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102
JAIN RAMAYAN
At this point, Sugriv intervened and said :
"My dear lord! What are you going to do? The night is not yet over. Ravan, the night-wanderer has run back to Lanka. Here, Lakshman is lying unconscious attacked by a divine weapon. At such a time as this, if a mighty hero like you loses heart what about ordinary mortals? How can the Vanara army retain courage and self-confidence? The death of the demon, Ravan has approached. Now, all our efforts should be directed towards helping Lakshman to regain his consciousness."
The tears were flowing ceaselessly from Shri Ram's eyes. His flower-soft face had faded away. His throat was choked with overpowering sorrow; and he had grown weak and withered. He said in a voice shaken by agitation and anguish.
"Oh you lord of Vanaras! No one can fathom the depth of my sorrow. Lakshman is not merely my brother; but he is my dear friend, beloved companion and the only prop of all my hopes. He is everything to me. To-day, I am experiencing greater sorrow than the one I experienced at the time of my coming away to forests discarding all my power and royal splendour. Ah! My wife has been abducted; and my brother's life has been taken... yet I am alive. It is really amazing! Why has not Ram's heart broken to pieces ? Oh dear friends! Sugriv, Hanuman, Bhamandal, Nal, Neel, Angadh, Chandrarashmi and all dear Vidhyadhars! I entreat you all to return to your places. Dear friend Vibhishan! I am greatly ashamed of my inability to keep my word given to you. I have not been able to keep up my promise that I would crown you king of Lanka. I have not been able to keep it up. This makes me greatly sad. My inability to fulfil my promise is causing greater anguish than the grief caused by the abduction of my wife and the death of my brother. But my dear friend ! Tomorrow morning you will see that I will send Ravan, your brother and my enemy to the abode of death. I will make him follow Lakshman there. I will kill him; and I will surely make you King of Lanka. And after that? I will take my brother Lakshman's body in my arms and fall into fire. This is my decision.
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