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Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 100: Jābāli challenges the exile

Summary. He questions permanent family ties, offerings to the dead and belief in the unseen, urging Rāma to accept the available Kingdom

Sequence

  1. Jābāli intervenes, urging Rāma to reconsider the beliefs keeping him in exile (2.100.1–2)
  2. he argues that each person is born and dies alone, and that family, property, and homes are temporary associations, like lodgings on a journey (2.100.3–6)
  3. he urges Rāma to return to the prosperous city waiting for him (2.100.7–9)
  4. Daśaratha has followed the fate of all mortals, he says, and Rāma's suffering cannot benefit him (2.100.10–11)
  5. he questions whether offerings can feed the dead and mocks the idea by comparing it to feeding a traveler through someone else's meal (2.100.12–14)
  6. he claims that religious prescriptions encourage gifts to those who teach them → he asks Rāma to trust what can be observed, set aside claims about the unseen, and accept Bharata's offer. (2.100.15–17)

Verses 2.100.1–17

2.100.1

āśvāsayantaṃ bharataṃ jābālir brāhmaṇottamaḥ
uvāca rāmaṃ dharmajñaṃ dharmāpetam idaṃ vacaḥ

As Rāma was consoling Bharata, Jābāli, the foremost of brahmins, spoke to that knower of dharma these words devoid of dharma:

Words: āśvāsayantaṃ — consoling, reassuring; bharataṃ — Bharata; jābālir — Jābāli; brāhmaṇottamaḥ — the foremost of brahmins; uvāca — said, spoke; rāmaṃ — to Rāma; dharmajñaṃ — the knower of dharma; dharmāpetam — devoid of dharma; idaṃ vacaḥ — these words

2.100.2

sādhu rāghava mā bhūt te buddhir evaṃ nirarthakā
prākṛtasya narasyeva ārya buddhes tapasvinaḥ

Come now, Rāghava — let not such a futile notion possess you, a noble-minded ascetic, O noble one, as it would some common man.

Words: sādhu — come now, well; rāghava — O Rāghava; mā bhūt — let it not be; te buddhir — your notion, thought; evaṃ — thus, such; nirarthakā — futile, purposeless; prākṛtasya — of a common (man); narasyeva — like of a man; ārya — O noble one; buddhes — of one's intellect; tapasvinaḥ — of an ascetic

2.100.3

kaḥ kasya puruṣo bandhuḥ kim āpyaṃ kasya kena cit
yad eko jāyate jantur eka eva vinaśyati

What man is kinsman to whom? What is there to be gained by anyone from anyone? For each creature is born alone, and alone it perishes.

Words: kaḥ — what, who; kasya — of whom, to whom; puruṣo — man; bandhuḥ — kinsman, relative; kim āpyaṃ — what is to be gained; kasya — by whom; kena cit — from anyone; yad — since; eko — alone; jāyate — is born; jantur — a creature; eka eva — alone indeed; vinaśyati — perishes

2.100.4

tasmān mātā pitā ceti rāma sajjeta yo naraḥ
unmatta iva sa jñeyo nāsti kācid dhi kasya cit

Therefore, Rāma, the man who clings, saying 'this is my mother, this my father,' should be regarded as a madman; for no tie exists for anyone.

Words: tasmān — therefore; mātā — mother; pitā ceti — and father, thus; rāma — O Rāma; sajjeta — would be attached, cling; yo naraḥ — the man who; unmatta iva — like a madman; sa jñeyo — he is to be known; nāsti — there is not; kācid — any (tie); dhi — for, indeed; kasya cit — for anyone

2.100.5

yathā grāmāntaraṃ gacchan naraḥ kaś cit kva cid vaset
utsṛjya ca tam āvāsaṃ pratiṣṭhetāpare 'hani

Just as a man travelling to another village might lodge somewhere, and then, quitting that lodging, set out again the next day —

Words: yathā — just as; grāmāntaraṃ — to another village; gacchan — going, travelling; naraḥ kaś cit — some man; kva cid — somewhere; vaset — might lodge, dwell; utsṛjya ca — and leaving behind; tam āvāsaṃ — that lodging; pratiṣṭhetāpare — would set out on the next; 'hani — day

2.100.6

evam eva manuṣyāṇāṃ pitā mātā gṛhaṃ vasu
āvāsamātraṃ kākutstha sajjante nātra sajjanāḥ

just so, O Kākutstha, for men their father, mother, home and wealth are but a lodging-place; the wise do not become attached to these.

Words: evam eva — just so; manuṣyāṇāṃ — of men; pitā — father; mātā — mother; gṛhaṃ — home; vasu — wealth; āvāsamātraṃ — a mere lodging; kākutstha — O Kākutstha; sajjante — become attached; nātra — not to these; sajjanāḥ — the wise, the good

2.100.7

pitryaṃ rājyaṃ samutsṛjya sa nārhati narottama
āsthātuṃ kāpathaṃ duḥkhaṃ viṣamaṃ bahukaṇṭakam

You ought not, O best of men, to give up the ancestral kingdom and set foot on an evil road, painful, rough, and beset with thorns.

Words: pitryaṃ rājyaṃ — the paternal kingdom; samutsṛjya — abandoning, giving up; sa — he, that one (you); nārhati — ought not; narottama — O best of men; āsthātuṃ — to tread, take up; kāpathaṃ — an evil road; duḥkhaṃ — painful; viṣamaṃ — rough, difficult; bahukaṇṭakam — full of thorns

2.100.8

samṛddhāyām ayodhyāyām ātmānam abhiṣecaya
ekaveṇīdharā hi tvāṃ nagarī saṃpratīkṣate

Consecrate yourself in prosperous Ayodhyā; for the city, wearing her single braid like a grieving wife, awaits you.

Words: samṛddhāyām — in prosperous; ayodhyāyām — Ayodhyā; ātmānam — yourself; abhiṣecaya — consecrate, anoint; ekaveṇīdharā — wearing a single braid (as a wife parted from her lord); hi — indeed; tvāṃ — for you; nagarī — the city; saṃpratīkṣate — awaits, looks for

2.100.9

rājabhogān anubhavan mahārhān pārthivātmaja
vihara tvam ayodhyāyāṃ yathā śakras triviṣṭape

Enjoying the precious pleasures of a king, O son of a king, disport yourself in Ayodhyā as Śakra (Indra) does in heaven.

Words: rājabhogān — royal enjoyments; anubhavan — enjoying, experiencing; mahārhān — most precious; pārthivātmaja — O son of a king; vihara tvam — disport yourself; ayodhyāyāṃ — in Ayodhyā; yathā — as; śakras — Śakra (Indra); triviṣṭape — in heaven

2.100.10

na te kaś cid daśarataḥs tvaṃ ca tasya na kaś cana
anyo rājā tvam anyaś ca tasmāt kuru yad ucyate

Daśaratha was nothing to you, and you were nothing to him; the king was one person and you are another — therefore do as you are told.

Words: na te kaś cid — nothing to you; daśarataḥs — Daśaratha; tvaṃ ca — and you; tasya — to him; na kaś cana — nothing at all; anyo rājā — the king was another; tvam anyaś ca — and you are another; tasmāt — therefore; kuru — do; yad ucyate — what is said

2.100.11

gataḥ sa nṛpatis tatra gantavyaṃ yatra tena vai
pravṛttir eṣā martyānāṃ tvaṃ tu mithyā vihanyase

That king has gone there, whither he was bound to go; this is the natural course of mortals — but you afflict yourself in vain.

Words: gataḥ — has gone; sa nṛpatis — that king; tatra — there; gantavyaṃ — to be gone (whither one must go); yatra — where; tena vai — by him indeed; pravṛttir eṣā — this is the course; martyānāṃ — of mortals; tvaṃ tu — but you; mithyā — in vain, uselessly; vihanyase — are being tormented

2.100.12

arthadharmaparā ye ye tāṃs tāñ śocāmi netarān
te hi duḥkham iha prāpya vināśaṃ pretya bhejire

Those men, whoever they are, who set dharma above worldly gain — them alone I grieve for, not the others; for having reaped only sorrow here, they meet with annihilation after death.

Words: arthadharmaparā — bent on dharma above gain; ye ye — whoever; tāṃs tāñ — those very ones; śocāmi — I grieve for; netarān — not the others; te hi — for they; duḥkham — sorrow; iha — here (in this world); prāpya — having obtained; vināśaṃ — destruction, annihilation; pretya — after death, having departed; bhejire — have met with, attained

2.100.13

aṣṭakā pitṛdaivatyam ity ayaṃ prasṛto janaḥ
annasyopadravaṃ paśya mṛto hi kim aśiṣyati

'The Aṣṭakā rite is dedicated to the ancestors' — so these folk busy themselves. Behold the waste of food! For what will a dead man eat?

Words: aṣṭakā — the Aṣṭakā (ancestral rite); pitṛdaivatyam — having the ancestors as its deities; ity — thus; ayaṃ prasṛto janaḥ — these people are engaged; annasyopadravaṃ — the waste of food; paśya — behold, see; mṛto hi — for the dead one; kim aśiṣyati — what will he eat

2.100.14

yadi bhuktam ihānyena deham anyasya gacchati
dadyāt pravasataḥ śrāddhaṃ na tat pathy aśanaṃ bhavet

If food eaten here by one could pass into the body of another, then one might offer a śrāddha for someone gone abroad, and it would serve him as food for the road (so he need carry none).

Words: yadi — if; bhuktam — (food) eaten; ihānyena — here by one; deham — the body; anyasya — of another; gacchati — goes into; dadyāt — one should give; pravasataḥ — for one gone abroad; śrāddhaṃ — the funeral offering (śrāddha); na tat — that would not (need to be); pathy aśanaṃ — food for the road; bhavet — would be

2.100.15

dānasaṃvananā hy ete granthā medhāvibhiḥ kṛtāḥ
yajasva dehi dīkṣasva tapas tapyasva saṃtyaja

These scriptures — 'sacrifice, give, be consecrated, practise austerity, renounce' — were composed by clever men merely to coax gifts out of people.

Words: dānasaṃvananā — meant to charm out gifts; hy — indeed; ete granthā — these texts; medhāvibhiḥ — by clever men; kṛtāḥ — made, composed; yajasva — sacrifice!; dehi — give!; dīkṣasva — be consecrated!; tapas tapyasva — practise austerity!; saṃtyaja — renounce!

2.100.16

sa nāsti param ity eva kuru buddhiṃ mahāmate
pratyakṣaṃ yat tad ātiṣṭha parokṣaṃ pṛṣṭhataḥ kuru

Make up your mind, O wise one, to the very conviction that 'there is nothing beyond'; hold to what is evident, and put the unseen behind you.

Words: sa — and so, then; nāsti param — there is nothing beyond; ity eva — just thus; kuru buddhiṃ — make up your mind; mahāmate — O wise one; pratyakṣaṃ — what is perceptible; yat tad — that which; ātiṣṭha — hold to, rely on; parokṣaṃ — the unseen, imperceptible; pṛṣṭhataḥ kuru — put behind you

2.100.17

satāṃ buddhiṃ puraskṛtya sarvalokanidarśinīm
rājyaṃ tvaṃ pratigṛhṇīṣva bharatena prasāditaḥ

Deferring to the counsel of the wise, which shows the way to all the world, accept the kingdom, entreated as you are by Bharata.

Words: satāṃ buddhiṃ — the counsel of the wise; puraskṛtya — putting foremost, deferring to; sarvalokanidarśinīm — which shows the way to all the world; rājyaṃ — the kingdom; tvaṃ — you; pratigṛhṇīṣva — accept, receive; bharatena — by Bharata; prasāditaḥ — entreated, conciliated

← 2.99 Rāma explains Daśaratha’s obligations · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.101 Rāma rejects Jābāli’s advice →

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.

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