Hari Om.
Let us begin the twenty sixth sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The enmity between brothers vAlI and sugrIva ended with the elimination of vAlI by rAma. As he fell down hit by the unforgiving arrow of rAma, vAlI realized his folly of having messed up brotherly relation during his life and repented for the same. His hatred of sugrIva vanished and the thoughts of his son angada and wife tArA haunted him. rAma assured that all would be well with them. That comforted vAlI and even as tArA wailed and wept, she couldn’t stop vAlI from breathing his last. But before that he gave valuable advice to angada and sugrIva. To angada he gave the lesson of loyalty to sugrIva while to sugrIva he exhorted to keep the word given to rAma and also heed to words of tArA who was blessed with perfect judgment. While the vAnaras mourned the death of vAlI, rAma and lakshmaNa gave important advice to perform the last rites of vAlI and move on. Reminded of the duty, the vAnaras led by sugrIva and angada performed the last rites. They cremated vAlI with the honour due to a king and then went to the waters to offer libations. The stage was set for moving on. Onwards…
sugrIva, still in wet clothes and grieving after offering libations to his departed brother vAlI accompanied by other vAnaras and his ministers, with folded hands approached rAma who could accomplish toughest of tasks, like the sages would approach lord brahma for guidance. Then hanuman who glowed with the brilliance of a golden mountain with the radiant face of the rising sun with folded hands submitted to rAma –
ततः काञ्चनशैलाभ स्तरुणार्कनिभाननः।
अब्रवीत्प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यं हनूमान्मारुतात्मजः4.26.3।।
“O lord, by your grace, sugrIva has secured this difficult-to-obtain kingdom of vAnaras ruled by his forefathers. With your permission he shall enter the auspicious city of kishkindhA and allot duties to others appropriately. He will be consecrated as the king with ceremonial bath using waters mixed with scents and herbs. Please deign to grace the beautiful cave city of kishkindhA and delight the vAnaras by giving them a ruler. After being crowned sugrIva shall felicitate you with the best of gems and garlands”.
Thus spoken to by hanuman, the intelligent and articulate rAma, the vanquisher of enemies said –
चतुर्दश समास्सौम्य ग्रामं वा यदि वा पुरम्4.26.9।।
न प्रवेक्ष्यामि हनुमन्पितुर्निर्देशपालकः।
“O gentle hanumAn, obeying the command of my father, I shall not enter into a city or village for a period of fourteen years. The leader of vAnaras, sugrIva should at once enter this beautiful and wealthy cave city of kishkindhA and be consecrated as the king immediately as per tradition”.
He then turned to sugrIva and said –
“O sugrIva, you are well versed with the ways of the world, endowed with good conduct and might. Please also consecrate angada, the elder son of the elder brother vAlI as the crown prince. He is valorous like you are and this high spirited angada deserves to be the heir apparent. The first month of the rainy season, SrAvaNa is here. From here four fortnights are known as the rainy season. This is not the time for expeditions. You enter the delightful city of kishkindhA while lakshmaNa and I shall reside in the large well ventilated cave here. There is abundance of water, lotuses and water lilies here. As soon as the month of kArtika comes, make all efforts for the killing of rAvaNa. Let this be our agreement. Go and enter your abode now, consecrate yourself and delight your well wishers”.
पूर्वोऽयं वार्षिको मासः श्रावणस्सलिलागमः।
प्रवृत्तास्सौम्य चत्वारो मासा वार्षिकसज्ञिकाः4.26.14।।
नायमुद्योगसमयः प्रविश त्वं पुरीं शुभाम्।
अस्मिन्वत्स्याम्यहं सौम्य पर्वते सह लक्ष्मणः4.26.15।।
Thus permitted by rAma, sugrIva entered the cave city of kishkindhA and along with him thousands of vAnaras also entered. As he entered, the citizens greeted him by bowing down to him. Raising them sugrIva warmly greeted them back and entered the delightful inner chambers where his elder brother lived before.
sugrIva was welcomed ceremonially like the sahasrAksha indra by his well wishers. Sixteen maidens came and they held unto him the white royal parasol, fanned him with the fine hair of the yak tail which was staffed with a golden handle. Then they gave him a ceremonial bath with waters scented with flowers, milk, curds, honey, sandalwood and other fragrances. Golden grains were sprinkled. They gifted him the skin of a tiger, sandals made of boar skin and other perfumes. He then offered gems, clothes and food to the best of brAhmins and propitiated them. The knower of the mantras, preceptors, then performed oblations in the fire.
They then seated sugrIva on a golden throne on the very well decorated top of the palace. Having fetched waters from various east and west flowing rivers, filling those in golden pots and horns of the bulls (gOSrnga), they consecrated sugrIva’s kingship with clear and fragrant waters as laid down in the scriptures by the great sages.
The vAnaras gaja, gavAksha, gavaya, Sarabha, gandhamAdana, mainda, dvivida, hanumAn, jAmbavAn, nala, all of them performed the consecration of sugrIva as the king with the same gait with which the vasus consecrated vAsava (indra). The vAnaras in thousands were joyous as sugrIva was consecrated the king.
In accordance with the order of rAma, sugrIva, the best if vAnaras embraced angada and crowned him as the heir apparent. The well wishers and sympathizers of angada praised sugrIva for doing this and they repeatedly expressed their love towards rAma and lakshmaNa for having enabled this. The lovely cave city of kishkindhA teeming with citizens revelled in the glory of the consecration with well decorated flags and banners all over.
sugrIva, the lord of the vAnara army then informed rAma of the consecration and having got back rumA and another wife (tArA), the warrior ruled over like the lord of the three worlds – indra.
Here we conclude the twenty sixth 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: 4.27. An ode to fraternal love
Previous: 4.25. Heavenward vAlI goes to the elements
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
