Chapter [Sarga] 108

Introduction

A Brahmana named Jabali tries to persuade Rama to accept the kingdom by advocating the theroy of Nastikas (non-believers), saying that he need not get attached to his father's words and remain in the troblesome forest. Jabali requests Rama to enjoy the royal luxuries, by accepting the crown.


Verse Locator

AañasyNtm! -rtm! jabailrœ äaü[ %Äm>,
%vac ramm! xmRJnm! xmR Apetm! #dm! vc>. 2£108£1

1. brahmaNottamaH= A Brahmana; jaabaaliH= named Jabali; uvaacha= spoke; idam= the following; dharmaapetam= unrighteous; vachaH= words; raamam= to Rama; dharmajJNam= who knew righteousness; aashvaasayantam= and who was assnaging; bharatam= Bharata.

A Brahmana called Jabali spoke the following unrighteous words to Rama, who knew righeouness and who was assnaging Bharata as aforesaid

Verse Locator

saxu ra"v ma -Ut! te buiÏrœ @vm! inrwRka,
àak«tSy nrSy #v AayR buÏe> tpiSvn>. 2£108£2

2. raaghava= O, Rama!; saadhu= well!; maabhuut= Let not; buddhiH= your wisdom; nivarthikaa= be rendered void; narasyeva= like a common man; te= you; aarya buddheH= who are distinguished for your intelligence; manasvinaH= and virtue.

"Enough, O Rama! Let not your wisdom be rendered void like a common man, you who are distinguished for your intelligence and virute."

Verse Locator

k> kSy pué;ae bNxu> ikm! AaPym! kSy kenict!,
ydœ @kae jayte jNturœ @k @v ivnZyit. 2£108£3

3. kaH puruSaH= which person; bandhuH= is a relative; kasya= to whom?; kim= what; aapyam= can be obtained; kena chit= from whom; kasya= by whom? yat= because; jantuH= a living; eing; jaayate= is born; ekaH= alone; vinashyati= and dies; eka eva= alone.

"Who is related to whom? What is there to be obtained by anything and by whom? Every creature is born alone and dies alone."

Verse Locator

tSman! mata ipta c #it ram s¾et yae nr>,
%NmÄ #v s Jneyae n AiSt kaicΉ ih kSyict!. 2£108£4

4. raama= O, Rama! Tasmaat= hence; yaH naraH= which person; sajjeta= clings to another (saying); pitaa cheti= 'this is my father; maataa= this is my mother; saH= he; vijJNeya= should be known; unmatta iva= as one who has lost his wits; naasti hi= there is none; kashchit= whosoever; (who belongs); kasya chit= to another.

"O, Rama! He who clings to another, saying, 'This is my father, this is my mother, he should be known as one who has lost his wits. There is none who belongs to another."

Verse Locator

ywa ¢am ANtrm! gGCAn! nr> kiídœ Kvicdœ vset!,
%Ts&Jy c tm! Aavasm! àitóet Apre Ahin. 2£108£5
@vm! @v mnu:ya[am! ipta mata g&hm! vsu,
Aavas maÇm! kak…TSw s¾Nte n AÇ s¾na>. 2£108£6

5, 6. kaakutthsa= O, Rama!; yathaa= as; kashchit= a certain; naraH= person; gachchhan= who passes; graamantaram= throught a strange village; vaset= spends the night; kvachit= at that certain place; apare ahami= and the next day; utsR^ijya= leaves; tam aavaasam= that place; pratiSTheta= and continues is jorney; evameva= so are; pitaa= father; maataa= mother; gR^iham= home; vasu= and possessions; manuSyaaNaam= to men; aavaasamaatram= they are but a resting place; sajjanaaH= the wise; na sajjante= do not become attached; atra= in this.

"O, Rama! As one who passes the a stroge village spends the night the and the next day leaves that place and continues his journey, so are mother, father, home and possessions to a man; they are but a resting place. The wise do not become attached to them".

Verse Locator

ipÈym! raJym! smuTs&Jy s n AhRit nr %Äm,
AaSwatum! kapwm! Êhœom! iv;mm! b÷ k{qkm!. 2£108£7

7. narottama= O, chief of men!; saH= you as such; naarhasi= ought not; parityajya= abandon; pitrayam= your father's; raajyam= kingdom; aasthaatum= in order to dwell; kaapatham= in a lonely forest; duHkham= that is painful; viSamam= hard to traverse; bahukaN^Takam= and full of thorny thickets.

"O, chief of men! You as such should not abandon your father's kingdom in order to dwell in a lonely forest, that is excruciating hard to traverse and full of thorny thickets."

Verse Locator

sm&Ïayam! AyaeXyayam! AaTmanm! Ai-;ecy,
@k ve[I xra ih Tvam! ngrI sMàtI]te. 2£108£8

8. aatmaanaam= abhiSechaya= get yourself crowned; samR^iddhaayaam= in the prosperous; ayodhyaayaam= kingdom of Ayodhya; nagarii= that city; sampratiikSate= is waiting; tvaam= fro you; eka veNiidharaa= with your locks unfound.

"Get yourself crowned in the prosperous kingdom of Ayodhya. That city is waiting for you, with your locks duly unfound."

Verse Locator

raj -aegan! Anu-vn! mha AhaRn! paiwRv AaTmj,
ivhr Tvm! AyaeXyayam! ywa z³> iÇivòpe. 2£108£9

9. paarthivaatmaja= O, prince! tvam= you; anubhavan= enjoy; raaja bhogaan= the royal luxuries; mahaarhaan= worthy of you; vihara move; ayodhyaayaam= in Ayodhya; shakraH yathaa= as Indra the Lord of Celestials; triviSTape (moves in) heaven!

"O, prince! Enjoy the royal luxuries worthy of you. Move around in Ayodhya as Indra the Lord of clestials does in heaven!"

Verse Locator

n te kiídœ dzrthœ> Tvm! c tSy n kín,
ANyae raja Tvm! ANy> c tSmat! k…é ydœ %Cyte. 2£108£10

10. dasharathaH= Dasaratha; na kashchit= is none; te= to you; na= nor; tvam cha= you; kashcana= in anyway; tasya= to him; saH raaja= that king; anyaH= is another; tvam= and you; anyaH= are another; tasmaat= hence; kuru= do; yat= what is uchyate= told (by me).

"Dasaratha is none to you nor you in anyway to him. That king is another and your are another. Hence, do what is told by me?"

Verse Locator

bIjmaÇm! ipta jNtae> zu¬< éixrmev c,
s<yu­m&tumNmaÇa pué;Syeh jNm tt!. 2£108£11

11. pitaa= the father; biija maatram= is only the seed; jantoH= of a being; shuklam= the sperm; rudhirameva cha\ and the ovum; samyuktam= blend; R^itumat= at the right time; maatraa= in the mother's womb; tat= so that; puruSasya= man; janma= is born; iha= in this world.

"The father is only the seed of a being. The sperm and the ovum blend at the right time in the mother's womb, so that a human being is born in this world."

Verse Locator

gt> s n&pit> tÇ gNtVym! yÇ ten vE,
àv&iÄrœ @;a mTyaRnam! Tvm! tu imWya ivhNyse. 2£108£12

12. saH nR^ipatiH= that king; gataH= has gone; yatra= where; tena= he; gantavyam= had to go; eSaa= this; pravR^ittiH= is the fate; martyaanaam= of (all) beings; mithyaa= unnecessarily; tvam tu= you are still; vihanyase= frustrated.

"The king has gone, where he had to go. This is the fate of all being unnecessarily, you are still frustrated over the matter."

Verse Locator

AwR xmR pra ye ye taM> tan! zaecaim n #tran!,
te ih Êhœom! #h àaPy ivnazm! àeTy -eijre. 2£108£13

13. shochaami= I pity; taamstaan= all those; ye ye= whosoever; artha dharmaparaaH= devoted to wealth and religious merit; na= not; itaraan= others (who are devoted to sense-enjoyment); te= for , they; praapya= having undergone; duHkham= suffering; iham- in this life; bhejire= they have emt with; vinaasham= extermination; pretya= after death.

"I pity all those whosoever, devoted to wealth and religious merit, not other (who are devoted to sense-enjoyment), for, they, having undergone suffering in this life, have met with extermination after death."

Verse Locator

Aòka ipt& dEvTym! #Ty! Aym! às&tae jn>,
AÚSy %pÔvm! pZy m&tae ih ikm! Aiz:yit. 2£108£14

14. ayam= these; janaH= people; prasR^itaH= say; iti= that; aSTakaa= the eigth day; pitR^idaivatyam= should be given up to sacrifices for the spirits of our ancestors pashya= see; upadravam= the waste annasya= of food; kim= what; mR^itaH= (will) a dead man; ashiSyati= eat?

"These people say, 'The eighth day should be given up to sacrifices for the spirits of our ancestors.' See the waste of food. What will a dead man eat?"

Verse Locator

yid -u­m! #h ANyen dehm! ANySy gGCAit,
d*at! àvst> ïaÏm! n tt! pWy! Aznm! -vet!. 2£108£15

15. yadi bhuktam= If food eaten; anyena= by one; iha= here; gachchhati= reaches; anyasya= another's; deham= body; shraaddham= (then let) a sacrifice; dadyaat= be offered; pravasataH= for those who are setting out on a distant journey; tat na bhavet= will it not become; ashanam= a food; pathi= on their path?

"If food eaten by one here, reaches another's body, then let a sacrifice be offered for those who are setting out on a distant journey. Will it not become a food on their path?"

Verse Locator

dan sMvnna ý! @te ¢Nwa mexaivi-> k«ta>,
yjSv deih dI]Sv tp> tPySv sMTyj. 2£108£16

16. yajasva= perform sacrifices dehi= distribute gifts; diikSasva= consecrate yourselves; tapyasva= practise; tapaH= ansterity; samtyaja= and renunciation; ete= there granthaaH= writings; kR^itaaH= are composed; medhaavibhiH= by learned men; daana samvananaaH= for the sake of inducing others to give.

"Perform sacrifices, distribute gifts, consecrate yourselves, practise ansterity and renunciation' - These writings are composed by learned men for the sake of inducing others to give."

Verse Locator

s n AiSt prm! #Ty! @v k…é buiÏm! mha mte,
àTy]m! yt! tdœ Aaitó prae]m! p&ót> k…é. 2£108£17

17. mahaamate= O, the highly wise!; saH= you as such; kuru= arrive at; buddhim= a conclusion; naasti ityeva= that there is nothing; param= beyond this universe; aatiSTha= give precedence; tat= to that; yat= which; pratyakSam= meets the eye; pR^iSThataH kuru= and turn your back; parokSam= on what is beyond our knowledge.

"O, the highly wise! Arrive at a conclusion, therefore, that there is nothing beyond this Universe. Give precednce to that which meets the eye and turn your back on what is beyond our knowledge."

Verse Locator

stam! buiÏm! pur> k«Ty svR laek indizRnIm!,
raJym! Tvm! àitg&ŸI:v -rten àsaidt>. 2£108£18

18. puraskR^itya= honour; taam buddhim= that judgement of the wise; sarva loker nidarshiniim= and regarding that which is approved by all; pratigR^ihNiiSva= accept; raajyam= the kingdom; prasaaditaH= a propitiated; bharatena= by Bharata.

"Honour the judgement of the wise and regarding that which is approved by all, accept the kingdom as propitiated by Bharata."

 

#Tya;eR ïImÔamay[e AaidkaVye AyaeXyaka{fe AòaeÄrzttm> sgR

Thus completes 108th Chapter of Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.


Verse Locator for Book II : Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya : Chapter 108

 

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Sarga 108 in English Prose

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© August 2005, K. M. K. Murthy