Ramayana, Book IV, Canto 21: Hanumán’s Speechकिष्किन्धाकाण्डम्

Ralph T. H. Griffith’s English verse (1870–74), beside the Sanskrit of sarga 4.21.

21Sanskrit sarga 4.21 · Sanskrit source · English source

Sanskrit

ततो निपतितां तारां च्युतां तारामिवाम्बरात्।
शनैराश्वासयामास हनुमान् हरियूथपः॥ १॥
गुणदोषकृतं जन्तुः स्वकर्म फलहेतुकम्।
अव्यग्रस्तदवाप्नोति सर्वं प्रेत्य शुभाशुभम्॥ २॥
शोच्या शोचसि कं शोच्यं दीनं दीनानुकम्पसे।
कश्च कस्यानुशोच्योऽस्ति देहेऽस्मिन् बुद‍्बुदोपमे॥ ३॥
अङ्गदस्तु कुमारोऽयं द्रष्टव्यो जीवपुत्रया।
आयत्यां च विधेयानि समर्थान्यस्य चिन्तय॥ ४॥
जानास्यनियतामेवं भूतानामागतिं गतिम्।
तस्माच्छुभं हि कर्तव्यं पण्डिते नेह लौकिकम्॥ ५॥
यस्मिन् हरिसहस्राणि शतानि नियुतानि च।
वर्तयन्ति कृताशानि सोऽयं दिष्टान्तमागतः॥ ६॥
यदयं न्यायदृष्टार्थः सामदानक्षमापरः।
गतो धर्मजितां भूमिं नैनं शोचितुमर्हसि॥ ७॥
सर्वे च हरिशार्दूलाः पुत्रश्चायं तवाङ्गदः।
हर्यृक्षपतिराज्यं च त्वत्सनाथमनिन्दिते॥ ८॥
ताविमौ शोकसंतप्तौ शनैः प्रेरय भामिनि।
त्वया परिगृहीतोऽयमङ्गदः शास्तु मेदिनीम्॥ ९॥
संततिश्च यथा दृष्टा कृत्यं यच्चापि साम्प्रतम्।
राज्ञस्तत् क्रियतां सर्वमेष कालस्य निश्चयः॥ १०॥
संस्कार्यो हरिराजस्तु अङ्गदश्चाभिषिच्यताम्।
सिंहासनगतं पुत्रं पश्यन्ती शान्तिमेष्यसि॥ ११॥
सा तस्य वचनं श्रुत्वा भर्तृव्यसनपीडिता।
अब्रवीदुत्तरं तारा हनूमन्तमवस्थितम्॥ १२॥
अङ्गदप्रतिरूपाणां पुत्राणामेकतः शतम्।
हतस्याप्यस्य वीरस्य गात्रसंश्लेषणं वरम्॥ १३॥
न चाहं हरिराज्यस्य प्रभवाम्यङ्गदस्य वा।
पितृव्यस्तस्य सुग्रीवः सर्वकार्येष्वनन्तरः॥ १४॥
नह्येषा बुद्धिरास्थेया हनूमन्नङ्गदं प्रति।
पिता हि बन्धुः पुत्रस्य न माता हरिसत्तम॥ १५॥
नहि मम हरिराजसंश्रयात्
क्षमतरमस्ति परत्र चेह वा।
अभिमुखहतवीरसेवितं
शयनमिदं मम सेवितुं क्षमम्॥ १६॥

English Griffith

There, like a fallen star, the dame
Fell by her lord’s half lifeless frame;
And Hanumán drew softly near,
And strove her grieving heart to cheer:

“By changeless law our bliss and woe
From ancient worth and folly flow.
What fruits soe’er we cull, the seeds
Were scattered by our former deeds.⁶⁰²
Why mourn another’s mournful fate,
And weep, thyself unfortunate?
Be calm, O thou whose heart is wise,
For none deserves another’s sighs.
Look up, with idle sorrow strive:
Thy child, his heir, is yet alive.
Let needful rites be duly done,
Nor in thy woe forget thy son.
Regard the law which all obey:
They spring to life, they pass away.
Begin the task that bids thee rise,
And stay these tears, for thou art wise.
Our lord the king is doomed to die,
On whom ten million hearts rely.
Kind, liberal, patient, true, and just
Was he in whom they place their trust,
And now he seeks the land of those
Who for the right subdue their foes.
Each Vánar lord with all his train,
Each ranger of this wild domain,
And Angad here, thy darling, see
A governor and friend in thee.
These twain⁶⁰³ whose hearts with sorrow ache
The funeral rites shall undertake,
And Angad by his mother’s care
Be king, his father’s rightful heir.
Now let him pay, as laws require,
His sacred duty to his sire,
Nor one solemnity omit
Of all that mighty kings befit.
And when thy fond eye sees thine own
Dear Angad on his father’s throne,
Then, lightened of its load of pain,
Thy spirit will have rest again.”

She heard his speech, she heaved her head,
Looked upon Hanumán and said:

“Sweeter my slain lord’s limbs to touch,
Than Angad or a hundred such.
No rule or right, a widowed dame,
O’er Angad or the realm I claim.
Sugríva is the uncle, he
In every act supreme must be.
I pray thee, chief, this plan resign,
Nor claim from me what ne’er is mine.
The father with his tender care
Guards the dear child the mother bare,
Where’er I be, no sweeter task,
No happier joy I hope or ask
Than thus to sit with loving eyes
And watch the bed where Báli lies.

Griffith’s notes (2)

“Our deeds still follow with us from afar. And what we have been makes us what we are.”
Sugríva and Angad.