Hari Om.
Let us begin the one hundred ninth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam by offering our prostrations at the lotus feet of SrIrAma and our sathguru.
As bharata pressed rAma to return to ayOdhyA and as rAma insisted that all of them were bound by the moral code and must do what their father ordered them to. Accordingly bharata was to rule over ayOdhyA and rAma was to be in the forests for fourteen years. This, rAma said would ensure that daSaratha’s word was honored. If this was not to be then king daSaratha would be deemed to have not kept his promise and would suffer hell. As his sons it would be unbecoming of them to see daSaratha getting a terrible after-life. At this juncture, sage jAbAli, who was a minister in the council interjected and advocated materialism and individualism bordering on atheism and told rAma not to be carried away by such emotions. He argued that man had an individual existence and that the contribution of father in one’s life is but his semen! Therefore he said there was no point brooding over daSaratha’s fate in the imperceptible after life and instead embrace the kingdom which is perceptible! Onwards…
Having heard the interjection of sage jAbAli, rAma the foremost among the truthful, was unshaken and with due respect he rebutted –
“The words that you have spoken, appearing to appease me, are unwelcome deeds appearing like approved deeds, although appearing like the right path actually lead one down the wrong road. A person who follows that path is sinful, of evil conduct, unbound by the moral conduct and is condemned by the virtuous. It is only one’s conduct that spells out whether one is of high birth or low, whether one is valorous or just claims man-hood, whether one is pure or impure. If one indulges in ignoble deeds under the garb of appearing noble, is impure but gives impression of purity, performs unbecoming deeds and makes them look like good deeds and has poor conduct under the cloak of good conduct, is involved in unrighteous acts under the garb of righteousness, then such a shallow conduct and deeds, bereft of piety, running against the scriptural injunctions creates confusion in the world. If I were to indulge in such acts, I shall be reviled by the world. If I break the vow that I follow now, how can I advise someone else to follow the right path and how will I ascend the heavens, and you know that in the world, the path followed by the king is followed by the subjects as well.
कामवृत्तस्त्वयं लोकः कृत्स्न स्समुपवर्तते।
यद्वृत्ता स्सन्ति राजानस्तद्वृत्ता स्सन्ति हि प्रजाः।।2.109.9।।
The conduct of the kings has eternally comprised of truth and virtue. The world is established in the truth and hence truth is embodied in the kingdom. This principle is accepted by all the sages and gods and the person who follows truth ascends the higher and immortal worlds. In this world people are scared of one who speaks untruth just like they would fear a serpent. Truth is god, wealth is where truth is, everything in this world is dependent on truth and there is no higher goal than truth. In fact, truth and righteousness lead to the heavens. Charity, offerings, libations, penance and vEdas are all established in truth and hence one must adhere to the principle of truth. By following this one goes to the high heavens and by resorting to untruth one rots in the hell.
सत्यमेवेश्वरो लोके सत्यं पद्माश्रिता सदा।
सत्यमूलानि सर्वाणि सत्यान्नास्ति परं पदम्।।2.109.13।।
I am bound by truth, I adhere to truth and am true to my promise and so why should I not follow the word that I gave to my father? Neither greed, nor illusion nor the darkness of ignorance can shake me from my adherence to truth.
नैव लोभान्न मोहाद्वा न ह्यज्ञानात्तमोऽन्वितः।
सेतुं सत्यस्य भेत्स्यामि गुरो स्सत्यप्रतिश्रवः।।2.109.17।।
We know very well that the offerings of one inclined to untruth, lacking determination and having a fickle mind is accepted neither by the gods nor ancestors.
असत्यसन्धस्य सतश्चलस्यास्थिरचेतसः।
नैव देवा न पितरः प्रतीच्छन्तीति नः श्रुतम्।।2.109.18।।
The dharma that I follow is a direct manifestation of this truth and hence although burdensome, it is very gratifying to me. This mean, greedy and unrighteous path followed by some kshatriyas in the cloak of righteousness is not acceptable to me. The fall of man happens in a threefold way – by conceiving an evil deed, telling untruth through his tongue and performing a sinful act with his body.
कायेन कुरुते पापं मनसा सम्प्रधार्य तत्।
अनृतं जिह्वया चाह त्रिविधं कर्मपातकम्।।2.109.21।।
Kingdom, fame, glory and wealth follow one who follows truth, no matter where he is. And hence one should just follow truth.
The advice that you articulated tactfully to me and the good deed that you exhorted me to do is ignoble indeed. I had taken a vow in front of my father, much to the delight of dEvi kaikEyI that I would live in the forest and now how can I accept the kingdom as per bharata’s wish? I am firm in that vow. The term of my exile shall be spent in purity, sense control, offering fruits and roots to satisfying the gods and the ancestors and subsisting on them, honesty, virtue and discrimination. The fire god, wind god and sOma have attained their exalted status by virtue of their deeds, having performed a hundred yajnas, lord indra attained lordship of the worlds, the great sages attained high heavens having performed intense penance. Likewise everyone who is player in the arena of action must perform virtuous and righteous deeds and attain exalted status”.
कर्मभूमिमां प्राप्य कर्तव्यं कर्म यच्छुभम्।
अग्निर्वायुश्च सोमश्च कर्मणां फलभागिनः।।2.109.28।।
शतं क्रतूनामाहृत्य देवराट् त्रिदिवं गतः।
तपांस्युग्राणि चास्थाय दिवं याता महर्षयः।।2.109.29।।
अमृष्यमाणः पुनरुग्रतेजाः निशम्य तं नास्तिकवाक्यहेतुम्।
अथाब्रवीत्तं नृपतेस्तनूजो विगर्हमाणो वचनानि तस्य।।2.109.30।।
The vigorous rAma could not tolerate the atheistic words of sage jAbAli and condemned his advice and approach. He further said –
“Truthfulness, righteousness, valour, compassion, sweet speech, worship of gods, brAhmins and guests have been laid down by the elders as the highways to the heavens. Those elders that understand and imbibe these attain the heavens by following this in entirety. You are an atheist and have fallen from the right path. I indeed condemn the decision of my father for having inducted a man of perverted intelligence such as yourself.
निन्दाम्यहं कर्म कृतं पितुस्तद्यस्त्वामगृह्णाद्विषमस्थबुद्धिम्।
बुद्ध्याऽनयैवंविधया चरन्तं सुनास्तिकं धर्मपथादपेतम्।।2.109.33।।
The wise that profess atheism are like thieves and hence are distrusted in this world. A wise man should keep away from such people. There have been many brAhmins before you who have performed many auspicious acts, conducted yajnas for the welfare of the world and have attained the higher worlds. Those effulgent ascetics devoted to righteousness and associated with the virtuous, who perform charity, eschew violence and have removed their impurities are truly worthy of reverence in this world”.
Sage jAbAli was humbled by the righteous wrath of rAma and spoke humble and theistic words in reverence –
“I do not speak the words of atheists nor am I an atheist. Rising to the occasion appropriately I articulate the words of a believer or nonbeliever! Therefore O rAma, only in order to persuade to return to ayOdhyA I uttered these words”.
Here we conclude the one hundred ninth sarga of the ayOdhyA kAnDam of SrImath vAlmiKi rAmAyaNam and humbly offer it at the lotus feet of SrIrAma. Hari: Om!
jAi SrIrAma.
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rAmabhaktisAmrAjyam 