow.
सा व्रजन्ती ददर्शाथ पतिं निपतितं भुवि । हन्तारं दानवेन्द्राणां समरेष्वनिवर्तिनाम् ॥ २१ ॥
Going, she then saw her husband fallen on the ground, slayer of the lords of danavas who never turned back in battles,
क्षेप्तारं पर्वतेन्द्राणां वज्राणामिव वासवम् । महावातसमाविष्टं महामेघौघनिःस्वनम् ॥ २२ ॥
hurler of the great mountains, as Vasava of thunderbolts, filled with great winds, roaring like a mass of great clouds,
शक्रतुल्यपराक्रान्तं वृष्ट्वेवोपरतं घनम् । नर्दन्तं नर्दतां भीमं शूरं शूरेण पातितम् । शार्दूलेनामिषस्यार्थे मृगराजमिवाहतम् ॥ २३ ॥
of valour equal to Shakra’s, quieted like a cloud that has rained, the terrible one roaring among the roarers, a hero felled by a hero, like the king of beasts struck by a tiger for the sake of meat,
अर्चितं सर्वलोकस्य सपताकं सवेदिकम् । नागहेतोः सुपर्णेन चैत्यमुन्मथितं यथा ॥ २४ ॥
like a shrine honoured by the whole world, with banners and altar, torn down by Suparna for the sake of a serpent.
अवष्टभ्यावतिष्ठन्तं ददर्श धनुरूर्जितम् । रामं रामानुजं चैव भर्तुश्चैव तथानुजम् ॥ २५ ॥
She saw Rama standing, leaning on his mighty bow, and Rama’s younger brother, and her husband’s younger brother too.
तानतीत्य समासाद्य भर्तारं निहतं रणे । समीक्ष्य व्यथिता भूमौ सम्भ्रान्ता निपपात ह ॥ २६ ॥
Passing them, reaching her husband killed in battle, looking at him, pained, bewildered, she fell to the ground.
सुप्तेव पुनरुत्थाय आर्यपुत्रेति वादिनी । रुरोद सा पतिं दृष्ट्वा संवीतं मृत्युदामभिः ॥ २७ ॥
Rising again as if from sleep, saying “Noble lord!”, she wept, seeing her husband wrapped in the cords of death.
तामवेक्ष्य तु सुग्रीवः क्रोशन्तीं कुररीमिव । विषादमगमत् कष्टं दृष्ट्वा चाङ्गदमागतम् ॥ २८ ॥
Seeing her crying like an osprey, and seeing Angada come, Sugriva fell into bitter despair.