Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 105 of 119 · 46 verses
Rama on Time and Death
The night passes in sorrow for the lions among men, surrounded by their friends. At dawn the brothers, with their friends, make their offerings and prayers at the Mandakini and come to Rama. They sit in silence; no one speaks. Then Bharata, among the friends, says to Rama: “My mother has been appeased, and this kingdom has been given to me. I give it to you; enjoy the kingdom without a thorn. Like a dam broken by a great rush of water in the rains, this great piece of a kingdom is hard for anyone but you to hold. As a donkey cannot follow a horse, nor any bird Garuda, I have no power to follow your way, lord of the earth. Life is good for the one on whom others live; it is hard, Rama, for the one who lives on others. A man plants a tree and makes it grow until it becomes a great tree with a high trunk, hard for a short man to climb; if, having flowered, it shows no fruit, the one who planted it does not get the joy he planted it for. This is the comparison, mighty-armed one; you should understand its meaning, if you, our bull and master, will not rule us your servants. Let the guilds and all the leaders see you established in the kingdom, burning like the sun, tamer of foes. Let rutting elephants trumpet as they follow you, Kakutstha, and the women of the inner palace rejoice.” Hearing Bharata’s words as he begs Rama, all the citizens think, “Well said.”
Seeing glorious Bharata grieving and lamenting so, self-controlled Rama comforts him: “A man is not free to act as he wishes; he is not his own master. Fate drags him this way and that. All gatherings end in loss, all rising ends in falling, all union ends in separation, and life ends in death. As ripe fruit has no fear but of falling, so a man who is born has no fear but of death. As a house with strong pillars sinks when it grows old, so men sink, in the power of old age and death. The night that passes does not come back; the Yamuna flows full to the ocean full of water. Days and nights pass for all living beings here and swiftly use up their lives, as the sun’s rays dry up water in summer. Grieve for yourself; why do you grieve for another? Your life is shrinking, whether you stay or go. Death walks with us, sits with us, goes the longest road with us and comes back with us. Wrinkles come on the limbs and the hair turns white; worn out by age, what can a man do to escape? People rejoice when the sun rises and rejoice when it sets, but do not notice their own life wasting away. They are glad to see each season come, new each time, but with the turning of the seasons the lives of creatures waste away. As two pieces of wood meet in the great ocean and, meeting, part again after a time, so wives, sons, kin and wealth meet and run apart; their separation is certain. No creature here can escape its nature; so one who grieves for the dead has no power over it. As a man standing by the road might say to a passing caravan, ‘I will follow you too,’ so the sure path of our fathers and grandfathers has been taken by those before; who could grieve when he has come to it, since there is no escaping it? As life falls away like a stream that never returns, one should give oneself to what brings happiness; creatures are said to be meant for happiness. Our righteous father, lord of the earth, purified of sin, has gone to heaven by all his good deeds and sacrifices with ample fees, by properly supporting his dependants, protecting his subjects and gathering wealth by dharma. Having sacrificed with many sacrifices, enjoyed abundant pleasures and reached a great age, the lord of the earth has gone to heaven, honoured by the good. Our father is not to be grieved for, dear one. Having cast off his old human body, he has won divine glory, roaming in Brahma’s world. No wise man like you, learned and most intelligent, should grieve for him. A steady, wise man must avoid these many kinds of sorrow, lamenting and weeping, in every state. Be steady; do not grieve; go and live in that city, as you were commanded by our self-controlled father, best of speakers. Where I too was commanded by that doer of holy deeds, there I will carry out the command of our noble father. It is not right for me to abandon his command, tamer of foes, and you too must always honour it; he is our kinsman and our father. I will keep that word of our father, approved by those who walk in dharma, by deed, by living in the forest, Raghava. A man who wants to win the next world must be righteous, kind and obedient to his elders, tiger among men. Follow your own true nature, bull among men, considering the good conduct of our father Dasharatha.” Having said these meaningful words to his younger brother, for the sake of keeping his father’s command, the lord Rama falls silent for a while.
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ततः पुरुषसिंहानां वृतानां तैः सुहृद्गणैः । शोचतामेव रजनी दुःखेन व्यत्यवर्त्तत ॥ १ ॥
Then the night passed in sorrow for those lions among men, surrounded by those groups of friends, as they grieved.
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रजन्यां सुप्रभातायां भ्रातरस्ते सुहृद्वृताः । मन्दाकिन्यां हुतं जप्यं कृत्वा राममुपागमन् ॥ २ ॥
When the night had dawned well, the brothers, surrounded by their friends, having made offerings and prayers at the Mandakini, came to Rama.
तूष्णीं ते समुपासीना न कश्चित्किञ्चिदब्रवीत् । भरतस्तु सुहृन्मध्ये रामं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ ३ ॥
They sat in silence; no one said anything. But Bharata, in the midst of the friends, said these words to Rama:
सान्त्विता मामिका माता दत्तं राज्यमिदं मम । तद्ददामि तवैवाहं भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यमकण्टकम् ॥ ४ ॥
“My mother has been comforted, and this kingdom has been given to me. I give it to you; enjoy the kingdom without a thorn.
महतेवाम्बुवेगेन भिन्नः सेतुर्जलागमे । दुरावारं त्वदन्येन राज्यखण्डमिदं महत् ॥ ५ ॥
“Like a dam broken by a great rush of water in the rainy season, this great piece of a kingdom is hard for anyone but you to hold.
गतिं खर इवाश्वस्य तार्क्ष्यस्येव पतत्ऺित्रणः । अनुगन्तुं न शक्तिर्मे गतिं तव महीपते ॥ ६ ॥
“As a donkey cannot follow the gait of a horse, nor a bird that of Tarkshya, I have no power to follow your gait, lord of the earth.
सुजीवं नित्यशस्तस्य यः परैरुपजीव्यते । राम तेन तु दुर्जीवं यः परानुपजीवति ॥ ७ ॥
“Life is always good for him on whom others live; but life is hard, Rama, for him who lives on others.
यथा तु रोपितो वृक्षः पुरुषेण विवर्द्धितः । ह्रस्वकेन दुरारोहो रूढस्कन्धो महाद्रुमः ॥ ८ ॥
“As a tree planted by a man and made to grow, a great tree with a high trunk, hard for a short man to climb,
स यथा पुष्पितो भूत्वा फलानि न विदर्शयेत् । स तां नानुभवेत्प्रीतिं यस्य हेतोः प्ररोपितः ॥ ९ ॥
“if, having flowered, it shows no fruits, he does not get the joy for the sake of which it was planted.
एषोपमा महाबाहो तमर्थं वेत्तुमर्हसि । यदि त्वमस्मान् वृषभो भर्त्ता भृत्यान्न शाधि हि ॥ १० ॥
“This is the comparison, mighty-armed one; you should understand its meaning, if you, our bull and master, do not rule us your servants.
श्रेणयस्त्वां महाराज पश्यन्त्वग्र्याश्च सर्वशः । प्रतपन्तमिवादित्यं राज्ये स्थितमरिन्दमम् ॥ ११ ॥
“Let the guilds and the leaders everywhere see you, great king, established in the kingdom, tamer of foes, burning like the sun.
तवा ऽनुयाने काकुत्स्थ मत्ता नर्दन्तु कुञ्जराः । अन्तःपुरगता नार्यो नन्दन्तु सुसमाहिताः ॥ १२ ॥
“Let rutting elephants trumpet as they follow you, Kakutstha; let the women in the inner palace rejoice, composed.”
तस्य साध्वित्यमन्यन्त नागरा विविधा जनाः । भरतस्य वचः श्रुत्वा रामं प्रत्यनुयाचतः ॥ १३ ॥
Hearing the words of Bharata as he begged Rama, the citizens, people of many kinds, thought, “Well said.”
तमेवं दुःखितं प्रेक्ष्य विलपन्तं यशस्विनम् । रामः कृतात्मा भरतं समाश्वासय दात्मवान् ॥ १४ ॥
Seeing glorious Bharata so grieved, lamenting, self-controlled, disciplined Rama comforted him:
नात्मनः कामकारो ऽस्ति पुरुषो ऽयमनीश्वरः । इतश्चेतरतश्चैनं कृतान्तः परिकर्षति ॥ १५ ॥
“A man has no freedom to act as he wishes; this man is not the master. Fate drags him here and there.
सर्वे क्षयान्ता निचयाः पतनान्ताः समुच्छ्रयाः । संयोगा विप्रयोगान्ता मरणान्तं च जीवितम् ॥ १६ ॥
“All accumulations end in loss; all risings end in falls; unions end in separation; and life ends in death.
यथा फलानां पक्वानां नान्यत्र पतनाद्भयम् । एवं नरस्य जातस्य नान्यत्र मरणाद्भयम् ॥ १७ ॥
“As ripe fruits have no fear except of falling, so a man who is born has no fear except of death.
यथागारं दृढस्थूणं जीर्णं भूत्वा ऽवसीदति । तथैव सीदन्ति नरा जरामृत्युवशङ्गताः ॥ १८ ॥
“As a house with firm pillars, growing old, sinks down, so men sink down, come under the power of old age and death.
अत्येति रजनी या तु सा न प्रतिनिवर्त्तते । यात्येव यमुना पूर्णा समुद्रमुदकाकुलम् ॥ १९ ॥
“The night that passes does not return; the full Yamuna goes on to the ocean full of water.
अहोरात्राणि गच्छन्ति सर्वेषां प्राणिनामिह । आयूंषि क्षपयन्त्याशु ग्रीष्मे जलमिवांशवः ॥ २० ॥
“Days and nights pass for all living beings here and swiftly wear away their lives, as the sun’s rays dry up water in summer.
आत्मानमनुशोच त्वं किमन्यमनुशोचसि । आयुस्ते हीयते यस्य स्थितस्य च गतस्य च ॥ २१ ॥
“Grieve for yourself; why do you grieve for another? For your life is diminishing, whether you stay or go.
सहैव मृत्युर्व्रजति सह मृत्युर्निषीदति । गत्वा सुदीर्घमध्वानं सहमृत्युर्निवर्तते ॥ २२ ॥
“Death walks with us, death sits with us; having gone a very long road, death returns with us.
गात्रेषु वलयः प्राप्ताः श्वेताश्चैव शिरोरुहाः । जरया पुरुषो जीर्णः किं हि कृत्वा प्रभावयेत् ॥ २३ ॥
“Wrinkles have come on the limbs, and the hair has turned white; worn out by age, what can a man do to prevail?
नन्दन्त्युदित आदित्ये नन्दन्त्यस्तमिते रवौ । आत्मनो नावबुध्यन्ते मनुष्या जीवितक्षयम् ॥ २४ ॥
“People rejoice when the sun rises, they rejoice when the sun has set; they do not notice the wasting of their own life.
हृष्यन्त्यृतुमखं दृष्ट्वा नवं नवमिहागतम् । ऋतूनां परिवर्त्तेन प्राणिनां प्राणसंक्षयः ॥ २५ ॥
“They rejoice to see the beginning of a season come here, new and new again; with the turning of the seasons comes the wasting of the lives of living beings.
यथा काष्ठं च काष्ठं च समेयातां महार्णवे । समेत्य च व्यपेयातां कालमासाद्य कञ्चन ॥ २६ ॥
“As a piece of wood and a piece of wood might meet in the great ocean, and having met, part again after some time,
एवं भार्याश्च पुत्राश्च ज्ञातयश्च घनानि च । समेत्य व्यवधावन्ति ध्रुवो ह्येषां विनाभवः ॥ २७ ॥
“so wives, sons, kinsmen and wealth meet and run apart; for their separation is certain.
नात्र कश्चिद्यथाभावं प्राणी समभिवर्त्तते । तेन तस्मिन्न सामर्थ्यं प्रेतस्यास्त्यनुशोचतः ॥ २८ ॥
“No living being here can pass beyond its nature; therefore one who grieves for the dead has no power over it.
यथा हि सार्थं गच्छन्तं ब्रूयात् कश्चित् पथि स्थितः । अहमप्यागमिष्यामि पृष्ठतो भवतामिति ॥ २९ ॥
“As someone standing on the road might say to a caravan going by, ‘I too will come after you,’
एवं पूर्वैर्गतो मार्गः पितृपैतामहो ध्रुवः । तमापन्नः कथं शोचेद्यस्ऺय नास्ति व्यतिक्रमः ॥ ३० ॥
“so the sure path of fathers and grandfathers has been gone by those before; having come to it, how could one grieve, for whom there is no passing beyond it?
वयसः पतमानस्य स्रोतसो वा ऽनिवर्तिनः । आत्मा सुखे नियोक्तव्यः सुखभाजः प्रजाः स्मृताः ॥ ३१ ॥
“As youth falls away, like a stream that does not turn back, the self should be directed to happiness; creatures are held to be sharers in happiness.
धर्मात्मा स शुभैः कृत्स्नैः क्रतुभिश्चाप्तदक्षिणैः । धूतपापो गतः स्वर्गं पिता नः पृथिवीपतिः ॥ ३२ ॥
“Our righteous father, the lord of the earth, purified of sin, has gone to heaven by all his auspicious sacrifices with ample fees.
भृत्यानां भरणात् सम्यक् प्रजानां परिपालनात् । अर्थादानाच्च धर्मेण पिता नस्त्रिदिवं गतः ॥ ३३ ॥
“By properly supporting his dependants, protecting his subjects and taking wealth by dharma, our father has gone to heaven.
कर्मभिस्तु शुभैरिष्टैः क्रतुभिश्चाप्तदक्षिणैः । स्वर्गं दशरथः प्राप्तः पिता नः पृथिवीपतिः ॥ ३४ ॥
“By auspicious deeds and desired sacrifices with ample fees, Dasharatha, our father, lord of the earth, has reached heaven.
इष्ट्वा बहुविधैर्यज्ञैर्भोगांश्चावाप्य पुष्कलान् । उत्तमं चायुरासाद्य स्वर्गतः पृथिवीपतिः ॥ ३५ ॥
“Having sacrificed with many kinds of sacrifices, having enjoyed abundant pleasures, and having reached a great age, the lord of the earth has gone to heaven.
आयुरुत्तममासाद्य भोगानपि च राघवः । स न शोच्यः पिता तातः स्वर्गतः सत्कृतः सताम् ॥ ३६ ॥
“Having reached a great age and enjoyments too, Raghava, our father is not to be grieved for, dear one; he has gone to heaven, honoured by the good.
स जीर्णं मानुषं देहं परित्यज्य पिता हि नः । दैवीमृद्धिमनुप्राप्तो ब्रह्मलोकविहारिणीम् ॥ ३७ ॥
“Having cast off his old human body, our father has attained divine glory, moving in the world of Brahma.
तं तु नैवंविधः कश्चित् प्राज्ञः शोचितुमर्हति । तद्विधो यद्विधश्चापि श्रुतवान् बुद्धिमत्तरः ॥ ३८ ॥
“No wise man like you should grieve for him, one such as you, learned and more intelligent.
एते बहुविधाः शोका विलापरुदिते तथा । वर्जनीया हि धीरेण सर्वावस्थासु धीमता ॥ ३९ ॥
“These many kinds of grief, and lamenting and weeping, must be avoided in every state by a steady, wise man.
स स्वस्थो भव माशोचीर्यात्वा चावस तां पुरीम् । तथा पित्रा नियुक्तो ऽसि वशिना वदतां वर ॥ ४० ॥
“Be steady; do not grieve; go and live in that city, as you were commanded by our self-controlled father, best of speakers.
यत्राहमपि तेनैव नियुक्तः पुण्यकर्मणा । तत्रैवाहं करिष्यामि पितुरार्य्यस्य शासनम् ॥ ४१ ॥
“Where I too was commanded by that same doer of holy deeds, there I will carry out the command of our noble father.
न मया शासनं तस्य त्यक्तुं न्याय्यमरिन्दम । तत् त्वयापि सदा मान्यं स वै बन्धुः स नः पिता ॥ ४२ ॥
“It is not right for me to abandon his command, tamer of foes; and you too must always honour it; he is our kinsman, he is our father.
तद्वचः पितुरेवाहं सम्मतं धर्मचारिणः । कर्मणा पालयिष्यामि वनवासेन राघव ॥ ४३ ॥
“That word of our father, approved by those who practise dharma, I will keep by deed, by living in the forest, Raghava.
धीर्मिकेणानृशंसेन नरेण गुरुवर्त्तिना । भवितव्यं नरव्याघ्र परलोकं जिगीषता ॥ ४४ ॥
“A man who wishes to win the next world must be righteous, not cruel, and obedient to his elders, tiger among men.
आत्मानमनुतिष्ठ त्वं स्वभावेन नरर्षभ । निशाम्य तु शुभं वृत्तं पितुर्दशरथस्य नः ॥ ४५ ॥
“Follow yourself by your own nature, bull among men, considering the auspicious conduct of our father Dasharatha.”
इत्येवमुक्त्वा वचनं महात्मा पितुर्निदेशप्रतिपालनार्थम् । यवीयसं भ्रातरमर्थवच्च प्रभुर्मुहूर्ताद्विरराम रामः ॥ ४६ ॥
Having said these meaningful words to his younger brother, for the sake of keeping his father’s command, the lord Rama, great soul, fell silent for a moment.