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Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 62: Lakṣmaṇa recalls Rāma’s own teaching
Summary. Even the great suffer loss, judgment and effort must survive grief so that the enemy can be found and defeated
Sequence
- When grief again overwhelms Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa presses his feet and helps him recover (3.62.1–2)
- he reminds him how dearly Daśaratha obtained and loved him, and asks how ordinary people could bear suffering if Rāma cannot (3.62.3–6)
- he cites misfortune even among the great: Yayāti's fall, Vasiṣṭha's loss of a hundred sons, the earth's tremors, and eclipses of the sun and moon (3.62.7–12)
- he urges Rāma to maintain judgment and hope rather than surrender to grief (3.62.13–16)
- he says he is only awakening the wisdom Rāma himself has taught him → Rāma should use his strength to discover and defeat the actual enemy, not destroy all beings. (3.62.17–20)
Verses 3.62.1–20
3.62.1
taṃ tathā śokasaṃtaptaṃ vilapantam anāthavat
mohena mahatāviṣṭaṃ paridyūnam acetanam
Him, thus tormented with grief, lamenting like one forlorn, overcome by a great swoon, utterly dejected and senseless —
Words: taṃ — him; tathā — thus; śokasaṃtaptaṃ — tormented with grief; vilapantam — lamenting; anāthavat — like one forlorn, helpless; mohena — by swoon, delusion; mahatāviṣṭaṃ — possessed by a great (swoon); paridyūnam — utterly dejected; acetanam — senseless, unconscious
3.62.2
tataḥ saumitrir āśvāsya muhūrtād iva lakṣmaṇaḥ
rāmaṃ saṃbodhayām āsa caraṇau cābhipīḍayan
Then Saumitri Lakṣmaṇa, comforting him, after a moment brought Rāma to his senses, pressing his feet the while.
Words: tataḥ — then; saumitrir — Saumitri; āśvāsya — having comforted, reassured; muhūrtād — after a moment; iva — as it were; lakṣmaṇaḥ — Lakṣmaṇa; rāmaṃ — Rāma; saṃbodhayām āsa — brought to his senses, roused; caraṇau — the two feet; cābhipīḍayan — and pressing
3.62.3
mahatā tapasā rāma mahatā cāpi karmaṇā
rājñā daśarathenāsīl labdho 'mṛtam ivāmaraiḥ
“By great austerity, Rāma, and by great deeds too, you were won by King Daśaratha, as the nectar was won by the immortals.
Words: mahatā — by great; tapasā — austerity, penance; rāma — O Rāma; mahatā — by great; cāpi — and also; karmaṇā — deed, work; rājñā — by the king; daśarathenāsīl — by Daśaratha you were; labdho — won, obtained; 'mṛtam — the nectar; ivāmaraiḥ — as by the immortals
3.62.4
tava caiva guṇair baddhas tvadviyogān mahīpatiḥ
rājā devatvam āpanno bharatasya yathā śrutam
“Bound by your virtues, the lord of earth — the king — through separation from you attained godhood, as Bharata has heard.
Words: tava — your; caiva — and indeed; guṇair — by the virtues; baddhas — bound; tvadviyogān — from separation from you; mahīpatiḥ — the lord of earth; rājā — the king; devatvam — godhood; āpanno — attained; bharatasya — by Bharata, to Bharata; yathā — as; śrutam — (it was) heard
3.62.5
yadi duḥkham idaṃ prāptaṃ kākutstha na sahiṣyase
prākṛtaś cālpasattvaś ca itaraḥ kaḥ sahiṣyati
“If you, O Kākutstha, will not endure this grief that has come upon you, what other man, being common and of small spirit, could endure it?
Words: yadi — if; duḥkham — grief, sorrow; idaṃ — this; prāptaṃ — come, obtained; kākutstha — O Kākutstha; na — not; sahiṣyase — you will endure; prākṛtaś — common, ordinary; cālpasattvaś — and of small spirit; ca — and; itaraḥ — other; kaḥ — who; sahiṣyati — will endure
3.62.6
duḥkhito hi bhavāṃl lokāṃs tejasā yadi dhakṣyate
ārtāḥ prajā naravyāghra kva nu yāsyanti nirvṛtim
“For if you, sorrowing, should burn up the worlds with your fiery power, where, O tiger among men, will the afflicted creatures go for peace?
Words: duḥkhito — sorrowing; hi — for; bhavāṃl — you, your honour; lokāṃs — the worlds; tejasā — with fiery power, energy; yadi — if; dhakṣyate — should burn (them); ārtāḥ — afflicted; prajā — the creatures, people; naravyāghra — O tiger among men; kva — where; nu — indeed; yāsyanti — will go; nirvṛtim — to peace, rest
3.62.7
lokasvabhāva evaiṣa yayātir nahuṣātmajaḥ
gataḥ śakreṇa sālokyam anayas taṃ samaspṛśat
“This is the very nature of the world: Yayāti, son of Nahuṣa, having attained a shared abode with Indra, was yet touched by ruin.
Words: lokasvabhāva — the nature of the world; evaiṣa — this indeed; yayātir — Yayāti; nahuṣātmajaḥ — son of Nahuṣa; gataḥ — gone, attained; śakreṇa — with Śakra (Indra); sālokyam — shared abode, dwelling in the same world; anayas — ruin, misfortune; taṃ — him; samaspṛśat — touched, befell
3.62.8
maharṣayo vasiṣṭhas tu yaḥ pitur naḥ purohitaḥ
ahnā putraśataṃ jajñe tathaivāsya punar hatam
“And the great seer Vasiṣṭha, who is the family priest of our father — in a single day a hundred sons were born to him, and likewise again they were slain.
Words: maharṣayo — the great seers; vasiṣṭhas — Vasiṣṭha; tu — but, indeed; yaḥ — who; pitur — of the father; naḥ — our; purohitaḥ — family priest; ahnā — in a day; putraśataṃ — a hundred sons; jajñe — was born; tathaivāsya — and likewise his; punar — again; hatam — was slain
3.62.9
yā ceyaṃ jagato mātā devī lokanamaskṛtā
asyāś ca calanaṃ bhūmer dṛśyate satyasaṃśrava
“And this goddess who is the mother of the world, revered by all peoples — even of this Earth a quaking is seen, O you of true resolve.
Words: yā — who; ceyaṃ — and this; jagato — of the world; mātā — mother; devī — goddess; lokanamaskṛtā — revered by the world; asyāś — of this; ca — and; calanaṃ — a quaking, trembling; bhūmer — of the Earth; dṛśyate — is seen; satyasaṃśrava — O you of true resolve/word
3.62.10
yau cemau jagatāṃ netre yatra sarvaṃ pratiṣṭhitam
ādityacandrau grahaṇam abhyupetau mahābalau
“And those two mighty eyes of the worlds, on which all rests — the sun and the moon — undergo eclipse.
Words: yau — which two; cemau — and these two; jagatāṃ — of the worlds; netre — the two eyes; yatra — wherein, on which; sarvaṃ — all; pratiṣṭhitam — rests, is established; ādityacandrau — the sun and moon; grahaṇam — eclipse, seizure; abhyupetau — undergo, come to; mahābalau — the two mighty ones
3.62.11
sumahānty api bhūtāni devāś ca puruṣarṣabha
na daivasya pramuñcanti sarvabhūtāni dehinaḥ
“Even the mightiest beings and the gods, O bull among men — all embodied beings do not escape from fate.
Words: sumahānty — exceedingly great; api — even; bhūtāni — beings; devāś — the gods; ca — and; puruṣarṣabha — O bull among men; na — not; daivasya — from fate, destiny; pramuñcanti — escape, are released; sarvabhūtāni — all beings; dehinaḥ — the embodied ones
3.62.12
śakrādiṣv api deveṣu vartamānau nayānayau
śrūyete naraśārdūla na tvaṃ vyathitum arhasi
“Good fortune and ill are heard to prevail even among the gods, Indra foremost, O tiger among men; you ought not to be shaken.
Words: śakrādiṣv — among Śakra and the rest; api — even; deveṣu — among the gods; vartamānau — prevailing, existing; nayānayau — fortune and misfortune, right and wrong course; śrūyete — are heard; naraśārdūla — O tiger among men; na — not; tvaṃ — you; vyathitum — to be shaken, distressed; arhasi — you ought
3.62.13
naṣṭāyām api vaidehyāṃ hṛtāyām api cānagha
śocituṃ nārhase vīra yathānyaḥ prākṛtas tathā
“Though Vaidehī be lost, though she be carried off, O blameless one, you ought not to grieve, hero, as another common man would.
Words: naṣṭāyām — lost, perished; api — even, though; vaidehyāṃ — Vaidehī; hṛtāyām — carried off; api — even; cānagha — and O blameless one; śocituṃ — to grieve; nārhase — you ought not; vīra — O hero; yathānyaḥ — as another; prākṛtas — common man; tathā — so
3.62.14
tvadvidhā hi na śocanti satataṃ satyadarśinaḥ
sumahatsv api kṛcchreṣu rāmānirviṇṇadarśaṇāḥ
“For men like you, ever seers of truth, do not grieve even in the greatest hardships, Rāma, keeping their outlook undespairing.
Words: tvadvidhā — those of your kind; hi — for; na — not; śocanti — grieve; satataṃ — ever, constantly; satyadarśinaḥ — seers of truth; sumahatsv — in exceedingly great; api — even; kṛcchreṣu — in hardships, troubles; rāmānirviṇṇadarśaṇāḥ — O Rāma, (they) of undespairing outlook
3.62.15
tattvato hi naraśreṣṭha buddhyā samanucintaya
buddhyā yuktā mahāprājñā vijānanti śubhāśubhe
“Reflect well upon the truth, O best of men, with your reason; for the greatly wise, endowed with reason, discern good and evil.
Words: tattvato — in truth, according to reality; hi — for; naraśreṣṭha — O best of men; buddhyā — with reason, intellect; samanucintaya — reflect well, consider; buddhyā — with reason; yuktā — endowed; mahāprājñā — the greatly wise; vijānanti — discern, know; śubhāśubhe — good and evil
3.62.16
adṛṣṭaguṇadoṣāṇām adhṛtānāṃ ca karmaṇām
nāntareṇa kriyāṃ teṣāṃ phalam iṣṭaṃ pravartate
“Of deeds whose merits and faults are unseen and which are not firmly settled, the desired fruit does not come about without action.
Words: adṛṣṭaguṇadoṣāṇām — whose merits and faults are unseen; adhṛtānāṃ — unfixed, not firmly determined; ca — and; karmaṇām — of deeds; nāntareṇa — not without; kriyāṃ — action, effort; teṣāṃ — of them; phalam — fruit, result; iṣṭaṃ — desired; pravartate — comes about, arises
3.62.17
mām eva hi purā vīra tvam eva bahuṣo 'nvaśāḥ
anuśiṣyād dhi ko nu tvām api sākṣād bṛhaspatiḥ
“For it was you, hero, who formerly instructed me many times; who indeed could instruct you — even Bṛhaspati himself?
Words: mām — me; eva — indeed; hi — for; purā — formerly; vīra — O hero; tvam — you; eva — indeed; bahuṣo — many times; 'nvaśāḥ — instructed, taught; anuśiṣyād — could instruct; dhi — indeed; ko — who; nu — indeed; tvām — you; api — even; sākṣād — in person, directly; bṛhaspatiḥ — Bṛhaspati (preceptor of the gods)
3.62.18
buddhiś ca te mahāprājña devair api duranvayā
śokenābhiprasuptaṃ te jñānaṃ saṃbodhayāmy aham
“Your wisdom, O greatly wise one, is hard even for the gods to fathom; I but rouse the knowledge in you that has fallen asleep through grief.
Words: buddhiś — the wisdom, intellect; ca — and; te — your; mahāprājña — O greatly wise one; devair — by the gods; api — even; duranvayā — hard to follow, hard to fathom; śokenābhiprasuptaṃ — fallen asleep through grief; te — your; jñānaṃ — knowledge; saṃbodhayāmy — I rouse, awaken; aham — I
3.62.19
divyaṃ ca mānuṣaṃ caivam ātmanaś ca parākramam
ikṣvākuvṛṣabhāvekṣya yatasva dviṣatāṃ badhe
“Considering your prowess, both divine and human, O bull of the Ikṣvākus, exert yourself in the slaying of your foes.
Words: divyaṃ — divine; ca — and; mānuṣaṃ — human; caivam — and thus; ātmanaś — of yourself; ca — and; parākramam — prowess, valour; ikṣvākuvṛṣabhāvekṣya — O bull of the Ikṣvākus, considering; yatasva — exert yourself, strive; dviṣatāṃ — of the foes; badhe — in the slaying
3.62.20
kiṃ te sarvavināśena kṛtena puruṣarṣabha
tam eva tu ripuṃ pāpaṃ vijñāyoddhartum arhasi
“What need have you of wreaking universal destruction, O bull among men? Rather, having found out that very wicked enemy, you should root him out.”
Words: kiṃ — what (need); te — for you; sarvavināśena — by universal destruction; kṛtena — by doing, wreaking; puruṣarṣabha — O bull among men; tam — that; eva — very; tu — but, rather; ripuṃ — enemy; pāpaṃ — wicked, evil; vijñāyoddhartum — having found out, to root out; arhasi — you ought
← 3.61 Lakṣmaṇa restrains Rāma’s anger · Araṇya Kāṇḍa · 3.63 Discovery of the wounded Jaṭāyu →
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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