Shloka 16
वालिवधोत्तरशोकः
Sugriva’s Remorse and Tara’s Lament after Vali’s Death
पापस्य कर्ताऽस्मि विगर्हितस्यक्षुद्रस्य लोकापकृतस्य चैव।शोको महान्मामभिवर्ततेऽयंवृष्टेर्यथा निम्नमिवाम्बुवेगः।।
pāpasya kartā 'smi vigarhitasya kṣudrasya lokāpakṛtasya caiva |
śoko mahān mām abhivartate 'yaṃ vṛṣṭer yathā nimnam ivāmbu-vegaḥ ||
నేను నింద్యమైన పాపానికి కర్తను—తుచ్ఛమైనదీ, లోకానికి అపకారం చేసేదీ; అందుకే ఈ మహాశోకం నన్ను కమ్మేస్తోంది, వర్షపు నీటి ప్రవాహం లోతట్టు నేలను ముంచినట్లు।
'The elephant of sin (hanging heavily on me) has a tail of treacherous killing of one's own brother, which has resulted in deep sorrow in the form of a trunk, eyes, head and tusks.This elephant is striking at me as he would strike the bank of a river when he grows strong and gets puffed up with the pride of energy. (The idea of a proud elephant striking at the target is superimposed on the sin committed by Sugriva.The animal's tail is the killing of a brother. Sugriva's remorse spreads all over the body trunk, eyes, head and tusks of the animal. As a proud elephant strikes at the river bank the sin is striking at Sugriva to destroy him. The Rupaka here is perfect and total).
FAQs
Adharma brings inevitable inner consequence: sorrow and self-condemnation follow harmful acts, showing that dharma is also an internal moral order.
Sugrīva describes the psychological aftermath of Vāli’s death: grief surges and cannot be contained.
Moral awareness—recognizing the deed as blameworthy rather than rationalizing it.