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Baala Kaanda - Sarga 58
In this Sarga, Triṡaṅku is chided by the sons of Vasishṭha for disregarding Vasishṭha in order to achieve his goals. Upon being further annoyed by him, they curse him to become a Caṇḍāla. Triṡaṅku then approaches Viṡwāmitra.
This Sarga illustrates the behavior of a good person who is desperate for something that is beyond reason and loses his mind over it.
1.58.1
ததஸ்த்ரிஸங்கோர்வசநம் ஸ்ருத்வா க்ரோதஸமந்விதம் ।
ருஷிபுத்ரஸதம் ராம ராஜாநமிதமப்ரவீத் ॥
tatastriṡaṅkōrvacanaṃ ṡrutvā krōdhasamanvitam ।
ṛṣiputraṡataṃ rāma rājānamidamabravīt ॥
O Rāma! All the hundred sons of the Ṛshi became
angry hearing those words of Triṡaṅku and said:
1.58.2
ப்ரத்யாக்யாதோ ஹி துர்புத்தே குருணா ஸத்யவாதிநா ।
தம் கதம் ஸமதிக்ரம்ய ஸாகாந்தரமுபேயிவாந் ॥
pratyākhyātō hi durbuddhē guruṇā satyavādinā ।
taṃ kathaṃ samatikramya ṡākhāntaramupēyivān ॥
How deplorable! After being summarily rejected by
the Guru, who adheres to nothing but the truth,
you are going around him, looking for other means!
1.58.3
இக்ஷ்வாகூணாம் ஹி ஸர்வேஷாம் புரோதா: பரமோ குரு: ।
ந சாதிக்ரமிதும் ஸக்யம் வசநம் ஸத்யவாதிந: ॥
ikṣvākūṇāṃ hi sarvēṣāṃ purōdhāḥ paramō guruḥ ।
na cātikramituṃ ṡakyaṃ vacanaṃ satyavādinaḥ ॥
The Purōhita has always been the ultimate Guru for the Ikshwākus.
One should not disregard him,
who is known to be honest in everything.
1.58.4
அஸக்யமிதி சோவாச வஸிஷ்டோ பகவாந்ருஷி: ।
தம் வயம் வை ஸமாஹர்தும் க்ரதும் ஸக்தா: கதம் தவ ॥
aṡakyamiti cōvāca vasiṣṭhō bhagavānṛṣiḥ ।
taṃ vayaṃ vai samāhartuṃ kratuṃ ṡaktāḥ kathaṃ tava ॥
When Vasishṭha, the Bhagawan and Ṛshi said
that it is not possible, how can you expect us
to help you with the Yajña?
1.58.5
பாலிஸஸ்த்வம் நரஸ்ரேஷ்ட கம்யதாம் ஸ்வபுரம் புந: ।
யாஜநே பகவாந் ஸக்தஸ்த்ரைலோக்யஸ்யாபி பார்திவ ॥
அவமாநம் ச தத்கர்தும் தஸ்ய ஸக்ஷ்யாமஹே கதம் ॥
bāliṡastvaṃ naraṡrēṣṭha gamyatāṃ svapuraṃ punaḥ ।
yājanē bhagavān ṡaktastrailōkyasyāpi pārthiva ॥
avamānaṃ ca tatkartuṃ tasya ṡakṣyāmahē katham ॥
O significant among men! O king!
You are stupid! Please go back to your place!
Bhagawan Vasishṭha knows how to perform
every single Yajña that is possible in all the three worlds!
How could you imagine that we would do anything
that would belittle him?
The term श्रेष्ठ is used many times in the Rāmāyaṇa. It refers to a person who is noteworthy, important and significant in some form or fashion. It is similar to the term 'VIP' that we use today. It doesn't specifically refer to the person being either good or bad.
The term श्रेष्ठ is also adopted by trading communities all over India as part of their names. This term transformed into Seth in Bengal, Seṭṭi in Andhra Pradesh, Ceṭṭiyār in Tamil Nadu.
1.58.6
தேஷாம் தத்வசநம் ஸ்ருத்வா க்ரோதபர்யாகுலாக்ஷரம் ।
ஸ ராஜா புநரேவைதாநிதம் வசநமப்ரவீத் ॥
tēṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ ṡrutvā krōdhaparyākulākṣaram ।
sa rājā punarēvaitānidaṃ vacanamabravīt ॥
Hearing those words the king retorted,
stammering with fury, he said:
1.58.7
ப்ரத்யாக்யாதோऽஸ்மி குருணா குருபுத்ரைஸ்ததைவ ச ।
அந்யாம் கதிம் கமிஷ்யாமி ஸ்வஸ்தி வோऽஸ்து தபோதநா: ॥
pratyākhyātō'smi guruṇā guruputraistathaiva ca ।
anyāṃ gatiṃ gamiṣyāmi svasti vō'stu tapōdhanāḥ ॥
I am rejected by my own Guru and his sons as well.
I will look for some other means.
May you all have a good time, you Tapasvis!
1.58.8
ருஷிபுத்ராஸ்து தச்ச்ருத்வா வாக்யம் கோராபிஸம்ஹிதம் ।
ஸேபு: பரமஸங்க்ருத்தாஸ்சண்டாலத்வம் கமிஷ்யஸி ॥
ṛṣiputrāstu tacchrutvā vākyaṃ ghōrābhisaṃhitam ।
ṡēpuḥ paramasaṅkruddhāṡcaṇḍālatvaṃ gamiṣyasi ॥
With those words of disdain,
the sons of the Ṛshi felt deeply offended and
cursed him to become a Caṇḍāla.
Caṇḍāla is an unclean, unkempt,
disheveled and disgusting person,
who has neither purpose, nor belonging
nor goals, nor even orientation in the world.
1.58.9
ஏவமுக்த்வா மஹாத்மாநோ விவிஸுஸ்தே ஸ்வமாஸ்ரமம் ॥
அத ராத்ர்யாம் வ்யதீதாயாம் ராஜா சண்டாலதாம் கத: ।
ēvamuktvā mahātmānō viviṡustē svamāṡramam ॥
atha rātryāṃ vyatītāyāṃ rājā caṇḍālatāṃ gataḥ ।
Cursing thus, the sons of the Ṛshi left for their Āṡrama.
After the night passed, the king became Caṇḍāla.
1.58.10
நீலவஸ்த்ரதரோ நீல: பருஷோ த்வஸ்தமூர்த்தஜ: ।
சித்யமால்யாநுலேபஸ்ச ஆயஸாபரணோऽபவத் ॥
nīlavastradharō nīlaḥ paruṣō dhvastamūrddhajaḥ ।
cityamālyānulēpaṡca āyasābharaṇō'bhavat ॥
His skin turned dark like charcoal. His robes became black.
His features became rough. His hair became short.
He was covered with ashes from the funeral site.
He was adorned with necklaces made of burned bones.
His was decked with ornaments made of raw iron.
1.58.11
தம் த்ருஷ்ட்வா மந்த்ரிண: ஸர்வே த்யஜ்ய சண்டாலரூபிணம் ।
ப்ராத்ரவந் ஸஹிதா ராம பௌரா யேऽஸ்யாநுகாமிந: ॥
taṃ dṛṣṭvā mantriṇaḥ sarvē tyajya caṇḍālarūpiṇam ।
prādravan sahitā rāma paurā yē'syānugāminaḥ ॥
O Rāma! Seeing that horrible form of his,
all of his retinue, ministers and subjects fled away.
1.58.12
ஏகோ ஹி ராஜா காகுத்ஸ்த ஜகாம பரமாத்மவாந் ।
தஹ்யமாநோ திவாராத்ரம் விஸ்வாமித்ரம் தபோதநம் ॥
ēkō hi rājā kākutstha jagāma paramātmavān ।
dahyamānō divārātraṃ viṡvāmitraṃ tapōdhanam ॥
O prince of Kākutstha lineage!
Becoming thus lonely and agonizing over his fate day and night,
that self-indulgent king approached
Viṡwāmitra who was rich with Tapa.
1.58.13
விஸ்வாமித்ரஸ்து தம் த்ருஷ்ட்வா ராஜாநம் விபலீக்ருதம் ।
சண்டாலரூபிணம் ராம முநி: காருண்யமாகத: ॥
viṡvāmitrastu taṃ dṛṣṭvā rājānaṃ viphalīkṛtam ।
caṇḍālarūpiṇaṃ rāma muniḥ kāruṇyamāgataḥ ॥
O Rāma! Viṡwāmitra the Muni,
felt compassionate towards that king,
who was completely disabled and
had attained the form of a Caṇḍāla!
Compassion is normally considered a virtue. But Indian philosophers figured out that there is a huge downside to it.
Compassion is nothing but the emotion of reflected sadness. Whether one is overwhelmed by one’s own sadness or by the reflected sadness of others, one’s faculties of judgment and discernment gets impaired.
Further, one gets into reactionary and self-righteous mode. In a moment of compassion, people are easily driven to feel self-righteous about every thought that comes to their mind, because it is driven by compassion. In other words, the mind gets into the delusion: "I feel compassionate, hence I am right".
Devious demagogues, in fact, use this as ploy. They hide their heinous schemes behind the façade of compassion. Compassion can also be used as a tool for discounting the victim's values, opinions and independence.
In the famous Ṡlōka in Bhagavad Gita 2.7, "कार्पण्यदोषोपहतस्वभावः", Arjuna confesses that his judgment was maimed as he became overwhelmed by compassion.
Philosophically speaking, the disdain of Indic Thought towards Buddhism (and to some extent towards Christianity and towards modern welfare societies) comes from the fact that they are seen reactionary, as having compassion as their central theme.
The goal of life is not merely to make it problem free. Rather it is to use it as a means to achieve higher goals. The ultimate purpose of the human body is not merely to keep itself disease free, but to use it to do something more worthy.
Suffering, sadness, compassion are all going to be part of any journey, just as excitement and surprises would be. But the very destination or course of the journey should not be dictated by aversion to them. It is like the ‘tail wagging the dog’.
Our next step should be determined by our larger goal and not by the reaction to incidental setbacks, however crippling or saddening they may be.
If we lose sight of the bigger gains, we will let ourselves be eaten by the smaller losses.
1.58.14
காருண்யாத் ஸ மஹாதேஜா வாக்யம் பரமதார்மிக: ।
இதம் ஜகாத பத்ரம் தே ராஜாநம் கோரரூபிணம் ॥
kāruṇyāt sa mahātējā vākyaṃ paramadhārmikaḥ ।
idaṃ jagāda bhadraṃ tē rājānaṃ ghōrarūpiṇam ॥
That supremely radiant, highly righteous Viṡwāmitra,
overwhelmed with compassion, said these words
to that king, who was in a horrible form and shape:
1.58.15
கிமாகமநகார்யம் தே ராஜபுத்ர மஹாபல ।
அயோத்யாதிபதே வீர ஸாபாச்சண்டாலதாம் கத: ॥
kimāgamanakāryaṃ tē rājaputra mahābala ।
ayōdhyādhipatē vīra ṡāpāccaṇḍālatāṃ gataḥ ॥
O mighty strong son of a king! O Veera!
O ruler of the city of Ayōdhyā!
You became a Caṇḍāla because of a curse!
Let me know the reason for your arrival here!
1.58.16
அத தத்வாக்யமாஜ்ஞாய ராஜா சண்டாலதாம் கத: ।
அப்ரவீத்ப்ராஞ்ஜலிர்வாக்யம் வாக்யஜ்ஞோ வாக்யகோவிதம் ॥
atha tadvākyamājñāya rājā caṇḍālatāṃ gataḥ ।
abravītprāñjalirvākyaṃ vākyajñō vākyakōvidam ॥
Hearing those words, the eloquent king
who had become a Caṇḍāla, said with folded hands,
to the solicitous Viṡwāmitra:
1.58.17
ப்ரத்யாக்யாதோऽஸ்மி குருணா குருபுத்ரைஸ்ததைவ ச ।
அநவாப்யைவ தம் காமம் மயா ப்ராப்தோ விபர்யய: ॥
pratyākhyātō'smi guruṇā guruputraistathaiva ca ।
anavāpyaiva taṃ kāmaṃ mayā prāptō viparyayaḥ ॥
I was spurned by my Guru and his sons as well.
Not only did my wish not get fulfilled,
but also everything took a wrong turn for me.
1.58.18
ஸஸரீரோ திவம் யாயாமிதி மே ஸௌம்ய தர்ஸநம் ।
மயா சேஷ்டம் க்ரதுஸதம் தச்ச நாவாப்யதே பலம் ॥
saṡarīrō divaṃ yāyāmiti mē saumya darṡanam ।
mayā cēṣṭaṃ kratuṡataṃ tacca nāvāpyatē phalam ॥
O considerate one!
I wish to go to Heaven with this mortal body.
I have done one hundred Yajñas, but my wish did not get fulfilled.
1.58.19
அந்ருதம் நோக்தபூர்வம் மே ந ச வக்ஷ்யே கதாசந ।
க்ருச்ச்ரேஷ்வபி கத: ஸௌம்ய க்ஷத்ரதர்மேண தே ஸபே ॥
anṛtaṃ nōktapūrvaṃ mē na ca vakṣyē kadācana ।
kṛcchrēṣvapi gataḥ saumya kṣatradharmēṇa tē ṡapē ॥
O considerate one! I swear on my Kshātra Dharma.
I never lied, nor spoke harshly, regardless of what I went through.
Notice the approach of Triṡaṅku in this Ṡlōka 19 and how he twists the words in Ṡlōka 21.
If someone starts a sentence with phrases like "Honestly speaking, ...." or "Believe it or not, I have ...", there must be something fishy going on. That is what Triṡaṅku is doing in Ṡlōka 19.
----------
Let me indulge in commenting on 'Kshātra Dharma' mentioned in this Ṡlōka 19.
Kshātra Dharma speaks about the responsibilities by which any warrior or king would, and is expected to live by.
In modern times, the freedom we enjoy to pursue any vocation of our fancy or passion or choice comes at a cost, viz., the pride we take in it is individualistic and no one else cares about it.
In modern times, people see only a product, but not the passion behind it. Whereas in the years gone by, a whole community used to dedicate itself to a particular art or craft or profession or trade. They used to share the passion, support each other and live by certain ethics surrounding it.
Society used to value them as such, as pursuers of that skill or art or craft, rather than as someone who sells a product in the market.
Without that kind of allegiance to a profession, without a good set of ethics around it and without proper social recognition of it, what we are doing in modern times amounts to nothing but parading our skills and passion in the market, similar to the parading of carnal assets by a willing or unfortunate prostitute.
1.58.20
யஜ்ஞைர்பஹுவிதைரிஷ்டம் ப்ரஜா தர்மேண பாலிதா: ।
குரவஸ்ச மஹாத்மாந: ஸீலவ்ருத்தேந தோஷிதா: ॥
yajñairbahuvidhairiṣṭaṃ prajā dharmēṇa pālitāḥ ।
guravaṡca mahātmānaḥ ṡīlavṛttēna tōṣitāḥ ॥
I pleased the Dēvas with Yajñas.
I took care of my subjects in the righteous manner.
I pleased the elders with my virtuous conduct.
1.58.21
தர்மே ப்ரயதமாநஸ்ய யஜ்ஞம் சாஹர்துமிச்சத: ।
பரிதோஷம் ந கச்சந்தி குரவோ முநிபுங்கவ ॥
dharmē prayatamānasya yajñaṃ cāhartumicchataḥ ।
paritōṣaṃ na gacchanti guravō munipuṅgava ॥
O best among the Ṛshis!
I would like to perform a rightful Yajña.
But my Gurus are not happily forthcoming about it.
1.58.22
தைவமேவ பரம் மந்யே பௌருஷம் து நிரர்தகம் ।
தைவேநாக்ரம்யதே ஸர்வம் தைவம் ஹி பரமா கதி: ॥
daivamēva paraṃ manyē pauruṣaṃ tu nirarthakam ।
daivēnākramyatē sarvaṃ daivaṃ hi paramā gatiḥ ॥
I deem that Providence has the final say.
The efforts of mortals are to naught,
for Providence surmounts everything.
Destiny decides the final course, doesn't it?
1.58.23
தஸ்ய மே பரமார்தஸ்ய ப்ரஸாதமபிகாங்க்ஷத: ।
கர்துமர்ஹஸி பத்ரம் தே தைவோபஹதகர்மண: ॥
tasya mē paramārtasya prasādamabhikāṅkṣataḥ ।
kartumarhasi bhadraṃ tē daivōpahatakarmaṇaḥ ॥
I was wronged by Destiny.
I have become despondent now.
I hope to be worthy of your grace!
May all bode well for you!
1.58.24
நாந்யாம் கதிம் கமிஷ்யாமி நாந்ய: ஸரணமஸ்தி மே ।
தைவம் புருஷகாரேண நிவர்தயிதுமர்ஹஸி ॥
nānyāṃ gatiṃ gamiṣyāmi nānyaḥ ṡaraṇamasti mē ।
daivaṃ puruṣakārēṇa nivartayitumarhasi ॥
There is no other place for me to go.
There is no one else that can help me.
Only your abilities can positively change my destiny.
இத்யார்ஷே ஸ்ரீமத்ராமாயணே வால்மீகீயே ஆதிகாவ்யே
ஸ்ரீமத்பாலகாண்டே அஷ்டபஞ்சாஸ: ஸர்க: ॥
ityārṣē ṡrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīyē ādikāvyē
ṡrīmadbālakāṇḍē aṣṭapañcāṡaḥ sargaḥ ॥
Thus concludes the fifty eighth Sarga
in Bāla Kāṇḍa of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vālmeeki.
We completed reading 1714 Ṡlōkas out of ~24,000 Ṡlōkas of Vālmeeki Rāmāyaṇa.