Sarga 83

Verse 6.83.1

राघवश्चापिविपुलंतंराक्षसवनौकसाम् ।श्रुत्वासङ्ग्रामनिर्घोषंजाम्बवन्तमुवाच ह ।।6.83.1।।

Rāghava too, hearing the tremendous din of battle between the Rākṣasas and the forest-dwelling Vānaras, addressed Jāmbavān.

Verse 6.83.2

सौम्यनूनंहनुमताकृतंकर्मसुदुष्करम् ।श्रूयते च यथाभीमस्सुमहावायुधस्वनः ।।6.83.2।।

Through dharma one gains dharma, and through adharma one gains adharma; if those in whom adharma is firmly rooted align themselves with adharma, their course follows that very principle.

Verse 6.83.3

तद्गच्छकुरुसाहाय्यंस्वबलेनाभिसम्वृतः ।क्षिप्रमक्षपतेतस्यकपिश्रेष्ठस्ययुध्यतः ।।6.83.3।।

Therefore go—surrounded by your own forces—and render aid at once, O lord of bears, to that best of monkeys as he fights.

Verse 6.83.4

ऋक्षराक्षस्तथोक्तस्तुस्वेनानीकेनसम्वृतः ।आगच्छत्पश्चिमद्वारंहनूमान्यत्रवानरः ।।6.83.4।।

Thus instructed, the lord of bears, surrounded by his own troop, went toward the western gate, where Hanūmān the Vānara was stationed.

Verse 6.83.5

अथायान्तंहनूमन्तंददर्शर्क्षपतिपथि ।वानरैःकृतसङ्ग्रामैश्श्वसद्भिरभिसम्वृतम् ।।6.83.5।।

Then, on the road, the lord of the bears saw Hanūmān approaching, surrounded by vānaras who had fought in battle and were breathing hard.

Verse 6.83.6

दृष्टापथिहनूमांश्चतदृक्षबलमुद्यतम् ।नीलमेघनिभंभीमंसन्निवार्यन्यवर्तत ।।6.83.6।।

Seeing on the road that fearsome bear-force, poised to fight and dark as a blue cloud, Hanūmān restrained them and turned them back.

Verse 6.83.7

स तेनसहसैन्येनसन्निकर्षंमहायशाः ।शीघ्रमागम्यरामायदुःखितोवाक्यमब्रवीत् ।।6.83.7।।

Then that illustrious one, accompanied by the troops, came swiftly into Rāma’s presence and, distressed, spoke these words.

Verse 6.83.8

समरेयुध्यमानानामस्माकंप्रेक्षतांपुरः ।जघानरुदतींसीतामिन्द्रजिद्रावणात्मजः ।।6.83.8।।

While we were fighting in battle, before our very eyes as we looked on, Indrajit—Rāvaṇa’s son—struck Sītā as she wept.

Verse 6.83.9

उद्भ्रान्तचित्तस्तांदृष्टवाविषण्णोऽहमरिन्दमः ।तदहंभवतोवृतंविज्ञापयितुमागतः ।।6.83.9।।

O subduer of foes, seeing her, my mind was thrown into turmoil and I became despondent; therefore I have come to inform you of what has occurred.

Verse 6.83.10

तस्यतद्वचनंश्रुत्वाराघवश्शोकमूर्चितः ।निपपाततदाभूमौछिन्नमूलंइवद्रुमः ।।6.83.10।।

Hearing his words, Rāghava, overwhelmed and faint with grief, collapsed to the ground like a tree whose roots have been cut.

Verse 6.83.11

तंभूमौदेवसङ्काशंपतितंदृश्यराघवम् ।अभिपेतुस्समुत्पत्यसर्वतःकपिसत्तमाः ।।6.83.11।।

Seeing Rāghava, godlike, fallen upon the ground, the best of the monkeys sprang up and rushed in from all sides.

Verse 6.83.12

आसिञ्चन् सलिलैश्चैनंपद्मोत्पलसुगन्धिभिः ।प्रदहन्तमानासाद्यंसहसाग्निमिवोद्यतम् ।।6.83.12।।

Reaching him, they sprinkled him with waters fragrant with lotus and lily, like dousing a suddenly flaring, blazing fire that cannot be approached.

Verse 6.83.13

तंलक्ष्मणोऽथबाहुभ्यांपरिष्वज्यसुदुःखितः ।उवाचराममस्वस्थंवाक्यंहेत्वर्थसम्युतम् ।।6.83.13।।

Then Lakṣmaṇa, deeply distressed, embraced the ailing Rāma in his arms and spoke words endowed with reason and purpose.

Verse 6.83.14

शुभेवर्त्मनितिष्ठन्तंत्वामार्यविजितेन्द्रियम् ।अनर्थेभ्यो न शक्नोतित्रातुंधर्मोनिरर्थकः ।।6.83.14।।

O noble one, self-restrained and steadfast upon the auspicious path—if Dharma cannot shield you from calamity, then Dharma itself becomes meaningless.

Verse 6.83.15

भूतानांस्थावाराणां च जङ्गमानां च दर्शनम् ।यथास्ति न तथाधर्मस्तेननास्तीतिमेमतिः ।।6.83.15।।

O gentle one, surely Hanumān has accomplished a most arduous deed; for a truly fearsome, mighty clamor of weapons is being heard.

Verse 6.83.16

यथैवस्थावरंव्यक्तंजङ्गमं न तथाविधम् ।नायमर्थस्तथायुक्तस्त्वद्विधो न विपद्यते ।।6.83.16।।

We behold beings, both immobile and moving, experiencing happiness as they are; therefore, in my view, dharma is not the determining cause of such happiness.

Verse 6.83.17

यद्यधर्मोभवेद्भूतोरावणोनरकंव्रजेत् ।भवांश्चधर्मसम्युक्तोनैवंव्यसनमाप्नुयात् ।।6.83.17।।

Just as the state of the immobile is plainly seen, the moving is not seen to follow any such fixed rule; this reasoning is not sound—for one like you should not come to ruin.

Verse 6.83.18

तस्य च व्यसनाभावाद्व्यसनंचागतेत्वयि ।धर्मोभवत्यधर्मश्चपरस्परविरोधिनौ ।।6.83.18।।

If adharma truly existed as a real force, Rāvaṇa would go to hell; and you, endowed with dharma, would not meet with such distress.

Verse 6.83.19

धर्मेणोपलभेद्धर्ममधर्मंचाप्यधर्मतः ।यद्यधर्मेणयुज्येयुर्येष्वधर्मःप्रतिष्ठितः ।।6.83.19।।यदिधर्मेणवियुज्येरन्नधर्मरुचयोजनाः ।धर्मेणचरतांधर्मंचैषांधर्मफलंभवेत् ।।6.83.20।।

Since he has no distress, while distress has come upon you, dharma and adharma—mutually opposed—seem to have exchanged their places.

Verse 6.83.20

धर्मेणोपलभेद्धर्ममधर्मंचाप्यधर्मतः ।यद्यधर्मेणयुज्येयुर्येष्वधर्मःप्रतिष्ठितः ।।6.83.19।।यदिधर्मेणवियुज्येरन्नधर्मरुचयोजनाः ।धर्मेणचरतांधर्मंचैषांधर्मफलंभवेत् ।।6.83.20।।

If people who delight in adharma were separated from dharma, then those who live by dharma would obtain dharma—and for them the fruit of dharma would indeed come to be.

Verse 6.83.21

यस्मादर्थाविवर्धन्तेयेष्वधर्मःप्रतिष्ठितः ।क्लिश्यन्तेधर्मशीलाश्चतस्मादेतौनिरर्थकौ ।।6.83.21।।

For we see wealth and advantage increase among those in whom adharma is established, while those devoted to dharma suffer; therefore these two claims appear purposeless.

Verse 6.83.22

वध्यन्तेपापकर्माणोयद्यधर्मेणराघव ।वधकर्महतोऽधर्मः स हतःकिंवधिष्यति ।।6.83.22।।

O Rāghava, if sinners are slain because of adharma, then that very adharma is ‘slain’ by the act of slaying; once slain, whom could that adharma kill thereafter?

Verse 6.83.23

अथवाविहितेनायंहन्यतेहन्तिवापरम् ।विधिरालिप्यतेतेन न स पापेनकर्मणा ।।6.83.23।।

Or else, a man is slain (or slays another) by what is ordained; it is destiny that becomes tainted by that, not the person by the sinful act.

Verse 6.83.24

अदृष्टप्रतिकारेणत्वव्यक्तेनासतासता ।कथंशक्यंपरंप्राप्तुंधर्मेणारिविकर्षण ।।6.83.24।।

O crusher of enemies! When the recompense of dharma is not visibly seen and its reality is uncertain—whether it is real or unreal—how can one possibly attain the highest good through righteousness?

Verse 6.83.25

यदिसत्स्यात्सतांमुख्यनासत्स्यत्तवकिञ्चन ।त्वयायदीदृशंप्राप्तंतस्मात्सन्नोपपद्यते ।।6.83.25।।

If goodness truly governed outcomes, O foremost among the good, then not even the slightest evil should have befallen you. Since you have met with such suffering, it seems that ‘the good’ does not consistently hold true as a rule of results.

Verse 6.83.26

अथवादुर्बलःक्लीबोबलंधर्मोऽनुवर्तते ।दुर्बलोहृतमर्यादो न सेव्यइतिमेमतिः ।।6.83.26।।

Or else dharma is feeble and ineffectual, merely following after brute force. A dharma that is weak and stripped of its boundaries is not worth serving—so I think.

Verse 6.83.27

बलस्ययदिचेद्धर्मोगुणभूतःपराक्रमे ।धर्ममुत्सृज्यवर्तस्वयथाधर्मेतथाबले ।।6.83.27।।

If, in deeds of valor, dharma is but a subordinate quality of power, then abandon dharma and conduct yourself by power—just as you once conducted yourself by dharma.

Verse 6.83.28

अथचेत्सत्यवचनंधर्म: किलपरन्तप ।अनृतस्त्वय्यकरुणःकिं न बद्धस्त्वयापिता ।।6.83.28।।

If, indeed, truth-speaking is dharma, O scorcher of foes, then why did you not bind your father—who acted without compassion toward you and (as it seems) stood in untruth?

Verse 6.83.29

यदिधर्मोभवेद्भूतअधर्मोवापरन्तप ।न स्महत्वामुनिंवज्रीकुर्यादिज्यांशतक्रतुः ।।6.83.29।।

If dharma truly prevailed—or if adharma did—O scorcher of foes, then Indra, wielder of the thunderbolt, would not have killed a sage and yet performed sacrifice as ‘Śatakratu’.

Verse 6.83.30

अधर्मसंश्रितोधर्मोविनाशयतिराघव ।सर्वमेतद्यथाकामंकाकुत्स्थकुरुतेनरः ।।6.83.30।।

When dharma clings to adharma, it brings ruin, O Rāghava. In all this, O scion of Kakutstha, people act simply as they please.

Verse 6.83.31

ममचेदंमतंतातधरोऽयमितिराघव ।धर्ममूलंत्वयाछिन्नंराज्यमुत्सृजतातदा ।।6.83.31।।

This too is my view, dear Rāghava: “this is dharma.” Yet when you renounced the kingdom then, you cut dharma off at its very root.

Verse 6.83.32

अर्थेभ्योहिप्रवृद्धेभ्यःसम्वृत्तेभ्यस्ततस्ततः ।क्रियाःसर्वाःप्रवर्तन्तेपर्वतेभ्यःइवापगाः ।।6.83.32।।

For when resources and advantages grow, accumulating from many directions, all undertakings begin to move forward, like rivers flowing from mountains.

Verse 6.83.33

अर्थेनहिविमुक्तस्यपुरुषस्याल्पचेतसः ।विच्छिद्यन्तेक्रियास्सर्वाग्रीष्मेकुसरितोयथा ।।6.83.33।।

For a man of scant understanding who abandons wealth, all his undertakings are cut off, just as small streams dry up in summer.

Verse 6.83.34

सोऽयमर्थंपरित्यज्यसुखकामःसुखैधितः ।पापमारभतेकर्तुंतदादोषःप्रवर्तते ।।6.83.34।।

Having cast away wealth, yet still craving pleasure—accustomed to comfort—one begins to commit sin; then fault and downfall set in.

Verse 6.83.35

यस्यार्थास्तस्यमित्राणियस्यार्थास्यस्यबान्धवाः ।यस्यार्थास्सपुमान्लोकेयस्यार्थाः स च पण्डितः ।।6.83.35।।

He who has wealth has friends; he who has wealth has kin. In the world, the one with wealth is deemed “a man of worth,” and the one with wealth is even called “learned.”

Verse 6.83.36

यस्यार्थास्स च विक्रान्तोयस्यार्थास्स च बुद्धिमान् ।यस्यार्थास्समहाभागोयस्यार्थास्समहागुणः ।।6.83.36।।

He who possesses wealth is called valiant; he who possesses wealth is called wise. He who possesses wealth is deemed fortunate, and he who possesses wealth is praised as virtuous.

Verse 6.83.37

अर्थस्यैतेपरित्यागेदोषाःप्रव्याहृतामया ।राज्यमुत्सृजतावीरयेनबुद्धिस्त्वयाकृता ।।6.83.37।।

These are the faults I have declared that follow from abandoning wealth. O hero, when you gave up the kingdom, the reasoning by which you formed that resolve I cannot accept as sound.

Verse 6.83.38

यस्यार्थाःधर्मकामार्थास्तस्यसर्वंप्रदक्षिणम् ।अधनेनार्थकामेननार्थश्शक्योविचिन्वता ।।6.83.38।।

For one who possesses wealth, dharma and kāma proceed smoothly and turn out auspicious. But for the penniless man who longs for wealth and frets after it, wealth is not easily obtained.

Verse 6.83.39

हर्षःकामश्चदर्पश्चधर्मःक्रोधश्शमोदमः ।अर्थादेतानिसर्वाणिप्रवर्तन्तेनराधिप ।।6.83.39।।

Joy, desire, pride, even dharma, anger, forbearance, and self-control—O lord of men—these all become operative through wealth.

Verse 6.83.40

येषांनश्यत्ययंलोकश्चरतांधर्मचारिणाम् ।तेऽर्थास्त्वयि न दृश्यन्तेदुर्दिनेषुयथाग्रहाः ।।6.83.40।।

Even those who live as strict followers of dharma may lose their standing in this world; such “wealth” is not seen in you—like planets hidden on clouded days.

Verse 6.83.41

त्वयिप्रव्रजितेवीरगुरोश्चवचनेस्थिते ।रक्षसापहृताभार्याप्राणैःप्रियतरातव ।।6.83.41।।

When you went forth into exile, O hero, abiding by your elder’s command, your wife—dearer to you than life—was abducted by a Rākṣasa.

Verse 6.83.42

तदद्यविपुलंवीरदुःखमिन्द्रजिताकृतम् ।कर्मणाव्यपनेष्यामितस्मादुत्तिष्ठराघव ।।6.83.42।।

Rise up, heroic Rāghava. Today I shall remove this great grief inflicted by Indrajit—by decisive action; therefore, stand up.

Verse 6.83.43

उत्थिष्ठनरशार्दूलदीर्घबाहोधृतव्रत ।किमात्मानंमहात्मानंमात्मानं न बुध्यसे ।।6.83.43।।

Rise, tiger among men—long-armed and firm in vow. Why do you not recognize yourself: a great-souled one, master of your own self?

Verse 6.83.44

O sinless one, I spoke thus out of love for you; seeing the threat of Janaka’s daughter’s destruction, I am enraged. With my arrows I shall strike down Laṅkā—together with its chariots, elephants, horses, and its lord, the king of the Rākṣasas.