Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 34 of 67 · 19 verses
Lakshmana Rebukes Sugriva
Seeing Lakshmana, bull among men, angry, unchecked, come in, Sugriva’s senses are shaken. Seeing the angry son of Dasharatha breathing hard, as if ablaze with splendour, burning with his brother’s misfortune, the best of monkeys springs up, leaving his golden seat, like great Indra’s great, well-adorned banner. Ruma and the other women spring up after Sugriva, like hosts of stars after the full moon in the sky. His eyes reddened, the glorious one comes forward with joined palms and stands there like a great wish-granting tree. To Sugriva, standing among the women with Ruma beside him, like the moon with the stars, Lakshmana speaks in anger: “A king endowed with goodness and noble birth, compassionate, master of his senses, grateful and truthful, is honoured in the world. But what king is crueller than one who, standing in unrighteousness, makes a false promise to friends who have helped him? A man kills a hundred horses by a lie about a horse, a thousand by a lie about a cow, and himself and his kin by a lie about a man. He who, his aim first achieved through friends, does not repay them, is ungrateful and deserves death from all beings, lord of the leapers. This verse, honoured by all the worlds, was sung by Brahma in anger when he saw an ungrateful man; learn it, leaper: ‘For the cow-killer, the drinker of liquor, the thief, the breaker of vows, the good have laid down atonement; for the ungrateful there is no atonement.’ You are ignoble, ungrateful and a liar, monkey, since, your aim first achieved by Rama, you do not repay him. Surely you, whose aim was achieved, should make an effort to search for Sita, wishing to repay Rama what he did. You are attached to vulgar pleasures and false to your promise; Rama does not know you for a snake that croaks like a frog. You, wicked and evil-minded, were brought to the kingdom of the monkeys by fortunate, great-souled Rama, who knows compassion. If you do not acknowledge what great-souled Raghava has done, you will soon be killed by sharp arrows and see Valin. The path by which Valin went when he was killed has not closed. Keep to the agreement, Sugriva; do not follow Valin’s path. Surely you do not see those arrows like thunderbolts from the bow of the best of the Ikshvakus; that is why you enjoy your pleasures at ease and do not give a thought to Rama’s work.”
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तमप्रतिहतं क्रुद्धं प्रविष्टं पुरुषर्षभम् । सुग्रीवो लक्ष्मणं दृष्ट्वा बभूव व्यथितेन्द्रियः ॥ १ ॥
Seeing Lakshmana, bull among men, angry, unchecked, entered, Sugriva became shaken in his senses.
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Lakshmana Rebukes Sugriva 1 min read.
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क्रुद्धं निःश्वसमानं तं प्रदीप्तमिव तेजसा । भ्रातुर्व्यसनसंतप्तं दृष्ट्वा दशरथात्मजम् ॥ २ ॥
Seeing the angry son of Dasharatha breathing hard, as if blazing with splendour, burning with his brother’s misfortune,
उत्पपात हरिश्रेष्ठो हित्वा सौवर्णमासनम् । महान् महेन्द्रस्य यथा स्वलंकृत इव ध्वजः ॥ ३ ॥
the best of monkeys sprang up, leaving his golden seat, like great Indra’s great, well-adorned banner.
उत्पतन्तमनूत्पेतू रुमाप्रभृतयः स्त्रियः । सुग्रीवं गगने पूर्णं चन्द्रं तारागणा इव ॥ ४ ॥
As he sprang up, the women, Ruma and the others, sprang up after Sugriva, like hosts of stars after the full moon in the sky.
संरक्तनयनः श्रीमान् संचचार कृताञ्जलिः । बभूवावस्थितस्तत्र कल्पवृक्षो महानिव ॥ ५ ॥
His eyes reddened, the glorious one moved forward with joined palms and stood there like a great wish-granting tree.
रुमाद्वितीयं सुग्रीवं नारीमध्यगतं स्थितम् । अब्रवील्लक्ष्मणः क्रुद्धः सतारं शशिनं यथा ॥ ६ ॥
To Sugriva, with Ruma as companion, standing in the midst of the women, like the moon with the stars, Lakshmana, angry, said:
सत्त्वाभिजनसम्पन्नः सानुक्रोशो जितेन्द्रियः । कृतज्ञः सत्यवादी च राजा लोके महीयते ॥ ७ ॥
“A king endowed with goodness and noble birth, compassionate, with conquered senses, grateful and truth-speaking, is honoured in the world.
यस्तु राजा स्थितोऽधर्मे मित्राणामुपकारिणाम् । मिथ्या प्रतिज्ञां कुरुते को नृशंसतरस्ततः ॥ ८ ॥
“But the king who, standing in unrighteousness, makes a false promise to friends who have helped: who is crueller than he?
शतमश्वानृते हन्ति सहस्रं तु गवानृते । आत्मानं स्वजनं हन्ति पुरुषः पुरुषानृते ॥ ९ ॥
“A man kills a hundred horses in a lie about a horse, a thousand in a lie about a cow, and himself and his kin in a lie about a man.
पूर्वं कृतार्थो मित्राणां न तत्प्रतिकरोति यः । कृतघ्नः सर्वभूतानां स वध्यः प्लवगेश्वर ॥ १० ॥
“He who, his aim first achieved by friends, does not repay that, is ungrateful, to be killed by all beings, lord of leapers.
गीतोऽयं ब्रह्मणा श्लोकः सर्वलोकनमस्कृतः । दृष्ट्वा कृतघ्नं क्रुद्धेन तन्निबोध प्लवंगम ॥ ११ ॥
“This verse, honoured by all the worlds, was sung by Brahma, angry, seeing an ungrateful man; learn it, leaper:
गोघ्ने चैव सुरापे च चौरे भग्नव्रते तथा । निष्कृतिर्विहिता सद्भिः कृतघ्ने नास्ति निष्कृतिः ॥ १२ ॥
“’For the cow-killer and the drinker of liquor, for the thief and the breaker of vows, atonement has been laid down by the good; for the ungrateful there is no atonement.’
अनार्यस्त्वं कृतघ्नश्च मिथ्यावादी च वानर । पूर्वं कृतार्थो रामस्य न तत्प्रतिकरोषि यत् ॥ १३ ॥
“You are ignoble and ungrateful and a liar, monkey, since, your aim first achieved by Rama, you do not repay that.
ननु नाम कृतार्थेन त्वया रामस्य वानर । सीताया मार्गणे यत्नः कर्तव्यः कृतमिच्छता ॥ १४ ॥
“Surely by you, whose aim was achieved by Rama, monkey, effort should be made in the search for Sita, wishing to repay what was done.
स त्वं ग्राम्येषु भोगेषु सक्तो मिथ्याप्रतिश्रवः । न त्वां रामो विजानीते सर्पं मण्डूकराविणम् ॥ १५ ॥
“You, attached to vulgar pleasures, false to your promise: Rama does not know you for a snake croaking like a frog.
महाभागेन रामेण पापः करुणवेदिना । हरीणां प्रापितो राज्यं त्वं दुरात्मा महात्मना ॥ १६ ॥
“By fortunate Rama, knowing compassion, great-souled, you, evil and wicked-souled, were brought to the kingdom of the monkeys.
कृतं चेन्नातिजानीषे राघवस्य महात्मनः । सद्यस्त्वं निशितैर्बाणैर्हतो द्रक्ष्यसि वालिनम् ॥ १७ ॥
“If you do not acknowledge what great-souled Raghava has done, you will soon be killed by sharp arrows and see Valin.
न स संकुचितः पन्था येन वाली हतो गतः । समये तिष्ठ सुग्रीव मा वालिपथमन्वगाः ॥ १८ ॥
“The path by which Valin, killed, went has not been closed. Keep to the agreement, Sugriva; do not follow Valin’s path.
न नूनमिक्ष्वाकुवरस्य कार्मुका- च्छरांश्च तान् पश्यसि वज्रसंनिभान् । ततः सुखं नाम विषेवसे सुखी न रामकार्यं मनसाप्यवेक्षसे ॥ १९ ॥
“Surely you do not see those arrows, like the vajra, from the bow of the best of the Ikshvakus; so, happy, you enjoy pleasure and do not consider Rama’s work even in mind.”