The
Yoga Vasishtha
Maharamayana
of Valmiki
The only complete English translation is
by Vihari Lala Mitra (1891).
SECTION III.
RAMA'S PILGRIMAGE.
32. He went about seeing the many rivers and
their banks, visiting the
shrines of gods, sacred forests and deserts
far and remote from the
resorts of men, as also the hills, seas and
their shores.
33. He saw the Mandākinī bright as the moon, the Kālindi, clear as
the lotus, and also the following rivers, Sarasvatī, Satadru,
Chandrabhāgā and Irāvatī.
34. Also Venī, Krishnavenī, Nirvindhyā, Saraju, Charmanvatī,
Vitastā, Vipāsā and Bāhūdakā.
35. He saw also the (holy places of) Prayāga, the Naimisha, the
Dharmaranya, Gyā, Varānasī, Srīgiri, Kedāra and Pushkara.
36. He saw the Mānasa and the northern
Mānsaravara lakes, and many fiery
lakes and springs, the Bāda, the Vindhyā
range and the sea.
37. He saw the fiery pool of Jwālāmukhī, the
great shrine of Jagannātha,
the fountain of Indradumna and many other reservoirs, rivers and
lakes.
38. He visited the shrine of Kārtikeya and the Gandak river of
Sālagrāmas, and also the sixty four shrines sacred to Hari and
Hara.
39. He saw various wonders, the coasts of the
four seas, the Vindhyā
range, the groves of Hara, and the boundary
hills and level lands.
40. He visited the places of the great Rājarshis and the
Brahmarshis, and went wherever there was any auspicious sanctuary of
the gods and Brāhmans.
41. Thus they all honouring Rāma, travelled
far and wide in company with
his two brothers, and traversed all the four
quarters on the surface of
the earth.
42. Honoured by the gods, Kinnaras and by men, and having seen all the
places on earth, the descendant of Raghu
returned home, like Siva when
he returns to the Sivaloka.
CHAPTER IV.
RAMA'S RETURN FROM PILGRIMAGE.
Rāma strewn over with handfuls of flowers by
the citizens (surrounding
him) entered the palace, as when the
beauteous Jayanta (son of Indra)
enters his celestial abode.
2. On his first arrival he bent himself in
reverence before his father,
before Vasishtha, before his brothers, his
friends, the Brāhmanas and
the elderly members of the family.
3. Repeatedly embraced as he was by friends,
by his father, mothers and
by the Brāhmanas, the son of Raghu bowed down
his head to them with joy.
4. The assembled people after their familiar
conversation with Rāma in
the palace, strolled about on all sides
highly delighted with his
speech, resembling the music of a flute.
5. Thus eight days were passed in festive
mirth consequent to the
arrival of Rāma, and shouts of joy were sent
forth by the elated
multitude.
6. Thenceforth Rāghava continued to dwell
happily at home, with relating
to his friends, the different customs and
manners of the countries (he
visited) on all sides.
7. He rose early in the morning and performed
his morning service
according to law. He then visited his father
seated as Indra in his
Council.
8. He next passed a fourth part of the day in
company with Vasishtha and
other sages, and was greatly edified by their
conversations which were
full of instruction.
9. He used also to go out for sport under
orders of his father; and
surrounded by a large number of troops, to
forests full of (wild) boars
and buffaloes.
10. Then after returning home and performing
his bath and other rites
with his friends, he took his meal with them,
and passed the night in
company with his beloved companions.
11. In these and similar practices did he
pass his days with his
brothers at his father's house, after his
return from the pilgrimage.
12. Oh sinless (Bharadwāja), with his conduct
becoming a prince, Rāma
passed his days with giving delight to the
good men that surrounded him,
in the manner of the moon that gladdens
mankind with his soothing
ambrosial beams.
CHAPTER V
OF RﾁMA'S SELF-DEJECTION AND ITS CAUSE.
Vālmīki said:—
Afterwards Rāma attained the fifteenth year
of his age, and so also
Satrughna and Lakshmana who followed Rāma (in
birth), attained also the
same age.
2. Bhārata continued to dwell with joy at the
house of his maternal
grandfather, and the king (Dasaratha) ruled
the whole earth as usual.
3. The most wise king Dasaratha (now)
consulted his ministers day after
day about the marriage of his sons.
4. But as Rāma remained at home since his
return from pilgrimage, he
began to decay day by day as the translucent
lake in autumn.
5. His blooming face with its out-stretched
eyes, assumed by degrees a
paleness like that of the withering petals of
the white lotus beset by a
swarm of bees.
6. He sat silent and motionless in the
posture of his folded legs
(Padmāsana), and remained absorbed in thought with his palm placed
under his cheek and neck.
7. Being emaciated in person, and growing
thoughtful, sad and distracted
in his mind, he remained speechless as a mute
picture in painting.
8. On being repeatedly requested by the
anxious inmates of the family to
perform his daily rites, he discharged them
with a melancholy
countenance, (literally—with his faded
lotus-like face).
9. Seeing the accomplished Rāma—the mine of
merits in such a plight,
all his brothers likewise were reduced to the
same condition with him.
10. The king of the earth observing all his
three sons thus dejected and
lean, gave way to anxiety together with all
his queens.
11. Dasaratha asked Rāma repeatedly and in a
gentle voice (to tell him)
what his anxiety was, and what was the cause
of his thoughtfulness; but
he returned no answer to it.
12. Then being taken up in his father's lap,
the lotus-eyed Rāma
replied, that he had no anxiety whatever, and
held his silence.
13. Afterwards the king Dasaratha asked
Vasishtha, the best of speakers
and well informed in all matters, as to the
cause why Rāma was so
sorrowful.
14. The sage Vasishtha thought over the
matter (for a while), and then
said, "there is Oh king! a cause of
Rāma's sadness, but you need not be
anxious about it.
15. "Wise men Oh king! never entertain
the fluctuations of anger or
grief, or a lengthened delight from frivolous
causes, just as the great
elements of the world do not change their
states (of inertness) unless
it were for the sake of (some new)
production."
CHAPTER VI.
ADVENT OF VISWﾁMITRA TO THE ROYAL COURT.
The king was thrown into sorrow and suspense
at these words of the
prince of sages (Vasishtha); but kept his
silence for sometime, and
waited (that time might work a change).
2. (Meanwhile) the queens of the palace, kept
themselves watchful of the
movements of Rāma with anxious carefulness.
3. At this very time the famous Viswāmitra,
the great sage came to visit
the king of men at Ayodhyā.
4. The intelligent and wise seer had his
sacrificial rites disturbed by
the Rākshasas, who were deceitfully powerful and giddy with their
strength.
5. It was for the security of his sacrifice
that the sage waited on the
king, because he was unable to accomplish it
in peace (by himself).
6. It was also for the purpose of their destruction,
that the
illustrious Viswāmitra, who was the gem of
austere devotion had come to
the city of Ayodhyā.
7. Desirous of seeing the king, he spoke to
the guards at the gate, to
report the arrival of Kausika the son of
Gādhi to the king with
despatch.
8. On hearing these words, the guards were
struck with fear in their
minds, and ran as they were bid to the palace
of the king.
9. Coming to the Royal abode, the
door-keepers informed the chief-warder
of the arrival of Viswāmitra the royal sage.
10. The staff-bearer immediately proceeded to
the presence of the king,
seated among the princes and chiefs (under
him) in the Court house, and
gave his report saying:—
11. "Please your majestic, there is
waiting at the door a mighty
personage of majestic appearance, bright as
the morning sun, with his
pendant locks of hair (red and ruddy) as
sunbeams.
12. The brilliancy of his person has
brightened the place from the
top-most flag down to the ground, and made
the horses, men and armory
shine as with a golden hue.
13. No sooner had the warder appeared (before
the king), and with
hurried words announced the arrival of the
sage Viswāmitra:
14. Than the best of kings as he heard the
herald say so, rose at once
from his throne of gold with all the
ministers and chiefs that
surrounded him.
15. He walked immediately on foot with the
staff of princes and chiefs
by whom he was held in honour and regard, and
in company with Vasishtha
and Vāmadeva.
16. He went to the spot where the great sage
was waiting, and saw
Viswāmitra the chief of sages standing at the
gateway.
17. His priestly prowess joined with his
military valour, made him
appear as the sun descended on earth on some
account.
18. He was hoary with old age, rough-skinned
by the practice of
austerities, and covered down to his
shoulders by red-bright braids of
hair, resembling the evening clouds over
topping a mountain brow.
19. He was mild looking and engaging in his
appearance, but at the same
time as brilliant as the orb of the sun. He
was neither assuming nor
repulsive, but possessed of an ineffable
gravity and majesty in his
person.
20. He was attractive yet formidable (in his
look), clear yet vast (in
his mind), deep and full (in knowledge), and
shining (with his inward
light).
21. His life time had no limit, nor his mind
any bound to it, nor had
age impaired his understanding. He held the
ascetics pot in one hand,
that went (through life) as his only faithful
companion.
22. The compassionateness of his mind, added
to the sweet complacency of
his speech and looks, pleased the people as
if they were actually served
with nectar drops, or sprinkled over with
ambrosial dews.
23. His body decorated by the sacred thread,
and his white prominent
eyebrows, made him appear as a wonder to the
eyes of his beholders.
24. On seeing the sage, the lord of earth
lowly bent himself at a
distance, and then bowed down to him (so
low), that the ground was
decorated by the gems pendant upon his crown.
25. The sage also in his turn greeted the
Lord of the earth on the spot
with sweet and kind words, like the sun
greeting the lord of the gods.
26. Afterwards the assembled Brāhmans (of the
court) headed by
Vasishtha, honoured him with their welcomes.
27. The king said:—"we are as highly
favoured, Oh holy sage! by thine
unexpected appearance and thy glorious sight,
as a bed of lotuses at the
sight of the luminous sun.
28. Oh sage, I have felt at thine appearance
the happiness which knows
no bounds, and which has no diminution in it.
29. This day we must be placed at the front
rank of the fortunate, as we
have become the object of thine advent.
30. With these and similar conversations that
went on among the princes
and the sages, they proceeded to the
court-hall where they took their
respective seats.
31. The king finding the best of sages (Viswāmitra)
so very prosperous
in his devotion, felt some hesitation to
offer him the arghya
(honorarium) himself with his cheerful
countenance.
32. He (the sage) accepted the arghya offered him by the king, and
hailed him during his act of turning round
(the sage), according to the
rules of Sāstra.
33. Thus honoured by the king, he with a
cheerful countenance asked the
Lord of men about the good health (of himself
and family), and the
fulness of his finance.
34. Then coming in contact with Vasishtha,
the great sage saluted him as
he deserved with a smile, and asked him about
his health (and of those
in his hermitage).
35. After their interview and exchange of due
courtesies had lasted for
a while to the satisfaction of all in the
royal assembly;
36. They both took their respective seats;
when every one (in the court)
respectfully greeted the sage of exalted
prowess.
37. After the sapient sage (Viswāmitra) was
seated, they made various
offerings of pādya, arghya and
kine to him.
38. Having honoured Viswāmitra in due form,
the lord of men condescended
to address him with a gladdest mind and in
submissive terms, with his
palms folded over each other.
SECTION II.
ADDRESS OF KING DASARATHA.
39. He said, "Sir, your coming here is
as grateful to me as the
obtaining of nectar by one, as a rainfall
after a drought, and as the
gaining of sight by the blind.
40. Again it is as delightful to me as the
getting of a son by a
childless man in his beloved wife, and coming
in possession of a
treasure in a dream.
41. Your advent is no less pleasing to me
than one's meeting with the
object of his wishes, the arrival of a
friend, and the recovery of thing
that was given for lost.
42. It gives me the joy that is derived from
the sight of a deceased
friend suddenly returning by the way of the
sky. It is thus Oh Brāhman,
I welcome your visit to me.
43. Who is there that is not glad to live in
the heaven (Brahma-loka)? I
feel myself as happy Oh sage! at your advent,
and this I tell you truly.
44. (Now tell me) what is your best pleasure,
and what I may do for you;
O Vipra, that are the best of the virtuous,
and most properly deserving
of my services.
45. Formerly had you been famed under the
title of Rājarshi (or royal
sage); but since, made glorious by dint of
your asceticism, you have
been promoted to the rank of a Brahmarshi (or
Brahman sage). Wherefore
you are truly the object of my worship.
46. I am so glad at your sight that it
soothes my inmost soul, in the
same manner as an ablution in Gangā's stream
cheers the mind.
47. Free as you are from fears and desires,
from wrath and passions and
the feelings of pleasure, pain and disease,
it is very wonderful, Oh
Brāhman, that you should have recourse to me
(for anything).
48. I consider myself as situated at a holy
sanctuary, and absolved from
all my sins, or as merged in the lunar sphere
(by your presence), Oh!
best of the learned in the truths of the
Vedas.
49. I understand your appearance as that of
Brahmā himself before me,
and I confess myself, O sage! to be purified
and favoured by your
advent.
50. I am indeed so gratified at your arrival,
that I deem myself
fortunate in this birth, and that I have not
lived in vain but led a
truly good life.
51. My heart cannot contain within itself,
but overflows (with joy) like
the sea at the sight of the moon, since I
beheld your person here and
made my respectful obeisance to you.
52. Whatever is your commission, and
whatsoever may be the object, O
greatest of sages! which has brought you
hither, know it as already
granted (by me); for your commands are always
to be obeyed by me.
53. You need not hesitate to communicate to
me your best, O progeny of
Kausika, there is nothing, with me which is
to be kept from you, if you
should ask for it.
54. You need not dubitate about my
performance of the act. I tell it
solemnly that I will execute your behest to
the last item, as I take you
in the light of a superior divinity.
55. Upon hearing these sweet words (of the
king), which were pleasing to
the ears, and delivered with a humility
worthy of one knowing himself,
the far famed and meritorious chief of the
sages felt highly gratified
in himself.
CHAPTER VII.
VISWA MITRA'S REQUEST FOR RAMA.
After the illustrious Viswāmitra had heard
the aforesaid unusually
lengthy speech of the lion among kings, his
hairs stood erect with joy,
and he said (in reply).
2. This speech is worthy of thee, O best of
kings on earth, and one
descended from a royal race, and guided by
the sage Vasishtha himself.
3. Consider well O king about the performance
of the act which I have in
mind, and support (the cause of) virtue.
4. I am employed, O chief of men, in
religious acts for attainment of my
consummation, whereto the horrible Rākshasas
have become my great
obstructions.
5. Whenever I betake myself to offer
sacrifices (to the gods) at any
place, instantly do these nocturnal demons
appear to destroy my
sacrificial rites.
6. The chiefs of the Rākshasas fling heaps of
flesh and blood on the
sacrificial ground (before me), on very many
occasions that I commence
my ceremonies.
7. Being thus obstructed in my sacrificial
duties, I now come to thee
from that spot and with a broken spirit,
after having laboured in vain
(for completion of the rites).
8. I have no mind O king, to give vent to my
anger by imprecations,
which have no room in my conduct (of
religious life).
9. Such being the sacrificial law, I expect
to gain its great object in
peace by thy favor.
10. Being thus oppressed I have recourse to
thy protection, and thou
shouldst protect me (from wrongs); otherwise
it is an insult to
solicitors to be put to disappointment by the
best of men (as thyself).
11. Thou hast a son, the beauteous Rāma,
powerful as the fierce tiger,
and strong as the great Indra himself. He it
is who is able to destroy
the Rākshasas.
12. Now mayst thou deliver to me that Rāma
thy eldest son, having his
youthful locks of hair like the sable plumage
of a crow, but possessing
the true valour of a hero.
13. Protected under my sacred authority, he
will be able by his personal
prowess, to sever the heads of the malicious
Rākshasas.
14. I will do him an infinity of good
services, whereby he will in the
end become adored by the inhabitants of the
three worlds.
15. The night-wandering Rākshasas cannot
abide in the field before Rāma,
but must fly like stags in the wilderness
before the furious lion.
16. No other man than Rāma can make bold to
fight with the Rākshasas; as
no animal other than the furious lion can
stand to fight with the wild
elephants.
17. Elated with their strength these vicious
beings have become (as
deadly) as poisoned shafts in fighting, and
being delegates of Khara and
Dushana, they are as furious as death itself.
18. They cannot, Oh thou tiger among kings!
be able to sustain the
arrows of Rāma, but must set down like the
flying dust under the
ceaseless showers of his arrows.
19. Let not paternal affection prevail over
thee O king, (to withhold
thy son), as there is nothing in this world,
which the high-minded will
refuse to part with (to their suitor).
20. I know it for certain, and so shouldst
thou know also, that the
Rākshasas must be destroyed by him; and
(believe me) that wise men like
ourselves will never undertake to engage in
an uncertainty.
21. I well know the great soul of the
lotus-eyed Rāma, and so does the
illustrious Vasishtha, and all other
far-seeing (sages and seers).
22. Should the sense of greatness, duty and
renown, have a seat in thy
soul, thou shouldst deliver my desired
object—thy son to me.
23. It will take me ten nights to perform the
rites of my sacrifice, at
which Rāma shall have to stay with me and
kill the Rākshasas, who are
obnoxious to my rites and enemies of the
sacrifice.
24. Let the ministers, Oh Kākutstha! headed
by Vasishtha join to give
their assent (to it), and deliver thy Rāma to
me.
25. Thou O son of Raghu, that knowest the
times (of religious
observances) must not allow my time to slip,
so do as I may have Rāma.
Be blest and give not way to sorrow.
26. Even the smallest service appears to be
much if done in good time,
and the best service is of no avail if done
out of season.
27. The illustrious and holy chief of the
sages Viswāmitra, paused after
saying these words fraught with a virtuous
and useful intention.
28. Hearing these words of the great sage,
the magnanimous king held his
silence for some time, with a view to prepare
a fitting answer; because
no man of sense is ever satisfied with
talking unreasonably either
before others or to himself.
CHAPTER VIII.
DASARATHA'S REPLY TO VISWA MITRA.
Vālmīki added:—On hearing these words of
Viswāmitra, the tiger among
kings remained speechless for a moment, and
then besought him in the
lowliness of his spirit.
2. Rāma my lotus-eyed boy is only of fifteen
years of age. I do not see
he is a match for the Rākshasas.
3. Here is a full akshauhinī legion of my soldiers; of whom, Oh my
Lord! I am the sole commander; surrounded by
them I will offer battle to
the Rākshasas cannibals.
4. Here are my brave generals who are well
disciplined in warfare; I
will be their leader in the height of war
with my bow in hand.
5. Accompanied with these, I can offer fight
to the enemies of the gods,
and to the great Indra himself, in the same
manner as the lion
withstands the wild elephants.
6. Rāma is but a boy who has no knowledge of
the strength of our forces,
and whose experience has scarcely stretched
to the battle field beyond
the inner apartments (of the house).
7. He is not well trained in arms, nor is he
skilled in warfare. He does
not know to fight with a foe, arrayed in the
order of battle.
8. He only knows how to walk about in the
gardens of this city and
amidst the arbours and pleasant groves.
9. He only knows how to play with his brother
princes, in the flowery
parks set apart for his play within the
precincts of the palace.
10. Now a days, Oh Brāhman! he has become by
a sad reverse of my
fortune, as lean and pale as the withering
lotus under the dews.
11. He has no taste for his food, nor can he
walk from one room to
another, but remains ever silent and slow
brooding over his inward grief
and melancholy.
12. In my great anxiety about him, O chief of
sages, I have been, with
my family and dependants, deprived of the
gist of our bodies, and become
as empty clouds of autumn.
13. Can my boy, so young as he is, and thus
subjected to distemper, be
fit to fight at all, and again with those
marauders who rove about at
nights.
14. Oh thou high-minded sage! it is one's
affection for his son that
affords him far greater pleasure than his
possession of a kingdom, or
his connection with beauteous females, or
even his relish for the juice
of nectar.
15. It is from paternal affection that good
people (engage to) perform
the hardest duties and austerities of
religion, and any thing which is
painful in the three worlds.
16. Men are even prepared under certain
circumstances to sacrifice their
own lives, riches and wives; but they can
never sacrifice their
children: this is the nature with all living
beings.
17. The Rākshasas are very cruel in their
actions and fight deceitful
warfares: so that Rāma should fight them, is
an idea which is very
painful to me.
18. I that have a desire to live, cannot dare
to live for a moment in
separation from Rāma; therefore thou shouldst
not take him away (from
me).
19. I have O Kausika! passed nine thousand
rains in my lifetime, ere
these four boys were born to me after much
austerity.
20. The lotus-eyed Rāma is the eldest of
these without whom the three
others can hardly bear to live.
21. This Rāma is going to be conveyed by thee
against the Rākshasas; but
when I am deprived of that son, know me
certainly for dead.
22. Of my four sons he is the one in whom
rests my greatest love.
Therefore do not take away Rāma—my eldest and
most virtuous son from
me.
23. If thy intention Oh sage, is to destroy
the force of night
wanderers, take me there accompanied by the
four kinds (elephants,
horse, chariots and foot soldiers) of mine
army.
24. Describe to me clearly what these
Rākshasas are, how strong they
are, whose sons they be and what their size
and figure.
25. Tell me the way in which the Rākshasas
are to be destroyed by Rāma
or my boys or by myself, when they are known
to be treacherous in
warfare.
26. Tell me all these, Oh great sage! that I
can calculate the
possibility of our making a stand against the
fiercely disposed
Rākshasas in the open field, when they are
certainly so very powerful.
27. The Rākshasa named Rāvana is heard as
being very powerful, he is
brother of Kuvera himself, and is the son of
the sage Visravas.
28. If it is he, the evil minded Rāvana, that
stands in the way of thy
rites, we are unable to contend with that
pest.
29. Power and prosperity in all their
flourish come within the reach of
the living at times, but they disappear at
others.
30. Now a days we are no match for such foes
as Rāvana and some others.
Such is the decree of destiny.
31. Therefore, O thou, that art acquainted
with law, do this favour to
my son, (as not to take him away); unlucky as
I am, it is thou that art
the arbiter of my fate.
32. The gods, and Asuras, the Gandharvas and
Yakshas, the huge beasts,
birds and serpents are unable to fight with
Rāvana: what are we human
beings in arms to him.
33. That Rākshasa holds the prowess of the
most powerful, we cannot
afford to fight with him, nor even with his
children.
34. This is a peculiar age in which good
people are made powerless; I am
moreover disabled by old age and want that
spirit (that I was expected
to possess) derived as I am from (the most
powerful) race of the Raghus.
35. Tell me O Brāhmana! if it is Lavan the
son of Madhu (the notorious
Asūra) that disturbs the sacrificial rites;
in that case also I will not
part with my son.
36. If it be the two sons of Sunda and
Upasunda terrible as they are
like the sons of the sun, that disturb your
sacrifice, in that case also
I will not give my son to thee.
37. But after all, O Brāhman, shouldest thou
snatch him from me (by dint
of the supernatural power that thou
possessest), then I am also dead and
gone with him. I do not see any other chance
of a lasting success of thy
devotion (except by my death).
38. Saying these gentle words, the descendant
of Raghu was drowned in
the sea of suspense with regard to the demand
of the sage, but being
unable to arrive at a conclusion, the great
king was carried away by the
current of his thoughts as one by the high
waves of the sea.
CHAPTER IX.
VISWA MITRA'S WRATH. AND HIS ENRAGED SPEECH.
Vālmīki said:—On hearing this speech of the
king with his piteous look
and eyes full of tears, the son of Kausika
became highly incensed and
replied.
2. Thou art about to break thy promise after
pledging thyself to its
performance, and thus wishest to behave as a
deer after having been a
lion (before).
3. This is unbecoming of the race of Raghu,
it is acting contrary (to
the rules) of this great family. Hot rays
must not proceed from the cool
beamed moon.
4. If thou art so impotent Oh king! let me
return as I came. Thou
promise-breaking Kākustha live happily with
thy friends.
5. As the high spirited Viswāmitra now moved
with ire, the earth
trembled under him, and the gods were filled
with fear.
6. Vasishtha the meek and wise and observant
of his vows, perceiving the
great sage and friend of the world thus
influenced by ire, gave vent to
his speech (as follows).
7. Oh king that art born of the race of the
Ikshākus, and art a form of
virtue itself, and called Dasaratha the
fortunate, and art adorned with
all the good qualities known in the three
worlds.
8. Being famed for thy meekness and
strictness to thy vows, and renowned
in all three worlds for thy virtues and fame,
thou canst not break thy
plighted faith.
9. Preserve thy virtue and think not to break
thy faith, comply with the
request of the sage who is honoured in all
the three worlds.
10. Saying, thou wilt do it, if thou retract
thy promise, thou losest
the object of thy yet unfulfilled desires.
Therefore part with Rāma from
thee.
11. Descended from the race of Ikshaku, and
being Dasaratha thyself, if
thou failest to perform thy promise, who else
on earth will ever keep
his word?
12. It is in pursuance of the conduct of
great men like thee, that low
people even do not dare to transgress the
bounds of their duty, how then
dost thou wish to violate it thyself?
13. Guarded by this lion-like man
(Viswāmitra) in the manner of ambrosia
by fire, no Rākshasa will have power to
prevail over Rāma, whether he be
accoutered and armed or not.
14. Behold him here as the personification of
virtue, the mightiest of
the mighty, and superior to all in the world
in his intelligence, and
devotedness to asceticism.
15. He is skilled in all warlike arms that
are known in the three
worlds, no other man knows them so well nor
shall ever be able to master
them like him.
16. Among the Gods, the Sages, the Asuras,
the Rākshasas, the Nāgas, the
Yakshas and Gandharvas, there is none equal
to him (in might).
17. In bygone days when this son of Kaushika
used to rule over his
realm, he was furnished with all the arms by
Krisāswa, and which no
enemy can baffle.
18. These arms were the progeny of Krisāswa,
and were equally radiant
and powerful as the progeny of the Prajāpati,
and followed him (in his
train).
19. Now Daksha (the patriarch) had two
beauteous daughters Jayā and
Suprajā (alias Vijayā), who had a hundred
offspring (as personifications
of the implements, that are invincible in
war.
20. Of these the favoured Jayā has given
birth to fifty sons of old, who
are implacable agents of the destruction of
Asūra forces.
21. In like manner, Suprajā gave birth to
fifty sons of very superior
qualities, who are very powerful and terrible
in their appearance, and
indomitably aggressive.
22. Thus Viswāmitra is strengthened and grown
powerful (by means of
these). He is acknowledged as a sage in the
three worlds, Thou
therefore must not think otherwise than
deliver Rāma to him.
23. This mighty and virtuous man and prince
of sages being nigh, any one
even at the point of death in his presence,
is sure to attain his
immortality (on earth): therefore be not
disheartened like an insensible
man.
CHAPTER X.
MELANCHOLY OF RﾁMA.
Vālmīki related:—After Vasishtha had done
saying in this manner, king
Dasaratha was glad to send for Rāma with
Lakshmana, and said:
2. Go you chamberlain, and bring here quickly
the truly mighty and long
armed Rāma with Lakshmana, for the
meritorious purpose of removing the
impediments (in the way of religious acts).
3. Thus sent by the king he went to the inner
apartment, and coming back
in a moment informed the king.
4. Oh sire! Rāma, whose arms have crushed all
his foes, remains rapt in
thoughts in his room like the bee closed in
the lotus at night.
5. He said, he is coming in a moment, but is
so abstracted in his lonely
meditation that he likes no body to be near
him.
6. Thus acquainted by the chamberlain, the
king called one of the
attendants of Rāma to him, and having given
him every assurance, asked
him to relate the particulars.
7. On being asked by the king how Rāma had
come to that state, the
attendant thus replied to him in a sorrowful
mood.
8. Sir, we have also become as lean as sticks
in our persons, in sorrow
for the fading away of your son Rāma in his
body.
9. The lotus-eyed Rāma appears dejected ever
since he has come back from
his pilgrimage in company with the Brāhmanas.
10. When besought by us with importunity to perform
his daily rites, he
sometimes discharges them with a placid
countenance, and wholly
dispenses with them at others.
11. He is averse, Oh Lord! to bathing, to
worshipping the gods, to the
distribution of alms, and to his meals also;
and even when importuned by
us he does not take his food with a good
relish.
12. He no longer suffers himself to be rocked
in the swinging cradles by
the playful girls of the harem, nor does he
divert himself under the
showering fountains like the chātaka (in rain water).
13. No ornaments beset with the bud-shaped
rubies, no bracelets nor
necklace, Oh king, can please him now, in the
same manner as nothing in
heaven can please its inhabitants who expect
their fall from it (after
the expiration of their terms).
14. He is sorrowful even while sitting in the
arbours of creepers,
regaled by flowery breezes, and amidst the
looks of damsels playing
around him.
15. Whatever thing Oh king! is good and
sweet, elegant and pleasing, to
the soul, he looks at them with sorrowful
eyes, like one whose eyes are
already satiate with viewing them heaped up
in piles (before him).
16. He would speak ill of the girls that
would dance merrily before him,
and exclaim out saying, "why should
these ladies of the harem flutter
about in this way causing grief in me."
17. His doings are like those of a madman,
who takes no delight at his
food or rest, his vehicles or seats, his
baths and other pleasures,
however excellent they be.
18. As regards prosperity or adversity, his
habitation or any other
desirable things, he says of them to be all
unreal, and then holds his
silence.
19. He cannot be excited to pleasantry nor
tempted to taste of
pleasures; he attends to no business, but
remains in silence.
20. No woman with her loosened locks and
tresses, and the negligent
glances of her eyes, can please him any more
than the playful fawn can
please the trees in the forest.
21. Like a man sold among savages, he takes
delight in lonely places, in
remotest skirts, in the banks (of rivers) and
wild deserts.
22. His aversion to clothing and conveyance,
food and presents, bespeaks
O king! that he is following the line of life
led by wandering
ascetics.
23. He lives alone, Oh lord of men! in a
lonely place, and neither
laughs nor sings nor cries aloud from a sense
of their indifference to
him.
24. Seated in the posture of folded legs
(Padmāsana), he stays with a
distracted mind, reclining his cheek on his
left palm.
25. He assumes no pride to himself nor wishes
for the dignity of
sovereignty; he is neither elated with joy
nor depressed by grief or
pain.
26. We do not know where he goes, what he
does, what he desires, what he
meditates upon, whence and when he comes and
what he follows.
27. He is getting lean every day, growing
pale day by day, and like a
tree at the end of autumn, he is becoming
discoloured day after day.
28. Satrughna and Lakshmana are, Oh king! the
followers of all his
habits, and resemble his very shadows.
29. Being repeatedly asked by his servants,
his brother-princes and his
mothers, (as to the cause of his
dementedness), he says he has none, and
then resumes his taciturnity and
indifference.
30. He would lecture his companions and
friends saying, "do not set your
mind to sensual enjoyments which are only
pleasing for the time being."
31. He has no affection for the richly
adorned women of the harem, but
rather looks upon them as the cause of
destruction presented before him.
32. He often chaunts in plaintive notes, how
his life is being spent in
vain cares, estranged from those of the
easily attainable state of
(heavenly bliss).
33. Should some dependant courtier speak of
his being an emperor (one
day), he smiles at him as upon a raving
madman, and then remains silent
as one distracted in his mind.
34. He does not pay heed to what is said to
him, nor does he look at any
thing presented before him. He hates to look
upon things even the most
charming (to sight).
35. As it is chimerical to suppose the
existence of an etherial lake,
and lotus growing in the same, so it is false
to believe the reality of
the mind and its conceptions. Saying so Rāma
marvels at nothing.
36. Even when sitting amidst beauteous maids,
the darts of cupid fail to
pierce his impenetrable heart, as showers of
rain the (unimpregnable)
rock.
37. That "no sensible man should ever
wish for riches which are but the
seats of dangers"; making this his
motto, Rāma gives away all that he
has to beggars.
38. He sings some verses to this effect that
"it is an error to call one
thing as prosperity and the other adversity,
when they are both but
imaginations of the mind".
39. He repeats some words to this purport
that, "though it is the
general cry, "O I am gone, I am helpless
grown," yet it is a wonder,
that no body should betake himself to utter
indifference."
40. That Rāma, the destroyer of enemies, the
great Sāla (oak) that is
grown in the garden of Raghu, should get into
such a state of mind is
what causes grief in us.
41. We do not know, Oh great armed and
lotus-eyed king! what to do with
him in this state of his mind. We hope only
in thee.
42. He laughs to scorn the counsels of the
princes and Brāhmans before
him, and spurns them as if they were fools.
43. He remains inactive with the conviction,
that the world which
appears to our view is a vanity, and the idea
of self is also a vanity.
44. He has no respect for foes or friends,
for himself or his kingdom,
mother or riches, nor does he pay any regard
to prosperity or adversity.
45. He is altogether quiescent, without any
desire or effort, and devoid
of a mainstay; he is neither captivated by
any thing nor freed from
worldly thoughts. These are the reasons which
afflict us most.
46. He says, "what have we to do with
riches, with our mothers, with
this kingdom and all our activities."
Under these impressions, he is
about to give up his life.
47. As the chātaka (swallow) grows restless at the obstruction of
rains (by hurricanes), so has Rāma become
impatient (under the
restraint) of his father and mother, his
friends and kingdom, his
enjoyments and even his own life.
48. Now in compassion on thy son, incline to
root out this chagrin which
like a noxious creeper has been spreading its
branches (in his mind).
49. For notwithstanding his possession of all
affluence, he looks upon
the enjoyments of the world as his poison
under such a disposition of
his mind.
50. Where is that potent person in this
earth, who can restore him to
proper conduct (as by a potent medicine?).
51. Who is there, that like the sun removing
the darkness of the world
by his rays, will remove the errors that have
been the cause of grief in
Rāma's mind, and thereby make his generosity
effectual in his case.
Om Tat Sat
(Continued...)
( My
humble salutations to Brahmasri Sreemaan Vihari Lala Mitra ji for the
collection)
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