Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 55 of 67 · 23 verses
Angada Begins to Fast unto Death
Hearing Hanuman’s courteous words, joined with dharma and with respect for their master, Angada says: “Steadiness, purity of heart and mind, kindness, straightforwardness, valour and courage are not to be found in Sugriva. He took the wife of his living elder brother, his beloved queen, who by dharma was his mother; he is contemptible. How can he know dharma, the wicked brother who closed the mouth of the cave when his brother was engaged in battle? He who forgot Raghava, famous, who had done his part and had clasped his hand in truth, whose good deed would he remember? He ordered the search for Sita out of fear of Lakshmana, not out of fear of wrongdoing; how can there be dharma in him? What noble person would ever trust that evil, ungrateful, forgetful, fickle one, especially one born of his family? A son, good or bad, must be established in the kingdom; how will Sugriva let me live, born of an enemy’s line? My plans exposed, having offended, my power broken, how could I reach Kishkindha and live, weak, like one without a protector? Deceitful, cruel and harsh Sugriva would bring about my imprisonment by a secret punishment for the sake of the kingdom. Fasting to death is better for me than prison and misery. Let all of you give me leave and go home, monkeys. I promise you: I will not go to the city. Right here I will fast to death; death is best for me. After saluting him, say to the king, my younger father Sugriva, lord of the monkeys, that I am well; and after saluting the mighty Raghavas; and say to my mother Ruma, with wishes for her health, that I am well. And you should comfort my mother Tara. Loving her son by nature, compassionate, poor woman, hearing that I have perished here, she will surely give up her life.” Having said this much and saluted the elders, Angada, weeping, sick at heart, lies down on the ground on darbha grass. As he lies down, the bulls among monkeys, weeping and grieving, shed hot tears from their eyes. Blaming Sugriva and praising Valin, they all surround Angada and resolve to fast to death. Understanding the words of Valin’s son, the bulls among leapers all touch water and sit facing east on darbha grass with its tips to the south, keeping to the northern shore. “This is fitting,” the best of monkeys say, ready to die. As they speak of Rama’s exile in the forest, the death of Dasharatha, the slaughter in Janasthana, the killing of Jatayu, the abduction of Vaidehi, the killing of Valin and Rama’s anger, fear comes upon the monkeys. With many leapers like great mountain peaks lying down, crying loudly, the mountain’s ravines echo like the sky with thundering clouds.
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श्रुत्वा हनुमतो वाक्यं प्रश्रितं धर्मसंहितम् । स्वामिसत्कारसंयुक्तमङ्गदो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing Hanuman’s courteous words, joined with dharma, joined with respect for their master, Angada spoke these words:
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स्थैर्यमात्ममनःशौचमानृशंस्यमथार्जवम् । विक्रमश्चैव धैर्यं च सुग्रीवे नोपपद्यते ॥ २ ॥
“Steadiness, purity of self and mind, kindness and straightforwardness, valour and courage are not found in Sugriva.
भ्रातुर्ज्येष्ठस्य यो भार्यां जीवतो महिषीं प्रियाम् । धर्मेण मातरं यस्तु स्वीकरोति जुगुप्सितः ॥ ३ ॥
“He who takes the wife of his living elder brother, his beloved queen, by dharma his mother, is contemptible.
कथं स धर्मं जानीते येन भ्रात्रा दुरात्मना । युद्धायाभिनियुक्तेन बिलस्य पिहितं मुखम् ॥ ४ ॥
“How does he know dharma, the wicked brother by whom, when his brother was engaged in battle, the mouth of the cave was closed?
सत्यात् पाणिगृहीतश्च कृतकर्मा महायशाः । विस्मृतो राघवो येन स कस्य सुकृतं स्मरेत् ॥ ५ ॥
“He by whom Raghava, who clasped his hand in truth, who had done his part, of great fame, was forgotten: whose good deed would he remember?
लक्ष्मणस्य भयेनेह नाधर्मभयभीरुणा । आदिष्टा मार्गितुं सीता धर्मस्तस्मिन् कथं भवेत् ॥ ६ ॥
“By one fearing Lakshmana here, not by one fearing wrong, Sita was ordered to be searched for; how can there be dharma in him?
तस्मिन् पापे कृतघ्ने तु स्मृतिभिन्ने चलात्मनि । आर्यः को विश्वसेज्जातु तत्कुलीनो विशेषतः ॥ ७ ॥
“In that evil, ungrateful one, broken in memory, fickle in self, what noble one would ever trust, especially one born of his family?
राज्ये पुत्रः प्रतिष्ठाप्यः सगुणो निर्गुणोऽपि वा । कथं शत्रुकुलीनं मां सुग्रीवो जीवयिष्यति ॥ ८ ॥
“A son is to be established in the kingdom, with virtues or without; how will Sugriva let me live, born of an enemy’s family?
भिन्नमन्त्रोऽपराद्धश्च भिन्नशक्तिः कथं ह्यहम् । किष्किन्धां प्राप्य जीवेयमनाथ इव दुर्बलः ॥ ९ ॥
“My counsel broken, having offended, my power broken, how could I, having reached Kishkindha, live, weak, like one without a protector?
उपांशुदण्डेन हि मां बन्धनेनोपपादयेत् । शठः क्रूरो नृशंसश्च सुग्रीवो राज्यकारणात् ॥ १० ॥
“For by secret punishment he would bring me to imprisonment, deceitful, cruel and harsh Sugriva, for the sake of the kingdom.
बन्धनाच्चावसादान्मे श्रेयः प्रायोपवेशनम् । अनुजानन्तु मां सर्वे गृहं गच्छन्तु वानराः ॥ ११ ॥
“Better for me than imprisonment and misery is fasting to death. Let all give me leave; let the monkeys go home.
अहं वः प्रतिजानामि न गमिष्याम्यहं पुरीम् । इहैव प्रायमासिष्ये श्रेयो मरणमेव मे ॥ १२ ॥
“I promise you: I will not go to the city. Right here I will sit fasting; death alone is best for me.
अभिवादनपूर्वं तु राजा कुशलमेव च । अभिवादनपूर्वं तु राघवौ बलशालिनौ ॥ १३ ॥
“After saluting, the king, and that I am well; and after saluting the two mighty Raghavas:
वाच्यस्तातो यवीयान् मे सुग्रीवो वानरेश्वरः । आरोग्यपूर्वं कुशलं वाच्या माता रुमा च मे ॥ १४ ॥
“my younger father Sugriva, lord of the monkeys, should be told; with health first, my mother Ruma should be told that I am well.
मातरं चैव मे तारामाश्वासयितुमर्हथ । प्रकृत्या प्रियपुत्रा सा सानुक्रोशा तपस्विनी ॥ १५ ॥
“And you should comfort my mother Tara. By nature fond of her son, compassionate, poor woman,
विनष्टमिह मां श्रुत्वा व्यक्तं हास्यति जीवितम् । एतावदुक्त्वा वचनं वृद्धांस्तानभिवाद्य च ॥ १६ ॥
“hearing me perished here, she will surely give up her life.” Having said these words so far, and having saluted those elders,
विवेश चाङ्गदो भूमौ रुदन् दर्भेषु दुर्मनाः । तस्य संविशतस्तत्र रुदन्तो वानरर्षभाः ॥ १७ ॥
Angada, weeping, sick at heart, lay down on the ground on darbha grass. As he lay down there, the bulls among monkeys, weeping,
नयनेभ्यः प्रमुमुचुरुष्णं वै वारि दुःखिताः । सुग्रीवं चैव निन्दन्तः प्रशंसन्तश्च वालिनम् ॥ १८ ॥
grieving, shed hot water from their eyes; and blaming Sugriva and praising Valin,
परिवार्याङ्गदं सर्वे व्यवसन् प्रायमासितुम् । तद् वाक्यं वालिपुत्रस्य विज्ञाय प्लवगर्षभाः ॥ १९ ॥
all surrounding Angada, they resolved to sit fasting. Understanding those words of Valin’s son, the bulls among leapers
उपस्पृश्योदकं सर्वे प्राङ्मुखाः समुपाविशन् । दक्षिणाग्रेषु दर्भेषु उदक्तीरं समाश्रिताः ॥ २० ॥
all touched water and sat facing east, on darbha grass with tips to the south, keeping to the northern shore.
मुमूर्षवो हरिश्रेष्ठा एतत् क्षममिति स्म ह । रामस्य वनवासं च क्षयं दशरथस्य च ॥ २१ ॥
“This is fitting,” the best of monkeys said, wishing to die. Rama’s dwelling in the forest and the destruction of Dasharatha,
जनस्थानवधं चैव वधं चैव जटायुषः । हरणं चैव वैदेह्या वालिनश्च वधं तथा । रामकोपं च वदतां हरीणां भयमागतम् ॥ २२ ॥
and the slaughter in Janasthana, and the killing of Jatayu, and the carrying off of Vaidehi, and likewise the killing of Valin, and Rama’s anger: as the monkeys spoke, fear came.
स संविशद्भिर्बहुभिर्महीधरो महाद्रिकूटप्रतिमैः प्लवंगमैः । बभूव संनादितनिर्दरान्तरो भृशं नदद्भिर्जलदैरिवाम्बरम् ॥ २३ ॥
With many leapers lying down, like the peaks of great mountains, crying out loudly, the mountain had its ravines echoing, like the sky with thundering clouds.