Hari Om.
Let us begin the fifteenth sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Despite being bruised in the first combat with vAlI, sugrIva kept faith in rAma’s word and subscribed to the fact that if rAma’s apparent inaction was due to his similarity in appearance and movement and with vAlI. Hence upon rAma’s command, lakshmaNa garlanded sugrIva with a creeper so as to identify him in the combat. Adorned with the creeper in bloom, sugrIva led the way to kishkindhA through sylvan forests one more time to challenge vAlI for a combat. They reached the threshold and taking guard in the forest and surrounded by trees, sugrIva let out a thunderously loud roar that had the wild beasts screeching for cover. Onwards…
Upon hearing the thunderous roar of the great sugrIva which terrified all beings, vAlI who was in the inner chambers was extremely livid, his vanity was pricked, every limb of his trembled in anger, his radiant face lost sheen like an eclipsed Sun and he stomped his feet shaking the earth. His composure was destroyed as he looked like a lotus pond with lotuses uprooted. Responding to the deafening roar of sugrIva, vAlI was about to storm out of his inner chambers when he was held by his beloved wife tArA. She embrace him out of affection and friendliness. Someone taken aback by his anger and the consequent rush, she offered wise counsel and said –
“O warrior, this anger has come surging upon you like the flood of a river. Please discard it like a used garland is discarded in the morning. Take your time to respond to him, go to battle him tomorrow. It would neither indicate you are overestimating your enemy nor show you as weak.
सहसा तव निष्क्रामो मम तावन्न रोचते।
श्रूयतां चाभिधास्यामि यन्निमित्तं निवार्यसे4.15.9।।
You stomping out so rashly to battle him doesn’t look good to me. Listen, I shall tell you why I am obstructing you. sugrIva came to battle you earlier and you thrashed him in anger which made him flee into various directions. Someone squarely beaten by you and tormented by you is now challenging you for a combat. This arouses suspicion in me.
त्वया तस्य निरस्तस्य पीडितस्य विशेषतः।
इहैत्य पुनराह्वानं शङ्कां जनयतीव मे ।।4.15.11।।
The tone, tenor, determination, contempt and the sheer volume of his roar indicates he has adequate reason to feel confident and that he is under the protection of someone extraordinary whose refuge makes him to let out a such a war cry. By nature sugrIva is clever, calculative and intelligent. Without testing someone’s valour, he wouldn’t befriend them.
प्रकृत्या निपुणश्चैव बुद्धिमांश्चैव वानरः।
अपरीक्षितवीर्येण सुग्रीवस्सहनैष्यति।।4.15.14।।
O warrior, listem to what I have heard from our son angada. When he went out in to the forest, he collected some intelligence from the spies.
अयोध्याधिपतेः पुत्रौ शूरौ समरदुर्जयौ।
इक्ष्वाकूणां कुले जातौ प्रथितौ रामलक्ष्मणौ4.15.17।।
सुग्रीवप्रियकामार्थं प्राप्तौ तत्र दुरासदौ।
The sons of the king of ayOdhyA, invincible in war, born in the hallowed ikshvAku dynasty, rAma and lakshmaNa have been befriended by sugrIva to achieve his coveted desire.
तव भ्रातुर्हि विख्यातस्सहायो रणकर्कशः।
रामः परबलामर्दी युगान्ताग्निरिवोत्थितः4.15.18।।
निवासवृक्षः साधूनामापन्नानां परा गतिः।
आर्तानां संश्रयश्चैव यशसश्चैकभाजनम्4.15.19।।
ज्ञानविज्ञानसम्पन्नो निदेशे निरतः पितुः।
धातूनामिव शैलेन्द्रो गुणानामाकरो महान्4.15.20।।
तत्क्षमं न विरोधस्ते सह तेन महात्मना।
दुर्जयेनाप्रमेयेन रामेण रणकर्मसु4.15.21।।
The illustrious rAma, terrifying in the battle, capable of crushing the enemy forces, resembling the all-ending fire at the end of time, refuge of the good, the ultimate way for those in danger, shelter of the seekers, the one and only repository of fame, wise and highly knowledgeable, replete with virtues like the mountain is with minerals, exiled by the order of the king, is offering help to your brother sugrIva. Enmity and war with that illustrious, great and impossible to conquer rAma not desirable.
Further, O warrior, please listen to what I say, not because I want to offend you but because I wish well for you. Please consecrate sugrIva as the prince at once and make friendship with rAma. This I believe is the right thing for you to do. Give up enmity with sugrIva.
You ought always be affectionate towards your brother, whether he is near or far. He is after all your own relation and I don’t see who can be a closer relation to you than him? Please be charitable to him and bring him back, honor him, discard this enmity and let him be by your side. Therefore please extend your brotherly affection to the expansive necked sugrIva. I believe there is nothing better than this for you to do. I pray to you and I beseech you with these well meaning words aimed at your welfare. Please do honor my counsel and do not pick up enmity with the rAma whose prowess is equivalent to that of indra”.
Even though tArA offered such wise counsel, appropriate for that time, her counsel was not liked by vAlI and he didn’t accept it just as someone whose time is up wouldn’t heed.
Here we conclude the fifteenth sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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Next: 4.16. One arrow to end the enmity
Previous: 4.14. rAma reassures sugrIva
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
