Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 22 of 67 · 32 verses
Valin’s Last Words and Death
Looking around, his life ebbing, breathing faintly, Valin first sees his younger brother Sugriva before him. Addressing the victorious Sugriva, lord of the leapers, in a clear voice, he speaks with affection: “Sugriva, do not hold me guilty for my wrong; I was dragged by force by what had to be, by the confusion of my mind. I do not think happiness was ordained for the two of us at the same time, dear one; the love that belongs to brothers turned out otherwise. Take the kingdom of these forest-dwellers today, and know that I too am going today to Vaivasvata’s abode. I am quickly giving up my life, my kingdom, my vast fortune and my unblemished fame. In this state, hero, I will say something to you; even if it is hard, king, you must do it. Look at Angada, fallen on the ground, his face full of tears: a boy deserving comfort, raised in comfort, though no fool. Protect in every way this son, dearer to me than my life, as if he were your own, now that he is without me, though not without means. You too must be his father, his giver and his protector in everything, the giver of safety in dangers, as I was, lord of the leapers. This glorious son of Tara, equal to you in valour, will be at your forefront in killing those rakshasas. Mighty in battle, splendid young Angada, Tara’s son, will do deeds worthy of him with his valour. And this daughter of Sushena is wholly expert in deciding subtle matters and in reading every kind of omen. What she says is good, do without doubt; nothing Tara thinks turns out otherwise. And you must do Raghava’s work without hesitation; there would be wrong in not doing it, and, if dishonoured, he would harm you. And put on this divine golden garland, Sugriva; great glory resides in it, and it would leave it when I am dead.” Spoken to so by Valin out of brotherly love, Sugriva gives up his joy and becomes wretched again, like the moon seized by an eclipse. Calmed by Valin’s words, doing what is fitting, alert, he takes the golden garland when it is offered. Having given the golden garland and seeing his son standing there, Valin, ready for death, says to Angada with love: “Keep to place and time today, bearing what is pleasant and unpleasant; enduring joy and sorrow in their season, be obedient to Sugriva. As I always cherished you, mighty-armed one, Sugriva will not value you so if you behave like that. Do not go with his enemies, tamer of foes, nor with his foes; devoted to your master’s interest, self-controlled, be obedient to Sugriva. Do not be too familiar, nor be unfriendly; both are great faults, so see the middle way.” Having said this, his eyes rolling, deeply pained by the arrow, his terrible teeth bared, he breathes his last. Then the monkeys there, their leader killed, cry out, all those best of leapers lamenting: “Kishkindha is empty today, now that the lord of the monkeys has gone to heaven; empty are the gardens, the mountains and the groves. With the tiger among leapers killed, the monkeys have lost their radiance. Who now will do what he did, by whose great speed the woods and forests were strewn with masses of flowers? He who gave great battle to the great-souled gandharva, mighty-armed Golabha, for fifteen years; that fight did not cease by night or by day; then in the sixteenth year Golabha was struck down. Having killed that insolent one, Valin with his terrible fangs, who gave us all safety: how has he been struck down?” With the heroic lord of the leapers killed, the monkeys find no peace there, like cattle in a great forest full of lions when the bull of the herd is killed. Then Tara, swept into an ocean of calamity, looking at the face of her dead husband, embraces Valin and sinks to the ground, like a creeper clinging to a great tree that has been cut down.
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वीक्षमाणस्तु मन्दासुः सर्वतो मन्दमुच्छ्वसन् । आदावेव तु सुग्रीवं ददर्शानुजमग्रतः ॥ १ ॥
Looking around, his life faint, breathing faintly on every side, at the very first he saw his younger brother Sugriva before him.
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Valin’s Last Words and Death 1 min read.
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तं प्राप्तविजयं वाली सुग्रीवं प्लवगेश्वरम् । आभाष्य व्यक्तया वाचा सस्नेहमिदमब्रवीत् ॥ २ ॥
Addressing that Sugriva, lord of the leapers, who had won victory, Valin with clear speech said this with affection:
सुग्रीव दोषेण न मां गन्तुमर्हसि किल्बिषात् । कृष्यमाणं भविष्येण बुद्धिमोहेन मां बलात् ॥ ३ ॥
“Sugriva, you should not take me as guilty for my wrong, dragged as I was by force by what was to be, by the confusion of my mind.
युगपद् विहितं तात न मन्ये सुखमावयोः । सौहार्दं भ्रातृयुक्तं हि तदिदं जातमन्यथा ॥ ४ ॥
“I do not think happiness was ordained for us both at the same time, dear one. For the love that belongs to brothers, that turned out otherwise.
प्रतिपद्य त्वमद्यैव राज्यमेषां वनौकसाम् । मामप्यद्यैव गच्छन्तं विद्धि वैवस्वतक्षयम् ॥ ५ ॥
“Take today the kingdom of these forest-dwellers. And know that I too am going today to the abode of Vaivasvata.
जीवितं च हि राज्यं च श्रियं च विपुलां तथा । प्रजहाम्येष वै तूर्णमहं चागर्हितं यशः ॥ ६ ॥
“Life, and kingdom, and vast fortune, and unblemished fame: I am giving these up quickly.
अस्यां त्वहमवस्थायां वीर वक्ष्यामि यद् वचः । यद्यप्यसुकरं राजन् कर्तुमेव त्वमर्हसि ॥ ७ ॥
“But in this state, hero, I will say these words; even though it is hard, king, you should do it.
सुखार्हं सुखसंवृद्धं बालमेनमबालिशम् । बाष्पपूर्णमुखं पश्य भूमौ पतितमङ्गदम् ॥ ८ ॥
“Deserving comfort, raised in comfort, a boy but no fool: see this Angada, fallen on the ground, his face full of tears.
मम प्राणैः प्रियतरं पुत्रं पुत्रमिवौरसम् । मया हीनमहीनार्थं सर्वतः परिपालय ॥ ९ ॥
“Protect in every way this son, dearer to me than my life, like a son of your own body, without me, though not without means.
त्वमप्यस्य पिता दाता परित्राता च सर्वशः । भयेष्वभयदश्चैव यथाहं प्लवगेश्वर ॥ १० ॥
“You too are his father, giver and protector in every way, and giver of safety in dangers, as I was, lord of leapers.
एष तारात्मजः श्रीमांस्त्वया तुल्यपराक्रमः । रक्षसां च वधे तेषामग्रतस्ते भविष्यति ॥ ११ ॥
“This glorious son of Tara, equal to you in valour, will be at your forefront in the killing of those rakshasas.
अनुरूपाणि कर्माणि विक्रम्य बलवान् रणे । करिष्यत्येष तारेयस्तेजस्वी तरुणोऽङ्गदः ॥ १२ ॥
“Having shown valour, mighty in battle, this son of Tara, splendid young Angada, will do fitting deeds.
सुषेणदुहिता चेयमर्थसूक्ष्मविनिश्चये । औत्पातिके च विविधे सर्वतः परिनिष्ठिता ॥ १३ ॥
“And this daughter of Sushena is fully expert in deciding subtle matters and in omens of every kind.
यदेषा साध्विति ब्रूयात् कार्यं तन्मुक्तसंशयम् । नहि तारामतं किंचिदन्यथा परिवर्तते ॥ १४ ॥
“What she says is good, that is to be done without doubt. For nothing that Tara thinks turns out otherwise.
राघवस्य च ते कार्यं कर्तव्यमविशङ्कया । स्यादधर्मो ह्यकरणे त्वां च हिंस्यादमानितः ॥ १५ ॥
“And Raghava’s work is to be done by you without hesitation. For there would be wrong in not doing it, and, dishonoured, he would harm you.
इमां च मालामाधत्स्व दिव्यां सुग्रीव काञ्चनीम् । उदारा श्रीः स्थिता ह्यस्यां सम्प्रजह्यान्मृते मयि ॥ १६ ॥
“And put on this divine golden garland, Sugriva. For great glory resides in it; it would leave it when I am dead.”
इत्येवमुक्तः सुग्रीवो वालिना भ्रातृसौहृदात् । हर्षं त्यक्त्वा पुनर्दीनो ग्रहग्रस्त इवोडुराट् ॥ १७ ॥
Spoken to so by Valin out of brotherly affection, Sugriva, giving up joy, was wretched again, like the moon seized by an eclipse.
तद्वालिवचनाच्छान्तः कुर्वन् युक्तमतन्द्रितः । जग्राह सोऽभ्यनुज्ञातो मालां तां चैव काञ्चनीम् ॥ १८ ॥
Calmed by Valin’s words, doing what was fitting, alert, permitted, he took that golden garland.
तां मालां काञ्चनीं दत्त्वा दृष्ट्वा चैवात्मजं स्थितम् । संसिद्धः प्रेत्यभावाय स्नेहादङ्गदमब्रवीत् ॥ १९ ॥
Having given that golden garland, and seeing his son standing there, ready for the state after death, he said to Angada with affection:
देशकालौ भजस्वाद्य क्षममाणः प्रियाप्रिये । सुखदुःखसहः काले सुग्रीववशगो भव ॥ २० ॥
“Keep to place and time today, enduring what is pleasant and unpleasant. Bearing joy and sorrow in season, be under Sugriva’s control.
यथा हि त्वं महाबाहो लालितः सततं मया । न तथा वर्तमानं त्वां सुग्रीवो बहु मन्यते ॥ २१ ॥
“As you, mighty-armed one, were always cherished by me, Sugriva will not value you much if you behave so.
नास्यामित्रैर्गतं गच्छेर्मा शत्रुभिररिंदम । भर्तुरर्थपरो दान्तः सुग्रीववशगो भव ॥ २२ ॥
“Do not go with his non-friends, nor with his enemies, tamer of foes. Devoted to your master’s interest, self-controlled, be under Sugriva’s control.
न चातिप्रणयः कार्यः कर्तव्योऽप्रणयश्च ते । उभयं हि महादोषं तस्मादन्तरदृग् भव ॥ २३ ॥
“And no excessive familiarity is to be made, and unfriendliness is not to be made by you. For both are great faults; so be one who sees the middle.”
इत्युक्त्वाथ विवृत्ताक्षः शरसम्पीडितो भृशम् । विवृतैर्दशनैर्भीमैर्बभूवोत्क्रान्तजीवितः ॥ २४ ॥
Having said this, his eyes rolling, greatly pained by the arrow, with his terrible teeth bared, he was one whose life had departed.
ततो विचुक्रुशुस्तत्र वानरा हतयूथपाः । परिदेवयमानास्ते सर्वे प्लवगसत्तमाः ॥ २५ ॥
Then the monkeys there cried out, their troop-leader killed, all those best of leapers lamenting:
किष्किन्धा ह्यद्य शून्या च स्वर्गते वानरेश्वरे । उद्यानानि च शून्यानि पर्वताः काननानि च ॥ २६ ॥
“Kishkindha is empty today, now that the lord of the monkeys has gone to heaven; empty the gardens, and the mountains and the woods.
हते प्लवगशार्दूले निष्प्रभा वानराः कृताः । यस्य वेगेन महता काननानि वनानि च ॥ २७ ॥
“With the tiger among leapers killed, the monkeys are made radiance-less. He by whose great speed the groves and forests
पुष्पौघेणानुबद्ध्यन्ते करिष्यति तदद्य कः । येन दत्तं महद् युद्धं गन्धर्वस्य महात्मनः ॥ २८ ॥
“were strewn with masses of flowers: who will do that today? He by whom great battle was given to the great-souled gandharva,
गोलभस्य महाबाहोर्दश वर्षाणि पञ्च च । नैव रात्रौ न दिवसे तद् युद्धमुपशाम्यति ॥ २९ ॥
“mighty-armed Golabha, for ten years and five: that battle did not cease by night nor by day.
ततः षोडशमे वर्षे गोलभो विनिपातितः । तं हत्वा दुर्विनीतं तु वाली दंष्ट्राकरालवान् । सर्वाभयंकरोऽस्माकं कथमेष निपातितः ॥ ३० ॥
“Then in the sixteenth year Golabha was struck down. Having killed that insolent one, Valin with terrible fangs, giver of safety to us all: how has he been struck down?”
हते तु वीरे प्लवगाधिपे तदा प्लवङ्गमास्तत्र न शर्म लेभिरे । वनेचराः सिंहयुते महावने यथा हि गावो निहते गवां पतौ ॥ ३१ ॥
With the heroic lord of the leapers killed then, the leapers found no peace there, like forest-roaming cattle in a great forest with lions, when the lord of the cattle is killed.
ततस्तु तारा व्यसनार्णवप्लुता मृतस्य भर्तुर्वदनं समीक्ष्य सा । जगाम भूमिं परिरभ्य वालिनं महाद्रुमं छिन्नमिवाश्रिता लता ॥ ३२ ॥
Then Tara, swept into an ocean of calamity, looking at the face of her dead husband, went to the ground embracing Valin, like a creeper clinging to a great tree that has been cut.