Canto 63 - Sugreev’s Reading
Fell as Dadhimukh at his feet
Spoketh vanar Lord perplexed.
What’s thy fault that makes thee fall
At the feet of thy nephew?
Fright thine makes me worried man
Harmed might’ve been my Madhuvan.
Ardour thus by Sugreev showed
Moved then Dadhimukh to speak thus:
Though all knew it out of bounds
Trespassed vanars some Madhuvan.
Ignored they all my warnings
Ate they every fruit and root.
Swarmed as by all bees out there
Yet they squeezed out honey in tons.
Having got drunk to the hilt
Mocked they my guards who cautioned.
Guards as there did try to stop
Beat them to pulp those vanars.
Makes me sad that Prince Angad
Aided as well abetted them.
Lay as wounded men of mine
Flung some vanars them sky high.
In thy reign O Lord Sugreev
That’s how folk thine slew our guards.
Having sensed then some import
Enquired Lakshman then Sugreev
What could have gone awry them.
What’s the matter vanar Lord
Why thy folk all look depressed?
Having by then smelt the rat
Appraised Sugreev Lakshman thus:
Complains Dadhimukh my uncle
That Prince Angad and his flock
Ravaged Madhuvan to its roots
As well slew its guards in scores.
If not for the happy end
To the errand on their hand
Would have Angad ever condoned
Deeds those vandal of vanars?
Strong as Dadhimukh ’n his folks
Failed to stop them all in tracks
Would mean spirits of Angad’s flock
Could have soared to skies all high.
Feel I Angad and party
Having by then found Seetha
Would have indulged in orgies.
It’s but Hanuman who could have
Found out Seetha in spite of
Hurdles all there to reach her.
Fails he never to deliver
Backed by Jambavan ’n Angad
Leads when Hanuman from the front.
Turned as joyous by the news
Brought by Hanuman from Seetha
Lost they could have their bearing.
Had not Hanuman sighted her
Dare how they would ever enter
Madhuvan after mine own heart?
It’s but their joy that gave cause
For their pranks all with those guards.
It’s this grasp of their action
Made that Dadhimukh rush to us.
Feel I certain from all this
Found was Rama’s spouse Seetha.
If not Angad would not have
Let his flock thus play havoc
With the Madhuvan of our clan.
With the way Lord Sugreev spoke
Pleased no end was Lakshman then.
Happy was Ram at the turn
Of the tide in Seetha’s search.
Turned then Sugreev to Dadhimukh
Thanked him for the news he brought.
Dispatched Sugreev his uncle
So he sends back Angad’s flock.
No less eager all of us
To hear where Hanuman found Seetha.
Made the joyous look of Ram
Joyous Lakshman and Sugreev.