Sundara Kanda · Sarga 62 of 68 · 38 verses
Dadhimukha Goes to Sugriva
Hanuman tells the monkeys to drink their honey without worry; he will keep off anyone who interferes. Angada agrees: “Let them drink. A word from Hanuman, who has done the task, must be obeyed even if it were wrong, let alone something like this.” The monkeys cheer and pour into the grove like a river into a tree, beat the guards, and drink honey by the bucketful, hugging the combs in their arms. They throw wax at each other, sleep on beds of leaves, stagger, shriek, coo, and talk nonsense.
The beaten guards, dragged on their knees and “shown the path of the gods” (thrown into the air), run to Dadhimukha: Hanuman’s companions have wrecked the grove. Angry, Dadhimukha leads them back with a great tree in his hands. They attack with rocks and trees, but Hanuman and the others rush at them, and Angada, blind with drink, seizes Dadhimukha, his own great-uncle, and grinds him into the ground without pity. Released at last, bleeding and bruised, Dadhimukha calls his guards aside: let us go to our master Sugriva, who is with Rama, and tell him everything Angada has done. This grove is his ancestral treasure; he will have these honey-thieves punished with death. In a moment they fly to Sugriva, and Dadhimukha, his face downcast, his palms joined above his head, presses his head to Sugriva’s feet.
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तानुवाच हरिश्रेष्ठो हनूमान् वानरर्षभः । अव्यग्रमनसो यूयं मधु सेवत वानराः ॥ १ ॥
Hanuman, best of monkeys, bull among monkeys, said to them: “Enjoy the honey with untroubled minds, monkeys.
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Dadhimukha Goes to Sugriva 1 min read.
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अहमावर्जयिष्यामि युष्माकं परिपन्थिनः । श्रुत्वा हनूमतो वाक्यं हरीणां प्रवरोऽङ्गदः ॥ २ ॥
“I will keep off those who stand in your way.” Hearing Hanuman’s words, Angada, the chief of the monkeys,
प्रत्युवाच प्रसन्नात्मा पिबन्तु हरयो मधु । अवश्यं कृतकार्यस्य वाक्यं हनुमतो मया ॥ ३ ॥
answered, his mind content: “Let the monkeys drink honey. A word from Hanuman, who has accomplished the task, must be done by me
अकार्यमपि कर्तव्यं किमङ्गं पुनरीदृशम् । अङ्गदस्य मुखाच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं वानरर्षभाः ॥ ४ ॥
“even if it were wrong, let alone something like this.” Hearing these words from Angada’s mouth, the bulls among monkeys,
साधु साध्विति संहृष्टा वानराः प्रत्यपूजयन् । पूजयित्वाङ्गदं सर्वे वानरा वानरर्षभम् ॥ ५ ॥
delighted, applauded: “Well done! Well done!” Having honoured Angada, the bull among monkeys, all the monkeys
जग्मुर्मधुवनं यत्र नदीवेग इव द्रुमम् । ते प्रविष्टा मधुवनं पालानाक्रम्य शक्तितः ॥ ६ ॥
went into Madhuvana like the rush of a river into a tree. Entering Madhuvana, overpowering the guards by force,
अतिसर्गाच्च पटवो दृष्ट्वा श्रुत्वा च मैथिलीम् । पपुः सर्वे मधु तदा रसवत् फलमाददुः ॥ ७ ॥
bold because of the permission, and having seen and heard of Maithili, they all drank the honey then and took the juicy fruit.
उत्पत्य च ततः सर्वे वनपालान् समागतान् । ते ताडयन्तः शतशः सक्ता मधुवने तदा ॥ ८ ॥
Then, leaping up, they all beat the gathered grove-guards by the hundred, absorbed in Madhuvana.
मधूनि द्रोणमात्राणि बाहुभिः परिगृह्य ते । पिबन्ति कपयः केचित् सङ्घशस्तत्र हृष्टवत् ॥ ९ ॥
Holding honey by the bucketful in their arms, some monkeys drank there in bands, delighted.
घ्नन्ति स्म सहिताः सर्वे भक्षयन्ति तथापरे । केचित् पीत्वापविध्यन्ति मधूनि मधुपिङ्गलाः ॥ १० ॥
All together they struck the guards, others ate; some honey-coloured ones, having drunk, threw the honey away.
मधूच्छिष्टेन केचिच्च जघ्नुरन्योन्यमुत्कटाः । अपरे वृक्षमूलेषु शाखा गृह्य व्यवस्थिताः ॥ ११ ॥
Some, wild, beat one another with the honeycomb wax; others stood at the foot of trees holding branches;
अत्यर्थं च मदग्लानाः पर्णान्यास्तीर्य शेरते । उन्मत्तवेगाः प्लवगा मधुमत्ताश्च हृष्टवत् ॥ १२ ॥
and some, utterly overcome with drink, spread leaves and lay down. Wild in their onrush, drunk with honey, delighted,
क्षिपन्त्यपि तथान्योन्यं स्खलन्ति च तथापरे । केचित् क्ष्वेडान् प्रकुर्वन्ति केचित् कूजन्ति हृष्टवत् ॥ १३ ॥
they throw things at one another, others stumble; some shriek, some coo with delight.
हरयो मधुना मत्ताः केचित् सुप्ता महीतले । धृष्टाः केचिद्धसन्त्यन्ये केचित् कुर्वन्ति चेतरत् ॥ १४ ॥
Some monkeys, drunk with honey, are asleep on the ground; some, bold, laugh; others do the opposite.
कृत्वा केचिद् वदन्त्यन्ये केचिद् बुध्यन्ति चेतरत् । येऽप्यत्र मधुपालाः स्युः प्रेष्या दधिमुखस्य तु ॥ १५ ॥
Some, having done something, say another; some understand the opposite. And those who were the honey-guards, Dadhimukha’s servants,
तेऽपि तैर्वानरैर्भीमैः प्रतिषिद्धा दिशो गताः । जानुभिश्च प्रघृष्टाश्च देवमार्गं च दर्शिताः ॥ १६ ॥
were driven off by those terrible monkeys and fled in all directions, scraped along on their knees and shown the path of the gods.
अब्रुवन् परमोद्विग्ना गत्वा दधिमुखं वचः । हनूमता दत्तवरैर्हतं मधुवनं बलात् । वयं च जानुभिर्घृष्टा देवमार्गं च दर्शिताः ॥ १७ ॥
Greatly distressed, they went to Dadhimukha and said: “Madhuvana has been destroyed by force by those given leave by Hanuman, and we have been scraped on our knees and shown the path of the gods.”
तदा दधिमुखः क्रुद्धो वनपस्तत्र वानरः । हतं मधुवनं श्रुत्वा सान्त्वयामास तान् हरीन् ॥ १८ ॥
Then Dadhimukha, the monkey guardian of the grove there, angry, hearing that Madhuvana had been destroyed, calmed those monkeys:
एतागच्छत गच्छामो वानरानतिदर्पितान् । बलेनावारयिष्यामि प्रभुञ्जानान् मधूत्तमम् ॥ १९ ॥
“Come here, come; let us go to those over-proud monkeys. I will stop them by force as they enjoy the finest honey.”
श्रुत्वा दधिमुखस्येदं वचनं वानरर्षभाः । पुनर्वीरा मधुवनं तेनैव सहिता ययुः ॥ २० ॥
Hearing these words of Dadhimukha, the heroic bulls among monkeys went back to Madhuvana with him.
मध्ये चैषां दधिमुखः सुप्रगृह्य महातरुम् । समभ्यधावन् वेगेन सर्वे ते च प्लवंगमाः ॥ २१ ॥
In the middle of them, Dadhimukha, firmly grasping a great tree, rushed with speed, and all those monkeys too.
ते शिलाः पादपांश्चैव पाषाणानपि वानराः । गृहीत्वाभ्यागमन् क्रुद्धा यत्र ते कपिकुञ्जराः ॥ २२ ॥
Taking rocks, trees and stones, the monkeys went angrily to where those elephants among monkeys were.
बलान्निवारयन्तश्च आसेदुर्हरयो हरीन् । संदष्टौष्ठपुटाः क्रुद्धा भर्त्सयन्तो मुहुर्मुहुः ॥ २३ ॥
Trying to hold them back by force, the monkeys reached the monkeys, biting their lips in anger, threatening again and again.
अथ दृष्ट्वा दधिमुखं क्रुद्धं वानरपुङ्गवाः । अभ्यधावन्त वेगेन हनुमत्प्रमुखास्तदा ॥ २४ ॥
Then, seeing Dadhimukha angry, the bulls among monkeys led by Hanuman rushed at him with speed.
सवृक्षं तं महाबाहुमापतन्तं महाबलम् । वेगवन्तं विजग्राह बाहुभ्यां कुपितोऽङ्गदः ॥ २५ ॥
As that mighty-armed, mighty, swift one came on with his tree, angry Angada seized him with both arms.
मदान्धो न कृपां चक्रे आर्यकोऽयं ममेति सः । अथैनं निष्पिपेषाशु वेगेन वसुधातले ॥ २६ ॥
Blind with drink, he felt no pity, though “this is my elder”; then he swiftly ground him into the earth with force.
स भग्नबाहूरुमुखो विह्वलः शोणितोक्षितः । प्रमुमोह महावीरो मुहूर्तं कपिकुञ्जरः ॥ २७ ॥
His arms, thighs and face broken, overwhelmed, smeared with blood, the great hero, elephant among monkeys, fainted for a moment.
स कथंचिद् विमुक्तस्तैर्वानरैर्वानरर्षभः । उवाचैकान्तमागत्य स्वान् भृत्यान् समुपागतान् ॥ २८ ॥
Somehow freed by those monkeys, the bull among monkeys came to a lonely place and said to his own servants gathered there:
एतागच्छत गच्छामो भर्ता नो यत्र वानरः । सुग्रीवो विपुलग्रीवः सह रामेण तिष्ठति ॥ २९ ॥
“Come here, come; let us go to where our master, the monkey Sugriva, broad-necked, is staying with Rama.
सर्वं चैवाङ्गदे दोषं श्रावयिष्याम पार्थिवे । अमर्षी वचनं श्रुत्वा घातयिष्यति वानरान् ॥ ३० ॥
“We will tell the king all of Angada’s offence; hearing it, he will be enraged and have the monkeys killed.
इष्टं मधुवनं ह्येतत् सुग्रीवस्य महात्मनः । पितृपैतामहं दिव्यं देवैरपि दुरासदम् ॥ ३१ ॥
“For this Madhuvana is dear to great-souled Sugriva, inherited from his father and grandfather, heavenly, hard to approach even for gods.
स वानरानिमान् सर्वान् मधुलुब्धान् गतायुषः । घातयिष्यति दण्डेन सुग्रीवः ससुहृज्जनान् ॥ ३२ ॥
“Sugriva will have all these monkeys, greedy for honey, their lives over, killed by punishment, with their friends.
वध्या ह्येते दुरात्मानो नृपाज्ञापरिपन्थिनः । अमर्षप्रभवो रोषः सफलो मे भविष्यति ॥ ३३ ॥
“These evil-souled ones, who oppose the king’s command, deserve death. My rage, born of indignation, will bear fruit.”
एवमुक्त्वा दधिमुखो वनपालान् महाबलः । जगाम सहसोत्पत्य वनपालैः समन्वितः ॥ ३४ ॥
Having said this to the grove-guards, mighty Dadhimukha suddenly flew up and went, accompanied by the grove-guards.
निमेषान्तरमात्रेण स हि प्राप्तो वनालयः । सहस्रांशुसुतो धीमान् सुग्रीवो यत्र वानरः ॥ ३५ ॥
In no more than the twinkling of an eye the forest-dweller reached where wise Sugriva, son of the thousand-rayed sun, was.
रामं च लक्ष्मणं चैव दृष्ट्वा सुग्रीवमेव च । समप्रतिष्ठां जगतीमाकाशान्निपपात ह ॥ ३६ ॥
Seeing Rama and Lakshmana and Sugriva too, he came down from the sky onto the level ground.
स निपत्य महावीरः सर्वैस्तैः परिवारितः । हरिर्दधिमुखः पालैः पालानां परमेश्वरः ॥ ३७ ॥
Having come down, the great hero, surrounded by all those guards, the monkey Dadhimukha, the supreme lord of the guards,
स दीनवदनो भूत्वा कृत्वा शिरसि चाञ्जलिम् । सुग्रीवस्याशु तौ मूर्ध्ना चरणौ प्रत्यपीडयत् ॥ ३८ ॥
with a downcast face, putting his joined palms on his head, quickly pressed his head to Sugriva’s two feet.