---
title: "Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 85"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/ayodhya-kanda/sarga-85"
lang: "en"
---

# Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 85

> एवमुक्तस्तु भरतो निषादाधिपतिं गुहम्।  
> प्रत्युवाच महाप्राज्ञो वाक्यं हेत्वर्थसंहितम्॥ १॥

Spoken to as above, Bharata, for his part, who was exceedingly wise, gave to Guha, the ruler of the Niṣādas, the following reply, which was consonant with reason and purposeful : (1)

> ऊर्जितः खलु ते कामः कृतो मम गुरोः सखे।  
> यो मे त्वमीदृशीं सेनामभ्यर्चयितुमिच्छसि॥ २॥

“Indeed your great object of according a right royal reception to me has been accomplished in that you seek to entertain my army of such magnitude, O friend of my elder brother!” (2)

> इत्युक्त्वा स महातेजा गुहं वचनमुत्तमम्।  
> अब्रवीद् भरतः श्रीमान् पन्थानं दर्शयन् पुनः॥ ३॥

Having spoken as above, the said illustrious Bharata, who was possessed of great splendour, once more addressed the following excellently-worded question to Guha, about the way ahead : (3)

> कतरेण गमिष्यामि भरद्वाजाश्रमं यथा।  
> गहनोऽयं भृशं देशो गङ्गानूपो दुरत्ययः॥ ४॥

“By which of the two routes appearing before me shall I proceed to the hermitage of Ṛṣi Bharadwāja? This tract of land drained by the Gaṅgā is most thickly set with trees etc., and as such difficult to cross.” (4)

> तस्य तद् वचनं श्रुत्वा राजपुत्रस्य धीमतः।  
> अब्रवीत् प्राञ्जलिर्भूत्वा गुहो गहनगोचरः॥ ५॥

Hearing the aforesaid question of that intelligent prince, Bharata, Guha, who used to roam about in the woods, replied with folded hands as follows : (5)

> दाशास्त्वनुगमिष्यन्ति देशज्ञाः सुसमाहिताः।  
> अहं चानुगमिष्यामि राजपुत्र महाबल॥ ६॥

“Ferrymen who are familiar with the region and very attentive will undoubtedly accompany you. I too shall follow you in person, O exceptionally mighty prince ! (6)

> कच्चिन्न दुष्टो व्रजसि रामस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः।  
> इयं ते महती सेना शङ्कां जनयतीव मे॥ ७॥

“I hope you are not going with evil intent towards Śrī Rāma, who does great deeds without any exertion? This huge army of yours gives rise to apprehension in my mind, as it were.” (7)

> तमेवमभिभाषन्तमाकाश इव निर्मलः।  
> भरतः श्लक्ष्णया वाचा गुहं वचनमब्रवीत्॥ ८॥

To the aforesaid Guha, who was talking as above, Bharata, whose heart was absolutely taintless as the sky, replied in sweet words as follows : (8)

> मा भूत् स कालो यत् कष्टं न मां शङ्कितुमर्हसि।  
> राघवः स हि मे भ्राता ज्येष्ठः पितृसमो मतः॥ ९॥

“May that time never come when such wickedness appears in me. You ought not to entertain any misgiving about me; for that scion of Raghu is my elder brother and is esteemed by me as equal to my father. (9)

> तं निवर्तयितुं यामि काकुत्स्थं वनवासिनम्।  
> बुद्धिरन्या न मे कार्या गुह सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते॥ १०॥

“I go to bring back Śrī Rāma (a scion of Kakutstha), who is dwelling in the woods. I tell you the bare truth, O Guha ! No other motive should be imputed to me.” (10)

> स तु संहृष्टवदनः श्रुत्वा भरतभाषितम्।  
> पुनरेवाब्रवीद् वाक्यं भरतं प्रति हर्षितः॥ ११॥

With his face rendered extremely bright with joy on hearing Bharata’s reply, Guha for his part joyfully spoke once more to Bharata as follows : (11)

> धन्यस्त्वं न त्वया तुल्यं पश्यामि जगतीतले।  
> अयत्नादागतं राज्यं यस्त्वं त्यक्तुमिहेच्छसि॥ १२॥

“Blessed are you. I find none on the surface of this globe equal to you who seek to relinquish a kingdom come to you without any effort on your part ! (12)

> शाश्वती खलु ते र्कीतिर्लोकाननु चरिष्यति।  
> यस्त्वं कृच्छ्रगतं रामं प्रत्यानयितुमिच्छसि॥ १३॥

“Surely your lasting fame will extend to the spheres inasmuch as you wish to bring back to Ayodhyā Śrī Rāma, who has fallen in adversity.” (13)

> एवं सम्भाषमाणस्य गुहस्य भरतं तदा।  
> बभौ नष्टप्रभः सूर्यो रजनी चाभ्यवर्तत॥ १४॥

While Guha was conversing thus with Bharata, the sun lost its splendour and night fell. (14)

> संनिवेश्य स तां सेनां गुहेन परितोषितः।  
> शत्रुघ्नेन समं श्रीमाञ्छयनं पुनरागमत्॥ १५॥

Lodging the said army in camps, and soothed by Guha, the glorious Bharata then went to bed with Śatrughna. (15)

> रामचिन्तामयः शोको भरतस्य महात्मनः।  
> उपस्थितो ह्यनर्हस्य धर्मप्रेक्षस्य तादृशः॥ १६॥

Grief born of anxiety for Śrī Rāma and unique of its kind now overtook the high-souled Bharata, whose eyes were fixed on righteousness and who surely did not deserve this mental torture. (16)

> अन्तर्दाहेन दहनः संतापयति राघवम्।  
> वनदाहाग्निसंतप्तं गूढोऽग्निरिव पादपम्॥ १७॥

Even as a fire hidden in the hollow of a tree burns a tree already scorched by a forest-consuming fire, so did the fire of anxiety for Śrī Rāma inwardly begin to consume Bharata (a scion of Raghu), who was already scorched by the fire of grief caused by his father’s death. (17)

> प्रसृतः सर्वगात्रेभ्यः स्वेदं शोकाग्निसम्भवम्।  
> यथा सूर्यांशुसंतप्तो हिमवान् प्रसृतो हिमम्॥ १८॥

Bharata began to exude sweat, born of the fire of grief, from all his limbs in the same way as the Himālaya mountain heated by the sun’s rays allows its snow to melt and flow. (18)

> ध्याननिर्दरशैलेन विनिःश्वसितधातुना।  
> दैन्यपादपसंघेन शोकायासाधिशृङ्गिणा॥ १९॥  
> प्रमोहानन्तसत्त्वेन संतापौषधिवेणुना।  
> आक्रान्तो दुःखशैलेन महता कैकयीसुतः॥ २०॥

Bharata, the son of Kaikeyī, was weighed down by a huge mountain of agony, consisting of a compact mass of rocks in the shape of loving contemplation on Śrī Rāma, which contained minerals in the shape of sighs, was clothed with a cluster of trees in the shape of recoiling of the senses from their objects and was crowned with a tall peak in the shape of languor caused by grief, infested by numberless beasts in the shape of swoons and covered by herbs and bamboos in the shape of burning of the internal and external organs of sense. (19-20)

> विनिःश्वसन् वै भृशदुर्मनास्ततः  
> प्रमूढसंज्ञः परमापदं गतः।  
> शमं न लेभे हृदयज्वरार्दितो  
> नरर्षभो यूथहतो यथर्षभः॥ २१॥

Like a bull strayed from its herd, Bharata, a jewel among men—who, having really fallen in extreme adversity, felt miserably disconsolate, his mind being utterly confused in consequence, and was heaving sighs, afflicted as he was with anguish of heart—found no peace in his bed. (21)

> गुहेन सार्धं भरतः समागतो  
> महानुभावः सजनः समाहितः।  
> सुदुर्मनास्तं भरतं तदा पुन-  
> र्गुहः समाश्वासयदग्रजं प्रति॥ २२॥

When the noble-minded Bharata, who, though composed, felt very disconsolate, got united alongwith his men with Guha again, the latter reassured him once more with reference to his elder brother. (22)

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

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