Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 17: Rāma Glorified by His well-wishers
Text 2.17.14
यश्च रामं न पश्येत्तु यं च रामो न पश्यति।
निन्दितः स वसेल्लोके स्वात्माप्येनं विगर्हते॥
yaś ca rāmaṁ na paśyet tu yaṁ ca rāmo na paśyati
ninditaḥ sa vasel loke svātmāpy enaṁ vigarhate
yaḥ ca = who; rāmam = Rāma; na = not; paśyet tu = does see; yam = whom; ca = and; rāmaḥ = Rāma; na = not; paśyati = does see; ninditaḥ = as a condemned person; saḥ = he; vaset = lives; loke = in the world; sva-ātmā = his mind; api = even; enam = him; vigarhate = condemns.
He who does not see Rāma and whom Rāma does not see lives in the world as a condemned person. Even his mind condemns him.
1 This refers to a person who has knowingly committed an offense at the lotus feet of the Lord or one who has knowingly offended His pure devotees.
[The first] ca in this verse indicates that this is separate topic. Rāmam indicates that even while looking at Him, He causes the onlooker to drown in a lake of complete nectar.
Tu indicates that even if he who does not see Rāma is endowed with extreme extraordinary features, he is still a condemned person. This is the case because he does not even see the Lord even if he does not glorify or talk properly about or honor Him.
Therefore Rāma does not see Him, for the Supreme Personality of Godhead glances at the man who is submissively favorable to Him. Because he does not see Rāma, he is not an object of Rāma’s glance upon Him.
Such a person lives in the world as a condemned person, that is, he is condemned as long as he lives. It is implied that there is no one unfit to condemn such a person in the world.
It is commonplace that a person inclined to [enjoy] sense objects is personally satisfied even when condemned by the world. But this person [who does not see the Supreme Lord and who is not seen by the Supreme Lord] is not like that. Even this person’s mind condemns him severely because of not seeing Rāma and because the [entire] world criticizes him.1
GLOSS. The sage Vālmīki points out that [the onlookers’] attitude towards Rāma who pleased the minds and eyes of the people was appropriate and criticizes those who did not see Him [then] here.
That person who does not look at and meditate on Rāma in devotional service to Him and whom Rāma does not look at and meditate on with the thought, “I will deliver him,” is critized all over the world.
Rāma’s seeing as referred to in this verse refers to His seeing with compassion. Otherwise, the very statement about Rāma, who is always omniscient, not seeing anyone would be inappropriate.
NOTE. There are four types of condemned persons, all of whom avoid surrendering unto the Supreme Lord, as noted in the Bhagavad-gītā (7.15):
na māṁ duṣkṛtino mūḍhāḥ prapadyante narādhamāḥ
māyayāpahṛta-jñānā āsuraṁ bhāvam āśritāḥ
“Those miscreants who are grossly foolish, who are lowest among mankind, whose knowledge is stolen by illusion, and who partake of the atheistic nature of demons do not surrender unto Me.”