Summary
Lakshmana reasons with Rama regarding the drastic action Rama is about to take in annihilating [nullify or destroying] the worlds. He says many pithy [concise] references in dissuading [to advise a person against something] Rama. This chapter likens to Bhagavad Gita, as its terse [polished] version.
Chapter [Sarga] 66 in Detail
tam tathaa shoka sa.ntaptam vilapa.ntam anaathavat |
mohena mahataa aavistam paridyuunam acetanam || 4-66-1
tatah saumitrih aashvaasya muhuurtaat iva laksmanah |
raamam sa.mbodhayaamaasa caranau ca abhipiidayan || 4-66-2
While Rama is bewailing like a forlorn [miserable man] as his anguish is scorching him, rendered impoverished with an inanimate heart as a high passion possessed him, Lakshmana, the son of Sumitra, suppliantly gripped his feet and started to address him. [4-66-1, 2]
mahataa tapasaa raama mahataa ca api karmanaa |
raajnaa dasharathena asi labdho amritam iva amaraih || 4-66-3
"Oh, Rama, as gods have reaped ambrosia after a prolonged churning of Milky Ocean, you are a reap of King Dasharatha's superlative ascesis and even by his superior acts... [4-66-3]
tava caiva gunaih baddhah tvat viyogaat mahipatih |
raajaa devatvam aapanno bharatasya yathaa shrutam || 4-66-4
"Our father was an enlivener of all the subjects and that king was beholden only to your rosy endowments, but he obtained godhood by your separation... this is what we heard from Bharata... [4-66-4]
yadi duhkham idam praaptam kaakutstha na sahisyase |
praakritah ca alpa sattvah ca itarah kah sahisyati || 4-66-5
"If you are unable to withstand this anguish chanced on you, oh, Kakutstha, then how a simpleton and whose boldness is meager can withstand it... [4-66-5]
aashvasihi narashrestha praaninah kasya na aapada |
sa.msprishanti agnivat raajan kshanena vyapayaanti ca || 4-66-6
"Oh, first and foremost man, tell me who is uncaught by mischance, which mischance will be catchy like fire-catch, and oh, king, even that, that lets up momently... [4-66-6]
duhkhito hi bhavaan lokaan tejasaa yadi dhaksyate |
aartaah prajaa nara vyaaghra kva nu yaasyanti nir.hvritim || 4-66-7
"If you are going to blaze away worlds with your radiance in your ruefulness, to where the ordinary people in rue shall go for solace, really... [4-66-7]
loka svabhaava eva esa yayaatih nahusa aatmajah |
gatah shakrena saalokyam anayah tam samasprishat || 4-66-8
"World's disposition is this way only, even if Nahusha, the son Yayaati, has become an egalitarian with Indra, writhe touched him off... [4-66-8]
mahaarisi yah vasisthah tu yah pituh nah purohitah |
ahnaa putra shatam jajne tathaiva asya punar hatam || 4-66-9
"Which great sage Vashishta is there, who is also the priest of our father, he parented a hundred sons in one day and like that they are all eliminated in one day by Vishvamitra, for which Vashishta also lamented, but not for a long... [4-66-9]
yaa ca iyam jagato maataa sarva loka namaskritaa |
asyaah ca calanam bhuumeh drishyate kosaleshvara || 4-66-10
"This Mother Earth who is the mother of worlds and venerated by all animate and inanimate, or even celestial beings, oh, king of Kosala kingdom, even she undergoes tremors and earthquakes... [4-66-10]
yau dharmau jagataam netre yatra sarvam pratisthitam |
aaditya candrau grahanam abhyupetau mahaabalau || 4-66-11
"Which duteous pair is the pair of eyes of the world in whom all the systems of world are peremptory, though that pair of Sun and Moon are doughtily influential in this solar system, eclipse draws nigh of them... [4-66-11]
sumahaanti api bhuutaani devaah ca purusa risabha |
na daivasya pramuncanti sarva bhuutaani dehinah || 4-66-12
"Even very great incorporates like earth and suchlike planets, oh, bullish man, or even the gods, or even all corporeal beings, cannot get release from the predestine of Supreme Being... [4-66-12]
shakra aadisu api devesu vartamaanau naya anayau |
shruuyete nara shaarduula na tvam vyathitum ar.hhasi || 4-66-13
"Oh, tigerly-man, we hear that whether gods like Indra et al., are ethical and/or unethical, yet they too have the resultant agonies and ecstasies... hence, it is inapt of you to fret thyself... [4-66-13]
hritaayaam api vaidehyaam nastaayaam api raaghava |
shocitum na arhase viira yathaa anyah praakritah tathaa || 4-66-14
"Whether Vaidehi is stolen or slain, oh, brave one, it will be inapt of you sadden like this as with any other commoner without tracking her whereabouts... [4-66-14]
tvat vidhaa nahi shocanti satatam sarva darshinah |
sumahatsu api kricchresu raama anir.hvinna darshanaah || 4-66-15
"Persons of your like who are always equable in their outlook, oh, Rama, they will remain non-dispirited even if they are undergoing desperate straits, and they will not just sadden like this... [4-66-15]
tattvato hi narashrestha buddhyaa samanuci.ntaya |
buddhyaa yuktaa mahaapraajnaa vijaananti shubha ashubhe || 4-66-16
"Oh, foremost man among men, you ratiocinate [reason] in subtle pursuit, objectively and brainily, and great brains will comprehend good and bad in subtlety [delicate] with their braininess... [4-66-16]
adrista guna dosaanaam adhrivaanaam ca karmanaam |
na a.ntarena kriyaam tesaam phalam istam ca var.htate || 4-66-17
"Indiscernible are the rights and wrongs of actions, and indefinite are the cherished fruits of those actions, and without performing any action, fruits also will be nonexistent... [4-66-17]
maam evam hi puraa viira tvam eva bahusho uktavaan |
anushisyaat hi ko nu tvaam api saaksaat brihaspatih || 4-66-18
"Oh valiant one, indeed you alone have said this way to me previously and repeatedly, who really can profess you even he were to be professedly the Jupiter... [4-66-18]
buddhih ca te mahaapraajna devaih api durhanvayaa |
shokena abhiprasuptam te jnaanam sambodhayaami aham || 4-66-19
"Oh, great discerner, your thinking process is non-explicatory even to gods, but now that thinking process is obliquely and utterly slumberous owing to your sadness, hence I am addressing your percipience and this is no school teaching... [4-66-19]
divyam ca maanusam ca evam aatmanah ca paraakramam |
iksvaaku vrisabha aveksya yatasva dvisataam vadhe || 4-66-20
"Oh, foremost one among Ikshvaku, oh, Rama, contemplate the divineness of those immortals and their pure being in maintaining world order, also consider the humanness of these mortals and their helpless susceptibility to pain, also count on your own valor that which can annihilate the whole of anything... and then come to conclusion whether or not to annihilate everything... but, before that try hard to eliminate the abuser, lest he may abuse many others... [4-66-20]
kim te sarva vinaashena kritena purusa risabha |
tam eva tu ripum paapam vijnaaya uddhartum arhasi || 4-66-21
"Oh, best one among men, what is it you gain on performing a complete annihilation owing to a single soul's malefaction, hence, mark him... that malefactor and a malevolent of yours, and it will be apt of you to uproot him... him alone... [4-66-21]
iti vaalmiiki raamaayane aadi kaavye aranya kaande sats sastitamah sargah
Thus, this is the 66th chapter in Aranya Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate