Aranya Kanda · Sarga 37 of 76 · 25 verses
“Rama Is Dharma Embodied”
Hearing the words of the king of the rakshasas, Maricha of great splendour, skilled in speech, replies: “People who always say pleasant things are easy to find, king; but one who speaks, and one who listens to, what is unpleasant but wholesome are hard to find. Surely you do not know Rama, exalted in great valour and virtues, like great Indra and Varuna, fickle as you are and without spies. Will all the rakshasas be safe, dear one? Will Rama not in anger make the worlds empty of rakshasas? Has Janaka’s daughter not been born to end your life? Will there not be a great calamity because of Sita? Will the city of Lanka, having you as its lord, acting from desire, unrestrained, not perish with you and the rakshasas? A king like you, acting from desire, of bad character, counselled to evil, of wicked mind, kills himself, his own people and his kingdom. Rama was not cast off by his father, nor is he lawless in any way, nor greedy, nor of bad character, nor a disgrace to the kshatriyas, nor lacking in the virtues of dharma; Kausalya’s joy, he is not fierce toward beings but devoted to the good of all. Seeing his truthful father deceived by Kaikeyi, the righteous one said, ‘I will do it,’ and went to the forest. To please Kaikeyi and his father Dasharatha, he gave up the kingdom and its pleasures and entered the Dandaka forest. Rama is not harsh, dear one, not ignorant, not without control of his senses; you should not speak what is false and unheard of. Rama is dharma embodied, good, of true valour, king of the whole world, as Vasava is of the gods. How can you wish to carry off by force Vaidehi, protected by his own splendour, like the light of the sun? You should not suddenly enter the blazing fire of Rama, unassailable in battle, its flames his arrows, its fuel his bow and sword. You should not go near Rama, the Ender, his blazing mouth the open bow, his flames arrows, impatient, sharp, carrying bow and arrows, the destroyer of enemy armies, giving up your kingdom, your happiness and the life dear to you, dear one. Immeasurable is the splendour of him whose wife Janaka’s daughter is; you cannot carry her off in the forest, sheltered by Rama’s bow. To that lion among men, lion-chested, his passionate wife is dearer than life, always devoted. Maithili, the beloved of that mighty one, cannot be violated; slender-waisted Sita is like the flame of a blazing fire. What is this useless effort you are making, king of the rakshasas? If you are seen by him in battle, that is the end of your life. If you want to enjoy long your life, your happiness and your kingdom, so hard to win, do nothing to displease Rama. Consult with all your ministers, led by righteous Vibhishana, make your own decision, weigh the strength and weakness of faults and virtues, know truly your own strength and Raghava’s, decide what is good for you, and then you should do what is fitting. I think a meeting in battle with the son of the king of Kosala is not fitting for you. Hear these further excellent words, lord of the night-rangers, fitting and proper.”
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तच्छ्रुत्वा राक्षसेन्द्रस्य वाक्यं वाक्यविशारदः । प्रत्युवाच महातेजा मारीचो राक्षसेश्वरम् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing those words of the king of the rakshasas, Maricha of great splendour, skilled in speech, replied to the lord of the rakshasas:
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“Rama Is Dharma Embodied” 1 min read.
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सुलभाः पुरुषा राजन् सततं प्रियवादिनः । अप्रियस्य च पथ्यस्य वक्ता श्रोता च दुर्लभः ॥ २ ॥
“Men who always speak pleasantly are easily found, king; but one who speaks and one who hears what is unpleasant yet wholesome are hard to find.
न नूनं बुध्यसे रामं महावीर्यगुणोन्नतम् । अयुक्तचारश्चपलो महेन्द्रवरुणोपमम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Surely you do not understand Rama, exalted in great valour and virtues, like great Indra and Varuna, being without employed spies and fickle.
अपि स्वस्ति भवेत् तात सर्वेषामपि रक्षसाम् । अपि रामो न संक्रुद्धः कुर्याल्लोकानराक्षसान् ॥ ४ ॥
“Will there be safety, dear one, even for all the rakshasas? Will not Rama, very angry, make the worlds empty of rakshasas?
अपि ते जीवितान्ताय नोत्पन्ना जनकात्मजा । अपि सीतानिमित्तं च न भवेद् व्यसनं महत् ॥ ५ ॥
“Has not Janaka’s daughter been born for the end of your life? Will there not be a great calamity because of Sita?
अपि त्वामीश्वरं प्राप्य कामवृत्तं निरङ्कुशम् । न विनश्येत् पुरी लङ्का त्वया सह सराक्षसा ॥ ६ ॥
“Will not the city of Lanka, having got you as its lord, acting from desire, without a goad, perish together with you and the rakshasas?
त्वद्विधः कामवृत्तो हि दुःशीलः पापमन्त्रितः । आत्मानं स्वजनं राष्ट्रं स राजा हन्ति दुर्मतिः ॥ ७ ॥
“For a king like you, acting from desire, of bad character, with evil counsels, of wicked mind, kills himself, his own people and his realm.
न च पित्रा परित्यक्तो नामर्यादः कथंचन । न लुब्धो न च दुःशीलो न च क्षत्रियपांसनः ॥ ८ ॥
“He was not cast off by his father, nor is he without bounds in any way, nor greedy, nor of bad character, nor a disgrace to the kshatriyas.
न च धर्मगुणैर्हीनः कौसल्यानन्दवर्धनः । न च तीक्ष्णो हि भूतानां सर्वभूतहिते रतः ॥ ९ ॥
“Nor is he lacking in the virtues of dharma, the increaser of Kausalya’s joy; nor is he fierce toward beings; he is devoted to the good of all beings.
वञ्चितं पितरं दृष्ट्वा कैकेय्या सत्यवादिनम् । करिष्यामीति धर्मात्मा ततः प्रव्रजितो वनम् ॥ १० ॥
“Seeing his truthful father deceived by Kaikeyi, the righteous one said, ‘I will do it,’ and then went forth to the forest.
कैकेय्याः प्रियकामार्थं पितुर्दशरथस्य च । हित्वा राज्यं च भोगांश्च प्रविष्टो दण्डकावनम् ॥ ११ ॥
“To please Kaikeyi and his father Dasharatha, having given up the kingdom and pleasures, he entered the Dandaka forest.
न रामः कर्कशस्तात नाविद्वान् नाजितेन्द्रियः । अनृतं न श्रुतं चैव नैव त्वं वक्तुमर्हसि ॥ १२ ॥
“Rama is not harsh, dear one, nor ignorant, nor without control of his senses. You should not speak what is false and unheard of.
रामो विग्रहवान् धर्मः साधुः सत्यपराक्रमः । राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य देवानामिव वासवः ॥ १३ ॥
“Rama is dharma embodied, good, of true valour, king of the whole world, as Vasava is of the gods.
कथं नु तस्य वैदेहीं रक्षितां स्वेन तेजसा । इच्छसे प्रसभं हर्तुं प्रभामिव विवस्वतः ॥ १४ ॥
“How can you wish to carry off by force Vaidehi, guarded by his own splendour, like the light of the sun?
शरार्चिषमनाधृष्यं चापखड्गेन्धनं रणे । रामाग्निं सहसा दीप्तं न प्रवेष्टुं त्वमर्हसि ॥ १५ ॥
“You should not suddenly enter the blazing fire of Rama, unassailable in battle, its flames arrows, its fuel bow and sword.
धनुर्व्यादितदीप्तास्यं शरार्चिषममर्षणम् । चापबाणधरं तीक्ष्णं शत्रुसेनापहारिणम् ॥ १६ ॥
राज्यं सुखं च संत्यज्य जीवितं चेष्टमात्मनः । नात्यासादयितुं तात रामान्तकमिहार्हसि ॥ १७ ॥
“Rama the Ender, his blazing mouth the open bow, his flames arrows, impatient, bearing bow and arrows, sharp, the taker-away of enemy armies: giving up your kingdom, your happiness and your own dear life, you should not go near him here, dear one.
अप्रमेयं हि तत्तेजो यस्य सा जनकात्मजा । न त्वं समर्थस्तां हर्तुं रामचापाश्रयां वने ॥ १८ ॥
“Immeasurable is the splendour of him whose wife Janaka’s daughter is. You are not able to carry her off in the forest, sheltered by Rama’s bow.
तस्य वै नरसिंहस्य सिंहोरस्कस्य भामिनी । प्राणेभ्योऽपि प्रियतरा भार्या नित्यमनुव्रता ॥ १९ ॥
“To that lion among men, lion-chested, his passionate wife is dearer than his life-breaths, always devoted.
न सा धर्षयितुं शक्या मैथिल्योजस्विनः प्रिया । दीप्तस्येव हुताशस्य शिखा सीता सुमध्यमा ॥ २० ॥
“Maithili, beloved of that mighty one, cannot be violated; slender-waisted Sita is like the flame of a blazing fire.
किमुद्यमं व्यर्थमिमं कृत्वा ते राक्षसाधिप । दृष्टश्चेत् त्वं रणे तेन तदन्तमुपजीवितम् ॥ २१ ॥
“What is this useless effort you are making, lord of the rakshasas? If you are seen by him in battle, that is the end of your living.
जीवितं च सुखं चैव राज्यं चैव सुदुर्लभम् । यदीच्छसि चिरं भोक्तुं मा कृथा रामविप्रियम् ॥ २२ ॥
“If you wish to enjoy for long your life, and happiness, and the kingdom so hard to gain, do not do what displeases Rama.
स सर्वैः सचिवैः सार्धं विभीषणपुरस्कृतैः । मन्त्रयित्वा स धर्मिष्ठैः कृत्वा निश्चयमात्मनः । दोषाणां च गुणानां च सम्प्रधार्य बलाबलम् ॥ २३ ॥
“Having consulted with all your ministers, led by Vibhishana, the most righteous, having made your own decision, weighing the strength and weakness of faults and virtues,
आत्मनश्च बलं ज्ञात्वा राघवस्य च तत्त्वतः । हितं हि तव निश्चित्य क्षमं त्वं कर्तुमर्हसि ॥ २४ ॥
“knowing truly your own strength and Raghava’s, having determined what is good for you, you should do what is fitting.
अहं तु मन्ये तव न क्षमं रणे समागमं कोसलराजसूनुना । इदं हि भूयः शृणु वाक्यमुत्तमं क्षमं च युक्तं च निशाचराधिप ॥ २५ ॥
“I think meeting in battle with the son of the king of Kosala is not fitting for you. Hear again these excellent words, fitting and proper, lord of the night-rangers.”