Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 21 of 67 · 16 verses
Hanuman Consoles Tara
Then Hanuman, leader of monkey troops, gently consoles Tara, fallen like a star dropped from the sky: “A creature reaps the fruit of its own actions, done from virtue or fault; after death it receives all of it, good and bad, without disturbance. You yourself are to be pitied; whom do you pity? Wretched, why do you pity the wretched? Who is to be mourned by whom, in this body that is like a bubble? Young Angada here must be looked after by you, mother of a living son; think of the fitting things to be done for his future. You know that the coming and going of beings is uncertain; so what is good must be done, wise one, not what is merely worldly. He on whom thousands, hundreds of thousands and millions of monkeys lived and placed their hopes has come to the end fate assigned him. Since he saw his purposes by justice, and was devoted to conciliation, generosity and forgiveness, he has gone to the land won by dharma; you should not grieve for him. All the tigers among monkeys, your son Angada here, and the kingdom of the lord of monkeys and bears have you as their protector, blameless one. Gently urge on these two, burning with grief, lady. Let Angada, supported by you, rule the earth. Let everything be done for the king as is seen in the tradition of succession and as is now required; this is the decision of the time. Let the king of the monkeys be given the funeral rites and let Angada be consecrated. Seeing your son on the lion throne, you will find peace.” Hearing his words, Tara, tormented by her husband’s misfortune, answers Hanuman, who stands before her: “Better than a hundred sons like Angada on one side is to cling to the body of this hero, even dead. I have no power over the monkey kingdom, nor over Angada. His uncle Sugriva is next in all affairs. This thought must not be held about Angada, Hanuman; it is the father who is a son’s kinsman, not the mother, best of monkeys. For me there is nothing more fitting, here or in the next world, than refuge with the king of the monkeys. It is fitting for me to share this bed, where the hero lies, struck down facing his foe.”
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ततो निपतितां तारां च्युतां तारामिवाम्बरात् । शनैराश्वासयामास हनुमान् हरियूथपः ॥ १ ॥
Then Hanuman, leader of monkey troops, gently consoled Tara, fallen like a star dropped from the sky:
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गुणदोषकृतं जन्तुः स्वकर्म फलहेतुकम् । अव्यग्रस्तदवाप्नोति सर्वं प्रेत्य शुभाशुभम् ॥ २ ॥
“A creature, without disturbance, receives after death all its own action, done from virtue and fault, which is the cause of fruit, good and bad.
शोच्या शोचसि कं शोच्यं दीनं दीनानुकम्पसे । कश्च कस्यानुशोच्योऽस्ति देहेऽस्मिन् बुद्बुदोपमे ॥ ३ ॥
“Pitiable yourself, whom do you pity as pitiable? Wretched, do you pity the wretched? And who is to be mourned by whom in this body like a bubble?
अङ्गदस्तु कुमारोऽयं द्रष्टव्यो जीवपुत्रया । आयत्यां च विधेयानि समर्थान्यस्य चिन्तय ॥ ४ ॥
“But this young Angada is to be looked after by you, mother of a living son. And think of the fitting things to be arranged for his future.
जानास्यनियतामेवं भूतानामागतिं गतिम् । तस्माच्छुभं हि कर्तव्यं पण्डिते नेह लौकिकम् ॥ ५ ॥
“You know so the uncertain coming and going of beings. Therefore good is to be done, wise one, not the worldly here.
यस्मिन् हरिसहस्राणि शतानि नियुतानि च । वर्तयन्ति कृताशानि सोऽयं दिष्टान्तमागतः ॥ ६ ॥
“He on whom thousands, hundreds and millions of monkeys live, having placed their hopes: he has come to the end fate assigned.
यदयं न्यायदृष्टार्थः सामदानक्षमापरः । गतो धर्मजितां भूमिं नैनं शोचितुमर्हसि ॥ ७ ॥
“Since he saw his aims by justice, devoted to conciliation, gifts and forgiveness, he has gone to the land won by dharma; you should not grieve for him.
सर्वे च हरिशार्दूलाः पुत्रश्चायं तवाङ्गदः । हर्यृक्षपतिराज्यं च त्वत्सनाथमनिन्दिते ॥ ८ ॥
“And all the tigers among monkeys, and this son of yours, Angada, and the kingdom of the lord of monkeys and bears, have you as protector, blameless one.
ताविमौ शोकसंतप्तौ शनैः प्रेरय भामिनि । त्वया परिगृहीतोऽयमङ्गदः शास्तु मेदिनीम् ॥ ९ ॥
“Gently urge on these two, burning with grief, lady. Supported by you, let this Angada rule the earth.
संततिश्च यथा दृष्टा कृत्यं यच्चापि साम्प्रतम् । राज्ञस्तत् क्रियतां सर्वमेष कालस्य निश्चयः ॥ १० ॥
“And as the succession is seen, and whatever is to be done now, let all that be done for the king; this is the decision of the time.
संस्कार्यो हरिराजस्तु अङ्गदश्चाभिषिच्यताम् । सिंहासनगतं पुत्रं पश्यन्ती शान्तिमेष्यसि ॥ ११ ॥
“Let the king of the monkeys receive the funeral rites, and let Angada be consecrated. Seeing your son gone to the lion throne, you will reach peace.”
सा तस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा भर्तृव्यसनपीडिता । अब्रवीदुत्तरं तारा हनूमन्तमवस्थितम् ॥ १२ ॥
Hearing his words, Tara, afflicted by the misfortune of her husband, spoke a reply to Hanuman standing there:
अङ्गदप्रतिरूपाणां पुत्राणामेकतः शतम् । हतस्याप्यस्य वीरस्य गात्रसंश्लेषणं वरम् ॥ १३ ॥
“Than a hundred sons like Angada on one side, the clinging to the limbs of this hero, even killed, is better.
न चाहं हरिराज्यस्य प्रभवाम्यङ्गदस्य वा । पितृव्यस्तस्य सुग्रीवः सर्वकार्येष्वनन्तरः ॥ १४ ॥
“And I have no power over the kingdom of the monkeys, nor over Angada. His uncle Sugriva is next in all affairs.
नह्येषा बुद्धिरास्थेया हनूमन्नङ्गदं प्रति । पिता हि बन्धुः पुत्रस्य न माता हरिसत्तम ॥ १५ ॥
“This thought is not to be taken up about Angada, Hanuman. For the father is the son’s kinsman, not the mother, best of monkeys.
नहि मम हरिराजसंश्रयात् क्षमतरमस्ति परत्र चेह वा । अभिमुखहतवीरसेवितं शयनमिदं मम सेवितुं क्षमम् ॥ १६ ॥
“For me there is nothing more fitting, in the next world or here, than refuge with the king of the monkeys. It is fitting for me to share this bed, used by the hero struck down facing his foe.”