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Book 1 - Vairagya Prakaranam

Chapter 2 - Reason for writing The Ramayana

दिवि भूमौ तथाकाशे बहिरन्तश्च मे विभुः ।
यो विभात्यवभासात्मा तस्मै सर्वात्मने नमः ॥ १ ॥
Salutation to the Lord, the universal soul, shining manifest in heaven, earth and the sky, and both within and without myself.
वाल्मीकिरुवाच ।
अहं बद्धो विमुक्तः स्यामिति यस्यास्ति निश्चयः ।
नात्यन्तमज्ञो नोत ज्ञः सोऽस्मिञ्छास्त्रेऽधिकारवान् ॥ २ ॥
One convinced of his constraint (in this mortal world), and desiring his liberation from it, and, who is neither wholly ignorant of, nor quite conversant with divine knowledge, is entitled to (the perusal of) this work.
कथोपायान्विचार्यादौ मोक्षोपायानिमानथ ।
यो विचारयति प्राज्ञो न स भूयोऽभिजायते ॥ ३ ॥
The wise man, who having well considered the narrative (of Rama) as the first step, comes afterwards to think on the means of liberation (as are expounded herein), he shall verily be exempt from transmigration.
अस्मिन्रामायणे रामकथोपायान्महाबलान् ।
एतांस्तु प्रथमं कृत्वा पुराहमरिमर्दन ॥ ४ ॥
Know, O destroyer of your enemies! that I have first embodied the history of Rama in this Ramayana.
शिष्यायास्मि विनीताय भरद्वाजाय धीमते ।
एकाग्रो दत्तवांस्तस्मै मणिमब्धिरिवार्थिने ॥ ५ ॥
And I have given the same to my attentive pupil the obedient and intelligent Bharadwaja, as the sea yields his gems to their seeker.
तत एते कथोपाया भरद्वाजेन धीमता ।
कस्मिंश्चिन्मेरुगहने ब्रह्मणोऽग्र उदाहृताः ॥ ६ ॥
These historical preparatories were rehearsed by the learned Bharadwaja in the presence of Brahma, seated in a certain forest of the Sumeru Mountain.
अथास्य तुष्टो भगवान्ब्रह्मा लोकपितामहः ।
वरं पुत्र गृहाणेति तमुवाच महाशयः ॥ ७ ॥
Then the lord Brahma, the great grandfather of the inhabitants (of the three worlds), was so highly pleased with him that he addressed him saying: “Oh my son! ask the best boon that you wish for.”
भरद्वाज उवाच ।
भगवन्भूतभव्येश वरोऽयं मेऽद्य रोचते ।
येनेयं जनता दुःखान्मुच्यते तदुदाहर ॥ ८ ॥
Bharadwaja said:—”Oh lord, you are the master of the past and future times, grant me the desired boon of communicating to me the means whereby people are liberated from their miseries.”
श्रीब्रह्मोवाच ।
गुरुं वाल्मीकिमत्राशु प्रार्थयस्व प्रयत्नतः ।
तेनेदं यत्समारब्धं रामायणमनिन्दितम् ॥ ९ ॥
Brahma said:—”Go ask diligently of your preceptor Valmiki, to complete the faultless Ramayana that he has undertaken.
तस्मिञ्छ्रुते नरो मोहात्समग्रात्संतरिष्यति ।
सेतुनेवाम्बुधेः पारमपारगुणशालिना ॥ १० ॥
“By the hearing of which men will get over their manifold errors, in the same manner as they pass over the sea by the bridge built over it by the great Rama, who was fraught with all good qualities.”
श्रीवाल्मीकिरुवाच ।
इत्युक्त्वा स भरद्वाजं परमेष्ठी मदाश्रमम् ।
अभ्यागच्छत्समं तेन भरद्वाजेन भूतकृत् ॥ ११ ॥
Valmiki said:—Saying this to Bharadwaja, the supreme maker of all beings (Brahma) accompanied him to my hermitage. (See the divine Brahma brings the student to the Guru. On one occasion that I am aware of, a divine child took a Guru to a most distraught mother!)
तूर्णं संपूजितो देवः सोऽर्घ्यपाद्यादिना मया ।
अवोचन्मां महासत्त्वः सर्वभूतहिते रतः ॥ १२ ॥
In right earnest was the god welcomed by me with the argha and offerings of water and the like, when the lord of truth spoke to me for the good of all creatures.
रामस्वभावकथनादस्माद्वरमुने त्वया ।
नोद्वेगात्स परित्याज्य आसमाप्तेरनिन्दितात् ॥ १३ ॥
Brahma spoke to me saying said:—”Do not Oh sage! give up your undertaking until its final completion. No pains ought to be spared to make the history of Rama as faultless as it ought to be.
ग्रन्थेनानेन लोकोऽयमस्मात्संसारसंकटात् ।
समुत्तरिष्यति क्षिप्रं पोतेनेवाशु सागरात् ॥ १४ ॥
“By this work of yours men will forthwith pass over this hazardous world, in the same manner as one crosses the sea in a vessel.”
वक्तुं तदेवमेवार्थमहमागतवानयम् ।
कुरु लोकहितार्थं त्वं शास्त्रमित्युक्तवानजः ॥ १५ ॥
Again said the increate brahma to me:—”I come to tell this very thing to you, that you complete the work for the benefit of mankind.”
मम पुण्याश्रमात्तस्मात्क्षणादन्तर्द्धिमागतः ।
मुहूर्ताभ्युत्थितः प्रोच्चैस्तरङ्ग इव वारिणः ॥ १६ ॥
Then Oh king, the God disappeared from my sacred hermitage in a moment, just as the wave subsides in the water no sooner it has heaved itself.
तस्मिन्प्रयाते भगवत्यहं विस्मयमागतः ।
पुनस्तत्र भरद्वाजमपृच्छं स्वस्थया धिया ॥ १७ ॥
I was struck with wonder at the disappearance of that (deity), and then being composed in my mind, I inquired of Bharadwaja, saying:—
किमेतद्ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्तं भरद्वाज वदाशु मे ।
इत्युक्तेन पुनः प्रोक्तं भरद्वाजेन तेन मे ॥ १८ ॥
Tell me, Bharadwaja, what Brahma spoke (to me) in the hermitage; to which he answered saying:—
भरद्वाज उवाच ।
एतदुक्तं भगवता यथा रामायणं कुरु ।
सर्वलोकहितार्थाय संसारार्णवतारकम् ॥ १९ ॥
“The God commanded you to complete the Ramayana for the good of men, and as a means of their crossing over the gulf of the world.”
मह्यं च भगवन्ब्रूहि कथं संसारसंकटे ।
रामो व्यवहृतो ह्यस्मिन्भरतश्च महामनाः ॥ २० ॥
“Now Sir” said Bharadwaja, “explain to me how the great minded Rama and Bharata conducted themselves amidst the troubles of this world.
शत्रुघ्नो लक्ष्मणश्चापि सीता चापि यशस्विनी ।
रामानुयायिनस्ते वा मन्त्रिपुत्रा महाधियः ॥ २१ ॥
“Tell me also how did Satrughna, Lakshmana, & the renowned Sita, and all those who followed Rama, as also the ministers and their highly intelligent sons, conduct themselves.
निर्दुःखितां यथैते नु प्राप्तास्तद्ब्रूहि मे स्फुटम् ।
तथैवाहं भविष्यामि ततो जनतया सह ॥ २२ ॥
“Tell me clearly how they escaped all its miseries, that I may do the same with the rest of mankind: (for our salvation).”
भरद्वाजेन राजेन्द्र वदेत्युक्तोऽस्मि सादरम् ।
तदा कर्तुं विभोराज्ञामहं वक्तुं प्रवृत्तवान् ॥ २३ ॥
Being thus respectfully addressed by Bharadwaja, I was led, Oh great King! to carry out the behest of my lord (Brahma), and to narrate the Ramayana to him; saying:—
शृणु वत्स भरद्वाज यथापृष्टं वदामि ते ।
श्रुतेन येन संमोहमलं दूरे करिष्यसि ॥ २४ ॥
Hear my son Bharadwaja, I will tell you all that you have asked, and by the hearing of which you shall be enabled to cast away the dross of errors.
तथा व्यवहर प्राज्ञ यथा व्यवहृतः सुखी ।
सर्वासंसक्तया बुद्ध्या रामो राजीवलोचनः ॥ २५ ॥
You are wise and have to manage yourself in the manner of the felicitous and lotus-eyed Rama, with a mind free from (worldly) attachments.
लक्ष्मणो भरतश्चैव शत्रुघ्नश्च महामनाः ।
कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च सीता दशरथस्तथा ॥ २६ ॥
(Know that) Lakshmana, Bharata, the great minded Satrughna, Kausalya, Sita, Sumitra as well as Dasaratha;—
कृतास्त्रश्चाऽविरोधश्च बोधपारमुपागताः ।
वसिष्ठो वामदेवश्च मन्त्रिणोऽष्टौ तथेतरे ॥ २७ ॥
With Kritastra and the two friends of Rama, and Vasishtha and Vamadeva, and the eight ministers of state as well as many others, had reached the summit of knowledge.
धृष्टिर्जयन्तो भासश्च सत्यो विजय एव च ।
विभीषणः सुषेणश्च हनुमानिन्द्रजित्तथा ॥ २८ ॥
Their names are Dhrishta, Jayanta, Bhasa, Satya, Vijaya, Vibishanah, Sushena and Hanumana. And also Indrajita.
एतेऽष्टौ मन्त्रिणः प्रोक्ताः समनीरागचेतसः ।
जीवन्मुक्ता महात्मानो यथाप्राप्तानुवर्तिनः ॥ २९ ॥
These were the eight ministers of Rama, who are said to have been equally dispassionate in their minds, and content with what was their lot. They were great souls, and free in their lives.
एतैर्यथा हुतं दत्तं गृहीतमुषितं स्मृतम् ।
तथा चेद्वर्तसे पुत्र मुक्त एवासि संकटात् ॥ ३० ॥
Well my son, if you follow the manner in which these men observed sacrificial rites, gave and received their offerings, and how they lived and thought, you are at once freed from the turmoils.
अपारसंसारसमुद्रपाती लब्ध्वा परां युक्तिमुदारसत्त्वः ।
न शोकमायाति न दैन्यमेति गतज्वरस्तिष्ठति नित्यतृप्तः ॥ ३१ ॥
One fallen in this boundless ocean of the world, may enjoy (the bliss of) liberation by the magnanimity of his Aatman. He shall not come across grief or destitution, but remain ever satisfied by being freed from the fever of anxiety.
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