Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 92

Meaning

Having spent the previous night with his family at the hermitage of Bharadwāja, Bharata, to whom hospitality had been extended by the sage, approached Bharadwāja to take leave of him to proceed to Citrakūṭa: so the tradition goes. (1)

Meaning

Perceiving that tiger among men arrived with folded hands and having poured oblations into the sacred fire, Sage Bharadwāja spoke to Bharata as follows : (2)

Meaning

“Tell me, O sinless one, was your night happily spent here in this hermitage of ours? Were all your men fully gratified with the hospitality shown to them?’’ (3)

Meaning

Folding his hands, and bowing down low before him, Bharata replied as follows to the sage, who was invested with the highest glory, and had come out of the hermitage to meet him : (4)

Meaning

“I spent the night comfortably with my entire army and all my animals. And I with my army was fully sated by you, O venerable Sir. (5)

Meaning

“Including even servants we have all spent our time most happily, relieved of our fatigue and discomfort, richly supplied with food and drink and lodge in excellent houses. (6)

Meaning

“I fervently entreat you, O venerable Sir: pray, regard me, set out towards the presence of my elder brother, with a benign look, O jewel among sages ! (7)

Meaning

“Tell me the location of the hermitage of that pious and high-souled prince, O knower of what is right, and also let me know which route leads to it and how long it is.” (8)

Meaning

Questioned thus, Bharadwāja, for his part, who is endowed with exceptional glory and noted for his great asceticism, replied as follows to Bharata, who was eager to secure the blessed sight of his elder brother : (9)

Meaning

“At a distance of two and a half Yojanas* or twenty miles from here in the midst of a forest uninhabited by men other than ascetics, there stands a well-known mountain named Citrakūṭa, abounding in lovely caves and groves. (10)

Meaning

“Touching its northern side flows the river Mandākinī, shaded by trees in blossom and hemmed with lovely groves laden with flowers. (11)

Meaning

“Not far from that river and adjacent to the Citrakūṭa hill, you will find the hut of the two brothers, made of leafy twigs; the two brothers undoubtedly dwell in that hut. (12)

Meaning

“Leaving by the southern route (proceeding along the southern bank of the Yamunā) take the army full of elephants and horses along the bye-path turning to the left and proceeding southward, O lord of the army ! Proceeding along that route you will be able to behold Śrī Rāma, a scion of Raghu, O highly fortunate prince !” Nay, hearing the talk going on about the journey to Citrakūṭa, the consorts of the deceased emperor, Kausalyā and others, stood encircling the Brāhmaṇa (Bharadwāja), leaving their chariots, even though they deserved to remain in their vehicles because of their sex, old age and high rank. Of them Kausalyā—who was quaking through old age and emotion, was emaciated through grief caused by the loss of her husband and afflicted because of her separation from Śrī Rāma—while Queen Sumitrā clasped the sage’s feet with both her hands. Kaikeyī too—who was condemned by the whole world because of her ambition to see her son appointed as Prince Regent of Ayodhyā having not been fulfilled, clasped the sage’s feet with bashfulness because of her having brought about the banishment of Śrī Rāma. Having gone round that venerable and eminent sage clockwise, she stood close to Bharata himself, sad at heart because of her designs having been frustrated on that occasion and the ignoming she had suffered. At that time the eminent sage Bharadwāja spoke to Bharata as follows : (13—18)

Meaning

“I seek to know the particulars concerning your mothers, O scion of Raghu!” Addressed thus by Bharadwāja, the pious Bharata, for his part, who was a master of expression, made the following answer with folded hands : “This godlike Queen Kausalyā, the seniormost consort of my father, whom indeed you see here afflicted and emaciated through fasting on account of grief, O venerable Sir, brought forth that tiger among men, Śrī Rāma—who takes gallant strides like a lion—even as Aditi (the mother of gods) gave birth to Upendra (Lord Vāmana, so-called because he was a younger brother to Indra). Here is the celebrated Sumitrā, the middle queen of the king, stricken with agony, who stands disconsolate at heart clinging to the left arm of Kausalyā and looking like a branch of Karṇikāra tree with withered flowers standing in the interior of a grove. (19—23)

Meaning

“Both Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna, those two heroic princes of godlike appearance and unfailing prowess, are the sons of this godly lady. (24)

Meaning

“Know this irate, vain, vulgar, though noble to all appearance, and cruel Kaikeyī, my mother of uncultured mind and sinful resolve, who esteems herself good-looking and is covetous of power, nay, thanks to whose designs, Srī Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, the two tigers among men, have reached here, the end of their life in the form of exile in the forest, which is fraught with dangers at every step, while King Daśaratha, having been deprived of his two sons, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, has ascended to heaven and whom I consider to be the root cause of the great adversity that has befallen me.” (25—27)

Meaning

Having uttered these words in a voice choked with tears and his eyes reddened through anger mixed with grief, that tiger among men began to draw a deep audible breath like a cobra hissing in wrath. (28)

Meaning

To the said Bharata, who was speaking thus, Bharadwāja, the eminent sage, who was gifted with great intelligence and who knew everything, made the following answer : (29)

Meaning

“Kaikeyī, O Bharata, should not be regarded by you as guilty, for this banishment of Śrī Rāma will result in happiness to all. (30)

Meaning

“In fact, good alone in this universe will result from the exile of Śrī Rāma to gods, demons and Ṛṣis, who contemplate on the Supreme Self.” (31)

Meaning

Greeting the sage and going round him clockwise, and taking leave of him, Bharata, for his part, who had achieved his object by coming to know the whereabouts of Śrī Rāma and receiving the benedictions of the sage, commanded the army in the following words : “Let preparations be made for the journey.” (32)

Meaning

Then, having joined the horses to their many excellent chariots embellished with gold, the different kinds of people ascended them for the march. (33)

Meaning

She-elephants and male elephants provided with girths of gold and flags marched in body, distinguished by the sound of bells, like thundering clouds at the close of summer. (34)

Meaning

People drove in various highly precious conveyances, big as well as small; while those travelling on foot proceeded on foot. (35)

Meaning

Then departed full of joy in excellent vehicles ladies headed by Kausalyā, desirous as they were of seeing Śrī Rāma at that moment. (36)

Meaning

Ascending a lovely palanquin possessing the splendour of the midday sun and the full moon and borne by four men, proceeded the glorious Bharata with the outfit for travelling. (37)

Meaning

Full of elephants and horses, that huge army on its march looked like a vast cloud burst upon the view, enveloping the southern quarter. (38)

Meaning

Traversing woodlands inhabited by deer and birds and hemming mountains as well as rivers beyond the western bank of the Gaṅgā flowing in a southerly direction, the army moved along. (39)

Meaning

Striking the hosts of deer and birds inhabiting that region with terror, while penetrating through that extensive forest in the precincts of Citrakūṭa, the said army of Bharata, consisting as it did of overjoyed elephants and horses,looked charming on that spot. (40)