(7) Rama's state of depression

EXTRACT FROM VAIRAAGYA PRAKARANAM

[Rama’s attendants report Rama’s depressed state to the king]

देहयष्टिमिमां देव धारयन्तेमे वयं खिन्नाः खेदे परिम्लानतनौ रामे सुते तव। रामो राजीवपत्राक्षो यतःप्रभृति चागतः सविप्रस्तीर्थयात्रायास्ततःप्रभृति दुर्मनाः यत्नप्रार्थनयास्माकं निजव्यापारमाह्निकं सायमम्लानवदनःकरोति न क​​रोति वा । स्नानदेवार्चनादानभोजनादिषु दुर्मनाः प्रार्थितोऽपि हि नातृप्तेरश्नात्यशनमीश्वरः । 

“Deva, it is indeed a sad state that we still keep these logs of bodies alive when your son Rama acts so dejected and is withering away like this. From the very day he came back from his sacred tour with the Brahmins, Rama with eyes resembling lotus petals, acting depressed in the mind, performs (with disinterest) or (completely) refrains from the regular rites of the morning and evening times, though reminded by us with repeated tries. Being averse to bathing, worship of deities, accepting gifts, eating etc, the prince does not eat anything though we plead with him, feeling highly concerned about his health.

लोलान्तःपुरनारीभिर्कृत​दोलाभिरङ्गणे न च क्रीडति लीलाभिर्धाराभिरिव चातकः।माणिक्यमुकुलप्रोताकेयूरकटकावलिर्नानन्दयन्ति तं राजन्द्यौर्पातविषयं यथा । क्रीडत्वधूविलोकेषु वहत्कुसुमवायुषु लतावलयगेहेषु भवत्यतिविषादवान्।

“He does not play and sport in the swings with the pretty attendant-maids of his palace play-ground as does a Chaataka bird enjoying the rains. The bracelets and armlets made with bud-like gems, does not please him at all, like a heavenly being does not like to fall from his lofty state. (He feels that such things are too lowly and dirt-like.) He feels sorrowful when inside the bowers of creepers where the winds carry the fragrance of flowers, and where sport the beautiful girls trying to attract him. 

यद्द्रव्यमुचितं स्वादु पेशलं चित्तहारि च​ बाष्पपूर्णेक्षणैरेव​ तेनैव परिखिद्यते । किमिमाः दुःखदायिन्यः प्रस्फुरन्तीः पुराङ्गनाः इति नृत्यविलासेषु कामिनीः परिनिन्दति । भोजनं शयनं यानं विलासं स्नानमासन- मुन्मत्तचेष्टितेव​ नाभिनन्दत्यनिन्दितम् । किं संपदा किं विपदा किं गेहेन किमिङ्गितैः सर्वमेवासदित्युक्त्या तूष्णीमेकोऽवतिष्टते । नोदेति परिहासेषु न भोगेषु निमज्जति न च तिष्टति कार्येषु मौनमेवावलम्बते ।

“Whatever object is presented to him suited to his tastes, attractive, interesting and pleasing, he feels sad by their sight with his eyes getting filled with tears. When dances are performed in front of him, he blames those girls saying ‘why these girls are trying to hurt me’. He does not show interest in tasty foods, soft beds, speedy vehicles, variety of sports, bathing in cool rivers, staying amidst flowery bowers, as if these are all the things belonging to insane persons. ‘What matters if there is prosperity or calamity, what value is the grand palace house or the various desire fulfillments; everything is unreal and momentary,’ saying these words he reverts off to silence and seeks solitude.  He does not show interest in amusements; nor does he drown in pleasures. He does not do the routine works; but stays always silent.

विलोलालकवल्लर्यो हेलावलितलोचनाः नानन्दयन्ति तं नार्यो मृग्यो वनतरुं यथा। एकान्तेषु दिगन्तेषु तीरेषु विपिनेषु च रतिमायात्यरण्येषु विक्रीत इव जन्तुषु ।

“The pretty girls like graceful creepers with their beautiful curly hairs and with their amorous looks do not interest him any more like the female deer does not attract a forest tree. (He shows no emotional response to anything around, staying like the emotion-less inert tree.)  He wants to be all alone in solitude in lonely places like the river banks, forest groves; and like a slave sold off stays away from all the people (alone and sorrowful about his plight).

वस्त्रपानाशनादानपराङग्मुखतया तया परिव्राड्धर्मिणं भूप सोऽनुयाति तपस्विनम् । एकैव​ वसन्देशे जनशून्ये जनेश्वर न हसत्येकया बुद्ध्या न गायति न रोदिति बद्धपद्मासनः शून्यमना वामकरस्थले कपोलतलमादाय केवलं परितिष्टति । नाभिमानमुपादत्ते न च वाञ्छति राजताम्नोदेति नास्तमायाति सुखदुःखानुवृत्तिषु ।

“Not interested in dressing up, or drinking, or eating, he acts like an ascetic who has taken the vow of renunciation. Always staying at places empty of people hey king, he remains silent; does not laugh (by thinking about youthful pleasures); does not sing (by losing himself in the beauty of nature); does not cry also (getting pained by some ordinary misconduct of his brothers), but is lost in some unfathomable thoughts (in a very serious manner). Seated in the lotus posture, holding his chin with his left hand he remains staring at nothing in particular.  He does not feel proud (of his royal status); nor does he desire the royalty! He does not feel elated or depressed in happy or sad occasions.

न विद्मः किमसौ याति किं करोति किमीहते किं ध्यायति किमायाति कथं किमनुधावति । प्रत्यहं कृशतामेति प्रत्यहं याति पाण्डुतां विरागं प्रत्यहं याति शरदन्त इव द्रुमः । अनुयातौ तथैवेतौ राजञ्छत्रुघ्नलक्ष्मणौ तादृशावेव तस्यैव प्रतिबिम्बाविव स्थितौ । भृत्यै राजभिरम्बाभिः संपृष्टोऽपि पुनःपुनरुक्त्वा न किंचिदेवेति तूष्णीमास्ते निरीहितः ।

“We cannot comprehend what his wants are, what his thoughts are, or what is he after. He is gradually becoming paler and thinner, and is showing increased disinterest in everything like the tree at the end of autumn season (which stands bare without leaves or flowers, shedding off everything). His brothers Shatrughna and Lakshmana also who always act as the followers of their brother act like his reflections hey Raajan (and show disinterest in everything like him). Though the other kings, mothers and servants inquire about his problems repeatedly, he says ‘nothing is the problem’ and stays silent not interested in any more talks.

आपातमात्रहृद्येषु मा भोगेषु मनःकृथाः इति पार्श्वगतं भव्यमनुशास्ति सुहृज्जनम्।नानाविभवरम्यासु स्त्रीषु गोष्टीगतासु च पुरस्थितमिवास्नेहोनाशमेवानुपश्यति । 
नीतमायुरनायासपदप्राप्तिविवर्जितैर्चेष्टितैरिति काकल्या भूयोभूयःप्रगायति। सम्राड्भवेति पार्श्वस्थं वदन्तमनुजीविनं प्रलपन्तमिवोन्मत्तं हसन्त्य​न्यमनामुनिः । न प्रोक्तमाकर्णयति ईक्षते न पुरोगतं करोत्यवज्ञ्नां सर्वत्र सुसमेत्यापि वस्तुनि । अप्याकाशसरोजिन्या अप्याकाशमहावने इत्थमेतन्मन इति विस्मयोऽस्य न जायते । कान्तामध्यगतस्यापि मनोऽस्य मदनेषवः न भेदयन्ति दुर्भेद्यं धारा इव महोपलम् ।

“‘Do not be attracted by pleasures which please only at the moment of experience’ so he instructs his close friends who stay next to him.  He shows disinterest in all the various amusements art-forms presented by girls, and assembly of friends, and looks them as impending destruction. ‘Ah the life is ebbing away with actions which never lead to the Supreme rest’ he sings again and again like this with a pitiful voice. If anyone addresses him as the future emperor, he like a ‘Muni’ stares at him as if that person is crazy and is blabbering nonsense; and laughs aloud at him. He does not pay attention to anything spoken to him; he does not see with interest whatever is in front of him; he ignores any thing that is brought to him with care.  He never feels surprised or amazed at anything and considers them as mind-made only, like the lotus blooming in the sky or the forest covering the sky. Though he is in the midst of attractive girls, the arrows of Manmatha do not pierce his mind like the rains falling on the hard rock-surface.

आपदामेकमावासमभिवाञ्छसि किं धनमनुशिष्येति सर्वस्वमर्थिने संप्रयच्छति । इयमापादियं संपदित्येवं कल्पनामयः मनसोऽभ्युदितो मोहेति श्लोकान्प्रगायति । हा हतोऽहमनाथोऽहमित्याक्रन्दपरोऽपि सन्न​ जनो याति वैराग्यं चित्रमित्येव वक्त्यसौ ।

“‘Do you want to possess the wealth which is the one and only abode of all calamities? Take it all!’ so saying he gives off everything to the needy. He recites verses which instruct ‘this is prosperity; this is calamity; all these imagined concepts and mind-made delusions’. He says with amusement ‘though a man screams that he is ruined and is an orphan, he does not get any dispassion (even when met with worst circumstances of life); it is indeed strange!’

रघुकाननशालेन रामेण रिपुघातिना भृशमित्थं स्थितेनैव वयं खेदमुपागताः । न विद्मः किं महाबाहो तस्य तादृशचेतसः कुर्मः कमलपत्राक्ष गतिरत्र हि नो भवान् ।

“Since Rama the Shaala tree of Raghu-forest, the destroyer of all enemies, stays in this condition, we are extremely worried. We do not know hey MahaaBaahu how to react to him. Hey lotus eyed one, you alone are our refuge.

राजानमथवा विप्रमुपदेष्टारमग्रतः हसत्यज्ञ्नमिवाव्यग्रः सोऽवधीरयति प्रभो । यदेवेदमिदं स्फारं जगन्नाम यदुत्थितं नैतद्वस्तु न चैवाहमिति निर्णीय संस्थितः ।

“If any King or any Brahmin tries to instruct him about anything pertaining to the administration science, he smiles at them as if he does not understand their words, and ignores them. ‘That which is spread out all around with the name of Jagat is not real; nor am I real’; thus he stays ascertained.

नारौ नात्मनि नो मित्रे न राज्ये न च मातरि न संपदा न विपदा तस्यास्था न विभो बहिः ।

“Lord, he shows no interest anything outside like women (pleasures), himself (his well-being), friends (company), kingdom (royal status), mothers (attachment to relatives), wealth (possessions), and calamities (safety of oneself).

निरस्थास्थो निराशोऽसौ निरीहोऽसौ निरास्पदः न मूढो न च मुक्तोऽसौ तेन तप्यामहे भृशम् । किं धनेन किमम्बाभिः किं राज्येन किमीहया इति निश्चयवानन्तः प्राणत्यागपरः स्थितः ।

“He has no ambitions yet acts disappointed; he has no desires yet acts restless; he is not foolish yet not free of worries also. That is why we are concerned so much. ‘Of what use is wealth, mothers, kingdom or desire-fulfillments,’ thus despising everything, he is ready to give up his life also.

भोगेऽप्यायुषि राज्येषु मित्रे पितरि मातरि परमुद्वेगमायातश्चातकोऽवग्रहे यथा ।

“Like a Chaataka bird suffers when the rains are absent, he suffers at the sight of pleasures, life, kingdoms, friends, fathers and mothers (as if scorched by their presence).

इति तोके समायातां शाखाप्रसरशालिनीमापत्तामलमुद्धर्तुं समुदेतु दयापरः।

“Let the compassionate master uproot this tree of depression growing fast spreading out its branches in his dear child.

तस्य तादृक्स्वभावस्य समग्रविभवान्वितं संसारजालमाभोगि प्रभो प्रतिविषायते।

“Prabhu, when he is acting like this depressed at everything and everybody, the whole world filled in entirety with enjoyments is slowly poisoning him.

ईदृशः स्यान्महासत्त्वः क​ इवास्मिन्महीतले प्रकृते व्यवहारे तं यो निवेशयितुं क्षमः । मनसि मोहमपास्य महामनाः सकलमार्तितमः किल साधुतां सफलतां नयतीह तमो हरन्दिनकरो भुवि भास्करतामिव ॥

Which great man is there in this world, who is capable of getting him engaged in the regular activities? Which noble person will remove completely the darkness of his mind (in the form of doubts and apprehensions) through proper instructions, like the sun shining over the earth with the lustrous rays removes the darkness instantly?