Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 20 of 67 · 26 verses
Tara’s Lament
Seeing him struck down on the ground by the death-dealing arrow released from Rama’s bow, Tara, whose face is like the moon, goes up to her husband and embraces him. Seeing Valin, like an elephant, like a king of mountains, struck down by the arrow, her heart burning with grief, Tara laments in anguish as over an uprooted tree: “Hero of terrible valour in battle, best of leapers, why do you not speak to me now, standing before you? Rise, tiger among monkeys; take your fine bed. The best of kings do not lie on the ground like this. Surely the earth is very dear to you, lord of the earth, since even lifeless you embrace her with your limbs and leave me. Clearly, hero, following dharma, you have built a lovely city like Kishkindha on the road to heaven. The pleasures we enjoyed with you in the honey-scented woods in their season have now come to an end. Joyless, hopeless, I am sunk in an ocean of grief, now that you, leader of great troop-leaders, have died. My heart must be very firm, since seeing you fallen on the ground, burning with grief, it does not break into a thousand pieces today. You took Sugriva’s wife and banished him; this is the consequence of that, lord of leapers. In your folly you rebuked me, who wanted only your good, when I spoke good words, lord of monkeys, wishing you well. Surely, noble one, giver of honour, you will now trouble the hearts of the apsarases, proud of their beauty and youth, and skilled. Surely Time, without doubt, was the ender of your life, by which you, uncontrollable, were brought by force into Sugriva’s power. Having killed Valin wrongly, while he was fighting another, Kakutstha feels no remorse for the deed, though it is much condemned. I, never wretched, who never knew sorrow before, will now live in widowhood, grief and anguish, like one without a protector. And brave Angada, cherished, tender, used to comfort, what state will he live in, with his uncle senseless with anger? Look well at your father, son, devoted to dharma; to see him will be hard for you, child. Comfort your son and give me your last message; kiss him on the head, for you are setting out on a journey. Rama has done a great deed in killing you; he has paid his debt in his promise to Sugriva. Have your wish, Sugriva; you will get back Ruma. Enjoy the kingdom untroubled; your brother, your enemy, has been struck down. Why do you not speak to me, your beloved, as I lament like this? See these, your many fine wives, lord of the monkeys.” Hearing her lament, the monkey women all around take hold of Angada and cry out, wretched and stricken with grief. “Hero with armlets on your arms, why have you gone on a long journey, leaving Angada? It is not right to leave your son like this, so close to you in virtue, dear, of lovely dress. If I have done anything unkind to you without thinking, long-armed one, forgive me, lord of the monkey race; hero, I touch your feet with my head.” So Tara, of blameless beauty, weeping piteously beside her husband with the monkey women, resolves to fast unto death, sitting on the ground where Valin lies.
Press › to begin with verse 1.
रामचापविसृष्टेन शरेणान्तकरेण तम् । दृष्ट्वा विनिहतं भूमौ तारा ताराधिपानना ॥ १ ॥
Seeing him struck down on the ground by the ending arrow released from Rama’s bow, Tara, whose face was like the lord of the stars,
Commentary on the whole sarga
Read the commentary
सा समासाद्य भर्तारं पर्यष्वजत भामिनी । इषुणाभिहतं दृष्ट्वा वालिनं कुञ्जरोपमम् ॥ २ ॥
the lady, reaching her husband, embraced him. Seeing Valin, like an elephant, struck by the arrow,
वानरं पर्वतेन्द्राभं शोकसंतप्तमानसा । तारा तरुमिवोन्मूलं पर्यदेवयतातुरा ॥ ३ ॥
the monkey like a king of mountains, her heart burning with grief, Tara, in anguish, lamented him like an uprooted tree:
रणे दारुणविक्रान्त प्रवीर प्लवतां वर । किमिदानीं पुरोभागामद्य त्वं नाभिभाषसे ॥ ४ ॥
“Hero of terrible valour in battle, best of leapers, why do you not speak now to me, standing before you?
उत्तिष्ठ हरिशार्दूल भजस्व शयनोत्तमम् । नैवंविधाः शेरते हि भूमौ नृपतिसत्तमाः ॥ ५ ॥
“Rise, tiger among monkeys; take your fine bed. The best of kings like you do not lie on the ground.
अतीव खलु ते कान्ता वसुधा वसुधाधिप । गतासुरपि तां गात्रैर्मां विहाय निषेवसे ॥ ६ ॥
“Surely the earth is very dear to you, lord of the earth, since even lifeless you embrace her with your limbs, leaving me.
व्यक्तमद्य त्वया वीर धर्मतः सम्प्रवर्तता । किष्किन्धेव पुरी रम्या स्वर्गमार्गे विनिर्मिता ॥ ७ ॥
“Clearly today, hero, by you, acting according to dharma, a lovely city like Kishkindha has been built on the road to heaven.
यान्यस्माभिस्त्वया सार्धं वनेषु मधुगन्धिषु । विहृतानि त्वया काले तेषामुपरमः कृतः ॥ ८ ॥
“Those pleasures enjoyed by us with you in the honey-scented woods in season: an end has been made of them.
निरानन्दा निराशाहं निमग्ना शोकसागरे । त्वयि पञ्चत्वमापन्ने महायूथपयूथपे ॥ ९ ॥
“Joyless, hopeless, I am sunk in an ocean of grief, now that you, leader of great troop-leaders, have met your death.
हृदयं सुस्थितं मह्यं दृष्ट्वा निपतितं भुवि । यन्न शोकाभिसंतप्तं स्फुटतेऽद्य सहस्रधा ॥ १० ॥
“My heart must be firmly set, since, seeing you fallen on the ground, burned with grief, it does not burst into a thousand pieces today.
सुग्रीवस्य त्वया भार्या हृता स च विवासितः । यत् तत् तस्य त्वया व्युष्टिः प्राप्तेयं प्लवगाधिप ॥ ११ ॥
“Sugriva’s wife was carried off by you, and he was banished; this is the consequence of that, which has come to you, lord of leapers.
निःश्रेयसपरा मोहात् त्वया चाहं विगर्हिता । यैषाब्रुवं हितं वाक्यं वानरेन्द्र हितैषिणी ॥ १२ ॥
“And I, intent on your highest good, was reproached by you in folly, I who spoke good words, lord of monkeys, wishing your good.
रूपयौवनदृप्तानां दक्षिणानां च मानद । नूनमप्सरसामार्य चित्तानि प्रमथिष्यसि ॥ १३ ॥
“Surely, noble one, giver of honour, you will agitate the hearts of the apsarases, proud of beauty and youth, and skilled.
कालो निःसंशयो नूनं जीवितान्तकरस्तव । बलाद् येनावपन्नोऽसि सुग्रीवस्यावशो वशम् ॥ १४ ॥
“Surely Time, without doubt, was the ender of your life, by which you, uncontrollable, were brought by force into Sugriva’s power.
अस्थाने वालिनं हत्वा युध्यमानं परेण च । न संतप्यति काकुत्स्थः कृत्वा कर्मसुगर्हितम् ॥ १५ ॥
“Having killed Valin improperly, fighting with another, Kakutstha does not feel remorse, having done a much-condemned deed.
वैधव्यं शोकसंतापं कृपणाकृपणा सती । अदुःखोपचिता पूर्वं वर्तयिष्याम्यनाथवत् ॥ १६ ॥
“Widowhood, grief and anguish, I, never wretched, unused to sorrow before, will live through like one without a protector.
लालितश्चाङ्गदो वीरः सुकुमारः सुखोचितः । वत्स्यते कामवस्थां मे पितृव्ये क्रोधमूर्च्छिते ॥ १७ ॥
“And brave Angada, cherished, tender, used to comfort, what state will he live in, with his uncle senseless with anger?
कुरुष्व पितरं पुत्र सुदृष्टं धर्मवत्सलम् । दुर्लभं दर्शनं तस्य तव वत्स भविष्यति ॥ १८ ॥
“Look well at your father, son, devoted to dharma. The sight of him will be hard for you to get, child.
समाश्वासय पुत्रं त्वं संदेशं संदिशस्व मे । मूर्ध्न्नि चैनं समाघ्राय प्रवासं प्रस्थितो ह्यसि ॥ १९ ॥
“Comfort your son, and give me your message; and kissing him on the head, for you have set out on a journey...
रामेण हि महत् कर्म कृतं त्वामभिनिघ्नता । आनृण्यं तु गतं तस्य सुग्रीवस्य प्रतिश्रवे ॥ २० ॥
“For a great deed has been done by Rama in striking you down; freedom from debt has been reached in his promise to Sugriva.
सकामो भव सुग्रीव रुमां त्वं प्रतिपत्स्यसे । भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यमनुद्विग्नः शस्तो भ्राता रिपुस्तव ॥ २१ ॥
“Have your desire, Sugriva; you will regain Ruma. Enjoy the kingdom untroubled; your brother, your enemy, has been laid low.
किं मामेवं प्रलपतीं प्रियां त्वं नाभिभाषसे । इमाः पश्य वरा बाह्व्यो भार्यास्ते वानरेश्वर ॥ २२ ॥
“Why do you not speak to me, your beloved, lamenting so? See these fine, many wives of yours, lord of monkeys.”
तस्या विलपितं श्रुत्वा वानर्यः सर्वतश्च ताः । परिगृह्याङ्गदं दीना दुःखार्ताः प्रतिचुक्रुशुः ॥ २३ ॥
Hearing her lament, the monkey women all around, taking hold of Angada, wretched, stricken with grief, cried out.
किमङ्गदं साङ्गदवीरबाहो विहाय यातोऽसि चिरं प्रवासम् । न युक्तमेवं गुणसंनिकृष्टं विहाय पुत्रं प्रियचारुवेषम् ॥ २४ ॥
“Hero with armlets on your arms, why have you gone on a long journey, leaving Angada? It is not right so to leave your son, close to you in virtue, dear, of lovely dress.
यद्यप्रियं किंचिदसम्प्रधार्य कृतं मया स्यात् तव दीर्घबाहो । क्षमस्व मे तद्धरिवंशनाथ व्रजामि मूर्ध्ना तव वीर पादौ ॥ २५ ॥
“If anything unkind was done by me to you without thinking, long-armed one, forgive me that, lord of the monkey race. Hero, I go with my head to your feet.”
तथा तु तारा करुणं रुदन्ती भर्तुः समीपे सह वानरीभिः । व्यवस्यत प्रायमनिन्द्यवर्णा उपोपवेष्टुं भुवि यत्र वाली ॥ २६ ॥
So Tara, of blameless beauty, weeping piteously near her husband with the monkey women, resolved on fasting unto death, to sit down on the ground where Valin was.