Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 38 of 67 · 34 verses
Sugriva Comes to Rama
Having accepted all the gifts brought to him, and having comforted the monkeys, Sugriva dismisses them all. Having dismissed those thousands of monkeys who had done their work, he considers himself and mighty Raghava as having achieved their aim. Lakshmana, delighting the best of all monkeys, Sugriva of terrible strength, says courteously: “Come out of Kishkindha, gentle one, if you please.” Hearing Lakshmana’s well-spoken words, Sugriva, very pleased, says: “So be it, let us go; I must abide by your command.” Having said this to Lakshmana of auspicious marks, Sugriva dismisses Tara and the other women. “Come!” Sugriva calls aloud to the best of the monkeys, and they come quickly, all with joined palms, those fit to look upon the women. To them, as they arrive, the king, radiant as the sun, says: “Bring my litter quickly, monkeys.” Hearing him, the swift monkeys bring a litter pleasant to look at. Seeing the litter brought, the lord of the monkeys says to Saumitri: “Lakshmana, get in quickly.” Having said this, Sugriva mounts with Lakshmana the golden carriage like the sun, carried by many monkeys. With a white umbrella held over his head, white yak-tail fans waving all round, greeted by the sound of conches and drums and by bards, Sugriva, having won the supreme glory of kingship, goes out. Surrounded by many hundreds of fierce monkeys with weapons in hand, he goes to where Rama is staying. Reaching that fine place where Rama lives, the splendid one gets down from the litter with Lakshmana, approaches Rama and stands with joined palms; and as he stands so, the monkeys do the same. Seeing the great army of monkeys like a pond full of lotus buds, Rama is pleased with Sugriva. Raising the lord of the monkeys, who has fallen at his feet with his head, Raghava embraces him with love and great respect, and having embraced him, the righteous one says, “Sit down.” Seeing him seated on the ground, Rama says: “The king who always enjoys dharma, wealth and pleasure each in its season, dividing them, hero, best of monkeys, is a true king. But he who abandons dharma and wealth and serves pleasure alone is like one asleep on the top of a tree; he wakes when he has fallen. A king devoted to killing enemies and delighting in gathering friends, enjoying the fruit of the three aims, is joined with dharma. The time for action has come, destroyer of enemies; think it over, tawny lord, with your monkey ministers.” Spoken to so, Sugriva says to Rama: “My lost fortune and fame and the lasting kingdom of the monkeys I have regained by your grace, mighty-armed one, by your grace, lord, and your brother’s, best of victors. He who does not repay what has been done is a corrupter among men. These chief monkeys, hundreds of them, destroyer of enemies, have come, bringing all the mighty monkeys on earth. Bears, heroic monkeys and langurs, Raghava, who know the wildernesses, forests and strongholds, terrible to look at; monkeys who are sons of gods and gandharvas, taking any form at will, surrounded each by his own army, are on the road, Raghava. Surrounded by hundreds, hundreds of thousands and crores, by ten-thousands and by shankus, scorcher of foes, by arbudas and hundreds of arbudas, by madhyas and antyas, monkeys, by samudras and parardhas: those monkeys and leaders of monkey troops will come, king, of valour equal to great Indra’s, like clouds and mountains, living on Meru and the Vindhya. They will come to you to fight the rakshasa in battle; having killed Ravana in war, they will bring back Maithili.” Seeing the effort of the foremost monkey hero who follows his commands, the mighty son of the lord of the earth becomes, with joy, like a blue lotus woken into bloom.
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प्रतिगृह्य च तत् सर्वमुपायनमुपाहृतम् । वानरान् सान्त्वयित्वा च सर्वानेव व्यसर्जयत् ॥ १ ॥
And having accepted all that gift brought, and having comforted the monkeys, he dismissed them all.
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Sugriva Comes to Rama 1 min read.
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विसर्जयित्वा स हरीन् सहस्रान् कृतकर्मणः । मेने कृतार्थमात्मानं राघवं च महाबलम् ॥ २ ॥
Having dismissed those thousands of monkeys who had done their work, he considered himself and very mighty Raghava as having achieved their aim.
स लक्ष्मणो भीमबलं सर्ववानरसत्तमम् । अब्रवीत् प्रश्रितं वाक्यं सुग्रीवं सम्प्रहर्षयन् ॥ ३ ॥
That Lakshmana spoke courteous words to Sugriva of terrible strength, best of all monkeys, delighting him:
किष्किन्धाया विनिष्क्राम यदि ते सौम्य रोचते । तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा लक्ष्मणस्य सुभाषितम् ॥ ४ ॥
“Come out of Kishkindha, if it pleases you, gentle one.” Hearing those well-spoken words of that Lakshmana,
सुग्रीवः परमप्रीतो वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह । एवं भवतु गच्छाम स्थेयं त्वच्छासने मया ॥ ५ ॥
Sugriva, very pleased, spoke these words: “So be it; let us go; I must abide by your command.”
तमेवमुक्त्वा सुग्रीवो लक्ष्मणं शुभलक्षणम् । विसर्जयामास तदा ताराद्याश्चैव योषितः ॥ ६ ॥
Having said so to Lakshmana of auspicious marks, Sugriva then dismissed the women, Tara and the others.
एहीत्युच्चैर्हरिवरान् सुग्रीवः समुदाहरत् । तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा हरयः शीघ्रमाययुः ॥ ७ ॥
“Come!” Sugriva called aloud to the best of the monkeys; hearing those words of his, the monkeys came quickly,
बद्धाञ्जलिपुटाः सर्वे ये स्युः स्त्रीदर्शनक्षमाः । तानुवाच ततः प्राप्तान् राजार्कसदृशप्रभः ॥ ८ ॥
all with joined palms, those who were fit to see the women. Then the king, with radiance like the sun, said to those who had come:
उपस्थापयत क्षिप्रं शिबिकां मम वानराः । श्रुत्वा तु वचनं तस्य हरयः शीघ्रविक्रमाः ॥ ९ ॥
“Bring my litter quickly, monkeys.” Hearing his words, the swift monkeys
समुपस्थापयामासुः शिबिकां प्रियदर्शनाम् । तामुपस्थापितां दृष्ट्वा शिबिकां वानराधिपः ॥ १० ॥
brought a litter pleasant to look at. Seeing that litter brought, the lord of the monkeys
लक्ष्मणारुह्यतां शीघ्रमिति सौमित्रिमब्रवीत् । इत्युक्त्वा काञ्चनं यानं सुग्रीवः सूर्यसंनिभम् ॥ ११ ॥
said to Saumitri: “Lakshmana, mount quickly.” Having said this, Sugriva mounted the golden carriage, like the sun,
बहुभिर्हरिभिर्युक्तमारुरोह सलक्ष्मणः । पाण्डुरेणातपत्रेण ध्रियमाणेन मूर्धनि ॥ १२ ॥
yoked with many monkeys, with Lakshmana. With a white umbrella held over his head,
शुक्लैश्च वालव्यजनैर्धूयमानैः समन्ततः । शंखभेरीनिनादैश्च बन्दिभिश्चाभिनन्दितः ॥ १३ ॥
and with white yak-tail fans being waved all round, and greeted by the sounds of conches and drums and by bards,
निर्ययौ प्राप्य सुग्रीवो राज्यश्रियमनुत्तमाम् । स वानरशतैस्तीक्ष्णैर्बहुभिः शस्त्रपाणिभिः ॥ १४ ॥
Sugriva, having obtained the unsurpassed glory of kingship, went out. Surrounded by many hundreds of fierce monkeys with weapons in hand,
परिकीर्णो ययौ तत्र यत्र रामो व्यवस्थितः । स तं देशमनुप्राप्य श्रेष्ठं रामनिषेवितम् ॥ १५ ॥
he went to where Rama was staying. Reaching that fine place frequented by Rama,
अवातरन्महातेजाः शिबिकायाः सलक्ष्मणः । आसाद्य च ततो रामं कृताञ्जलिपुटोऽभवत् ॥ १६ ॥
the very splendid one got down from the litter with Lakshmana. And approaching Rama, he then stood with joined palms.
कृताञ्जलौ स्थिते तस्मिन् वानराश्चाभवंस्तथा । तटाकमिव तं दृष्ट्वा रामः कुड्मलपङ्कजम् ॥ १७ ॥
As he stood with joined palms, so did the monkeys too. Seeing it like a pond of lotuses in bud,
वानराणां महत् सैन्यं सुग्रीवे प्रीतिमानभूत् । पादयोः पतितं मूर्ध्ना तमुत्थाप्य हरीश्वरम् ॥ १८ ॥
the great army of monkeys, Rama was pleased with Sugriva. Raising up that lord of monkeys, fallen at his feet with his head,
प्रेम्णा च बहुमानाच्च राघवः परिषस्वजे । परिष्वज्य च धर्मात्मा निषीदेति ततोऽब्रवीत् ॥ १९ ॥
with love and great respect Raghava embraced him. And having embraced him, the righteous one then said, “Sit down.”
निषण्णं तं ततो दृष्ट्वा क्षितौ रामोऽब्रवीत् ततः । धर्ममर्थं च कामं च काले यस्तु निषेवते ॥ २० ॥
Then, seeing him seated on the ground, Rama said: “He who serves dharma, wealth and pleasure each in its time,
विभज्य सततं वीर स राजा हरिसत्तम । हित्वा धर्मं तथार्थं च कामं यस्तु निषेवते ॥ २१ ॥
“always dividing them, hero, is a king, best of monkeys. But he who, abandoning dharma and wealth, serves pleasure,
स वृक्षाग्रे यथा सुप्तः पतितः प्रतिबुध्यते । अमित्राणां वधे युक्तो मित्राणां संग्रहे रतः ॥ २२ ॥
“he is like one asleep on a treetop; he wakes when fallen. Devoted to killing enemies, delighting in gathering friends,
त्रिवर्गफलभोक्ता च राजा धर्मेण युज्यते । उद्योगसमयस्त्वेष प्राप्तः शत्रुनिषूदन ॥ २३ ॥
“enjoying the fruit of the three aims, a king is joined with dharma. And this time for effort has come, destroyer of enemies.
संचिन्त्यतां हि पिङ्गेश हरिभिः सह मन्त्रिभिः । एवमुक्तस्तु सुग्रीवो रामं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ २४ ॥
“Let it be considered, tawny lord, with the monkey ministers.” Spoken to so, Sugriva spoke words to Rama:
प्रणष्टा श्रीश्च कीर्तिश्च कपिराज्यं च शाश्वतम् । त्वत्प्रसादान्महाबाहो पुनः प्राप्तमिदं मया ॥ २५ ॥
“Lost fortune and fame and the lasting kingdom of the monkeys have been regained by me through your grace, mighty-armed one,
तव देव प्रसादाच्च भ्रातुश्च जयतां वर । कृतं न प्रतिकुर्याद् यः पुरुषाणां हि दूषकः ॥ २६ ॥
“and through your grace, god, and your brother’s, best of victors. He who does not repay what was done is a corrupter of men.
एते वानरमुख्याश्च शतशः शत्रुसूदन । प्राप्ताश्चादाय बलिनः पृथिव्यां सर्ववानरान् ॥ २७ ॥
“These chief monkeys, by hundreds, destroyer of enemies, have come, bringing all the mighty monkeys on earth.
ऋक्षाश्च वानराः शूरा गोलाङ्गूलाश्च राघव । कान्तारवनदुर्गाणामभिज्ञा घोरदर्शनाः ॥ २८ ॥
“Bears and heroic monkeys and langurs, Raghava, knowing the wildernesses, forests and strongholds, terrible to look at,
देवगन्धर्वपुत्राश्च वानराः कामरूपिणः । स्वैः स्वैः परिवृताः सैन्यैर्वर्तन्ते पथि राघव ॥ २९ ॥
“and monkeys who are sons of gods and gandharvas, taking forms at will, surrounded each by his own armies, are on the road, Raghava.
शतैः शतसहस्रैश्च वर्तन्ते कोटिभिस्तथा । अयुतैश्चावृता वीर शङ्कुभिश्च परंतप ॥ ३० ॥
“They are surrounded by hundreds, by hundreds of thousands, and by crores, hero, by ten-thousands and by shankus, scorcher of foes,
अर्बुदैरर्बुदशतैर्मध्यैश्चान्त्यैश्च वानराः । समुद्राश्च परार्धाश्च हरयो हरियूथपाः ॥ ३१ ॥
“by arbudas and hundreds of arbudas, by madhyas and antyas, the monkeys, and by samudras and parardhas, the monkeys and leaders of monkey troops.
आगमिष्यन्ति ते राजन् महेन्द्रसमविक्रमाः । मेघपर्वतसंकाशा मेरुविन्ध्यकृतालयाः ॥ ३२ ॥
“They will come, king, of valour equal to great Indra’s, like clouds and mountains, having made their homes on Meru and the Vindhya.
ते त्वामभिगमिष्यन्ति राक्षसं योद्धुमाहवे । निहत्य रावणं युद्धे ह्यानयिष्यन्ति मैथिलीम् ॥ ३३ ॥
“They will come to you to fight the rakshasa in battle; having killed Ravana in war, they will bring back Maithili.”
ततः समुद्योगमवेक्ष्य वीर्यवान् हरिप्रवीरस्य निदेशवर्तिनः । बभूव हर्षाद् वसुधाधिपात्मजः प्रबुद्धनीलोत्पलतुल्यदर्शनः ॥ ३४ ॥
Then, seeing the effort of the foremost monkey hero who abided by his command, the mighty son of the lord of the earth became, from joy, like a woken blue lotus to look at.