Śrīmad Vālmīki Rāmāyana (English Translation)

While Śrī Rāma and Sugrīva were deliberating with each other, Śatabali and other generals of the monkey army, followed by hordes of countless monkeys of various species, which covered the sky with the clouds of dust raised by them, arrive in their presence and bow down at their feet.

Embracing Sugrīva, who came all the way on a palanquin with Laksmana, and bowed down at Śrī Rāma's feet, and offering him a seat, the latter instructs him in a nutshell in statecraft and reminds him of his business. Expressing his indebtedness to Śrī Rāma for the unique favour done to him and giving to him an account of the efforts made by him, Sugrīva in his turn gratifies him by apprising hi...

Sugrīva commands Hanumān to dispatch messengers for collecting troops from all the four quarters. Receiving the message of Sugrīva, monkeys flock from all sides into his presence. Giving presents of fruits and roots etc., to their king, the messengers sent in advance by Nīla, announce to him the arrival of all the monkey hordes.

When Laksmana gets pacified by the conciliatory words of Tārā, Sugrīva glorifies Śrī Rāma and requests Laksmana to forgive his delinquency. Regaining his normal self, Laksmana too craves the forgiveness of Sugrīva for the harsh language employed by him in a fit of anger and asks him to approach Śrī Rāma and beg his pardon.

Consoling Laksmana, who was wroth against Sugrīva, by showing reasons for the delay, Tārā requests the former to compose himself, assuring him that everything will be accomplished.

Laksmana warns Sugrīva to rectify his mistake in neglecting his duty of conducting a search for Sītā, which amounted to ingratitude on his part, and not to follow the path of his elder brother, Vālī.

Ushered into Kiskindhā by Angada and others, Laksmana beholds stately mansions and other curios on both sides of the main road and, hearing the sound of vocal music accompanied by the sound of various musical instruments as well as the sweet jingling of anklets etc., coming from the palace of Sugrīva, twangs his bowstring. Hearing the twang of his bow, Sugrīva dispatches Tārā to him and the latter...

Seeing Sugrīva dismayed to hear of Laksmana's wrath from the mouth of Angada, Hanumān tells Sugrīva that the delay in honouring the understanding arrived at with Śrī Rāma was at the root of the latter's displeasure, and advises Sugrīva to pacify Laksmana and initiate the search for Sītā.

Concluding from the angry words of Śrī Rāma that he was wroth against Sugrīva, Laksmana gets ready to kill the latter. Pacifying Laksmana, Śrī Rāma, however, sends him to Sugrīva with instructions to adopt a conciliatory attitude towards him. Reaching Kiskindhā with a bow and arrow in hand and assuming an angry demeanour, Laksmana asks Angada to announce his arrival to Sugrīva. Even when apprised...

Glorifying Śrī Rāma as a hero, Laksmana comforts his brother who was wailing in many ways at the thought of Sītā, his agony of separation from her having been accentuated by the sight of the autumnal full moon and the water-lilies opening their petals during the night, His heart being captured by the wealth of beauties of autumn, Śrī Rāma extols the autumnal season and seeing Sugrīva inactive even...

Recounting the virtues of Śrī Rāma to Sugrīva, who had due to his love of the pleasures of sense forgotten all about Śrī Rāma's business and was neglecting it even after the advent of autumn - and reminding him of the work of Śrī Rāma, Hanumān urges Sugr∂va to collect an army with a view to conducting a search for Sītā. Awakened to a sense of his duty, Sugrīva enjoins Nīla to dispatch messenge...

Even though unable to bear the cool weather during the monsoon, emaciated as he was due to the agony of his separation from Sītā, and chatting with Laksmana on the unbearability of his said separation from Sītā, Śrī Rāma describes the rainy season.

Arrived at a cave of Mount Prasravana and seeing the place suitable for his residence, Śrī Rāma takes up his abode there. One day when he is seized with anguish caused by his separation from Sītā, Laksmana comforts him.

Requested by Hanumān to visit Kiskindhā, Śrī Rāma declines to do so on the ground of his having been prohibited by his father to enter the limits of a village or town and, directing that Sugrīva may be installed on the throne of Kiskindhā and Angada may assume the office of Prince Regent, he himself takes a vow to live in a cave till the end of the monsoon and leaves instructions to initiate a sea...

Śrī Rāma consoles Sugrīva and others. Entrusting Sugrīva with the work of getting firewood for the cremation of Vālī, Laksmana asks Tārā to arrange for a palanquin to carry Vālī in state to the crematory. Placing the dead body of Vālī as commanded byŚrī Rāma on the palanquin brought by Tārā, Sugrīva and others carry the palanquin to the riverside and, taking it down on a sandy bank, prepare a pyre...

Beseeching Angada and others to conduct the search for Sītā, Sugrīva, whose heart melted to hear the laments of Tārā, seeks Śrī Rāma's permission to enter fire to atone for Vālī's death, making Śrī Rāma sad. Approaching Śrī Rāma in her turn, Tārā extols him with devotion and expresses her intention to give up the ghost, on which Śrī Rāma expostulates with her and urges her to survive for t...

Though endeavouring, after smelling Vālī's face, to embrace him, Tārā finds herself unable to do so, bathed as he was in blood and daubed with dust. Nīla pulls out Śrī Rāma's arrow from his heart and, urged by Tārā, Angada bows down at his feet.

Craving the forgiveness of Sugrīva, though he was younger than he, and applauding the resolve of Tārā (to follow her husband), nay, urging Sugrīva to follow the advice of Tārā, look after Angada affectionately and accomplish the purpose of Śrī Rāma, Vālī asks Sugrīva to take off the gold chain from the formerís neck, and gives up the ghost while tendering wholesome advice to Angada. Extolling the...

Comforting Tārā, who was lamenting through a variety of expressions, Hanumān urges her to have the obsequies performed in respect of the departed soul by Angada and attend to the earthly good of Angada. Tārā, however, refuses to flinch from her resolve and prefers to follow her husband to the other world rather than bestow any thought on the earthly welfare of her son.

Clasping Vālī to her bosom and wailing piteously for the sake of Angada, Tārā resolves upon a fast unto death.

Agonized with grief to hear about the death of her husband, Tārā, wife of Vālī, sallied forth from Kiskindhā to arrive in the presence of Vālī. Fleeing helter-skelter through fear of Śrī Rāma and meeting Tārå on the way, the monkeys try to send her back inspiring fear in her and advise her to make arrangements for the defence of the city and install Angada on the throne. Rushing to the scene of co...

Śrī Rāma justifies his action by saying that the punishment meted out to Vālī in the form of taking his life was meet, having regard to the sin of depriving his own younger brother of his wedded wife, of which Vālī was guilty. Repenting for his having reproached Śrī Rāma, Vālī now seeks the latter's forgiveness and requests him to take care of his son, Angada. Agreeing to do so, Śrī Rāma comfo...

Still retaining his life and vital energy by virtue of the gold chain bestowed on him by Indra, though pierced in the breast with a deadly arrow, Vālī indignantly reproaches Śrī Rāma in many ways.

Spurning the advice of Tārā and reproaching her, Vālī goes forth to meet Sugrīva and there ensues a fierce encounter between the two brothers. When, however, Sugrīva is found losing ground, Vālī is struck with an arrow by Śrī Rāma and he falls to the ground.

Angrily issuing forth for an encounter on hearing the roar of Sugrīva, Vālī is discouraged with cogent reasons by his wife, Tārā.