12. Chapter 12

वाल्मीकिरुवाच । इति पृष्टो मुनीन्द्रेण समाश्वस्य च राघवः । उवाच वचनं चारु परिपूर्णार्थमन्थरम् ॥ १ ॥

vālmīkiruvāca | iti pṛṣṭo munīndreṇa samāśvasya ca rāghavaḥ | uvāca vacanaṃ cāru paripūrṇārthamantharam || 1 ||

Valmiki related:—Being thus asked with soothing words by the chief of the sages, Rama made his answer in a soft and graceful speech replete with good sense.

श्रीराम उवाच । भगवन्भवता पृष्टो यथावदधुनाऽखिलम् । कथयाम्यहमज्ञोऽपि को लङ्घयति सद्वचः ॥ २ ॥

śrīrāma uvāca | bhagavanbhavatā pṛṣṭo yathāvadadhunā'khilam | kathayāmyahamajño'pi ko laṅghayati sadvacaḥ || 2 ||

Rama said, Oh venerable sage! I will tell thee in truth, untutored though I am, all the particulars as asked by thee; for who would disobey the bidding of the wise?

अहं तावदयं जातो निजेऽस्मिन्पितृसद्मनि । क्रमेण वृद्धिं संप्राप्तः प्राप्तविद्यश्च संस्थितः ॥ ३ ॥

ahaṃ tāvadayaṃ jāto nije'sminpitṛsadmani | krameṇa vṛddhiṃ saṃprāptaḥ prāptavidyaśca saṃsthitaḥ || 3 ||

Since I was born in this mansion of my father I have all along remained, grown up and received my education.

ततः सदाचारपरो भूत्वाहं मुनिनायक । विहृतस्तीर्थयात्रार्थमुर्वीमम्बुधिमेखलाम् ॥ ४ ॥

tataḥ sadācāraparo bhūtvāhaṃ munināyaka | vihṛtastīrthayātrārthamurvīmambudhimekhalām || 4 ||

Then O leader of sages! being desirous to learn good usages (of mankind), I set out to travel to holy places all over this sea-girt earth.

एतावताथ कालेन संसारास्थामिमां हरन् । समुद्भूतो मनसि मे विचारः सोऽयमीदृशः ॥ ५ ॥

etāvatātha kālena saṃsārāsthāmimāṃ haran | samudbhūto manasi me vicāraḥ so'yamīdṛśaḥ || 5 ||

It was by this time that there arose a train of reflections in my mind of the following nature which shook my confidence in worldly objects.

विवेकेन परीतात्मा तेनाहं तदनु स्वयम् । भोगनीरसया बुद्ध्या प्रविचारितवानिदम् ॥ ६ ॥

vivekena parītātmā tenāhaṃ tadanu svayam | bhoganīrasayā buddhyā pravicāritavānidam || 6 ||

My mind was employed in the discrimination of the nature of things which led me gradually to discard all thoughts of sensual enjoyments.

किंनामेदं बत सुखं येयं संसारसंततिः । जायते मृतये लोको म्रियते जननाय च ॥ ७ ॥

kiṃnāmedaṃ bata sukhaṃ yeyaṃ saṃsārasaṃtatiḥ | jāyate mṛtaye loko mriyate jananāya ca || 7 ||

What are these worldly pleasures good for, (thought I), and what means the multiplication (of our species) on earth? Men are born to die, and they die to be born again.

अस्थिराः सर्व एवेमे सचराचरचेष्टिताः । आपदां पतयः पापा भावा विभवभूमयः ॥ ८ ॥

asthirāḥ sarva eveme sacarācaraceṣṭitāḥ | āpadāṃ patayaḥ pāpā bhāvā vibhavabhūmayaḥ || 8 ||

There is no stability in the tendencies of beings whether movable or immovable. They all tend to vice, decay and danger; and all our possessions are the grounds of our penury.

अयःशलाकासदृशाः परस्परमसङ्गिनः । श्लिष्यन्ते केवलं भावा मनःकल्पनया स्वया ॥ ९ ॥

ayaḥśalākāsadṛśāḥ parasparamasaṅginaḥ | śliṣyante kevalaṃ bhāvā manaḥkalpanayā svayā || 9 ||

All objects (of sense) are detached from each other as iron rods or needles from one another; it is imagination alone which attaches them to our minds.

मनःसमायत्तमिदं जगदाभोगि दृश्यते । मनश्चासदिवाभाति केन स्म परिमोहिताः ॥ १० ॥

manaḥsamāyattamidaṃ jagadābhogi dṛśyate | manaścāsadivābhāti kena sma parimohitāḥ || 10 ||

It is the mind that pictures the existence of the world as a reality, but the deceptiveness of the mind (being known) we are safe from such deception.

असतैव वयं कष्टं विकृष्टा मूढबुद्धयः । मृगतृष्णाम्भसा दूरे वने मुग्धमृगा इव ॥ ११ ॥

asataiva vayaṃ kaṣṭaṃ vikṛṣṭā mūḍhabuddhayaḥ | mṛgatṛṣṇāmbhasā dūre vane mugdhamṛgā iva || 11 ||

If the world is an unreality, it is a pity that ignorant men should be allured by it, like the deer tempted by a distant mirage (appearing) as water.

न केनचिच्च विक्रीता विक्रीता इव संस्थिताः । बत मूढा वयं सर्वे जानाना अपि शाम्बरम् ॥ १२ ॥

na kenacicca vikrītā vikrītā iva saṃsthitāḥ | bata mūḍhā vayaṃ sarve jānānā api śāmbaram || 12 ||

We are sold by none (to any one) and yet we remain as if enslaved to the world; and knowing this well, we are spellbound to riches, as it were by the magic wand of Sambara.

किमेतेषु प्रपञ्चेषु भोगा नाम सुदुर्भगाः । मुधैव हि वयं मोहात्संस्थिता बद्धभावनाः ॥ १३ ॥

kimeteṣu prapañceṣu bhogā nāma sudurbhagāḥ | mudhaiva hi vayaṃ mohātsaṃsthitā baddhabhāvanāḥ || 13 ||

What are the enjoyments in this quintessence (of the world) but misery; and yet we are foolishly caught in its thoughts, as if clogged in honey.

आ ज्ञातं बहुकालेन व्यर्थमेव वयं वने । मोहे निपतिता मुग्धाः श्वभ्रे मुग्धा मृगा इव ॥ १४ ॥

ā jñātaṃ bahukālena vyarthameva vayaṃ vane | mohe nipatitā mugdhāḥ śvabhre mugdhā mṛgā iva || 14 ||

Ah! I perceive after long that we have insensibly fallen into errors, like senseless stags falling into caverns in the wilderness.

किं मे राज्येन किं भोगैः कोऽहं किमिदमागतम् । यन्मिथ्यैवास्तु तन्मिथ्या कस्य नाम किमागतम् ॥ १५ ॥

kiṃ me rājyena kiṃ bhogaiḥ ko'haṃ kimidamāgatam | yanmithyaivāstu tanmithyā kasya nāma kimāgatam || 15 ||

Of what use is royalty and these enjoyments to me? What am I and whence are all these things? They are but vanities, and let them continue as such without any good or loss to any body.

एवं विमृशतो ब्रह्मन्सर्वेष्वेव ततो मम । भावेष्वरतिरायाता पथिकस्य मरुष्विव ॥ १६ ॥

evaṃ vimṛśato brahmansarveṣveva tato mama | bhāveṣvaratirāyātā pathikasya maruṣviva || 16 ||

Reasoning in this manner Oh Brahman, I came to be disgusted with the world, like a traveller in (his journey through) a desert.

तदेतद्भगवन्ब्रूहि किमिदं परिणश्यति । किमिदं जायते भूयः किमिदं परिवर्धते ॥ १७ ॥

tadetadbhagavanbrūhi kimidaṃ pariṇaśyati | kimidaṃ jāyate bhūyaḥ kimidaṃ parivardhate || 17 ||

Now tell me, O venerable sir! whether this world is advancing to its dissolution, or continued reproduction, or is it in course of its endless progression?

जरामरणमापच्च जननं संपदस्तथा । आविर्भावतिरोभावैर्विवर्धन्ते पुनःपुनः ॥ १८ ॥

jarāmaraṇamāpacca jananaṃ saṃpadastathā | āvirbhāvatirobhāvairvivardhante punaḥpunaḥ || 18 ||

If there is any progress here, it is that of the appearance and disappearance of old age and decease, of prosperity and adversity by turns.

भोगैस्तैरेव तैरेव तुच्छैर्वयममी किल । पश्य जर्जरतां नीता वातैरिव गिरिद्रुमाः ॥ १९ ॥

bhogaistaireva taireva tucchairvayamamī kila | paśya jarjaratāṃ nītā vātairiva giridrumāḥ || 19 ||

Behold how the variety of our trifling enjoyments hastens our decay, they are like hurricanes shattering the mountain trees.

अचेतना इव जनाः पवनैः प्राणनामभिः । ध्वनन्तः संस्थिता व्यर्थं यथा कीचकवेणवः ॥ २० ॥

acetanā iva janāḥ pavanaiḥ prāṇanāmabhiḥ | dhvanantaḥ saṃsthitā vyarthaṃ yathā kīcakaveṇavaḥ || 20 ||

Men continue in vain to breathe their vital breath as hollow-bamboo wind-pipes having no sense.

शाम्यतीदं कथं दुःखमिति तप्तोऽस्मि चिन्तया । जरद्द्रुम इवोग्रेण कोटरस्थेन वह्निना ॥ २१ ॥

śāmyatīdaṃ kathaṃ duḥkhamiti tapto'smi cintayā | jaraddruma ivogreṇa koṭarasthena vahninā || 21 ||

How is (human) misery to be alleviated, is the (only) thought that consumes me like wild fire in the hollow of a withered tree.

संसारदुःखपाषाणनीरन्ध्रहृदयोऽप्यहम् । निजलोकभयादेव गलद्वाष्पं न रोदिमि ॥ २२ ॥

saṃsāraduḥkhapāṣāṇanīrandhrahṛdayo'pyaham | nijalokabhayādeva galadvāṣpaṃ na rodimi || 22 ||

The weight of worldly miseries sits heavy on my heart as a rock, and obstructs my lungs to breathe out. I have a mind to weep, but am prevented from shedding my tears for fear of my people.

शून्या मन्मुखवृत्तीस्ताः शुष्करोदननीरसाः । विवेक एव हृत्संस्थो ममैकान्तेषु पश्यति ॥ २३ ॥

śūnyā manmukhavṛttīstāḥ śuṣkarodananīrasāḥ | viveka eva hṛtsaṃstho mamaikānteṣu paśyati || 23 ||

My tearless weeping and speechless mouth, give no indication of my inward sorrow to any body, except my consciousness the silent witness in my solitude.

भृशं मुह्यामि संस्मृत्य भावाभावमयीं स्थितिम् । दारिद्र्येणेव सुभगो दूरे संसारचेष्टया ॥ २४ ॥

bhṛśaṃ muhyāmi saṃsmṛtya bhāvābhāvamayīṃ sthitim | dāridryeṇeva subhago dūre saṃsāraceṣṭayā || 24 ||

I wait to think on the positive and negative states (of worldly bliss), as a ruined man bewails to reflect on his former state of affluence.

मोहयन्ति मनोवृत्तिं खण्डयन्ति गुणावलिम् । दुःखजालं प्रयच्छन्ति विप्रलम्भपराः श्रियः ॥ २५ ॥

mohayanti manovṛttiṃ khaṇḍayanti guṇāvalim | duḥkhajālaṃ prayacchanti vipralambhaparāḥ śriyaḥ || 25 ||

I take prosperity to be a seducing cheat, for its deluding the mind, impairing the good qualities (of men), and spreading the net of our miseries.

चिन्तानिचयचक्राणि नानन्दाय धनानि मे । संप्रसूतकलत्राणि गृहाण्युग्रापदामिव ॥ २६ ॥

cintānicayacakrāṇi nānandāya dhanāni me | saṃprasūtakalatrāṇi gṛhāṇyugrāpadāmiva || 26 ||

To me, like one fallen into great difficulties, no riches, offspring, consorts or home afford any delight, but they seem to be (so many sources of) misery.

विविधदोषदशापरिचिन्तनैर्विततभङ्गुरकारणकल्पितैः । मम न निर्वृतिमेति मनो मुने निगडितस्य यथा वनदन्तिनः ॥ २७ ॥

vividhadoṣadaśāparicintanairvitatabhaṅgurakāraṇakalpitaiḥ | mama na nirvṛtimeti mano mune nigaḍitasya yathā vanadantinaḥ || 27 ||

I, like a wild elephant in chains, find no rest in my mind, by reflecting on the various evils of the world, and by thinking on the causes of our frailties.

खलाः कालेकाले निशि निशितमोहैकमिहिकागतालोके लोके विषयशतचौराः सुचतुराः । प्रवृत्ताः प्रोद्युक्ता दिशिदिशि विवेकैकहरणे रणे शक्तास्तेषां क इव विदुषःप्रोज्झ्य सुभटाः ॥ २८ ॥

khalāḥ kālekāle niśi niśitamohaikamihikāgatāloke loke viṣayaśatacaurāḥ sucaturāḥ | pravṛttāḥ prodyuktā diśidiśi vivekaikaharaṇe raṇe śaktāsteṣāṃ ka iva viduṣaḥprojjhya subhaṭāḥ || 28 ||

There are wicked passions prying at all times, under the dark mist of the night of our ignorance; and there are hundreds of objects, which like so many cunning rogues, are about all men in broad day-light, and lurking on all sides to rob us of our reason. What mighty champions can we delegate (now) to fight with these than our knowledge of truth?