Kishkindha Kanda, Sarga 33

Meaning

Requested by Aṅgada on the latter’s coming back from the presence of Sugrīva, Lakṣmaṇa, the destroyer of hostile warriors, duly entered the delightful cave comprising the city of Kiṣkindhā as per the command of Śrī Rāma. (1)

Meaning

The monkeys that kept watch at the main gate of the city, who were gigantic of body and possessed of extraordinary might, all stood with folded hands on beholding Lakṣmaṇa. (2)

Meaning

The monkeys for their part were alarmed to see the aforesaid son of King Daśaratha snorting in anger, and did not encompass him as he entered the gate to escort him.(3)

Meaning

The glorious Lakṣmaṇa beheld the aforesaid magnificent, delightful and extensive cave abounding in precious stones and full of precious things and containing groves laden with blossom, which was thickly set with mansions as well as with palaces and temples, was illumined with jewels of every description and adorned with trees in blossom bearing fruits that yielded all one’s desires, which was graced with monkeys of pleasing looks, sprung from the loins of gods and Gandharvas (celestial musicians), capable of assuming any form at will, and wearing celestial garlands and raiment, which was rendered fragrant with the odour of sandalwood, aloewood and lotuses, nay, whose highways were scented with the fragrance of wines of various kinds and which was adorned with many-storeyed palaces looking like the Vindhya and Meru mountains in height. Lakṣmaṇa, a scion of Raghu, also saw there mountain-streams free from mud. (4—8)

Meaning

Lakṣmaṇa also surveyed the lovely abode of Aṅgada as well as the foremost abodes of the following high-souled leaders of monkeys, viz., Mainda and Dwivida, Gavaya, Gavākṣa, Gaja, Śarabha, Vidyunmāli, Sampāti, Sūryākṣa, Hanūmān, Vīrabāhu and Subāhu as also of the high-souled Nala, nay, those of Kumuda and Suṣeṇa, Tāra and Jāmbavān, Dadhivaktra, Nīla, Supāṭala and Sunetra, which stood on the highway and were very strong, nay, which shone like white clouds, were scented with fragrant substances and adorned with wreaths of flowers, full of abundant riches and plentiful foodgrains and graced with excellent women. (9—13)

Meaning

There was the lovely abode of Sugrīva, the king of monkeys, which was indeed difficult to reach and was enclosed by a white mountain of crystal, and vied with the palace of the mighty Indra. (14)

Meaning

It was graced with white pinnacles looking like the peaks of Mount Kailāsa as well as with trees in blossom bearing fruits that yielded all one’s desires, and was further adorned with graceful trees, pleasing to the mind, which had been gifted by the mighty Indra, and resembled dark clouds, which bore celestial blossoms and fruit and cast a cool shade. (15-16)

Meaning

The palace, which was white in colour, had its gates guarded by mighty monkeys bearing weapons in their hands, was covered with heavenly wreaths and had arched doorways of refined gold. (17)

Meaning

Not being checked by anyone, Lakṣmaṇa, son of Sumitrā, who was possessed of extraordinary might, duly entered the lovely palace of Sugrīva even as the sun would penetrate into a big cloud. (18)

Meaning

Having crossed seven enclosures, which were filled with conveyances and couches etc., Lakṣmaṇa, whose mind was set on virtue, beheld the extensive gynaeceum, guarded with very great care. (19)

Meaning

It was adequately furnished at proper places with numerous gold and silver couches and excellent seats overspread with costly coverlets. (20)

Meaning

The moment he entered the gynaeceum he constantly heard a sweet melody dominated by songs sung to the accompaniment of Vina, in which words and letters were being articulated in harmony with time. (21)

Meaning

Lakṣmaṇa, who was possessed of extraordinary might, also saw in the palace of Sugrīva numerous ladies of different shapes, proud of their comeliness and youth. (22)

Meaning

Seeing those women there, who were rich in pedigree, were adorned with wreaths made of flowers and busy knitting excellent garlands and were decked with the best of ornaments, Lakṣmaṇa also perceived Sugrīva’s attendants, who were never unsated, never without zeal in service to their Master and never without excellent ornaments. (23-24)

Meaning

The glorious Lakṣmaṇa (son of Sumitrā) now felt abashed because of his pious vow to shun the presence of others’ wives to hear at close quarters the jingling of their anklets and the tinkling of the ornaments worn round their waist. (25)

Meaning

Highly excited through vehemence of rage to hear the jingling of ornaments, the heroic prince, Lakṣmaṇa, twanged the string of his bow, filling all the four quarters with the aforesaid sound. (26)

Meaning

Restrained from entering Sugrīva’s private apartments by his high moral sense, the said Lakṣmaṇa, who was distinguished by his mighty arms, stood receding to a lonely corner, possessed as he was with anger on Śrī Rāma’s account whose cause had till then been totally and woefully neglected by Sugrīva. (27)

Meaning

Alarmed to know for certain the arrival of Lakṣmaṇa from the aforesaid twanging of his bow, the said Sugrīva, the suzerain lord of monkeys, forthwith stirred from his excellent seat. (28)

Meaning

He said to himself: ‘As was already announced to me by Prince Aṅgada, here has Lakṣmaṇa (son of Sumitrā), who is so fond of his eldest brother, most evidently arrived.’ (29)

Meaning

Duly informed by Aṅgada as well as by the twang of the bowstring of Lakṣmaṇa, Sugrīva, the monkey chief, came to know of Lakṣmaṇa having arrived at his very door and his mouth got parched through fear.(30)

Meaning

Thereupon Sugrīva, the foremost of monkeys, calmly gave the following friendly admonition to Tārā of pleasing looks, though his mind was puzzled through fear : (31)

Meaning

“What may be the cause, I wonder, for anger, O lady with charming eyebrows, actuated by which this younger brother of Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, who is soft-hearted by nature, has arrived as though full of anger? (32)

Meaning

“Do you know the occasion for the prince’s anger, O irreproachable lady? Surely Lakṣmaṇa, a jewel among men, would not give way to anger without rhyme or reason. (33)

Meaning

“If you are aware of anything having been done by us, which is not to his liking, let it be made known to me without the least delay after divining it by your insight at once. (34)

Meaning

“Or you ought personally to see him, O charming lady, and should pacify him with words of conciliation. (35)

Meaning

“On seeing you, Lakṣmaṇa, who is endowed with an utterly pure mind, will never be angry; for magnanimous souls never practice harshness in relation to ladies. (36)

Meaning

“When he is approached by you with mild words, and his senses and mind are soothed, then only I shall see Lakṣmaṇa (the tamer of his foes), whose eyes resemble the petals of a lotus.” (37)

Meaning

The celebrated Tārā, whose eyes were rolling through intoxication, nay, who was endowed with auspicious marks on her body, sought tottering the presence of Lakṣmaṇa, the gold string of her girdle hanging loose and her slender frame bent low through feminine modesty. (38)

Meaning

The high-souled Prince Lakṣmaṇa stood unconcernedly without noticing her bodily charms, his face turned downwards, the moment he descried Tārā (the wife of the lord of monkeys), his anger having completely vanished due to his proximity to a woman. (39)

Meaning

Her bashfulness having gone as a result of her being drunk with wine as well as due to the kindness in the prince’s look, Tārā addressed to Lakṣmaṇa the following submission, which was fearless through amity, full of great significance and couched in highly conciliatory words : (40)

Meaning

“What is the root of your anger, O Prince? Who does not obey your verbal command? Who dares to approach recklessly a forest-fire rushing towards a thicket consisting of dried trees?” (41)

Meaning

Rid of all misgiving on hearing her submission, which was prefaced with words of conciliation and in which the purport was expressed in the most endearing terms, the celebrated Lakṣmaṇa replied as follows: (42)

Meaning

“Intent upon the gratification of his senses, this husband of yours has lost sight of the acquisition of religious merit and wordly riches, O lady charged with the duty of looking after the interests of your husband ! Why don’t you admonish him? (43)

Meaning

“He does not bestow his thought on the affairs of the state nor does he think of us, who are given over to grief. Alongwith his ministers and entourage he pursues pleasures alone, O Tārā ! (44)

Meaning

“Having fixed four months as the limit for inactivity before starting the operations relating to the search for Sītā, Sugrīva, the lord of monkeys, who remains heavily drunk with wine and is busy enjoying himself, is not aware that those four months have already passed. (45)

Meaning

“Drinking to this extent is not spoken highly of for those who are endeavouring to acquire religious merit and earthly riches. Worldly prosperity and enjoyment and religious merit too are lost through drinking. (46)

Meaning

“Serious loss of religious merit is undoubtedly incurred in the first instance by him who fails to requite a service rendered to him: while grave injury to one’s mundane interests follows on the loss of friendship of a virtuous friend. (47)

Meaning

“Indeed a friend is, on the one hand, foremost in the virtue of promoting the interests of a friend; while, on the other, he is devoted to truthfulness and virtue. Really speaking, both the aforesaid virtues have been neglected by your husband; in any case, no steadfastness to the path of virtue is seen in him. (48)

Meaning

“Therefore, O lady ! knowing the true nature of duty, you ought to point out to us that duty which should be performed by us next in the existing circumstances for achieving the purpose lying before us.” (49)

Meaning

Hearing the reply of Lakṣmaṇa, which contained his conclusion about virtue and earthly prosperity and which revealed his sweet disposition, Tārā addressed to him once more the following rejoinder, which showed her faith in the success of the cause of Śrī Rāma, the ruler of human beings, the implications of which were known to her : (50)

Meaning

“This is not the time for resentment, O prince ! Nor should displeasure be shown to a friend. You ought to put up even with the negligence on the part of Sugrīva, who seeks to accomplish your purpose, O gallant prince ! (51)

Meaning

“How can a man who is pre-eminent in point of virtues, O prince, really ventilate his anger against one of inferior strength? What man of your category, who is kept in check by his goodness and is a mine of sobriety would give way to anger? (52)

Meaning

“I know the reason for the displeasure of Śrī Rāma, the befriender of the monkey hero, Sugrīva; I know also the cause of delay that has taken place in his work. I also know the service which was rendered to us by you and which was upto you alone and I also know what ought to be done in this connection by us in return for your services. (53)

Meaning

“I also know how irresistible is the force of carnal desire, O jewel among men ! I also know on whom his attachment stands fastened through love and further know Sugrīva to be unattached to everything else at this moment. (54)

Meaning

“As you have fallen under the sway of wrath, you have evidently no idea about one who is dominated by passion. To say nothing of a beast, a man who is full of passion for the gratification of his senses does not, really speaking, reckon time and place any more than he takes account of his worldly interests and religious merit. (55)

Meaning

“Therefore, O slayer of hostile warriors, pardon that protector of the Vānara race, who is a brother to you, being a friend of your elder brother, nay, who is given to the gratification of his senses and was, therefore, at my side just now and has totally shaken off all sense of decorum possessed as he is with lust. (56)

Meaning

“Even eminent sages, who attract others by their piety and asceticism and have kept infatuation at a distance, sometimes hanker after sense-gratification. How, then, will Sugrīva, a monkey, who is fickle by nature, and who is a king to boot, not get addicted to pleasures?” (57)

Meaning

Having addressed the foregoing reply, which was full of great significance, to Lakṣmaṇa, who was immeasurable in prowess, Tārā, who belonged to the race of monkeys and whose eyes were rolling through drunkeness, once more made the following submission, conducive to the good of her husband, Sugrīva in a doleful voice : (58)

Meaning

“Endeavour for accomplishing your purpose has, really speaking, long since been enjoined by Sugrīva, O jewel among men, even though he is a slave to passion. (59)

Meaning

“As a result of this lakhs and crores of monkeys possessed of extraordinary valour and capable of assuming any form at will and dwelling on different mountains have actually arrived. (60)

Meaning

“Therefore, come in, O mighty-armed prince; chastity has been maintained by you in not intruding into the presence of women in our private apartments but by remaining outside. To look on others’ ladies with a friendly eye, rather than with lustful eyes, is not sinful in the eyes of the virtuous.” (61)

Meaning

Invited in the first instance by Tārā and further impelled by hurry to carry out the behest of his elder brother, the mighty-armed Lakṣmaṇa (the tamer of his foes) duly entered the inner apartments. (62)

Meaning

Thereupon he beheld seated on an excellent couch of gold with a costly cover, and surrounded by young women adorned with celestial jewels and garlands, the illustrious Sugrīva, blazing like the sun and endowed with a godlike form, nay, wearing heavenly garlands and raiment and difficult to conquer like the mighty Indra, his limbs appearing wonderful with heavenly ornaments. Seeing this Lakṣmaṇa got enraged all the more, and with bloodshot eyes, looked dreadful like the god of death. (63—65)

Meaning

Seated on the excellent couch (referred to in the foregoing lines), closely embracing Rumā, the large-eyed heroic Sugrīva, for his part, who possessed the hue of excellent gold, saw the large-eyed Lakṣmaṇa (son of Sumitrā), who had a powerful mind. (66)