Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 109 of 119 · 39 verses
Rama on Truth
Hearing Jabali’s words, Rama, best of those whose nature is truth, answers with great devotion and unshaken understanding: “What you have said here to please me is wrong-doing that looks like right, unwholesome advice that seems wholesome. A man without bounds, given to wicked conduct, whose character is broken, gets no honour among the good. Conduct alone shows whether a man is well-born or low-born, a hero or one who only thinks himself a man, pure or impure. If I, abandoning what is good, took up this adharma dressed as dharma, this confusion of the world, devoid of rites and rules, I would appear noble while ignoble, pure while impure, well-marked while ill-marked, good-natured while bad. What thinking man, knowing right from wrong, would respect me in the world, ill-behaved and a corrupter of the world? Whose conduct would I follow, and how would I reach heaven, living by this way that breaks its promise? The whole world would then behave as it pleased; for as kings behave, so behave their subjects.
“Truth and kindness are the eternal conduct of kings. So the kingdom is made of truth; the world rests on truth. Seers and gods have honoured truth alone; the man who speaks truth reaches the highest abode in this world. People shrink from a liar as from a snake. Truth is the highest dharma in the world, and is called the root of heaven. Truth is the lord in the world; Shri of the lotus always rests on truth; all things are rooted in truth; there is no state higher than truth. Gifts, sacrifices, offerings, austerities practised, and the Vedas all rest on truth; so one should be devoted to truth. One person protects the world, one protects a family; one sinks in hell, one is honoured in heaven. Why then should I not keep my father’s command, true to my promise, bound by truth? Neither out of greed, nor delusion, nor ignorance, blinded by darkness, will I break the dam of truth, having made a true promise to my elder. We have heard that neither the gods nor the ancestors accept offerings from one who is untrue to his word, unsteady and fickle-minded. I myself see this dharma of truth as belonging to the inner self; the burden carried by good men is respected for that reason. I will give up the kshatriya’s dharma, which is adharma joined to dharma, practised by the petty, the cruel, the greedy and the wicked. One commits sin by the body, having first decided it in the mind, and speaks falsehood with the tongue: three kinds of sinful act. Land, fame, glory and fortune seek out the man of truth, and follow him to heaven; so one should cleave to truth. What you advise me, having decided it, with your reasoning words, ‘this is good, do it’, is base, though it seems best. How, having promised my elder to live in the forest, can I set aside my elder’s word and do Bharata’s? I made a firm promise in my elder’s presence, and Queen Kaikeyi was delighted. Living in the forest in this way, pure, eating controlled food, satisfying ancestors and gods with holy roots, flowers and fruits, my five senses content, I will carry on my life in the world, without deceit, full of faith, knowing right from wrong. Having come to this land of action, one must do good deeds; fire, wind and soma share in the fruit of actions. The king of the gods went to heaven by performing a hundred sacrifices; the great seers went to heaven by practising fierce austerities.”
Unable to bear it, Rama of fierce splendour, having heard the reasoning of those faithless words, then rebukes Jabali’s words: “The good call truth, dharma, valour, compassion for beings, kind speech, and the worship of the twice-born, gods and guests the path to heaven. So the brahmanas, understanding the matter rightly and reaching the one goal, practising dharma in full, attentive, long for the higher worlds. I condemn the act of my father, who took you on, you whose mind stands on uneven ground, a thorough unbeliever living by such reasoning, fallen from the path of dharma. As a thief is, so is a ‘buddha’; know that the unbeliever here is the same as such a one. Therefore the wise man should never face an unbeliever, who is most to be suspected by the people. People before you, and better than you, did many good deeds and won this world and the next; therefore brahmanas offer oblations and do good. Those devoted to dharma, in the company of good men, splendid, chiefly given to generosity, non-violent and free of stain, the foremost sages, are honoured in the world.” To the great-souled Rama, of undaunted spirit, speaking so angrily, the brahmana then speaks true, believing and conciliatory words: “I do not speak the words of unbelievers; I am not an unbeliever, and it is not that nothing exists. Considering the time, I became a believer again; and when the time comes I might become an unbeliever again. That time came gradually, when I uttered those unbelieving words, Rama, to make you turn back; I said this to win your favour.”
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जाबालेस्तु वचः श्रुत्वा रामः सत्यात्मनां वरः । उवाच परया भक्त्या स्वबुद्ध्या चाविपन्नया ॥ १ ॥
Hearing Jabali’s words, Rama, best of those whose self is truth, spoke with supreme devotion and with his understanding unshaken:
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भवान् मे प्रियकामार्थं वचनं यदिहोक्तवान् । अकार्य्यं कार्य्यसङ्काशमपथ्यं पथ्यसम्मितम् ॥ २ ॥
“The words you have spoken here, wishing to please me, are a wrong deed resembling a right one, unwholesome though measured as wholesome.
निर्मर्यादस्तु पुरुषः पापाचारसमन्वितः । मानं न लभते सत्सु भिन्नचारित्रदर्शनः ॥ ३ ॥
“A man without bounds, joined to sinful conduct, whose character is seen to be broken, gets no honour among the good.
कुलीनमकुलीनं वा वीरं पुरुषमानिनम् । चारित्रमेव व्याख्याति शुचिं वा यदि वा ऽशुचिम् ॥ ४ ॥
“Conduct alone shows whether a man is well-born or low-born, a hero or one who merely thinks himself a man, pure or impure.
अनार्यस्त्वार्यसङ्काशः शौचाद्धीनस्तथा शुचिः । लक्षण्यवदलक्षण्यो दुःशीलः शीलवानिव ॥ ५ ॥
अधर्मं धर्मवेषेण यदीमं लोकसङ्करम् । अभिपत्स्ये शुभं हित्वा क्रियाविधिविवर्जितम् ॥ ६ ॥
“Ignoble while seeming noble, impure while seeming pure, ill-marked while seeming well-marked, ill-natured while seeming good-natured, I would be, if, abandoning the auspicious, I were to take up this adharma in the dress of dharma, this confusion of the world, devoid of rites and rules.
कश्चेतयानः पुरुषः कार्याकार्यविचक्षणः । बहुमंस्यति मां लोके दुर्वृत्तं लोकदूषणम् ॥ ७ ॥
“What thinking man, discerning right and wrong, would respect me in the world, ill-behaved and a corrupter of the world?
कस्य धास्याम्यहं वृत्तं केन वा स्वर्गमाप्नुयाम् । अनया वर्त्तमानो हि वृत्त्या हीनप्रतिज्ञया ॥ ८ ॥
“Whose conduct would I follow, and by what would I reach heaven, living by this way of life with its promise broken?
कामवृत्तस्त्वयं लोकः कृत्स्नः समुपवर्त्तते । यद्वृत्ताः सन्ति राजानस्तद्वृत्ताः सन्ति हि प्रजाः ॥ ९ ॥
“This whole world would then behave as it pleased; for as kings behave, so do their subjects behave.
सत्यमेवानृशंसञ्च राजवृत्तं सनातनम् । तस्मात्सत्यात्मकं राज्यं सत्ये लोकः प्रतिष्ठितः ॥ १० ॥
“Truth and kindness are the eternal conduct of kings. Therefore the kingdom has truth as its self; the world is established in truth.
ऋषयश्चैव देवाश्च सत्यमेव हि मेनिरे । सत्यवादी हि लोके ऽस्मिन् परमं गच्छति क्षयम् ॥ ११ ॥
“Seers and gods have honoured truth alone. For the one who speaks truth in this world goes to the highest abode.
उद्विजन्ते यथा सर्प्पान्नरादनृतवादिनः । धर्मः सत्यं परो लोके मूलं स्वर्गस्य चोच्यते ॥ १२ ॥
“People shrink from a man who speaks untruth as from snakes. Truth, dharma, is supreme in the world, and is called the root of heaven.
सत्यमेवेश्वरो लोके सत्यं पद्मा श्रिता सदा । सत्यमूलानि सर्वाणि सत्यान्नास्ति परं पदम् ॥ १३ ॥
“Truth alone is the lord in the world; Padma always rests on truth. All things have truth as their root; there is no state higher than truth.
दत्तमिष्टं हुतं चैव तप्तानि च तपांसि च । वेदाः सत्यप्रतिष्ठानास्तस्मात् सत्यपरो भवेत् ॥ १४ ॥
“What is given, sacrificed and offered, and the austerities practised, and the Vedas: all rest on truth. Therefore one should be devoted to truth.
एकः पालयते लोकमेकः पालयते कुलम् । मज्जत्येको हि निरय एकः स्वर्गे महीयते ॥ १५ ॥
“One protects the world, one protects the family; one sinks in hell, one is honoured in heaven.
सो ऽहं पितुर्नियोगन्तु किमर्थं नानुपालये । सत्यप्रतिश्रवः सत्यं सत्येन समयीकृतः ॥ १६ ॥
“Why then should I not keep my father’s command, true in my promise, truly bound by truth?
नैव लोभान्न मोहाद्वा न ह्यज्ञानात्तमोन्वितः । सेतुं सत्यस्य भेत्स्यामि गुरोः सत्यप्रतिश्रवः ॥ १७ ॥
“Neither from greed, nor from delusion, nor from ignorance, filled with darkness, will I break the dam of truth, having made a true promise to my elder.
असत्यसन्धस्य सतश्चलस्यास्थिरचेतसः । नैव देवा न पितरः प्रतीच्छन्तीति नः श्रुतम् ॥ १८ ॥
“Neither the gods nor the ancestors accept offerings from one untrue to his word, unsteady, of fickle mind: so we have heard.
प्रत्यगात्ममिमं धर्मं सत्यं पश्याम्यहं स्वयम् । भारः सत्पुरुषाचीर्णस्तदर्थमभिमन्यते ॥ १९ ॥
“I see this dharma of truth myself as belonging to the inner self. The burden borne by good men is respected for that reason.
क्षात्ऺत्रं धर्ममहं त्यक्ष्ये ह्यधर्मं धर्मसंहितम् । क्षुद्रैर्नृशंसैर्लुब्धैश्च सेवितं पापकर्मभिः ॥ २० ॥
“I will give up the kshatriya’s dharma, which is adharma joined with dharma, practised by the petty, the cruel, the greedy and the doers of evil.
कायेन कुरुते पापं मनसा सम्प्रधार्य च । अनृतं जिह्वया चाह त्रिविधं कर्म पातकम् ॥ २१ ॥
“One does sin with the body, having decided on it with the mind, and speaks falsehood with the tongue: a threefold sinful act.
भूमिः कीर्त्तिर्यशो लक्ष्मीः पुरुषं प्रार्थयन्ति हि । स्वर्गस्थं चानुपश्यन्ति सत्यमेव भजेत तत् ॥ २२ ॥
“Land, renown, glory and fortune seek out the man, and look to him even in heaven: one should cleave to truth alone.
श्रेष्ठं ह्यनार्यमेव स्याद्यद्भवानवधार्य्य माम् । आह युक्तिकरैर्वाक्यैरिदं भद्रं कुरुष्व ह ॥ २३ ॥
“That would be the best and yet ignoble which you, having decided, tell me with reasoning words: ‘This is good; do it.’
कथं ह्यहं प्रतिज्ञाय वनवासमिमं गुरौ । भरतस्य करिष्यामि वचो हित्वा गुरोर्वचः ॥ २४ ॥
“For how, having promised my elder this forest life, shall I do Bharata’s word, abandoning my elder’s word?
स्थिरा मया प्रतिज्ञाता प्रतिज्ञा गुरुसन्निधौ । प्रहृष्यमाणा सा देवी कैकेयी चाभवत्तदा ॥ २५ ॥
“A firm promise was made by me in my elder’s presence, and Queen Kaikeyi was then delighted.
वनवासं वसन्नेवं शुचिर्नियतभोजनः । मूलैः पुष्पैः फलैः पुण्यैः पितऽन् देवांश्च तर्पयन् ॥ २६ ॥
सन्तुष्टपञ्चवर्गो ऽहं लोकयात्रां प्रवर्त्तये । अकुहः श्रद्दधानस्सन् कार्य्याकार्य्यविचक्षणः ॥ २७ ॥
“Living the forest life so, pure, restrained in food, satisfying the ancestors and the gods with holy roots, flowers and fruits, my five senses content, I will carry on the journey of the world, without deceit, full of faith, discerning right and wrong.
कर्मभूमिमिमां प्राप्य कर्त्तव्यं कर्म यच्छुभम् । अग्निर्वायुश्च सोमश्च कर्मणां फलभागिनः ॥ २८ ॥
“Having reached this land of action, one must do the action that is auspicious. Fire, wind and soma are sharers in the fruit of actions.
शतं क्रतूनामाहृत्य देवराट् त्रिदिवङ्गतः । तपांस्युग्राणि चास्थाय दिवं याता महर्षयः ॥ २९ ॥
“Having performed a hundred sacrifices, the king of the gods went to heaven; having undertaken fierce austerities, the great seers went to heaven.”
अमृष्यमाणः पुनरुग्रतेजा निशम्य तन्नास्तिकवाक्यहेतुम् । अथाब्रवीत्तं नृपतेस्तनूजो विगर्हमाणो वचनानि तस्य ॥ ३० ॥
Unable to bear it, of fierce splendour, having heard the reasoning of those unbelieving words, the son of the king then spoke to him, condemning his words:
सत्यं च धर्मं च पराक्रमं च भूतानुकम्पां प्रियवादिताञ्च । द्विजातिदेवातिथिपूजनं च पन्थानमाहुस्त्रिदिवस्य सन्तः ॥ ३१ ॥
“Truth and dharma and valour, compassion for beings and kind speech, and worship of the twice-born, gods and guests: the good call these the path to heaven.
तेनैवमाज्ञाय यथावदर्थमेकोदयं सम्प्रतिपद्य विप्राः । धर्मं चरन्तः सकलं यथावत् कांक्षन्ति लोकागममप्रमत्ताः ॥ ३२ ॥
“So, understanding the matter as it truly is, reaching the one goal, the brahmanas, practising dharma in full as it should be, long, attentive, for the attainment of the worlds.
निन्दाम्यहं कर्म पितुः कृतं तद्यस्त्वामगृह्णाद्विषमस्थबुद्धिम् । बुद्ध्यानयैवंविधया चरन्तं सुनास्तिकं धर्मपथादपेतम् ॥ ३३ ॥
“I condemn that deed of my father, who took you on, whose mind stands on crooked ground, a thorough unbeliever, living by such an understanding, departed from the path of dharma.
यथा हि चोरः स तथा हि बुद्धस्तथागतं नास्तिकमत्र विद्धि । तस्माद्धि यः शङ्क्यतमः प्रजानां न नास्तिकेनाभिमुखो बुधः स्यात् ॥ ३४ ॥
“For as a thief is, so is a ‘buddha’; know the unbeliever here to be such a ‘tathagata’. Therefore he who is most to be suspected by the people, the unbeliever: let no wise man face him.
त्वत्तो जनाः पूर्वतरे वराश्च शुभानि कर्माणि बहूनि चक्रुः । जित्वा सदेमं च परञ्च लोकं तस्माद्द्विजाः स्वस्ति हुतं कृतं च ॥ ३५ ॥
“People earlier than you, and better, did many auspicious deeds, having conquered this world and the next; therefore the twice-born make their oblations and good deeds.
धर्मे रताः सत्पुरुषैः समेतास्तेजस्विनो दानगुणप्रधानाः । अहिंसका वीतमलाश्च लोके भवन्ति पूज्या मुनयः प्रधानाः ॥ ३६ ॥
“Devoted to dharma, joined with good men, splendid, given chiefly to the virtue of giving, non-violent and free from stain: such are the foremost sages, honoured in the world.”
इति ब्रुवन्तं वचनं सरोषं रामं महात्मानमदीनसत्त्वम् । उवाच तथ्यं पुनरास्तिकं च सत्यं वचः सानुनयं च विप्रः ॥ ३७ ॥
To great-souled Rama, of undaunted spirit, speaking such words with anger, the brahmana spoke again true words, words of belief, and conciliatory:
न नास्तिकानां वचनं ब्रवीम्यहं न नास्तिकोऽहं न च नास्ति किञ्चन । समीक्ष्य कालं पुनरास्तिकोऽभवं भवेय काले पुनरेव नास्तिकः ॥ ३८ ॥
“I do not speak the words of unbelievers; I am not an unbeliever, nor is it that nothing exists. Considering the time, I became a believer again; at a time I might become an unbeliever again.
स चापि कालो ऽयमुपागतः शनैर्यथा मया नास्तिकवागुदीरिता । निवर्त्तनार्थं तव राम कारणात् प्रसादनार्थं तु मयैतदीरितम् ॥ ३९ ॥
“And that time came about gradually, when unbelieving words were uttered by me, Rama, for your sake, to make you turn back; I said this to win your favour.”