रामोप्यनंतरमनिश्चयाद्वालिनं नाहनत्
Rama, due to uncertainty, did not slay Vali immediately.
अथ सुग्रीवः पलायितो राममिदमभाषत
Then Sugriva, having fled, spoke this to Rama.
तव चित्तमविज्ञाय प्रवृत्तोऽहमरणाय
'Without knowing your intention, I engaged in battle.'
रामोपि युवयोर्विशेषाज्ञानान्मया तूष्णीं भूतं चिह्नितं त्वा निरीक्ष्यतं हन्मि
Rama said, 'Because I could not distinguish between you two, I remained silent; mark yourself, and I will observe and slay him.'
अथ सुग्रीवश्चिह्नं कृत्वा वालिनं युद्धायाहूय समतिष्ठत
Then Sugriva, marking himself, challenged Vali to battle and stood ready.
तारा बभाषे वालिनम्
Tara spoke to Vali.
सहायवानिव लक्ष्यते सुग्रीवो नोचेदेवं नाह्वयति ज्ञातं मया रामलक्ष्मणौ दशरथतनयौ नारायणांशौ भूभारावतरणाय समागतौ तावस्य सहायभूतौ
'Sugriva appears to have an ally; otherwise, he would not challenge you. I know that Rama and Lakshmana, sons of Dasharatha, portions of Narayana, have come to relieve the burden of the earth. They are his allies.'
वाल्युवाच- नीतिमान्राम इति मया श्रुतः । नहि बलवंतं विहाय दुर्बलं भजते तादृशः समायातु वा रामः प्रतिपन्नमधिकं कृत्वा बिभेति वीरो यदि रामः स्वयं युद्धाय यातस्तदा युद्धं कर्तव्यमित्याभाष्य तारां संभाव्य सुग्रीवयुद्धाय निर्य्यातः
Vali said, 'I have heard that Rama is righteous. Such a person does not abandon the strong to side with the weak. If Rama himself has come for battle, then battle must be undertaken.' Having said this, he reassured Tara and went out to fight Sugriva.
अथ मुष्टियुद्धमन्योन्यमभूत्
Then a fist-fight occurred between them.
रामोऽपि वालिनं जघान
Rama slew Vali.
पपात च वाल्याह चाशस्त्रयुद्धे वा बाणघातोऽथ शोणितसर्वांगो बभूव
He fell, and Vāli was struck in battle by the arrow; then his whole body became covered with blood.
अथ तारा चांगदश्च समागत्य व्यथितौ बभूवतुः
Then Tāra and Aṅgada came together and were overcome with grief.
अथ राघवं वानराः समायाता वाल्युपांते निपेतूरुरुदुश्च
Then the monkeys approached Rāghava and, at Vāli’s side, fell down and wailed loudly.
अथ तारा रामं बभाषे शास्त्रकुशलाः शूरा धार्मिका राघवाः पुरा चापि राम कथं पापमकार्षीः
Then Tāra spoke to Rāma: 'O Rāghava, skilled in the scriptures, heroic and righteous, how did you, Rāma, commit this sinful act, even though you are such?
न क्षत्रधर्म्मं जानीषे राजगणसेवितम्
You do not know the duty of a warrior, honored by assemblies of kings.
अन्योन्यं युद्ध्यतोर्युद्धे जयो वा मरणं भवेत् । अन्यो यदितयोर्हन्याद्ब्रह्महा स निगद्यते
When two fight each other in battle, victory or death may result; but if one kills the other by treachery, he is called a slayer of a Brāhmaṇa.
किं वैरेण वालिनमाहनः किं वानरमांसाशया
Why did you strike Vāli out of enmity? Was it for the desire of monkey flesh?
अभोज्यं वानरं मांसं यद्यात्मनोऽप्रियात्सुखाभावादपरेषामपि तथाभावं मन्यसे अहो विमोहाद्यदिमामादातुमिदं कृतमेकपत्नीव्रतं तव
Monkey flesh is unfit for eating, for it brings neither pleasure nor happiness to oneself, nor to others; if you think otherwise, alas, what delusion! For the sake of taking this, you have broken your vow of one wife.
यदि रावणहृतां सीतामानेतुं सुग्रीवसहायाय कृतमेवमेव हा महदंतरं बलवृद्धेन महाबलेन वालिना सद्भावेन दिनकरावर्तितांतरे सीतामानेतुं समर्थेन स्मरणागतरावणदानमर्थेन वानरराजेन पंचाशत्परार्द्धवानरभल्लूकसेनावता आत्मकार्येण सिद्ध्यत इति किं सुग्रीवेणाल्पवी-र्येण सप्तपरार्द्धसेनापतिना कपिना किं सिद्ध्यति कार्यं वचनवतः
If this was done to bring back Sītā, who was abducted by Rāvaṇa, with the help of Sugrīva—then, alas, what a great difference! Vāli, mighty and noble, with the brilliance of the sun, was capable of bringing back Sītā, remembering the gift of Rāvaṇa. With his army of fifty trillion monkeys and bears, the monkey king could have accomplished this task himself. What could be achieved by Sugrīva, of little strength, with his army of only seven trillion monkeys? What success could come from following his words?
अहो ज्ञातं सर्वदेव भद्रं यदुक्तोसि
Ah, all this is known, O blessed one, as you have said.
वक्ति च रामः पृथिवीपतिना मया दुष्टनिग्रहणं कार्यं शिष्टपरिपालनं च वालिना सुग्रीवमहिषी रुमापहृता राज्यं च अतश्च न तादृग्वधे दोषः
And Rāma says: 'It is my duty as a ruler of the earth to punish the wicked and protect the virtuous. Sugrīva’s wife Rumā was taken by Vāli, and his kingdom too; therefore, there is no fault in slaying one such as him.'
तारोवाच- सुग्रीवोऽपि तर्हि वध्यो दुंदुभिना युद्ध्यता वालिना बिलेप्रविष्टेन वत्सरं तत्रोषितं तदंतरे च मामपहृत्य राज्यं च कृतं सुग्रीवेण तं पूर्वमपि पश्चात्तं हंतु
Tāra said: 'Then Sugrīva too should be slain, for when Vāli fought with Dundubhi and entered the cave for a year, during that time Sugrīva took my hand and seized the kingdom. He did this before and after; so let him be slain as well.'
राम उवाच-। कियत्कालात्पूर्वमिदं च वद
Rāma said: 'Tell me, how long ago did this happen?
तारोवाच- षष्टिवर्षसहस्रादर्वाकशीतितमे वर्षे रक्षोयुद्धे सुग्रीवेण राज्यमपहृतम्
Tāra said: 'From six thousand years ago, in the eightieth year, Sugrīva seized the kingdom during the war with the Rākṣasas.'
पुनश्च वर्षांतरे प्राप्तेन वालिना सुग्रीवः पलायितः
Then, after another year, when Vāli returned, Sugrīva fled.
अपहृता तस्य भार्या राज्यं चापहृतम्
His wife was taken, and his kingdom was also seized.
तस्मिन्नेव दिने भवतः पितुर्दशरथस्याभिषेकः
On that very day, your father Daśaratha’s consecration took place.
राघव उवाच- मया पितुरनुशासनाद्राज्यगतदुष्टनिग्रहणं कृतम् । गुरुवचनस्यानुल्लंघनीयत्वात्तदपहरणवेलायां यो राजासनाचरत्
Rāghava said: 'By my father’s command, I punished the wicked who had seized the kingdom; for the words of a teacher must not be disobeyed. At the time of the seizure, whoever acted against the king was punished.'
अथवा स्वतंत्रौ मृगौ मृगयोर्हतश्च वाली मृगाणामन्योन्यं दारणाद्य जगुप्सा च
Or else, Vali was slain as a free creature in the hunt, and among animals there is mutual tearing apart and revulsion.
यतो मम मृगयावदाथवा मृगाणाम् । चलितस्थितबद्धानां चलद्भ्रांतपलायिनाम् । अथावसृजतासंगमुज्झिता मृगया तथा
Therefore, whether by my hunting or by the animals themselves—whether they are moving, standing, bound, fleeing, or confused—hunting is thus abandoned when contact is lost.