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Kishkindha Kaanda - Sarga 21
In this Sarga, Hanumān seeks to console Tārā. He reminds her of the ways of the world that everyone has to reap the fruits of the seeds they have sown. He reminds her that it is time that dictates the turn of events. He reminds her that both Aṅgada and Sugreeva need her guidance and that she should direct Aṅgada to perform the last rites to the departed Vānara king.
He then suggests specifically that Aṅgada should be consecrated on the throne and that seeing him on the throne her spirits would become lighter. Tārā responds saying that such thoughts regarding Aṅgada should not be entertained, that she is not the one to decide what is next for Aṅgada and that Sugreeva should assume the responsibility for everything that should happen next. And, as for her, she says that her place is with her husband in this world or next.
4.21.1 ததோ நிபதிதாம் தாராம்
ச்யுதாம் தாராமிவாம்பராத் ।
ஸநைராஸ்வாஸயாமாஸ
ஹநுமாந்ஹரியூதப: ॥
tatō nipatitāṃ tārām
cyutāṃ tārāmivāmbarāt ।
ṡanairāṡvāsayāmāsa
hanumānhariyūthapaḥ ॥
As Tārā lay on the ground,
like a star slipped from heaven,
Hanumān, Commander of the ape forces,
consoled her in a gentle manner: The sequence of words that Hanumān speaks here is illustrative of how one should respond at the time of crises.
First, one should pull back from the immediate (painful) context and consider the big picture, in which the futility of everything would become self evident.
Second, one should think of the next step, as demanded by the moment.
Only then should one follow up with specific steps to follow, such as making a choice.
This three-step script would help anyone to navigate through difficult situations.
4.21.2 குணதோஷக்ருதம் ஜந்து:
ஸ்வகர்ம பலஹேதுகம் ।
அவ்யக்ரஸ்ததவாப்நோதி
ஸர்வம் ப்ரேத்ய ஸுபாஸுபம் ॥
guṇadōṣakṛtaṃ jantuḥ
svakarma phalahētukam ।
avyagrastadavāpnōti
sarvaṃ prētya ṡubhāṡubham ॥
Every creature, upon death,
reaps the good and bad results
of every good and bad deed it has done,
one for one, precisely.
4.21.3 ஸோச்யா ஸோசஸி கம் ஸோச்யம்
தீநம் தீநாऽநுகம்பஸே ।
கஸ்ய கோவாऽநுஸோச்யோऽஸ்தி
தேஹேऽஸ்மிந் புத்புதோபமே ॥
ṡōcyā ṡōcasi kaṃ ṡōcyam
dīnaṃ dīnā'nukampasē ।
kasya kōvā'nuṡōcyō'sti
dēhē'smin budbudōpamē ॥
Whom do you grieve for, when
your own condition calls for sympathy?
Who is miserable enough to call for your compassion
when you yourself are in misery?
With a mortal body (that can burst)
like a bubble (at any time), who is to pity whom?
4.21.4 அங்கதஸ்து குமாரோऽயம்
த்ரஷ்டவ்யோ ஜீவபுத்ரயா ।
ஆயத்யாம் ச விதேயாநி
ஸமர்தாந்யஸ்ய சிந்தய ॥
aṅgadastu kumārō'yam
draṣṭavyō jīvaputrayā ।
āyatyāṃ ca vidhēyāni
samarthānyasya cintaya ॥
Your son, Aṅgada, is well and alive.
You should think of his future and what he should do.
4.21.5 ஜாநாஸ்யநியதாமேவம்
பூதாநாமாகதிம் கதிம் ।
தஸ்மாச்சுபம் ஹி கர்தவ்யம்
பண்டிதேநைஹ லௌகிகம் ॥
jānāsyaniyatāmēvam
bhūtānāmāgatiṃ gatim ।
tasmācchubhaṃ hi kartavyam
paṇḍitēnaiha laukikam ॥
You know well how random the entry or exit
of creatures in this world is;
all that the wise should focus on is
to be pragmatic and do the best possible.
4.21.6 யஸ்மிந்ஹரிஸஹஸ்ராணி
ஸதாநி நியுதாநி ச ।
வர்தயந்தி க்ருதாம்ஸாநி
ஸோऽயம் திஷ்டாந்தமாகத: ॥
yasminharisahasrāṇi
ṡatāni niyutāni ca ।
vartayanti kṛtāṃṡāni
sō'yaṃ diṣṭāntamāgataḥ ॥
He, in whom hundreds of thousands of Vānaras
have kept their hopes, has met
with the end of his life now.
4.21.7 யதயம் ந்யாயத்ருஷ்டார்த:
ஸாமதாநக்ஷமாபர: ।
கதோ தர்மஜிதாம் பூமிம்
நைநம் ஸோசிதுமர்ஹஸி ॥
yadayaṃ nyāyadṛṣṭārthaḥ
sāmadānakṣamāparaḥ ।
gatō dharmajitāṃ bhūmim
nainaṃ ṡōcitumarhasi ॥
You shall not grieve over him
for he has gone to the worlds
that he has earned rightfully,
pursuing his goals in a just manner
and putting his faith in
conciliation, generosity and forbearance.
4.21.8 ஸர்வே ஹி ஹரிஸார்தூலா:
புத்ரஸ்சாயம் தவாங்கத: ।
ஹர்ய்ருக்ஷபதிராஜ்யம் ச
த்வத்ஸநாதமநிந்திதே ॥
sarvē hi hariṡārdūlāḥ
putraṡcāyaṃ tavāṅgadaḥ ।
haryṛkṣapatirājyaṃ ca
tvatsanāthamaninditē ॥
All the tigers among Vānaras and your son Aṅgada
and the kingdom of Vānaras and bears
look up to you as their lord, O blameless one!
4.21.9 தாவிமௌ ஸோகஸந்தப்தௌ
ஸநை: ப்ரேரய பாமிநி ।
த்வயா பரிக்ருஹீதோऽயம்
அங்கதஸ்ஸாஸ்து மேதிநீம் ॥
tāvimau ṡōkasantaptau
ṡanaiḥ prēraya bhāmini ।
tvayā parigṛhītō'yam
aṅgadaṡṡāstu mēdinīm ॥
O lady! May you gently prompt (into action)
these two (Aṅgada and Sugreeva) who are burned with grief!
May Aṅgada rule the earth under your care.
4.21.10 ஸந்ததிஸ்ச யதா த்ருஷ்டா
க்ருத்யம் யச்சாபி ஸாம்ப்ரதம் ।
ராஜ்ஞஸ்தத்க்ரியதாம் ஸர்வம்
ஏஷ காலஸ்ய நிஸ்சய: ॥
santatiṡca yathā dṛṣṭā
kṛtyaṃ yaccāpi sāmpratam ।
rājñastatkriyatāṃ sarvam
ēṣa kālasya niṡcayaḥ ॥
Everything is dictated by time.
Whatever is due to be performed to the king
by the offspring at this time, should be done.
4.21.11 ஸம்ஸ்கார்யோ ஹரிராஜஸ்ச
அங்கதஸ்சாபிஷிச்யதாம் ।
ஸிம்ஹாஸநகதம் புத்ரம்
பஸ்யந்தீ ஸாந்திமேஷ்யஸி ॥
saṃskāryō harirājaṡca
aṅgadaṡcābhiṣicyatām ।
siṃhāsanagataṃ putram
paṡyantī ṡāntimēṣyasi ॥
May the final rights be done to the Vānara King.
May Aṅgada be consecrated on the throne.
May your spirit be lightened
seeing your son on the throne.
4.21.12 ஸா தஸ்ய வசநம் ஸ்ருத்வா
பர்த்ருவ்யஸநபீடிதா ।
அப்ரவீதுத்தரம் தாரா
ஹநூமந்தமவஸ்திதம் ॥
sā tasya vacanaṃ ṡrutvā
bhartṛvyasanapīḍitā ।
abravīduttaraṃ tārā
hanūmantamavasthitam ॥
Hearing those words of Hanumān,
Tārā, suffering from the
grief of losing her husband,
responded to him in these words,
as he stood in her presence:
4.21.13 அங்கதப்ரதிரூபாணாம்
புத்ராணாமேகதஸ்ஸதம் ।
ஹதஸ்யாப்யஸ்ய வீரஸ்ய
காத்ரஸம்ஸ்லேஷணம் வரம் ॥
aṅgadapratirūpāṇām
putrāṇāmēkataṡṡatam ।
hatasyāpyasya vīrasya
gātrasaṃṡlēṣaṇaṃ varam ॥
There could be a hundred sons
like Aṅgada on the other side;
I prefer embracing the body of this
Veera, even with him being dead.
4.21.14 ந சாஹம் ஹரிராஜஸ்ய
ப்ரபவாம்யங்கதஸ்ய வா ।
பித்ருவ்யஸ்தஸ்ய ஸுக்ரீவ:
ஸர்வகார்யேஷ்வநந்தர: ॥
na cāhaṃ harirājasya
prabhavāmyaṅgadasya vā ।
pitṛvyastasya sugrīvaḥ
sarvakāryēṣvanantaraḥ ॥
I do not want to pretend that
I have no power over the Vānara kingdom or Aṅgada;
it is his uncle Sugreeva who should be
responsible for everything hereafter.
4.21.15 ந ஹ்யேஷாபுத்திராஸ்தேயா
ஹநூமந்நங்கதம் ப்ரதி ।
பிதா ஹி பந்து: புத்ரஸ்ய
ந மாதா ஹரிஸத்தம ॥
na hyēṣābuddhirāsthēyā
hanūmannaṅgadaṃ prati ।
pitā hi bandhuḥ putrasya
na mātā harisattama ॥
O Hanumān! You should not entertain
such ideas about Aṅgada; it is the father
that is the true friend of a son, not the mother.
4.21.16 ந ஹி மம ஹரிராஜஸம்ஸ்ரயாத்
க்ஷமதரமஸ்தி பரத்ர சேஹ வா ।
அபிமுகஹதவீரஸேவிதம்
ஸயநமிதம் மம ஸேவிதும் க்ஷமம் ॥
na hi mama harirājasaṃṡrayāt
kṣamataramasti paratra cēha vā ।
abhimukhahatavīrasēvitaṃ
ṡayanamidaṃ mama sēvituṃ kṣamam ॥
There is nothing better for me
than to take refuge in this king of Vānaras,
either in this world or the other.
The right thing for me is to take
recourse to this same bed that the
Veera has taken after facing the enemy.
இத்யார்ஷே வால்மீகீயே
ஸ்ரீமத்ராமாயணே ஆதிகாவ்யே
கிஷ்கிந்தாகாண்டே ஏகவிம்ஸஸ்ஸர்க: ॥
ityārṣē vālmīkīyē
ṡrīmadrāmāyaṇē ādikāvyē
kiṣkindhākāṇḍē ēkaviṃṡassargaḥ ॥
Thus concludes the twenty first Sarga
in Kishkindhā Kāṇḍa of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Maharshi Vālmeeki.
You have completed reading 9834 Ṡlōkas out of ~24,000 Ṡlōkas of Vālmeeki Rāmāyaṇa.
Meaning, notes and commentary by: Krishna Sharma.