Post No. 11,735
Date uploaded in London – – 1 FEBRUARY 2023
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“To err is human , to forgive divine” is a famous quotation from ‘Essay on Criticism’ by Alexander Pope. But thousands of years ago, Valmiki said it first in the Kishkinda Kanda of Ramayana.
The meaning is ‘everyone makes mistakes and to forgive that person is divine’.
This is put in the mouth of Sugriva by Valmiki.
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Forgive and Forget
Rama killed Vali because he abducted his brother Sugrivaa’s wife and drove him away from his kingdom. Later Rama crowned him as the king gave him a few months’ time to enjoy life. But four months rolled on and nothing happened. Rama was unhappy and asked Lakshmana to meet Sugriva and find out whether he is going to honour the Friendship Treaty that was done in front of the Holy Fire (Agni) or not.
The Hindu custom is to make a treaty using Fire God Agni as witness. All Hindu marriages are done this way. We see it in the most famous Tamil epic Silappadikaram where Kovalan and Kannaki go round the fire and sanctify their wedlock. They were not Brahmins ; they belonged to Vaisya caste.
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Rama knew that Lakshmana becomes angry at anything that disturbs him and so he warned him to go in a peaceful way. But Lakshmana entered Kishkinda in a rush and all of them stood up and saluted him. He simply shot his arrow skyward and the whole Kishkinda had shock waves like an earth quake. Tara came running, apologising to him, took him to Sugriva’s harem. No woman would do it normally. But knowing the urgency of the problem she did it.
Here are the words from Valmiki
इत्युक्तस्तारया वाक्यं प्रश्रितं धर्मसंहितम्।
मृदुस्वभावस्सौमित्रिः प्रतिजग्राह तद्वचः।।4.36.1।।
Thus the gentle natured Saumitri / Lakshmana accepted Tara’s courteous words sanctioned by dharma.
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तस्मिन्प्रतिगृहीते तु वाक्ये हरिगणेश्वरः।
लक्ष्मणात्सुमहत्त्रासं वस्त्रं क्लिन्नमिवात्यजत्।।4.36.2।।
तस्मिन् when such, वाक्ये words, प्रतिगृहीते were accepted, हरिगणेश्वरः leader of the vanara clan, लक्ष्मणात् from Lakshmana, सुमहत् great, त्रासम् fear, क्लिन्नम् wet, वस्त्रमिव like a garment, अत्यजत् cast aside.
Sugriva, king of the Vanara clan, cast aside his great fear when Lakshmana accepted the words of Tara just as one discards a wet garment from the body.
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SUGRIVA WAS DRUNK
ततः कण्ठगतं माल्यं चित्रं बहुगुणं महत्।
चिच्छेद विमदश्चासीत्सुग्रीवो वानरेश्वरः।।4.36.3।।
ततः then, वानरेश्वरः lord of vanaras, सुग्रीवः Sugriva, कण्ठगतम् worn on the neck, चित्रम् colourful, बहुगुणम् valuable, महत् great, माल्यम् garland, चिच्छेद tore off, विमदश्च relieved (from drunkenness), आसीत् got free.
Thereupon Sugriva, relieved from his drunken state tore off the great, colourful valuable garland worn on his neck.
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स लक्ष्मणं भीमबलं सर्ववानरसत्तमः।
अब्रवीत्प्रश्रितं वाक्यं सुग्रीव स्सम्प्रहर्षयन्।।4.36.4।।
सर्ववानरसत्तमः the noble of all the vanaras, सः सुग्रीवः that Sugriva, भीमबलम् a man of great prowess, लक्ष्मणम् to Lakshmana, सम्प्रहर्षयन् pleasing manner, प्रश्रितम् वाक्यम् these polite words, अब्रवीत् spoke.
Sugriva, the noblest of all monkeys, spoke these polite words in a pleasing manner to Lakshmana of terrific strength:
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प्रणष्टा श्रीश्च कीर्तिश्च कपिराज्यं च शाश्वतम्।
रामप्रसादात्सौमित्रे पुन: प्राप्तमिदं मया।।4.36.5।।
सौमित्रे O Saumitri, प्रणष्टा lost from me, श्री:च prosperity also, कीर्ति: च and fame, शाश्वतम् permanent, कपिराज्यं च and the kingdom of monkeys, इदम् this, रामप्रसादात् by the grace of Rama, मया by me, पुनः again, प्राप्तम् has been regained.
‘O Saumitri my prosperity, fame and the permanent sovereignty of vanaras had been lost. It was regained by the grace of Rama.
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FORGIVE AND FORGET
यदि किञ्चिदतिक्रान्तं विश्वासात्प्रणयेन वा।
प्रेष्यस्य क्षमितव्यं मे न कश्चिन्नापराध्यति।।4.36.11।।
विश्वासात् due to faith, प्रणयेन वा or with love, किञ्चित् even a little, अतिक्रान्तं यदि have exceeded time, प्रेष्यस्य of a servant, मे my, क्षमितव्यम् one should pardon, कश्चित् any one, नापराध्यति इति न is not flawless in the world.
‘If I have committed even a little transgression in my faith in Rama or affection for him and exceeded the time limit, my mistakes are to be excused as one would pardon a servant. No one is flawless in the world.’
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ति तस्य ब्रुवाणस्य सुग्रीवस्य महात्मनः।
अभवल्लक्ष्मणः प्रीतः प्रेम्णा चैवमुवाच ह।।4.36.12।।
महात्मनः of the great self, तस्य his, सुग्रीवस्य Sugriva’s, इति thus, ब्रुवाणस्य of him while speaking, लक्ष्मणः Lakshmana, प्रीतः अभवत् was happy, प्रेम्णा with affection, च also, एवम् in this way, उवाच ह spoke.
Lakshmana who was happy to hear great Sugriva replied affectionately
यस्ते प्रभाव स्सुग्रीव यच्च ते शौचमार्जवम्।
अर्हस्त्वं कपिराज्यस्य श्रियं भोक्तुमनुत्तमाम्।।4.36.14।।
सुग्रीव Sugriva, ते your, यः whatever, प्रभावः power, आर्जवम् straightforward nature, यत् such, शौचं च purity, त्वम् your, कपिराज्यस्य of vanara kingdom, अनुत्तमाम् excellent, श्रियम् prosperity, भोक्तुम् to enjoy, अर्हः you deserve.
‘You are powerful and straightforward by nature. You are humble and noble. Therefore, you deserve the high prosperity of the kingdom of the monkeys.
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सहायेन तु सुग्रीव त्वया रामः प्रतापवान्।
वधिष्यति रणे शत्रूनचिरान्नात्र संशयः।।4.36.15।।
सुग्रीव Sugriva, सहायेन with you as associate, त्वया by your, प्रतापवान् valiant hero, रामः Rama, शत्रून् enemies, रणे in war, अचिरात् shortly, वधिष्यति he will kill, संशयः is doubt, न not, अत्र in this case
‘O Sugriva with you as associate, valiant hero Rama will kill his enemies in war very soon. There is no doubt about it.
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YOU ARE GRATEFUL
धर्मज्ञस्य कृतज्ञस्य सङ्ग्रामेष्वनिवर्तिनः।
उपपन्नं च युक्तं च सुग्रीव तव भाषितम्।।4.36.16।।
सुग्रीव Sugriva, धर्मज्ञस्य who is aware of dhrama, कृतज्ञस्य of a grateful one, सङ्ग्रामेषु in battles, अनिवर्तिनः of one who does not retreat, तव your, भाषितम् word, उपपन्नम् true, युक्तं च is fitting also.
‘O Sugriva you know dharma. You are grateful and will not turn back from the battle. So your words are true and befitting.
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इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामयणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये किष्किन्धाकाण्डे षट्त्रिंशस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the thirtysix sarga of Kishkindakanda of the Holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
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TAMIL POET VALLUVAR SAID THE SAME THING
In Tirukkural 159, he says
The householder, who practises forbearance , in the face of insult
Is purer than the ascetic himself – Kural 159
Forbearance is not mentioned by Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle. But we find it in Mahabharata and Ramayana. Hindus were more civilised than the westerners in the ancient world .
We find it in Sangam books Kalittokai and Natrinai.
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Another simile used by Valmiki here may be compared with Tirukkural 788
Where valluvar said
Genuine friendship hastens to redress distress like the hand which picks up quickly the garment that slips.
And Valmiki said,-4-36-2
Sugriva, king of the Vanara clan, cast aside his great fear when Lakshmana accepted the words of Tara just as one discards a wet garment from the body.
— subham—
Tags- Sugriva, Lakshmana, To err is human, No one is flawless, Pope, Valmiki
Tamil and Vedas 