Book II : Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya
The king-makers request Bharata to take over Ayodhya kingdom. Bharata refuses to do so and promises to bring back Rama to Ayodhya and make him only as the king. Bharata further orders for construction of a path-way to reach the forest. |
tataH prabhaata samaye divase atha caturdashe |
sametya raaja kartaaraH bharatam vaakyam abruvan || 2-79-1
1. tataH= thereafter; chaturdashe= on the fourteenth; divase= day; atha= then; praataH kaale= early in the morning; raajakartaaraH= the king-makers; sametya= coming together; abruvan= spoke; vaakyam= (the following) words; bharatam= to Bharata.
Thereafter, early in the morning on the fourteenth day, the king-makers coming together, spoke to Bharata the following words.
gataH dasharathaH svargam yo no gurutaraH guruH |
raamam pravraajya vai jyeSTham lakSmaNam ca mahaa balam || 2-79-2
2. dasharathaH= Dasaratha; yaH= who; gurutaraH= was our very venerable; guruH= master; gataH= wnet; svargam= to heaven; pravaajya= after having sent away from home; jeSTham= his elder son; raamam= Rama; mahaabalamcha= and the exceedingly, strong; lakshmaNamcha= Lakshmana.
“Dasaratha, who was our highly venerable master, went to heaven after sending his elder son Rama and the exceedingly strong Lakshmana to forest.”
tvam adya bhava no raajaa raaja putra mahaa yashaH |
samgatyaa na aparaadhnoti raajyam etat anaayakam || 2-79-3
3. mahaayashaH= O, the highly illustrious; raajaputra= prince! Tvam= you; bhava= be; raajaa= the king; naH= to us; adya= now; etat= this; raajyam= kingdom; naaparaadhnoti= has not yet missed the mark; anaayakam= even without a king.
“O, the highly illustrious prince! From now on, do you be our king. Fortunately, this kingdom has not yet missed the mark, even without a king.”
aabhiSecanikam sarvam idam aadaaya raaghava |
pratiikSate tvaam sva janaH shreNayaH ca nR^ipa aatmaja || 2-79-4
4. nR^ipaatmaja= O, prince; raaghava= Bharata!; aadaaya= taking; sarvam= all; idam= the; abhiSechanikam= things needed for coronation; svajanam= your own people (the connsellers and the ministers); shreNayashcha= and the citizens; pratiikshante= are amiting; tvaam= for you.
“O, prince Bharata! Taking all the things needed for coronation, your own people (the counsellers and the ministers) as well as the citizens are awaiting for you.”
raajyam gR^ihaaNa bharata pitR^i paitaamaham mahat |
abhiSecaya ca aatmaanam paahi ca asmaan nara R^iSabha || 2-79-5
5. bharata= O, Bharata; nararSabha= the excellent among men!; gR^ihaaNa= take over; dhruvam= the stable; raajyam= kingdom; pitR^ipaitaamaham= which came in succession from your ancestors; abhiSechaya= coronate; aatmaanam= yourself; paahicha= and rule; asmaan= us.
“O, Bharata the excellent among men! Take over the stable kingdom, which came in succession from your ancestors, coronate yourself and rule us.”
aabhiSecanikam bhaaNDam kR^itvaa sarvam pradakSiNam |
bharataH tam janam sarvam pratyuvaaca dhR^ita vrataH || 2-79-6
6. bharataH= Bharata; dhR^itavrataH= who is firmly resolute; pradakSiNam kR^itvaa= performed circumambulation clockwise; sarvam= around all; bhaaN^Dam= the things; abhiSechanikam= required for consecration; pratyuvaacha= and replied; sarvam= to all; tam janam= those people (as follows):
The firmly resolute Bharata performed circumambulation clockwise around all the things kept ready for consecration and replied to all those people as follows:
jyeSThasya raajataa nityam ucitaa hi kulasya naH |
na evam bhavantaH maam vaktum arhanti kushalaa janaaH || 2-79-7
7. uchitaahi= It is indeed appropriate; raajataa= (to bestow) kingship; nityam= always; jyeSThasya= to the eldest; naH kulasya= of our clan; bhavantaH= you; kushalaaH= the conversant; jannaH= people; na arhanti= ought not; vaktum= to tell; evam= in this manner; maam= to me.
“It is indeed appropriate to bestow kingship always to the eldest of our clan. You, being the conversant people, ought not to tell in this manner to me.”
raamaH puurvo hi no bhraataa bhaviSyati mahii patiH |
aham tu araNye vatsyaami varSaaNi nava panca ca || 2-79-8
8. naH= our; puurvaH= eldest; bhraataa= brother; raamaH= Rama; bhaviSyati= will become; mahiipatiH= the king; aham tu= I then; vatsyaami= will reside; araNye= in the forest; nava paN^chacha= for fourteen; varSaaNi= years.
“Our eldest brother, Rama will become the king. I then will reside in the forest for fourteen years.”
yujyataam mahatii senaa catur anga mahaa balaa |
aanayiSyaamy aham jyeSTham bhraataram raaghavam vanaat || 2-79-9
9. mahatii= (Let) a great; chaturaN^gamahaabalaaH= and exceptionally powerful army consisting of all the four limbs; yujyataam= be kept ready; aham= I; aanayiSyaami= shall bring; raaghavam= Rama; jyeSTham= the elder; bhraataram= brother; vanaat= from the forest.
“Let a great and exceptionally powerful army consisting of all the four limbs be kept ready. I shall bring Rama our elder brother from the forest.”
aabhiSecanikam caiva sarvam etat upaskR^itam |
puraH kR^itya gamiSyaami raama hetor vanam prati || 2-79-10
10. puraskR^itya= keeping in front; sarva= all etat= this upaskR^itam= assembled; abhiSechanikam= requisite needed for consecration; gamiSyaami= I shall proceed; vanam prati= to the forest; raama hetoH= for the sake of (bringing back) Rama.
“Keeping in front, all the assembled requisites needed for consecration, I shall proceed to the forest for the sake of bringing back Rama.”
tatra eva tam nara vyaaghram abhiSicya puraH kR^itam |
aaneSyaami tu vai raamam havya vaaham iva adhvaraat || 2-79-11
11. abhiSichya= consecrating; tam= him; naravyaaghram= the tiger among men; tatraiva= there itself; aneSyaami tu vai= I shall surely bring; raamam= Rama; havgavaahamiva= as bringing the sacred fire; adhvaraat= from a sacrificial rite.
“Consecrating him, the tiger among men there itself, I shall surely bring Rama solemnized in front, as bringing home the sacred fire from a sacrificial rite, after performing it outside the city.”
na sakaamaa kariSyaami svam imaam maatR^i gandhiniim |
vane vatsyaamy aham durge raamaH raajaa bhaviSyati || 2-79-12
12. na kariSyaami= I shall not make; imam= her; svaam= my; maatR^igandhiniim= so-called mother; sakaamaam= fulfil her desire; aham= I; vatsyaami= will reside; vane= in the forest; durge= which is impassable; raamaH= Rama; bhaviSyati= will become; raajaa= the king.
“I shall not make her, my so-called mother, fulfil her desire. I will reside in the impassable forest. Rama will become the king.”
kriyataam shilpibhiH panthaaH samaani viSamaaNi ca |
rakSiNaH ca anusamyaantu pathi durga vicaarakaaH || 2-79-13
13. manthaaH= let a road; kriyataam= be made; shilpibhiH= by those skilled in that art; samaani= by leveling; viSamaaNi= the uneven surfaces; rakSiNashcha= let guards; durgavichaarakaaH= who can move inaccessible forest; anusamyaanti= accompany us; pathi= in the path.
“Let a path-way be prepared by those skilled in that profession, by leveling the uneven surfaces. Let guards who can easily move in the inaccessible forests accompany us in the path.”
evam sambhaaSamaaNam tam raama hetor nR^ipa aatmajam |
pratyuvaaca janaH sarvaH shriimad vaakyam anuttamam || 2-79-14
14. tam nR^ipaatmajam= to Bharata, the prince; sambhaaSamaaNam= who was talking; evam= this; raama hetoH= in Rama’s cause; sarvaH= all; janaH= the people; pratyuvaacha= replied; vaakyam= in these words; shriimat= much were illustrious; anuttamam= and excellent.
Hearing Prince Bharata, talking in consideration of Rama’s cause, all the people replied in the following illustrious and excellent words:
evam te bhaaSamaaNasya padmaa shriir upatiSThataam |
yaH tvam jyeSThe nR^ipa sute pR^ithiviim daatum icchasi || 2-79-15
15. shriiH= (let) the gracious; padmaa= goddess of properity; upatiSThataam= abide; te= with you; yaH tvam= you, that very person; bhaaSamaaNasya= who is speaking; evam= thus; ichchhasi= desiring; datum= to give; pR^ithiviim= the kingdom; jyeSThe= to the eldest; nR^ipasute= son of the king.
“Let the gracious goddess of prosperity abide with you, who are speaking thus, desirous of giving kingdom to Rama the eldest son of the king.”
anuttamam tat vacanam nR^ipa aatmaja |
prabhaaSitam samshravaNe nishamya ca |
praharSajaaH tam prati baaSpa bindavo |
nipetur aarya aanana netra sambhavaaH || 2-79-16
16. nishamyacha= hearing; tat= those; vachanam= words; anuttamam= which were excellent; tam prati= of him; nR^ipaatmaja prabhaaSitam= spoken by the prince; samshravaNe= close to their ears; baaSpabindavaH= tears; praharSajaaH= born of joy; nipetuH= fell; aaryanana netrasambhavaaH= from the face and the eyes of those venerable men.
Hearing those excellent words spoken by the prince close to their ears, tears born of joy fell from the face and eyes of those venerable men.
uucus te vacanam idam nishamya hR^iSTaaH |
saamaatyaaH sapariSado viyaata shokaaH |
panthaanam nara vara bhaktimaan janaH ca |
vyaadiSTaH tava vacanaac ca shilpi vargaH || 2-79-17
17. nishamya= hearing; idam= these; vachanam= words; te= they; sapariSadaH= together with the council; saamaatyaaH= along with the ministers; viyaata shokaaH= were relieved of their grief; hR^iSTaaH= and cheerful; uuchuH= and spoke; idam vachanam= these words; tava= as per your; vachanaat= words; bhaktimaan= devoted; janashcha= people; shilpivargaH= and group of artisans; aadiSTaH= have been instructed; panthaanam= for making the path-way.
Hearing these words, the people there along with council and the ministers felt cheerful, being relieved of their anxiety and spoke the following words : “As per your command, devoted men and a group of artisans have been instructed to make the path-way.”
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye ayodhyaakaaNDe ekonaashiititamaH sargaH
Thus completes 79th Chapter of Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© May 2003, K. M. K. Murthy