Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 83 of 128 · 44 verses
Rama Faints; Lakshmana Doubts Dharma
Hearing the great din of battle, Rama tells Jambavan: Hanuman must be doing something very hard; go quickly with your army and help him. Jambavan sets out for the western gate, but meets Hanuman coming back, surrounded by panting monkeys; Hanuman turns the bear army back with him, comes quickly to Rama and says sadly: while we fought and watched, Indrajit, son of Ravana, killed the weeping Sita. I am bewildered and grieving and have come to tell you. Hearing this, Rama falls to the ground, overcome with grief, like a tree cut at the root. The best monkeys leap to him and sprinkle him with water scented with lotuses and lilies, as he lies blazing like a fire suddenly risen.
Lakshmana, deeply grieved, takes him in his arms and speaks words full of reasoning. You stand on the good path, noble one, with your senses conquered, yet dharma cannot save you from misfortune; it is useless. Moving and unmoving beings can be seen; dharma cannot, so I think it does not exist. If adharma were real, Ravana would go to hell, and you, joined with dharma, would never meet calamity; but he has none and you have it, so the two are turned against each other. If the fruit of dharma came from dharma and of adharma from adharma, the wicked would reap wickedness and the righteous would reap righteousness; but the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer, so both are meaningless. If sinners are killed by adharma, then adharma, killed by the act of killing, can kill no one; or if one kills and is killed by what is ordained, destiny is stained, not the man. How can one reach the highest by a dharma that is unseen, unmanifest, as good as non-existent? If it were real, nothing evil would happen to you. Dharma is weak and follows strength; a weak thing that has lost its bounds should not be served. If dharma is merely an aspect of strength, give up dharma and rely on strength as you relied on dharma. If dharma is keeping one’s word, was not untruth incurred when what was promised you was left undone? If dharma and adharma were real, Indra would not have sacrificed after killing a sage with his thunderbolt. Dharma that rests on adharma destroys; a man does all this as he wishes. This is my view: thinking “this is dharma,” you cut the very root of dharma when you gave up the kingdom.
All undertakings flow from wealth, gathered and grown, as rivers flow from mountains; for a man deprived of wealth, all undertakings dry up like streams in summer; the man raised in comfort who gives up wealth and wants happiness turns to sin, and then evil spreads. He who has wealth has friends and kin; he is a man in the world, learned, valiant, wise, fortunate and full of virtues. I have told you the faults of giving up wealth, steadfast one, which you chose when you gave up the kingdom. For him who has wealth, everything goes well: dharma, desire and wealth; one without wealth cannot get wealth by seeking it. Joy, desire, pride, dharma, anger, calm and self-control all come from wealth, king. The riches without which this world is lost to those who walk the path of dharma are not seen in you, like planets on cloudy days. While you went into exile, hero, keeping our father’s word, a rakshasa carried off your wife, dearer to you than life. The great grief Indrajit has caused today I will wipe away by deeds; so rise, Raghava. Rise, tiger among men, long-armed, firm in your vows; why do you not know yourself, great soul that you are? Sinless one, enraged at the sight of Janaka’s daughter’s death, I will strike down Lanka with its chariots, elephants, horses and rakshasa king with my arrows, for your sake.
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राघवश्चापि विपुलं तं राक्षसवनौकसाम् । श्रुत्वा संग्रामनिर्घोषं जाम्बवन्तमुवाच ह ॥ १ ॥
And Raghava, hearing that vast din of battle between the rakshasas and the forest-dwellers, said to Jambavan:
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Rama Faints; Lakshmana Doubts Dharma 1 min read.
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सौम्य नूनं हनुमता कृतं कर्म सुदुष्करम् । श्रूयते च यथा भीमः सुमहानायुधस्वनः ॥ २ ॥
“Gentle one, surely a very difficult deed is being done by Hanuman, since a very great, terrible sound of weapons is heard.
तद् गच्छ कुरु साहाय्यं स्वबलेनाभिसंवृतः । क्षिप्रमृक्षपते तस्य कपिश्रेष्ठस्य युध्यतः ॥ ३ ॥
“So go quickly, lord of the bears, surrounded by your own army, and give help to that best of monkeys as he fights.”
ऋक्षराजस्तथेत्युक्त्वा स्वेनानीकेन संवृतः । आगच्छत् पश्चिमं द्वारं हनूमान् यत्र वानरः ॥ ४ ॥
Saying “So be it”, the king of the bears, surrounded by his own army, came to the western gate, where the monkey Hanuman was.
अथायान्तं हनूमन्तं ददर्शर्क्षपतिस्तदा । वानरैः कृतसंग्रामैः श्वसद्भिरभिसंवृतम् ॥ ५ ॥
Then the lord of the bears saw Hanuman coming, surrounded by monkeys who had fought the battle, panting.
दृष्ट्वा पथि हनूमांश्च तदृक्षबलमुद्यतम् । नीलमेघनिभं भीमं संनिवार्य न्यवर्तत ॥ ६ ॥
And Hanuman, seeing on the road that bear army ready, terrible, like a dark cloud, held it back and turned back.
स तेन सह सैन्येन संनिकर्षं महायशाः । शीघ्रमागम्य रामाय दुःखितो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ ७ ॥
Coming quickly near Rama with that army, the very famous one, grieved, said:
समरे युध्यमानानामस्माकं प्रेक्षतां च सः । जघान रुदतीं सीतामिन्द्रजिद् रावणात्मजः ॥ ८ ॥
“While we were fighting in battle and watching, Indrajit, son of Ravana, killed the weeping Sita.
उद्भ्रान्तचित्तस्तां दृष्ट्वा विषण्णोऽहमरिंदम । तदहं भवतो वृत्तं विज्ञापयितुमागतः ॥ ९ ॥
“Seeing her, I am bewildered in mind and downcast, tamer of enemies; so I have come to tell you what happened.”
तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा राघवः शोकमूर्च्छितः । निपपात तदा भूमौ छिन्नमूल इव द्रुमः ॥ १० ॥
Hearing those words of his, Raghava, overcome with grief, fell on the ground then like a tree cut at the root.
तं भूमौ देवसंकाशं पतितं दृश्य राघवम् । अभिपेतुः समुत्पत्य सर्वतः कपिसत्तमाः ॥ ११ ॥
Seeing that Raghava, like a god, fallen on the ground, the best of monkeys leapt up and rushed to him from every side.
आसिञ्चन् सलिलैश्चैनं पद्मोत्पलसुगन्धिभिः । प्रदहन्तमसंहार्यं सहसाग्निमिवोत्थितम् ॥ १२ ॥
They sprinkled him with waters fragrant with lotuses and lilies, as he lay burning, unquenchable, like a fire suddenly risen.
तं लक्ष्मणोऽथ बाहुभ्यां परिष्वज्य सुदुःखितः । उवाच राममस्वस्थं वाक्यं हेत्वर्थसंयुतम् ॥ १३ ॥
Then Lakshmana, deeply grieved, embracing him with both arms, spoke to the distressed Rama words joined with reasons and meaning:
शुभे वर्त्मनि तिष्ठन्तं त्वामार्य विजितेन्द्रियम् । अनर्थेभ्यो न शक्नोति त्रातुं धर्मो निरर्थकः ॥ १४ ॥
“Noble one, you stand on the auspicious path with your senses conquered, and dharma cannot protect you from misfortunes; it is meaningless.
भूतानां स्थावराणां च जङ्गमानां च दर्शनम् । यथास्ति न तथा धर्मस्तेन नास्तीति मे मतिः ॥ १५ ॥
“As there is sight of beings, unmoving and moving, so there is not of dharma; therefore my view is that it does not exist.
यथैव स्थावरं व्यक्तं जङ्गमं च तथाविधम् । नायमर्थस्तथा युक्तस्त्वद्विधो न विपद्यते ॥ १६ ॥
“Just as the unmoving is manifest, and the moving likewise, this thing is not so evident; one like you would not meet disaster.
यद्यधर्मो भवेद् भूतो रावणो नरकं व्रजेत् । भवांश्च धर्मसंयुक्तो नैव व्यसनमाप्नुयात् ॥ १७ ॥
“If adharma were real, Ravana would go to hell, and you, joined with dharma, would never meet calamity.
तस्य च व्यसनाभावाद् व्यसनं चागते त्वयि । धर्मो भवत्यधर्मश्च परस्परविरोधिनौ ॥ १८ ॥
“Since there is no calamity for him and calamity has come to you, dharma and adharma turn out to contradict each other.
धर्मेणोपलभेद् धर्ममधर्मं चाप्यधर्मतः । यद्यधर्मेण युज्येयुर्येष्वधर्मः प्रतिष्ठितः ॥ १९ ॥
“One should gain dharma’s fruit by dharma and adharma’s by adharma. If those in whom adharma is established were joined with adharma’s fruit,
न धर्मेण वियुज्येरन्नाधर्मरुचयो जनाः । धर्मेणाचरतां तेषां तथा धर्मफलं भवेत् ॥ २० ॥
“and people with no taste for adharma were not parted from dharma’s fruit, then for those who act by dharma there would be the fruit of dharma.
यस्मादर्था विवर्धन्ते येष्वधर्मः प्रतिष्ठितः । क्लिश्यन्ते धर्मशीलाश्च तस्मादेतौ निरर्थकौ ॥ २१ ॥
“Since riches grow for those in whom adharma is established, and those whose nature is dharma suffer, these two are meaningless.
वध्यन्ते पापकर्माणो यद्यधर्मेण राघव । वधकर्महतोऽधर्मः स हतः कं वधिष्यति ॥ २२ ॥
“If those of sinful deeds are killed by adharma, Raghava, then adharma, struck down by the act of killing, being itself killed, whom will it kill?
अथवा विहितेनायं हन्यते हन्ति चापरम् । विधिः स लिप्यते तेन न स पापेन कर्मणा ॥ २३ ॥
“Or if by what is ordained this one is killed and kills another, then destiny is stained by it, not he by the sinful deed.
अदृष्टप्रतिकारेण अव्यक्तेनासता सता । कथं शक्यं परं प्राप्तुं धर्मेणारिविकर्षण ॥ २४ ॥
“By a dharma whose remedy is unseen, unmanifest, non-existent though existent, how can one reach the highest, harrier of enemies?
यदि सत् स्यात् सतां मुख्य नासत् स्यात् तव किंचन । त्वया यदीदृशं प्राप्तं तस्मात् तन्नोपपद्यते ॥ २५ ॥
“If it were real, chief of the good, nothing evil would befall you; since such a thing has come to you, therefore that does not hold.
अथवा दुर्बलः क्लीबो बलं धर्मोऽनुवर्तते । दुर्बलो हृतमर्यादो न सेव्य इति मे मतिः ॥ २६ ॥
“Or else dharma is weak and impotent and follows strength; a weak thing whose bounds are lost should not be served, I think.
बलस्य यदि चेद् धर्मो गुणभूतः पराक्रमैः । धर्ममुत्सृज्य वर्तस्व यथा धर्मे तथा बले ॥ २७ ॥
“If dharma is a subordinate quality of strength through valour, give up dharma and act; as you did on dharma, rely on strength.
अथ चेत् सत्यवचनं धर्मः किल परंतप । अनृतं त्वय्यकरणे किं न बद्धस्त्वया विना ॥ २८ ॥
“And if dharma is truthful speech, as they say, scorcher of foes, was not untruth bound upon him without you, in not doing what was promised you?
यदि धर्मो भवेद् भूत अधर्मो वा परंतप । न स्म हत्वा मुनिं वज्री कुर्यादिज्यां शतक्रतुः ॥ २९ ॥
“If dharma or adharma were real, scorcher of foes, the wielder of the thunderbolt, Indra of a hundred sacrifices, would not have performed sacrifice after killing a sage.
अधर्मसंश्रितो धर्मो विनाशयति राघव । सर्वमेतद् यथाकामं काकुत्स्थ कुरुते नरः ॥ ३० ॥
“Dharma resting on adharma destroys, Raghava; a man does all this as he wishes, Kakutstha.
मम चेदं मतं तात धर्मोऽयमिति राघव । धर्ममूलं त्वया छिन्नं राज्यमुत्सृजता तदा ॥ ३१ ॥
“And this is my view, dear one: thinking ‘This is dharma’, Raghava, you cut the root of dharma when you gave up the kingdom then.
अर्थेभ्योऽथ प्रवृद्धेभ्यः संवृत्तेभ्यस्ततस्ततः । क्रियाः सर्वाः प्रवर्तन्ते पर्वतेभ्य इवापगाः ॥ ३२ ॥
“From riches grown and gathered here and there, all undertakings flow, like rivers from the mountains.
अर्थेन हि विमुक्तस्य पुरुषस्याल्पचेतसः । विच्छिद्यन्ते क्रियाः सर्वा ग्रीष्मे कुसरितो यथा ॥ ३३ ॥
“For a man of little mind deprived of riches, all undertakings are cut off, like little streams in summer.
सोऽयमर्थं परित्यज्य सुखकामः सुखैधितः । पापमाचरते कर्तुं तदा दोषः प्रवर्तते ॥ ३४ ॥
“Such a man, giving up riches, wanting happiness, raised in happiness, sets about doing evil; then fault spreads.
यस्यार्थास्तस्य मित्राणि यस्यार्थास्तस्य बान्धवाः । यस्यार्थाः स पुमाँल्लोके यस्यार्थाः स च पण्डितः ॥ ३५ ॥
“He who has riches has friends; he who has riches has kin; he who has riches is a man in the world; he who has riches is learned.
यस्यार्थाः स च विक्रान्तो यस्यार्थाः स च बुद्धिमान् । यस्यार्थाः स महाभागो यस्यार्थाः स गुणाधिकः ॥ ३६ ॥
“He who has riches is valiant; he who has riches is wise; he who has riches is very fortunate; he who has riches is rich in virtues.
अर्थस्यैते परित्यागे दोषाः प्रव्याहृता मया । राज्यमुत्सृजता धीर येन बुद्धिस्त्वया कृता ॥ ३७ ॥
“These faults in giving up riches I have declared, steadfast one, which you took to heart when you gave up the kingdom.
यस्यार्था धर्मकामार्थास्तस्य सर्वं प्रदक्षिणम् । अधनेनार्थकामेन नार्थः शक्यो विचिन्वता ॥ ३८ ॥
“For him who has riches, dharma, desire and riches, everything goes well; one without wealth, seeking riches, cannot obtain them.
हर्षः कामश्च दर्पश्च धर्मः क्रोधः शमो दमः । अर्थादेतानि सर्वाणि प्रवर्तन्ते नराधिप ॥ ३९ ॥
“Joy and desire and pride, dharma, anger, calm and self-control: all these come from riches, lord of men.
येषां नश्यत्ययं लोकश्चरतां धर्मचारिणाम् । तेऽर्थास्त्वयि न दृश्यन्ते दुर्दिनेषु यथा ग्रहाः ॥ ४० ॥
“Those riches, without which this world is lost to those who walk practising dharma, are not seen in you, like the planets on cloudy days.
त्वयि प्रव्रजिते वीर गुरोश्च वचने स्थिते । रक्षसापहृता भार्या प्राणौः प्रियतरा तव ॥ ४१ ॥
“When you went into exile, hero, standing by your father’s word, your wife, dearer than life, was carried off by a rakshasa.
तदद्य विपुलं वीर दुःखमिन्द्रजिता कृतम् । कर्मणा व्यपनेष्यामि तस्मादुत्तिष्ठ राघव ॥ ४२ ॥
“So today, hero, the great grief caused by Indrajit I will drive away by deeds; therefore rise, Raghava.
उत्तिष्ठ नरशार्दूल दीर्घबाहो धृतव्रत । किमात्मानं महात्मानमात्मानं नावबुध्यसे ॥ ४३ ॥
“Rise, tiger among men, long-armed, firm in your vows! Why do you not know yourself, the great soul, as your own self?
अयमनघ तवोदितः प्रियार्थं जनकसुतानिधनं निरीक्ष्य रुष्टः । सरथगजहयां सराक्षसेन्द्रां भृशमिषुभिर्विनिपातयामि लङ्काम् ॥ ४४ ॥
“Sinless one, for your sake, angered at seeing the death of Janaka’s daughter, I will strike down Lanka with my arrows, with its chariots, elephants and horses, and with the king of the rakshasas.”