Kishkindha Kanda · Sarga 8 of 67 · 46 verses
Sugriva Opens His Heart
Delighted and satisfied by those words, Sugriva says to the heroic elder brother of Lakshmana: “Surely I am favoured by the gods, since a friend like you, endowed with virtues, has come to me. With you as my helper, sinless Rama, one could win even the kingdom of the gods, let alone one’s own kingdom, lord. I am to be honoured by my kin and friends, Raghava, since I have won a friend born in the Raghu line, with fire as witness. You will come to know, little by little, that I too am a friend worthy of you; I cannot speak of the virtues within myself. The love of great souls like you, self-possessed, best of the self-controlled, is unshakeable, and so is their courage. Silver or gold, or fine ornaments: the good regard them as not divided among good friends. Rich or poor, unhappy or happy, faultless or faulty, a friend is the highest refuge. Giving up wealth, giving up comfort, even giving up one’s country: people do these for a friend’s sake, when they see such love.” “That is so,” says Rama to kind-speaking Sugriva, in front of Lakshmana, wise, with beauty like Vasava’s. Then, seeing Rama and mighty Lakshmana standing, Sugriva casts his eye about the forest and sees nearby a sala tree in good flower, with some leaves, adorned with bees. Breaking off one very lovely branch thick with leaves, he spreads it for Rama and sits down with Raghava; and Hanuman, seeing them seated, tears off a sala branch and seats the modest Lakshmana. With Rama sitting at ease, calm as a tranquil ocean, on that best of mountains strewn with sala flowers, Sugriva, delighted, speaks to him with affection, in smooth, auspicious words, his syllables tumbling with joy: “Cheated by my brother, I wander this best of mountains, Rishyamuka, afflicted by fear, my wife taken, deeply sorrowful. Terrified, sunk in fear, my mind bewildered in the forest, cheated by my brother Valin and made his enemy, Raghava, I am stricken with fear of Valin. You who free the whole world from fear, please show favour to me too, who have no protector.”
Spoken to so, the splendid Kakutstha, knowing dharma, devoted to dharma, replies to Sugriva as if smiling: “A friend’s fruit is help; harm is the mark of an enemy. This very day I will kill that one who carried off your wife. These feathered arrows of mine, fortunate one, of sharp splendour, born in Karttikeya’s reed forest, adorned with gold, fletched with heron feathers, like great Indra’s thunderbolts, with fine joints and very sharp points, like angry snakes: see your enemy named Valin, the brother who has wronged you, struck down by arrows like a scattered mountain.” Hearing Raghava, Sugriva, lord of an army, feels incomparable joy and says, “Good, good! Rama, I am overcome by grief, and you are the refuge of the grief-stricken. Taking you as my friend, I pour out my laments to you. By giving your hand, you have been made my friend with fire as witness, dearer than my life; I swear it by truth. Taking you as my friend, I speak with confidence: the sorrow inside me always carries off my mind.” Having said this much, his eyes clouded with tears, his voice choked, he cannot speak aloud. In Rama’s presence Sugriva holds back with courage the sudden rush of tears, like a river’s flood. Restraining his tears and wiping his lovely eyes, sighing, the splendid one speaks again to Raghava: “Long ago, Rama, Valin, the stronger, threw me down from my own kingdom, made me hear harsh words and drove me out. He took my wife, who is dearer than life, and those who were my friends he put in chains. That wicked one tries to destroy me, Raghava; many monkeys sent by him I have killed. With this suspicion, seeing you too, Raghava, I did not come near you in fear; in fear, everyone fears. These, led by Hanuman, are my only helpers; because of them I keep my life now, though in hardship. These loving monkeys guard me on every side; they go with me where I must go and always stay when I stay. This is it in brief, Rama; why tell you at length? My enemy is my elder brother Valin, famed for his manhood. With his destruction my sorrow would be wiped away at once; my happiness and my very life depend on his destruction. This, Rama, is the end of my grief, told by one stricken with grief. Unhappy or happy, a friend is always a friend’s refuge.” Hearing this, Rama says to Sugriva: “For what reason did the enmity arise? I want to hear it truly. Hearing at ease the cause of your enmity, monkey, I will act at once, after weighing strength and weakness. My anger grows strong, hearing that you have been dishonoured, rising and shaking my heart like the force of water in the rains. Tell me gladly and with confidence while I string my bow; my arrow is as good as loosed and your enemy as good as felled.” Spoken to so by great-souled Kakutstha, Sugriva, with his four monkeys, feels incomparable joy. Then, his face bright with joy, Sugriva begins to tell Lakshmana’s elder brother the true cause of the enmity.
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परितुष्टस्तु सुग्रीवस्तेन वाक्येन हर्षितः । लक्ष्मणस्याग्रजं शूरमिदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Fully satisfied, delighted by those words, Sugriva spoke these words to the heroic elder brother of Lakshmana:
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सर्वथाहमनुग्राह्यो देवतानां न संशयः । उपपन्नो गुणोपेतः सखा यस्य भवान् मम ॥ २ ॥
“I am in every way to be favoured by the gods; there is no doubt, since you, endowed with virtues, have come as my friend.
शक्यं खलु भवेद् राम सहायेन त्वयानघ । सुरराज्यमपि प्राप्तुं स्वराज्यं किमुत प्रभो ॥ ३ ॥
“Surely, Rama, with you as helper, sinless one, it would be possible to win even the kingdom of the gods, how much more one’s own kingdom, lord.
सोऽहं सभाज्यो बन्धूनां सुहृदां चैव राघव । यस्याग्निसाक्षिकं मित्रं लब्धं राघववंशजम् ॥ ४ ॥
“I am to be honoured by kinsmen and friends, Raghava, since a friend born of the Raghava line has been won by me, with fire as witness.
अहमप्यनुरूपस्ते वयस्यो ज्ञास्यसे शनैः । न तु वक्तुं समर्थोऽहं त्वयि आत्मगतान् गुणान् ॥ ५ ॥
“You will come to know, slowly, that I too am a friend fit for you. But I cannot speak of the virtues within myself to you.
महात्मनां तु भूयिष्ठं त्वद्विधानां कृतात्मनाम् । निश्चला भवति प्रीतिर्धैर्यमात्मवतां वर ॥ ६ ॥
“The love of great souls like you, of perfected self, is for the most part unshakeable, and their courage, best of the self-possessed.
रजतं वा सुवर्णं वा शुभान्याभरणानि च । अविभक्तानि साधूनामवगच्छन्ति साधवः ॥ ७ ॥
“Silver or gold, and fine ornaments: the good regard them as undivided among the good.
आढ्योवापि दरिद्रो वा दुःखितः सुखितोऽपि वा । निर्दोषश्च सदोषश्च वयस्यः परमा गतिः ॥ ८ ॥
“Rich or poor, unhappy or happy, faultless or faulty, a friend is the highest refuge.
धनत्यागः सुखत्यागो देशत्यागोऽपि वानघ । वयस्यार्थे प्रवर्तन्ते स्नेहं दृष्ट्वा तथाविधम् ॥ ९ ॥
“Giving up wealth, giving up comfort, even giving up one’s country, sinless one: these are undertaken for a friend’s sake, seeing love of that kind.”
तत् तथेत्यब्रवीद् रामः सुग्रीवं प्रियवादिनम् । लक्ष्मणस्याग्रतो लक्ष्म्या वासवस्येव धीमतः ॥ १० ॥
“That is so,” said Rama to kind-speaking Sugriva, in front of Lakshmana, the wise one, with beauty like Vasava’s.
ततो रामं स्थितं दृष्ट्वा लक्ष्मणं च महाबलम् । सुग्रीवः सर्वतश्चक्षुर्वने लोलमपातयत् ॥ ११ ॥
Then, seeing Rama standing, and very mighty Lakshmana, Sugriva cast his roving eye all round the forest.
स ददर्श ततः सालमविदूरे हरीश्वरः । सुपुष्पमीषत्पत्राढ्यं भ्रमरैरुपशोभितम् ॥ १२ ॥
Then the lord of monkeys saw a sala nearby, in good flower, with some leaves, adorned with bees.
तस्यैकां पर्णबहुलां शाखां भङ्क्त्वा सुशोभिताम् । रामस्यास्तीर्य सुग्रीवो निषसाद सराघवः ॥ १३ ॥
Breaking off one branch of it, thick with leaves, very lovely, spreading it for Rama, Sugriva sat down with Raghava.
तावासीनौ ततो दृष्ट्वा हनूमानपि लक्ष्मणम् । शालशाखां समुत्पाट्य विनीतमुपवेशयत् ॥ १४ ॥
Then, seeing the two seated, Hanuman too, tearing off a sala branch, seated the modest Lakshmana.
सुखोपविष्टं रामं तु प्रसन्नमुदधिं यथा । सालपुष्पावसंकीर्णे तस्मिन् गिरिवरोत्तमे ॥ १५ ॥
Rama seated at ease, like a calm ocean, on that most excellent of mountains strewn with sala flowers,
ततः प्रहृष्टः सुग्रीवः श्लक्ष्णया शुभया गिरा । उवाच प्रणयाद् रामं हर्षव्याकुलिताक्षरम् ॥ १६ ॥
then Sugriva, delighted, with smooth, auspicious speech, spoke out of affection to Rama, his syllables confused with joy:
अहं विनिकृतो भ्रात्रा चराम्येष भयार्दितः । ऋष्यमूकं गिरिवरं हृतभार्यः सुदुःखितः ॥ १७ ॥
“Cheated by my brother, I wander, afflicted by fear, this best of mountains Rishyamuka, my wife carried off, very sorrowful.
सोऽहं त्रस्तो भये मग्नो वने सम्भ्रान्तचेतनः । वालिना निकृतो भ्रात्रा कृतवैरश्च राघव ॥ १८ ॥
“I, terrified, sunk in fear, my mind bewildered in the forest, cheated by my brother Valin and made an enemy, Raghava,
वालिनो मे भयार्तस्य सर्वलोकाभयंकर । ममापि त्वमनाथस्य प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ १९ ॥
“stricken with fear of Valin, you who make the whole world fearless, please show favour to me too, without a protector.”
एवमुक्तस्तु तेजस्वी धर्मज्ञो धर्मवत्सलः । प्रत्युवाच स काकुत्स्थः सुग्रीवं प्रहसन्निव ॥ २० ॥
Spoken to so, that splendid one, knowing dharma, devoted to dharma, Kakutstha, replied to Sugriva as if smiling:
उपकारफलं मित्रमपकारोऽरिलक्षणम् । अद्यैव तं वधिष्यामि तव भार्यापहारिणम् ॥ २१ ॥
“A friend has help as its fruit; harm is the mark of an enemy. This very day I will kill that carrier-off of your wife.
इमे हि मे महाभाग पत्रिणस्तिग्मतेजसः । कार्तिकेयवनोद्भूताः शरा हेमविभूषिताः ॥ २२ ॥
“For these feathered arrows of mine, fortunate one, of sharp splendour, born in Karttikeya’s forest, adorned with gold,
कङ्कपत्रपरिच्छन्ना महेन्द्राशनिसंनिभाः । सुपर्वाणः सुतीक्ष्णाग्राः सरोषा भुजगा इव ॥ २३ ॥
“covered with heron feathers, like great Indra’s thunderbolts, well-jointed, very sharp-pointed, like angry snakes:
वालिसंज्ञममित्रं ते भ्रातरं कृतकिल्बिषम् । शरैर्विनिहतं पश्य विकीर्णमिव पर्वतम् ॥ २४ ॥
“see your enemy named Valin, the brother who has done wrong, struck down by arrows, like a scattered mountain.”
राघवस्य वचः श्रुत्वा सुग्रीवो वाहिनीपतिः । प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे साधु साध्विति चाब्रवीत् ॥ २५ ॥
Hearing Raghava’s words, Sugriva, lord of an army, felt incomparable joy and said, “Good, good!
राम शोकाभिभूतोऽहं शोकार्तानां भवान् गतिः । वयस्य इति कृत्वा हि त्वय्यहं परिदेवये ॥ २६ ॥
“Rama, I am overcome by grief; you are the refuge of the grief-stricken. Taking you as a friend, I lament to you.
त्वं हि पाणिप्रदानेन वयस्यो मेऽग्निसाक्षिकम् । कृतः प्राणैर्बहुमतः सत्येन च शपाम्यहम् ॥ २७ ॥
“For by giving your hand you have been made my friend, with fire as witness, highly prized, more than my life; and I swear by truth.
वयस्य इति कृत्वा च विस्रब्धः प्रवदाम्यहम् । दुःखमन्तर्गतं तन्मे मनो हरति नित्यशः ॥ २८ ॥
“And taking you as a friend, I speak with confidence: that sorrow within me carries off my mind always.”
एतावदुक्त्वा वचनं बाष्पदूषितलोचनः । बाष्पदूषितया वाचा नोच्चैः शक्नोति भाषितुम् ॥ २९ ॥
Having said these words so far, his eyes clouded with tears, with a voice spoiled by tears, he could not speak aloud.
बाष्पवेगं तु सहसा नदीवेगमिवागतम् । धारयामास धैर्येण सुग्रीवो रामसंनिधौ ॥ ३० ॥
But Sugriva held back with courage, in Rama’s presence, the rush of tears that came suddenly like the rush of a river.
स निगृह्य तु तं बाष्पं प्रमृज्य नयने शुभे । विनिःश्वस्य च तेजस्वी राघवं पुनरूचिवान् ॥ ३१ ॥
Restraining those tears and wiping his lovely eyes, and sighing, the splendid one spoke again to Raghava:
पुराहं वालिना राम राज्यात् स्वादवरोपितः । परुषाणि च संश्राव्य निर्धूतोऽस्मि बलीयसा ॥ ३२ ॥
“Long ago, Rama, I was thrown down from my own kingdom by Valin; and having made me hear harsh words, the stronger one drove me out.
हृता भार्या च मे तेन प्राणेभ्योऽपि गरीयसी । सुहृदश्च मदीया ये संयता बन्धनेषु ते ॥ ३३ ॥
“And my wife, weightier to me than life, was taken by him, and those who were my friends were bound in fetters.
यत्नवांश्च स दुष्टात्मा मद्विनाशाय राघव । बहुशस्तप्रयुक्ताश्च वानरा निहता मया ॥ ३४ ॥
“And that wicked one is making efforts for my destruction, Raghava; and many monkeys sent by him have been killed by me.
शङ्कया त्वेतयाहं च दृष्ट्वा त्वामपि राघव । नोपसर्पाम्यहं भीतो भये सर्वे हि बिभ्यति ॥ ३५ ॥
“With this suspicion, seeing even you, Raghava, I did not approach, being afraid; for in fear all are afraid.
केवलं हि सहाया मे हनुमत्प्रमुखास्त्विमे । अतोऽहं धारयाम्यद्य प्राणान् कृच्छ्रगतोऽपि सन् ॥ ३६ ॥
“These, with Hanuman at their head, are my only helpers. So I keep my life today, though fallen into hardship.
एते हि कपयः स्निग्धा मां रक्षन्ति समन्ततः । सह गच्छन्ति गन्तव्ये नित्यं तिष्ठन्ति चास्थिते ॥ ३७ ॥
“For these loving monkeys guard me on every side; they go with me where I must go and always stay when I stay.
संक्षेपस्त्वेष मे राम किमुक्त्वा विस्तरं हि ते । स मे ज्येष्ठो रिपुर्भ्राता वाली विश्रुतपौरुषः ॥ ३८ ॥
“This is the summary of mine, Rama; why tell you at length? He is my eldest brother and enemy, Valin, famed for his manhood.
तद्विनाशेऽपि मे दुःखं प्रमृष्टं स्यादनन्तरम् । सुखं मे जीवितं चैव तद्विनाशनिबन्धनम् ॥ ३९ ॥
“With his destruction my sorrow would be wiped away immediately; my happiness and my life depend on his destruction.
एष मे राम शोकान्तः शोकार्तेन निवेदितः । दुःखितः सुखितो वापि सख्युर्नित्यं सखा गतिः ॥ ४० ॥
“This, Rama, is the end of my grief, made known by one stricken with grief. Unhappy or happy, a friend is always a friend’s refuge.”
श्रुत्वैतच्च वचो रामः सुग्रीवमिदमब्रवीत् । किं निमित्तमभूद् वैरं श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वतः ॥ ४१ ॥
Hearing these words, Rama said this to Sugriva: “For what reason did the enmity arise? I wish to hear it truly.
सुखं हि कारणं श्रुत्वा वैरस्य तव वानर । आनन्तर्याद् विधास्यामि सम्प्रधार्य बलाबलम् ॥ ४२ ॥
“Having heard at ease the cause of your enmity, monkey, I will act immediately, having weighed strength and weakness.
बलवान् हि ममामर्षः श्रुत्वा त्वामवमानितम् । वर्धते हृदयोत्कम्पी प्रावृड्वेग इवाम्भसः ॥ ४३ ॥
“For my indignation is strong, hearing that you have been dishonoured; it grows, shaking my heart, like the force of water in the rains.
हृष्टः कथय विस्रब्धो यावदारोप्यते धनुः । सृष्टश्च हि मया बाणो निरस्तश्च रिपुस्तव ॥ ४४ ॥
“Delighted, confident, tell me while the bow is being strung; for the arrow is loosed by me, and your enemy struck down.”
एवमुक्तस्तु सुग्रीवः काकुत्स्थेन महात्मना । प्रहर्षमतुलं लेभे चतुर्भिः सह वानरैः ॥ ४५ ॥
Spoken to so by great-souled Kakutstha, Sugriva, with his four monkeys, felt incomparable joy.
ततः प्रहृष्टवदनः सुग्रीवो लक्ष्मणाग्रजे । वैरस्य कारणं तत्त्वमाख्यातुमुपचक्रमे ॥ ४६ ॥
Then Sugriva, his face delighted, began to tell Lakshmana’s elder brother the true cause of the enmity.