Sundara Kanda · Sarga 63 of 68 · 33 verses
Sugriva Reads the Signs
Alarmed to see Dadhimukha at his feet, Sugriva raises him, promises him protection, and asks what has happened at Madhuvana. Dadhimukha complains: the grove, never given away by Riksharajas, by Vali or by Sugriva, has been eaten up by the monkeys; they ignored him and the guards, threw away what they did not eat, scowled when stopped, beat the guards with palms and knees, threw them into the sky, and are still devouring it all, while their master lives.
Lakshmana asks what the trouble is. Sugriva, skilled in speech, explains: Angada and the others have eaten the honey. They would never have dared such a thing if they had failed; since they have attacked the grove, they must have succeeded. Without doubt the queen has been found, and by none other than Hanuman: where Jambavan leads, Angada commands and Hanuman carries out the plan, there can be no failure. “Sita has been found, Saumitri; see for yourself how they are all drinking honey. They would never have raided the grove I gave my word to protect without having seen Vaidehi.”
Rama and Lakshmana are filled with joy. Sugriva tells Dadhimukha he is pleased: the raid by those who have done their task is to be forgiven. Let him go back, guard the grove, and send Hanuman and the others quickly; Sugriva and the two princes long to hear how Sita was found. Seeing the two princes glowing with joy, and feeling his own body thrill with the sense of success, the king of the monkeys rejoices beyond measure.
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ततो मूर्ध्ना निपतितं वानरं वानरर्षभः । दृष्ट्वैवोद्विग्नहृदयो वाक्यमेतदुवाच ह ॥ १ ॥
Then, seeing the monkey fallen at his feet with his head, the bull among monkeys, his heart alarmed, said this:
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Sugriva Reads the Signs 1 min read.
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उत्तिष्ठोत्तिष्ठ कस्मात् त्वं पादयोः पतितो मम । अभयं ते प्रदास्यामि सत्यमेवाभिधीयताम् ॥ २ ॥
“Get up, get up! Why have you fallen at my feet? I grant you safety; let only the truth be told.
किं सम्भ्रमाद्धितं कृत्स्नं ब्रूहि यद् वक्तुमर्हसि । कच्चिन्मधुवने स्वस्ति श्रोतुमिच्छामि वानर ॥ ३ ॥
“What has happened in your alarm? Tell me fully what you have to say. I hope all is well in Madhuvana; I want to hear, monkey.”
स समाश्वासितस्तेन सुग्रीवेण महात्मना । उत्थाय स महाप्राज्ञो वाक्यं दधिमुखोऽब्रवीत् ॥ ४ ॥
Reassured by great-souled Sugriva, the very wise Dadhimukha rose and said:
नैवर्क्षरजसा राजन् न त्वया न च वालिना । वनं निसृष्टपूर्वं ते नाशितं तत्तु वानरैः ॥ ५ ॥
“The grove, king, never before given over by Riksharajas, nor by you, nor by Vali, has been destroyed by the monkeys.
न्यवारयमहं सर्वान् सहैभिर्वनचारिभिः । अचिन्तयित्वा मां हृष्टा भक्षयन्ति पिबन्ति च ॥ ६ ॥
“I tried to stop them all, with these forest-dwellers; ignoring me, delighted, they eat and drink.
एभिः प्रधर्षणायां च वारितं वनपालकैः । मामप्यचिन्तयन् देव भक्षयन्ति वनौकसः ॥ ७ ॥
“When they assaulted it, they were stopped by these grove-guards; but ignoring even me, lord, the forest-dwellers go on eating.
शिष्टमत्रापविध्यन्ति भक्षयन्ति तथापरे । निवार्यमाणास्ते सर्वे भ्रुकुटिं दर्शयन्ति हि ॥ ८ ॥
“Some throw away what is left there, others eat; when they are stopped, they all show frowns.
इमे हि संरब्धतरास्तदा तैः सम्प्रधर्षिताः । निवार्यन्ते वनात् तस्मात् क्रुद्धैर्वानरपुङ्गवैः ॥ ९ ॥
“These guards, more enraged, were then assaulted by them, and driven out of that grove by the angry bulls among monkeys.
ततस्तैर्बहुभिर्वीरैर्वानरैर्वानरर्षभाः । संरक्तनयनैः क्रोधाद्धरयः सम्प्रधर्षिताः ॥ १० ॥
“Then, by those many heroic monkeys, their eyes red with anger, the monkeys were assaulted, bull among monkeys.
पाणिभिर्निहताः केचित् केचिज्जानुभिराहताः । प्रकृष्टाश्च तदा कामं देवमार्गं च दर्शिताः ॥ ११ ॥
“Some were struck with palms, some hit with knees, dragged about as they liked, and shown the path of the gods.
एवमेते हताः शूरास्त्वयि तिष्ठति भर्तरि । कृत्स्नं मधुवनं चैव प्रकामं तैश्च भक्ष्यते ॥ १२ ॥
“So these heroes have been beaten while you, their master, stand by; and the whole of Madhuvana is being eaten by them as they please.”
एवं विज्ञाप्यमानं तं सुग्रीवं वानरर्षभम् । अपृच्छत् तं महाप्राज्ञो लक्ष्मणः परवीरहा ॥ १३ ॥
While Sugriva, bull among monkeys, was being informed so, the very wise Lakshmana, slayer of enemy heroes, asked him:
किमयं वानरो राजन् वनपः प्रत्युपस्थितः । किं चार्थमभिनिर्दिश्य दुःखितो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ १४ ॥
“Why has this monkey, the guard of the grove, come to you, king? And what matter did he point to, speaking so distressed?”
एवमुक्तस्तु सुग्रीवो लक्ष्मणेन महात्मना । लक्ष्मणं प्रत्युवाचेदं वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदः ॥ १५ ॥
Spoken to so by great-souled Lakshmana, Sugriva, skilled in speech, answered Lakshmana:
आर्य लक्ष्मण सम्प्राह वीरो दधिमुखः कपिः । अङ्गदप्रमुखैर्वीरैर्भक्षितं मधु वानरैः ॥ १६ ॥
“Noble Lakshmana, the heroic monkey Dadhimukha says that the honey has been eaten by the heroic monkeys led by Angada.
नैषामकृतकार्याणामीदृशः स्याद् व्यतिक्रमः । वनं यदभिपन्नास्ते साधितं कर्म तद् ध्रुवम् ॥ १७ ॥
“Such a transgression would not happen if they had not done their task. Since they have attacked the grove, that task has surely been accomplished.
वारयन्तो भृशं प्राप्ताः पाला जानुभिराहताः । तथा न गणितश्चायं कपिर्दधिमुखो बली ॥ १८ ॥
“The guards who tried hard to stop them were struck with knees, and this mighty monkey Dadhimukha was disregarded.
पतिर्मम वनस्यायमस्माभिः स्थापितः स्वयम् । दृष्टा देवी न संदेहो न चान्येन हनूमता ॥ १९ ॥
“He is the lord of my grove, appointed by us ourselves. The queen has been seen, no doubt of it, and by no one else but Hanuman.
न ह्यन्यः साधने हेतुः कर्मणोऽस्य हनूमतः । कार्यसिद्धिर्हनुमति मतिश्च हरिपुङ्गवे ॥ २० ॥
“For no one else but Hanuman is the means of accomplishing this task. In Hanuman, bull among monkeys, are success and intelligence,
व्यवसायश्च वीर्यं च श्रुतं चापि प्रतिष्ठितम् । जाम्बवान् यत्र नेता स्यादङ्गदश्च महाबलः ॥ २१ ॥
“resolve and valour and learning, firmly established. Where Jambavan would be the leader, and mighty Angada,
हनूमांश्चाप्यधिष्ठाता न तत्र गतिरन्यथा । अङ्गदप्रमुखैर्वीरैर्हतं मधुवनं किल ॥ २२ ॥
“and Hanuman the one in charge, there could be no other outcome. The heroes led by Angada have, it seems, destroyed Madhuvana:
विचित्य दक्षिणामाशामागतैर्हरिपुङ्गवैः । आगतैश्चाप्रधृष्यं तद्धतं मधुवनं हि तैः ॥ २३ ॥
“the bulls among monkeys, coming back after searching the southern quarter, have come and destroyed that unassailable Madhuvana.
धर्षितं च वनं कृत्स्नमुपयुक्तं तु वानरैः । पातिता वनपालास्ते तदा जानुभिराहताः ॥ २४ ॥
“The whole grove was assaulted and enjoyed by the monkeys, and those grove-guards were thrown down, struck with knees.
एतदर्थमयं प्राप्तो वक्तुं मधुरवागिह । नाम्ना दधिमुखो नाम हरिः प्रख्यातविक्रमः ॥ २५ ॥
“For this reason he has come here to tell it, this sweet-spoken monkey named Dadhimukha, of famous valour.
दृष्टा सीता महाबाहो सौमित्रे पश्य तत्त्वतः । अभिगम्य यथा सर्वे पिबन्ति मधु वानराः ॥ २६ ॥
“Sita has been seen, mighty-armed Saumitri; see it truly: how the monkeys have all come and are drinking honey.
न चाप्यदृष्ट्वा वैदेहीं विश्रुताः पुरुषर्षभ । वनं दत्तवरं दिव्यं धर्षयेयुर्वनौकसः ॥ २७ ॥
“Without having seen Vaidehi, bull among men, the famous forest-dwellers would never assault the heavenly grove that I gave my word to guard.”
ततः प्रहृष्टो धर्मात्मा लक्ष्मणः सहराघवः । श्रुत्वा कर्णसुखां वाणीं सुग्रीववदनाच्च्युताम् ॥ २८ ॥
Then righteous Lakshmana, with Raghava, was delighted, hearing the words pleasant to the ear that came from Sugriva’s mouth.
प्राहृष्यत भृशं रामो लक्ष्मणश्च महायशाः । श्रुत्वा दधिमुखस्यैवं सुग्रीवस्तु प्रहृष्य च ॥ २९ ॥
Rama rejoiced greatly, and greatly glorious Lakshmana. And Sugriva, delighted at hearing Dadhimukha,
वनपालं पुनर्वाक्यं सुग्रीवः प्रत्यभाषत । प्रीतोऽस्मि सोऽहं यद्भुक्तं वनं तैः कृतकर्मभिः ॥ ३० ॥
Sugriva replied again to the grove-guard: “I am pleased that the grove was eaten by those who have done their task.
धर्षितं मर्षणीयं च चेष्टितं कृतकर्मणाम् । गच्छ शीघ्रं मधुवनं संरक्षस्व त्वमेव हि । शीघ्रं प्रेषय सर्वांस्तान् हनूमत्प्रमुखान् कपीन् ॥ ३१ ॥
“The assault and the conduct of those who have done their task must be forgiven. Go quickly to Madhuvana and guard it yourself; and quickly send all those monkeys led by Hanuman.
इच्छामि शीघ्रं हनुमत्प्रधानान्- शाखामृगांस्तान् मृगराजदर्पान् । प्रष्टुं कृतार्थान् सह राघवाभ्यां श्रोतुं च सीताधिगमे प्रयत्नम् ॥ ३२ ॥
“I want, with the two Raghavas, to question quickly those forest monkeys led by Hanuman, proud as lions, their aim achieved, and to hear of their effort in finding Sita.”
प्रीतिस्फीताक्षौ सम्प्रहृष्टौ कुमारौ दृष्ट्वा सिद्धार्थौ वानराणां च राजा । अङ्गैः प्रहृष्टैः कार्यसिद्धिं विदित्वा बाह्वोरासन्नामतिमात्रं ननन्द ॥ ३३ ॥
Seeing the two princes with eyes wide with joy, delighted, their purpose achieved, and knowing the task accomplished from his thrilling limbs, the king of the monkeys rejoiced beyond measure, close to their arms.