Shloka 4.55.4

अङ्गदस्य प्रायोपवेशननिश्चयः (Angada’s Resolve to Fast unto Death)

Devanagari script

भ्रातुर्ज्येष्ठस्य यो भार्यां जीवतो महिषीं प्रियाम्।धर्मेण मातरं यस्तु स्वीकरोति जुगुप्सितः।।4.55.3।।कथं स धर्मं जानीते येन भ्रात्रा महात्मना।युद्धायाभिनियुक्तेन बिलस्य पिहितं मुखम्।।4.55.4।।

Transliteration

sa saṁviśadbhir bahubhir mahīdharo mahādrikūṭa-pratimaiḥ plavaṅgamaiḥ |

babhūva sannādita-nirdarāntaro bhṛśaṁ nadadbhir jaladair ivolbaṇaiḥ ||

Translation

As many monkeys—huge as mountain-peaks—lay down there roaring, the mountain’s caves and clefts resounded within, like the thunder of fierce storm-clouds.

Context

'He usurped his elder brother's queen, while he was still alive. It is morally abominable since an elder brother's wife is like a mother. How can a person who blocks the entrance of a cave while his noble brother is engaged in fighting inside be treated as righteous?

Characters & Entities

• monkeys (plavaṅgama)
• mountain (mahīdhara)
• caves/clefts (nirdara)

FAQs

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

Though primarily poetic, it frames the moral crisis: collective despair becomes a force of nature, underscoring how dharma-failure (real or feared) shakes the community.

What is the narrative situation?

The sarga concludes with a vivid description of the monkeys’ loud lament as they lie down to undertake the fast.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Not a single virtue, but the intensity of communal emotion—lament and resolve—rendered through epic imagery.