Sloka & Translation

[Lakshmana asks Rama to bear sorrow -- pleads with Rama to think rightly-- arouses Rama's wisdom.]

taṅ tathā śōkasantaptaṅ vilapantamanāthavat.

mōhēna mahatāviṣṭaṅ paridyūnamacētanam৷৷3.66.1৷৷

tatassaumitrirāśvāsya muhūrtādiva lakṣmaṇaḥ.

rāmaṅ sambōdhayāmāsa caraṇau cābhipīḍayan৷৷3.66.2৷৷


tataḥ then, saumitriḥ son of Sumitra, lakṣmaṇaḥ Lakshmana, tathā like that, śōkasantaptam afflicted with sorrow, anāthavat like an orphan, vilapantam while weeping, mahatā mighty, mōhēna by delusion, āviṣṭam engrossed, paridyūnam miserable, acētanam devoid of consciousness, taṅ rāmam Rama, muhūrtādiva in a moment, āśvāsya consoled, caraṇau ca his feet, abhipīḍayan pressing, sambōdhayāmāsa addressed.

Lakshmana, son of Sumitra, consoling the mighty miserable Rama, who was afflicted with sorrow, and was weeping helplessly like an orphan, drowned in great delusion, devoid of consciousness, pressed his feet and addressed him:
mahatā tapasā rāma mahatā cāpi karmaṇā.

rājñā daśarathēnāsi labdhō.mṛtamivāmaraiḥ৷৷3.66.3৷৷


rāma Rama, rājñā by the king, daśarathēna by Dasaratha, mahatā great, tapasā penance, mahatā great, karmaṇācāpi the action, amaraiḥ by the gods, amṛtamiva like nectar, labdhaḥ asi obtained.

O Rama! king Dasaratha begot you by doing a great penance and performing great deeds, just as gods begot the nectar.
tava caiva guṇairbaddhastvadviyōgānmahīpatiḥ.

rājā dēvatvamāpannō bharatasya yathāśrutam৷৷3.66.4৷৷


bharatasya Bharata's, yathā as, śrutam heard, mahīpatiḥ lord of the earth, rājā king, tava your, guṇaiḥ virtues, baddhaḥ bound, tvadviyōgāt by your separation, dēvatvam godhood, āpannaḥ attained.

King Dasaratha, impelled by your virtues, and separation from you attained godhood as heard from Bharata.
yadi duḥkhamidaṅ prāptaṅ kākutstha na sahiṣyasē.

prākṛtaścālpasattvaśca itaraḥ kassahiṣyati৷৷3.66.5৷৷


kākutstha O Rama, prāptam has befallen, idaṅ duḥkham this sorrow, na sahiṣyasē yadi not able to bear, prākṛtaḥ ordinary man, alpasattvaśca with little strength, itaraḥ ordinary man, kaḥ who, sahiṣyati will be able to bear?

O Rama, if you cannot bear this sorrow that has befallen you, how can weak and ordinary persons endure (such suffering)?
duḥkhitō hi bhavānlōkāṅstējasā yadi dhakṣyatē.

ārtāḥ prajā naravyāghra kva nu yāsyanti nirvṛtim৷৷3.66.6৷৷


naravyāghra O best among men, duḥkhitaḥ in grief, bhavān you, tējasā by your brilliance, lōkān worlds, dhakṣyatē burn, yadi if, ārtāḥ afflicted, prajāḥ people, kva where, nirvṛtim relief, yāsyanti will get?

O best of men ! if you grieve and burn the world with your brilliance, wherefrom will the (ordinary) afflicted people get relief?
lōkasvabhāva ēvaiṣa yayātirnahuṣātmajaḥ.

gataśśakrēṇa sālōkyamanayastaṅ samaspṛśat৷৷3.66.7৷৷


ēṣaḥ so, lōkasvabhāvaḥ ēva it is natural order in the world, nahuṣātmajaḥ Nahusha's son, yayātiḥ Yayati, śakrēṇa to Indra, sālōkyam sharing his stay in the same world, gataḥ attached, anayaḥ curse, tam him, samaspṛśat touched .

It is the go of the world. Yayati, son of Nahusa, shared heaven with Indra but because of his curse (for his bad conduct) suffered misfortune.
maharṣiryō vasiṣṭhastu yaḥ piturnaḥ purōhitaḥ.

ahnā putraśataṅ jajñē tathaivāsya punarhatam৷৷3.66.8৷৷


maharṣiḥ sage, yaḥ who, vasiṣṭhaḥ Vasistha, yaḥ that, naḥ pituḥ our father's, purōhitaḥ priest, asya his, ahnā one day, putraśatam one hundred sons, jajñē gave birth to, punaḥ again, tathaiva in the same way, hatam killed.

To sage Vasistha, our father's priest, were born a hundred sons in a day.But all of them were killed in one day the same way.
yā cēyaṅ jagatāṅ mātā dēvī lōkanamaskṛtā.

asyāśca calanaṅ bhūmērdṛśyatē satyasaṅśrava৷৷3.66.9৷৷


satyasaṅśrava who adheres to truth, jagatām for the worlds, mātā mother, lōkanamaskṛtā is adored by the whole world, yā cēyam she being so, dēvī mother, asyāḥ her, bhūmēḥ earth, calanam movement, dṛśyatē is seen.

You (rigidly) adhere to truth.(Like you) the mother earth who is adored by all the worlds, is unshakeable. Yet she is seen to be shaking at times.
yau dharmau jagatāṅ nētrau yatra sarvaṅ pratiṣṭhitam.

ādityacandrau grahaṇamabhyupētau mahābalau৷৷3.66.10৷৷


yau whoever, dharmau two righteous entities, jagatām of the worlds, nētrau two eyes, yatra where, sarvam all, pratiṣṭhitam is resting, mahābalau two very powerful, ādityacandrau Sun and Moon, grahaṇam
eclipse, abhyupētau endures.

The powerful Sun and Moon, righteous entities, who are the two eyes of these worlds and on whom everything rests firmly, also suffer eclipses sometimes.
sumahāntyapi bhūtāni dēvāśca puruṣarṣabha.

na daivasya pramuñcanti sarvabhūtāni dēhinaḥ৷৷3.66.11৷৷


puruṣarṣabha O bull among men, sumahanti bhūtāni great beings, dēvāśca gods, sarvabhūtāni all creatures, dēhinaḥ mortals, daivasya fate, na pramuñcanti cannot be released.

O best among men ! Fate spares none. Great beings, every creature, even the gods cannot escape fate.
śakrādiṣvapi dēvēṣu vartamānau nayānayau.

śrūyētē naraśārdūla na tvaṅ śōcitumarhasi৷৷3.66.12৷৷


naraśārdūla O tiger among men, śakrādiṣu among beings such as Indra and others, dēvēṣu deities, nayānayau justice or otherwise, vartamānau are present, śrūyētē heard, tvam you, śōcitum to worry, nārhasi not right for you.

It is I heard that Indra and other deities are also governed by the principle of justice. Therefore, you should not bewail, O tiger among men.
naṣṭāyāmapi vaidēhyāṅ hṛtāyāmapi cānagha

śōcituṅ nārhasē vīra yathānyaḥ prākṛtastathā৷৷3.66.13৷৷


anagha O sinless soul, vīra hero, vaidēhyām when Vaidehi, naṣṭāyāmapi killed, hṛtāyāmapi when carried off too, prākṛtaḥ an ordinary person, anyaḥ yathā other man, śōcitum to worry, nārhasi not right for you.

Even if Vaidehi is killed or abducted, you should not grieve like ordinary men, O
sinless hero !
tvavdidhā na hi śōcanti satataṅ satyadarśinaḥ.

sumahatsvapi kṛcchrēṣu rāmānirviṇṇadarśanāḥ৷৷3.66.14৷৷


rāma Rama, satatam always, satyadarśinaḥ those who see the truth, anirviṇṇadarśanāḥ men whose vision is free from depression, tvavdidhāḥ men like you, sumahatsu in very great, krucchrēṣvapi even in great calamities, na śōcanti hi will not lose heart.

O Rama, you always see the truth. So in the face of great difficulties men like you, whose vision is not blurred, should not lose heart.
tattvatō hi naraśrēṣṭha buddhyā samanucintaya.

budhdyā yuktā mahāprājñā vijānanti śubhāśubhē৷৷3.66.15৷৷


naraśrēṣṭha O best among men, tattvataḥ the facts, buddhyā applying your intellect, samanucintaya think rightly, mahāprājñāḥ very wise, budhdyā with their intellect, yuktāḥ endowed, śubhāśubhē right and wrong, vijānanti people know.

O best among men ! judge the facts rightly with your intellect. The wise apply their minds and know what is right and what is wrong.
adṛṣṭaguṇadōṣāṇāmadhruvāṇāṅ tu karmaṇām.

nāntarēṇa kriyāṅ tēṣāṅ phalamiṣṭaṅ pravartatē৷৷3.66.16৷৷


adṛṣṭaguṇadōṣāṇām of those who do not know their merits and demerits, adhruvāṇām unstable, tēṣām in this, karmaṇām deeds, iṣṭam good, phalam results, kriyām antarēṇa from actions, na pravartatē will not be obtained.

Good results are not expected from the actions of persons who cannot distinguish between their virtues and vices, from those who are unstable in their deeds.
tvamēva hi purā rāma māmēvaṅ bahuśō.nvaśāḥ.

anuśiṣyāddhi kō nu tvāmapi sākṣādbṛhaspatiḥ৷৷3.66.17৷৷


rāma Rama, purā in the past, tvamēva you yourself, mām to me, ēvam that way, bahuśaḥ many times, anvaśāḥ you instructed, hi indeed, sākṣāt personally, bṛhaspatirapi even Brihaspati, kō nu who indeed, tvām to you, anuśiṣyāt hi can teach you.

O Rama! you yourself in the past have instructed me many times that way. Who can be your adviser in this matter ? You are indeed like Brihaspati.
buddhiśca tē mahāprājña dēvairapi duranvayā.

śōkēnābhiprasuptaṅ tē jñānaṅ sambōdhayāmyaham৷৷3.66.18৷৷


mahāprājña very wise, tē buddhi: your intellect, dēvairapi gods too, duranvayā difficult to fathom, śōkēna by sorrow, abhiprasuptam put to sleep, tē jñānam your wisdom, aham I am, sambōdhayāmi arousing you.

Even gods cannot fathom your intellect. I am only trying to rouse your wisdom your sorrow has sent to sleep.
divyaṅ ca mānuṣaṅ ca tvamātmanaśca parākramam.

ikṣvākuvṛṣabhāvēkṣya yatasva dviṣatāṅ vadhē৷৷3.66.19৷৷


ikṣvākuvṛṣabha among the Ikshvakus, tvam you, divyam divine, mānuṣaṅ ca mortal, ātmanaḥ yourself, parākramam powers, avēkṣya after knowing, dviṣatām of the enemies, vadhē in killing, yatasva make efforts.

O bull among the Ikshvakus, weigh your divine and human prowess before you try to kill your enemies.
kiṅ tēna sarvanāśēna kṛtēna puruṣarṣabha.

tamēva tvaṅ ripuṅ pāpaṅ vijñāyōddhartumarhasi৷৷3.66.20৷৷


puruṣarṣabha best among men, kṛtēna by the act of, tēna by that, sarvanāśēna destruction of all, kim what for, tvam you, pāpam sinful, taṅ ripum ēva your enemy, vijñāya after knowing, uddhartum to uproot, arhasi ought to.

O best among men ! where is the good in the destruction of all? Know your sinful enemy before you uproot him.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkēya ādikāvyē araṇyakāṇḍē ṣaṭṣaṣṭitamassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the sixtysixth sarga of Aranyakanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.