Sloka & Translation

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

āśvāsayantaṅ bharataṅ jābālirbrāhmaṇōttamaḥ.

uvāca rāmaṅ dharmajñaṅ dharmāpētamidaṅ vacaḥ৷৷2.108.1৷৷


brāhmaṇōttamaḥ the most virtuous brahmin, jābāliḥ Jabali, bharatam to Bharata, āśvāsayantam consoling (convincing), dharmajñam cognizant of duty, rāmam to Rama, dharmāpētam deviating from righteousness, idam this, vacaḥ words, uvāca said.

While Rama, conversant with dharma, was consoling Bharata, Jabali an eminent brahmin addressed him in words contrary to righteousness.
sādhu rāghava mā.bhūttē budhdirēvaṅ nirarthikā.

prākṛtasya narasyēva hyāryabuddhērmanasvinaḥ৷৷2.108.2৷৷


rāghava O scion of the Raghu race (Rama), sādhu very well, āryabuddhēḥ of a noble-minded one, manasvinaḥ high-minded one, tē you, prākṛtasya narasyēva like a common man, ēvam in that way, nirarthikā nonsensical, buddhi: thought, mā.bhūt let there not be.

Very well, O scion of the Raghu race, you are noble-minded and high-souled. You, like a common man, must not entertain such nonsensical thought.
kaḥ kasya puruṣō bandhuḥ kimāpyaṅ kasya kēnacit.

yadēkō jāyatē janturēka ēva vinaśyati৷৷2.108.3৷৷


kaḥ puraṣaḥ which man, kasya to whom, bandhu: relation, kasya to whom, kēnacit from any one, kim what, āpyam is to be obtained, yat for the reason, jantuḥ a creature, ēkaḥ alone, jāyatē is born, ēka ēva alone, vinaśyati dies.

Who is whose friend? who is to get what and from whom? Man is born alone and will die alone.
tasmānmātā pitā cēti rāma sajjēta yō naraḥ.

unmatta iva sa jñēyō nāsti kaściddhi kasyacit৷৷2.108.4৷৷


rāma O Rama, tasmāt therefore, yaḥ naraḥ a man, mātā as mother, pitā cēti as father, sajjēta is attached, saḥ he, unmatta iva like a madman, saḥ jñēyaḥ is to be regarded, kaścit any one, kasya cit to any one, nāsti hi is non-existent.

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.
yathā grāmāntaraṅ gacchannaraḥ kaścitkvacidvasēt.

utsṛjya ca tamāvāsaṅ pratiṣṭhētāparē.hani৷৷2.108.5৷৷

ēvamēva manuṣyāṇāṅ pitā mātā gṛhaṅ vasu.

avāsamātraṅ kākutstha sajjantē nātra sajjanāḥ৷৷2.108.6৷৷


kākutstha O Rama, grāmāntaram from one village to another, gacchan while going, kaścit naraḥ a certain man, yathā as, kvacit somewhere, vasēt may rest, tam āvāsam that place of rest, utsṛjya leaving, aparē on the next, ahani day, pratiṣṭhēta may proceed, ēvamēva in the same way, manuṣyāṇām to men, pitā father, mātā mother, gṛham home, vasu wealth, avāsamātram resting- places only, atra in this matter, sajjanāḥ wise people, na sajjantē 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 resting-places to a man. The wise do not get attached to them, O descendant the Kakutsthas!
pitryaṅ rājyaṅ parityajya sa nārhasi narōttama.

āsthātuṅ kāpathaṅ duḥkhaṅ viṣamaṅ bahukaṇṭakam৷৷2.108.7৷৷


narōttama O best of men, sa: such as you, pityram father's, rājyam kingdom, parityajya abandoning, duḥkham painful, viṣamam difficult, bahukaṇṭakam full of thorns, kāpatham unwise course, āsthātum to adopt, nārhasi 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.
samṛddhāyāmayōdhyāyāmātmānamabhiṣēcaya.

ēkavēṇīdharā hi tvāṅ nagarī sampratīkṣatē৷৷2.108.8৷৷


samṛddhāyām in a prosperous, ayōdhyāyām in the city of Ayodhya, ātmānam yourself, abhiṣēcaya get coronated, nagarī that city, ēkavēṇīdharā wearing a single braid of hair, tvām you, sampratīkṣatē 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.
rājabhōgānanubhavanmahārhānpārthivātmaja.

vihara tvamayōdhyāyāṅ yathā śakrastriviṣṭapē৷৷2.108.9৷৷


pārthivātmaja O king's son, mahārhān inestimable, rājabhōgān royal plesures, anubhavan enjoying, tvam you, śakraḥ Indra, triviṣṭhapē yathā like in heaven, ayōdhyāyām in Ayodhya, vihara enjoy.

O king's son, enjoy inestimable royal pleasures in the city of Ayodhya like Indra in heaven.
na tē kaściddhaśaratha stvaṅ ca tasya na kaścana.

anyō rājā tvamanya stasmātkuru yaducyatē৷৷2.108.10৷৷


tē to you, daśarathaḥ Dasaratha, kaścit na is nobody, tvaṅ ca you also, tasya to him, kaścana na nobody, saḥ rājā that king, anyaḥ another person, tvam you, anyaḥ another person, tasmāt therefore, yat what, ucyatē is being told, kuru 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).
bījamātraṅ pitā jantō śśuklaṅ rudhiramēva ca.

saṅyuktamṛtumanmātrā puruṣasyēha janma tat৷৷2.108.11৷৷


pitā the father, jantōḥ for a being, bījamātram is a seed only, śuklam white, rudhiramēva blood,
ṛtumanmātrā in the mother's womb during her menstrual period (favourable time for conception), saṅyuktam is blended, tat due to that, iha in this world, puruṣasya man's, janma 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.
gata ssa nṛpatistatra gantavyaṅ yatra tēna vai.

pravṛtatirēṣā martyānāṅ tvaṅ tu mithyā vihanyasē৷৷2.108.12৷৷


saḥ that, nṛpatiḥ king, tēna by him, yatra wherever, gantavyam ought to go, tatra there, gataḥ had gone, martyānām mortals', pravṛtti: (destiny) nature, ēṣā such is, tvaṅ tu as for you, mithyā fruitlessly, vihanyasē (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.
arthadharmaparā yē yē tāṅstāṅchōcāmi nētarān.

tē hi duḥkhamiha prāpya vināśaṅ prētya bhējirē৷৷2.108.13৷৷


yē yē all those, arthadharmaparāḥ yearning for dharma and artha, tāṅstān for all of them, śōcāmi feel sad, itarān for others, na not, tē they, iha in this world, duḥkham sorrow, prāpya experiencing, prētya after death, vināśam destruction, bhējirē 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.
aṣṭakā pitṛdaivatyamityayaṅ prasṛtō janaḥ.

annasyōpadravaṅ paśya mṛtō hi kimaśiṣyati৷৷2.108.14৷৷


aṣṭakā ashtaka ceremony, pitṛdaivatyam iti the receivers are the spirits of ancestors, ayam janaḥ these people, prasṛtaḥ are engaged, annasya offering of food, upadravam wastage, paśya look, mṛtaḥ the dead, kim what, aśiṣyati 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?
yadi bhuktamihānyēna dēhamanyasya gacchati.

dadyātpravasata śśrāddhaṅ na tatpathyaśanaṅ bhavēt৷৷2.108.15৷৷


iha in this world, anyēna by one person, bhuktam something eaten, anyasya to other man's, dēham body, gacchati yadi if it reaches, pravasataḥ living in a distant place, śrāddham shraddha, dadyāt may offer, tat that one, pathi on the way, aśanam na bhavēt 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?
dānasaṅvananā hyētē granthā mēdhāvibhiḥ kṛtāḥ.

yajasva dēhi dīkṣasva tapastapyasva santyaja৷৷2.108.16৷৷


yajasva perform sacrifices, dēhi give away, dīkṣasva be initiated, tapaḥ religious austerities, tapyasva practice, santyaja renounce, ētē these, granthāḥ texts mannuals, mēdhāvibhiḥ by intelligent men, kṛtāḥ have been composed, dānasaṅvananāḥ hi 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.
sa nāsti paramityēva kuru buddhiṅ mahāmatē.

pratyakṣaṅ yattadātiṣṭha parōkṣaṅ pṛṣṭhataḥ kuru৷৷2.108.17৷৷


mahāmatē O high-minded one, saḥ such as you, param the next world, nāsti does not exist, ityēva like that, buddhim thinking, kuru do, yat whatever, pratyakṣam is evident, tat that one, ātiṣṭha you practise, parōkṣam what is beyond perception, pṛṣṭhataḥ kuru turn your back on.

O high-minded one! thinking that the next world does not exist, practise whichever is evident and perceivable. And turn your back on what is beyond perception.
satāṅ buddhiṅ puraskṛtya sarvalōkanidarśinīm.

rājyaṅ tvaṅ pratigṛhṇīṣva bharatēna prasāditaḥ৷৷2.108.18৷৷


saḥ tvam such as you, sarvalōkanidarśinīm that serves as an instance to all, satāṅ buddhim judgement of the wise, puraskṛtya treating with honour, bharatēna by Bharata, prasāditaḥ pleased by, rājyam kingdom, pratigṛhṇīṣva accept.

Honour the decision of the wise that serves as an instance to all and accept the kingdom offered by Bharata with pleasure
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē aṣṭōttaraśatatamassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the one hundredeighth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.