Hari Om.
Let us begin the eighth sarga of the kishkindhA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
The bond of friendship between the duo who were facing similar challenges in their lives at that time was fortifying by the minute. While sugrIva gave the example of his own never-say-die spirit to uplift a wailing rAma’s spirits, finding comfort in his words, rAma regained his composure. He was thankful for the friendship and he clearly saw that it was impossible to find such a dependable and capable friend in such tough times. On his part, rAma assured sugrIva that he will do what it takes to help sugrIva win back his wife as well as kingdom which were sieged by his enemy brother vAlI. The two friends thus reassured each other of their unflinching support in accomplishing the tasks of each other and rejoiced. rAma wanted to know the background of sugrIva’s enmity with vAlI. Onwards…
sugrIva was much delighted to hear the reassuring words of rAma to kill his enemy brother vAlI and with lakshmaNa listening as well, he said to rAma –
“Indeed I am blessed by the gods that I have found as a friend such a repository of virtues.
सर्वथाऽहमनुग्राह्यो देवतानां न संशयः।
उपपन्न गुणोपेतस्सखा यस्य भवान्मम4.8.2।।
शक्यं खलु भवेद्राम सहायेन त्वयाऽनघ।
सुरराज्यमपि प्राप्तुं स्वराज्यं किं पुनः प्रभो 4.8.3।।
O rAma, indeed it is possible to conquer the kingdom of gods with your help, then what to talk of own kingdom. Having befriended a scion of the raghu dynasty, my standing among my peers and friends has become on par with them. You will also in due course realize that I am a companion worthy of you, it won’t befit me to speak about my virtues. The affection of accomplished and great people like you is unflinching just like the perseverance of a self-controlled person. Gentlemen agree that there is there is nothing including gold, silver or great clothes and ornaments are more precious than their friendship and there is no division of these among them. Whether one is rich or poor, sad or happy, guilty or otherwise, the friend is the ultimate refuge for one. Experiencing such unconditional friendship, a friend is ready to give up wealth, comfort or even one’s very life for the sake of the other”.
rAma nodded in agreement about sugrIva’s monologue on friendship in the presence of lakshmaNa who stood witness to these endearing words. Seeing rAma standing all the while as he was talking sugrIva looked around in the forest and not too far found a sAl tree in full bloom and also sporting leaves, broke a sturdy branch containing leaves and flowers and offered it as a seat to rAma and the friends sat down. hanumAn did likewise for lakshmaNa. Beholding rAma seated thus in the middle of forest with flowers and fruits abound, with the tranquility of an ocean, sugrIva began to narrate excitedly to rAma with love and affection-
“I have been offended by my brother vAlI. Having developed enmity with him and my wife usurped by him, I roam the RshyamUka mountains in fear of him. O rAma, the refuge of all the worlds from fear, you ought to come to the rescue of this fear-stricken me, an orphan, who roams mortified and scared in these forests”.
वालिनो मे भयार्तस्य सर्वलोकाभयङ्कर।
ममापि त्वमनाथस्य प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि4.8.19।।
Pleaded thus by vAlI, the radiant and dhArmic rAma who was well aware of dharma, smiled and replied –
उपकारफलं मित्रमपकारोऽरिलक्षणम्।
अद्यैव तं हनिष्यामि तव भार्यापहारिणम्4.8.21।।
“The essence of friendship is help while harm characterizes the enemy. Look at these arrows, made of reeds from the forest where kArtikEya was born, decked with gold, have feathers made of kanka leaves, hissing like an angry serpent they fly swiftly spitting fire, sharp and pointed, hit with the impact of the thundebolt of indra. With this arrow your enemy masquerading as your brother shall be slain and he shall collapse like the broken peak of a mountain”.
sugrIva excitedly hailed rAma for that assurance and replied –
राम शोकाभिभूतोऽहं शोकार्तानां भवान्गतिः।
वयस्य इति कृत्वा हि त्वय्यहं परिदेवये4.8.26।।
“O rAma, I am wretched in misery and you are the refuse of those soaked in sorrow. Since you are my companion, I am confiding in you. The hand of friendship that you extended to me with agni as witness is dearer to me than my own life, I swear by truth. Finding comfort in the fact that you are my friend, I am pouring out the grief in my heart that is tormenting me”.
As he spoke thus, sugrIva’s throat choked, river of tears rushed down his cheeks and he could barely speak audibly. With rAma in front of him, sugrIva quickly controlled himself, wiped his tears and letting out a sigh, resumed –
“O rAma, earlier, I was dethroned by vAlI from the kingdom and while doing so, he usurped my wife who is dearer than my own life from me, rounded up my supporters and well wishers and put them in prison, insulted me disgracefully and forcibly banished me from the kingdom. He has been sending vAnara warriors from time to time to kill me but all of them have been themselves killed by me. I began looking at everyone with suspicion and that was the reason when I saw you, I did come in front of you myself. When one is afraid, everything causes fear in him! These vAnaras led by hanumAn are the only ones who have been with me, protecting me when I go out and staying back with me when needed. It is only because of them that I am able to survive.
Why go into a lot of details, briefly, this vAlI, known for his might and prowess, my elder brother is my enemy. My sorrow will be destroyed only by his death. Both my happiness and life are connected to his destruction.
O rAma, this is what I submit to you, tormented by sorrow about the way out of this sorrow. Both in times good bad, a friend is indeed the refuge of a friend”.
एष मे राम शोकान्तश्शोकार्तेन निवेदितः।
दुःखितस्सुखितो वापि सख्युर्नित्यं सखा गतिः4.8.40।।
Having heard the submission of sugrIva rAma said –
“What was the reason for this enmity, please narrate to me factually. After knowing the actual reasons behind your sorrow, I shall weigh your strengths and weaknesses, I shall do the needful. The saga of your insult is heartrending and makes me restless like the gushing waters of the rainy season. Come on, feel free to narrate to me, the reason behind all this. As soon as I string my bow and release the arrow, your enemy will be destroyed”.
Assured thus by rAma, sugrIva was extremely delighted in the presence of his vAnara mates and happily began to narrate the facts that led to his enmity with vAlI to the elder brother of lakshmaNa.
Here we conclude the eighth 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: 4.9. vAlI slays old enemy, makes a new one
Previous: 4.7. Reassuring mates strike a chord
rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 
