SECTION LXXXIII.
Hearing the terrible war-cry of the Rākshasas and monkeys Rāghava spoke unto Jāmbavān, saying:—"O gentle one, forsooth hath Hanumān performed some mighty act—for I hear the dreadful sound of the weapons. Do thou therefore proceed speedily, O lord of bears, with all thy soldiers to assist that foremost of monkeys.
Thereupon, saying, ’So be it,’ that king of bears, surrounded by his forces, approached the Western gate, where the monkey, Hanumān, was stationed. And then the lord of bears saw Hanumān approach, surrounded by monkeys sighing hard, who had faught the fight. And seeing on the way that host of bears dreadful and resembling dark clouds, on the march, Hanumān made them desist. And that illustrious one along with that force, speedily presented himself (before Rāma), and with a heavy heart addressed him, saying—"As we were fighting in the field, Rāvana’s son, Indrajit in our very sight slew Sitā, crying (in distress). O subduer of enemies, seeing her (in this plight) I, with my senses bewildered, have been overwhelmed with grief. Therefore I have come unto thee to inform thee of what hath befallen". Hearing these words of his, Rāghava, overwhelmed with grief, dropped down to the earth, like a tree whose roots have been severed. Seeing the god-like Rāghava down on the earth, the foremost monkeys from all sides rushed forward and came to where (he was). And with water scented with lotuses,³⁴⁰ they fell to sprinkling that one resembling a furious fire³⁴¹ that hath suddenly arisen. Thereat Lakshmana overcome with sorrow, embracing Rāma, spoke unto him words fraught with reason and import,—"Profitless³⁴² virtue is incapable, O noble one, of delivering from calamaties thee, who hast subdued thy senses, and who ever abidest in the good path. Beings and the mobile as well as the immobile cannot have that direct perception of virtue which they have of happiness. Therefore, I ween, virtue is a non-entity. Inasmuch as the mobile (albeit devoid of any regard for virtue) are nevertheless happy, and as the mobile also are so, this virtue cannot lead to happiness. (If it were so), one like thee would have not been placed in peril. If unrighteousness would bring unhappiness on creatures, Rāvana should hence to hell, and thou possessed of virtue, shouldst not come by misfortune. And seeing that he is free from danger, and thou art in it, righteousness and its opposite are found to have tendencies the very reverse of those assigned to them respectively (by the Vedas). And if by means of virtue, one attaineth the felicity attached to it, and by means of unrighteouness, one reapeth its proper fruit, then let those that are unrighteous reap the fruit of their impiety,—nor let those that set their face against sin, be deprived of the fruit of their righteousness; and let those that walk in the way of virtue reap the fruit of their piety. But as prosperity attendeth those that are established in un-righteousness, and as those regardful of righteousness fare lamentably,—these³⁴³ have not the senses assigned to them (by the scriptures). If, O Rāghava, (it is contended that) unrighteousness cutteth off the wicked, then whom shall unrighteousness, himself slain by the act of slaughter of the destroyer,—slay in his turn? Or if it is said that one is slain or slayeth another by ordinance, then it is Destiny, which is touched by the sinful act and not he. O chastiser of foes, incapable of meting out retribution,³⁴⁴—unmanifest itself, and non-existent, how can virtue, even if we grant its existence, find out the person that should be slain? If, O foremost of the good, it had existed, thou wouldst not have come by any misfortune. But inasmuch as thou hast fallen into this plight, there is no such thing as virtue. Or itself feeble and impotent, it taketh refuge in manliness. And being powerless and bereft of dignity, it should, I deem, by no means be followed. And if virtue is a property of manliness, then carefully forsaking virtue, do thou follow strength as thou hast hitherto followed virtue. But, O subduer of enemies, if truthfulness be virtue, art thou not bound by that departing from which the king lost his life?³⁴⁵ And, O chastiser of foes, if virtue must be practised above all, or if prowess must have precedence,—then the thunder-handed Satakratu would not have celebrated his sacrifice, slaying the ascetic.³⁴⁶ O Rāghava, virtue aided by prowess, destroyeth enemies. Therefore, O Kākutstha, people, for compassing their ends, resort to both virtue and prowess. This, sire, is my opinion: this, O Rāghava, is virtue. But thou, having then renounced the kingdom, hast laid the axe at the root³⁴⁷ of righteousness. Like streams issuing out mountains, all acts spring from wealth flowing from various regions and attaining magnitude. Like a shrunken stream in summer, all the acts of that foolish person who hath been divorced by wealth, are annihilated.—He that renouncing riches within his reach,³⁴⁸ hankers after enjoyment,—being carried away by his overmastering desire, taketh to getting at wealth by sinful acts; and then he incurreth guilt. Unto him that hath wealth are friends, unto him that hath wealth are acquaintances,—he that hath wealth is an individuality in this world, and he that hath wealth is a learned person. He that hath wealth is powerful; he that hath wealth is intelligent; he that hath wealth is mighty-armed; and he that hath wealth is full of all graces. All these that I have ennumerated are the evils of forsaking fortune. (I cannot divine) what made thee, renouncing the monarchy, to adopt such a course.—He that hath riches, hath virtue and desire attending on him, and hath everything auspicious. That one without wealth, that seeketh it, cannot secure the wealth of prowess, without riches and desire. And, O lord of men, cheerfulness, and desire, and pride, and piety, and anger, and self-restraint, and self-control—all these come from wealth. As the planets are not discovered on a stormy day, that wealth, the want of which renders this world naught even unto the ascetics practising righteousness,—is not visible in thee. O hero, thou having abode by the words of thy superior and having come (to the forest), thy wife dearer then life itself hath been ravished by Rakshas. But, O hero, to-day, O Rāghava, by my acts will I remove this huge sorrow that hath been heaped upon us by Indrajit. Therefore, rise thou up. Rise up, O foremost of men, O long-armed one, O thou who observest vows. Why dost thou not understand thyself as the Supreme Soul?³⁴⁹ And, O sinless one, urged on behalf of thy welfare, I, waxing wroth on hearing of the slaughter of Janaka’s daughter, shall with my shafts entirely raze to the ground Lankā with cars and elephants and steeds and the foremost Rakshas".
³⁴⁰ Padmatpalasugandhibhih—water scented with padmas—lotuses
proper, and utpalas—blue lotuses—(Nymphea cerulea).—T.
³⁴¹ ’Rāma,’ remarks the commentator, ’was a fire lighted by his grierf
for Sitā.’—T.
³⁴² ’Profitless,’ although apparently an epithet of virtue, is really the predicate of the sentence. ’Virtue, incapable of delivering thee…..is profitless.’—T.
³⁴³ Virtue and vice.
³⁴⁴ ’In consequence,’ remarks Rāmanuja, ’of their being devoid of consciousness.’
³⁴⁵ Explains the commentator,—’King Daçaratha lost his life, because he did not observe his word of installing thee in the kingdom. Art thou not bound by his word as well?’—T.
³⁴⁶ The Logic is all in a jumble; but such is the text. The ascetic was Viçwarupa. The meaning, according to the commentator, is that, prowess is first and virtue next. Indra first used force, and then acquired merit.—T.
³⁴⁷ ’Root’, remarks Rāmānuja,—’which is interest!’
³⁴⁸ The commentator would have ’gotten riches.’
³⁴⁹ Rāma is conceived as an incarnation of Vishnu.—T.