Chapter 77

Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya

VERSE 1

ततः दश अहे अतिगते कृत शौचो नृप आत्मजः
द्वादशे अहनि सम्प्राप्ते श्राद्ध कर्माणि अकारयत्

tataḥ daśa ahe atigate kṛta śauco nṛpa ātmajaḥ
dvādaśe ahani samprāpte śrāddha karmāṇi akārayat

SYNONYMS

tataḥ: thereafter | atigate: having passed | daśāhe: the tenth day | kṛta nṟ^pātmajaḥ śoucaḥ: Bharata | akārayat: got done | śrāddha karmāṇi: Shraddha* rites | sampāpte: on the arrival of | dvādase: twelfth | ahani: day. |

TRANSLATION

After having passed the tenth day of the death of Dasaratha, Bharata having himself purified, performed Shraddha* rites on the arrival of the twelfth day.

PURPORT

* Shraddha rites are in the honor and for the benefit of dead relatives observed with great strictness at various fixed periods and on the occasion of rejoicing as well as mourning by the surviving relatives. These are performed by the daily offering of water and on the stated occasion by the offering of Pindas or balls of rice and meal to three paternal forefathers i.e. Father, grandfather, and great grandfather. It is an act of reverential homage to a deceased person performed by relatives, most desirably by a son of the deceased.
VERSE 2

ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददौ रत्नम् धनम् अन्नम् च पुष्कलम्
वासांसि च महार्हाणि रत्नानि विविधानि च

brāhmaṇebhyo dadau ratnam dhanam annam ca puṣkalam
vāsāṃsi ca mahārhāṇi ratnāni vividhāni ca

SYNONYMS

(Bharata) dadou: gave | ratnam: precious stones | dhanam: money | puṣkalam: a lot of | annam: cooked rice | mahārhāṇi: very valuable | vāsāmsi: clothes | vividhāni: various kinds of | ratnāni: presents | brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: to brahmans. |

TRANSLATION

On the occasion of Shraddha rites, Bharata gave precious stones, money, a lot of cooked rice, very valuable clothes and various other kinds of presents to Brahmans.

VERSE 3

बास्तिकम् बहु शुक्लम् च गाः च अपि शतशः तथा
दासी दासम् च यानम् च वेश्मानि सुमहान्ति च

bāstikam bahu śuklam ca gāḥ ca api śataśaḥ tathā
dāsī dāsam ca yānam ca veśmāni sumahānti ca

SYNONYMS

tasya: in that | ourdhvadehikam: ceremony performed in honor of the dead | rājṅaḥ: king | putraḥ: Bharata the son of Dasaratha | dadou: gave | bahu: many | śuklam: white | bāstikam: multitudes of goats | tathā: and | śataśaḥ: hundreds of | gāścāpi: cows | dāsī dāsamca: servants and servant maids | yānāmca: vehicles | sumahānti: and very big | veśmānica: houses | brāhmaṇebhyaḥ: to brahmans. |

TRANSLATION

In that ceremony performed in honor of the dead king, Bharata the son of Dasaratha gave multitudes of white goats, hundreds of cows, servants and servant maids, vehicles and very big houses to Brahmans.

VERSE 4

ततः प्रभात समये दिवसे अथ त्रयोदशे

tataḥ prabhāta samaye divase atha trayodaśe

SYNONYMS

5| tataḥ: then | prabhāta samaye: at the time of dawn | trayodaśe: on the thirteenth | divase: day | mahābāhuḥ: the mighty armed | bharataḥ: Bharata | upāgataḥ: who came | śodanārtham: for clearing up bones and ashes | atha: thereafter | vilalāpa: wept | śokamūrchitaḥ: stunned by grief | śabdāpihitakaṅṭhaḥ: his throat being choked | aha: spoke | idam vākyam: these words | suduḥkhitah: greatly distressed as he was | citāmūle: having reached the foot of his father's funeral pile (to collect the bones and ashes for their immersion in the holy Sarayu river.) |

TRANSLATION

Then, at the time of dawn on the thirteenth day, the mighty armed Bharata who came for clearing up bones and ashes, wept in grief, his throat being choked of sound (because of crying) and spoke in great distress the following words, having reached the foot of his father's funeral pile (to collect the bones and ashes for their immersion in Sarayu River).

VERSE 6

तात यस्मिन् निषृष्टः अहम् त्वया भ्रातरि राघवे

tāta yasmin niṣṛṣṭaḥ aham tvayā bhrātari rāghave

SYNONYMS

tāta: O | father! ẏasmin: to which | bhrātari: brother | rāghave: Rama | aham: I | nisṛṣṭaḥ: have been entrusted | tvayā: by you. | tasmin: that Rama | pravrajite: having gone to exile | vanam: forest | asmi: became | tyaktaḥ: abandoned | śūnye: wholly alone |

TRANSLATION

"O, father! My brother Rama to whose care I was entrusted by you, having gone on exile to the forest, I now become abandoned wholly alone, by you."

VERSE 7

यथा गतिर् अनाथायाः पुत्रः प्रव्राजितः वनम्

yathā gatir anāthāyāḥ putraḥ pravrājitaḥ vanam

SYNONYMS

nṛpa: O | tāta: O | father! kva: where | gataḥ: where you have gone | tyaktvā: leaving | kausalyām: Kausalya | tām: such | ambām: a mother | yasyāḥ: whose | putraḥ: son | gatiḥ: the support | pravrājitah: has been sent away from home | vanam: the forest? |

TRANSLATION

"O, king! O, father! Where have you gone, leaving Kausalya the mother whose son Rama, her support, has been sent away from home to the forest?"

VERSE 8

दृष्ट्वा भस्म अरुणम् तच् च दग्ध अस्थि स्थान मण्डलम्

dṛṣṭvā bhasma aruṇam tac ca dagdha asthi sthāna maṇḍalam

SYNONYMS

dṛṣṭvā: seeing | tat: that | sthānamaṅḍalam: spot of collection | bhasmāruṇam: which became reddish brown in colour because of ashes | dagdhāsthi: with bones consumed by fire | pituḥ: and his father's | śarīra nirvāṇam: body extinguished | saḥ: BharataH | viṣasāda: was depressed | niṣṭanan: and began to cry loudly. |

TRANSLATION

Seeing that spot of collection (of bones), which became reddish brown in colour because of ashes, with bones consumed by fire and his father's body having extinguished, Bharata was depressed and began to cry loudly.

VERSE 9

स तु दृष्ट्वा रुदन् दीनः पपात धरणी तले

sa tu dṛṣṭvā rudan dīnaḥ papāta dharaṇī tale

SYNONYMS

dīnaḥ: miserable as he was | dṝṣṭvā: to see | saḥ tu: that Bharata | papāta: fell | rudan: weeping | dharaṇītale: on the ground | yantradhvajaḥ iva: as a flagstaff fastened by any mechanical contrivance | cyutaḥ: would drop | utthāpyamānaḥ: while being raised | śakrasya: in honor of Indra the god of celestials. |

TRANSLATION

Miserable as he was to see the spot, Bharata fell weeping on the ground, as a flag staff fastened by any mechanical contrivance would drop down while being raised in honor of Indra the god of celestials.

VERSE 10

अभिपेतुस् ततः सर्वे तस्य अमात्याः शुचि व्रतम्

abhipetus tataḥ sarve tasya amātyāḥ śuci vratam

SYNONYMS

tataḥ: then | sarve: all | tasya amātyāḥ: his ministers | abhipetuḥ: quickly approached Bharata | śucivratam: virtuous in conduct | ṛṣayo yathā: as sages | (ruśed to) nipatitam: the fallen | yayātim: Yayati | antakāle: at the time of his death. |

TRANSLATION

All his ministers hastily approached Bharata who was virtuous in conduct, as sages once rushed to the fallen Yayati at the time of his death.

VERSE 11

शत्रुघ्नः च अपि भरतम् दृष्ट्वा शोक परिप्लुतम्

śatrughnaḥ ca api bharatam dṛṣṭvā śoka pariplutam

SYNONYMS

dṛṣṭvā: seeing | bharatam: Bharata | śatrughnaśohāpi: Shatrughna also | śokapariplutaḥ: was overwhelmed with grief | anusmaran: and while recollecting | bhūmipālam: the king | nyapatat: fell | bhūmou: on the ground | visamj^ṇaḥ: unconsciously. |

TRANSLATION

Seeing Bharata, Shatrughna was also overwhelmed with grief and while recollecting the king, fell unconscious on the ground.

VERSE 12

उन्मत्तैव निश्चेता विललाप सुदुह्खितः

unmattaiva niścetā vilalāpa suduhkhitaḥ

SYNONYMS

smṛtyā: Remembering of | tāni tāni: many | guṇāṅgāni: acts resulting from good qualities | pituḥ: of his father | tathā tathā: at different times | vilalāpa: he was lamenting wildly | (as follovs) unmattaḥ: like one who has lost his wits | niścetāḥ: bewildered as he was | suduḥkhitaḥ: and very much afflicted with grief. |

TRANSLATION

Remembering the many gestures of his father resulting from his loving qualities made from time to time, Shatrughna was lamenting (as follows) like one who has lost his wits, bewildered as he was.

VERSE 13

मन्थरा प्रभवः तीव्रः कैकेयी ग्राह सम्कुलः

mantharā prabhavaḥ tīvraḥ kaikeyī grāha samkulaḥ

SYNONYMS

(ve vere) amajjayat: immersed | śokasāgaraḥ: in an ocean of sorrow | tīvra: which was violent | akṣobhyaḥ: and appalling | mantharāprabhavaḥ: invoked by Manthara | kaikeyī grāhasamkulaḥ: in which Kaikeyi | varadānamayaḥ: swam in its current the boons |

TRANSLATION

"We are immersed in a violent and appalling ocean of sorrow invoked by Mandhara, in which Kaikeyi in the form of a crocodile swam in its current the irrevocable boons granted to her by my father."

VERSE 14

सुकुमारम् च बालम् च सततम् लालितम् त्वया

sukumāram ca bālam ca satatam lālitam tvayā

SYNONYMS

tāta: O | father! k͟hva: where | bhavān gataḥ: have you gone | hitvā: leaving | bharatam: Bharata | bālamca: your boy | lālitam: caressed | satatam: always | tvayā: by you | vilapantam: and lamenting. |

TRANSLATION

"O, father! Where have you gone leaving the lamenting Bharata, your boy always being caressed by you."

VERSE 15

ननु भोज्येषु पानेषु वस्त्रेष्व् आभरणेषु च

nanu bhojyeṣu pāneṣu vastreṣv ābharaṇeṣu ca

SYNONYMS

pravārayasi nanu: you used to fulfill the wishes | maḥ savān: of all of us | bhojyeṣu: in the matter of eatables | pāneṣu: drinks | vastreṣu: clothes | ābharaṇeṣu ca: and jewels | kaḥ: who | anyaḥ: else | kariṣyati: will do | tat: it | naḥ: for us? |

TRANSLATION

"You used to fulfill the wishes of all of us, in the matter of eatables, drinks, clothes, and jewels. Who else will do it (now) for us."

VERSE 16

अवदारण काले तु पृथिवी न अवदीर्यते

avadāraṇa kāle tu pṛthivī na avadīryate

SYNONYMS

pṛthivī: that earth | : which | vihīnā: is deprived | tvayā: of you | dharmajṅena: who knew the righteousness | mahātmanā: a high soled man | rājṅā: and a king | nāvadīryate: is not riven | avadīraṇakāle: even when it is time to be riven. |

TRANSLATION

"That earth which is deprived of you, the high soled and righteous king, is not riven even when it is the time to be riven."

VERSE 17

पितरि स्वर्गम् आपन्ने रामे च अरण्यम् आश्रिते

pitari svargam āpanne rāme ca araṇyam āśrite

SYNONYMS

pitari: the father | āpanne: having obtained | svargam: heaven | rāmeca: and Rama | āśrite: having taken refuge | araṇyam: in a forest | kim: what is | jīvita sāmarthyam: the significance of life | me: for me? pravekshhyaami = I shall enter | hutāśanam: a fire. |

TRANSLATION

"The father having obtained heaven and Rama having taken refuge in a forest, what is the significance of life for me? I shall enter a fire."

VERSE 18

हीनो भ्रात्रा च पित्रा च शून्याम् इक्ष्वाकु पालिताम्

hīno bhrātrā ca pitrā ca śūnyām ikṣvāku pālitām

SYNONYMS

hīnaḥ: bereft of | bhrātrā: my brother | pitrāca: and father | na pravekṣyāmi: I can not return to | śūnyām: the deserted | ayodhām: Ayodhya | ikṣvākupālitām: where Ikshvaku used to reign | pravekṣyāmi: I shall retire to | tapovanam: a hermitage. |

TRANSLATION

"Bereft of my brother and father, I can not return to the deserted city of Ayodhya, where Ikshvaku used to reign. I shall retire to a hermitage."

VERSE 19

तयोः विलपितम् श्रुत्वा व्यसनम् च अन्ववेक्ष्य तत्

tayoḥ vilapitam śrutvā vyasanam ca anvavekṣya tat

SYNONYMS

śrutvā: hearing | vilapitam: the lamentation | tayoḥ: of them both | anvavekṣya: and beholding | tat: that | vyasanam: misfortune | sarve: all | anugāminaḥ: their companions | bhūyaḥ: once again | ārta tarāḥ: were disturbed | bhṛśam: very much. |

TRANSLATION

Hearing the lamentation of both of them and beholding their plight, all their companions were disturbed very much, once again.

VERSE 20

ततः विषण्णौ श्रान्तौ च शत्रुघ्न भरताव् उभौ

tataḥ viṣaṇṇau śrāntau ca śatrughna bharatāv ubhau

SYNONYMS

tataḥ: thereafter | ubhau: both | śatrughna bharatou: Shatrughna and Bharata | śrāntouca: were wearied | viṣaṇṇou: with grief | samvyaveśṭetām: and began to roll | dharaṅyām: on the ground | ṛṣabhou iva: like two bulls | bhagnaśṛṅgou: having their horns broken. |

TRANSLATION

Both Shatrughna, and Bharata were wearied with grief and began to roll on the ground, like two bulls whose horns have been broken.

VERSE 21

ततः प्रकृतिमान् वैद्यः पितुर् एषाम् पुरोहितः

tataḥ prakṛtimān vaidyaḥ pitur eṣām purohitaḥ

SYNONYMS

tataḥ: then | vasiṣṭah: Vasista | prakṛtimān: a noble natured man | vaidyaḥ: a family priest | eṣām: of their | pituḥ: father | utthāapya: after raising up | tam: that | bharatam: Bharata | uvāca ha: spoke | vākyam: (the following) words. |

TRANSLATION

Then, Vasista, a noble man, a learned man and the family priest of their father, raised up that Bharata from the ground and spoke the following words:

VERSE 22

त्रयोदशो।अयम् दिवसः पितुर्वृत्तस्य ते विभो

trayodaśo|ayam divasaḥ piturvṛttasya te vibho

SYNONYMS

vibho: O | lord Bharata! āyam: this | trayodaśaḥ: is the thirteenth | divasaḥ: day | vṛttasya: of the death | te pituḥ: of your father | kim: why | tvam: are you | vilambase: hanging down | iha: here | sāva śeṣa asthi nicaye: when the ceremony of collecting the bones is still remaining. |

TRANSLATION

"O, Lord Bharata! This is the thirteenth day of the death of your father. Why are you hanging down here, when the ceremony of collecting the bones is still unfinished?"

VERSE 23

त्रीणि द्वन्द्वानि भूतेषु प्रवृत्तानि अविशेषतः

trīṇi dvandvāni bhūteṣu pravṛttāni aviśeṣataḥ

SYNONYMS

trīṇi: the three | dvandvāni: pairs of opposites (namely hunger and thirst | pravṛttāni: occur | bhūteṣu: living beings | aviśeṣataḥ: without any distinction | teṣu: they | aparihāryeṣu: being inevitable | nārhasi: you ought not | bhavitum: to behave | evam: like this. |

TRANSLATION

"The three pairs of opposites (namely hunger and thirst, joy and sorrow; birth and death) occur to all living beings without any distinction. They being inevitable, you ought not to behave like this."

VERSE 24

सुमन्त्रः च अपि शत्रुघ्नम् उत्थाप्य अभिप्रसाद्य च

sumantraḥ ca api śatrughnam utthāpya abhiprasādya ca

SYNONYMS

sumantraścāpi: even Sumantra | tattvajṅaḥ: who knew the truth | utthāpya: raising up | śatrughnam: Satrughna | abhiprasādyaca: and pacifying him | śrāvayāmāsa: told him | sarvabhūta bhavābhavam: about the origin and dissolution of all beings. |

TRANSLATION

Even Sumantra, who knew the Truth, raising up Shatrughna and pacifying him, told him about the origin and dissolution of all beings.

VERSE 25

उत्थितौ तौ नर व्याघ्रौ प्रकाशेते यशस्विनौ

utthitau tau nara vyāghrau prakāśete yaśasvinau

SYNONYMS

yaśasvinou: the two illustrious | naravyāghrou: tigers among men | utthitou: who had got up | prakāśete: appeared | pṛthak indradhvajāviva: like two banners severally raised in honor of Indra | varṣātapa pariglānou: soiled through rain and sun. |

TRANSLATION

The two illustrious tigers among men (Bharata and Satrughna) who had got up, appeared like two banners severally raised in honor of Indra (the god of celestials) soiled through rain and the sun.

VERSE 26

इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे सप्तसप्ततितमः सर्गः

ityārṣe śrīmadrāmāyaṇe ādikāvye ayodhyākāṇḍe saptasaptatitamaḥ sargaḥ

SYNONYMS

amātyāḥ: the ministers | tvarayantisma: hurried up | tanaou: the princes | parimṛdnantou: who were wiping | aśrūṇi: their tears | raktākṣou: their eyes reddened | dīna bhāṣiṇou: and who were talking pitiably | aparāḥ kriyāḥ: to expedite the other rites pertaining to the thirteenth day. |

TRANSLATION

The ministers hurried up the princes, who were wiping their tears and who were talking pitiably with their eyes reddened (due to excessive weeping) to expedite the other rites pertaining to the thirteenth day.