Sloka & Translation

[Hanuman's startegy to change Angada.]

tathā bruvati tārē tu tārādhipativarcasi.

atha mēnē hṛtaṅ rājyaṅ hanūmānaṅgadēna tat৷৷4.54.1৷৷


tārādhipativarcasi face like the moon, lord of stars, tārē when Tara, tathā thus, bruvati spoke, atha then, hanūmān Hanuman, aṅgadēna by Angada, tat that, rājyam kingdom, hṛtam taken over, mēnē thought.

Hanuman listened to the proposal of Tara, whose face was like the Moon, lord of the stars. (After listening to Tara) he thought Angada might take over the kingdom from Sugriva.
buddhyā hyaṣṭāṅgayā yuktaṅ caturbalasamanvitam.

caturdaśaguṇaṅ mēnē hanūmānvālinassutam৷৷4.54.2৷৷


hanūmān Hanuman, vālinaḥ Vali's, sutam son, aṣṭāṅgayā with eight limbs, buddhyā with intellect, yuktam endowed, caturbalasamanvitam possessed of four kinds of strength, caturdaśaguṇam having fourteen qualities, mēnē thought.

Hanuman thought Vali's son possessed in addition to his intellect, eight kinds of limbs, four kinds of strength and fourteen qualities (required of a king):
āpūryamāṇaṅ śaśvacca tējōbalaparākramaiḥ.

śaśinaṅ śuklapakṣādau vardhamānamiva śriyā৷৷4.54.3৷৷

bṛhaspatisamaṅ buddhyā vikramē sadṛśaṅ pituḥ.

śuśrūṣamāṇaṅ tārasya śakrasyēva purandaram৷৷4.54.4৷৷

bharturarthē pariśrāntaṅ sarvaśāstravidāṅvaram.

abhisandhātumārēbhē hanūmānaṅgadaṅ tataḥ৷৷4.54.5৷৷


śaśvat eternally, tējōbalaparākramaiḥ with brilliance, strength and valour, āpūryamāṇam being filled, śuklapakṣādau at the beginning of the bright fortnight, śaśinamiva like the Moon, śriyā with majesty, vardhamānam constantly growing, buddhyā in intellect, bṛhaspatisamam equal to Brhaspati, vikramē in valour, pituḥ of his father, sadṛśam like to, śukrasya Sukra's, purandaram iva like Indra, the breaker of citadel, tārasya Tara's, śuśrūṣamāṇam serving, bhartuḥ the king, arthē for the sake of, pariśrāntam tired, aṅgadam Angada, sarvaśāśtravidāṅvaram versed in all sastras, hanumān Hanuman, tataḥ then, abhisandhātum to consult deliberately, ārēbhē started.

Hanuman proceeded to win over Angada, who was ever shining in strength and valour, who was growing in majesty constantly like the Moon in the bright fornight, whose intellectual prowess was equal to that of Brhaspati, who was equal to his father in valour and who was well-versed in all sastras. Angada was listening toTara like Indra listened to Sukra (preceptor of the demons).
sa caturṇāmupāyānāṅ tṛtīyamupavarṇayan.

bhēdayāmāsa tānsarvān vānarānvākyasampadā৷৷4.54.6৷৷


saḥ that, caturṇām of the four, upāyānām of means, tṛtīyam third one, upavarṇayan while describing, tānsarvān all of them, vānarān monkeys, vākyasampadā with wealth of arguments, bhēdayāmāsa created differences.

Resorting to the third strategy out of the four ways of achieving an objective Hanuman created differences among the monkeys with skilful arguments. (Sama, Dana, Bheda and Danda are the four means. Hanuman adopted Bheda as a means of winning over an enemy).
tēṣu sarvēṣu bhinnēṣu tatō.bhīṣayadaṅgadam.

bhīṣaṇairbhahubhirvākyai: kōpōpāyasamanvitaiḥ৷৷4.54.7৷৷


tēṣu of them, sarvēṣu all, bhinnēṣu of the differences, tataḥ then, kōpōpāyasamanvitaiḥ strategy to cause both anger and expediency, bhīṣaṇaiḥ with frightening, bahubhi: by many, vākyaiḥ with arguments, aṅgadam to Angada, abhīṣayat frightened.

When there were differences among the monkeys over the issue, Hanuman intimidated Angada with frightening words expressing his anger, using skilful arguments:
tvaṅ samarthataraḥ pitrā yuddhē tārēya vai dhuram.

dṛḍhaṅ dhārayituṅ śaktaḥ kapirājyaṅ yathā pitā৷৷4.54.8৷৷


tārēya O son of Tara, tvam you, yuddhē in combat, pitrā compared to your father, samarthataraḥ you are very efficient, vai indeed, dhuram yoke (responsibility of running the kingdom), pitā yathā like your father, kapirājyam kingdom of the monkeys, dṛḍham firmly, dhārayitum to hold, śaktaḥ capable.

'O Son of Tara! you are, indeed, very efficient like your father in combat. You can hold firmly the responsibilty of the vanara kingdom like your father.
nityamasthiracittā hi kapayō haripuṅgava!.

nājñāpyaṅ viṣahiṣyanti putradārānvinā tvayā৷৷4.54.9৷৷


haripuṅgava O leader of monkeys, kapayaḥ vanaras, nityam always, asthiracittāḥ hi they are fickle minded, putradārān sons and wives, vinā without, tvayā with you, ājñāpyam command, na viṣahiṣyanti will never tolerate.

'O leader among monkeys! Vanaras are always fickle-minded. Being away from their sons and wives they will not always carry out your command and stay here forever.
tvāṅ naitēhyanuyuñjēyu: pratyakṣaṅ pravadāmi tē.

yathāyaṅ jāmbavānnīlassuhōtraśca mahākapiḥ৷৷4.54.10৷৷

na hyahaṅ tē imē sarvē sāmadānādibhirguṇaiḥ.

daṇḍēna vā tvayā śakyāssugrīvādapakarṣitam৷৷4.54.11৷৷


pratyakṣam directly, tē to you, yathā as, pravadāmi I am speaking, ayam this, jāmbavān Jambavan, nīlaḥ Nila, mahākapiḥ great monkey, suhōtraśca Suhotra also, ētē them, tvām you, nānuyuñjēyuḥ hi will not following you, aham I am, na hi not, tē you, imē these, sarvē all, sāmadānādibhiḥ through the policy of appeasement, guṇaiḥ by merit, daṇḍēna by punishment, tvayā by you, sugrīvāt from Sugriva, apakarṣitum to avert, na śakyāḥ not possible.

'This I am telling you openly and frankly. These monkeys are not going to be obedient to you. Neither Jambavan, nor Nila nor the great monkey Suhotra nor even myself would subscribe to this opinion (of staying in the cave) and follow you. It is not possible for you to keep us or these monkeys from Sugriva through the policy of appeasement like Sama, Dana, Bheda or even Danda (persuasion, giving gifts, creating differences or imposing punishment).
vigṛhyāsanamapyāhurdurbalēna balīyasaḥ.

ātmarakṣākarastasmānna vigṛhṇīta durbalaḥ৷৷4.54.12৷৷


balīyasa: with a strong man, durbalēna by a weak one, vigṛhya waging war, āsanam api remaining quiet, watching (a kind of war strategy), āhuḥ it is said, tasmāt therefore, ātmarakṣākaraḥ for self-protection, durbalaḥ a weak one, na vigṛhṇīta should not wage.

'It is said that when a strong man fights a weak one, the weak opponent should adopt the strategy of asana (watching) for self-protection. The weak should not enter into combat with the strong.
yāṅ cēmāṅ manyasē dhātrīmētadbilamiti śrutam.

ētallakṣmaṇabāṇānāmīṣatkāryaṅ vidāraṇē৷৷4.54.13৷৷


yām whichever, imām this, dhātrīm earth, manyasē you may be thinking, ētat this, bilam cave, iti in this way, śrutam is known, lakṣmaṇabāṇānām for the arrows of Lakshmana, ētat this, vidāraṇam breaking, īṣatkāryam is a very small task.

'You may think it safe to stay here in this opening of the earth. It is a petty task for the arrows of Lakshmana to break open this so-called cave.
svalpaṅ hi kṛtamindrēṇa kṣipatā hyaśaniṅ purā.

lakṣmaṇō niśitairbāṇairbhindhyātpatrapuṭaṅ yathā৷৷4.54.14৷৷


purā earlier, aśanim a thunderbolt, kṣipatā by throwing, indrēṇa by Indra, svalpam a little, kṛtaṅ hi has done, lakṣmaṇaḥ Lakshmana, niśitai: with sharp ones, bāṇaiḥ with arrows, patrapuṭam yathā like tearing a leaf cup, bhindyāt he can shatter.

'In the past Indra had done a small damage (to the cave) with his thunderbolt. But with his sharp arrows Lakshmana will shatter the cave easily as though it is a leaf cup.
lakṣmaṇasya ca nārācā bahavassanti tadvidhāḥ.

vajrāśanisamasparśā girīṇāmapi dāraṇāḥ৷৷4.54.15৷৷


vajrāśanisamasparśāḥ whose touch has the effect of a thunderbolt, girīṇāmapi even of the mountains, dāraṇāḥ breakers, tadvidhāḥ similarly, bahavaḥ many, lakṣmaṇasya with Lakshmana, nārācāḥ iron arrows, santi there are, ca and.

'Lakshmna has many such iron arrows that are equal to the thunderbolt. They can even split the mountains.
avasthānē yadaiva tvamāsiṣyasi parantapa!.

tadaiva harayassarvē tyakṣyanti kṛtaniścayāḥ.4.54.16৷৷


parantapa! O scorcher of enemies, tvam you, yadaiva whenever, avasthānē to stay here, āsiṣyasi decide, tadaiva at that moment, sarvē all these, harayaḥ monkeys, kṛtaniścayāḥ decidedly, tyakṣyanti desert

'O scorcher of enemies! the moment you decide to establish yourself here, all these
monkeys will surely desert you.
smarantaḥ putradārāṇāṅ nityōdvignā bubhukṣitāḥ.

khēditā duḥkhaśayyābhistvāṅ kariṣyanti pṛṣṭhataḥ৷৷4.54.17৷৷


putradārāṇām about their sons and wives, smarantaḥ while they are remembering, nityōdvignāḥ always anxious, bubhukṣitāḥ hungry ones, duḥkhaśayyābhiḥ with inconvenient beds, khēditāḥ depressed, tvām you, pṛṣṭhataḥ kariṣyanti will leave you behind.

'The memory of their sons and wives will haunt these hungry monkeys. The inconvenient bed will make them so depressed that they will leave you behind.
sa tvaṅ hīnassuhṛdbhiśca hitakāmaiśca bandhubhiḥ.

tṛṇādapi bhṛśōdvignasspandamānādbhaviṣyasi৷৷4.54.18৷৷


suhṛdbhiśca even with friends also, hitakāmaiḥ by the well-wishers, bandhubhiśca even with your relatives, hīnaḥ left out, saḥ tvam such a person, spandamānāt trembling, tṛṇādapi from a blade of grass, bhṛśōdvignaḥ you will be very much frightened, bhaviṣyasi you will be.

'Left out of your friends and relatives,who are your well-wishers, you will be very frightened even by the trembling of a blade of grass.
na ca jātu na hiṅsyustvāṅ ghōrā lakṣmaṇasāyakāḥ .

apavṛttaṅ jighāṅsantō mahāvēgā durāsadāḥ ৷৷ 4.54.19 ৷৷


In Progress

In Progress
na ca jātu na hiṅsyustvā ghōrā lakṣmaṇasāyakāḥ.

apāvṛttaṅ jighāṅsantō mahāvēgā durāsadāḥ৷৷4.54.20৷৷


lakṣmaṇasāyakāḥ Lakshmana's arrows, tvā (m) you, na ca jātu na hiṅsyu: it is not that they do not torture you, ghōrāḥ dreadful, apāvṛttam an escaping enemy, jighāṅsantaḥ while desiring to kill, mahāvēgāḥ of great speed, durāsadāḥ difficult to challenge.

'It is not that Lakshmana's dreadful arrows flying at great speed will not torture you. It will be difficult for you to avert them as they are eager to kill an escaping enemy.
asmābhistu gataṅ sārdhaṅ vinītavadupasthitam.

ānupūrvyāttu sugrīvō rājyē tvāṅ sthāpayiṣyati৷৷4.54.21৷৷


asmābhiḥ sārdham along with us, gatam when you go, vinītavat humbly, upasthitam approached, tvām you, sugrīvaḥ Sugriva, rājyē in the kingdom, ānupūrvyāt following the law of succession, sthāpayiṣyati he will make you king, tu indeed.

'If along with us you approach Sugriva in a humble manner he will make you his successor to the kingdom.
dharmakāmaḥ pitṛvyastē prītikāmō dṛḍhavrataḥ.

śucissatyapratijñaśca na tvāṅ jātu jighāṅsati৷৷4.54.22৷৷


tē your, pitṛvyaḥ father's brother, dharmakāmaḥ a good-intentioned, prītikāmaḥ pleasure-loving, dṛḍhavrataḥ steadfast, śuciḥ virtuous one, satyapratijñaśca one who is true to his promise, tvām you also, jātu go with, na jighāṅsati will not punish you.

'Your father's brother is virtuous, well-intentioned, loving, steadfast in action, and true to his promise. He will not kill you.
priyakāmaśca tē mātustadarthaṅ cāsya jīvitam.

tasyāpatyaṅ ca nāstyanyattasmādaṅgada! gamyatām৷৷4.54.23৷৷


tē your, mātuḥ mother's, priyakāmaśca he would like to please her, asya jīvitam his life, tadarthaṅ ca for that purpose, tasya her, anyat another one, apatyaṅ ca offspring, nāsti is not, aṅgada Angada, tasmāt therefore, gamyatām go back.

'Your mother is his life and he would love to please her. He has no offspring other than you. Therefore, go back.'
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē kiṣkindhākāṇḍē catuṣpañcāśassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the fiftyfourth sarga in Kishkindakanda of the first epic, the Holy Ramayana composed by sage Valmiki.