Shloka 2.108.14

जाबाल्युपदेशः — Jabali’s Pragmatic Counsel to Rama

Devanagari script

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

Transliteration

aṣṭakā pitṛdaivatyam ity ayaṃ prasṛto janaḥ |

annasyopadravaṃ paśya mṛto hi kim aśiṣyati || 2.108.14 ||

Translation

People are absorbed in the Aṣṭakā rite, believing the ancestors to be the deities to be fed; behold the squandering of food—what indeed can the dead possibly eat?

Context

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?

Characters & Entities

• Jābāli
• Rāma
• Aṣṭakā (rite)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• food offerings (anna)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse attacks ritual dharma by denying any efficacy of offerings to ancestors; within the Ramayana’s ethical frame, it functions as a deliberately provocative stance against inherited sacred duties.

What is the narrative situation?

Jābāli attempts to dislodge Rāma’s reverence for ancestral obligation by mocking pitṛ-rites as mere waste, supporting his broader plea that Rāma abandon exile.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s reverence for tradition and duty (pitṛ-bhakti and dharma-śraddhā) is implicitly challenged, preparing for his principled rebuttal.