Shloka 4.20.23

ताराविलापः — Tara’s Lament over Vāli

Devanagari script

किमङ्गदं साङ्गदवीरबाहो विहाय यास्यद्य चिरप्रवासम्।न युक्तमेवं गुणसन्निकृष्टंविहाय पुत्रं प्रियपुत्र गन्तुम्4.20.23।।

Transliteration

kim aṅgadaṃ sāṅgadavīrabāho vihāya yāsy adya cirapravāsam |

na yuktam evaṃ guṇasannikṛṣṭaṃ vihāya putraṃ priyaputra gantum ||

Translation

O hero with armlets, mighty-armed—why do you leave Aṅgada today and depart on a long journey? It is not fitting to go away like this, abandoning your dear son, so close to you in virtues.

Context

'O hero, adorned with armlets, why have you departed on a long journey, deserting your dear son Angada who possesses similar virtues like you? It is not proper.

Characters & Entities

• Vāli
• Aṅgada
• Armlets (aṅgada) as ornament/epithet

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Parental dharma: a father’s duty to protect and guide his child; death is portrayed as a ‘departure’ that painfully interrupts this obligation.

What is the narrative situation?

The other wives lament, questioning how Vāli can ‘leave’ on the long journey of death while Aṅgada remains.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Aṅgada’s inherited excellence is stressed—he is ‘near’ Vāli in qualities, making the loss feel even more unjust.