Hari Om.
Let us begin the thirty third sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
A livid lakshmaNa cutting across the hills rashly entered kishkindhA engulfed by the rage of his brother’s anger! The usually brave vAnaras thought to browbeat him but got scared and ran away fearing his wrath. He met angada and asked him convey the news of his advent to sugrIva. The poor prince was caught between a raging lakshmaNa and a slumbering sugrIva! As the vAnaras tried to engage with lakshmaNa, the tumult woke sugrIva up from his slumber and he hurriedly summoned his council of ministers. He wondered as to what wrong he did to deserve the anger of the brothers rAma and lakshmaNa. He was mildly aware of the lapse on his part. He asked the council for their advice to navigate this crisis of fire in the friendship. The forthright and clearthinking hanumAn gave him a piece of his mind and said he had been too intoxicated to realize the advent of the autumn and that it was time to launch an expedition in quest of sItA. He further suggested that there was no way but to fall at the feet of lakshmaNa and request for mercy. Onwards…
lakshmaNa, the slayer of enemies having been approved by rAma, entered the delightful cave city of kishkindhA. Those giant and mighty vAnaras at the threshold who were guarding it stood alert with folded hands upon seeing lakshmaNa. Sensing the anger in lakshmaNa who was hissing with anger, the vAnara warriors neithe approached him nor made eye contact with him. The glorious lakshmaNa beheld the gold studded city in the cave, full of gardens, broad highways, mountains, streams, tall buildings like the mount vindhyA and mandarA studded with gems and precious stones, fruit and flower bearing trees, teeming with vAnaras who were the progeny of the gods and the demigods and capable of assuming any form at will, sporting gorgeous garlands, smeared with sandalwood and other sweet fragrances.
As he walked by he saw the delightful abodes of angada, mainda, dvivida, gavaya, gavAksha, gaja, Sarabha, vidyunmAlI, sampAtI, sUryAksha, hanumAn, vIrabAhU, subAhU, nala, kumuda, sushENa, tAra, jAmbavAn, dadhivaktra, nIla, supATala and sunEtra. Their beautiful houses were on the main road shining in brilliant white, with fragrance all around, prosperous with wealth and grains with gems of women around there in each of those.
Not too far from there he beheld the huge palace that was protected with a white railing at the outside, standing tall with gOpuram like the mount kailAsa, with a variety of trees and plants bearing fruits and plants planted delightfully, it was beautiful like the palace of lord indra. The giant trees looked imposing like black clouds. The prosperity showered by indra was all around. The palatial abode of sugrIva, the king of vAnaras, where mighty weapon wielding vAnaras stood guard. The entrance had a golden arch and a variety of glorious garlands. Like the sun enters the giant clouds unobstructed, saumitri entered the palace of sugrIva and went through the seven enclosures that were filled with various people and beheld the inner chambers. He could see there golden thrones, cots and various seats. As soon as he entered there songs in sweet voice accompanied by stringed instruments, sung aptly to the beat and pronunciation were heard being sung by delightful damsels who were proud of their appearance and youth. Those charming maidens wore garlands, well decked with ornaments, contented, leisurely and they sang beautifully, and as they walked their anklets jingled sweetly.
Upon seeing this palace teeming with lovely maidens and the jingles of their ornaments, saumitri became a tad embarrassed!
कूजितं नूपुराणां च काञ्चीनां निनदं तथा।
सन्निशम्य तत श्रीमान्सौमित्रिर्लज्जितोऽभवत्।।4.33.25।।
He flew into a rage upon hearing those tinkling sounds and immediately took his bow and pulled the string and the twang made such a deafening sound that it filled all the quarters! The mighty lakshmaNa of excellent conduct receded to a private spot and stood there engulfed by the anger of rAma!
रोषवेगप्रकुपितशश्रुत्वा चाभरणस्वनम्।
चकार ज्यास्वनं वीरो दिशश्शब्देन पूरयन्।।4.33.26।।
चारित्रेण महाबाहुरपकृष्ट स्सलक्ष्मणः।
तस्थावेकान्तमाश्रित्य रामकोपसमन्वितः।।4.33.27।।
Listening to the twang of the bow, sugrIva grasped the advent of lakshmaNa inside and immediately got up from his throne. He thought to himself that the news brought by angada was true indeed as was proved by the twang of the bow. The loving brother rAma was here. With this thought he was agitated and his mouth was parched. He turned to tArA, who was a delight to behold and in agitation he addressed her –
“O beautiful woman, what could be the reason behind the anger of the otherwise tender hearted lakshmaNa because of which he has descended here with such wrath? Great men do not get angry without a reason, so what reason do you see here for the anger of the this prince? If you are aware of something untoward committed by us, please point it out as soon as possible. Or, may be, O lovely lady, you should see him yourself and with with sweet words you can calm him down.
त्वद्दर्शन विशुद्धात्मा न स कोपं करिष्यति।
न हि स्त्रीषु महात्मानः क्वचित्कुर्वन्ति दारुणम्।।4.33.36।।
He is a pure hearted person and he won’t subject you to his wrath because gentlemen do not torment ladies anywhere. Once his rage has clamed down by your sweet words, I shall meet the lotus eyed lakshmaNa, the slayer of enemies”.
Upon sugrIva’s instruction, tArA of great qualities, with her drowsy eyes and drunken gaze, with her golden girdle hanging low, with faltering steps reached the presence of lakshmaNa. As soon as lakshmaNa saw the consort of the king of vAnaras near him, by that proximity he got cold and took his gaze off and looked downward and his anger was quenched.
स तां समीक्ष्यैव हरीशपन्तीं
तस्थावुदासीनतया महात्मा।
अवाङ्मुखोऽभून्मनुजेन्द्रपुत्रः
स्त्रीसन्निकर्षाद्विनिवृत्तकोपः।।4.33.39।।
सा पानयोगाद्विनिवृत्तलज्जा
दृष्टिप्रसादाच्च नरेन्द्रसूनोः।
उवाच तारा प्रणयप्रगल्भं
वाक्यं महार्थं परिसान्त्वपूर्वम्।।4.33.40।।
Being high on drinks, a tad immodestly, taking advantage of the lack of eye contact from lakshmaNa tArA spoke meaningful words eloquently showering affection –
“O prince, what indeed is the root cause of this anger? Who is that who doesn’t confirm to your command? Who is it who wants to approach a raging forest fire full of dry trees”?
किं कोपमूलं मनुजेन्द्रपुत्र
कस्ते न सन्तिष्ठति वाङ्निदेशे।
क श्शुष्कवृक्षं वनमापतन्तं
दावाग्निमासीदति निर्विशङ्कः।।4.33.41।।
Having heard her pleasing and calming words dripping with sweetness and affection, lakshmaNa replied –
“O well wisher of your husband, o articulate tArA, What is it with your husband sugrIva who has lost the sense of righteousness and earning the means? He minds neither his kingdom nor us who are grief-stricken nor does he keep tab on the council of minister lost in his passionate pursuits. Loitering here and there he has frittered away the four months and doesn’t realize that he has not kept his promise.
न हि धर्मार्थसिद्ध्यर्थं पानमेवं प्रशस्यते।
पानादर्थश्च धर्मश्च कामश्च परिहीयते।।4.33.46।।
The habit of drinking is a huge obstruction for attaining the dharma and artha – righteousness and means. It destroys the trifold pursuits of righteousness, earning means and meeting one’s cherished goals. Not repaying the help that has been received destroys righteousness and it leads to the loss of a great friend and brings ruin. A good friend who is committed to truth and righteousness is to be prioritized over ones desires and goals. If one gives up such a friend, how can he be expected to safeguard dharma?
O tArA you are responsible and aware of duties, you ought to advise him in this situation about the course of action”.
Hearing the sincere and meaningful words of lakshmaNa laden with dharma, tArA replied sweetly and with conviction assuring lakshmaNa –
“O son of the king, this is not the time to get angry with your own people. You ought to bear with your own people even if they make a mistake. You are an embodiment of virtues and as such how can you be angry with someone inferior to you? I am aware of the reason for your anger, O friend of the king of vAnaras, I am aware of the lapse of time and the effort on our part, I am also aware of the mission. O prince, I am also aware of the irresistible power of the lust that arises out of the body under whose influence sugrIva, sporting with me, has set his shame aside and has neither sense of place nor time. This passion and lust surely destroy the dharma and artha (means) of a person.
Your mind is not after these sensual desires and therefore, O slayer of enemies, please forgive the king of vAnaras who is like your own brother. In fact, sages who are great embodiments of penance and dharma were deluded and not able to hold back their passion and lust. What then to speak of this vAnara who is fickle by nature and how can the king of them not be lost in luxuries”?
Having said this, the tArA of drunken gaze, again spoke words that cause welfare of her husband –
“Even lost in passionate pursuits, sugrIvas has not forgotten his duty. In fact he has already summoned crores and hundreds of thousands of vAnaras who live in various mountain ranges in order to serve in your mission. O lakshmaNa, mighty one, come on in, you have safe guarded your conduct by not barging in, it is not unrighteous to see and speak to wives of friends with affection”.
Having been permitted by tArA and pressed by the urgency of the matter, lakshmaNa entered into the inner chambers. There lakshmaNa beheld the brilliant sugrIva, lying on a golden couch, bedecked with jewels, looking inaccessible like lord indra surrounded by fragrant garlands and women. Seeing him thus lakshmaNa seethed in anger with his eyes turning red and he appeared like yama, the god of death cast a raging glare at the wide eyed sugrIva who sat hugging rumA on that golden throne!
रुमां तु वीर परिरभ्य गाढं
वरासनस्थो वरहेमवर्णः।
ददर्श सौमित्रिमदीनसत्त्वं
विशालनेत्रस्सुविशालनेत्रम्।।4.33.66।।
Here we conclude the thirty 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: 4.34. lakshmaNa rains wrath on sugrIva
Previous: 4.32. hanumAn says, take it on the chin!
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
