Rāmāyana |Kiṣkindha Kaṇḍa| Chapter 20

20. Tara's Wail

[Tara laments for her husband. She decided to give up her life by not taking any food.]

That moon faced lady and the pretty Tara, seeing her husband killed by the release of the fatal arrow by Rāma and lying on the ground, went near embraced him. 20.1

Seeing Vali who can be compared to an elephant and who was like a great mountain lying killed by an arrow on the ground and fallen like a big tree, with mind filled with sorrow and grief, Tara wailed in great grief. 20.2-20.3

"Oh greatly valorous best of monkeys, oh great hero, in this dreadful war, why this neglect, why are you not talking to me who is in front of you." 20.4

"Oh tiger among monkeys, wake up, you may take rest in a best bed for great kings like you do not lie down on the earth." 20.5

"Oh Lord of earth, it appears earth is very special to you as even after death instead of lying on my limbs, you are lying on her." 20.6

"Oh valorous one who acted according to Dharma, it is very clear to me that you have constructed another pretty Kiṣkindha city on the way to heaven." 20.7

"The pleasure trips to the sweet scented forests by you and me both at this time has reached the end." 20.8

'When the leader of leaders like you have left for heaven after death, I am without happiness, without desires and drowned deep in the sea of sorrow." 20.9

"My heart seems to be greatly stable, since even after seeing my dead husband and even after being filled with sorrow, it does not seem to break in to thousand pieces." 20.10

"Oh lord of the monkeys, you seized the wife of Sugrīva and also banished him and you have attained this state because of that." 20.11

"Ok king of monkeys, due to love towards you and wishing you spiritual welfare, being the seeker of your welfare I gave you some good and useful advice but you ignored it." 20.12

"Oh person with self-respect, you will create restlessness in the minds of Apsarās, who are endowed with youth and beauty." 20.13

"The God of death without any doubt puts an end to life and you who cannot be controlled have now come under the grips of control of Sugrīva." 20.14

"I, who have never experienced sorrow, have become like an orphan and turned in to a wretched condition of great sorrow by attaining widowhood." 20.15

"How will the delicate Angada, who is pretty, valorous and given to life of pleasure live under the wishes of his father's brother, who is short tempered." 20.16

"Oh son, please see your father who is handsome and also lover of Dharma as to you it would not be possible to see him again." 20.17

"Oh my lord, you are on a long journey, console your son and after consoling touch your son on his forehead and enjoy his sweet smell and give him your message." 20.18

"Rāma has done a great job by killing you and paid back his debt to Sugrīva in terms of an oath." 20.19

"Oh Sugrīva, become happy, fulfil your desires and get back Ruma and enjoy the kingdom without any worries as your brother who is your enemy is not there." 20.20

"When I am wailing like this with love towards you why are you not replying? Oh Lord of monkeys see me as well as many of your other wives." 20.21

All the other monkey ladies hearing this great wail of Tara, embracing Angada became miserable, sad and started crying. 20.22

"Oh hero adorned with armlets, why this valorous journey without taking Angada with you, who has qualities like yours and how can you go without your very dear son ?" 20.23

"Oh darling who dresses prettily, since you have begun the long journey leaving me and Angada here, have we done something that you did not like?' 20.24

"If I have done something that you did not like unknowingly, Oh long armed one, please pardon me, oh lord of monkey clan. Oh valorous one, I am bending my head and touching your feet." 20.25

Then the piteous Tara who had a faultless colour cried uncontrollably near her husband along with other monkey ladies and with a decision to give up her life, she sat there near Vali without taking any food. 20.26

This is the end of Twentieth Sarga of Kiṣkindha Kanda which occurs in Holy Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki as the First Epic.