The World of Valmiki-28

The World of Valmiki-28

Rama consoles Tara and speaks of inevitability of death:

लोकवृत्तमनुष्ठेयं कृतं वो बाष्पमोक्षणम् ।
न कालादुत्तरं किञ्चित्कर्म शक्यमुपासितुम् ॥
नियतिः कारणं लोके नियतिः कर्मसाधनम् ।
नियतिः सर्वभूतानां नियोगेष्विह कारणम् ॥
न कर्ता कस्यचित् कश्चिन्नियोगे चापि नेश्वरः ।
स्वभावे वर्तते लोकस्तस्य कालः परायणम् ॥
न कालः कालमत्येति न कालः परिहीयते ।
स्वभावं च समासाद्य न कश्चिदतिवर्तते ॥
न कालस्यास्ति बन्धुत्वं न हेतुर्नपराक्रमः ।
न मित्रज्ञातिसंबन्धः कारणं नात्मनो वशः ॥
किन्तु कालपरीणामो द्रष्टव्यः साधु पश्यता ।
धर्मश्चार्थश्च कामश्च कालक्रमसमाहिताः ॥४/२५/२-८॥
Custom of the land has to be followed. You have shed tears. After death, there is nothing that can be done. Destiny is the cause in this world. Destiny is the instrument of work. It is destiny which causes actions of all beings. No one does anything. No one is the lord of any action. The world stays in its natural state and it is Time which drives it. Time does not transgress itself nor does it fall behind. No one transgresses ones innate nature. Time does not recognize kith,reason or valour. The ultimate Cause is not under the control of an individual. A person of foresight has to see that everything undergoes transformation over time. Dharma, wealth and desire are all consequences of Time.


A disillusioned Lakshmana laments on the futility of following dharma,seeing Rama grieving over the news that Sita is beheaded by Indrajit
शुभे वर्त्मनि तिष्ठन्तं त्वामार्य विजितेन्द्रियम् ।
अनर्थेभ्यो न शक्नोति त्रातुं धर्मो निरर्थकः ॥
भूतानां स्थावराणां च जङ्गमानां च दर्शनम् ।
यथास्ति न तथा धर्मस्तेन नास्तीति मे मतिः ॥
यथैव स्थावरं व्यक्तं जङ्ग्ममं च तथाविधम् ।
नायमर्थस्तथा युक्तस्त्वद्विधो न विपद्यते ॥
यद्यधर्मो भवेद्भूतो राबणो नरकं व्रजेत् ।
भवांश्च धर्मयुल्तो वै नैवं व्यसनमाप्नुयात् ॥
तस्य च व्यसनाभावाद् व्यसनं च गते त्वयि ।
धर्मो भवत्यधर्मश्च परस्परवोरोधिनौ ॥
Useless dharma is unable to protect you from calamities although you tread the virtuous path and have control over your senses. The way you can perceive the static and mobile beings, you cannot perceive dharma. Therefore dharma does not exist. In the manner that a static or mobile being is visible, this dharma is not visible. If it were visible you would not suffer. If adharma were a factual entity, Ravana should have gone to hell and you following dharma should not come  to grief. As he (Ravana) has no suffering and as you are suffering, what you call dharma becomes adharma and adharma becomes dharma. Dharma and adharma become reversed.

धर्मेणोपलभेद्धर्ममधर्मं चाप्यधर्मतः ।
यध्यधर्मेण युज्येयुर्येष्वधर्मः प्रतिष्ठितः ॥
यदि धर्मेण युज्येरन्नाधर्मरुचयो जनाः ।
धर्मेण चरताम् धर्मस्तथा चैषां फलं भवेत् ॥
यस्मादर्था विवर्धन्ते येष्वधर्मः प्रतिष्ठितः ।
क्लिश्यन्ते धर्मशीलाश्च तस्मादेतौ निरर्थकौ ॥
वध्यन्ते पापकर्माणो यद्यधर्मेण राघव ।
वधकर्महतोऽधर्मः स हतः कं वधिष्यति ॥
अथवा विहितेनायं हन्यते हन्ति वा परम् ।
विधिरालप्यते तेन न स पापेन कर्मणा ॥
Those on the path of adharma should get the fruits of adharma and those following dharma should reap the benefits of dharma. Now that those on the path of adharma are flourishing and those following dharma are suffering, these concepts of dharma and adharma are meaningless. If you say that those who commit sins are destroyed by their own actions, a momentary action of committing a sin will itself get destroyed and how can adharma destroy one who commits adharma? Prompted by a divine entity if a person kills another or gets killed, the fruits of killing will only be reaped by the divine entity only and not by the person who is merely an instrument.  

अदृष्टप्रतिकारेण त्वव्यक्तेनासता सता ।
कथं शक्यम् परं प्राप्तुं धर्मेणारिविकर्षण ॥
यदि सत्स्यात् सतां मुख्य नासत्स्यात् तव किञ्चन ।
त्वया यदीदृशं प्राप्तं तस्मात् सन्नोपपद्यते ॥
अथवा दुर्बलः क्लीबो बलं धर्मोऽनुवर्तते ।
दुर्बलो हृतमर्यादो न सेव्य इति मे मतिः ॥
बलस्य यदिचेद्धर्मो गुणभूतः पराक्रमे ।
धर्ममुत्सृज्य वर्तस्व यथा धर्मे तथा बले ॥
अथ चेत् सत्यवचनं धर्मः किल परन्तप ।
अनृतस्त्वय्यकरुणः किं न बद्धस्त्वया पिता ॥
यदि धर्मो भवेद्भूतो अधर्मो वा परन्तप ।
न स्म हत्वा मुनिं वज्री कुर्यादिज्याम् शतक्रतुः ॥
O slayer of enemies, how can dharma which is non-existent and whose fruits are not visible accomplish anything great? O foremost among the good, if there is something like dharma, no calamity should befall a person like you. Therefore it does not exist. Dharma (even if it exists) is too weak and powerless and therefore follows the mighty. It appears to me that this weak dharma which has lost respect should not be followed. As dharma is subsidiary to might, you adopt might abandoning dharma. If truthfulness is dharma, why did you not arrest your father who was untruthful ( as he did not adhere to his declaration in the assembly that you would be made the heir-apparent) and was unkind to you? If either dharma or adharma were existing, Indra did not have to kill a Brahmin and also perform sacrifices. (A king has to be pragmatic and has to adopt dharma or adharma depending on the circumstances).

अधर्मसंश्रितो धर्मो विनाशयति राघव ।
सर्वमेतद्यथाकामं काकुत्स्थ कुरुते नरः ॥
मम चेदं मतं तात धर्मोऽयमिति राघव ।
धर्ममूलं त्वया छिन्नं राज्यमुत्सृजता तदा ॥
अर्थेभ्यो हि विवृद्धेभ्यः संवृत्तेभ्यस्ततस्ततः ।
क्रियाः सर्वाः प्रवर्तन्ते पर्वतेभ्य इवापगाः ॥
अर्थेन हि वियुक्तस्य पुरुषस्याल्पतेजसः ।
व्युच्छिद्य्न्ते क्रियाः सर्वा ग्रीष्मे कुसरितो यथा ॥
सोऽयमर्थं परित्यज्य सुखकामः सुखैधितः ।
पापमारभते कर्तुं ततो दोषः प्रवर्तते ॥
O Kakutstha, if either Dharma or adharma is followed (at the exclusion of the other) it will lead to calamity. Therefore one follows dharma or adharma depending on circumstances. In my view this pragmatism is the dharma. In refusing the kingdom, you struck at the root of this dharma. All activities emanate from continuously augmented wealth like rivers emanating from mountains. All actions of a person of low calibre and devoid of wealth get destroyed like small streams in summer. If a person well brought up and desirous of pleasures forsakes wealth, he will later take to sinful acts and thus earn demerit.  

यस्यार्थास्तस्य मित्राणि यस्यार्थास्तस्य बान्धवाः ।
यस्याथाः स पुमान् लोके यस्यार्थाः स च पण्डितः ॥
यस्यार्थाः स च विक्रान्तो यस्यार्थाः स च बुद्धिमान् ।
यस्यार्थाः स महाभागो यस्यार्थाः स महागुणः ॥
अर्थस्यैते परित्यागे दोषाः प्रव्याहृता मया ।
राज्यमुत्सृजता वीर येन बुद्धिस्त्वया कृता ॥
यस्यार्था धर्मकामार्थास्तस्य सर्वं प्रदक्षिणम् ।
अधनेनार्थकामेन नार्थः शक्यो विचिन्वता ॥
हर्षः कामश्च दर्पश्च धर्मः क्रोधः शमो दमः ।
अर्थादेतानि सर्वाणि प्रवर्तन्ते नराधिप ॥
येषां नश्यत्ययं लोकश्चरतां धर्मचारिणाम् ।
तेऽर्थास्त्वयि न दृश्यन्ते दुर्दिनेषु यथा ग्रहाः ॥ ६/८३/१४-४०॥
One who has wealth has friends, relatives and is considered manly and scholarly. One who has wealth is considered valourous, intelligent, fortunate and endowed with all good qualities. The disadvantages of abandoning wealth have been already explained. I do not know why you abandoned the kingdom. Dharma, artha and kama all these become right for a person who has wealth. A person without wealth seeking wealth cannot get it. O king, happiness, desires, grandeur, righteousness, anger, peace all these are the result of wealth only. This world of the righteous neglecting wealth destroys itself. And no wealth can be seen in you like the planets in a clouded sky.

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The World of Valmiki-27

The World of Valmiki-27

Jabali preaches Lokayata philosophy to Rama:

कः कस्य पुरुषो बन्धुः किमाप्यं कस्य केनचित् ।

यदेको जायते जन्तुरेक एव विनश्यति ॥

तस्मान्माता पिता चेति राम सज्जेत यो नरः ।

उन्मत्त इव स ज्ञेयो नास्ति कश्चिद्धि कस्यचित् ॥

यथा ग्रामान्तरं गच्छन् नरः कश्चिद्क्वचिद्वसेत् ।

उत्सृज्य च तमावासं प्रतिष्ठेतापरेऽहनि ॥

एवमेव मनुष्याणां पिता माता गृहं वसु ।

आवासमात्रं काकुत्स्थ सज्जन्ते नात्र सज्जनाः ॥

पित्र्यं राज्यं परित्यज्य स नार्हसि नरोत्तम ।

आस्थातुं कापथं दुःखं विषमं बहुकण्टकम् ॥

समृद्धायामयोध्यायामात्मानमभिषेचय ।

एकवेणीधरा हि त्वां नगरी संप्रतीक्षते ॥

Who is related to whom? Who has to get what from whom? A being is born alone and dies alone.

Therefore any one who gets attached to father and mother is to be treated as mad. No one is related to anyone. Just as a person after going to another village stays somewhere and the next day he leaves that place of residence  in the same manner a person leaves behind his father, mother, residence and wealth. This is just a place of residence. Wise persons do not feel attached. Leaving behind your paternal kingdom you should not traverse this bad uneven troublesome and thorny path. Anoint yourself at Ayodhya which awaits you mournfully with her hair untied.

राजभोगाननुभवन् महार्हान् पार्थिवात्मज ।

विहर त्वमयोध्यायां यथा शक्रस्त्रिविष्टपे ॥

न ते कश्चिद्दशरथस्त्वं च तस्य न कश्चन ।

अन्यो राजा त्वमन्यः स तस्मात्कुरु यदुच्यते ॥

बीजमात्रं पिता जन्तोः शुक्लं रुधिरमेव च ।

संयुक्तं ऋतुमन्मात्रा पुरुषस्येह जन्म तत् ॥

गतः स नृपतिस्तत्र गन्तव्यं यत्र तेन वै ।

प्रवृत्तिरेषा मर्त्यानां त्वं तु मिथ्या विहन्यसे ॥

O prince, roam around Ayodhya enjoying the royal pleasures worthy of the great. Dasaratha is nobody to you and you are nobody to him. He is one person and you are another person. Therefore act as you are being told. Father is just the seed to a being. A person’s birth is because of the union of father's semen with fertile mother's egg. The king has gone to his destination. This is the natural course of human beings and you are falsely getting hurt.

अर्थधर्मपरा ये ये तांस्तान शोचामि नेतरान् ।

ते हि दुःखमिह प्राप्य विनाशं प्रेत्य भेजिरे ॥

अष्टका पितृदैवत्यमित्ययं प्रसृतो जनः ।

अन्नस्योपद्रवं पश्य मृतो हि किमशिष्यति ॥

यदि भुक्तमिहान्येन देहमन्यस्य गच्छति ।

दद्यात् प्रवसतः श्राद्धं न तत् पथ्यशनं भवेत् ॥

दानसंवहनना ह्येते ग्रन्थाः मेधाविभिः कृताः ।

यजस्व देहि दीक्षस्व तपस्तप्यस्व सन्त्यज ॥

स नास्ति परमित्येव कुरु बुद्धिं महामते ।

प्रत्यक्षं यत्तदातिष्ठ परोक्षं पृष्ठतः कुरु ॥

स ताम् बुद्धिं पुरस्कृत्य सर्वलोकनिदर्शिनीम् ।

राज्यं त्वं प्रतिगृह्णीष्व भरतेन प्रसादितः ॥२/१०८/३-१८॥

I am sorry for those who are busy collecting wealth and dharma. They undergo much suffering during their lives and die. People are led to believe that performing Ashtaka and other Sraddhas make the departed contented. See the waste of food; will a dead person eat anything? If food eaten here by one were to go to another person (in the other world), we could as well do Sraddha to a person going away to another place. That food would be available for him during the journey. The learned have created books which preach us to perform sacrifices, to donate and to observe penances. All those are meant only to extract donations. There is nothing like after-life. Believe in what you see and do not bother about what you do not see. Following this course of logic which provides guidance to the whole world, accept the kingdom after being appeased by Bharata. 

 Rama's reply to Jabali:

यद्वृत्ताः सन्ति राजानः तद्वृत्ताः सन्ति हि प्रजाः ।

सत्यमेवानृशंसञ्च राजवृत्तं सनातनम् ।

तस्मात् सत्यात्मकं राज्यं सत्ये लोकः प्रतिष्ठितः ॥

ऋषयश्चैव देवाश्च सत्यमेव हि मेनिरे ।

सत्यवादी हि लोकेऽस्मिन् परं गच्छति चाक्षयम् ॥

उद्विजन्ते यथा सर्पान्नरादमृतवादिनः ।

धर्मः सत्यं परो लोके मूलं स्वर्गस्यचोच्यते ॥

सत्यमेवेश्वरो लोके सत्यं पद्मा श्रिता सदा ।

सत्यमूलानि सर्वाणि सत्यान्नास्ति परं पदम् ॥

दत्तमिष्टं हुतं चैव तप्तानि च तपांसि च ।

वेदाः सत्यप्रतिष्ठानास्तस्मात् सत्यपरो भवेत् ॥

People of a country adopt the conduct followed by their kings. Truthfulness devoid of violence is the age-old laid down conduct for the kings. The soul of kingdom is truthfulness and the world is founded on truthfulness. Gods and sages considered Truth as the ultimate. A truthful person attains ultimate permanence in this world. People keep away from an untruthful person out of fear like from a snake. In this world truthfulness is the ultimate dharma and it is considered the root of heaven. Truthfulness is God and Goddess of wealth resides in truthfulness. Everything is rooted in truthfulness and there is nothing higher than truthfulness. Charity, sacrifices, oblations and penances undertaken and the Vedas have their foundation as truth and therefore one should be truthful.

एकः पालयते लोकमेकः पालयते कुलम् ।

मज्ज्त्येको हि नरय एकः स्वर्गे महीयते ॥

सोऽहं पितुर्नियोगं तु किमर्थं नानुपालये ।

सत्यप्रतिश्रवः सत्यं सत्येन समयीकृतः ॥

नैव लोभान्नमोहाद्वा नह्यज्ञानात्तमोऽन्वितः ।

सेतुं सत्यस्य भेत्स्यामि गुरोः सत्यप्रतिश्रवः ॥

असत्यसन्धस्य सतश्चलस्यास्थिरचेतसः ।

नैव देवा न पितरः प्रतीच्छन्तीति नः श्रुतम् ॥

प्रत्यगात्ममिमं धर्मं सत्यं पश्याम्यहं स्वयम् ।

भारः सत्पुरुषाचीर्णस्तदर्थमभिमन्यते ॥

(According to ones past deeds) one may protect the world, one may protect ones family, one may sink to hell and one may ascend to heaven. Why will I having made a vow not follow father's orders? I having sworn to truth will not, due to avarice, infatuation or ignorance destroy the bridge of truth of my father. We have heard that neither Gods nor forefathers will receive (anything) from a person who is untruthful, wavering and unsteady. I myself perceive my self as of the dharma of truth. That is why people respect the weight of matted hair found among the good natured.  

क्षात्रं धर्ममहं त्यक्ष्ये ह्यधर्मं धर्मसंहितम् ।

क्षुद्रैर्नृशंसैर्लुब्धैश्च सेवितं पापकर्मभिः ॥

कायेन कुरुते पापं मनसा संप्रधार्य च ।

अनृतं जिह्वया चाह त्रिविधं कर्म पातकम् ॥

भूमिः कीर्तिर्यशो लक्ष्मीः पुरुषं प्रार्थयन्ति हि ।

स्वर्गस्थं चानुपश्यन्ति सत्यमेव भजेत तत् ॥२/१०९/९-२२॥

I reject the dharma of kshatriya which is adharma and has only a meagre amount of dharma and which is practiced by the lowly, the unkind and the avaricious bent on doing sinful deeds. Man commits three types of sin, by thinking of a sinful deed, by expressing it through speech and actually committing the sinful act. Land, fame and wealth seek a truthful person and therefore one should follow truth.

यथा हि चोरः स तथा हि बुद्ध-

स्तथागतं नास्तिकमत्र विद्धि ।

तस्माद्धि यः शङ्क्यतमः प्रजानां

न नास्तिकेनाभिमुखो बुधः स्यात् ॥२/१०९/३४ ॥

One should consider a Buddhist and a thief alike. Treat a Buddhist as an atheist. Therefore a wise person should not face an atheist who has to be doubted about his adherence to Vedic dharma.

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The World of Valmiki-26

The World of Valmiki-26

4.0 Philosophy, Religion and Code of Conduct.

Rama talks of fate while consoling Lakshmana:

सोऽभिषेकनिवृत्त्यर्थैः प्रवासार्थैश्च दुर्वचैः ।

उग्रैर्वाक्यैरहं तस्या नान्यद्दैवात् समर्थये ॥

कथं प्रकृतिसम्पन्ना राजपुत्री तथागुणा ।

ब्रूयात् सा प्राकृतेव स्त्री मत्पीडां भर्तृसन्निधौ ॥

यदचिन्त्यं तु तद्दैवं भूतेष्वपि न हन्यते ।

व्यक्तं मयि च तस्यां च पतितो हि विपर्ययः ॥

कश्च दैवेन सौमित्रे योद्धुमुत्सहते पुमान् ।

यस्य न ग्रहणं किञ्चित् कर्मणोऽन्यत्र दृश्यते ॥

सुखदुःखे भयक्रोधौ लाभालाभौ भवाभवौ ।

यच्च किञ्चित्तथाभूतं ननु दैवस्य कर्म तत् ॥

ऋषयोप्युग्रतपसो दैवेनाभिप्रपीडिताः ।

उत्सृज्य नियमान्स्तीव्रान् भ्रश्यन्ते काममन्युभिः ॥

असङ्कल्पितमेवेह यदकस्मात् प्रवर्तते ।

निवर्त्त्यारम्भमारब्धं ननु दैवस्य् कर्म तत् ॥२/२२/१८-२४ ॥

I am unable to explain her harsh talk asking for stopping of my coronation and my exile, other than to say that it is all due to Fate. How could the daughter of a king and who is by nature sober speak of troubling me in presence of her husband like an uncultured woman? What cannot be imagined and what cannot be destroyed by beings, that Fate has affected me and her (Kaikeyi). Who can fight with Fate which cannot be felt other than through its act? Happiness and grief, fear and anger, gain and loss, existence and non-existence and whatever happens all that is the act of Fate. Even sages who undergo fierce penance get lost due to desire and anger after leaving their penances when they are troubled by Fate. Setting aside unexpectedly and without any reason an activity which had begun is indeed the act of Fate.

Rama consoles Bharata

नात्मनः कामकारोऽस्ति पुरुषोऽयमनीश्वरः ।

इतश्चेतरतश्चैनं कृतान्तः परिकर्षति ॥

सर्वे क्षयान्ता निचयाः पतनान्ताः समुच्छ्रयाः ।

संयोगा विप्रयोगान्ता मरणान्तं च जीवितम् ॥

यथा फलानां पक्वानामन्यत्र पतनाद्भयम् ।

एवं नरस्य जातस्य नान्यत्र मरणाद्भयम् ॥

यथागारं दृढं स्थूणं जीर्णं भूत्वावसीदति ।

तथैव सीदन्ति नरा जरामृत्युवशंगताः ॥

अत्येति रजनी या तु सा न प्रतिनिवर्तते ।

यात्येव यमुना पूर्णा समुद्रमुदकाकुलम् ॥

अहोरात्राणि गच्छन्ति सर्वेषां प्राणिनामिह ।

आयूंषि क्षपयन्त्याशु ग्रीष्मे जलमिवांशवः ॥

Freedom of action does not exist for an individual who is unlike God. Fate drags him hither and thither. All collections disintegrate, all those that go up fall down, all meetings end in separation, all life ends in death. Just as ripe fruits have to be only afraid of falling down, a man having been born does not have to fear anything other than death. Just as a house which is strong and bulky gets destroyed when it becomes old, men affected by old age and death cease to exist. The night that passes does not return. River Yamuna full with water finally reaches the turbulent ocean. For all beings days and nights pass, their life time gets decreased like water getting evaporated by sun's rays in summer. 

आत्मानमनुशोच त्वं किमन्यमनुशोचसि ।

आयुस्ते हीयते यस्य स्थितस्य च गतस्य च ॥

सहैव मृत्युर्व्रजति सह मृत्युर्निषीदति ।

गत्वा सुदीर्घमध्वानं सह मृत्युर्निवर्तते॥

गात्रेषु वलयः प्राप्ताः श्वेताश्चैव शिरोरुहाः ।

जरया पुरुषो जीर्णः किं हि कृत्वा प्रभावयेत् ॥

नन्दन्त्युदित आदित्ये नन्दत्यस्तमितेऽहनि ।

आत्मनो नावबुध्यन्ते मनुष्या जीवितक्षयम् ॥

हृष्यन्त्यृतुमुखं दृष्ट्वा नवंनवमिहागतम् ।

ऋतूनां परिवर्तेन प्राणिनां प्राणसंक्षयः ॥

You have to pity yourself. Why do you pity others? Life time of a person decreases whether he is stationary or mobile. Death accompanies a person and stays with him. It travels along with him and returns with him. Body gets wrinkled, hair turns gray, man gets affected by old age. How can he control them? Men rejoice as the sun rises, they rejoice as the sun sets. They do not understand that their life time is decreasing. They rejoice as seasons start, exclaiming that a new season has arrived. Life time of beings gets eroded as seasons cycle.

यथा काष्ठं च काष्ठं च समेयातां महार्णवे ।

समेत्य च व्यपेयातां कालमासाद्य कञ्चन ॥

एवं भार्याश्च पुत्राश्च ज्ञातयश्च धनानि च ।

समेत्य व्यवधावन्ति ध्रुवो ह्येषां विनाभवः ॥

नात्र कश्चिद्यथाभावं प्राणी समभिवर्तते ।

तेन तस्मिन्न सामर्थ्यं प्रेतस्यास्त्यनुशोचतः ॥

यथा हि सार्थं गच्छन्तं ब्रूयात् कश्चित्पथि स्थितः ।

अहमप्यागमिष्यामि पृष्ठतो भवतामिति ॥

एवं पूर्वैर्गतो मार्गः पितृपैतामहो ध्रुवः ।

तमापन्नः कथं शोचेद्यस्य नास्ति व्यतिक्रमः ॥

वयसः पतमानस्य स्रोतसो वानिवर्तिनः ।

आत्मा सुखे नियोक्तव्यः सुखभाजः प्रजाः स्मृताः ॥२/१०५/१५-३१॥

Just as in an ocean one driftwood meets with another for some time and then separates, wives,  children, relatives and wealth remain with you and separate. Separation is inevitable. No one can maintain his relationships in this world as he wishes. A person grieving excessively for a dead person has no control over his own death. Just as a wayfarer tells a group of travelers that he will follow him, one follows the path trod by ones forefathers. In such a case how can one grieve over another? While life time keeps falling down like a stream which does not retrace its path, one has to indulge in attaining one’s desires (compatible with dharma). Man is indeed a seeker of happiness.

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