Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 108

आश्वासयन्तं भरतं जाबालिर्ब्राह्मणोत्तमः। उवाच रामं धर्मज्ञं धर्मापेतमिदं वचः।।2.108.1।।

āśvāsayantaṃ bharataṃ jābālirbrāhmaṇottamaḥ| uvāca rāmaṃ dharmajñaṃ dharmāpetamidaṃ vacaḥ

While Rama, conversant with dharma, was consoling Bharata, Jabali an eminent brahmin addressed him in words contrary to righteousness.

साधु राघव माऽभूत्ते बुध्दिरेवं निरर्थिका। प्राकृतस्य नरस्येव ह्यार्यबुद्धेर्मनस्विनः।।2.108.2।।

sādhu rāghava mā'bhūtte budhdirevaṃ nirarthikā| prākṛtasya narasyeva hyāryabuddhermanasvinaḥ

Very well, O scion of the Raghu race, you are nobleminded and highsouled. You, like a common man, must not entertain such nonsensical thought.

कः कस्य पुरुषो बन्धुः किमाप्यं कस्य केनचित्। यदेको जायते जन्तुरेक एव विनश्यति।।2.108.3।।

kaḥ kasya puruṣo bandhuḥ kimāpyaṃ kasya kenacit| yadeko jāyate jantureka eva vinaśyati

Who is whose friend? who is to get what and from whom? Man is born alone and will die alone.

तस्मान्माता पिता चेति राम सज्जेत यो नरः। उन्मत्त इव स ज्ञेयो नास्ति कश्चिद्धि कस्यचित्।।2.108.4।।

tasmānmātā pitā ceti rāma sajjeta yo naraḥ| unmatta iva sa jñeyo nāsti kaściddhi kasyacit

O Rama one who establishes relationship by saying, 'She is my mother he is my father' is to be regarded as a lunatic. In fact, no one belongs to any one.

यथा ग्रामान्तरं गच्छन्नरः कश्चित्क्वचिद्वसेत्। उत्सृज्य च तमावासं प्रतिष्ठेतापरेऽहनि।।2.108.5।। एवमेव मनुष्याणां पिता माता गृहं वसु। अवासमात्रं काकुत्स्थ सज्जन्ते नात्र सज्जनाः।।2.108.6।।

yathā grāmāntaraṃ gacchannaraḥ kaścitkvacidvaset| utsṛjya ca tamāvāsaṃ pratiṣṭhetāpare'hani evameva manuṣyāṇāṃ pitā mātā gṛhaṃ vasu| avāsamātraṃ kākutstha sajjante nātra sajjanāḥ

A man who goes from one village to another takes rest somewhere on the way and the next day leaves the place and proceeds on his journey. Similarly, father, mother, home and wealth are restingplaces to a man. The wise do not get attached to them, O descendant the Kakutsthas

यथा ग्रामान्तरं गच्छन्नरः कश्चित्क्वचिद्वसेत्। उत्सृज्य च तमावासं प्रतिष्ठेतापरेऽहनि।।2.108.5।। एवमेव मनुष्याणां पिता माता गृहं वसु। अवासमात्रं काकुत्स्थ सज्जन्ते नात्र सज्जनाः।।2.108.6।।

yathā grāmāntaraṃ gacchannaraḥ kaścitkvacidvaset| utsṛjya ca tamāvāsaṃ pratiṣṭhetāpare'hani evameva manuṣyāṇāṃ pitā mātā gṛhaṃ vasu| avāsamātraṃ kākutstha sajjante nātra sajjanāḥ

A man who goes from one village to another takes rest somewhere on the way and the next day leaves the place and proceeds on his journey. Similarly, father, mother, home and wealth are restingplaces to a man. The wise do not get attached to them, O descendant the Kakutsthas

पित्र्यं राज्यं परित्यज्य स नार्हसि नरोत्तम। आस्थातुं कापथं दुःखं विषमं बहुकण्टकम्।।2.108.7।।

pitryaṃ rājyaṃ parityajya sa nārhasi narottama| āsthātuṃ kāpathaṃ duḥkhaṃ viṣamaṃ bahukaṇṭakam

O most virtuous of men, you ought not to abandon this patrimonial kingdom, adopt a course, which is painful, difficult and full of thorns (dangers). This (course) is unwise and unworthy of you.

समृद्धायामयोध्यायामात्मानमभिषेचय। एकवेणीधरा हि त्वां नगरी सम्प्रतीक्षते।।2.108.8।।

samṛddhāyāmayodhyāyāmātmānamabhiṣecaya| ekaveṇīdharā hi tvāṃ nagarī sampratīkṣate

Go back to that prosperous city of Ayodhya and get yourself coronated. That city is a chaste woman wearing a single braid of hair awaiting you, her lord.

राजभोगाननुभवन्महार्हान्पार्थिवात्मज। विहर त्वमयोध्यायां यथा शक्रस्त्रिविष्टपे।।2.108.9।।

rājabhogānanubhavanmahārhānpārthivātmaja| vihara tvamayodhyāyāṃ yathā śakrastriviṣṭape

O king's son, enjoy inestimable royal pleasures in the city of Ayodhya like Indra in heaven.

न ते कश्चिद्धशरथ स्त्वं च तस्य न कश्चन। अन्यो राजा त्वमन्य स्तस्मात्कुरु यदुच्यते।।2.108.10।।

na te kaściddhaśaratha stvaṃ ca tasya na kaścana| anyo rājā tvamanya stasmātkuru yaducyate

Dasaratha was nobody to you and you are nobody to him. That king is one person and you are another. Therefore, do what I tell you. (It does not matter what you are to him and what he means to you).

बीजमात्रं पिता जन्तो श्शुक्लं रुधिरमेव च। संयुक्तमृतुमन्मात्रा पुरुषस्येह जन्म तत्।।2.108.11।।

bījamātraṃ pitā janto śśuklaṃ rudhirameva ca| saṃyuktamṛtumanmātrā puruṣasyeha janma tat

For a living being, the father is only a drop of white blood (semen). During her menstrual period this is blended in the mother's womb due to which a man is born in this world.

गत स्स नृपतिस्तत्र गन्तव्यं यत्र तेन वै। प्रवृततिरेषा मर्त्यानां त्वं तु मिथ्या विहन्यसे।।2.108.12।।

gata ssa nṛpatistatra gantavyaṃ yatra tena vai| pravṛtatireṣā martyānāṃ tvaṃ tu mithyā vihanyase

That king (Dasaratha) has gone to the place where he ought to go. Such is the nature of mortals. You are fruitlessly undergoing difficulties.

अर्थधर्मपरा ये ये तांस्तांछोचामि नेतरान्। ते हि दुःखमिह प्राप्य विनाशं प्रेत्य भेजिरे।।2.108.13।।

arthadharmaparā ye ye tāṃstāṃchocāmi netarān| te hi duḥkhamiha prāpya vināśaṃ pretya bhejire

I prity those who yearn for dharma and artha and not for other things since those who have experienced adversities in this world (disregarding their own interest), will be ultimately destroyed any way by death.

अष्टका पितृदैवत्यमित्ययं प्रसृतो जनः। अन्नस्योपद्रवं पश्य मृतो हि किमशिष्यति।।2.108.14।।

aṣṭakā pitṛdaivatyamityayaṃ prasṛto janaḥ| annasyopadravaṃ paśya mṛto hi kimaśiṣyati

People perform ashtaka ceremony for the spirits of ancestors and offer them food. Look at the amount of food being wasted. Will the dead (ever) eat food?

यदि भुक्तमिहान्येन देहमन्यस्य गच्छति। दद्यात्प्रवसत श्श्राद्धं न तत्पथ्यशनं भवेत्।।2.108.15।।

yadi bhuktamihānyena dehamanyasya gacchati| dadyātpravasata śśrāddhaṃ na tatpathyaśanaṃ bhavet

If something eaten by one in this world can enter the body of another, then a shraddha can be performed for a person who has set out on a distant journey. Will that offering turn into food for him on his way?

दानसंवनना ह्येते ग्रन्था मेधाविभिः कृताः। यजस्व देहि दीक्षस्व तपस्तप्यस्व सन्त्यज।।2.108.16।।

dānasaṃvananā hyete granthā medhāvibhiḥ kṛtāḥ| yajasva dehi dīkṣasva tapastapyasva santyaja

It was to induce people to give charity that treatises are composed by intelligent men exhorting, 'perform sacrifices', 'give charity', 'be initiated', 'practise religious austerities', 'renounce', etc.

स नास्ति परमित्येव कुरु बुद्धिं महामते। प्रत्यक्षं यत्तदातिष्ठ परोक्षं पृष्ठतः कुरु।।2.108.17।।

sa nāsti paramityeva kuru buddhiṃ mahāmate| pratyakṣaṃ yattadātiṣṭha parokṣaṃ pṛṣṭhataḥ kuru

O highminded one thinking that the next world does not exist, practise whichever is evident and perceivable. And turn your back on what is beyond perception.

सतां बुद्धिं पुरस्कृत्य सर्वलोकनिदर्शिनीम्। राज्यं त्वं प्रतिगृह्णीष्व भरतेन प्रसादितः।।2.108.18।।

satāṃ buddhiṃ puraskṛtya sarvalokanidarśinīm| rājyaṃ tvaṃ pratigṛhṇīṣva bharatena prasāditaḥ

Honour the decision of the wise that serves as an instance to all and accept the kingdom offered by Bharata with pleasure इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे अष्टोत्तरशततमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the one hundredeighth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.