A Brahmana named Jabali tries to persuade Rama to accept the kingdom by advocating the theory of Nastikas (non-believers), saying that he need not get attached to his father's words and remain in the troublesome forest. Jabali requests Rama to enjoy the royal luxuries, by accepting the crown.
aashvaasayantam bharatam jaabaalir braahmaNa uttamaH |
uvaaca raamam dharmajnam dharma apetam idam vacaH || 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 assuaging; bharatam = Bharata.
A brahmana called Jabali spoke the following unrighteous words to Rama, who knew righteousness and who was assuaging Bharata as aforesaid
saadhu raaghava maa bhuut te buddhir evam nirarthakaa |
praakR^itasya narasya iva aarya buddheH tapasvinaH || 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 virtue."
kaH kasya puruSho bandhuH kim aapyam kasya kenacit |
yad eko jaayate jantur eka eva vinashyati || 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; being; 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."
tasmaan maataa pitaa ca iti raama sajjeta yo naraH |
unmatta iva sa jneyo na asti kaacidd hi kasyacit || 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."
yathaa graama antaram gagcchhan naraH kashcid kvacid vaset |
utsR^ijya ca tam aavaasam pratiShTheta apare ahani || 2-108-5
evam eva manuShyaaNaam pitaa maataa gR^iham vasu |
aavaasa maatram kaakutstha sajjante na atra sajjanaaH || 2-108-6
5; 6. kaakutthsa = O; Rama!; yathaa = as; kashchit = a certain; naraH = person; gachchhan = who passes; graamantaram = through 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 journey; 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 strange 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".
pitryam raajyam samutsR^ijya sa na arhati nara uttama |
aasthaatum kaapatham duhkham viShamam bahu kaNTakam || 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."
samR^iddhaayaam ayodhyaayaam aatmaanam abhiShecaya |
eka veNii dharaa hi tvaam nagarii sampratiikShate || 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."
raaja bhogaan anubhavan mahaa arhaan paarthiva aatmaja |
vihara tvam ayodhyaayaam yathaa shakraH triviShTape || 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 celestials does in heaven!"
na te kashcid dasharatahH tvam ca tasya na kashcana |
anyo raajaa tvam anyaH ca tasmaat kuru yad ucyate || 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?"
biijamaatram pitaa jantoH shuklaM rudhirameva cha |
saMyuktamR^itumanmaatraa puruShasyeha janma tat || 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."
gataH sa nR^ipatiH tatra gantavyam yatra tena vai |
pravR^ittir eShaa martyaanaam tvam tu mithyaa vihanyase || 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."
artha dharma paraa ye ye taamH taan shocaami na itaraan |
te hi duhkham iha praapya vinaasham pretya bhejire || 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 met 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."
aShTakaa pitR^i daivatyam ity ayam prasR^ito janaH |
annasya upadravam pashya mR^ito hi kim ashiShyati || 2-108-14
14. ayam = these; janaH = people; prasR^itaH = say; iti = that; aSTakaa = the eight 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?"
yadi bhuktam iha anyena deham anyasya gagcchhati |
dadyaat pravasataH shraaddham na tat pathy ashanam bhavet || 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?"
daana samvananaa hy ete granthaa medhaavibhiH kR^itaaH |
yajasva dehi diikShasva tapaH tapyasva samtyaja || 2-108-16
16. yajasva = perform sacrifices dehi = distribute gifts; diikSasva = consecrate yourselves; tapyasva = practise; tapaH = austerity; 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."
sa na asti param ity eva kuru buddhim mahaa mate |
pratyakSham yat tad aatiShTha parokSham pR^iShThataH kuru || 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 precedence to that which meets the eye and turn your back on what is beyond our knowledge."
sataam buddhim puraH kR^itya sarva loka nidarshiniim |
raajyam tvam pratigR^ihNiiShva bharatena prasaaditaH || 2-108-18
18. puraskR^itya = honour; taam buddhim = that judgment 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 judgment of the wise and regarding that which is approved by all, accept the kingdom as propitiated by Bharata."
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ityaarShe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye ayodhyaakaaNDe aShTottarashatatamaH sargaH
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© August 2005, K. M. K. Murthy