Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 23 of 67 · 30 verses
Tara Mourns; Angada Bows to His Father
Kissing the face of the king of the monkeys, Tara, famous in the world, speaks to her dead husband: “You lie on hard, painful ground strewn with stones, hero, because you did not heed my words. Surely the earth is dearer to you than I, lord of monkeys, since you lie embracing her and do not answer me. Ah, this is fate: you have come into Sugriva’s power. Sugriva is the valiant one now, hero who loved daring. The chief bears and monkeys used to wait on you in your strength. Hearing their bitter lament, and that of grieving Angada, and these words of mine, why do you not wake? This is the hero’s bed where you lie, killed in battle, where you yourself once laid your slain enemies. You of pure goodness and noble birth, lover of battle, my beloved, you have gone and left me alone without a protector, giver of honour. Surely a wise man should not give his daughter to a hero. See me, a hero’s wife, struck down and made a widow at once. My pride is broken, my everlasting refuge is broken, and I am sunk in a vast, bottomless ocean of grief. Surely this heart of mine must be made of iron, so hard that it does not split into a hundred pieces today, seeing my husband killed. My friend and husband, dear to me by nature, valiant in attack, a hero, has met his death. A woman without her husband, though she may have sons and be rich in wealth and grain, is called a widow by people. You lie in a pool of blood from your own body, hero, as if on your own bed with its crimson coverlet. I cannot embrace your body with my arms, bull among leapers, covered as it is with dust and blood all over. Sugriva has achieved his aim today in this terrible feud; his fear was taken away by a single arrow released by Rama. Because of the arrow lodged in your heart, I am kept from touching your body, though I gaze at you, now that you are dead.” Then Nila pulls out the arrow lodged in his body, like a blazing venomous snake hidden in a mountain cave. The radiance of the arrow as it is drawn out shines like the sun whose rays are blocked by the top of the western mountain. Streams of blood flow from his wounds on every side, like streams mixed with copper and red ochre from a mountain. Wiping her husband, covered in the dust of battle, Tara bathes the hero struck by the weapon with the tears from her eyes. Seeing her husband killed, all his limbs drenched in blood, Tara says to her tawny-eyed son Angada: “See, son, the last, terrible state of your father. The feud that was pursued has reached its end through his evil deed. Your father, whose body shone like the young sun, has gone to Yama’s abode. Salute the king, your father, son, giver of honour.” Told this, Angada rises and clasps his father’s feet with his round, strong arms, saying, “I am Angada.” “Why do you not say to Angada as he salutes you, as you used to, ‘Long life to you, son’? With my son beside me I sit by you, who are lifeless, like a cow with her calf beside a bull just killed by a lion. Having performed the sacrifice of battle, with the water of Rama’s weapon, how did you bathe in its final purifying bath without me, your wife? The dear golden garland that the king of the gods gave you when he was pleased with you in battle, why do I not see it on you here? Royal glory does not leave you, giver of honour, even though you are lifeless, as the radiance of the turning sun does not leave the king of mountains. You did not follow my good advice, and I could not hold you back. I am struck down with my son, now that you have been struck down in battle; with you, glory leaves me too.”
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ततः समुपजिघ्रन्ती कपिराजस्य तन्मुखम् । पतिं लोकश्रुता तारा मृतं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Then, kissing that face of the king of the monkeys, Tara, famed in the world, spoke words to her dead husband:
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Tara Mourns; Angada Bows to His Father 1 min read.
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शेषे त्वं विषमे दुःखमकृत्वा वचनं मम । उपलोपचिते वीर सुदुःखे वसुधातले ॥ २ ॥
“You lie on rough ground, painfully, not having done what I said, hero, on the very painful surface of the earth heaped with stones.
मत्तः प्रियतरा नूनं वानरेन्द्र मही तव । शेषे हि तां परिष्वज्य मां च न प्रतिभाषसे ॥ ३ ॥
“Surely the earth is dearer to you than I, lord of monkeys, for you lie embracing her and do not answer me.
सुग्रीवस्य वशं प्राप्तो विधिरेष भवत्यहो । सुग्रीव एव विक्रान्तो वीर साहसिकप्रिय ॥ ४ ॥
“Ah, this is fate: you have come into Sugriva’s power. Sugriva is the valiant one now, hero, lover of daring.
ऋक्षवानरमुख्यास्त्वां बलिनं पर्युपासते । तेषां विलपितं कृच्छ्रमङ्गदस्य च शोचतः ॥ ५ ॥
“The chief bears and monkeys used to wait on you, the mighty. Hearing their painful lament, and that of grieving Angada,
मम चेमा गिरः श्रुत्वा किं त्वं न प्रतिबुध्यसे । इदं तद् वीरशयनं तत्र शेषे हतो युधि ॥ ६ ॥
“and these words of mine, why do you not wake? This is that hero’s bed where you lie killed in battle,
शायिता निहता यत्र त्वयैव रिपवः पुरा । विशुद्धसत्त्वाभिजन प्रिययुद्ध मम प्रिय ॥ ७ ॥
“where enemies were laid down and killed by you yourself before. You of pure goodness and birth, lover of battle, my beloved,
मामनाथां विहायैकां गतस्त्वमसि मानद । शूराय न प्रदातव्या कन्या खलु विपश्चिता ॥ ८ ॥
“you have gone, leaving me alone without a protector, giver of honour. Surely a daughter should not be given to a hero by a wise man.
शूरभार्यां हतां पश्य सद्यो मां विधवां कृताम् । अवभग्नश्च मे मानो भग्ना मे शाश्वती गतिः ॥ ९ ॥
“See me, a hero’s wife, struck down, made a widow at once. My pride is broken, and my everlasting refuge broken,
अगाधे च निमग्नास्मि विपुले शोकसागरे । अश्मसारमयं नूनमिदं मे हृदयं दृढम् ॥ १० ॥
“and I am sunk in the vast, bottomless ocean of grief. Surely this heart of mine is made of iron, firm,
भर्तारं निहतं दृष्ट्वा यन्नाद्य शतधा कृतम् । सुहृच्चैव च भर्ता च प्रकृत्या च मम प्रियः ॥ ११ ॥
“since, seeing my husband killed, it is not made into a hundred pieces today. My friend and husband, dear to me by nature,
प्रहारे च पराक्रान्तः शूरः पञ्चत्वमागतः । पतिहीना तु या नारी कामं भवतु पुत्रिणी ॥ १२ ॥
“valiant in attack, a hero, has met death. But a woman without a husband, even if she has sons,
धनधान्यसमृद्धापि विधवेत्युच्यते जनैः । स्वगात्रप्रभवे वीर शेषे रुधिरमण्डले ॥ १३ ॥
“even if rich in wealth and grain, is called a widow by people. You lie, hero, in a circle of blood sprung from your own body,
कृमिरागपरिस्तोमे स्वकीये शयने यथा । रेणुशोणितसंवीतं गात्रं तव समन्ततः ॥ १४ ॥
“as on your own bed with a coverlet of crimson. Your body, covered all round with dust and blood,
परिरब्धुं न शक्नोमि भुजाभ्यां प्लवगर्षभ । कृतकृत्योऽद्य सुग्रीवो वैरेऽस्मिन्नतिदारुणे ॥ १५ ॥
“I cannot embrace with my arms, bull among leapers. Sugriva has achieved his purpose today in this very terrible feud,
यस्य रामविमुक्तेन हृतमेकेषुणा भयम् । शरेण हृदि लग्नेन गात्रसंस्पर्शने तव ॥ १६ ॥
“whose fear was taken away by a single arrow released by Rama. Because of the arrow lodged in your heart, from touching your body
वार्यामि त्वां निरीक्षन्ती त्वयि पञ्चत्वमागते । उद्बबर्ह शरं नीलस्तस्य गात्रगतं तदा ॥ १७ ॥
“I am held back, though gazing at you, now that you have met death.” Then Nila drew out the arrow lodged in his body,
गिरिगह्वरसंलीनं दीप्तमाशीविषं यथा । तस्य निष्कृष्यमाणस्य बाणस्यापि बभौ द्युतिः ॥ १८ ॥
like a blazing venomous snake hidden in a mountain cave. And the radiance of that arrow as it was drawn out shone
अस्तमस्तकसंरुद्धरश्मेर्दिनकरादिव । पेतुः क्षतजधारास्तु व्रणेभ्यस्तस्य सर्वशः ॥ १९ ॥
like that of the sun, its rays blocked by the top of the setting mountain. Streams of blood fell from his wounds on every side,
ताम्रगैरिकसम्पृक्ता धारा इव धराधरात् । अवकीर्णं विमार्जन्ती भर्तारं रणरेणुना ॥ २० ॥
like streams mixed with copper and red ochre from a mountain. Wiping her husband, strewn with the dust of battle,
अस्रैर्नयनजैः शूरं सिषेचास्त्रसमाहतम् । रुधिरोक्षितसर्वाङ्गं दृष्ट्वा विनिहतं पतिम् ॥ २१ ॥
she bathed the hero struck by the weapon with the tears from her eyes. Seeing her husband killed, all his limbs drenched with blood,
उवाच तारा पिङ्गाक्षं पुत्रमङ्गदमङ्गना । अवस्थां पश्चिमां पश्य पितुः पुत्र सुदारुणाम् ॥ २२ ॥
the lady Tara said to her tawny-eyed son Angada: “See, son, the last, very terrible state of your father.
सम्प्रसक्तस्य वैरस्य गतोऽन्तः पापकर्मणा । बालसूर्योज्ज्वलतनुं प्रयातं यमसादनम् ॥ २३ ॥
“The end of the pursued feud has come through an evil deed. Your father, his body bright as the young sun, has gone to Yama’s abode.
अभिवादय राजानं पितरं पुत्र मानदम् । एवमुक्तः समुत्थाय जग्राह चरणौ पितुः ॥ २४ ॥
“Salute the king, your father, son, giver of honour.” Spoken to so, rising, he took hold of his father’s feet
भुजाभ्यां पीनवृत्ताभ्यामङ्गदोऽहमिति ब्रुवन् । अभिवादयमानं त्वामङ्गदं त्वं यथा पुरा ॥ २५ ॥
with his round, strong arms, saying “I am Angada.” “To Angada saluting you, as you used to before,
दीर्घायुर्भव पुत्रेति किमर्थं नाभिभाषसे । अहं पुत्रसहाया त्वामुपासे गतचेतनम् । सिंहेन पातितं सद्यो गौः सवत्सेव गोवृषम् ॥ २६ ॥
“why do you not say, ‘Be long-lived, son’? With my son as companion I sit by you, lifeless, like a cow with her calf by a bull just felled by a lion.
इष्ट्वा संग्रामयज्ञेन रामप्रहरणाम्भसा । तस्मन्नवभृथे स्नातः कथं पत्न्या मया विना ॥ २७ ॥
“Having sacrificed with the sacrifice of battle, with the water of Rama’s weapon, how did you bathe in that final bath without me, your wife?
या दत्ता देवराजेन तव तुष्टेन संयुगे । शातकौम्भीं प्रियां मालां तां ते पश्यामि नेह किम् ॥ २८ ॥
“That dear golden garland which was given you by the king of the gods, pleased with you in battle, why do I not see it on you here?
राज्यश्रीर्न जहाति त्वां गतासुमपि मानद । सूर्यस्यावर्तमानस्य शैलराजमिव प्रभा ॥ २९ ॥
“Royal glory does not leave you, though lifeless, giver of honour, as the radiance of the turning sun does not leave the king of mountains.
न मे वचः पथ्यमिदं त्वया कृतं न चास्मि शक्ता हि निवारणे तव । हता सपुत्रास्मि हतेन संयुगे सह त्वया श्रीर्विजहाति मामपि ॥ ३० ॥
“These wholesome words of mine were not done by you, and I was not able to hold you back. I am struck down with my son, now that you are struck down in battle; with you, glory leaves me too.”