Chapter [Sarga] 23  

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Book IV : Kishkindha Kanda - The Empire of Holy Monkeys

Chapter [Sarga] 23

Introduction

Tara's lamentation is narrated in here. Seeing at her departed husband Vali, Tara pitiably wails for his demise as any ordinary woman would.

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tataH samupajighra.ntii kapi raajasya tat mukham |
patim lokashrutaa taaraa mR^itam vacanam abraviit || 4-23-1
1. tataH= then; loka shrutaa= by world, well-heard - renowned; [lokaat cyutam= fell out from this world - Vali]; taaraa= Tara; kapi raajasya tat mukham= monkey, king's, that, face; samupajighrantii [sam upa jighrantii]= very, closely, on whiffing; mR^itam patim vacanam abraviit= to dead, husband, words, spoke.
Then that renowned Tara closely whiffed that face of monkey's king Vali and spoke these words to her dead husband. [3-23-1]
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sheSe tvam viSame duHkham akR^itvaa vacanam mama |
upala upacite viira suduHkhe vasudhaa tale || 4-23-2
2. viira= oh, brave one; mama vacanam a + kR^itvaa= my, word, not, doing - heedless of my word; tvam= you; viSame= on an uneven; upala upacite= stones, spread over; su duHkhe= very, rough; vasudhaa tale= on earth's, surface; duHkham sheSe= miserably, you are reposing.
"Heedless of my word, oh, brave one, you are reposing miserably on a very rough and uneven ground spread with stones. [3-23-2]
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mattaH priyataraa nuunam vaanarendra mahii tava |
sheSe hi taam pariSvajya maam ca na pratibhaaSase || 4-23-3
3. vaanara indra= monkey's, the best; mahii = earth; tava to you; mat taH= than me; nuunam priya taraa= definitely, dear, more; hi= why because; taam pariSvajya sheSe= her - earth, on embracing, you repose; maam na prati bhaaSase= to me, not, in turn, speaking -replying.
"This earth must definitely be your beloved one, oh, best of monkeys, why because, you still embrace her while you recline on her, without replying me. [3-23-3]
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sugriivasya vasham praapto vidhiH eSa bhavatya aho |
sugriiva eva vikraa.nto viira saahasika priya || 4-23-4
4. viira= oh, valiant one; saahasika priya = oh, in adventures, enthusiast sugriivasya vasham praaptaH= Sugreeva's, control, you obtained - you have gone in; sugriiva eva vikraantaH= Sugreeva, alone, triumphed; eSa vidhiH bhavati = this way, fate, is happening [in an interrogative]; aho= oho.
"You have gone into the control of Sugreeva and Sugreeva alone triumphed, oh, brave one, oh, enthusiast in adventures, oho, is it fated to happen this way. [3-23-4]
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R^ikSa vaanara mukhyaaH tvaam balinam paryupaasate |
teSaam vilapitam kR^icChram a.ngadasya ca shocataH || 4-23-5
mama ca imaa giraH shrutvaa kim tvam na pratibudhyase |
5, 6a. R^ikSa vaanara mukhyaaH= bears, monkeys, chiefs; balinam= as worshipful one [not lexical mighty]; tvaam pari upaasate= [you as the] mightiest one, you, wholly, are adoring; teSaam kR^icChram vilapitam = their, despairing, wailing; shocataH angadasya ca = lamentation, of Angada, also; mama imaa giraH ca= mine, these, utterances [in keen]; shrutvaa= on hearing; kim tvam na = why, you, not; prati budhyase= in turn, wake up, come to senses.
"These chiefs of bears and monkeys are adoring you in every respect as their most worshipful one, and on hearing their despairing wailing, and the lamentation of Angada, and even these utterance of mine in keen, why do not you comeback to senses. [3-23-5, 6a]
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idam tat viira shayanam tatra sheSe hato yudhi || 4-23-6
shaayitaa nihataa yatra tvayaa eva ripavaH puraa |
6b, 7a. tvayyaiva [tvayaa eva]= by you, only; puraa nihataa ripavaH= once, eliminated, enemies; yatra shaayitaa= where, made to recline [by you]; tat viira shayanam= that, the brave, bed of; idam yudhi hataH = in this, fight, felled; tatra sheSe?= there [on the very daybed,] do you wish to recline; [kim= or, what.]
"Do you wish to repose on the very daybed on which you have laid your enemies to rest when you have once felled them in fights, or what? [3-23-6b, 7a]
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vishuddha sattva abhijana priyayuddha mama priya || 4-23-7
maam anaathaam vihaaya ekaam gataH tvam asi maanada |
7b, 8a. vishuddha sattva abhijana= pristine, calibre, successor of clan; priya yuddha= oh, one fond of - a devotee of, fighting; maana da= oh, dignity, accorder of; mama priya = oh, my, dear one - devout one to me; tvam= you; a+naatham= without, husband - protector; maam ekaam vihaaya= me, lonely, on leaving; gataH asi= gone, you are.
"Oh, successor of a clan with pristine calibre, oh, accorder of dignity, oh, devotee of fighting, oh, my dear, have you gone on leaving me without a protector and lonely? [3-23-7b, 8a]
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shuuraaya na pradaatavyaa kanyaa khalu vipashcitaa || 4-23-8
shuura bhaaryaam hataam pashya sadyo maam vidhavaam kR^itaam |
8b, 9a. vi pashcitaa= by really, considerate ones [father of brides]; kanyaa= brides; shuuraaya na pradaatavyaa khalu = to adventurers, not, to be proposed, they say; sadyaH= immediately, in a trice; vi dhavaam kR^itaam= without, husband, made [widow, rendered as]; hataam= left in the lurch; shuura bhaaryaam= adventurer's, wife; maam pashya= me, see.
"Really considerate fathers shall never propose brides to adventurers, they say. Yes! See me the wife of an adventurer, in a trice rendered as a war-widow left in the lurch. [3-23-8b, 9a]
For this Sage Kaatyaana says d¨rasth˜n˜m avidy˜n˜m mokÿa m˜rga anus˜riõ˜m | þ¨r˜õ˜m nir dhan˜n˜m ca na dey˜ kanyak˜ budhai× || 'to those bridegrooms who reside in distant places, uneducated, seekers of salvation, daring ones, un-wealthy brides shall not be given by wisemen...'
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avabhagnaH ca me maano bhagnaa me shaashvatii gatiH || 4-23-9
agaadhe ca nimagnaa asmi vipule shoka saagare |
9b, 10a. me maanaH= my, self-respect, honour as an empress; ava bhagnaH ca = down, broken - degenerated, also; me shaashvatii gatiH= my, eternal, course - happiness; bhagnaa= broken - disintegrated; agaadhe vipule shoka saagare = in abyssal, boundless, anguish, [called] ocean; nimagnaa asmi= deluged, I am.
"My honour is degenerated and my eternal happiness is disintegrated, and I am deluged in an abyssal boundless ocean called anguish. [3-23-9b, 10a]
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ashma saaramayam nuunam idam me hR^idayam dR^iDham || 4-23-10
bhartaaram nihatam dR^iSTvaa yat na adya shatadhaa gatam |
10b, 11a. nihatam bhartaaram dR^iSTvaa= killed, husband, on seeing; yat= which [heart]; adya shatadhaa na gatam [kR^itam]= now, in hundredfold, not, gone into [splintered]; [tat= that heart]; me dR^iDham idam hR^idayam = mine, solid, this, heart; ashma saara mayam= metallic, substance, dense with; nuunam= definitely.
"And dense with metallic substance is this heart of mine in its solidity, since it is not splintering into hundredfold even on seeing my husband killed, it is definite. [3-23-10b, 11a]
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suhR^it caiva hi bhartaa ca prakR^ityaa ca mama priyaH || 4-23-11
prahaare ca paraakraantaH shuuraH pa.ncatvam aagataH |
11b, 12a mama= to me prakR^ityaa priyaH = by nature, beloved one; su hR^it caiva= good, hearted one, also thus; bhartaa ca= husband, also; prahaare para aakraantaH ca= in assaults, others - enemies, overcoming [triumphant one]; shuuraH= valiant one; such as you are, you have; pancatvam aagataH= fifth state, come over by.
"By your nature you are my beloved, besides, you are a good-hearted one, more so, you are my husband, moreover, you are a valiant triumphing over your enemies in assaults, such as you are you have attained the fifth state, the death. [3-23-11b, 12a]
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pati hiinaa tu yaa naarii kaamam bhavatu putriNii || 4-23-12
dhana dhaanya samR^iddhaa api vidhavaa iti ucyate janaiH |
12b, 13a. yaa naarii= which, woman; pati hiinaa= husband, without; putriNii bhavatu kaamam= mothered [many children,] she may be, perhaps; dhana dhaanya sam+vR^iddhaa api= riches, food grains [yields,] well, prosperous with, even if; janaiH [budhiaH]= by people [by elders]; vi + dhavaa= departed, husband [a widow]; iti= thus as; ucyate= will be said, called.
"Perhaps a woman might have mothered many children, and perhaps affluent with riches and crops, still people will call her a widow, if she is without husband. [3-23-12b, 13a]
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sva gaatra prabhave viira sheSe rudhira maNDale || 4-23-13
kR^imi raaga paristome svakiiye shayane yathaa |
13b, 14a. viira= oh, brave one; sva gaatra prabhave= you own, body parts, emerging; rudhira maNDale= blood, sheet of; kR^imi raaga = insect, red [the red coloured insects, namely Indragopa insect, a bed sheet in that colour]; paristome= spread-sheet, bed sheet spread over a bed; svakiiye shayane yathaa= on your own, bed, as if; sheSe= you repose now.
"How do you repose now on a sheet of blood flowing from your own body, oh, brave one, as if you are reclining on your own bed spread with a bed sheet of red blood colour? [3-23-13b, 14a]
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reNu shoNita sa.mviitam gaatram tava sama.ntataH || 4-23-14
parirabdhum na shaknomi bhujaabhyaam plavagarSabha |
14b, 15a. plavaga R^iSabha= oh, fly-jumper, the best; samantataH= all over; reNu shoNita samviitam= dust, blood, covered over; [when these blood of vengeance and dust of dishonour comes in between us]; tava gaatram= your, body; bhujaabhyaam= with my two arms; pari rabdhum= to fully, embrace; na shaknomi= not, able to I have no strength.
"I have no strength to closely embrace you with both my arms, oh, best fly-jumper, when the blood and dust covering your body comes in between. [3-23-14b, 15a]
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kR^ita kR^ityo adya sugriivo vaire asmin atidaaruNe || 4-23-15
yasya raama vimuk{}tena hR^itam eka iSuNaa bhayam |
15b, 16a. ati daaruNe asmin vaire= highly, deplorable, in this, enmity [between you and Sugreeva]; adya sugriivaH kR^ita kR^ityaH = now, Sugreeva, is ambition is fulfilled - accomplished one; yasya bhayam= whose [which Sugreeva's,] fear; raama vimuktena= by Rama, released; eka iSuNaa hR^itam= by single, arrow, evanished; [gist in vividness.]
"Single arrow released by Rama has doubly benefited Sugreeva in this highly deplorable enmity between you and Sugreeva, as his ambition to become the king is fulfilled and his fear from your persecution, too, is evanished. [3-23-15b, 16a]
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shareNa hR^idi lagnena gaatra sa.mspar.hshane tava || 4-23-16
vaar.hyaami tvaam niriikSantii tvayi pa.ncatvam aagate |
16b, 17a. tvayi pancatvam aagate= for you, fifth state - death, when it came on - fatality has descended; tvaam = you; [though]; nir+ iikSantii= without wink, seeing - watching intently; tava hR^idi lagnena shareNa = in your, chest, stuck, by arrow; gaatra samsparshane= body, for touching - for embracing; vaaryaami= I am hindered.
"In vain, I have been watching you without a wink, on whom fatality has descended, as this arrow stuck in your chest is hindering me to embrace you..." Thus wailed Tara. [3-23-16b, 17a]
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udbabarha sharam niilaH tasya gaatra gatam tadaa || 4-23-17
giri gahvara sa.mliinam diiptam aashii viSam yathaa |
17b, 18a. tataH= then; Nila; tasya gaatra gatam sharam = his [Valis's,] body - chest, gone in [stuck in,] arrow; giri gahvara= in mountain's, cavity; sam+liinam= firmly, wedged in; diiptam= sparkling [arrow]; aashiiviSam yathaa= serpent [like arrow,] as with; ut babarha= out, pulled - extricated.
"Then the monkey chief Nila extricated that arrow which is stuck in the chest of Vali, as with the extraction of a firmly wedged sparkling snake from the cavity of a mound. [3-23-17b, 18a]
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tasya niS.hkR^iSyamaaNasya baaNasya ca babhau dyutiH || 4-23-18
asta mastaka sa.mruddho rashmiH dinakaraat iva |
18b, 19a. niSkR^iSyamaaNasya= while being extracted; tasya baaNasya dyutiH= that, arrow's, sparkle; dinakaraat= from sun - that which is extricated from sun; asta mastaka = dusk-time [western mountain's,] summit; sam ruddhaH= fully, obstructed - as contrasted with [the hue of dusk]; rashmiH iva= sparkling rays, like; babhau= it became - shone forth.
The sparkle of Rama's arrow while it is being extracted from Vali's chest is much the same as the sparkles of more brilliant sunrays that are extracted by the end of daytime, when the sun is sinking beyond the summit of dusky western mountain, and as contrasted with the hue of dusk. [3-23-18b, 19a]
More brilliant days are indicated for the arrows of Rama as the dusky day of Vali has ended.
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petuH kSataja dhaaraaH tu vraNebhyaH tasya sarvashaH || 4-23-19
taamra gairika sa.mpR^ik{}taa dhaaraa iva dharaa dharaat |
19b, 20a. tasya vraNebhyaH= from his, gashes; kSataja dhaaraaH= blood, streams; dharaa dharaat= from the one borne, by earth - from mountain; taamra gairika sampR^iktaa= coppery, mineral-ore, saturated with; dhaaraa iva= streams of water, as with; sarvashaH petuH = all over, fell out.
The blood streams flown out of the gashes of Vali fell everywhere like the streams of water flowing from a mountain saturated with coppery mineral-ores. [3-23-19b, 20a]
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avakiirNam vimaarjantii bhartaaram raNa reNunaa || 4-23-20
asraiH nayanajaiH shuuram siSeca astra samaahatam |
20b, 21a. raNa reNunaa= of war, with dust; ava kiirNam= all over, muffled up; bhartaaram= her husband; vi maarjantii= out, rubbing - dusting, wiping off; astra samaahatam [sam aa hatam]= by missile, summarily hit; shuuram= valorous one; nayana jaiH asraiH = eyes, born to, tears - eyes gushing tears; siSeca= drenched.
On wiping off war dust with which her husband is muffled up, with tears gushing from her eyes she drenched that valiant one who is summarily hit by the missile of Rama. [3-23-20b, 21a]
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rudhirokSita sarvaangam dR^iSTvaa vinihatam patim || 4-23-21
uvaaca taaraa pi.ngaakSam putram a.ngadam a.nganaa |
21b, 22a. anganaa taaraa = lady, Tara; vinihatam= he who is killed; rudhira ukSita sarva angam= by blood, wet, all, limbs; patim= at husband; dR^iSTvaa= on seeing - on giving attention; putram uvaaca pinga akSam= to son, to coppery red, eyed one; angadam uvaaca= to Angada, said.
On giving attention to all of the blood wet limbs of her slain husband that lady Tara spoke to her son Angada whose eyes are coppery-red. [3-23-21b, 22a]
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avasthaam pashcimaam pashya pituH putra sudaaruNaam || 4-23-22
sa.mprasak{}tasya vairasya gato antaH paapa karmaNaa |
22b, 23a. putra= oh, son; pituH su daaruNaam = of father, oh, son, highly, harrowing; pashcimaam= western [dusking, end]; avasthaam pashya= plight, you see; paapa karmaNaa= by sinful, deeds; samprasaktasya [sam pra saktasya= very, closely, attached] harnessed by; vairasya= enmity; antaH gataH = end, he reached.
"See the highly harrowing end time plight of your father, oh, son, he reached his end owing to the enmity harnessed by sinful deeds. [3-23-22b, 23a]
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baala suuryojjvala tanum prayaatam yama saadanam || 4-23-23
abhivaadaya raajaanam pitaram putra maanadam |
23b, 24a. putra= oh, son; baala suurya ujjvala tanum= young [rising,] son, [as with in] dazzle, bodied - whose physical splendour is; yama saadanam prayaatam= to Time-god's, abode, he journeyed [dead]; raajaanam maana dam= to king, honour, accorder; pitaram= to father; abhivaadaya = pay you [last] obeisance.
"To him, whose physical splendour vied with the dazzle of rising sun, to that father, king, and the accorder of honour you pay you last obeisance as he journeyed to the abode of Time-god." Thus Tara said to Angada. [3-23-23b, 24a]
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evam uk{}taH samutthaaya jagraaha caraNau pituH || 4-23-24
bhujaabhyaam piina vR^itaabhyaam a.ngado aham iti bruvan |
24b, 25a. evam uktaH= thus, who is said to, Angada; sam+utthaaya= swiftly, on rising up; aham angadaH= I am, Angada; iti bruvan= thus, saying; piina vR^itaabhyaam= with sinewy, spherical shoulders; bhujaabhyaam= with arms; pituH caraNau jagraaha= father's, feet, he took.
When he is said so, Angada swiftly rose and touched the feet of his father with both of his rotund-shouldered sinewy arms saying, "father, I am Angada..." [3-23-24b, 25a]
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abhivaadayamaanam tvaam a.ngadam tvam yathaa puraa || 4-23-25
diirgha aayur bhava putra iti kim artham na abhibhaaSase |
25b, 26a. tvaam= at you; abhivaadayamaanam= to him who is paying respects; angadam= at Angada; tvam= you; putra= oh, son; diirgha aayuH bhava= long, live, you be; iti= thus as; kim artham= what, for - why don't you; yathaa puraa= as, earlier; abhibhaaSase= not, speaking [blessing.]
"Why do not you bless Angada saying, 'long live, son...' when he is paying resects to you, as earlier?" Thus Tara is addressing Vali in her anguish. [3-23-25b, 26a]
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aham putra sahaayaa tvaam upaase gata cetanam |
si.mhena paatitam sadyo gauH sa vatsaa iva go vR^iSam || 4-23-26
26b, c. sadyaH= just now; simhena paatitam = lion, felled; go vR^iSam= cow, male [when bull is felled]; sa gauH vatsaa iva= with, calf, [a helpless] cow, as like; putra sahaayaa= son, with the help of; aham= I; gata cetanam= [ you who] lost, vitality - lifeless; tvaam= to you [at your near]; upaase= sitting close - living through.
"I am living through seeing the lifeless state of yours with the help of my son, no more than a helpless cow that sits near her bull with its calf, when that bull is slain by a lion, just now. [3-23-26b, c]
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iSTvaa sa.mgraama yaj~nena raama praharaNa a.mbhasaa |
asmin avabhR^ithe snaataH katham patnyaa mayaa vinaa || 4-23-27
27. sangraama yaj~nena iSTvaa= war, ritual, on performing; patnyaa mayaa vinaa= wife, me, without; raama praharaNa ambhasaa = Rama's, weapon [arrow,] [called] waters; asmin avabhR^ithe= in there, avabridtha, [ritual bath]; katham snaataH= how, you take bath [singly.]
"How can you singly take the ultimate bath of a Vedic ritual after your conducting a ritual like combat, in the waters called bloodstreams caused Rama's arrow, that too, when I, your wife, am available like a co-officiator of a Vedic ritual? [3-23-27]
This avabR^itha is a religious bath taken after completion of the Vedic ritual by the conductor of that ritual along with his wife. Vedic ritual itself is forbidden to a wifeless person, and taking this final bath after puurNa aahuti, total oblation, is against the rules of ritual if taken without his wife. Here Vali, an adorer of combats as good as Vedic rituals is taking that bath for himself in the bloodstreams, called ritual waters, and Tara is questioning him about her propriety to participate in it.
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yaa dattaa deva raajena tava tuSTena sa.myuge |
shaata kaum.hbhiim priyaam maalaam taam te pashyaami na iha kim || 4-23-28
28. samyuge= in combat [about your conduct in combats]; tuSTena deva raajena= by the satisfied, gods, king - Indra; yaa tava dattaa= which one, to you, given; taam= that one; shaata kaumbhiim= golden one; te priyaam maalaam= to you, a treasured, pendant; iha kim na pashyaami= now, why, not, I see.
"Now where is that treasured golden pendant of yours which the king of gods gave to you when he is satisfied with your conduct in wars, I don't see it? [3-23-28]
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raajyashriiH na jahaati tvaam gata asum api maanada |
suuryasya aavartamaanasya shaila raajam iva prabhaa || 4-23-29
29. maana da= dignity, accorder; shaila raajam aavartamaanasya= mountain, best [Mt. Meru,] circumnavigating; suuryasya prabhaa iva = sun's, shine, as with; raajya shriiH= kingly, pomp [majesty]; gata asum api= one with gone, lives, even if; tvaam na jahaati = you, not, leaving.
"Majesty is not deserting you even if your lives have departed, oh, accorder of dignity, as with the sunshine that departs the sun while he circumnavigates Mt. Meru, which mount is supposed to overshadow everything by its vastness. [3-23-29]
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na me vacaH pathyam idam tvayaa kR^itam
na ca asmi shak{}taa hi nivaaraNe tava |
hataa saputraa asmi hatena sa.myuge
saha tvayaa shriiH vijahaati maam api || 4-23-30
30. tvayaa= by you; me= my; pathyam idam vacaH= expedient, this, words [my advise]; na kR^itam= not, done [heeded]; tava nivaaraNe= you, forestalling; shaktaa na asmi ca hi = capable, not, I am, also, indeed; samyuge hatena= in fight, by you who is killed; sa putraa= along with, son; hataa asmi= doomed, I am; shriiH= Grace; tvayaa saha= you, along with; maam api= me, even; vi jahaati =completely, deserting.
"Neither you heeded my word of expediency, nor I was indeed capable to forestall you, and I am doomed along with my son when you are exterminated in fight, whereby the Grace that forsook you, is deserting me too, in its entirety. [3-23-30]

iti vaalmiiki raamaayaNe aadi kaavye kiSkindha kaaNDe trayo vi.mshaH sargaH
Thus, this is the 23rd chapter in Kishkindha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.

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