September 13 - Sargas 20 and 21 of Kishkindha Kanda.
Tara's piteous lament and Hanuman's intercession.
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To understand war, and its ugly consequences, we are treated ever so often with descriptions of a woman's grief over her dead warrior man. This lament of Tara as she comes to Vali is such a moment.
हृदयं सुस्थितं मह्यं दृष्ट्वा निपतितं भुवि ।
यन्न शोकाभिसंतप्तं स्फुटतेऽद्य सहस्रधा ॥
सुग्रीवस्य त्वया भार्या हृता स च विवासितः ।
यत् तत् तस्य त्वया व्युष्टिः प्राप्तेयं प्लवगाधिप ॥
निशश्रेयसपरा मोहात््त्वया चाहम विगर्हिता ।
यैषाब्रुवं हितं वाक्यं वानरेन्द्र नितैषिणी ॥
"My dear, my mind was at peace till now. But on seeing you, fallen on the ground, how come my heart which has been torched by utter grief is not shattering into a thousand pieces!?
"You grabbed Surgiva's wife and banished him. That is how this battle between you two came about and now its final outcome for you. I am sure you understand that, oh, king of the simians (who jump from tree to tree)!
"As your constant well-wisher, whatever advice I gave you was summarily rejected by you out of your delusion. Now you realize the meaning of my words, my lord, oh, lord of vanaras!"
Tara goes on to say some poetic things about how great a ruler Vali was, how he had been the refuge of all vanaras, and how now he has started on a journey to heaven, courting the earth herself and later to meet the glorious apsaras in heaven, who will be most attracted to the hero Vali.
Expressing her concern for Angada, Tara calls him to come and seek the fond blessing of his father. Her lament starts an outburst of grief from all other wives of Vali who come and surround him, mourning the imminent death of their handsome, ever-powerful hero, resplendent in his gold ornaments.
Tara lies quietly, looking most wretched in her grief, eschewing food and drink.
***
Hanuman comes to Tara, who looks like a star fallen from heaven (a pun on the word Tara).
He speaks consolingly and calmly, explaining how every creature reaps the rewards of his actions, good and bad, in the here and the hereafter. This is the inexorable law.
The following words are straight out of Bhagavadgita as it were.
शोच्या शोचसि कं शोच्यं दीनं दीनाऽनुकम्पसे ।
कस्य कोवाऽनुशोच्योऽस्ति देहेऽस्मिन् बुद्बुदोपमे ॥
"Oh, noble lady, why do you grieve, whom do you grieve for? Why are you miserable, and whom do you consider miserable? Who has to mourn whom in this world of the embodied souls, when all life is as transient as a bubble of water!?"
Hanuman extols Tara to focus on Angada, and make him take care of all responsibilities in the future including Vali's last rites. He says Tara should know the impermanence of life and simply engage in doing good. After all, Vali lived a full and fulfilling life, full of great deeds with his able reign over millions of vanaras. He is now going where his just destiny takes him. So he should not be mourned over. Now Tara and Angada have to take care of the vanaras.
Hanuman recommends to Tara to make Angada the king. He should also perform Vali's rites.
This plunges Tara into deeper grief. She says that for her, embracing a dead Vali is more precious than embracing a hundred Angadas. All decisions are now left to Sugriva, Angada's uncle who is now responsible for Angada. For Tara, her only choice now is to join Vali in his last journey.
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॥ श्रीरामजयम् ॥
