Hari Om.
Let us begin the twenty third sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
Brought down by his own brazen arrogance and blunt dismissal of wife tArA’s sage cpunsel, vAlI, struck by the unerring arrow of rAma was lying in excruciating pain. While his wife tArA, son angada sobbed incosolably and even sugrIva was beginning to curse himself for this situation, the fallen hero mustered his strength to speak his final words. His time was up, he knew that and he importantly addressed sugrIva, the victor unto whom he bequeathed the kingdom and lamented that they were not destined to enjoy the fraternal love. He advised sugrIva to take care of tArA and angada well and by all means help in accomplishing the task of rAma. He gaveaway the talismanic golden necklace to sugrIva and tuned to his beloved son angada whom he doted so much. He exrted angada to not seek revenge against sugrIva by aligning with his enemies but rather be loyal to him and help him in accomplishing his tasks.Having offered the best of counsel, vAlI breathed his last and the mistresses and the other vAnara warriors plunged in to grief. Onwards…
Drawing the face of her fallen and dead husband, the famous king of vAnaras and scenting it, tArA said –
“O warrior, without heeding my words, you are now lying on the earth with stones scattered. O vAnara king, surely the earth is dearer to you than me and that is why you are lying in her embrace and not even speaking to me in reply. Alas, O warrior, you loved challenges but it is destiny indeed that sugrIva turned the victor finally and prevailed upon you. Standing here are the leaders of the vAnaras and bears, angada and me and all of us are wailing in despair, then why don’t you respond to us! Alas, born in to a noble clan, always loving battles, O my beloved, you are lying on the same ground where you felled many a foe before. Leaving me behind as an orphan, you have left. They say that the girl should not be given in marriage to a warrior. See me, wedded to a warrior, I have become a widow!
शूराय न प्रदातव्या कन्या खलु विपश्चिता।
शूरभार्यां हतां पश्य सद्यो मां विधवां कृताम्4.23.8।।
My honour and my course of life have taken a severe beating and I am plunged into an ocean of grief. Surely, my heart seems to be made of stone since it does not break into a thousand pieces upon seeing you dead. Alas, my well wisher, my beloved, my husband, the valiant vAlI has gone by back to the five elements. Bereft of her husband, no matter if a woman has sons or is wealthy, she is still known as a widow.
Alas, O lord, how is it that you are lying in this pool of blood just as you are sleeping in your own couch? Your body is smeared with blood and dust and I am not able to embrace you. The one arrow of rAma that pierced in your heart and made sugrIva accomplished is preventing me from hugging your body and I am left to just looking at your body that has fallen”!
उद्ववर्ह शरं नीलस्तस्य गात्रगतं तदा।
गिरिगह्वरसंलीनं दीप्तमाशीविषं यथा4.23.17।।
Then nIla removed the arrow stuck in the body of vAlI and it was like removing a poisonous snake hidden in the core of a hill. As the arrow was pulled out, it shone brilliantly like the sun while blood flowed out of the body like streams from a mountain that flowed carrying the minerals.
अवकीर्णं विमार्जन्ती भर्तारं रणरेणुना।
अस्रैर्नयनजैश्शूरं सिषेचास्त्रसमाहतम्4.23.20।।
tArA washed the blood and dust on the body with her tears and beholding the bleeding body of her husband, she said to her son angada –
“Alas, O angada, look at this situation your father is in, his bad deeds thrust him into enmity and he finally met his end thus. Do bow to your father whose body is right now is resembling that of the rising sun”.
Exhorted thus, angada, with his broad shoulders fell at the feet of his departed father identifying himself (it is a common practice to bow to elders reciting one’s name, lineage and the branch of vEda they belong to).
tArA resumed her monologue with the dead vAlI –
“While angada bows to you, why like earlier are you not uttering your benedictions for a long life? Like a cow followed by calf wait upon the hunt of their leader bull by a lion, I too shall await my turn along with angada. In the yajna of this battle, you have taken the purificatory bath through the blows of rAma. How can you do it without me, your wife, by your side?
इष्ट्वा सङ्ग्रामयज्ञेन रामप्रहरणाम्भसि।
अस्मिन्नवभृथे स्नातः कथं पत्न्या मया विना4.23.27।।
Why don’t I see the golden necklace around your neck gifted to you by indra? Although, life has left your body, the royal glory doesn’t leave you and glorifies you just like the light of the setting sun on the king of mountains.
Alas, you discarded my warning and I had no way preventing you from going to the war. As a result, you are dead and good fortune is deserting both me and my son angada”.
Here we conclude the twenty third 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: 4.24. sugrIva scorched by remorse
Previous: 4.22. vAlI’s valuable counsel and his end
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
