Aranya Kaanda - Sarga 41
In this Sarga, Māreeca blasts Rāvaṇa for taking the course he has planned. Māreeca finds fault with whoever has given Rāvaṇa the advice to this end, and with his counselors who have not discharged their responsibility in restraining the king, for the perversion and ensuing demise of the king would mean doom for everyone. Māreeca deplores the fact that for the sake of the cruel and tyrannical Rāvaṇa who has no mastery over his senses, the entire city of Laṅkā and all the Rākshasas would have to perish!
3.41.1 ஆஜ்ஞப்தோ ராவணேநேத்தம்
ப்ரதிகூலம் ச ராஜவத் ।
அப்ரவீத்பருஷம் வாக்யம்
மாரீசோ ராக்ஷஸாதிபம் ॥
ājñaptō rāvaṇēnēttham
pratikūlaṃ ca rājavat ।
abravītparuṣaṃ vākyaṃ
mārīcō rākṣasādhipam ॥
Having thus received the royal decree
that was unacceptable, Māreeca said
these harsh words to the king of Rākshasas:
3.41.2 கேநாயமுபதிஷ்டஸ்தே
விநாஸ: பாபகர்மணா ।
ஸபுத்ரஸ்ய ஸராஷ்ட்ரஸ்ய
ஸாமாத்யஸ்ய நிஸாசர ॥
kēnāyamupadiṣṭastē
vināṡaḥ pāpakarmaṇā ।
saputrasya sarāṣṭrasya
sāmātyasya niṡācara ॥
O night-rover! Who is the sinful one
who set you on this course
that will bring destruction
to you, your children,
your kingdom and to your ministers!
3.41.3 கஸ்த்வயா ஸுகிநா ராஜந்
நாபிநந்ததி பாபக்ருத் ।
கேநேதமுபதிஷ்டம் தே
ம்ருத்யுத்வாரமுபாயத: ॥
kastvayā sukhinā rājan
nābhinandati pāpakṛt ।
kēnēdamupadiṣṭaṃ tē
mṛtyudvāramupāyataḥ ॥
O King! Who is the evil one who is
not happy in your prosperity!
By whom are you convinced, cleverly,
to head to the door of Death!
3.41.4 ஸத்ரவஸ்தவ ஸுவ்யக்தம்
ஹீநவீர்யா நிஸாசரா: ।
இச்சந்தி த்வாம் விநஸ்யந்தம்
உபருத்தம் பலீயஸா ॥
ṡatravastava suvyaktaṃ
hīnavīryā niṡācarāḥ ।
icchanti tvāṃ vinaṡyantam
uparuddhaṃ balīyasā ॥
It is clear that some night-rovers
of skimpy strength who are opposed to you
want to see you beset by a stronger foe and destroyed!
3.41.5 கேநேதமுபதிஷ்டம் தே
க்ஷுத்ரேணாஹிதவாதிநா ।
யஸ்த்வாமிச்சதி நஸ்யந்தம்
ஸ்வக்ருதேந நிஸாசர ॥
kēnēdamupadiṣṭaṃ tē
kṣudrēṇāhitavādinā ।
yastvāmicchati naṡyantaṃ
svakṛtēna niṡācara ॥
Who is the wretched one
that is bent on your doom,
guiding you like this, wishing
to see you perish by your own fault?
3.41.6 வத்யா: கலு ந ஹந்யந்தே
ஸசிவாஸ்தவ ராவண ।
யே த்வாமுத்பதமாரூடம்
ந நிக்ருஹ்ணந்தி ஸர்வஸ: ॥
vadhyāḥ khalu na hanyantē
sacivāstava rāvaṇa ।
yē tvāmutpathamārūḍhaṃ
na nigṛhṇanti sarvaṡaḥ ॥
Whoever your ministers are
that do not restrain you
by hook or by crook,
from the path you have taken
deserve to be killed, but are left alone.
3.41.7-8 அமாத்யை: காமவ்ருத்தோ ஹி
ராஜா காபதமாஸ்ரித: ।
நிக்ராஹ்யஸ்ஸர்வதா ஸத்பி:
ந நிக்ராஹ்யோ நிக்ருஹ்யஸே ।
தர்மமர்தம் ச காமம் ச
யஸஸ்ச ஜயதாம் வர ।
ஸ்வாமிப்ரஸாதாத்ஸசிவா:
ப்ராப்நுவந்தி நிஸாசர ॥
amātyaiḥ kāmavṛttō hi
rājā kāpathamāṡritaḥ ।
nigrāhyassarvathā sadbhiḥ
na nigrāhyō nigṛhyasē ।
dharmamarthaṃ ca kāmaṃ ca
yaṡaṡca jayatāṃ vara ।
svāmiprasādātsacivāḥ
prāpnuvanti niṡācara ॥
A king who is reckless
and treads on the wrong path
should be restrained by
well meaning counselors
in every possible manner.
O night-rover! O foremost of the victorious!
You should be restrained now,
but are not, by the ministers
who depend on the grace of the king
for their Dharma, Artha, Kāma and renown!
3.41.9 விபர்யயே து தத்ஸர்வம்
வ்யர்தம் பவதி ராவண ।
வ்யஸநம் ஸ்வாமிவைகுண்யாத்
ப்ராப்நுவந்தீதரே ஜநா: ॥
viparyayē tu tatsarvaṃ
vyarthaṃ bhavati rāvaṇa ।
vyasanaṃ svāmivaiguṇyāt
prāpnuvantītarē janāḥ ॥
It all spells doom, O Rāvaṇa,
when it happens to the contrary.
The subjects beget suffering
for the perversions of their lord.
3.41.10 ராஜமூலோ ஹி தர்மஸ்ச
ஜயஸ்ச ஜயதாம் வர ।
தஸ்மாத்ஸர்வாஸ்வவஸ்தாஸு
ரக்ஷிதவ்யா நராதிபா: ॥
rājamūlō hi dharmaṡca
jayaṡca jayatāṃ vara ।
tasmātsarvāsvavasthāsu
rakṣitavyā narādhipāḥ ॥
A king is at the root of Dharma and victory,
O foremost of the victorious!
Hence a king should be protected
in all circumstances.
3.41.11 ராஜ்யம் பாலயிதும் ஸக்யம்
ந தீக்ஷ்ணேந நிஸாசர ।
ந சாபி ப்ரதிகூலேந
நாவிநீதேந ராக்ஷஸ ॥
rājyaṃ pālayituṃ ṡakyaṃ
na tīkṣṇēna niṡācara ।
na cāpi pratikūlēna
nāvinītēna rākṣasa ॥
O night-rover! O Rākshasa!
A kingdom cannot be governed
by tyranny or by antagonism
or by recklessness!
3.41.12 யே தீக்ஷ்ணமந்த்ராஸ்ஸசிவா
பஜ்யந்தே ஸஹ தேந வை ।
விஷமே துரகாஸ்ஸீக்ரா
மந்தஸாரதயோ யதா ॥
yē tīkṣṇamantrāssacivā
bhajyantē saha tēna vai ।
viṣamē turagāṡṡīghrā
mandasārathayō yathā ॥
Counselors who are too aggressive in their thought
will perish along with him (the king),
like swift horses on rough terrain
driven by a slow driver.
3.41.13 பஹவஸ்ஸாதவோ லோகே
யுக்தா தர்மமநுஷ்டிதா: ।
பரேஷாமபராதேந
விநஷ்டாஸ்ஸபரிச்சதா: ॥
bahavassādhavō lōkē
yuktā dharmamanuṣṭhitāḥ ।
parēṣāmaparādhēna
vinaṣṭāssaparicchadāḥ ॥
Many a good man who followed Dharma and Yōga
has perished along with his kith and kin,
because of the offences of someone else. This Ṡlōka is same as Ṡlōka 3.39.20b-21a
3.41.14 ஸ்வாமிநா ப்ரதிகூலேந
ப்ரஜாஸ்தீக்ஷ்ணேந ராவண ।
ரக்ஷ்யமாணா ந வர்தந்தே
மேஷா கோமாயுநா யதா ॥
svāminā pratikūlēna
prajāstīkṣṇēna rāvaṇa ।
rakṣyamāṇā na vardhantē
mēṣā gōmāyunā yathā ॥
O Rāvaṇa! People under the protection
of a tyrannical and antagonistic king
will not flourish any more than
sheep would under the protection of a fox.
3.41.15 அவஸ்யம் விநஸிஷ்யந்தி
ஸர்வே ராவண ராக்ஷஸா: ।
யேஷாம் த்வம் கர்கஸோ ராஜா
துர்புத்திரஜிதேந்த்ரிய: ॥
avaṡyaṃ vinaṡiṣyanti
sarvē rāvaṇa rākṣasāḥ ।
yēṣāṃ tvaṃ karkaṡō rājā
durbuddhirajitēndriyaḥ ॥
All the Rākshasas, who have you,
the cruel one, the evil monger,
the one with no mastery over senses
for a king, are going to perish, for certain.
3.41.16 ததிதம் காகதாலீயம்
கோரமாஸாதிதம் மயா ।
அத்ர கிம் ஸோசநீயஸ்த்வம்
ஸஸைந்யோ விநஸிஷ்யஸி ॥
tadidaṃ kākatālīyam
ghōramāsāditaṃ mayā ।
atra kiṃ ṡōcanīyastvam
sasainyō vinaṡiṣyasi ॥
Whatever terrible thing has come upon me is because of
sheer happenstance and there is nothing more to it.
It is you who needs to be worried about
as you are set to perish along with your forces.
3.41.17 மாம் நிஹத்ய து ராமஸ்ச
ந சிராத்த்வாம் வதிஷ்யதி ।
அநேந க்ருதக்ருத்யோऽஸ்மி
ம்ரியேயமரிணா ஹத: ॥
māṃ nihatya tu rāmaṡca
na cirāttvāṃ vadhiṣyati ।
anēna kṛtakṛtyō'smi
mriyēyamariṇā hataḥ ॥
Not very long after killing me,
Rāma would also kill you.
I will die at the hands of the enemy,
and by that I would have done my duty. Māreeca could have chosen to be killed by Rāvaṇa and could have thus saved Seetā from hardship and Rāvaṇa, Laṅkā and Rākshasas from destruction. But he does not. Why?
The dilemma he is faced with in the immediate context is whether to obey the command of his king or to be killed by him. The answer for him is clear. He needs to fulfill his obligation to the king. All the consequences that he envisaged are only a speculation at this point of time, however realistic they may be. And there is no better honor for a fighter than to die in the line of duty.
3.41.18 தர்ஸநாதேவ ராமஸ்ய
ஹதம் மாமவதாரய ।
ஆத்மாநம் ச ஹதம் வித்தி
ஹ்ருத்வா ஸீதாம் ஸபாந்தவம் ॥
darṡanādēva rāmasya
hataṃ māmavadhāraya ।
ātmānaṃ ca hataṃ viddhi
hṛtvā sītāṃ sabāndhavam ॥
Consider me dead the moment
Rāma sets his eyes on me.
And know that you and all your kin
are dead if you abduct Seetā.
3.41.19 ஆநயிஷ்யஸி சேத்ஸீதாம்
ஆஸ்ரமாத்ஸஹிதோ மயா ।
நைவத்வமஸி நாஹம் ச
நைவ லங்கா ந ராக்ஷஸா: ॥
ānayiṣyasi cētsītām
āṡramātsahitō mayā ।
naivatvamasi nāhaṃ ca
naiva laṅkā na rākṣasāḥ ॥
Should you, along with me,
carry off Seetā from the Āṡrama,
neither will you survive, nor I,
nor Laṅkā nor the Rākshasas!
3.41.20 நிவார்யமாணஸ்து மயா ஹிதைஷிணா
ந ம்ருஷ்யஸே வாக்யமிதம் நிஸாசர ।
பரேதகல்பா ஹி கதாயுஷோ நரா
ஹிதம் ந க்ருஹ்ணந்தி ஸுஹ்ருத்பிரீரிதம் ॥
nivāryamāṇastu mayā hitaiṣiṇā
na mṛṣyasē vākyamidaṃ niṡācara ।
parētakalpā hi gatāyuṣō narā
hitaṃ na gṛhṇanti suhṛdbhirīritam ॥
You do not entertain these words of refrain,
O night-rover, from me, your well-wisher!
People whose days are numbered
are as good as dead and
they would not take the good advice
given by well meaning friends.
இத்யார்ஷே வால்மீகீயே
ஸ்ரீமத்ராமாயணே ஆதிகாவ்யே
அரண்யகாண்டே ஏகசத்வாரிம்ஸஸ்ஸர்க: ।
ityārṣē vālmīkīyē
ṡrīmadrāmāyaṇē ādikāvyē
araṇyakāṇḍē ēkacatvāriṃṡassargaḥ ।
Thus concludes the forty first Sarga
in Araṇya Kāṇḍa of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Maharshi Vālmeeki.
You have completed reading 7838 Ṡlōkas out of ~24,000 Ṡlōkas of Vālmeeki Rāmāyaṇa.
Meaning, notes and commentary by: Krishna Sharma.