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Yoga Vashishtha 1.8.1~34
(Dashrath's plea)
तच्छ्रुत्वा राजशार्दूलो विश्वामित्रस्य भाषितम् ।
मुहूर्तमासीन्निश्चेष्टः सदैन्यं चेदमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
दशरथ उवाच।
ऊनषोडशवर्षोऽयं रामो राजीवलोचनः ।
न युद्धयोग्यतामस्य पश्यामि सह राक्षसैः ॥ २ ॥
इयमक्षौहिणी पूर्णा यस्याः पतिरहं प्रभो ।
तया परिवृतो युद्धं दास्यामि पिशिताशिनाम् ॥ ३ ॥
इमे हि शूरा विक्रान्ता भृत्या मन्त्रविशारदाः ।
अहं चैषां धनुष्पाणिर्गोप्ता समरमूर्धनि ॥ ४ ॥
एभिः सहैव वीराणां महेन्द्रमहतामपि।
ददामि युद्धं मत्तानां करिणामिव केसरी ॥ ५ ॥
बालो रामस्त्वनीकेषु न जानाति बलाबलम् ।
अन्तःपुरादृते दृष्टा नानेनान्या रणावनिः ॥ ६ ॥
न शस्त्रैः परमैर्युक्तो न च युद्धविशारदः ।
नवास्त्रैः शूरकोटीनां तज्ज्ञः समरभूमिषु ॥ ७ ॥
राक्षसाः क्रूरकर्माणः कूटयुद्धविशारदाः।
रामस्तान्योधयत्वित्थं युक्तिरेवातिदुःसहा ॥ १७ ॥
विप्रयुक्तो हि रामेण मुहूर्तमपि नोत्सहे ।
जीवितुं जीविताकांक्षी च रामं नेतुमर्हसि ॥ १८ ॥
किंवीर्या राक्षसास्ते तु कस्य पुत्राः कथं च ते ।
कियत्प्रमाणाः के चैव इति वर्णय मे स्फुटम् ॥ २४ ॥
कथं तेन प्रकर्तव्यं तेषां रामेण रक्षसाम् ।
मामकैर्बालकैर्ब्रह्मन्मया वा कूटयोधिनाम् ॥ २५ ॥
सर्वं मे शंस भगवन्यथा तेषां महारणे।
स्थातव्यं दुष्टभाग्यानां वीर्योत्सिक्ता हि राक्षसाः ॥ २६ ॥
श्रूयते हि महावीर्यो रावणो नाम राक्षसः ।
साक्षाद्वैश्रवणभ्राता पुत्रो विश्रवसो मुनेः ॥ २७ ॥
स चेत्तव मखे विघ्नं करोति किल दुर्मतिः ।
तत्संग्रामे न शक्ताः स्मो वयं तस्य दुरात्मनः ॥ २८ ॥
काले काले पृथग्ब्रह्मन्भूरिवीर्यविभूतयः ।
भूतेष्वभ्युदयं यान्ति प्रलीयन्ते च कालतः ॥ २९ ॥
अद्यास्मिंस्तु वयं काले रावणादिषु शत्रुषु ।
न समर्थाः पुरः स्थातुं नियतेरेष निश्चयः ॥ ३० ॥
तस्मात्प्रसादं धर्मज्ञ कुरु त्वं मम पुत्रके ।
मम चैवाल्पभाग्यस्य भवान्हि परदैवतम् ॥ ३१ ॥
देवदानवगन्धर्वा यक्षाः पतगपन्नगाः।
न शक्ता रावणं योद्धुं किं पुनः पुरुषा युधि ॥ ३२ ॥
महावीर्यवतां वीर्यमादत्ते युधि राक्षसः ।
तेन सार्धं न शक्ताः स्म संयुगे तस्य बालकैः ॥ ३३ ॥
अयमन्यतमः कालः पेलवीकृतसज्जनः ।
राघवोऽपि गतो दैन्यं यतो वार्धकजर्जरः ॥ ३४ ॥
1. Upon hearing the words of Sage Viśvāmitra, King Daśaratha, like a noble lion among kings, stood still for a moment, overwhelmed with sorrow, and then spoke in grief.
2. Dashrath said: “Rāma, my lotus-eyed son, is not yet sixteen years of age. I do not see him fit for battle, especially against the Rākṣasas.”
3. “I am the commander of a fully formed Akṣauhiṇī army. With this vast force surrounding me, I shall go to war against the flesh-eating demons.”
4. “These valiant men with me are brave and skilled in statecraft. I too, with bow in hand, am their leader in the thick of battle.”
5. “With these powerful heroes, I can even face the gods and mighty beings like Indra in war, as a lion takes on intoxicated elephants.”
6. “But Rāma is still a child. He has not learned to gauge strength or weakness on the battlefield. Apart from the inner chambers of the palace, he has not seen the world of war.”
7. “He is not yet equipped with great weapons, nor is he trained in the ways of battle. He does not yet possess the knowledge of advanced missiles or the strategies of warfare.”
17. “The Rākṣasas are cruel and well-versed in deceitful warfare. To think Rāma could battle such foes seems an unwise and unbearable proposition.”
18. “Deprived of Rāma, even for a moment, I cannot bear to live. I long for life, and therefore I beg you — please do not take Rāma away.”
24. “Tell me clearly — what is the strength of these Rākṣasas? Whose sons are they? What is their nature, and how powerful are they?”
25. “And how should Rāma deal with them? Or how could my young sons or I myself engage such masters of treacherous warfare?”
26. “Please, O holy one, tell me everything — how should we face these evil beings in the great battle? The Rākṣasas are known for their excessive strength.”
27. “It is heard that a mighty Rākṣasa named Rāvaṇa exists — none other than the brother of Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera), and the son of the sage Viśravas.”
28. “If that wicked-minded one seeks to disrupt your sacrifice, then I must admit — we are not capable of facing him in battle.”
29. “From time to time, O sage, various beings with immense strength arise in the world, only to dissolve again with time.”
30. “But at this present time, we are not capable of withstanding enemies like Rāvaṇa and his kin. This is the law of fate.”
31. “Therefore, I implore you, knower of dharma, be kind to me concerning my son. I, so unfortunate, see you as my supreme deity.”
32. “Even gods, demons, gandharvas, yakṣas, birds, and serpents are incapable of fighting Rāvaṇa. What to say then of mere humans?”
33. “He absorbs the strength of even the most heroic warriors in battle. We are not capable of confronting him, especially not with young boys.”
34. “This is a dark time when even the noble-hearted are diminished. I am moreover disabled by old age and want that spirit (that I was expected to possess) derived as I am from (the most powerful) race of the Raghus.”
Summary of the Teachings:
These verses represent a powerful and deeply emotional dialogue where King Daśaratha pleads with Sage Viśvāmitra not to take his young son Rāma into battle against the fierce and deceptive Rākṣasas. The King’s reaction demonstrates several important themes and teachings of the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha and broader Vedic philosophy:
1. Parental Attachment and Sorrow:
Daśaratha is overwhelmed by the thought of losing Rāma. His emotional vulnerability reveals the depth of human attachment (moha), a theme central to the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha, which later aims to transcend it through knowledge and detachment (viveka and vairāgya).
2. Recognition of Dharma and Duty:
Despite his love for Rāma, Daśaratha recognizes that responding to evil (here in the form of Rākṣasas) is necessary. However, he questions the appropriateness of assigning such a duty to a child, raising concerns about maturity and preparedness in dharmic action.
3. Nature of the Enemy:
The Rākṣasas, especially Rāvaṇa, are described as beings of immense power and cunning. Their strength is almost cosmic, suggesting that not all battles can be fought with weapons—some require inner strength and Divine aid.
4. Helplessness Before Fate:
Daśaratha acknowledges the power of time (kāla)—an important concept in the Yoga Vāsiṣṭha. Time elevates and dissolves all beings, even the mighty. In this age, he believes fate has turned against dharma, highlighting the cyclical nature of creation and decay.
5. Limitations of Physical Power:
Despite commanding vast armies, Daśaratha confesses powerlessness in front of Rāvaṇa. This humbling truth aligns with Yoga Vāsiṣṭha’s broader teaching: true strength is spiritual, not merely physical or political.
6. The Role of the Divine:
Daśaratha refers to Viśvāmitra as a Divine being and appeals to him for protection, indicating the soul’s yearning for guidance from a higher wisdom during times of confusion.
Ultimately, these verses prepare the ground for the central teaching of Yoga Vāsiṣṭha — that the path to liberation lies not in outer battles, but in overcoming the inner demons of attachment, fear, ignorance, and mistaken identity. Daśaratha’s lament is the voice of the unawakened Self, soon to be transformed through the teachings that Rāma will receive from Sage Vasiṣṭha.
