राज्यश्रीर्न जहाति त्वां गतासुमपि मानद। सूर्यस्यावर्तमानस्य शैलराजमिव प्रभा
The glory of kingship does not abandon you, even though your life has departed, O dignified one, like the radiance of the sun upon the mountain king.
न मे वचः पथ्यमिदं त्वया कृतं न चास्मि शक्ता हि निवारणे तव। हता सपुत्रास्मि हतेन संयुगे सह त्वया श्रीर्विजहाति मामपि
My words have not been heeded by you, nor am I able to restrain you. I am slain, with my son, by your death in battle; together with you, prosperity departs from me as well.
thumb|चतुर्विंशः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center श्रीमद्वाल्मीकियरामायणे किष्किन्धाकाण्डे चतुर्विंशः सर्गः ॥४-
Listen: the twenty-fourth chapter. In the glorious Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa, in the Kiṣkindhā section, the twenty-fourth chapter.
तामाशु वेगेन दुरासदेन त्वभिप्लुतां शोकमहार्णवेन। पश्यंस्तदा वाल्यनुजस्तरस्वी भ्रातुर्वधेनाप्रतिमेन तेपे
She, overwhelmed by the irresistible force of the great ocean of grief, was swiftly overtaken; seeing this, Vāli's younger brother, swift of action, was tormented by his brother's unparalleled death.
स बाष्पपूर्णेन मुखेन पश्यन् क्षणेन निर्विण्णमना मनस्वी। जगाम रामस्य शनैः समीपं भृत्यैर्वृतः सम्परिदूयमानः
With a face full of tears, seeing for a moment his mind disheartened, the thoughtful one slowly approached Rāma, surrounded by his attendants, deeply afflicted.
स तं समासाद्य गृहीतचाप- मुदात्तमाशीविषतुल्यबाणम्। यशस्विनं लक्षणलक्षिताङ्ग- मवस्थितं राघवमित्युवाच
He, having reached him, who held a bow and arrows like deadly serpents, whose limbs were marked with signs of greatness, standing there, addressed Rāghava thus.
यथा प्रतिज्ञातमिदं नरेन्द्र कृतं त्वया दृष्टफलं च कर्म। ममाद्य भोगेषु नरेन्द्रसूनो मनो निवृत्तं हतजीवितेन
As promised, O king, you have acted, and the deed has yielded its result. Now, O son of the king, my mind is withdrawn from pleasures, for my life is ended.
अस्यां महिष्यां तु भृशं रुदत्यां पुरेऽतिविक्रोशति दुःखतप्ते। हते नृपे संशयितेऽङ्गदे च न राम राज्ये रमते मनो मे
With this queen, weeping bitterly, loudly lamenting in the city, tormented by grief, with the king slain and Angada in doubt, O Rāma, my mind finds no delight in the kingdom.
क्रोधादमर्षादतिविप्रधर्षाद् भ्रातुर्वधो मेऽनुमतः पुरस्तात्। हते त्विदानीं हरियूथपेऽस्मिन् सुतीक्ष्णमिक्ष्वाकुवर प्रतप्स्ये
Out of anger, intolerance, and excessive outrage, my brother's death was previously permitted by me. Now, with the leader of the monkeys slain, O best of Ikṣvākus, I suffer intensely.
श्रेयोऽद्य मन्ये मम शैलमुख्ये तस्मिन् हि वासश्चिरमृष्यमूके। यथा तथा वर्तयतः स्ववृत्त्या नेमं निहत्य त्रिदिवस्य लाभः
I now think it better to dwell at the mountain's summit, to live long in Ṛṣyamūka, as I may, according to my own nature; for even by killing him, the gain of heaven is not mine.
न त्वा जिघांसामि चरेति यन्मा- मयं महात्मा मतिमानुवाच। तस्यैव तद् राम वचोऽनुरूप- मिदं वचः कर्म च मेऽनुरूपम्
I did not wish to harm you, nor did I act against you—this the great-souled, wise one told me. That word of Rāma is fitting, and so too is my action.
भ्राता कथं नाम महागुणस्य भ्रातुर्वधं राम विरोचयेत। राज्यस्य दुःखस्य च वीर सारं विचिन्तयन् कामपुरस्कृतोऽपि
How could a brother, O Rama, ever desire the death of his own brother, who possesses such great virtues, even when considering the pain of the kingdom, while being swayed by desire?
वधो हि मे मतो नासीत् स्वमाहात्म्यव्यतिक्रमात्। ममासीद् बुद्धिदौरात्म्यात् प्राणहारी व्यतिक्रमः
Indeed, I did not consider killing him, for it would have been a violation of my own greatness; but through the fault of my misguided mind, I committed this fatal transgression.
द्रुमशाखावभग्नोऽहं मुहूर्तं परिनिष्टनन्। सान्त्वयित्वा त्वनेनोक्तो न पुनः कर्तुमर्हसि
Broken like a branch of a tree, I lay for a moment, lamenting; then he comforted me and said, 'You must not do this again.'
भ्रातृत्वमार्यभावश्च धर्मश्चानेन रक्षितः। मया क्रोधश्च कामश्च कपित्वं च प्रदर्शितम्
By him, brotherhood, nobility, and righteousness were upheld; by me, anger, desire, and baseness were displayed.
अचिन्तनीयं परिवर्जनीय- मनीप्सनीयं स्वनवेक्षणीयम्। प्राप्तोऽस्मि पाप्मानमिदं वयस्य भ्रातुर्वधात् त्वाष्ट्रवधादिवेन्द्रः
This act is unthinkable, to be avoided, not to be wished for, and to be examined by oneself; I have incurred this sin, O friend, by killing my brother, just as Indra did by slaying Tvaṣṭṛ's son.
पाप्मानमिन्द्रस्य मही जलं च वृक्षाश्च कामं जगृहुः स्त्रियश्च। को नाम पाप्मानमिमं सहेत शाखामृगस्य प्रतिपत्तुमिच्छेत्
The earth, the waters, the trees, and the women all accepted Indra's sin; but who could bear this sin of mine, or wish to follow the path of the monkey who killed his brother?
नार्हामि सम्मानमिमं प्रजानां न यौवराज्यं कुत एव राज्यम्। अधर्मयुक्तं कुलनाशयुक्त- मेवंविधं राघव कर्म कृत्वा
I am not worthy of this honor from the people, nor of the succession, much less the kingdom, O Rāghava, after committing such an unrighteous and family-destroying deed.
पापस्य कर्तास्मि विगर्हितस्य क्षुद्रस्य लोकापकृतस्य लोके। शोको महान् मामभिवर्ततेऽयं वृष्टेर्यथा निम्नमिवाम्बुवेगः
I am the doer of a sinful, contemptible, and base act, condemned by the world; great sorrow overwhelms me, like a torrent of water rushing into a hollow.
सोदर्यघातापरगात्रवालः संतापहस्ताक्षिशिरोविषाणः। एनोमयो मामभिहन्ति हस्ती दृप्तो नदीकूलमिव प्रवृद्धः
Having struck down my own brother, with my hands, eyes, and head stained by this burning grief, this disease of sin, like a maddened elephant, assails me as it would a riverbank.
अंहो बतेदं नृवराविषह्यं निवर्तते मे हृदि साधुवृत्तम्। अग्नौ विवर्णं परितप्यमानं किट्टं यथा राघव जातरूपम्
Alas, this unbearable sin, O best of men, has destroyed my noble nature within; like gold, pale and burning in the fire, so too am I, O Rāghava.
महाबलानां हरियूथपाना- मिदं कुलं राघव मन्निमित्तम्। अस्याङ्गदस्यापि च शोकतापा- दर्धस्थितप्राणमितीव मन्ये
Because of me, O Rāghava, this whole clan of mighty monkey chiefs is afflicted; and I think that even Angada's life now remains only half, consumed by grief and sorrow.
सुतः सुलभ्यः सुजनः सुवश्यः कुतस्तु पुत्रः सदृशोऽङ्गदेन। न चापि विद्येत स वीर देशो यस्मिन् भवेत् सोदरसंनिकर्षः
A son may be easily found, a good and obedient one; but where could there be a son like Angada? Nor, O hero, is there any land where one could have a brother so close.
अद्याङ्गदो वीरवरो न जीवे- ज्जीवेत माता परिपालनार्थम्। विना तु पुत्रं परितापदीना सा नैव जीवेदिति निश्चितं मे
Today, the heroic Angada will not live; his mother will survive only for his protection. But without her son, stricken with grief, she surely will not live—this is my certain belief.
सोऽहं प्रवेक्ष्याम्यतिदीप्तमग्निं भ्रात्रा च पुत्रेण च सख्यमिच्छन्। इमे विचेष्यन्ति हरिप्रवीराः सीतां निदेशे परिवर्तमानाः
Therefore, I shall enter the blazing fire, wishing for the company of my brother and my son; these foremost monkeys will search for Sītā, ever revolving around your command.
कृत्स्नं तु ते सेत्स्यति कार्यमेत- न्मय्यप्यतीते मनुजेन्द्रपुत्र। कुलस्य हन्तारमजीवनार्हं रामानुजानीहि कृतागसं माम्
Your task will surely be accomplished, O prince, even after I am gone; but know me, who have committed this offense and am unworthy to live, as the destroyer of my lineage, O Rāma.
तस्मिन् क्षणेऽभीक्ष्णमवेक्षमाणः क्षितिक्षमावान् भुवनस्य गोप्ता। रामो रुदन्तीं व्यसने निमग्नां समुत्सुकः सोऽथ ददर्श ताराम्
At that moment, as he looked again and again, Rama, patient as the earth and protector of the world, saw Tara, plunged in grief and weeping, and became anxious.
तां चारुनेत्रां कपिसिंहनाथां पतिं समाश्लिष्य तदा शयानाम्। उत्थापयामासुरदीनसत्त्वां मन्त्रिप्रधानाः कपिराजपत्नीम्
Then the ministers and chief counselors, seeing Tara, beautiful-eyed and queen of the monkey-lion, embracing her husband as he lay there, gently raised her, though her spirit was utterly dejected.
सा विस्फुरन्ती परिरभ्यमाणा भर्तुः समीपादपनीयमाना। ददर्श रामं शरचापपाणिं स्वतेजसा सूर्यमिव ज्वलन्तम्
As she was being embraced and led away from her husband's side, Tara, struggling, saw Rama, holding his bow and arrows, shining with his own splendor like the blazing sun.
सुसंवृतं पार्थिवलक्षणैश्च तं चारुनेत्रं मृगशावनेत्रा। अदृष्टपूर्वं पुरुषप्रधान- मयं स काकुत्स्थ इति प्रजज्ञे
He, whose eyes were beautiful like those of a deer, whose body bore all the marks of a great king, and who had never before been seen, was recognized by Kakutstha as a foremost among men.