Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 53 of 67 · 27 verses
Despair on the Seashore
Then they see the terrible ocean, home of Varuna, boundless, roaring, churned by terrible waves. While they searched the mountain stronghold made by Maya’s magic, the month fixed by the king has passed. Sitting at the foot of the Vindhya, where the trees are in full flower, the great-souled ones fall into anxiety. Seeing the spring trees, their tops heavy with flowers and covered with hundreds of creepers, they are seized with fear. Telling one another that spring has come, and that the time of their orders has run out, they fall to the ground. Then Prince Angada, very wise, with the shoulders of a lion or bull, with thick, long arms, addresses the elder monkeys and the other forest-dwellers sweetly, honouring them properly: “We all set out at the king of the monkeys’ command. The month has run out while we were in the cave, monkeys; don’t you know it? We set out in the month of Ashvayuja with a fixed time, and that has passed too. What is to be done next? You are trusted, skilled in the ways of policy, devoted to your master’s good, entrusted with every task, matchless in action, famed for manhood in all directions; you set out with me in front, urged by the tawny-eyed one. Now, having failed, we must die; there is no doubt. Who could be happy without doing the king of the monkeys’ command? Now that the time Sugriva himself set has passed, fasting to death is right for all of us forest-dwellers. Sugriva is sharp by nature, established as master; he will not forgive us all when we come back guilty. Without news of Sita he will surely do us harm. So it is fitting to begin fasting to death here, today, leaving sons, wives, wealth and houses. The king will surely kill us all if we go back from here. Better death here than an unworthy killing. And I was not consecrated heir apparent by Sugriva; I was consecrated by the lord of men, Rama of tireless deeds. The king, long bound in enmity with me, seeing this failure, will kill me with sharp punishment, his mind made up. What would I do with friends watching my misfortune at the end of my life? I will sit fasting to death right here on the holy shore of the ocean.” Hearing this from the young heir apparent, all those best of monkeys speak piteously: “Sugriva is sharp by nature, and Raghava devoted to his beloved. Seeing us with the task undone, the time passed, Vaidehi unseen, and seeing us return, he will kill us without doubt, to please Raghava. It is not fitting for offenders to go to their master’s side. We came as Sugriva’s chiefs. Let us search for Sita right here, or get news of her; otherwise, if we go to that hero, we will go to Yama’s abode.” Hearing the words of the leapers stricken with fear, Tara says: “Enough of despair. Let us all enter the cave and live there, if you agree. This place made by magic is very hard to reach, with plenty of flowers, water, food and drink. Here we need have no fear of Purandara, nor of Raghava, nor of the king of the monkeys.” Hearing Angada’s favourable words too, all the monkeys, convinced, say: “Let a plan be made for us at once, today, so that we are not killed.”
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ततस्ते ददृशुर्घोरं सागरं वरुणालयम् । अपारमभिगर्जन्तं घोरैरूर्मिभिराकुलम् ॥ १ ॥
Then they saw the terrible ocean, home of Varuna, boundless, roaring, churned by terrible waves.
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मयस्य मायाविहितं गिरिदुर्गं विचिन्वताम् । तेषां मासो व्यतिक्रान्तो यो राज्ञा समयः कृतः ॥ २ ॥
For them, searching the mountain stronghold made by Maya’s magic, the month passed that had been fixed by the king.
विन्ध्यस्य तु गिरेः पादे सम्प्रपुष्पितपादपे । उपविश्य महात्मानश्चिन्तामापेदिरे तदा ॥ ३ ॥
And sitting at the foot of Mount Vindhya, with trees in full flower, the great-souled ones then fell into anxiety.
ततः पुष्पातिभाराग्राँल्लताशतसमावृतान् । द्रुमान् वासन्तिकान् दृष्ट्वा बभूवुर्भयशङ्किताः ॥ ४ ॥
Then, seeing the spring trees, their tops heavy with flowers, covered with hundreds of creepers, they were seized with fear.
ते वसन्तमनुप्राप्तं प्रतिवेद्य परस्परम् । नष्टसंदेशकालार्था निपेतुर्धरणीतले ॥ ५ ॥
Telling one another that spring had arrived, the purpose of their orders and their time lost, they fell to the ground.
ततस्तान् कपिवृद्धांश्च शिष्टांश्चैव वनौकसः । वाचा मधुरयाऽऽभाष्य यथावदनुमान्य च ॥ ६ ॥
Then, having addressed with sweet speech the elder monkeys and the other forest-dwellers, and honouring them properly,
स तु सिंहवृषस्कन्धः पीनायतभुजः कपिः । युवराजो महाप्राज्ञ अङ्गदो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ ७ ॥
that monkey with the shoulders of a lion or bull, with thick, long arms, the very wise heir apparent Angada spoke these words:
शासनात् कपिराजस्य वयं सर्वे विनिर्गताः । मासः पूर्णो बिलस्थानां हरयः किं न बुध्यत ॥ ८ ॥
“By the command of the king of the monkeys we all set out. The month is full for those staying in the cave, monkeys; do you not know?
वयमाश्वयुजे मासि कालसंख्याव्यवस्थिताः । प्रस्थिताः सोऽपि चातीतः किमतः कार्यमुत्तरम् ॥ ९ ॥
“We set out in the month of Ashvayuja, fixed in reckoning of time; and that too has passed. What is to be done next from this?
भवन्तः प्रत्ययं प्राप्ता नीतिमार्गविशारदाः । हितेष्वभिरता भर्तुर्निसृष्टाः सर्वकर्मसु ॥ १० ॥
“You have gained trust, skilled in the paths of policy, devoted to your master’s good, entrusted with all tasks,
कर्मस्वप्रतिमाः सर्वे दिक्षु विश्रुतपौरुषाः । मां पुरस्कृत्य निर्याताः पिङ्गाक्षप्रतिचोदिताः ॥ ११ ॥
“all matchless in tasks, famed for manhood in the directions, you set out putting me in front, urged by the tawny-eyed one.
इदानीमकृतार्थानां मर्तव्यं नात्र संशयः । हरिराजस्य संदेशमकृत्वा कः सुखी भवेत् ॥ १२ ॥
“Now, for us who have failed in our purpose, death must come; there is no doubt here. Not having done the king of the monkeys’ command, who would be happy?
अस्मिन्नतीते काले तु सुग्रीवेण कृते स्वयम् । प्रायोपवेशनं युक्तं सर्वेषां च वनौकसाम् ॥ १३ ॥
“Now that this time made by Sugriva himself has passed, fasting to death is fitting for all the forest-dwellers.
तीक्ष्णः प्रकृत्या सुग्रीवः स्वामिभावे व्यवस्थितः । न क्षमिष्यति नः सर्वानपराधकृतो गतान् ॥ १४ ॥
“Sugriva is sharp by nature, established in the state of master. He will not forgive us all, come back having offended.
अप्रवृत्तौ च सीतायाः पापमेव करिष्यति । तस्मात् क्षममिहाद्यैव गन्तुं प्रायोपवेशनम् ॥ १५ ॥
“And in the absence of news of Sita, he will do only evil. So it is fitting to go to fasting to death here, today itself,
त्यक्त्वा पुत्रांश्च दारांश्च धनानि च गृहाणि च । ध्रुवं नो हिंसते राजा सर्वान् प्रतिगतानितः ॥ १६ ॥
“leaving sons and wives and wealth and houses. Surely the king will kill us all, returned from here.
वधेनाप्रतिरूपेण श्रेयान् मृत्युरिहैव नः । न चाहं यौवराज्येन सुग्रीवेणाभिषेचितः ॥ १७ ॥
“Better death right here for us than an unfitting killing. And I was not consecrated heir apparent by Sugriva;
नरेन्द्रेणाभिषिक्तोऽस्मि रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा । स पूर्वं बद्धवैरो मां राजा दृष्ट्वा व्यतिक्रमम् ॥ १८ ॥
“I was consecrated by the lord of men, Rama of tireless deeds. That king, earlier bound in enmity to me, seeing the transgression,
घातयिष्यति दण्डेन तीक्ष्णेन कृतनिश्चयः । किं मे सुहृद्भिर्व्यसनं पश्यद्भिर्जीवितान्तरे । इहैव प्रायमासिष्ये पुण्ये सागररोधसि ॥ १९ ॥
“his mind made up, will have me killed with sharp punishment. What have I to do with friends seeing my misfortune at the end of life? Right here I will sit in fasting, on the holy shore of the ocean.”
एतच्छ्रुत्वा कुमारेण युवराजेन भाषितम् । सर्वे ते वानरश्रेष्ठाः करुणं वाक्यमब्रुवन् ॥ २० ॥
Hearing this spoken by the young heir apparent, all those best of monkeys spoke piteous words:
तीक्ष्णः प्रकृत्या सुग्रीवः प्रियारक्तश्च राघवः । समीक्ष्याकृतकार्यांस्तु तस्मिंश्च समये गते ॥ २१ ॥
“Sugriva is sharp by nature, and Raghava devoted to his beloved. Seeing us with the task not done, and that time having passed,
अदृष्टायां च वैदेह्यां दृष्ट्वा चैव समागतान् । राघवप्रियकामाय घातयिष्यत्यसंशयम् ॥ २२ ॥
“and Vaidehi not seen, and seeing us come back, to please Raghava he will have us killed without doubt.
न क्षमं चापराद्धानां गमनं स्वामिपार्श्वतः । प्रधानभूताश्च वयं सुग्रीवस्य समागताः ॥ २३ ॥
“It is not fitting for those who have offended to go to their master’s side. And we came as chiefs of Sugriva.
इहैव सीतामन्वीक्ष्य प्रवृत्तिमुपलभ्य वा । नो चेद् गच्छाम तं वीरं गमिष्यामो यमक्षयम् ॥ २४ ॥
“Let us, right here, find Sita or obtain news; if not, going to that hero, we will go to Yama’s abode.”
प्लवङ्गमानां तु भयार्दितानां श्रुत्वा वचस्तार इदं बभाषे । अलं विषादेन बिलं प्रविश्य वसाम सर्वे यदि रोचते वः ॥ २५ ॥
Hearing the words of the leapers stricken with fear, Tara spoke this: “Enough of despair; let us all enter the cave and live there, if it pleases you.
इदं हि मायाविहितं सुदुर्गमं प्रभूतपुष्पोदकभोज्यपेयम् । इहास्ति नो नैव भयं पुरंदरा- न्न राघवाद् वानरराजतोऽपि वा ॥ २६ ॥
“For this is made by magic, very hard to reach, with plenty of flowers, water, food and drink. Here there is no fear for us at all from Purandara, nor from Raghava, nor from the king of the monkeys.”
श्रुत्वाङ्गदस्यापि वचोऽनुकूल- मूचुश्च सर्वे हरयः प्रतीताः । यथा न हन्येम तथा विधान- मसक्तमद्यैव विधीयतां नः ॥ २७ ॥
And hearing Angada’s favourable words too, all the monkeys, convinced, said: “So that we may not be killed, let such an arrangement be made for us without delay, today.”