---
title: "Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 89"
canonical: "https://ramayana.com/valmiki-ramayana/ayodhya-kanda/sarga-89"
lang: "en"
---

# Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 89

> व्युष्य रात्रिं तु तत्रैव गङ्गाकूले स राघवः।  
> काल्यमुत्थाय शत्रुघ्नमिदं वचनमब्रवीत्॥ १॥

Having spent the night at that very spot where Śrī Rāma had rested not long ago on the bank of the Gaṅgā and rising at daybreak, the said Bharata for his part spoke to Śatrughna as follows : (1)

> शत्रुघ्नोत्तिष्ठ किं शेषे निषादाधिपतिं गुहम्।  
> शीघ्रमानय भद्रं ते तारयिष्यति वाहिनीम्॥ २॥

“How do you continue to sleep till now? Get up, O Śatrughna, and fetch Guha, the ruler of the Niṣādas, quickly; so that he will convey the army to the other bank. May all be well with you.’’ (2)

> जागर्मि नाहं स्वपिमि तथैवार्यं विचिन्तयन्।  
> इत्येवमब्रवीद् भ्राता शत्रुघ्नो विप्रचोदितः॥ ३॥

“Contemplating on Śrī Rāma, my eldest brother, even as you are, I am keeping awake, not sleeping.’’ In these very words did Śatrughna, Bharata’s younger brother, reply when admonished as above by Bharata. (3)

> इति संवदतोरेवमन्योन्यं नरसिंहयोः।  
> आगम्य प्राञ्जलिः काले गुहो वचनमब्रवीत्॥ ४॥

“Arriving at an opportune moment while Bharata and Śatrughna, the two lions among men were conversing with each other as aforesaid, Guha submitted to Bharata with folded hands as follows : (4)

> कच्चित् सुखं नदीतीरेऽवात्सीः काकुत्स्थ शर्वरीम्।  
> कच्चिच्च सहसैन्यस्य तव नित्यमनामयम्॥ ५॥

“I hope you spent the night comfortably on the river bank, O scion of Kakutstha. And I hope you are entirely free from distemper alongwith your army.’’ (5)

> गुहस्य तत् तु वचनं श्रुत्वा स्नेहादुदीरितम्।  
> रामस्यानुवशो वाक्यं भरतोऽपीदमब्रवीत्॥ ६॥

Hearing the aforesaid question asked with affection by Guha, Bharata too, for his part, who had subordinated his will to Śrī Rāma, made the following reply : (6)

> सुखा नः शर्वरी धीमन् पूजिताश्चापि ते वयम्।  
> गङ्गां तु नौभिर्बह्वीभिर्दाशाः संतारयन्तु नः॥ ७॥

“It was a happy night for us, O sagacious friend, and we have been properly entertained by you. Let your fishermen now duly ferry us across the Gaṅgā on a number of boats.’’ (7)

> ततो गुहः संत्वरितः श्रुत्वा भरतशासनम्।  
> प्रतिप्रविश्य नगरं तं ज्ञातिजनमब्रवीत्॥ ८॥

Hearing Bharata’s command and returning to the city with great expedition, Guha forthwith spoke as follows to his said kinsmen : (8)

> उत्तिष्ठत प्रबुध्यध्वं भद्रमस्तु हि वः सदा।  
> नावः समुपकर्षध्वं तारयिष्यामि वाहिनीम्॥ ९॥

“Wake up and rise : may prosperity ever actually attend you. Duly haul the boats to the bank, I shall have the army ferried across the Gaṅgā.’’ (9)

> ते तथोक्ताः समुत्थाय त्वरिता राजशासनात्।  
> पञ्च नावां शतान्येव समानिन्युः समन्ततः॥ १०॥  
> अन्याः स्वस्तिकविज्ञेया महाघण्टाधरावराः।  
> शोभमानाः पताकिन्यो युक्तवाहाः सुसंहताः॥ ११॥

“Springing up on their feet when addressed thus by Guha, the boatmen hurriedly brought together from all sides in obedience to their chiefs command five hundred boats and other excellent boats too, known by the name of Swāstika (because of their bearing the mark of Swāstika), which looked charming, were distinguished by flags and equipped with rowers, nay, which were strongly built and had large bells tied to their sails. (10-11)

> ततः स्वस्तिकविज्ञेयां पाण्डुकम्बलसंवृताम्।  
> सनन्दिघोषां कल्याणीं गुहो नावमुपाहरत्॥ १२॥

Then Guha himself brought a lovely boat, also known by the name of Swāstika, the floor of which was covered with white rugs (fit for kings) and which was distinguished by the sound of festal music. (12)

> तामारुरोह भरतः शत्रुघ्नश्च महाबलः।  
> कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च याश्चान्या राजयोषितः॥ १३॥

Bharata and Śatrughna, who was possessed of great might, as well as Kausalyā, Sumitrā and whatever other royal ladies there were, ascended it. (13)

> पुरोहितश्च तत् पूर्वं गुरवो ब्राह्मणाश्च ये।  
> अनन्तरं राजदारास्तथैव शकटापणाः॥ १४॥

Sage Vasiṣṭha, the family priest, and whatever elderly Brāhmaṇas were present there took their seats even before Bharata and the royal ladies and immediately after these followed the other ladies of the royal family as well as the bullock-carts and the provisions, which were loaded on other boats. (14)

> आवासमादीपयतां तीर्थं चाप्यवगाहताम्।  
> भाण्डानि चाददानानां घोषस्तु दिवमस्पृशत्॥ १५॥

The din of men setting fire* to the huts erected for them as well as resorting to the descent in order to be able to ascend the boats and collecting the utensils in order to load them, actually rose to the skies. (15)

> पताकिन्यस्तु ता नावः स्वयं दाशैरधिष्ठिताः।  
> वहन्त्यो जनमारूढं तदा सम्पेतुराशुगाः॥ १६॥

Ferrying the men seated in them, those swift-going boats, which were adorned with flags and controlled by the fishermen, then sailed automatically, as it were. (16)

> नारीणामभिपूर्णास्तु काश्चित् काश्चित् तु वाजिनाम्।  
> काश्चित् तत्र वहन्ति स्म यानयुग्यं महाधनम्॥ १७॥

Some boats were full of women, while others were loaded with horses; while some more of them ferried costly chariots and animals of draught. (17)

> तास्तु गत्वा परं तीरमवरोप्य च तं जनम्।  
> निवृत्ताः काण्डचित्राणि क्रियन्ते दाशबन्धुभिः॥ १८॥

Having reached the opposite bank and enabled those men etc., to land, the boats for their part returned and were plied as so many toy-boats on water by the rowers, who were all kinsmen of Guha. (18)

> सवैजयन्तास्तु गजा गजारोहैः प्रचोदिताः।  
> तरन्तः स्म प्रकाशन्ते सपक्षा इव पर्वताः॥ १९॥

Swimming across the Gaṅgā as urged by their mahouts, the elephants with flags on their back actually shone like winged mountains. (19)

> नावश्चारुरुहुस्त्वन्ये प्लवैस्तेरुस्तथापरे।  
> अन्ये कुम्भघटैस्तेरुरन्ये तेरुश्च बाहुभिः॥ २०॥

Nay, other men took their seats on boats while others crossed the river by means of rafts; still others swam across with the help of big and small earthen vessels and the rest swam with their arms alone. (20)

> सा पुण्या ध्वजिनी गङ्गां दाशैः संतारिता स्वयम्।  
> मैत्रे मुहूर्ते प्रययौ प्रयागवनमुत्तमम्॥ २१॥

Ferried across the Gaṅgā by the fishermen themselves, that holy army which was hallowed through contact with holy men like Prince Bharata and Sage Vasiṣṭha as well as through a bath in the Gaṅgā and other sacred streams and was proceeding on the holy mission of bringing Śrī Rāma back to Ayodhyā, marched towards the excellent forest encircling Prayāga during the hour known by the name of Maitra* (because of its being sacred to Mitra, the sun-god). (21)

> आश्वासयित्वा च चमूं महात्मा  
> निवेशयित्वा च यथोपजोषम्।  
> द्रष्टुं भरद्वाजमृषिप्रवर्य-  
> मृत्विक्सदस्यैर्भरतः प्रतस्थे॥ २२॥

Nay, cheering up the troops and comfortably encamping them in the forest encircling Prayāga, the hight souled Bharata alongwith the priests and the (king’s) councillors set out to meet Bharadwāja, the foremost of Ṛṣis (the seers of Vedic Mantras). (22)

> स ब्राह्मणस्याश्रममभ्युपेत्य  
> महात्मनो देवपुरोहितस्य।  
> ददर्श रम्योटजवृक्षदेशं  
> महद्वनं विप्रवरस्य रम्यम्॥ २३॥

Reaching the hermitage of the high-souled Bharadwāja (the family priest of gods), who was not only a knower of Brahma but also the foremost of Vedic scholars,* Bharata saw the extensive and delightful grove surrounding the hermitage, consisting of clusters of trees interspersed with lovely huts of leafy twigs. (23)

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

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