Summary
Tara's lamentation is narrated in here. Seeing at her departed husband Vali, Tara pitiably wails for his demise as any ordinary woman would.
Chapter [Sarga] 23 in Detail
tatah samupajighra.ntii kapi raajasya tat mukham |
patim lokashrutaa taaraa mritam vacanam abraviit || 3-23-1
Then that renowned Tara closely whiffed that face of monkey's king Vali and spoke these words to her dead husband. [3-23-1]
shese tvam visame duhkham akritvaa vacanam mama |
upala upacite viira suduhkhe vasudhaa tale || 3-23-2
"Heedless of my word, oh, brave one, you are reposing miserably on a very rough and uneven ground spread with stones. [3-23-2]
mattah priyataraa nuunam vaanarendra mahii tava |
shese hi taam parisvajya maam ca na pratibhaasase || 3-23-3
"This earth must definitely be your beloved one, oh, best of monkeys, why because, you still embrace her while you recline on her, without replying me. [3-23-3]
sugriivasya vasham praapto vidhih esa bhavatya aho |
sugriiva eva vikraa.nto viira saahasika priya || 3-23-4
"You have gone into the control of Sugreeva and Sugreeva alone triumphed, oh, brave one, oh, enthusiast in adventures, oho, is it fated to happen this way. [3-23-4]
riksa vaanara mukhyaah tvaam balinam paryupaasate |
tesaam vilapitam kricchram a.ngadasya ca shocatah || 3-23-5
mama ca imaa girah shrutvaa kim tvam na pratibudhyase |
"These chiefs of bears and monkeys are adoring you in every respect as their most worshipful one, and on hearing their despairing wailing, and the lamentation of Angada, and even these utterance of mine in keen, why do not you comeback to senses. [3-23-5, 6a]
idam tat viira shayanam tatra shese hato yudhi || 3-23-6
shaayitaa nihataa yatra tvayaa eva ripavah puraa |
"Do you wish to repose on the very daybed on which you have laid your enemies to rest when you have once felled them in fights, or what? [3-23-6b, 7a]
vishuddha sattva abhijana priyayuddha mama priya || 3-23-7
maam anaathaam vihaaya ekaam gatah tvam asi maanada |
"Oh, successor of a clan with pristine caliber, oh, accorder of dignity, oh, devotee of fighting, oh, my dear, have you gone on leaving me without a protector and lonely? [3-23-7b, 8a]
shuuraaya na pradaatavyaa kanyaa khalu vipashcitaa || 3-23-8
shuura bhaaryaam hataam pashya sadyo maam vidhavaam kritaam |
"Really considerate fathers shall never propose brides to adventurers, they say. Yes! See me the wife of an adventurer, in a trice rendered as a war-widow left in the lurch. [3-23-8b, 9a]
avabhagnah ca me maano bhagnaa me shaashvatii gatih || 3-23-9
agaadhe ca nimagnaa asmi vipule shoka saagare |
"My honor is degenerated and my eternal happiness is disintegrated, and I am deluged in an abyssal boundless ocean called anguish. [3-23-9b, 10a]
ashma saaramayam nuunam idam me hridayam dridham || 3-23-10
bhartaaram nihatam dristvaa yat na adya shatadhaa gatam |
"And dense with metallic substance is this heart of mine in its solidity, since it is not splintering into hundredfold even on seeing my husband killed, it is definite. [3-23-10b, 11a]
suhrit caiva hi bhartaa ca prakrityaa ca mama priyah || 3-23-11
prahaare ca paraakraantah shuurah pancatvam aagatah |
"By your nature you are my beloved, besides, you are a good-hearted one, more so, you are my husband, moreover, you are a valiant triumphing over your enemies in assaults, such as you are you have attained the fifth state, the death. [3-23-11b, 12a]
pati hiinaa tu yaa naarii kaamam bhavatu putrinii || 3-23-12
dhana dhaanya samriddhaa api vidhavaa iti ucyate janaih |
"Perhaps a woman might have mothered many children, and perhaps affluent with riches and crops, still people will call her a widow, if she is without husband. [3-23-12b, 13a]
sva gaatra prabhave viira shese rudhira mandale || 3-23-13
krimi raaga paristome svakiiye shayane yathaa |
"How do you repose now on a sheet of blood flowing from your own body, oh, brave one, as if you are reclining on your own bed spread with a bed sheet of red blood color? [3-23-13b, 14a]
renu shonita sa.mviitam gaatram tava sama.ntatah || 3-23-14
parirabdhum na shaknomi bhujaabhyaam plavagarsabha |
"I have no strength to closely embrace you with both my arms, oh, best fly-jumper, when the blood and dust covering your body comes in between. [3-23-14b, 15a]
krita krityo adya sugriivo vaire asmin atidaarune || 3-23-15
yasya raama vimuktena hritam eka isunaa bhayam |
"Single arrow released by Rama has doubly benefited Sugreeva in this highly deplorable enmity between you and Sugreeva, as his ambition to become the king is fulfilled and his fear from your persecution, too, is evanished. [3-23-15b, 16a]
sharena hridi lagnena gaatra sa.mspar.hshane tava || 3-23-16
vaar.hyaami tvaam niriiksantii tvayi pa.ncatvam aagate |
"In vain, I have been watching you without a wink, on whom fatality has descended, as this arrow stuck in your chest is hindering me to embrace you..." Thus wailed Tara. [3-23-16b, 17a]
udbabarha sharam niilah tasya gaatra gatam tadaa || 3-23-17
giri gahvara sa.mliinam diiptam aashii visam yathaa |
"Then the monkey chief Nila extricated that arrow which is stuck in the chest of Vali, as with the extraction of a firmly wedged sparkling snake from the cavity of a mound. [3-23-17b, 18a]
tasya nishkrisyamaanasya baanasya ca babhau dyutih || 3-23-18
asta mastaka sa.mruddho rashmih dinakaraat iva |
The sparkle of Rama's arrow while it is being extracted from Vali's chest is much the same as the sparkles of more brilliant sunrays that are extracted by the end of daytime, when the sun is sinking beyond the summit of dusky western mountain, and as contrasted with the hue of dusk. [3-23-18b, 19a]
petuh ksataja dhaaraah tu vranebhyah tasya sarvashah || 3-23-19
taamra gairika sa.mpriktaa dhaaraa iva dharaa dharaat |
The blood streams flown out of the gashes of Vali fell everywhere like the streams of water flowing from a mountain saturated with coppery mineral-ores. [3-23-19b, 20a]
avakiirnam vimaarjantii bhartaaram rana renunaa || 3-23-20
asraih nayanajaih shuuram siseca astra samaahatam |
On wiping off war dust with which her husband is muffled up, with tears gushing from her eyes she drenched that valiant one who is summarily hit by the missile of Rama. [3-23-20b, 21a]
rudhiroksita sarvaangam dristvaa vinihatam patim || 3-23-21
uvaaca taaraa pi.ngaaksam putram a.ngadam anganaa |
On giving attention to all of the blood wet limbs of her slain husband that lady Tara spoke to her son Angada whose eyes are coppery-red. [3-23-21b, 22a]
avasthaam pashcimaam pashya pituh putra sudaarunaam || 3-23-22
sa.mprasaktasya vairasya gato antah paapa karmanaa |
"See the highly harrowing end time plight of your father, oh, son, he reached his end owing to the enmity harnessed by sinful deeds. [3-23-22b, 23a]
baala suuryojjvala tanum prayaatam yama saadanam || 3-23-23
abhivaadaya raajaanam pitaram putra maanadam |
"To him, whose physical splendor vied with the dazzle of rising sun, to that father, king, and the accorder of honor you pay you last obeisance as he journeyed to the abode of Time-god." Thus Tara said to Angada. [3-23-25b, 24a]
evam uktah samutthaaya jagraaha caranau pituh || 3-23-24
bhujaabhyaam piina vritaabhyaam angado aham iti bruvan |
When he is said so, Angada swiftly rose and touched the feet of his father with both of his rotund-shouldered sinewy arms saying, "father, I am Angada..." [3-23-24b, 25a]
abhivaadayamaanam tvaam a.ngadam tvam yathaa puraa || 3-23-25
diirgha aayur bhava putra iti kim artham na abhibhaasase |
"Why do not you bless Angada saying, 'long live, son...' when he is paying resects to you, as earlier?" Thus Tara is addressing Vali in her anguish. [3-23-25b, 26a]
aham putra sahaayaa tvaam upaase gata cetanam |
si.mhena paatitam sadyo gauh sa vatsaa iva go vrisam || 3-23-26
"I am living through seeing the lifeless state of yours with the help of my son, no more than a helpless cow that sits near her bull with its calf, when that bull is slain by a lion, just now. [3-23-26b, c]
istvaa sa.mgraama yajnena raama praharana a.mbhasaa |
asmin avabhrithe snaatah katham patnyaa mayaa vinaa || 3-23-27
"How can you singly take the ultimate bath of a Vedic ritual after your conducting a ritual like combat, in the waters called bloodstreams caused Rama's arrow, that too, when I, your wife, am available like a co-officiator of a Vedic ritual? [3-23-27]
yaa dattaa deva raajena tava tustena sa.myuge |
shaata kaum.hbhiim priyaam maalaam taam te pashyaami na iha kim || 3-23-28
"Now where is that treasured golden pendant of yours which the king of gods gave to you when he is satisfied with your conduct in wars, I don't see it? [3-23-28]
raajyashriih na jahaati tvaam gata asum api maanada |
suuryasya aavartamaanasya shaila raajam iva prabhaa || 3-23-29
"Majesty is not deserting you even if your lives have departed, oh, accorder of dignity, as with the sunshine that departs the sun while he circumnavigates Mt. Meru, which mount is supposed to overshadow everything by its vastness. [3-23-29]
na me vacah pathyam idam tvayaa kritam
na ca asmi shaktaa hi nivaarane tava |
hataa saputraa asmi hatena sa.myuge
saha tvayaa shriih vijahaati maam api || 3-23-30
"Neither you heeded my word of expediency [suitability], nor I was indeed capable to forestall you, and I am doomed along with my son when you are exterminated in fight, whereby the Grace that forsook you, is deserting me too, in its entirety. [3-23-30]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye kiskindha kaande trayo vi.mshah sargah
Thus, this is the 23rd chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate