Passage 1
ब्रह्मोवाच— तत्सभासंस्थितो विद्वान् जाबालिर्नाम वै मुनिः। निवर्तयन्तं भरतं राममेतदुवाच ह॥१॥
Brahmā said: A learned sage named Jābāli, seated in that assembly, spoke to Rāma as Bharata tried to bring him back.
Passage 2
भो भो राम महाबाहो धर्मात्मन् सत्यसंगर। किं ते मयोपदेष्टव्यं विदुषः सर्ववेदिनः॥२॥
"Mighty-armed Rāma, righteous and true to your pledge, what instruction can I offer one so learned and all-knowing?
Passage 3
यज्ज्ञेयमखिलं राम तद्वेत्सि ज्ञानचक्षुषा। तवैव ज्ञानदीपेन प्रकाशन्तेऽखिला जनाः॥३॥
"Rāma, through the eye of knowledge you know everything that can be known. All people are illuminated by your lamp of wisdom.
Passage 4
यद्विशुद्धतमं ज्ञानं प्रकाशयति विश्वतः। न तदन्यस्य मर्त्यस्य न चामर्त्यस्य कस्यचित्॥४॥
"The utterly pure knowledge that illumines the universe belongs to no other mortal or immortal being.
Passage 5
एकस्त्वमात्मा सर्वेषामात्मनां प्रियकृत्प्रियः। जाने त्वां ज्ञानदृष्ट्याहं परमं पुरुषं प्रभो॥५॥
"You alone are the Self of every self, loving and beloved. Through the vision of knowledge I know you as the Supreme Person, Lord.
Passage 6
न ते समोऽन्यः पुरुषः सत्त्वौदार्यगुणादिभिः। कुतोऽस्त्वभ्यधिको लोके मर्त्यधर्मणि सर्वतः॥६॥
"No other person equals you in purity, generosity, virtue, and the rest. How could anyone in this mortal world surpass you?
Passage 7
त्वद्भाग्यमुपजीवन्ति ये केचिद्भाग्यसंयुताः। तवांशेनाखिलं विश्वं सर्वमेतत्प्रकाशते॥७॥
"All who possess good fortune live from your fortune, and this whole universe shines through a portion of you.
Passage 8
भाग्यवान् पुरुषो लोके यस्तेऽनुग्रहभाजनम्। यस्मै कुप्यसि लोकेश न ततो दुर्भगः परः॥८॥
"Fortunate is the person who receives your grace. Lord of the world, none is more unfortunate than one with whom you are displeased.
Passage 9
लोकाननुगृहाणेमानयोध्यावासिनोऽखिलान्। आत्मानमभिषिच्य त्वं शाधि राज्यं सनातनम्॥९॥
"Favor all these people of Ayodhyā. Consecrate yourself and govern your ancestral kingdom.
Passage 10
विधिना त्वं प्रदिष्टोऽसि प्रजानां प्रवरः प्रभुः। भजन्नौदास्यमेतासां मनः क्लिश्नासि राघव॥१०॥
"By destiny you are appointed the subjects' supreme lord. Rāghava, by remaining detached you torment their hearts.
Passage 11
सुमहाभ्युदयो लोके त्वयि राज्यं प्रकुर्वति। अतोऽभ्युदयिनः कुर्याज्जनानेतान् निजाश्रितान्॥११॥
"The world will attain immense prosperity when you rule. Therefore make these people who depend upon you prosper.
Passage 12
नोदासीः क्षत्रवंशाब्धिप्रमोदनकलानिधे। मर्दयित्वाखिलान् विघ्नान् लोकं योजय मङ्गलैः॥१२॥
"Do not remain indifferent, treasury of arts who delights the ocean of the royal lineage. Crush every obstacle and unite the world with auspiciousness.
Passage 13
अमीषामात्मनाथानां जनानां कुरु रक्षणम्। नोदासीः सौभगनिधे भवानेकः समाश्रयः॥१३॥
"Protect these people who regard you as lord of their souls. Do not remain indifferent, treasury of fortune; you alone are their refuge.
Passage 14
पाहि स्वधर्मं धर्मात्मन् नान्यधर्ममुपाचर। कार्याकार्ये विजानाति भवान् स्वपरधर्मयोः॥१४॥
"Righteous one, preserve your own dharma and do not practice another's. You know what should and should not be done in your own duty and another's.
Passage 15
यस्यांशाः सकला वै हि सर्वेऽवताराः कृष्णादयः। स वै राम त्वं सर्वेशस्तेषां वै हि नियामकः॥१५॥
"Rāma, all avatāras, beginning with Kṛṣṇa, are portions of you. You are Lord of all and truly their governor.
Passage 16
भुङ्क्ष्व निष्कण्टकं राज्यमात्मनो भागमुत्तमम्। जनानुद्विजतश्चैतान् स्वस्थान् कुरु महामते॥१६॥
"Enjoy the trouble-free kingdom, your excellent inheritance, and restore these distressed people to their proper places, wise Lord.
Passage 17
आत्मनोऽनुचितां विद्धि राजसूनो वनस्थितिम्। अयोध्यामावसन् रम्यां भुवं भुङ्क्ष्व स्वधर्मतः॥१७॥
"Prince, know forest life to be unfitting for you. Reside in lovely Ayodhyā and rightfully govern the earth." Rāma Defends Truth
Passage 18
अथ तं रघुशार्दूलः परावर्तयितुं प्रभुम्। उवाच विनयोद्रेकं भरतं नतकन्धरः॥१८॥
Then the tiger among Raghus, his shoulders bowed in humility, answered amid the effort to turn the Lord back.
Passage 19
भवानप्येतदुन्मार्गगामिप्राकृतवद् ब्रुवन्। सत्यं समुच्छेदयसि तत्कं शरणमाप्नुमः॥१९॥
"When even you speak like an ordinary person following a wrong path and would uproot truth, whom can we take as refuge?
Passage 20
सत्येन प्रीयते स्वात्मा सत्येन स्वर्गमश्नुते। सत्येन देवा अचलाः सत्येन नियतं शुभम्॥२०॥
"Through truth the inner self is pleased and heaven attained. Through truth the gods remain steadfast and auspiciousness is secured.
Passage 21
यद्ददाति सुपात्रेभ्यो यद्देवान् यजते पुनः। यज्जुहोति समिद्धेऽग्नौ यत्तपस्यति संयतः॥२१॥
"Whatever one gives to worthy recipients, whatever gods one worships, whatever one offers into blazing fire, and whatever disciplined austerity one performs—
Passage 22
तत्सत्येनैव कुरुते सर्वं कर्मफलोन्मुखम्। असत्यभाषिणो मन्ये सर्वमेव निरर्थकम्॥२२॥
"—all becomes fruitful only through truth. I regard everything done by a speaker of falsehood as meaningless.
Passage 23
सत्यमेकं महन्मूलं धर्मस्याभ्युदयस्य च। क आत्मनोऽशुभं कुर्यादसत्ये पथि वर्तितः॥२३॥
"Truth alone is the great root of dharma and prosperity. Who would bring evil upon himself by following the path of falsehood?
Passage 24
एको बहूनामर्थाय पातकं कुरुते नरः। स्वयं सम्पच्यते घोरे नरके नेतरेऽर्थिनः॥२४॥
"One person may sin for the sake of many, but he alone is cooked in terrible hell, not the beneficiaries.
Passage 25
राज्यगृध्नुरहं नैव सत्यमुत्स्रष्टुमुत्सहे। किं मे बन्धुजनास्तत्र नरकक्लेशभागिनः॥२५॥
"I do not covet the kingdom and cannot abandon truth. What use would my kinsmen be there when I alone suffer hell's torment?
Passage 26
एकोऽहमेव विपक्ष्येऽहं नरके घोरदर्शने। अतः सत्योज्झितं मार्गं न त्वं शिक्षितुमर्हसि॥२६॥
"I alone would be cast into that dreadful hell. Therefore you should not teach me a path abandoned by truth.
Passage 27
कामान्मोहात्तथा लोभान्नाहं सत्यं समुत्सृजे। देवताः पितरः स्वर्गा यस्मिन्नेव प्रतिष्ठिताः॥२७॥
"I will not abandon truth through desire, delusion, or greed, for upon it the gods, ancestors, and heavens are established.
Passage 28
कृतानि तेन सर्वाणि पातकानि न संशयः। यः सत्यमनिवर्तेत कामतः पुरुषाधमः॥२८॥
"The lowest man who willfully turns from truth has undoubtedly committed every sin.
Passage 29
गुरोर्वचः समुत्सृज्य भरतस्य वचो भरन्। कथं न कुर्यामधमो गुरूणामतिवर्तनम्॥२९॥
"If I abandon my elder's word and instead bear Bharata's, how would I not be base and transgress against those worthy of reverence?"
Passage 30
इत्यादि बहुधा रामः प्रशंसन् सत्यभाषणम्। प्रत्यस्य जाबालिमतं तूष्णीमास्त महाशयः॥३०॥
Extolling truthful speech in many such ways, noble Rāma rejected Jābāli's position and fell silent. Vasiṣṭha's Cosmogony and Genealogy
Passage 31
जाबालेर्मतमुत्क्षिप्य वसिष्ठस्तमवोचत। जाबालिः किं विजानाति लोकयात्रागतागतम्॥३१॥
Setting aside Jābāli's opinion, Vasiṣṭha addressed Rāma: "What does Jābāli understand of the world's origin and course?
Passage 32
सैवं निवर्तनीयस्त्वं युक्तिरेषात्र राघव। आसीच्छून्यमिदं विश्वमसदेव ततश्च सत्॥३२॥
"His was only an argument for bringing you back, Rāghava. This universe was once empty and unmanifest; afterward it became manifest.
Passage 33
जलमेवासृजत् पूर्वं पुरुषः स्वापनं महत्। ब्रह्माण्डमसृजत्तत्र बीजमुप्त्वा सनातनम्॥३३॥
"The primordial Person first created the great waters as his resting place, then sowed the eternal seed there and created the cosmic egg.
Passage 34
तस्मिन्नजायत पुनः स्वयमेव स पुरुषः। उच्चावचानि भूतानि ससर्जाग्रे प्रजापतिः॥३४॥
"That Person then generated himself within it, and as Prajāpati first created beings high and low.
Passage 35
वेदमध्यापयामास तस्मै वरदराड् विभुः। लोकयात्राविधानानि ततो जज्ञे स आत्मवान्॥३५॥
"The mighty boon-giving sovereign taught him the Veda, and that self-possessed being then understood the ordinances governing the world.
Passage 36
मरीचिप्रमुखास्तस्य पुत्रा आसन् मनोभवाः। मरीचेः कश्यपस्तस्य समभूदाङ्गिरास्ततः॥३६॥
"His mind-born sons were headed by Marīci. From Marīci came Kaśyapa, and then Āṅgirasa arose.
Passage 37
प्रचेतास्तत्सुतो जातो मनुर्नाम महीपतिः। तस्येक्ष्वाकुरभूद् यो वः कुलज्येष्ठो महान् नृपः॥३७॥
"His son was Pracetas, and then the king named Manu was born. Manu's son was Ikṣvāku, the great king and eldest ancestor of your lineage.
Passage 38
तस्य वंशे त्वमभवः साक्षाद्वंशविभूषणः। मृतान्मा शोच भो विद्वन् वर्तमानान् प्रपालय॥३८॥
"You were born in that line as its manifest ornament. Learned Rāma, do not mourn the dead; protect the living.
Passage 39
प्रत्यक्षं धर्ममातिष्ठ मापरोक्षं च चिन्तय। वरिष्ठस्य वचोऽसह्यं मन्वानो रघुपुङ्गवः॥३९॥
"Practice the dharma directly before you and do not dwell upon what is unseen." The foremost Raghu found Vasiṣṭha's words intolerable—
Passage 40
विगर्हमाणस्तमथो उवाचेदं महायशाः। धर्मेण पूर्वे मनुजा जित्वेमं लोकमात्मना॥४०॥
—and the greatly renowned Rāma rejected the argument, saying: "By dharma the ancients mastered this world through their own discipline—
Passage 41
अमुं लोकमुपातिष्ठन् किं परोक्षं विगर्हसे। कथं पित्रा कृतं कर्म हन्यामहमधर्मतः॥४१॥
"—and attained the other world. Why do you disparage what is unseen? How could I unrighteously destroy the deed performed by my father?
Passage 42
अर्थगृध्नुं तु मां मत्वा नाधर्मे सम्प्रवर्तय। एतत्तेऽनुचितं वाक्यं रघूणां त्वं यतो हितः॥४२॥
"Do not suppose me greedy for gain and set me upon adharma. Such words are unfitting for you, who seek the welfare of the Raghus." Jābāli Clarifies His Argument
Passage 43
ततः कुप्यन्तमाज्ञाय रामं लोहितलोचनम्। पुनरूचे स जाबालिरन्यन्मृदुतरं वचः॥४३॥
Recognizing that red-eyed Rāma was angry, Jābāli spoke again in a gentler way.
Passage 44
प्रत्यक्षबलमास्थाय कः परोक्षं विगर्हताम्। निवर्तनाय ते विद्वन् वयं सर्वे समागताः॥४४॥
"Who would rely only on visible evidence and condemn the unseen? Learned Rāma, we have all assembled to bring you back.
Passage 45
निवर्तस्व वनाद् राम मान्यान् मानय सम्प्रति। निशम्य जाबालिवचः पुनरूचे रघूद्वहः॥४५॥
"Return from the forest, Rāma, and now honor these venerable people." Hearing Jābāli's words, the foremost Raghu replied again.
Passage 46
यो मे प्रियहितो लोके स नेत्थमभिभाषताम्। नाहं द्विर्भाषितुं जाने ब्रह्मणापि प्रयोजितः॥४६॥
"Let no one who loves me and seeks my welfare speak this way. I do not know how to speak twice, even if Brahmā himself should urge me.
Passage 47
कृत्वा मिथ्या गिरं तातं स्वर्गे लोकेऽपि गर्हितम्। नद्यां संस्मृत्य गोत्रादि कस्य देयोऽञ्जलिर्मया॥४७॥
"If I make Father's word false and leave him condemned even in heaven, whose lineage should I recall and to whom should I offer water in the river?
Passage 48
सोऽहं सत्यगिरं कर्तुं धार्मिकं तातमात्मनः। निर्वर्तिष्ये वनान्नैव यावद्वर्षाश्चतुर्दश॥४८॥
"To make my righteous father's word true, I will not return from the forest until the fourteen years are complete."
Passage 49
ततो वसिष्ठजाबालिप्रमुखाः परमर्षयः। दृष्टान्तदर्शनैर्ज्ञानैर्युक्तिभिश्चाप्यनेकशः॥४९॥
Then the great sages headed by Vasiṣṭha and Jābāli employed examples, philosophical views, knowledge, and many arguments—
Passage 50
न्यवर्तयन् वनाद् रामं न तु शेकुर्निवर्तितुम्॥५०॥
—seeking to turn Rāma back from the forest, but they could not make him return.
Passage 51
सर्वे मुनीन्द्राः प्रकृतिप्रधानाः सन्मन्त्रिणोऽमात्यवराः समन्तात्। अरण्यवासाद्विनिवर्तयन्तो निर्बन्धमास्थाय चिराय तस्थुः॥५१॥
All the eminent sages, leading citizens, good counselors, and foremost officials surrounded Rāma and persisted for a long time, determined to turn him back from forest life.