Sloka & Translation

[Jabali's efforts to convince Rama to accept Bharata's offer and rule the kingdom -- advocates the theory of nonbelievers of Vedic practices.]

आश्वासयन्तं भरतं जाबालिर्ब्राह्मणोत्तमः।

उवाच रामं धर्मज्ञं धर्मापेतमिदं वचः।।2.108.1।।


ब्राह्मणोत्तमः the most virtuous brahmin, जाबालिः Jabali, भरतम् to Bharata, आश्वासयन्तम् consoling (convincing), धर्मज्ञम् cognizant of duty, रामम् to Rama, धर्मापेतम् deviating from righteousness, इदम् this, वचः words, उवाच said.

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।।


राघव O scion of the Raghu race (Rama), साधु very well, आर्यबुद्धेः of a nobleminded one, मनस्विनः highminded one, ते you, प्राकृतस्य नरस्येव like a common man, एवम् in that way, निरर्थिका nonsensical, बुद्धि: thought, माऽभूत् let there not be.

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।।


कः पुरषः which man, कस्य to whom, बन्धु: relation, कस्य to whom, केनचित् from any one, किम् what, आप्यम् is to be obtained, यत् for the reason, जन्तुः a creature, एकः alone, जायते is born, एक एव alone, विनश्यति dies.

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।।


राम O Rama, तस्मात् therefore, यः नरः a man, माता as mother, पिता चेति as father, सज्जेत is attached, सः he, उन्मत्त इव like a madman, सः ज्ञेयः is to be regarded, कश्चित् any one, कस्य चित् to any one, नास्ति हि is nonexistent.

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।।


काकुत्स्थ O Rama, ग्रामान्तरम् from one village to another, गच्छन् while going, कश्चित् नरः a certain man, यथा as, क्वचित् somewhere, वसेत् may rest, तम् आवासम् that place of rest, उत्सृज्य leaving, अपरे on the next, अहनि day, प्रतिष्ठेत may proceed, एवमेव in the same way, मनुष्याणाम् to men, पिता father, माता mother, गृहम् home, वसु wealth, अवासमात्रम् resting places only, अत्र in this matter, सज्जनाः wise people, न सज्जन्ते are not attached to them.

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।।


नरोत्तम O best of men, स: such as you, पित्य्रम् father's, राज्यम् kingdom, परित्यज्य abandoning, दुःखम् painful, विषमम् difficult, बहुकण्टकम् full of thorns, कापथम् unwise course, आस्थातुम् to adopt, नार्हसि should not.

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।।


समृद्धायाम् in a prosperous, अयोध्यायाम् in the city of Ayodhya, आत्मानम् yourself, अभिषेचय get coronated, नगरी that city, एकवेणीधरा wearing a single braid of hair, त्वाम् you, सम्प्रतीक्षते is awaiting.

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।।


पार्थिवात्मज O king's son, महार्हान् inestimable, राजभोगान् royal plesures, अनुभवन् enjoying, त्वम् you, शक्रः Indra, त्रिविष्ठपे यथा like in heaven, अयोध्यायाम् in Ayodhya, विहर enjoy.

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।।


ते to you, दशरथः Dasaratha, कश्चित् न is nobody, त्वं च you also, तस्य to him, कश्चन न nobody, सः राजा that king, अन्यः another person, त्वम् you, अन्यः another person, तस्मात् therefore, यत् what, उच्यते is being told, कुरु do.

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।।


पिता the father, जन्तोः for a being, बीजमात्रम् is a seed only, शुक्लम् white, रुधिरमेव blood,
ऋतुमन्मात्रा in the mother's womb during her menstrual period (favourable time for conception), संयुक्तम् is blended, तत् due to that, इह in this world, पुरुषस्य man's, जन्म birth takes place.

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।।


सः that, नृपतिः king, तेन by him, यत्र wherever, गन्तव्यम् ought to go, तत्र there, गतः had gone, मर्त्यानाम् mortals', प्रवृत्ति: (destiny) nature, एषा such is, त्वं तु as for you, मिथ्या fruitlessly, विहन्यसे (undergoing difficulties).

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।।


ये ये all those, अर्थधर्मपराः yearning for dharma and artha, तांस्तान् for all of them, शोचामि feel sad, इतरान् for others, न not, ते they, इह in this world, दुःखम् sorrow, प्राप्य experiencing, प्रेत्य after death, विनाशम् destruction, भेजिरे had obtained (doubt).

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।।


अष्टका ashtaka ceremony, पितृदैवत्यम् इति the receivers are the spirits of ancestors, अयम् जनः these people, प्रसृतः are engaged, अन्नस्य offering of food, उपद्रवम् wastage, पश्य look, मृतः the dead, किम् what, अशिष्यति will it eat?

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।।


इह in this world, अन्येन by one person, भुक्तम् something eaten, अन्यस्य to other man's, देहम् body, गच्छति यदि if it reaches, प्रवसतः living in a distant place, श्राद्धम् shraddha, दद्यात् may offer, तत् that one, पथि on the way, अशनम् न भवेत् will it not be food?

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।।


यजस्व perform sacrifices, देहि give away, दीक्षस्व be initiated, तपः religious austerities, तप्यस्व practice, सन्त्यज renounce, एते these, ग्रन्थाः texts mannuals, मेधाविभिः by intelligent men, कृताः have been composed, दानसंवननाः हि to induce people to give charity.

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।।


महामते O highminded one, सः such as you, परम् the next world, नास्ति does not exist, इत्येव like that, बुद्धिम् thinking, कुरु do, यत् whatever, प्रत्यक्षम् is evident, तत् that one, आतिष्ठ you practise, परोक्षम् what is beyond perception, पृष्ठतः कुरु turn your back on.

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।।


सः त्वम् such as you, सर्वलोकनिदर्शिनीम् that serves as an instance to all, सतां बुद्धिम् judgement of the wise, पुरस्कृत्य treating with honour, भरतेन by Bharata, प्रसादितः pleased by, राज्यम् kingdom, प्रतिगृह्णीष्व accept.

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.