Summary
Rama to imbue confidence in Sugreeva hurtles his arrow that penetrates seven sala trees and also the subterranean planes of earth and returns into his quiver. Sugreeva obliging the prowess of Rama submits himself to Rama, who encourages Sugreeva to challenge Vali for a duel. Accordingly a duel ensues wherein Vali assaults Sugreeva and chases him off. Battered and belittled, Sugreeva implores upon Rama why he did not come to his rescue. Rama apologetically states that he could not make out difference between the two brothers for they are alike. Rama asks Sugreeva to wear a garland and again challenge Vali, so with that identification of garland he could aim his arrow at the other dueller [to fight a duel]. Again they all advance towards Kishkindha for the duel with Vali.
Chapter [Sarga] 12 in Detail
etac ca vacanam shrutvaa sugriivasya subhaasitam |
pratyayaartham mahaatejaa raamo jagraaha kaarmukam || 4-12-1
On hearing the well-spoken words of Sugreeva that expressed doubt about Rama's valor, that great resplendent Rama took-up bow to inculcate credence in Sugreeva. [4-12-1]
sa grihiitvaa dhanur ghoram sharam ekam ca maanadah |
saalam uddishya ciksepa puurayan sa ravaih dishah || 4-12-2
Rama, the bestower of dignity to the sufferers, took up his dreadful bow, aimed at a sala tree, and darted single arrow, by which all the directions reverberated with the twang of his bowstring. [4-12-2]
sa visristo balavataa baanah svarna pariskritah |
bhittvaa saalaan giri prastham sapta bhuumim vivesha ha || 4-12-3
The golden arrow released by the mighty Rama perforated all the seven sala trees, and even the leveled areas of mountain, and then entered the earth. [4-12-3]
saayakah tu muhuurtena saalaan bhittvaa mahaajavah |
nispatya ca punah tuurnam tam eva pravivesha ha || 4-12-4
Thus that arrow which briskly drilled all the sala trees, came up in a moment from under the earth, and again swiftly re-entered the quiver of Rama. [4-12-4]
taan dristvaa sapta nirbhinnaan saalaan vaanarapu.mgavah |
raamasya shara vegena vismayam paramam gatah || 4-12-5
On seeing them the seven sala trees that are profoundly fissured, that best monkey Sugreeva went into a stunning astonishment at the rapidity of Rama's arrow. [4-12-5]
sa muurdhnaa nyapatat bhuumau prala.mbiikrita bhuusanah |
sugriivah parama priito raaghavaaya kritaa.njalih || 4-12-6
Highly gladdened Sugreeva made palm-fold in that astonishment, kneeled while his ornaments dangled, and prostrated before Raghava with his head touching the ground. [4-12-6]
idam ca uvaaca dharmajnam karmanaa tena harsitah |
raamam sarva astra vidusaam shrestham shuuram avasthitam || 4-12-7
Overjoyed with that deed Sugreeva said this to that virtue-knower, the one who is proficient among all experts of missiles, namely the valorous Rama, who is just in his presence him. [4-12-7]
sa indraan api suraan sarvaam tvam baanaih purusarsabha |
samarthah samare hantum kim punar vaalinam prabho || 4-12-8
"You with your arrows, oh, best one among men, are capable of eliminating all the gods including Indra, oh, lord, then why to speak of Vali. [4-12-8]
yena sapta mahaa saalaa girir bhuumih ca daaritaah |
baanena ekena kaakutstha sthaataa te ko rana agratah || 4-12-9
"By whom seven great sala trees, a mountain and also the earth is ripped off with only one arrow, oh Kakutstha, who then can stand up to you in the vanguard of war. [4-12-9]
adya me vigatah shokah priitir adya paraa mama |
suhridam tvaam samaasaadya mahendra varunopamam || 4-12-10
"Today on gaining a kind-hearted friend like you, who is similar to Indra and Rain-god who accord favor on their own, my distress is gone and my joy is heightened. [4-12-10]
tam adya eva priyaartham me vairinam bhraatri ruupinam |
vaalinam jahi kaakutstha mayaa baddho ayam a.njalih || 4-12-11
"Oh, Rama, today itself you eliminate that enemy of mine in a brother's semblance for my happiness, for which I adjoin my palms in supplication." Thus Sugreeva requested Rama. [4-12-11]
tato raamah parisvajya sugriivam priya darshanam |
pratyuvaaca mahaapraajno laksmanaanugatam vacah || 4-12-12
That great percipient Rama embraced Sugreeva, which Sugreeva is pleasant in his look for he gained confidence by now, and who is an alternate of Lakshmana to partake Rama's affection, and then Rama said these words to such a Sugreeva in reply. [4-12-12]
asmaad gacchaama kiskindhaam ksipram gaccha tvam agratah |
gatvaa ca aahvaya sugriiva vaalinam bhraatri gandhinam || 4-12-13
""Let us quickly go from here to Kishkindha, oh, Sugreeva, you move in advance, and on going there you invite that Vali, one redolent of your brotherhood." So said Rama to Sugreeva. [4-12-13]
sarve te tvaritam gatvaa kiskindhaam vaalinah puriim |
vriksaih aatmaanam aavritya hi atisthan gahane vane || 4-12-14
They all on quickly going to Kishkindha, the city of Vali, hedged themselves in the thickets of forest trees and waited. [4-12-14]
sugriivo api vyanadad ghoram vaalino hvaana kaaranaat |
gaadham parihito vegaan naadaih bhindan iva ambaram || 4-12-15
Sugreeva firmly tightened his girdle-cloth for the duel and shouted boisterously for the purpose of inviting Vali for a duel, and his rapidity in shouting appeared as though to crack the sky. [4-12-15]
tam shrutvaa ninadam bhraatuh kruddho vaalii mahaabalah |
nispapaata susa.mrabdho bhaaskaro asta tataat iva || 4-12-16
On hearing his brother's shouting that great mighty Vali is infuriated and impetuously rushed out of his palace chambers, like the sun falling back onto sky from his dusking brink. [4-12-16]
tatah sutumulam yuddham vaali sugriivayoh abhuut |
gagane grahayoh ghoram budha a.ngaarakayoh iva || 4-12-17
Then a very tumultuous and awful fight occurred between Vali and Sugreeva, which is like the awful fight between the planets Mercury and Mars in skies. [4-12-17]
talaih ashani kalpaih ca vajra kalpaih ca mustibhih |
jaghnatuh samare anyonyam bhraatarau krodha muurcchitau || 4-12-18
Those two brothers who are convulsed in frenzy battered each other in that fight with their thunderbolt-like palms, and lightning-like fists. [4-12-18]
tato raamo dhanus paanih tau ubhau samudaikshata |
anyonya sadrishau viirau ubhau devau iva ashvinau || 4-12-19
Then Rama wielding bow in his hand watched those valiant ones that are alike in their appearance, like the Ashwin twins among gods. [4-12-19]
yat na avagacchat sugriivam vaalinam vaa api raaghavah |
tato na kritavaan buddhim moktum antakaram sharam || 4-12-20
For which reason Raghava could not differentiate between Sugreeva or Vali, for the same reason did not make up his mind to release his arrow, otherwise it would have been a deadening arrow, as confusion is the only reason for Rama. [4-12-20]
etasmin antare bhagnah sugriivah tena vaalinaa |
apashyan raaghavam naatham rishyamuukam pradudruve || 4-12-21
Meanwhile Sugreeva is unable to spot out his benefactor Raghava as Vali whacked him down, and thereby he immediately fled to Mt. Rishyamuka. [4-12-21]
klaanto rudhira sikta a.ngo prahaaraih jarjarii kritah |
vaalinaa abhidrutah krodhaat pravivesha mahaavanam || 4-12-22
Sugreeva is debilitated and enervated by Vali's thwacking till his limbs soaked in blood, and he entered the great forest of Rishyamuka as Vali chased him. [4-12-22]
tam pravistam vanam dristvaa vaalii shaapa bhayaat tatah |
mukto hi asi tvam iti uktvaa sa nivritto mahaabalah || 4-12-23
On seeing Sugreeva's entry into the forest of Rishyamuka, Vali said to him "you are let off for now..." and saying so he returned to Kishkindha from there in view of fear from curse of Sage Matanga. [4-12-23]
raaghavo api saha bhraatraa saha caiva hanuumataa |
tadeva vanam aagacchat sugriivo yatra vaanarah || 4-12-24
Raghava also came to that forest, along with his brother Lakshmana and along with Hanuma, where that monkey Sugreeva fled. [4-12-24]
tam samiiksya aagatam raamam sugriivah saha laksmanam |
hriimaan diinam uvaaca idam vasudhaam avalokayan || 4-12-25
Seeing the arrival of Rama with Lakshmana, Sugreeva ashamedly turned his eyes down to earth and piteously spoke this without eyeing Rama [4-12-25]
aahvayasva iti maam uktvaa darshayitvaa ca vikramam |
vairinaa ghaatayitvaa ca kim idaaniim tvayaa kritam || 4-12-26
"Showing your dexterity you encouraged me to invite Vali for fight, but you got me battered by my enemy, what is this done by you." [4-12-26]
taam eva velaam vaktavyam tvayaa raaghava tattvatah |
vaalinam na nihanmi iti tato na aham ito vraje || 4-12-27
"You should have truly made it known at that time only, oh, Raghava, that you will not kill Vali, then I would not have come here, to Kishkindha. [4-12-27]
tasya ca evam bruvaanasya sugriivasya mahaatmanah |
karunam diinayaa vaacaa raaghavah punar abraviit || 4-12-28
Rama replied that great-souled Sugreeva who is speaking woefully with pathetic words in this way. [4-12-28]
sugriiva shruuyataam taata krodhah ca vyapaniiyataam |
kaaranam yena baano ayam sa mayaa na visarjitah || 4-12-29
"Sugreeva, by which reason I have not let-off an arrow such as that of mine, that reason may be heard and let the anger be discarded. [4-12-29]
alamkaarena vesena pramaanena gatena ca |
tvam ca sugriiva vaalii ca sadrishau sthah parasparam || 4-12-30
"By ornamentation, attire, physicality and movements, you and Vali look-alike. [4-12-30]
svarena varcasaa ca eva preksitena ca vaanara |
vikramena ca vaakyaih ca vyaktim vaam na upalaksaye || 4-12-31
"By your voice, bodily glow also thus in your looking, also in bravery and in speech, oh monkey, I could not mark any difference. [4-12-31]
tato aham ruupa saadrishyaat mohito vaanarottama |
na utsrijaami mahaavegam sharam shatru nibarhanam || 4-12-32
"Thereby, oh, great monkey, I have not released this great speeded and enemy annihilating arrow of mine as I was confused in the similarity of your personalities. [4-12-32]
jiivita antakaram ghoram saadrishyaat tu visha.nkitah |
muulaghaato na nau syaaddhi dvayoh iti krito mayaa || 4-12-33
"I was ambiguous by your similarities, as such I have not released this ghastly and life-taking arrow, otherwise the basic object of ours will be ruined, isn't it. [4-12-33]
tvayi viira vipanne hi ajnaan laaghavaan mayaa |
maudhyam ca mama baalyam ca khyaapitam syaat kapiisvara || 4-12-34
"When my unawareness and fallacy hazardously afflicts none but you in the form of my own arrow, oh, brave lord of monkeys, then I will be establishing my own imbecility and naivety, isn't it. [4-12-34]
datta abhaya vadho naama paatakam mahat adbhutam |
aham ca lakshmanah ca eva siita ca varavarninii || 4-12-35
tvat adhiinaa vayam sarve vane asmin sharanam bhavaan |
"Eliminating one who is protected means a terrifying sin of highest order, even so, myself and Lakshmana and also thus Seetha with her exquisite glow are all dependent on you, and you are our shelterer in this forest. [4-12-35, 36a]
tasmaat yudhyasva bhuuyastvam maa sha.mkii ca vaanara || 4-12-36
etan muhuurte tu mayaa pashya vaalinam aahave |
nirastam isunaa ekena vestamaanam mahiitale || 4-12-37
"Therefore, oh, monkey, again you fight with him without doubting me, and I will render him ineffective at this moment only with a single arrow of mine, and you can see Vali squirming on the ground. [4-12-36, 37],
abhijnaanam kurusva tvam aatmano vaanareshvara |
yena tvaam abhijaaniiyaam dvandva yuddham upaagatam || 4-12-38
"You have an identification for yourself, oh lord of monkeys, by which you can be identified when you are engaged in duel. [4-12-38]
gaja puspiim imaam phullaam utpaatya shubha laksanaam |
kuru laksmana kanthe asya sugriivasya mahaatmanah || 4-12-39
"Lakshmana, pick up this Gaja creeper that is beautiful in its appearance and let this noble souled Sugreeva be garlanded with that." So said Rama to Lakshmana. [4-12-39]
tato giri tate jaataam utpaatya kusumaayutaam |
laksmano gaja puspiim taam tasya kanthe vyasarjayat || 4-12-40
Then Lakshmana plucked that Gaja creeper with flowers growing at the foot of the mountain, and slung it like a garland around the neck of that Sugreeva. [4-12-40] n
sa tathaa shushubhe shriimaan latayaa kantha saktayaa |
maalayaa iva balaakaanaam sasa.mdhya iva toyadah || 4-12-41
He that prosperous Sugreeva with that flowery-creeper adorning his neck then shone forth like a black rain cloud against a backdrop of rich ochry [red or yellow] color of sunset, and with a train of herons adorning that cloud like a garland. [4-12-41]
vibhraajamaano vapusaa raama vaakya samaahitah |
jagaama saha raamena kiski.ndhaam punaraapa sah || 4-12-42
He that Sugreeva whose physique became effulgent by that creeper-garland is again emboldened by Rama's words, and he again advanced to Kishkindha with Rama, and reached it again. [4-12-42]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye kiskindha kaande dvaadashah sargah
Thus, this is the 12th chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate