Jabali Tries to Persuade Rama to Accept the Kingdom

आश्वासयन्तम् भरतम् जाबालिर् ब्राह्मण उत्तमः | उवाच रामम् धर्मज्नम् धर्म अपेतम् इदम् वचः || २-१०८-१

aashvaasayantam bharatam jaabaalir braahmaNa uttamaH | uvaaca raamam dharmajnam dharma apetam idam vacaH || 2-108-1

A brahmana called Jabali spoke the following unrighteous words to Rama, who knew righteousness and who was assuaging Bharata as aforesaid

साधु राघव मा भूत् ते बुद्धिर् एवम् निरर्थका | प्राकृतस्य नरस्य इव आर्य बुद्धेः तपस्विनः || २-१०८-२

saadhu raaghava maa bhuut te buddhir evam nirarthakaa | praakR^itasya narasya iva aarya buddheH tapasvinaH || 2-108-2

"Enough, O Rama! Let not your wisdom be rendered void like a common man, you who are distinguished for your intelligence and virtue."

कः कस्य पुरुषो बन्धुः किम् आप्यम् कस्य केनचित् | यद् एको जायते जन्तुर् एक एव विनश्यति || २-१०८-३

kaH kasya puruSho bandhuH kim aapyam kasya kenacit | yad eko jaayate jantur eka eva vinashyati || 2-108-3

"Who is related to whom? What is there to be obtained by anything and by whom? Every creature is born alone and dies alone."

तस्मान् माता पिता च इति राम सज्जेत यो नरः | उन्मत्त इव स ज्नेयो न अस्ति काचिद्द् हि कस्यचित् || २-१०८-४

tasmaan maataa pitaa ca iti raama sajjeta yo naraH | unmatta iva sa jneyo na asti kaacidd hi kasyacit || 2-108-4

"O, Rama! He who clings to another, saying, 'This is my father, this is my mother, he should be known as one who has lost his wits. There is none who belongs to another."

यथा ग्राम अन्तरम् गग्च्छन् नरः कश्चिद् क्वचिद् वसेत् | उत्सृज्य च तम् आवासम् प्रतिष्ठेत अपरे अहनि || २-१०८-५ एवम् एव मनुष्याणाम् पिता माता गृहम् वसु | आवास मात्रम् काकुत्स्थ सज्जन्ते न अत्र सज्जनाः || २-१०८-६

yathaa graama antaram gagcchhan naraH kashcid kvacid vaset | utsR^ijya ca tam aavaasam pratiShTheta apare ahani || 2-108-5 evam eva manuShyaaNaam pitaa maataa gR^iham vasu | aavaasa maatram kaakutstha sajjante na atra sajjanaaH || 2-108-6

"O, Rama! As one who passes the a strange village spends the night the and the next day leaves that place and continues his journey, so are mother, father, home and possessions to a man; they are but a resting place. The wise do not become attached to them".

पित्र्यम् राज्यम् समुत्सृज्य स न अर्हति नर उत्तम | आस्थातुम् कापथम् दुह्खम् विषमम् बहु कण्टकम् || २-१०८-७

samR^iddhaayaam ayodhyaayaam aatmaanam abhiShecaya | eka veNii dharaa hi tvaam nagarii sampratiikShate || 2-108-8

"O, chief of men! You as such should not abandon your father's kingdom in order to dwell in a lonely forest, that is excruciating hard to traverse and full of thorny thickets."

समृद्धायाम् अयोध्यायाम् आत्मानम् अभिषेचय | एक वेणी धरा हि त्वाम् नगरी सम्प्रतीक्षते || २-१०८-८

raaja bhogaan anubhavan mahaa arhaan paarthiva aatmaja | vihara tvam ayodhyaayaam yathaa shakraH triviShTape || 2-108-9

"Get yourself crowned in the prosperous kingdom of Ayodhya. That city is waiting for you, with your locks duly unfound."

राज भोगान् अनुभवन् महा अर्हान् पार्थिव आत्मज | विहर त्वम् अयोध्यायाम् यथा शक्रः त्रिविष्टपे || २-१०८-९

na te kashcid dasharatahH tvam ca tasya na kashcana | anyo raajaa tvam anyaH ca tasmaat kuru yad ucyate || 2-108-10

"O, prince! Enjoy the royal luxuries worthy of you. Move around in Ayodhya as Indra the Lord of celestials does in heaven!"

न ते कश्चिद् दशरतहः त्वम् च तस्य न कश्चन | अन्यो राजा त्वम् अन्यः च तस्मात् कुरु यद् उच्यते || २-१०८-१०

biijamaatram pitaa jantoH shuklaM rudhirameva cha | saMyuktamR^itumanmaatraa puruShasyeha janma tat || 2-108-11

"Dasaratha is none to you nor you in anyway to him. That king is another and your are another. Hence, do what is told by me?"

बीजमात्रम् पिता जन्तोः शुक्लं रुधिरमेव च | संयुक्तमृतुमन्मात्रा पुरुषस्येह जन्म तत् || २-१०८-११

gataH sa nR^ipatiH tatra gantavyam yatra tena vai | pravR^ittir eShaa martyaanaam tvam tu mithyaa vihanyase || 2-108-12

"The father is only the seed of a being. The sperm and the ovum blend at the right time in the mother's womb, so that a human being is born in this world."

गतः स नृपतिः तत्र गन्तव्यम् यत्र तेन वै | प्रवृत्तिर् एषा मर्त्यानाम् त्वम् तु मिथ्या विहन्यसे || २-१०८-१२

artha dharma paraa ye ye taamH taan shocaami na itaraan | te hi duhkham iha praapya vinaasham pretya bhejire || 2-108-13

"The king has gone, where he had to go. This is the fate of all being unnecessarily, you are still frustrated over the matter."

अर्थ धर्म परा ये ये तामः तान् शोचामि न इतरान् | ते हि दुह्खम् इह प्राप्य विनाशम् प्रेत्य भेजिरे || २-१०८-१३

aShTakaa pitR^i daivatyam ity ayam prasR^ito janaH | annasya upadravam pashya mR^ito hi kim ashiShyati || 2-108-14

"I pity all those whosoever, devoted to wealth and religious merit, not other (who are devoted to sense-enjoyment), for, they, having undergone suffering in this life, have met with extermination after death."

अष्टका पितृ दैवत्यम् इत्य् अयम् प्रसृतो जनः | अन्नस्य उपद्रवम् पश्य मृतो हि किम् अशिष्यति || २-१०८-१४

yadi bhuktam iha anyena deham anyasya gagcchhati | dadyaat pravasataH shraaddham na tat pathy ashanam bhavet || 2-108-15

"These people say, 'The eighth day should be given up to sacrifices for the spirits of our ancestors.' See the waste of food. What will a dead man eat?"

यदि भुक्तम् इह अन्येन देहम् अन्यस्य गग्च्छति | दद्यात् प्रवसतः श्राद्धम् न तत् पथ्य् अशनम् भवेत् || २-१०८-१५

daana samvananaa hy ete granthaa medhaavibhiH kR^itaaH | yajasva dehi diikShasva tapaH tapyasva samtyaja || 2-108-16

"If food eaten by one here, reaches another's body, then let a sacrifice be offered for those who are setting out on a distant journey. Will it not become a food on their path?"

दान सम्वनना ह्य् एते ग्रन्था मेधाविभिः कृताः | यजस्व देहि दीक्षस्व तपः तप्यस्व सम्त्यज || २-१०८-१६

sa na asti param ity eva kuru buddhim mahaa mate | pratyakSham yat tad aatiShTha parokSham pR^iShThataH kuru || 2-108-17

"Perform sacrifices, distribute gifts, consecrate yourselves, practise ansterity and renunciation' - These writings are composed by learned men for the sake of inducing others to give."

स न अस्ति परम् इत्य् एव कुरु बुद्धिम् महा मते | प्रत्यक्षम् यत् तद् आतिष्ठ परोक्षम् पृष्ठतः कुरु || २-१०८-१७

sataam buddhim puraH kR^itya sarva loka nidarshiniim | raajyam tvam pratigR^ihNiiShva bharatena prasaaditaH || 2-108-18

"O, the highly wise! Arrive at a conclusion, therefore, that there is nothing beyond this Universe. Give precedence to that which meets the eye and turn your back on what is beyond our knowledge."

सताम् बुद्धिम् पुरः कृत्य सर्व लोक निदर्शिनीम् | राज्यम् त्वम् प्रतिगृह्णीष्व भरतेन प्रसादितः || २-१०८-१८

"Honour the judgment of the wise and regarding that which is approved by all, accept the kingdom as propitiated by Bharata."