Chapter [Sarga] 34

Book IV : Kishkindha Kanda - The Holy Empire of Monkeys

Chapter [Sarga] 34

Introduction

Lakshmana enters the interior of Sugreeva's chamber. Sugreeva finding him there is alarmed and approaches him in all his humbleness. Then Lakshmana chastens Sugreeva with harsh words and cautions him to face the wrath of the arrows of Rama.

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tam apratihatam kruddham praviSTam puruSarSabham |
sugriivo lakSmaNam dR^iSTvaa babhuuva vyathita indriyaH || 4-34-1

1. sugriivaH= Sugreeva; a+prati+hatam= unimpededly; praviSTam= he who entered; kruddham= infuriated one; puruSar Sabham= illustrious one; tam lakSmaNam dR^iSTvaa= him, Lakshmana, on seeing; vyathita indriyaH= with agitated, senses; babhuuva= became.

On seeing the illustrious Lakshmana who entered unimpededly and infuriately, Sugreeva became one with agitated senses. [4-34-1]

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kruddham niHshvasamaanam tam pradiiptam iva tejasaa |
bhraatur vyasana sa.ntaptam dR^iSTvaa dasharatha aatmajam || 4-34-2
ut.hpapaata harishreSTho hitvaa sauvarNam aasanam |
mahaan mahendrasya yathaa svala.nkR^ita iva dhvajaH || 4-34-3

2. kruddham niHshvasamaanam= one who is - exasperated, exhaling [heavily]; tejasaa pra diiptam iva= by flare, verily, fiery [firestorm,] as with; bhraatuH vyasana santaptam= in brother's [Rama's,] anguish, searing with; tam dasharatha aatmajam= at him, Dasharatha's, son; dR^iSTvaa= having seen; harishreSThaH= monkey, the best - Sugreeva; sauvarNam aasanam hitvaa= golden, seat, discarding; mahendrasya= Mahendra's; svalankR^ita mahaan dhvajaH iva= highly decorated, lofty, flagstaff, like; ut papaata= hopped up, got down - tottered.

On seeing Lakshmana, the son of Dasharatha, who is exasperated and exhaling heavily, and who searing in the anguish of his brother is flaring up like a firestorm, Sugreeva hopped up from his golden seat and tottered like the highly decorated flagstaff of Indra, which will be wobbly before it is thrown to ground after the ritual. [4-34-2, 3]

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utpata.ntam anuutpetuu rumaa prabhR^itayaH striyaH |
sugriivam gagane puurNam ca.ndram taaraa gaNaa iva || 4-34-4

4. rumaa prabhR^itayaH striyaH= Ruma, et al, females; ut patantam= up, falling - jumping up; sugriivam= with Sugreeva; gagane puurNam candram== in sky, with full, moon; taaraa gaNaa iva= stars, cluster, as with; anu utpetuu= following, jumped up.

While Sugreeva is jumping up stumblingly, stumbled with him are Ruma and the other females in tow, who are so far clinging to him, like the clusters of stars that spring up on the emergence of full moon in sky. [4-34-4]

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sa.nrakta nayanaH shriimaan sa.mcacaara kR^itaa.njaliH |
babhuuva avasthitaH tatra kalpa vR^ikSo mahaan iva || 4-34-5

5. sam rakta nayanaH shriimaan= bloodshot, eyed, fortunate [Sugreeva]; kR^ita anjaliH= making, palms-adjoined; samcacaara [sam ca caara]= verily, flurried towards [Lakshmana]; mahaan kalpa vR^ikSaH iva= lofty, wish-fulfilling, tree, as with; tatra avasthitaH babhuuva= there, remained standing, he became.

That fortunate Sugreeva whose eyes are bloodshot with drinking flurried towards Lakshmana adjoining palms in supplication, and became standstill at his nearby, like a lofty kalpa vriksha wish-fulfilling tree. [4-34-5]

This kalpa vR^iksha is a mythological tree that fulfils any expectation of its devotee and it fetches from pin to elephant, if sought in earnest. There is another of this kind called kaama dhenu 'wish-fulfilling cow' which does the same function for which many mythological wars were waged. This attribute, all-endower, is sometimes given to Lakshmana in this verse, but here Sugreeva is the giver and Lakshmana is the taker, so this belongs to Sugreeva now.

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rumaa dvitiiyam sugriivam naarii madhya gatam sthitam |
abraviit lakSmaNaH kruddhaH sa taaram shashinam yathaa || 4-34-6

6. sa taaram= with, stars; shashinam yathaa= moon, as with; rumaa dvitiiyam= Ruma, as second one - at side; naarii madhya gatam= females, amid, one who is; sthitam= staying; sugriivam= to Sugreeva; kruddhaH lakSmaNaH abraviit= infuriated, Lakshmana, spoke.

Infuriate Lakshmana spoke to Sugreeva who like the star clustered moon is standing with his wife Ruma at his side amid other vanara females. [4-34-6]

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sattva abhijana sa.mpannaH sa anukrosho jitendriyaH |
kR^itaj~naH satya vaadii ca raajaa loke mahiiyate || 4-34-7

7. sattva= having force dynamic; abhi jana sampannaH= having close, people [best troopers, or best lineage,] abounding with; sa anukroshaH= with, sympathy; jita indriyaH= with conquered, senses; kR^ita j~naH= faithful one; satya vaadii ca= truth, advocate of, also; such a; raajaa= king; loke mahiiyate= in world, thrives.

"One who is dynamic, abounding with best troopers, sympathetic, senses conquered, a faithful one and an advocate of truth, he alone thrives as a king in the world. [4-34-7]

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yastu raajaa sthito adharme mitraaNaam upakaariNaam |
mithyaa pratij~naam kurute ko nR^isha.msa taraH tataH || 4-34-8

8. yaH raajaa tu= which, king, but; a +dharme sthitaH= in dishonesty, abiding; [yaH sthitaH raajaa tu a dharme sthitaH= he who, is enthroned, as king, but, anchored himself, to dishonesty]; upakaariNaam mitraaNaam= to helpful, friends; mithyaa pratij~naam kurute= fake, assurance, makes; tataH= than him; nR^ishamsa taraH= ruthless, higher in degree - more than; kaH= who is there.

"He who is enthroned as a king but anchored himself to dishonesty and makes fake assurances to helpful friends, who can be more ruthless than him? [4-34-8]

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shatam ashva anR^ite hanti sahasram tu gava anR^ite |
aatmaanam sva janam hanti puruSaH puruSa anR^ite || 4-34-9

9. puruSaH= a person; ashva a + nR^ite= horse, un, truth - becomes untruthful in respect of a horse, and its donation; shatam hanti= hundred, killing; gava anR^ite= cows, in belying; sahasram= a thousand - in the case of belied hope of donating a cow he is killing a thousand; puruSa anR^ite= a man, in belying - in the case of belying to a man to help; aatmaanam sva janam hanti= himself, own, people [kith and kin,] he kills.

"A person gets attached to the sin of killing of a hundred of his manes, deified souls of his own ancestors, if he promises to gift one horse but fails to do so, and in promising to gift one cow but failing in it he gets the sin of killing a thousand manes, and if he promises to a person to do the needful help and fails in rendering that help, then he gets the sin of suicide along with the sin of killing his own kith and kin. [4-34-9]

The above verse will be generally translated as 'A person gets attached to the sin of killing of a hundred horses if he promises to gift one horse but fails to do so, and in promising to gift one cow but failing in it he gets the sin of killing a thousand cows, and if he belies to a person to do the needful help, he then gets the sin of killing himself along with his own kith and kin...' But, it is not the sin of killing hundred horses or thousand cows, but it the sin of killing those many numbers of killer's manes, the deified souls of one's own dead ancestors. This is as per Manu dharma and it is detailed in Dharmaakuutam as: atra aþva viÿaye an®tam vakt˜ sva p¨rva puruÿ˜õ˜m þatam hanti - svarg˜t pracyavya narakam tiryak yonim v˜ pr˜payati - gava an®te sahasram sva p¨rva puruÿ˜m tath˜ karoti - puruÿa viÿaye an®te sa b˜ndhava× svayam eva narakam tiryak yoni v˜ pr˜pnoti iti uktam - - m˜nave - - y˜vato b˜ndhav˜n asmin hanti s˜kÿe an®tam vadan - - panca paþva an®tam hanti daþa hanti gava an®te - - dk and he goes on quoting Prahlaada and Dudhanva discussion in Maha Bharata, Udyoga parva. Killing the already dead souls is lesser sin than the killing of living beings and committing suicide.

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puurvam kR^itaartho mitraaNaam na tat prati karoti yaH |
kR^itaghnaH sarva bhuutaanaam sa vadhyaH plavageshvara || 4-34-10

10. plavageshvara= oh, monkey's, king; puurvam= earlier; kR^ita arthaH= fulfilled, purposes - whose purposes are fulfilled; yaH= he who is; mitraaNaam= to friends; tat= for that - for that helpful deed; na prati karoti= not, in return, does - will not requite; kR^itaghnaH= such a - unfaithful - treacherous one; saH= he is; sarva bhuutaanaam= for all, beings; vadhyaH= killable.

"He who gets his means fulfilled earlier through his friends but does not requite them, oh, king of monkeys, such a treacherous one is eliminable for all beings. [4-34-10]

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giito ayam brahmaNaa shlokaH sarva loka namaskR^itaH |
dR^iSTvaa kR^itaghnam kruddhena tam nibodha plavamgama || 4-34-11

11. plavamgama= oh, fly-jumper; kR^itaghnam dR^iSTvaa= perfidious one, on observing; sarva loka namaskR^itaH= by all, worlds, reverenced; kruddhena brahmaNaa= ireful, by Brahma; ayam shlokaH= this, verse; giitaH= sung - declared; tam nibodha= that, you be informed.

"On seeing such perfidious soul, oh, fly-jumper, Brahma irefully declared this verse which is reverenced by all the worlds, you too may know it. [4-34-11]

Here Brahma may either be the Four-faced creator of worlds or His brainchild Svayambhu Manu who constructed the manu dharma shaastra 'the moral and social code for humans.'

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go ghne ca eva suraape ca caure bhagna vrate tathaa |
niSkR^itir vihitaa sadbhiH kR^itaghne na asti niSkR^itiH || 4-34-12

12. go ghne= in respect of - cow, slayers; suraape ca eva= liquor-drinkers, also, thus; caure= for thieves; tathaa= likewise; bhagna vrate= infringers, of solemnity; sadbhiH niSkR^itiH vihitaa= by savants, atonement, ordained; kR^ita ghne niSkR^itiH na asti= for treacherous one, atonement, not, available.

" 'The savants have ordained atonement for slayers of cows, for drinkers of liquors, thus for thieves and infringers of solemnity, but no atonement is available to a treacherous person. [4-34-12]

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anaarya tvam kR^itaghnaH ca mithyaa vaadii ca vaanara |
puurvam kR^itaartho raamasya na tat pratikaroSi yat || 4-34-13

13. vaanara= oh, vanara; puurvam kR^ita arthaH= firstly, fulfilled are, your means; tvam= you; yat= by which reason; raamasya na pratikaroSi= for Rama, not, reciprocating; tat= thereby; an + aarya= you are - un, cultured; kR^itaghnaH ca= unfriendly; mithyaa vaadii ca= illusive, of you word, also.

"Oh, Vanara, firstly you have got your purpose fulfilled and by that reason you are not reciprocating help to Rama, thereby you are an uncultured and unfriendly one, and illusive is your word of honour. [4-34-13]

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nanu naama kR^itaarthena tvayaa raamasya vaanara |
siitaayaa maargaNe yatnaH kartavyaH kR^itam icChataa || 4-34-14

14. vaanara= oh, Vanara; kR^itaarthena [tvayaa] achieved means, [by you]; raamasya kR^itam= by Rama, done [kaaryam= favour]; icChataa= wishing [to fulfil]; tvayaa= such as you are, by you; siitaayaaH maargaNe= Seetha, in quest of; yatnaH= endeavour; nanu naama kartavyaH= is it not, I wonder, doable - duty.

"Oh, Vanara, you achieved your means through Rama, and Rama is wishing for his endeavour through you, and I wonder whether the search for Seetha is not your duty? [4-34-14]

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sa tvam graamyeSu bhogeSu sakto mithyaa pratishravaH |
na tvaam raamo vijaaniite sarpam maNDuuka raaviNam || 4-34-15

15. mithyaa pratishravaH= one who made - illusive, promise; saH tvam= such as you are; graamyeSu bhogeSu saktaH= in churlish, pleasures, conjugated - basking in; raamaH= Rama; tvaam= you; maNDuuka raaviNam sarpam= with frog's, sounding - croaking, as a serpent; na vijaaniite= not, realized.

"An illusive promisor basking in churlish pleasures, such as you are, Rama has not realised that you are a serpent with the croaking of a frog. [4-34-15]

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mahaabhaagena raameNa paapaH karuNa vedinaa |
hariiNaam praapito raajyam tvam duraatmaa mahaatmanaa || 4-34-16

16. mahaa bhaagena= highly, prudent; maha aatmanaa= from noble-souled one; karuNa vedinaa= compassion, knower of [compassionate Rama]; raameNa= by Rama; paapaH= sinner [Sugreeva]; dur aatmaa= evil-souled one; such a your are; tvam= you; hariiNaam raajyam praapitaH= monkey's, kingdom, made as gained - you got kingdom indirectly.

"By the highly prudent and compassionate Rama, you the sinner got the kingdom of monkeys, and it is a gain of an evil-soul from a noble-soul. [4-34-16]

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kR^itam cet na abhijaaniiSe raaghavasya mahaatmanaH |
sadyaH tvam nishitair baaNair hato drakSyasi vaalinam || 4-34-17

17. tvam= you; mahaatmanaH raaghavasya kR^itam= by the noble-souled one, by Raghava, what is done; na abhijaaniiSe yadi cet= not, you recognise, if; sadyaH== instantly; nishitaiH baaNaiH hataH= with incisive, arrows, when killed; vaalinam drakSyasi= Vali, you will see.

"If you do not recognise what the noble-souled Raghava has done to you, you will be instantly killed with incisive arrows enabling you to see Vali. [4-34-17]

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na ca sa.nkucitaH panthaa yena vaalii hato gataH |
samaye tiSTha sugriiva maa vaali patham anvagaaH || 4-34-18

18. sugriiva= oh, Sugreeva; samaye tiSTha= by commitment, you abide; hataH vaalii= killed, Vali; yena= by which - path; gataH= has gone; that; pamthaaH= that path; na sa samkucitaH= not, that path, tapered off; vaali patham maa anvagaaH= Vali's, path, do not, follow.

"Oh, Sugreeva, abide by your commitment. The path by which slain Vali has gone that path is not tapered off, as such do not tread Vali's path. [4-34-18]

This verse is the same as the one at 4-30-81 in Rama's words and Lakshmana is reproducing the same.

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na nuunam ikSvaaku varasya kaarmukaat
sharaan ca taan pashyasi vajra sa.nnibhaan |
tataH sukham naama viSevase sukhii
na raama kaaryam manasaa api avekSase || 4-34-19

19. nuunam= definitely; ikSvaaku varasya= Ikshvaku dynasty, best one from; kaarmukaat= from bow; vajra sannibhaan= Thunderbolt, similar; taan sharaan ca= them, arrows, even; na pashyasi= not, you see; tataH= thereby; sukhii= joyously; sukham vi Sevase [ni Sevase] naama= luxuries, you are enjoying, probably; manasaa api= at heart, even; raama kaaryam= about Rama's, mission; na avekSase= not, envisaging - giving a thought to it.

"Definitely you are not envisaging the Thunderbolt similar arrows from the bow of the best one from Ikshvaku dynasty, Rama, thereby you are enjoying luxuries joyously without giving a thought to Rama's mission even at your heart. [4-34-19]

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye kiSkindha kaaNDe catur tri.mshaH sargaH

Thus, this is the 34th chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.