Shloka 4.24.18
वालिवधोत्तरशोकः — Sugriva’s Remorse and Tara’s Lament after Vali’s Death
अंहो बतेदं नृवराविषह्यंनिवर्तते मे हृदि साधुवृत्तम्।विवर्णमग्नौ परितप्यमानंकिट्टं यथा राघव जातरूपम्।।
sodaryaghātāpara-gātra-vālaḥ santāpa-hastākṣi-śiro-viṣāṇaḥ |
enomayo mām abhihanti hastī dṛpto nadīkūlam iva pravṛddhaḥ ||
The elephant of sin strikes at me—its tail the slaying of my own brother, its trunk, eyes, head, and tusks made of burning remorse—like a proud elephant grown strong battering a riverbank.
'O distinguished Rama! this anxiety is unbearable for me. My good behaviour is relegated to the back of my heart unable to bear the sin, just like the dirt surfaces pushing the bright colour of gold when burnt in fire.
Wrongdoing becomes a force that attacks the doer; dharma teaches that inner torment is not separate from immoral action but grows out of it.
Sugrīva uses an extended metaphor to describe how guilt and remorse pound him after his brother’s death.
Penitence—his vivid confession shows an active, painful recognition of fault.