Sources

The brother who sealed the cave

Valmiki · Kishkindha Kanda
4.9.14–4.10.34 (CrEd 4.9.14–4.10.29)

Sugriva tells Rama how the feud began: left by Vali at the mouth of the cave, he waited a year, saw blood flow out and heard cries, sealed the cave, and was anointed king by the ministers. Vali came back, broke out, denounced him before the people as a cruel brother who had shut him in for the kingdom, and drove him out with a single cloth, taking his wife. Rama, judging from his own grief, promises that his unfailing arrows will fall on Vali.

Sanskrit · English·Translation: Raam Leela

Show

Part 1

The year at the cave mouth

Valmiki 4.9.14–4.9.23ab (CrEd 4.9.14–22)

॥ 4.10.29 ॥

CrEd 4.10.24

silent moment

॥ 4.9.14 ॥

CrEd 4.9.14

Sugriva

Sanskrit

मया त्व् एतद् वचः श्रुत्वा याचितः स परंतप शापयित्वा च मां पद्भ्यां प्रविवेश बिलं तदा ॥

mayā tv etad vacaḥ śrutvā yācitaḥ sa paraṃtapa śāpayitvā ca māṃ padbhyāṃ praviveśa bilaṃ tadā

English

When I had heard these words of his,
I pleaded with him, scorcher of foes;
but he bound me by an oath on his feet,
and then he entered the cave.

॥ 4.9.14–15 ॥

CrEd 4.9.14–15

silent moment

॥ 4.9.15 ॥

CrEd 4.9.15

Sugriva

Sanskrit

तस्य प्रविष्टस्य बिलं साग्रः संवत्सरो गतः स्थितस्य च मम द्वारि स कालो व्यत्यवर्तत ॥

tasya praviṣṭasya bilaṃ sāgraḥ saṃvatsaro gataḥ sthitasya ca mama dvāri sa kālo vyatyavartata

English

Since he had entered the cave
a year and more had gone;
and as I stood there at the door,
all that time went by.

॥ 4.9.15 ॥

CrEd 4.9.15

silent moment

॥ 4.9.16 ॥

CrEd 4.9.16

Sugriva

Sanskrit

अहं तु नष्टं तं ज्ञात्वा स्नेहाद् आगतसंभ्रमः भ्रातरं न हि पश्यामि पापशङ्कि च मे मनः ॥

ahaṃ tu naṣṭaṃ taṃ jñātvā snehād āgatasaṃbhramaḥ bhrātaraṃ na hi paśyāmi pāpaśaṅki ca me manaḥ

English

But I, knowing him lost,
was seized with dread from love;
my brother I could not see,
and my mind foreboded ill.

॥ 4.9.17 ॥

CrEd 4.9.17

silent moment

॥ 4.9.17 ॥

CrEd 4.9.17

Sugriva

Sanskrit

अथ दीर्घस्य कालस्य बिलात् तस्माद् विनिःसृतम् सफेनं रुधिरं रक्तम् अहं दृष्ट्वा सुदुःखितः ॥

atha dīrghasya kālasya bilāt tasmād viniḥsṛtam saphenaṃ rudhiraṃ raktam ahaṃ dṛṣṭvā suduḥkhitaḥ

English

Then, after a long time,
out of that cave there flowed
red blood, foaming;
I saw it, and was stricken with grief.

॥ 4.9.18 ॥

CrEd 4.9.18

Sugriva

Sanskrit

नर्दताम् असुराणां च ध्वनिर् मे श्रोत्रम् आगतः निरस्तस्य च संग्रामे क्रोशतो निःस्वनो गुरोः ॥

nardatām asurāṇāṃ ca dhvanir me śrotram āgataḥ nirastasya ca saṃgrāme krośato niḥsvano guroḥ

English

The din of the roaring asuras
came to my ears,
and the cry of my elder, crying out,
struck down in the fight.

॥ 4.9.18 ॥

CrEd 4.9.18

silent moment

॥ 4.9.19 ॥

CrEd 4.9.19ab-cd

Sugriva

Sanskrit

अहं त्व् अवगतो बुद्ध्या चिह्नैस् तैर् भ्रातरं हतम् पिधाय च बिलद्वारं शिलया गिरिमात्रया ॥

ahaṃ tv avagato buddhyā cihnais tair bhrātaraṃ hatam pidhāya ca biladvāraṃ śilayā girimātrayā

English

By those signs I judged in my mind
that my brother had been slain;
and I closed the door of the cave
with a rock the size of a hill.

॥ 4.9.19 ॥

CrEd 4.9.19

silent moment

॥ 4.9.20ab ॥

CrEd 4.9.19ef

Sugriva

Sanskrit

शोकार्तश् चोदकं कृत्वा किष्किन्धाम् आगतः सखे ॥

śokārtaś codakaṃ kṛtvā kiṣkindhām āgataḥ sakhe

English

Stricken with grief, I offered the water,
and came to Kishkindha, friend.

॥ 4.9.20cd–21ab ॥

CrEd 4.9.20

Sugriva

Sanskrit

गूहमानस्य मे तत्त्वं यत्नतो मन्त्रिभिः श्रुतम् ततोऽहं तैः समागम्य समेतैर् अभिषेचितः ॥

gūhamānasya me tattvaṃ yatnato mantribhiḥ śrutam tato 'haṃ taiḥ samāgamya sametair abhiṣecitaḥ

English

Though I hid the truth with care,
the ministers came to hear it;
then they gathered, and all together
they anointed me king.

॥ 4.9.21cd–22ab ॥

CrEd 4.9.21

Sugriva

Sanskrit

राज्यं प्रशासतस् तस्य न्यायतो मम राघव आजगाम रिपुं हत्वा वाली तम् असुरोत्तमम् ॥

rājyaṃ praśāsatas tasya nyāyato mama rāghava ājagāma ripuṃ hatvā vālī tam asurottamam

English

While I ruled the kingdom
justly, Raghava,
Vali came, his enemy slain,
that foremost of asuras.

॥ 4.9.22cd–23ab ॥

CrEd 4.9.22

Sugriva

Sanskrit

अभिषिक्तं तु मां दृष्ट्वा क्रोधात् संरक्तलोचनः मदीयान् मन्त्रिणो बद्ध्वा परुषं वाक्यम् अब्रवीत् ॥

abhiṣiktaṃ tu māṃ dṛṣṭvā krodhāt saṃraktalocanaḥ madīyān mantriṇo baddhvā paruṣaṃ vākyam abravīt

English

Seeing me anointed,
his eyes red with rage,
he bound my ministers
and spoke harsh words.

॥ 4.9.22 ॥

CrEd 4.9.22

silent moment

Part 2

Held in trust

Valmiki 4.9.23cd–4.10.13ab (CrEd 4.9.23–4.10.8)

॥ 4.9.23cd–24ab ॥

CrEd 4.9.23

silent moment

॥ 4.9.23cd–24ab ॥

CrEd 4.9.23

Sugriva

Sanskrit

निग्रहेऽपि समर्थस्य तं पापं प्रति राघव न प्रावर्तत मे बुद्धिर् भ्रातृगौरवयन्त्रिता ॥

nigrahe 'pi samarthasya taṃ pāpaṃ prati rāghava na prāvartata me buddhir bhrātṛgauravayantritā

English

Though I had the strength to restrain
that sinner, Raghava,
my mind did not turn to it,
held in check by a brother’s honour.

॥ 4.9.25 ॥

CrEd 4.9.24

Sugriva

Sanskrit

मानयंस् तं महात्मानं यथावच् चाभ्यवादयम् उक्ताश् च नाशिषस् तेन संतुष्टेनान्तरात्मना ॥

mānayaṃs taṃ mahātmānaṃ yathāvac cābhyavādayam uktāś ca nāśiṣas tena saṃtuṣṭenāntarātmanā

English

Honouring him, that great soul,
I bowed to him as was due;
but no blessings did he speak
from a heart content.

॥ 4.9.25 ॥

CrEd 4.9.24

silent moment

॥ 4.10.2 ॥

CrEd 4.10.2

Sugriva

Sanskrit

दिष्ट्यासि कुशली प्राप्तो निहतश् च त्वया रिपुः अनाथस्य हि मे नाथस् त्वम् एकोऽनाथनन्दनः ॥

diṣṭyāsi kuśalī prāpto nihataś ca tvayā ripuḥ anāthasya hi me nāthas tvam eko 'nāthanandanaḥ

English

By fortune you are come back safe,
and by you the foe is slain;
of me who have none, you are the lord,
you alone, joy of the lordless.

॥ 4.10.3 ॥

CrEd 4.10.3

Sugriva

Sanskrit

इदं बहुशलाकं ते पूर्णचन्द्रम् इवोदितम् छत्रं सवालव्यजनं प्रतीच्छस्व मयोद्यतम् ॥

idaṃ bahuśalākaṃ te pūrṇacandram ivoditam chatraṃ savālavyajanaṃ pratīcchasva mayodyatam

English

This umbrella of many ribs,
like the full moon risen,
with its yak-tail fans, accept it,
held up by me for you.

॥ 4.10.7cd, 9ab ॥

CrEd 4.10.4

Sugriva

Sanskrit

त्वम् एव राजा मानार्हः सदा चाहं यथापुरा न्यासभूतम् इदं राज्यं तव निर्यातयाम्य् अहम् ॥

tvam eva rājā mānārhaḥ sadā cāhaṃ yathāpurā nyāsabhūtam idaṃ rājyaṃ tava niryātayāmy aham

English

You alone are king, worthy of honour,
and I am ever as before;
this kingdom, held in trust,
I give back to you.

॥ 4.10.9cd–10ab ॥

CrEd 4.10.5

Sugriva

Sanskrit

मा च रोषं कृथाः सौम्य मयि शत्रुनिबर्हण याचे त्वां शिरसा राजन् मया बद्धोऽयम् अञ्जलिः ॥

mā ca roṣaṃ kṛthāḥ saumya mayi śatrunibarhaṇa yāce tvāṃ śirasā rājan mayā baddho 'yam añjaliḥ

English

Be not angry, gentle one,
with me, slayer of foes;
I beg you with bowed head, O king:
see, my palms are joined.

॥ 4.10.10cd–11ab ॥

CrEd 4.10.6

Sugriva

Sanskrit

बलाद् अस्मि समागम्य मन्त्रिभिः पुरवासिभिः राजभावे नियुक्तोऽहं शून्यदेशजिगीषया ॥

balād asmi samāgamya mantribhiḥ puravāsibhiḥ rājabhāve niyukto 'haṃ śūnyadeśajigīṣayā

English

By force it was: they gathered,
ministers and townsfolk,
and set me in the kingship,
to hold a land left empty.

॥ 4.10.11cd ॥

CrEd 4.10.7ab

silent moment

॥ 4.10.12a ॥

CrEd 4.10.7c

Vali

Sanskrit

धिक् त्वाम् ॥

dhik tvām

English

“Shame on you!”

॥ 4.10.12b–13ab ॥

CrEd 4.10.7d–8

Sugriva

Sanskrit

बहु तत् तद् उवाच ह प्रकृतीश् च समानीय मन्त्रिणश् चैव संमतान् माम् आह सुहृदां मध्ये वाक्यं परमगर्हितम् ॥

bahu tat tad uvāca ha prakṛtīś ca samānīya mantriṇaś caiva saṃmatān mām āha suhṛdāṃ madhye vākyaṃ paramagarhitam

English

he said much, this and that;
and calling the people together,
and the ministers held in honour,
he spoke to me among friends
words of the deepest reproach.

॥ 4.10.12cd–13ab ॥

CrEd 4.10.8

silent moment

Part 3

One cloth

Valmiki 4.10.13cd–34 (CrEd 4.10.9–29)

॥ 4.10.13cd–15ab ॥

CrEd 4.10.9–10

Vali

Sanskrit

विदितं वो यथा रात्रौ मायावी स महासुरः मां समाह्वयत क्रूरो युद्धाकाङ्क्षी सुदुर्मतिः तस्य तद् गर्जितं श्रुत्वा निःसृतोऽहं नृपालयात् अनुयातश् च मां तूर्णम् अयं भ्राता सुदारुणः ॥

viditaṃ vo yathā rātrau māyāvī sa mahāsuraḥ māṃ samāhvayata krūro yuddhākāṅkṣī sudurmatiḥ tasya tad garjitaṃ śrutvā niḥsṛto 'haṃ nṛpālayāt anuyātaś ca māṃ tūrṇam ayaṃ bhrātā sudāruṇaḥ

English

You know how, in the night,
that great asura Mayavi
challenged me, the cruel one,
eager for battle, evil-minded.
Hearing that roar of his,
I went forth from the royal house,
and swiftly there followed me
this brother, most cruel.

॥ 4.10.17–18 ॥

CrEd 4.10.12–13

Vali

Sanskrit

तं प्रविष्टं विदित्वा तु सुघोरं सुमहद् बिलम् अयम् उक्तोऽथ मे भ्राता मया तु क्रूरदर्शनः अहत्वा नास्ति मे शक्तिः प्रतिगन्तुम् इतः पुरीम् बिलद्वारि प्रतीक्ष त्वं यावद् एनं निहन्म्य् अहम् ॥

taṃ praviṣṭaṃ viditvā tu sughoraṃ sumahad bilam ayam ukto 'tha me bhrātā mayā tu krūradarśanaḥ ahatvā nāsti me śaktiḥ pratigantum itaḥ purīm biladvāri pratīkṣa tvaṃ yāvad enaṃ nihanmy aham

English

Knowing he had entered
a cave most dread, most vast,
I spoke then to this brother,
this brother of cruel face:
“Unless I kill him, I have no strength
to turn back from here to the city;
wait at the cave’s mouth
until I have slain him.”

॥ 4.10.19–20 ॥

CrEd 4.10.14–15

Vali

Sanskrit

स्थितोऽयम् इति मत्वा तु प्रविष्टोऽहं दुरासदम् तं च मे मार्गमाणस्य गतः संवत्सरस् तदा स तु दृष्टो मया शत्रुर् अनिर्वेदाद् भयावहः निहतश् च मया तत्र सोऽसुरो बन्धुभिः सह ॥

sthito 'yam iti matvā tu praviṣṭo 'haṃ durāsadam taṃ ca me mārgamāṇasya gataḥ saṃvatsaras tadā sa tu dṛṣṭo mayā śatrur anirvedād bhayāvahaḥ nihataś ca mayā tatra so 'suro bandhubhiḥ saha

English

Thinking, “He stays,” I went
into that place hard to enter;
and as I searched for him
a year went by.
Then, unwearied, I found the foe,
the bringer of terror,
and there I slew him,
that asura, with all his kin.

॥ 4.10.21–22 ॥

CrEd 4.10.16–17

Vali

Sanskrit

तस्यास्यात् तु प्रवृत्तेन रुधिरौघेण तद् बिलम् पूर्णम् आसीद् दुराक्रामं स्तनतस् तस्य भूतले सूदयित्वा तु तं शत्रुं विक्रान्तं दुन्दुभेः सुतम् निष्क्रामन्न् एव पश्यामि बिलस्य पिहितं मुखम् ॥

tasyāsyāt tu pravṛttena rudhiraugheṇa tad bilam pūrṇam āsīd durākrāmaṃ stanatas tasya bhūtale sūdayitvā tu taṃ śatruṃ vikrāntaṃ dundubheḥ sutam niṣkrāmann eva paśyāmi bilasya pihitaṃ mukham

English

With the flood of blood that poured
from his mouth, that cave
was filled, and hard to cross,
as he bellowed on the ground.
When I had slain that foe,
the mighty son of Dundubhi,
even as I came out I saw
the mouth of the cave shut.

॥ 4.10.23 ॥

CrEd 4.10.18

Vali

Sanskrit

विक्रोशमानस्य तु मे सुग्रीवेति पुनः पुनः यदा प्रतिवचो नास्ति ततोऽहं भृशदुःखितः ॥

vikrośamānasya tu me sugrīveti punaḥ punaḥ yadā prativaco nāsti tato 'haṃ bhṛśaduḥkhitaḥ

English

As I cried out, “Sugriva!”
again and again,
and no answer came,
I was pained to the quick.

॥ 4.10.23 ॥

CrEd 4.10.18

silent moment

॥ 4.10.24–25 ॥

CrEd 4.10.19–20

Vali

Sanskrit

पादप्रहारैस् तु मया बहुशस् तद् विदारितम् ततोऽहं तेन निष्क्रम्य यथा पुनर् उपागतः तत्रानेनास्मि संरुद्धो राज्यं मार्गयतात्मनः सुग्रीवेण नृशंसेन विस्मृत्य भ्रातृसौहृदम् ॥

pādaprahārais tu mayā bahuśas tad vidāritam tato 'haṃ tena niṣkramya yathā punar upāgataḥ tatrānenāsmi saṃruddho rājyaṃ mārgayatātmanaḥ sugrīveṇa nṛśaṃsena vismṛtya bhrātṛsauhṛdam

English

With many blows of my feet
I broke it open;
then, coming out by that way,
I have come back again.
There I was shut in by him,
who sought the kingdom for himself,
by Sugriva, the cruel,
forgetting a brother’s love.

॥ 4.10.26–27ab ॥

CrEd 4.10.21–22ab

Sugriva

Sanskrit

एवम् उक्त्वा तु मां तत्र वस्त्रेणैकेन वानरः तदा निर्वासयाम् आस वाली विगतसाध्वसः तेनाहम् अपविद्धश् च हृतदारश् च राघव ॥

evam uktvā tu māṃ tatra vastreṇaikena vānaraḥ tadā nirvāsayām āsa vālī vigatasādhvasaḥ tenāham apaviddhaś ca hṛtadāraś ca rāghava

English

So saying, there, the vanara,
with a single cloth upon me,
drove me out, then,
Vali, without a qualm.
By him I was cast off,
my wife taken, Raghava.

॥ 4.10.26–27ab ॥

CrEd 4.10.21–22ab

silent moment

॥ 4.10.27cd–28 ॥

CrEd 4.10.22cd–23

Sugriva

Sanskrit

तद्भयाच् च मही कृत्स्ना क्रान्तेयं सवनार्णवा ।
ऋश्यमूकं गिरिवरं भार्याहरणदुःखितः ।
प्रविष्टोऽस्मि दुराधर्षं वालिनः कारणान्तरे ॥

tadbhayāc ca mahī kṛtsnā krānteyaṃ savanārṇavā
ṛśyamūkaṃ girivaraṃ bhāryāharaṇaduḥkhitaḥ
praviṣṭo 'smi durādharṣaṃ vālinaḥ kāraṇāntare

English

In fear of him this whole earth
I crossed, with its forests and seas;
to Rishyamukha, best of mountains,
grieving for my wife taken away,
I came, a place not to be assailed
by Vali, for another cause.

॥ 4.10.29 ॥

CrEd 4.10.24

Sugriva

Sanskrit

एतत् ते सर्वम् आख्यातं वैरानुकथनं महत् अनागसा मया प्राप्तं व्यसनं पश्य राघव ॥

etat te sarvam ākhyātaṃ vairānukathanaṃ mahat anāgasā mayā prāptaṃ vyasanaṃ paśya rāghava

English

All this I have told you,
the great tale of our enmity;
see, Raghava, the misfortune
that has come to me, the guiltless.

॥ 4.10.30 ॥

CrEd 4.10.25

Sugriva

Sanskrit

वालिनस् तु भयार्तस्य सर्वलोकाभयंकर कर्तुम् अर्हसि मे वीर प्रसादं तस्य निग्रहात् ॥

vālinas tu bhayārtasya sarvalokābhayaṃkara kartum arhasi me vīra prasādaṃ tasya nigrahāt

English

On me, stricken with fear of Vali,
you who make all the worlds fearless,
you should, hero, bestow
your grace, by curbing him.

॥ 4.10.31 ॥

CrEd 4.10.26

Valmikiverse caption

Sanskrit

एवम् उक्तः स तेजस्वी धर्मज्ञो धर्मसंहितम् वचनं वक्तुम् आरेभे सुग्रीवं प्रहसन्न् इव ॥

evam uktaḥ sa tejasvī dharmajño dharmasaṃhitam vacanaṃ vaktum ārebhe sugrīvaṃ prahasann iva

English

So addressed, the radiant one,
knower of dharma, words joined with dharma
began to speak
to Sugriva, as if smiling.

॥ 4.10.32 ॥

CrEd 4.10.27

Rama

Sanskrit

अमोघाः सूर्यसंकाशा ममेमे निशिताः शराः तस्मिन् वालिनि दुर्वृत्ते पतिष्यन्ति रुषान्विताः ॥

amoghāḥ sūryasaṃkāśā mameme niśitāḥ śarāḥ tasmin vālini durvṛtte patiṣyanti ruṣānvitāḥ

English

Unfailing, bright as the sun,
are these sharp arrows of mine;
on that Vali of evil ways
they will fall, full of wrath.

॥ 4.10.33 ॥

CrEd 4.10.28

Rama

Sanskrit

यावत् तं न हि पश्येयं तव भार्यापहारिणम् तावत् स जीवेत् पापात्मा वाली चारित्रदूषकः ॥

yāvat taṃ na hi paśyeyaṃ tava bhāryāpahāriṇam tāvat sa jīvet pāpātmā vālī cāritradūṣakaḥ

English

So long as I do not see him,
the taker of your wife,
so long that evil soul may live,
Vali, defiler of right conduct.

॥ 4.10.34 ॥

CrEd 4.10.29

Rama

Sanskrit

आत्मानुमानात् पश्यामि मग्नं त्वां शोकसागरे त्वाम् अहं तारयिष्यामि कामं प्राप्स्यसि पुष्कलम् ॥

ātmānumānāt paśyāmi magnaṃ tvāṃ śokasāgare tvām ahaṃ tārayiṣyāmi kāmaṃ prāpsyasi puṣkalam

English

Judging by myself, I see you
sunk in a sea of grief;
I will carry you across:
your wish you shall have in full.

॥ 4.10.34 ॥

CrEd 4.10.29

silent moment