Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 54 of 67 · 22 verses
Hanuman Breaks the Plot
As Tara, radiant as the lord of the stars, speaks so, Hanuman thinks that Angada has as good as taken the kingdom. Hanuman considers Valin’s son endowed with understanding of eight kinds, with the four strengths and fourteen qualities, always filling with splendour, strength and valour, growing in beauty like the moon at the start of the bright fortnight, equal to Brihaspati in understanding, like his father in valour, listening to Tara as Purandara listens to Shukra. Seeing Angada weary of his master’s business, Hanuman, master of all the shastras, begins to win him back. Describing the third of the four means, he divides all the monkeys with the wealth of his words. When they are all divided, he frightens Angada with many fearful words joined with the means of anger: “You are certainly more able in battle than your father, son of Tara; you can hold the monkey kingdom firmly, as your father did. But monkeys are always fickle in mind, bull among monkeys; without their sons and wives they will not bear your commands. These will not stay loyal to you; I tell you to your face. Neither this Jambavan, nor Nila, nor the great monkey Suhotra, nor I, nor any of these can be drawn away from Sugriva by you through conciliation, gifts and other means, or by punishment. They say that a weaker one at war with a stronger should wait; so a weak one who wants to protect himself should not make war. This cave that you think of as a nurse, as you have heard, splitting it would be a small task for Lakshmana’s arrows. What Indra did long ago when he hurled his thunderbolt was small; Lakshmana could split it with sharp arrows like a cup of leaves. And Lakshmana has many iron arrows like that, with the touch of the thunderbolt, that split even mountains. As soon as you settle here, scorcher of foes, all the monkeys will leave you, their minds made up, remembering their sons and wives, always anxious, hungry, worn out by uncomfortable beds; they will put you behind them. Then, without friends and well-wishing kin, you will be terrified even of a quivering blade of grass. And Lakshmana’s terrible arrows, very swift, unassailable, will surely strike you, seeking to kill one who has turned away. But if you go with us and present yourself humbly, Sugriva will establish you in the kingdom in due order. Your uncle is a king of dharma, wishing for your love, firm in his vows, pure and true to his promises; he would never destroy you. And he wishes to please your mother; for her sake is his life, and he has no other child. So, Angada, let us go.”
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तथा ब्रुवति तारे तु ताराधिपतिवर्चसि । अथ मेने हृतं राज्यं हनूमानङ्गदेन तत् ॥ १ ॥
As Tara, with the radiance of the lord of the stars, spoke so, then Hanuman thought that kingdom taken by Angada.
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Hanuman Breaks the Plot 1 min read.
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बुद्ध्या ह्यष्टाङ्गया युक्तं चतुर्बलसमन्वितम् । चतुर्दशगुणं मेने हनूमान् वालिनः सुतम् ॥ २ ॥
Hanuman considered Valin’s son joined with understanding of eight limbs, endowed with the four strengths, with fourteen qualities,
आपूर्यमाणं शश्वच्च तेजोबलपराक्रमैः । शशिनं शुक्लपक्षादौ वर्धमानमिव श्रिया ॥ ३ ॥
always filling with splendour, strength and valour, like the moon at the beginning of the bright fortnight, growing with beauty,
बृहस्पतिसमं बुद्ध्या विक्रमे सदृशं पितुः । शुश्रूषमाणं तारस्य शुक्रस्येव पुरंदरम् ॥ ४ ॥
equal to Brihaspati in understanding, like his father in valour, listening to Tara as Purandara to Shukra.
भर्तुरर्थे परिश्रान्तं सर्वशास्त्रविशारदः । अभिसंधातुमारेभे हनूमानङ्गदं ततः ॥ ५ ॥
Then Hanuman, master of all the shastras, began to bring Angada round, weary in his master’s business.
स चतुर्णामुपायानां तृतीयमुपवर्णयन् । भेदयामास तान् सर्वान् वानरान् वाक्यसम्पदा ॥ ६ ॥
He, describing the third of the four means, divided all those monkeys with the wealth of his words.
तेषु सर्वेषु भिन्नेषु ततोऽभीषयदङ्गदम् । भीषणैर्विविधैर्वाक्यैः कोपोपायसमन्वितैः ॥ ७ ॥
When all of them were divided, he then frightened Angada with fearful words of many kinds, joined with the means of anger:
त्वं समर्थतरः पित्रा युद्धे तारेय वै ध्रुवम् । दृढं धारयितुं शक्तः कपिराज्यं यथा पिता ॥ ८ ॥
“You are surely more able than your father in battle, son of Tara. You are able to hold the monkey kingdom firmly, as your father did.
नित्यमस्थिरचित्ता हि कपयो हरिपुंगव । नाज्ञाप्यं विषहिष्यन्ति पुत्रदारं विना त्वया ॥ ९ ॥
“But monkeys are always unsteady in mind, bull among monkeys; without sons and wives, they will not bear the commands of you.
त्वां नैते ह्यनुरञ्जेयुः प्रत्यक्षं प्रवदामि ते । यथायं जाम्बवान् नीलः सुहोत्रश्च महाकपिः ॥ १० ॥
“These would not be attached to you; I tell you to your face. As this Jambavan, Nila, and the great monkey Suhotra,
नह्यहं ते इमे सर्वे सामदानादिभिर्गुणैः । दण्डेन न त्वया शक्याः सुग्रीवादपकर्षितुम् ॥ ११ ॥
“and I: all these cannot be drawn away from Sugriva by you, with qualities such as conciliation and gifts, or with punishment.
विगृह्यासनमप्याहुर्दुर्बलेन बलीयसा । आत्मरक्षाकरस्तस्मान्न विगृह्णीत दुर्बलः ॥ १२ ॥
“They say even waiting is fitting for the weaker at war with the stronger. Therefore the weak one, guarding himself, should not make war.
यां चेमां मन्यसे धात्रीमेतद् बिलमिति श्रुतम् । एतल्लक्ष्मणबाणानामीषत् कार्यं विदारणम् ॥ १३ ॥
“And this cave which you think of as a nurse, as has been heard: its splitting is a slight task for Lakshmana’s arrows.
स्वल्पं हि कृतमिन्द्रेण क्षिपता ह्यशनिं पुरा । लक्ष्मणो निशितैर्बाणैर्भिन्द्यात् पत्रपुटं यथा ॥ १४ ॥
“For a small thing was done by Indra long ago, hurling the thunderbolt. Lakshmana could split it with sharp arrows like a cup of leaves.
लक्ष्मणस्य च नाराचा बहवः सन्ति तद्विधाः । वज्राशनिसमस्पर्शा गिरीणामपि दारकाः ॥ १५ ॥
“And Lakshmana has many iron arrows of that kind, with the touch of the vajra and the thunderbolt, splitters even of mountains.
अवस्थानं यदैव त्वमासिष्यसि परंतप । तदैव हरयः सर्वे त्यक्ष्यन्ति कृतनिश्चयाः ॥ १६ ॥
“As soon as you settle into your stay, scorcher of foes, then all the monkeys will leave you, their minds made up,
स्मरन्तः पुत्रदाराणां नित्योद्विग्ना बुभुक्षिताः । खेदिता दुःखशय्याभिस्त्वां करिष्यन्ति पृष्ठतः ॥ १७ ॥
“remembering their sons and wives, always anxious, hungry, worn out by beds of discomfort, they will put you behind them.
स त्वं हीनः सुहृद्भिश्च हितकामैश्च बन्धुभिः । तृणादपि भृशोद्विग्नः स्पन्दमानाद् भविष्यसि ॥ १८ ॥
“Then you, deprived of friends and kin wishing your good, will be greatly frightened even of a quivering blade of grass.
न च जातु न हिंस्युस्त्वां घोरा लक्ष्मणसायकाः । अपवृत्तं जिघांसन्तो महावेगा दुरासदाः ॥ १९ ॥
“And Lakshmana’s terrible arrows would not fail to strike you, seeking to kill one turned away, very swift, unassailable.
अस्माभिस्तु गतं सार्धं विनीतवदुपस्थितम् । आनुपूर्व्यात्तु सुग्रीवो राज्ये त्वां स्थापयिष्यति ॥ २० ॥
“But having gone with us and presented yourself as one humble, Sugriva will establish you in the kingdom in due order.
धर्मराजः पितृव्यस्ते प्रीतिकामो दृढव्रतः । शुचिः सत्यप्रतिज्ञश्च स त्वां जातु न नाशयेत् ॥ २१ ॥
“Your uncle is a king of dharma, wishing for love, firm in vows, pure and true to his promises; he would never destroy you.
प्रियकामश्च ते मातुस्तदर्थं चास्य जीवितम् । तस्यापत्यं च नास्त्यन्यत् तस्मादङ्गद गम्यताम् ॥ २२ ॥
“And he wishes to please your mother; for her sake is his life; and he has no other offspring. Therefore, Angada, let us go.”