---
title: "Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 69"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/ayodhya-kanda/sarga-69"
lang: "en"
---

# Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 69

> यामेव रात्रिं ते दूताः प्रविशन्ति स्म तां पुरीम्।  
> भरतेनापि तां रात्रिं स्वप्नो दृष्टोऽयमप्रियः॥ १॥

The very night the aforesaid messengers entered that city of Girivraja an unpleasant dream, which is being described as follows, was seen by Bharata. (1)

> व्युष्टामेव तु तां रात्रिं दृष्ट्वा तं स्वप्नमप्रियम्।  
> पुत्रो राजाधिराजस्य सुभृशं पर्यतप्यत॥ २॥

Seeing that unpleasant dream at an hour* when the night had well-nigh ended, Bharata, the emperor’s son, felt extremely perturbed. (2)

> तप्यमानं तमाज्ञाय वयस्याः प्रियवादिनः।  
> आयासं विनयिष्यन्तः सभायां चक्रिरे कथाः॥ ३॥

Finding him disconsolate, his friends, who ever spoke kindly to him, commenced chatting in a coterie, seeking, as they did, to relieve his agony. (3)

> वादयन्ति तदा शान्तिं लासयन्त्यपि चापरे।  
> नाटकान्यपरे स्माहुर्हास्यानि विविधानि च॥ ४॥

Some friends played upon musical instruments at that time, while others indulged in gentle dance accompanied with vocal and instrumental music, with a view to relieving his anxiety; while still others read out to him dramas of various kinds having mirth for their dominant sentiment. (4)

> स तैर्महात्मा भरतः सखिभिः प्रियवादिभिः।  
> गोष्ठीहास्यानि कुर्वद्भिर्न प्राहृष्यत राघवः॥ ५॥

The aforesaid Bharata, a scion of Raghu and an exalted soul as he was, did not, however, feel much delighted in the company of those friends, who spoke kindly to him and indulged in jokes worthy of an assembly. (5)

> तमब्रवीत् प्रियसखो भरतं सखिभिर्वृतम्।  
> सुहृद्भिः पर्युपासीनः किं सखे नानुमोदसे॥ ६॥

A beloved friend of Bharata spoke as follows to the said Bharata, who was surrounded by many friends : “Why, O friend, do you not join us in rejoicing, sitting as you are in the midst of friends?” (6)

> एवं ब्रुवाणं सुहृदं भरतः प्रत्युवाच ह।  
> शृणु त्वं यन्निमित्तं मे दैन्यमेतदुपागतम्॥ ७॥

To the friend speaking as aforesaid, Bharata replied as follows : “Hear you the circumstances due to which this depression has overtaken me. (7)

> स्वप्ने पितरमद्राक्षं मलिनं मुक्तमूर्धजम्।  
> पतन्तमद्रिशिखरात् कलुषे गोमये ह्रदे॥ ८॥

“In a dream I saw father dejected and falling from a mountain-peak, his hair dishevelled, into a dirty pool full of cow-dung. (8)

> प्लवमानश्च मे दृष्टः स तस्मिन् गोमये ह्रदे।  
> पिबन्नञ्जलिना तैलं हसन्निव मुहुर्मुहुः॥ ९॥

“He was further seen by me swimming in that pool of cow-dung, drinking oil from the hollow of his palms and laughing as it were, again and again. (9)

> ततस्तिलोदनं भुक्त्वा पुनः पुनरधःशिराः।  
> तैलेनाभ्यक्तसर्वाङ्गस्तैलमेवान्वगाहत ॥ १०॥

“Then, partaking of rice cooked with sesame seeds and himself smeared all over with sesame oil, he took a dip again and again, head foremost in the oil. (10)

> स्वप्नेऽपि सागरं शुष्कं चन्द्रं च पतितं भुवि।  
> उपरुद्धां च जगतीं तमसेव समावृताम्॥ ११॥

“Also in the dream I saw the ocean dry and the moon fallen on the earth and the entire globe molested by Rākṣasas and others and enveloped, as it were, in darkness. (11)

> औपवाह्यस्य नागस्य विषाणं शकलीकृतम्।  
> सहसा चापि संशान्ता ज्वलिता जातवेदसः॥ १२॥

“I further beheld a tusk of the king’s elephant broken to pieces and blazing fires suddenly extinguished. (12)

> अवदीर्णां च पृथिवीं शुष्कांश्च विविधान् द्रुमान्।  
> अहं पश्यामि विध्वस्तान् सधूमांश्चैव पर्वतान्॥ १३॥

“I also saw the earth riven and trees of various kinds withered up and mountains too emitting smoke and razed to the ground. (13)

> पीठे कार्ष्णायसे चैव निषष्ण्णं कृष्णवाससम्।  
> प्रहरन्ति स्म राजानं प्रमदाः कृष्णपिङ्गलाः॥ १४॥

“Young women, dark and reddish brown of complexion, assailed the king, seated on an iron seat, attired in black. (14)

> त्वरमाणश्च धर्मात्मा रक्तमाल्यानुलेपनः।  
> रथेन खरयुक्तेन प्रयातो दक्षिणामुखः॥ १५॥

“Nay, adorned with a garland of crimson flowers and smeared with red sandal-paste, the pious-minded king hastily departed southward in a chariot drawn by donkeys.(15)

> प्रहसन्तीव राजानं प्रमदा रक्तवासिनी।  
> प्रकर्षन्ती मया दृष्टा राक्षसी विकृतानना॥ १६॥

“A young ogress with an ugly face and clad in crimson was seen by me mocking the king, as it were, and dragging him. (16)

> एवमेतन्मया दृष्टमिमां रात्रिं भयावहाम्।  
> अहं रामोऽथवा राजा लक्ष्मणो वा मरिष्यति॥ १७॥

“During the last night, fearful as it was, this was the vision seen by me as aforesaid. This prognosticates that either myself or Śrī Rāma or the king or Lakṣmaṇa is going to die. (17)

> नरो यानेन यः स्वप्ने खरयुक्तेन याति हि।  
> अचिरात्तस्य धूम्राग्रं चितायां सम्प्रदृश्यते॥ १८॥

“A column of smoke is surely and vividly perceived before long on the funeral pile of a man who drives in a dream in a chariot drawn by donkeys. (18)

> एतन्निमित्तं दीनोऽहं न वचः प्रतिपूजये।  
> शुष्यतीव च मे कण्ठो न स्वस्थमिव मे मनः॥ १९॥

“This is why I feel depressed and do not make much of your words. My throat is getting parched, as it were, and my mind is not quite at ease. (19)

> न पश्यामि भयस्थानं भयं चैवोपधारये।  
> भ्रष्टश्च स्वरयोगो मे छाया चापगता मम।  
> जुगुप्सु इव चात्मानं न च पश्यामि कारणम्॥ २०॥

“I do not perceive any tangible ground for fear, yet I experience fear. Nay, my voice has become hoarse and my lustre has departed. Moreover, I have begun to hate myself, yet I do not see any cause for it. (20)

> इमां च दुःस्वप्नगतिं निशम्य हि  
> त्वनेकरूपामवितर्कितां पुरा।  
> भयं महत् तुद् हृदयान्न याति मे  
> विचिन्त्य राजानमचिन्त्यदर्शनम्॥ २१॥

“Even as I reflect on the course of my evil dreams, which were seen in many forms—a course which was never imagined by me before—and even as I think deeply of the king, whose sight is something which can no longer be anticipated, the great fear that has been roused in me does not depart from my heart.” (21)

Book: https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana

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