Hari Om.
Let us begin the thirtieth sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
For rAma who is action oriented and completely capable, biding his time in the cave due to the rains was excruciatingly painful. The fact that the rains were a great time together for couples and he was bereft of sItA added to the restlessness and melancholy. However the timely advice of lakshmaNa without getting preachy and always well meaning lifted the spirits of rAma. It appears, for this one important task lakshmaNa was given permission to accompany rAma on exile [2.31. lakshmaNa too gets the nod]! Helped by lakshmaNa, rAma regained some of his spirits and described the beauty of the rains in a sublime manner [4.28. rAma’s hearty take on the rains]. He hoped that sugrIva who must be enjoying his time now would be doing the necessary groundwork for the quest of sItA. In the not so far kishkindhA, the newly anointed king left the administration in the hands of the ministers and was too lost in luxury and sensuous pleasures which he was deprived for a long time by vAlI. Grasping that the time is ticking rapidly and sugrIva has nothing much to show, the able minister hanumAn exhorts sugrIva to stay true to dharma and summon the vAnara warriors as autumn was already on and they would be needed to launch mission of the quest of sItA. There on the praSravaNa, rains had subsided and autumn had set in. Onwards…
Having instructed the vAnara warriors to be summoned, sugrIva went back into his inner cave chambers. The sky cleared up from the rains. rAma was haunted by the agony of separation from his beloved and melancholy. Looking at the clear moonlit skies and the spread of moon light all over, an irresponsive sugrIva lost in pleasure pursuit unmindful of abducted sItA, as time ticked by, rAma became perturbed and anxious. He briefly recovered, still thinking of sItA, gathered his wits. Sitting atop the mountain replete with a variety of minerals, he beheld the clear autumn skies in which the sArasa cranes were flying letting out cackles. Beholding those, his mind went to sItA at once and he pitiably cried – “I wonder how the young woman sItA who used revel in the cackle of the sArasa cranes while living in the hermitage lives now. How could she be feeling looking at the seat made of golden yellow flowers and not finding me around? She used to wake up to the cackle of the swans earlier and I wonder how she must be feeling these days. The large and white eyed sItA had the chakravAka birds as her companions and reveled in their company listening to their cackles. Alas, how must she be feeling now? Although I roam by the rivers, lakes, ponds, forests and gardens, I find no joy bereft of the fawn eyed beloved of mine. Alas, even my delicate darling must be getting scorched by the pleasant autumn bereft of me”.
Thus rAma cried pitiably, just like the chakravAka bird cries and pleads to lord indra for rains. In the meanwhile, lakshmaNa who was going around the mountain slopes in order to fetch forest produce and fruits, returned and saw his graceful elder brother who was presently depressed and said –
किमार्य कामस्य वशंगतेन
किमात्मपौरुष्यपराभवेन।
अयं सदा संह्रियते समाधिः
किमत्र योगेन निवर्तितेन4.30.16।।
क्रियाभियोगं मनसः प्रसादं
समाधियोगानुगतं च कालम्।
सहायसामर्थ्यमदीनसत्त्वः
स्वकर्म हेतुं च कुरुष्व हेतुम्4.30.17।।
“O Arya (venerable one), how come you have grown so diffident and are under the spell of passion. The low self esteem will spoil the composure. Why don’t you regain composure by yOga. O dear, be action oriented, cheer up your mind, count on the help that you will receive and your own ability and stop worrying. Focus on the task at hand. O great descendent of manu, with you as protector, no one can claim jAnaki as his. Can anyone claim the flame of fire without burning to ashes himself”?
न जानकी मानव वंशनाथ
त्वया सनाथा सुलभा परेण।
न चाग्निचूडां ज्वलितामुपेत्य
न दह्यते वीर वरार्ह कच्छित्4.30.18।।
rAma spoke these spontaneous words to the invincible lakshmaNa which were well meaning, meaningful, had the sanction of the scriptures, laden with dharma and artha – “Indeed lakshmaNa, without doubt, this work needs focus. It needs to be broken down to tasks to the minute detail. The results of every type of action needs to be estimated”.
Then, recollecting the lotus eyed sItA, rAma’s mouth parched and he began describing the autumn to lakshmaNa –
“The thousand eyed indra, having propitiated the earth with waters and conferring abounding crops, stands accomplished. Having poured all the water, the thunderous clouds have calmed down. Having assumed a lighter shade of black, the empty clouds are spread thinly over the trees and mountains. They have quietened like the elephants who have lost their pride. The wind that drives the clouds now carries the fragrance of kuTaja and arjuna flowers. O lakshmaNa, the trumpets of the elephants and the screams of the peacocks the inhabitants of the praSravaNa mountain, has also gone quiet. The mountain peaks have been cleaned by the downpour and shine in the color of their minerals now.
The autumn has brought all round prosperity – the saptachhada trees are full of bloom and the bees are buzzing around those, the radiance of the sun, moon and the stars inundates the earth, the gentle breeze enhances the pride of elephants and they sport. Conferring ultimate beauty, the sun rays have touched and made the lotuses bloom thereby inviting the goddess of prosperity – lakshmI. Lotuses have bloomed on the rivers full of water and on that the chakravAka and the swans revel and spread the pollen on those flowers. The auspiciousness is multifold – in the sport of the elephant and cattle, in the gentle waters and the streams. Seeing the black clouds withdrawn, the peacock has shed its feathers and has lost zest in its partner and is in contemplation.
The forest regions are a treat to the eyes with the branches of the trees loaded with golden blooms and have bent with the weight of those. The herd of elephants is out to smell the lovely fragrance of the lotuses and inspired to mate. The skies shine forth like a sharp and polished weapon, the rivers flow in thin streams, the gentle breeze is pleasant and carries the scent of the lotuses, all quarters are free of darkness and are bright. The mud has dried due to the heat of the sun and the dust is rising after quite some time. The kings who have been nursing the idea of combat with rivals are getting ready as the time for the conquests is here.
सूर्यातपक्रामणनष्टपङ्का
भूमिश्चिरोदधाटितसान्द्ररेणुः।
अन्योन्यवैरेणसमायुताना
मुद्योगकालोऽद्य नराधिपानाम्4.30.37।।
The bulls with dust on their limbs ready for a bull fight are in the middle of the cows lending great beauty to the autumn. The she elephants follow their lords and drink from the lakes causing turbulence and scaring the chakravAka birds and swans. The cranes and swans sport in the puddle of muddy water, in the banks, among the cows and in the calm waters.
अनेकवर्णास्सुविनष्टकाया
नवोदितेष्वम्बुधरेषु नष्टाः।
क्षुधार्दिता घोरविषा बिलेभ्य
श्चिरोषिता विप्रसरन्ति सर्पाः4.30.44।।
With rains subsided, snakes of various hues, with bodies gone down due to long hibernation in the mounds are hungry and venture out. As the moon and the stars emerge in the sky delightfully, the lovely evening red is disappearing from the skies. The night appears lieka lovely woman, with the crescent moon as her lips, the twinkling stars as her eyes, and the sparkling moon light like her drape. The sArasa cranes having feasted on the grains in the fields are flying away in order and look like a flying garland.
सुप्तैकहंसं कुमुदैरुपेतं
महाह्रदस्थं सलिलं विभाति।
घनैर्विमुक्तं निशि पूर्णचन्द्रं
तारागणाकीर्णमिवान्तरिक्षम्4.30.48।।
With a swan sleeping in the waters and lilies bloomed all around, the lake looks like the lovely sky with the moon surrounded by stars. With the swans, lotuses, lilies, cranes and all look like the auspiciousness (lakshmI) looks like a well decked woman. The whistling of the bamboos and the moos of the bulls in the caves are complimenting each other. The white flowers of the kASa grass on the river banks looks like a silk drape.
The bees wafting in the wind, experts in partaking honey from the flowers are colored white by the pollen of the lotuses. The calm waters, bloomed lotuses, cackle of the cranes, gentle breeze, lovely moon, these all signal the end of rains.
जलं प्रसन्नं कुमुदं प्रभासं
क्रौञ्चस्वनश्शालिवनं विपक्वम्।
मृदुश्च वायुर्विमलश्च चन्द्र
श्शंसन्ति वर्षव्यपनीतकालम्4.30.53।।
The rivers exposing their fish have slowed down just like the women with slow gait in the morning tired after the sport. The river banks with the kASa grass, its white flowers and chakravAka birds appear like a well decked bride. The love god is aggressively out to torment the lovers with his flowery bow and arrow as the bees buzz merrily.
लोकं सुवृष्ट्या परितोषयित्वा
नदीस्तटाकानि च पूरयित्वा।
निष्पन्नसस्यां वसुधां च कृत्वा
त्यक्त्वा नभस्तोयधराः प्रणष्टाः4.30.57।।
Having satisfied the earth with abundant rains and filling up the rivers and lakes, resulting in bumper crop on the earth, the clouds bereft of water have disappeared. The rivers in the autumn slowly reveal their sandbanks which is akin to newly wed brides bashfully revealing themselves for the first time during their union. The swans, kurari birds, chakravAka birds are all over the place in the river banks and sands cooing sweetly. Lovely blooms of various hues has swept through the mountain slopes.
The time is right for the kings who are sworn rivals are making efforts to with a desire for conquest. However neither do I find sugrIva nor do I see any efforts on his part in this direction. Not able to see sItA, the four months of rain has felt like a hundred years, O gentle lakshmaNa. O lakshmaNa, as surely as the female chakravAka bird follows her mate, sItA followed me to the danDaka forests as if it was a pleasure garden. sugrIva shows no mercy on this grief stricken me who has been banished and whose wife has been abducted. I am downcast, away from home, tormented by rAvaNa, banished, smitten by passion and seeking obligation from sugrIva. That is the reason, the mean sugrIva is ignoring me. Having achieved his objective, the evil minded one doesn’t realize that he has crossed the time to begin the quest for sItA.
lakshmaNa, go enter kishkindhA and convey my message to the foolish and rustic sugrIva who is steeped in sensual pleasures. The worst person on the earth is he who having provided hope to the ones that approach him goes back on his word despite receiving favors from them earlier. On the other hand irrespective of whether it leads to good or bad, pne who keeps his word is the best among men. Upon their death, even beasts do not touch the corpse of those ungrateful people who receive help but do not return the favor.
नूनं काञ्चनपृष्ठस्य विकृष्टस्य मया रणे।
द्रष्टुमिच्छति चापस्य रूपं विद्युद्गणोपमम्4.30.74।।
I believe he wishes to see the full golden face of my bent bow which looks like a streak of lightning and wishes to hear again the thundering twang of the chord of my bow when I am fierce in a combat. O lakshmaNa, being aware of my valour and knowing well that you are with me, the king of vAnaras has still forgotten the the root of all this and the promise that he had given to me. Being lost in sensual pleasures surrounded by his ministers, the vAnara has not realized that the rainy season is past us and is not considerate to us who are stricken with grief.
O my dear mighty lakshmaNa, goto kishkindhA and convey to sugrIva the graphical picture of my anger. and tell him – ‘the route through which vAlI departed having been killed by me has not yet closed. Honor your promise and may you not follow vAlI on that path. vAlI alone was killed by me in the battle. But in your case, if you do not keep your word, you shall be killed along with your kin.
न च सङ्कुचितः पन्था येन वाली हतो गतः।
समये तिष्ठ सुग्रीव मा वालिपथमन्वगाः4.30.81।।
Honor the word given to me and follow the eternal dharma. Don’t be killed by my arrows and go to see vAlI who had already reached the lord of death’.
O lakshmaNa go and offer this and other timely good advice to sugrIva and tell him that time is already up”.
lakshmaNa upon gauging the raging anger of rAma and beholding his devastating grief, hardened his stance against sugrIva and seethed in anger.
Here we conclude the thirtieth 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: 4.31. Angry lakshmaNa accosts the weary vAnaras
Previous: 4.29. Timely advice from the able minister
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
