Chapter 76
Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya
तम् एवम् शोक सम्तप्तम् भरतम् केकयी सुतम्
उवाच वदताम् श्रेष्ठो वसिष्ठः श्रेष्ठ वाग् ऋषिः
tam evam śoka samtaptam bharatam kekayī sutam
uvāca vadatām śreṣṭho vasiṣṭhaḥ śreṣṭha vāg ṛṣiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The sage Vasishta, the excellent one among the speakers having eloquence, spoke to that Bharata, Kaikeyi's son who was thus tormented with grief.
अलम् शोकेन भद्रम् ते राज पुत्र महा यशः
प्राप्त कालम् नर पतेः कुरु सम्यानम् उत्तरम्
alam śokena bhadram te rāja putra mahā yaśaḥ
prāpta kālam nara pateḥ kuru samyānam uttaram
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, the greatly illustrious prince! My blessing to you. You have lamented long enough. Perform in an excellent way, the last rites of the king."
वसिष्ठस्य वचः श्रुत्वा भरतः धारणाम् गतः
प्रेत कार्याणि सर्वाणि कारयाम् आस धर्मवित्
vasiṣṭhasya vacaḥ śrutvā bharataḥ dhāraṇām gataḥ
preta kāryāṇi sarvāṇi kārayām āsa dharmavit
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Hearing the words of Vasishta, Bharata conversant with his duty fell prostate and proceeded with all the arrangements for the obsequies.
उद्धृतम् तैल सम्क्लेदात् स तु भूमौ निवेशितम्
आपीत वर्ण वदनम् प्रसुप्तम् इव भूमिपम्
uddhṛtam taila samkledāt sa tu bhūmau niveśitam
āpīta varṇa vadanam prasuptam iva bhūmipam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Raising the body of king Dasaratha, from the vessel where it had been immersed in oil, seeming as it were asleep with face in the color of gold, that son Bharata placed it in a magnificent couch, adorned with every kind of precious stone and in a great grief, lamented.(as follows):
किम् ते व्यवसितम् राजन् प्रोषिते मय्य् अनागते
विवास्य रामम् धर्मज्ञम् लक्ष्मणम् च महा बलम्
kim te vyavasitam rājan proṣite mayy anāgate
vivāsya rāmam dharmajñam lakṣmaṇam ca mahā balam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, king! Having sent into exile the virtuous Rama and Lakshmana who is possessed of great strength, while I was away from home and had not yet returned, what did you intend to do?"
क्व यास्यसि महा राज हित्वा इमम् दुह्खितम् जनम्
हीनम् पुरुष सिम्हेन रामेण अक्लिष्ट कर्मणा
kva yāsyasi mahā rāja hitvā imam duhkhitam janam
hīnam puruṣa simhena rāmeṇa akliṣṭa karmaṇā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Where will you go, leaving this person (me) who was distressed and bereft of Rama the unwearied one in action and the excellent one among men?"
योग क्षेमम् तु ते राजन् को अस्मिन् कल्पयिता पुरे
त्वयि प्रयाते स्वः तात रामे च वनम् आश्रिते
yoga kṣemam tu te rājan ko asmin kalpayitā pure
tvayi prayāte svaḥ tāta rāme ca vanam āśrite
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, king! O, father! Who is supposed to see the welfare and security of your city of Ayodhya, while you have departed for heaven and while Rama has gone, taking refuge in a forest?"
विधवा पृथिवी राजंस् त्वया हीना न राजते
हीन चन्द्रा इव रजनी नगरी प्रतिभाति माम्
vidhavā pṛthivī rājaṃs tvayā hīnā na rājate
hīna candrā iva rajanī nagarī pratibhāti mām
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, king! Bereft of you and deprived of its lord, this earth does not look charming. To me, this city is looking like a night without a moon."
एवम् विलपमानम् तम् भरतम् दीन मानसम्
अब्रवीद् वचनम् भूयो वसिष्ठः तु महान् ऋषिः
evam vilapamānam tam bharatam dīna mānasam
abravīd vacanam bhūyo vasiṣṭhaḥ tu mahān ṛṣiḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The great sage Vasishta again spoke the following words to that Bharata who was distressed in mind and thus lamenting.
प्रेत कार्याणि यानि अस्य कर्तव्यानि विशाम्पतेः
तानि अव्यग्रम् महा बाहो क्रियताम् अविचारितम्
preta kāryāṇi yāni asya kartavyāni viśāmpateḥ
tāni avyagram mahā bāho kriyatām avicāritam
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"O, mighty armed Bharata! Without hesitation or repining, carry out the funeral rites of the king that should be done."
तथा इति भरतः वाक्यम् वसिष्ठस्य अभिपूज्य तत्
ऋत्विक् पुरोहित आचार्यांस् त्वरयाम् आस सर्वशः
tathā iti bharataḥ vākyam vasiṣṭhasya abhipūjya tat
ṛtvik purohita ācāryāṃs tvarayām āsa sarvaśaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
"Be it so" answered Bharata and obedient to Vasishta's command, he summoned speedily the appointed priests who were knowing the rules of the funeral rites."
ये तु अग्रतः नर इन्द्रस्याग्नि अगारात् बहिष् कृताः
ऋत्विग्भिर् याजकैः चैव ते ह्रियन्ते यथा विधि
ye tu agrataḥ nara indrasyāgni agārāt bahiṣ kṛtāḥ
ṛtvigbhir yājakaiḥ caiva te hriyante yathā vidhi
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The fires of that king were prepared outside the chamber and kindled in accordance with the rituals by the priests and the sacrificial attendants.
शिबिलायाम् अथ आरोप्य राजानम् गत चेतनम्
बाष्प कण्ठा विमनसः तम् ऊहुः परिचारकाः
śibilāyām atha āropya rājānam gata cetanam
bāṣpa kaṇṭhā vimanasaḥ tam ūhuḥ paricārakāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The attendants were choked with tears in their throats and disconsolate in their mind, made the dead king to mount on a small palanquin and carried it away.
हिरण्यम् च सुवर्णम् च वासांसि विविधानि च
प्रकिरन्तः जना मार्गम् नृपतेर् अग्रतः ययुः
hiraṇyam ca suvarṇam ca vāsāṃsi vividhāni ca
prakirantaḥ janā mārgam nṛpater agrataḥ yayuḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
The people went along the path, scattering silver, gold and various kinds of clothes in front of the king.
चन्दन अगुरु निर्यासान् सरलम् पद्मकम् तथा
देव दारूणि च आहृत्य चिताम् चक्रुस् तथा अपरे
candana aguru niryāsān saralam padmakam tathā
deva dārūṇi ca āhṛtya citām cakrus tathā apare
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
In the same manner, some others brought sandal wood, sweet aloes, different fragrant essences, with leaps of Sarala Padmaka and Devadaru woods and many other kinds of fragrant substances, went there and threw them into the funeral pile. Thereafter the appointed priests caused the king's body to lie down there in the midst of the funeral pyre.
तथा हुत अशनम् हुत्वा जेपुस् तस्य तदा ऋत्विजः
जगुः च ते यथा शास्त्रम् तत्र सामानि सामगाः
tathā huta aśanam hutvā jepus tasya tadā ṛtvijaḥ
jaguḥ ca te yathā śāstram tatra sāmāni sāmagāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then, those priests engaged for the benefit of the king poured oblations into the fire and recited sacred texts (relevant to the funeral rites). Those among the priests, who could recite the hymns of Samaveda, chanted them according to the rules.
शिबिकाभिः च यानैः च यथा अर्हम् तस्य योषितः
नगरान् निर्ययुस् तत्र वृद्धैः परिवृताः तदा
śibikābhiḥ ca yānaiḥ ca yathā arham tasya yoṣitaḥ
nagarān niryayus tatra vṛddhaiḥ parivṛtāḥ tadā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then, his ladies, encircled by elders mounted palanquins or other vehicles, as deserving and departed from the city to that place.
प्रसव्यम् च अपि तम् चक्रुर् ऋत्विजो अग्नि चितम् नृपम्
स्त्रियः च शोक सम्तप्ताः कौसल्या प्रमुखाः तदा
prasavyam ca api tam cakrur ṛtvijo agni citam nṛpam
striyaḥ ca śoka samtaptāḥ kausalyā pramukhāḥ tadā
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Then, the appointed priests as well as Kausalya and other women who were tormented with grief, circumambulated in anti clockwise direction that king who was lying on a funeral pile.
क्रौन्चीनाम् इव नारीणाम् निनादः तत्र शुश्रुवे
आर्तानाम् करुणम् काले क्रोशन्तीनाम् सहस्रशः
krauncīnām iva nārīṇām ninādaḥ tatra śuśruve
ārtānām karuṇam kāle krośantīnām sahasraśaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
At that time the crying sounds of thousands of women, pitiably weeping with agony, were heard like the sounds of female curlew birds.
ततः रुदन्त्यो विवशा विलप्य च पुनः पुनः
यानेभ्यः सरयू तीरम् अवतेरुर् वर अन्गनाः
tataḥ rudantyo vivaśā vilapya ca punaḥ punaḥ
yānebhyaḥ sarayū tīram avaterur vara anganāḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Thereafter, the lamenting ladies deprived of their grit wept again and again and descended from their vehicles at the bank of Sarayu River.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे षट्सप्ततितमः सर्गः
ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe ādikāvye ayodhyākāṇḍe ṣaṭsaptatitamaḥ sargaḥ
SYNONYMS
TRANSLATION
Along with Bharata, the royal women, the ministers and family priests offered their oblations with water and entered the city with their eyes filled in tears and spent ten days with great difficulty by sleeping on bare floor.
