SECTION XXXIV.
Seeing that foremost of men, Lakshmana, exercised with wrath, as he entered in without let, Sugriva was seized with sadness. And seeing Daçaratha's son, wroth, and breathing hard, and flaming up in energy, and burning in consequence of the calamity that had overtaken his brother, that chief of monkeys started up, leaving his golden seat, like unto the mighty ornamented standard of the great Indra. And as Sugriva rose up, Umā and the other females rose up, like unto stars appearing in the sky when the full moon has risen. And with eyes reddened, and his hands folded, the graceful Sugriva came (before Lakshmana) and stood there like a mighty Kalpa tree. And the wrathful Lakshmana spake unto Sugriva stationed among women, having Umā for his second, and resembling the moon with the stars, saying,—"The king that is nobly endowed by heredity, and is kind, that hath subdued his senses,and is grateful and truth-telling, obtains renown in this world. And who is more wicked than that king who, rooted in unrighteousness, makes false promises unto friends intent upon his welfare? He that speaks a falsehood with reference to a horse, becomes guilty of the deaths of an hundred horses: he committing himself to a falsehood relative to a cow, reapeth the demerit of slaying a thousand kine; while he that uttereth an untruth touching a person, destroys self as well as his kindred. That ungrateful wight that, having at first attained benefit at the hands of his friends, doth not requite it, is, O lord of monkeys, worthy of being slain by all creatures. Seeing an ingrate wretch, the wrathful Brahmā sang the (previous) sloka, bowed down unto by all the worlds. Do thou understand that, O monkey. The pious provide deliverance for the cow-killer, the wine-biber, the thief, and the violator of vows; but for the ungrateful person there is no deliverance whatever. Thou art ignoble and ungrateful and lying, O monkey, since, having been formerly benefitted by Rāma, thou dost not requite his services. Having been benefitted by Rāma, thou, anxious to repay his kindness, shouldst exert thyself in search of Sitā. But, of false promises, thou hast been indulging in gross enjoyments,—nor doth Rāma know thee for a serpent, croaking like a frog.[129] A sinful wretch and of wicked soul, thou hast obtained the kingdom of the monkeys through the agency of the eminently virtuous, kind and high-souled Rāma. Thou dost not acknowledge the good offices rendered unto thee by the high-souled Rāghava; and therefore, slain by means of sharpened shafts, thou shalt soon see Vāli. The way that hath been wended by the slain Vāli, is not yet narrowed. Do thou, O Sugriva, desist in time: do not walk in the wake of Vāli. Do not behold the shafts resembling thunder-bolts shot from the bow of that best of the Ikshwākus. Then, attaining happiness, thou shalt pass thy days in peace. Nor do thou mentally neglect Rāma's business."