प्रतिज्ञा च मया दत्ता तदा वानरसंनिधौ। प्रतिज्ञा च कथं शक्या मद्विधेनानवेक्षितुम्
And the vow I made then in the presence of the monkeys—how could someone like me disregard a vow?
तदेभिः कारणैः सर्वैर्महद्भिर्धर्मसंश्रितैः। शासनं तव यद् युक्तं तद् भवाननुमन्यताम्
Therefore, with all these great and righteous reasons, whatever command you give is proper; let it be approved by you.
सर्वथा धर्म इत्येव द्रष्टव्यस्तव निग्रहः। वयस्यस्योपकर्तव्यं धर्ममेवानुपश्यता
In every way, your act of restraint must be seen as dharma; one who seeks to help a friend should always consider righteousness.
शक्यं त्वयापि तत्कार्यं धर्ममेवानुवर्तता। श्रूयते मनुना गीतौ श्लोकौ चारित्रवत्सलौ। गृहीतौ धर्मकुशलैस्तथा तच्चरितं मया
You too are able to perform that duty, following only dharma; it is heard that Manu sang two verses, rich in virtue, which were adopted by those skilled in dharma, and I have followed that conduct.
राजभिर्धृतदण्डाश्च कृत्वा पापानि मानवाः। निर्मलाः स्वर्गमायान्ति सन्तः सुकृतिनो यथा
When kings enforce punishment, people who commit sins become pure and reach heaven, just as the virtuous do.
शासनाद् वापि मोक्षाद् वा स्तेनः पापात् प्रमुच्यते। राजा त्वशासन् पापस्य तदवाप्नोति किल्बिषम्
Whether by punishment or by release, a thief is freed from sin; but if a king does not punish the sinner, he himself incurs guilt.
आर्येण मम मान्धात्रा व्यसनं घोरमीप्सितम्। श्रमणेन कृते पापे यथा पापं कृतं त्वया
My noble ancestor Māndhātr̥ desired a terrible calamity; when a sin was committed by an ascetic, the sin was as you have committed.
अन्यैरपि कृतं पापं प्रमत्तैर्वसुधाधिपैः। प्रायश्चित्तं च कुर्वन्ति तेन तच्छाम्यते रजः
Even when other careless rulers commit sin, they perform atonement, and by that the stain is removed.
तदलं परितापेन धर्मतः परिकल्पितः। वधो वानरशार्दूल न वयं स्ववशे स्थिताः
Therefore, enough of sorrow; the killing is ordained by dharma, O foremost of monkeys, for we are not independent.
शृणु चाप्यपरं भूयः कारणं हरिपुंगव। तच्छ्रुत्वा हि महद् वीर न मन्युं कर्तुमर्हसि
Hear also another reason, O chief of monkeys; after hearing it, O hero, you should not be angry.
न मे तत्र मनस्तापो न मन्युर्हरिपुंगव। वागुराभिश्च पाशैश्च कूटैश्च विविधैर्नराः
I have no grief or anger about this, O chief of monkeys; for men, with snares, nets, and various traps,
प्रतिच्छन्नाश्च दृश्याश्च गृह्णन्ति सुबहून् मृगान्। प्रधावितान् वा वित्रस्तान् विस्रब्धानतिविष्ठितान्
Both hidden and visible, capture many animals—those that run, those that are frightened, those that are careless, and those that stand firmly.
प्रमत्तानप्रमत्तान् वा नरा मांसाशिनो भृशम्। विध्यन्ति विमुखांश्चापि न च दोषोऽत्र विद्यते
Men who eat meat strike both inattentive and attentive animals, even those who are turned away; and there is no fault in this.
यान्ति राजर्षयश्चात्र मृगयां धर्मकोविदाः। तस्मात् त्वं निहतो युद्धे मया बाणेन वानर। अयुध्यन् प्रतियुध्यन् वा यस्माच्छाखामृगो ह्यसि
Royal sages, skilled in dharma, go hunting here; therefore, you were killed in battle by me with an arrow, O monkey, whether fighting or not, because you are a branch-animal.
दुर्लभस्य च धर्मस्य जीवितस्य शुभस्य च। राजानो वानरश्रेष्ठ प्रदातारो न संशयः
For rare dharma, for life, and for good fortune, kings, O best of monkeys, are indeed the givers—there is no doubt.
तान् न हिंस्यान्न चाक्रोशेन्नाक्षिपेन्नाप्रियं वदेत्। देवा मानुषरूपेण चरन्त्येते महीतले
One should not harm them, nor abuse, nor insult, nor speak unpleasantly; these are gods who wander this earth in human form.
त्वं तु धर्ममविज्ञाय केवलं रोषमास्थितः। विदूषयसि मां धर्मे पितृपैतामहे स्थितम्
But you, not understanding dharma and relying only on anger, accuse me in dharma, which is established by fathers and grandfathers.
एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण वाली प्रव्यथितो भृशम्। न दोषं राघवे दध्यौ धर्मेऽधिगतनिश्चयः
Thus addressed by Rāma, Vāli was greatly distressed; he did not find fault in Rāghava, having attained certainty in dharma.
प्रत्युवाच ततो रामं प्राञ्जलिर्वानरेश्वरः। यत् त्वमात्थ नरश्रेष्ठ तत् तथैव न संशयः
Then the king of monkeys, with joined palms, replied to Rāma: 'What you have said, O best of men, is indeed so—there is no doubt.'
प्रतिवक्तुं प्रकृष्टे हि नापकृष्टस्तु शक्नुयात्। यदयुक्तं मया पूर्वं प्रमादाद् वाक्यमप्रियम्
For it is only the superior who can respond to the superior, not the inferior; if earlier, through carelessness, I spoke words that were unfitting or unpleasant—
तत्रापि खलु मे दोषं कर्तुं नार्हसि राघव। त्वं हि दृष्टार्थतत्त्वज्ञः प्रजानां च हिते रतः। कार्यकारणसिद्धौ च प्रसन्ना बुद्धिरव्यया
Even then, O Rāghava, you should not find fault with me; for you are one who perceives the true nature of things, devoted to the welfare of the people, and your clear and unwavering intellect is established in discerning right action and its cause.
मामप्यवगतं धर्माद् व्यतिक्रान्तपुरस्कृतम्। धर्मसंहितया वाचा धर्मज्ञ परिपालय
If I, too, have acted in a way that departed from righteousness, knowingly or unknowingly, O knower of dharma, protect me with words joined to righteousness.
बाष्पसंरुद्धकण्ठस्तु वाली सार्तरवः शनैः। उवाच रामं सम्प्रेक्ष्य पङ्कलग्न इव द्विपः
With his throat choked by tears, Vāli, uttering a cry of pain, slowly spoke to Rāma, gazing at him like an elephant stuck in the mud.
न चात्मानमहं शोचे न तारां नापि बान्धवान्। यथा पुत्रं गुणज्येष्ठमङ्गदं कनकाङ्गदम्
I do not grieve for myself, nor for Tārā, nor for my kin, as much as I do for my son Aṅgada, who is foremost in virtue and adorned with golden ornaments.
स ममादर्शनाद् दीनो बाल्यात् प्रभृति लालितः। तटाक इव पीताम्बुरुपशोषं गमिष्यति
Deprived of seeing me, he, who has been cherished from childhood, will waste away like a pond whose water has been drunk dry.
बालश्चाकृतबुद्धिश्च एकपुत्रश्च मे प्रियः। तारेयो राम भवता रक्षणीयो महाबलः
He is a child, his understanding unformed, my only beloved son; O Rāma, the mighty son of Tārā must be protected by you.
सुग्रीवे चाङ्गदे चैव विधत्स्व मतिमुत्तमाम्। त्वं हि गोप्ता च शास्ता च कार्याकार्यविधौ स्थितः
Direct your highest wisdom towards Sugrīva and Aṅgada; for you are both protector and guide, steadfast in discerning what should and should not be done.
या ते नरपते वृत्तिर्भरते लक्ष्मणे च या। सुग्रीवे चाङ्गदे राजंस्तां चिन्तयितुमर्हसि
The conduct you show towards Bharata and Lakṣmaṇa, O king, that same conduct you should consider for Sugrīva and Aṅgada.
मद्दोषकृतदोषां तां यथा तारां तपस्विनीम्। सुग्रीवो नावमन्येत तथावस्थातुमर्हसि
Just as you would ensure that Sugrīva does not disregard Tārā, who is devoted to austerity and bears the blame for my faults, so you should act.
त्वया ह्यनुगृहीतेन शक्यं राज्यमुपासितुम्। त्वद्वशे वर्तमानेन तव चित्तानुवर्तिना
For one favored by you, it is possible to rule the kingdom, living according to your will and following your mind.