Book II : Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya
Having passed the night on the banks of Ganga, Bharata asks Guha to make arrangements for their troops to cross the river by boats. Accordingly, Guha has kept ready five hundred boat with their ferry-men for the purpose. All of them reach the opposite shore of the river. Encamping the army at the shore in the magnificent woods of Prayaga, Bharata along with the priests and king's counsellors, approach the hermitage of Bharadwaja. |
vyuShya raatrim tu tatra eva gangaa kuule sa raaghavaH |
bharataH kaalyam utthaaya shatrughnam idam abraviit || 2-89-1
1. saH bharataH= that Bharata; raaghavaH= born in Raghu race; uSya= having stayed; raatrim= (that) night; tatra= at that; gangaakuule eva= bank of Ganga only; utthaaya= woke up; kaalyam= in the early hours; abraviit= and spoke; idam= these words; shatrughnam= to shatrughna.
Bharata, born in Raghu race, having passed the night in that place on the banks of Ganga, rising at dawn, said to shatrughna as follows:
shatrugha uttiShTha kim sheShe niShaada adhipatim guham |
shiighram aanaya bhadram te taarayiShyati vaahiniim || 2-89-2
2. shatrughna= O, Shatrughna; uttiSTha= wake up! kim= why; sheSe= sleep (longer)?; anaya= Bring; guham= Guha; niSaadhipatim= the king of Nishadhas; shiighram= quickly; bhadram= happiness; te= to you; vaahiniim taarayiSyati= he will convey the army across the river.
"O, Shatrughna! Wake up! Why sleep longer? Bring guha the king of Nishadhas quickly and be happy. Let him convey the army across the river."
jaagarmi na aham svapimi tathaiva aaryam vicintayan |
ity evam abraviid bhraatraa shatrughno api pracoditaH || 2-89-3
3. shatrughno.api= even Shatrughna; bhraataa= the brother; prachoditaH= (thus) urged (by Bharata); abraviit= spoke; ityevam= as follows= aham; na svapinii= I am not sleeping; vichintayan= thinking of; tam= that; aaryam eva= Rama alone; jaagarmi= I am wakeful.
Thus urged by Bharata, his brother Shatrughna said, "I am not sleeping. Thinking of that Rama alone, I have been wakeful."
iti samvadator evam anyonyam nara simhayoH |
aagamya praanjaliH kaale guho bharatam abraviit || 2-89-4
4. narasimhayoH= (While) those two lions among men; sampadatoH= were talking themsleves; anyonyam= with each other; ityevam= in this manner; guhaH= Guha; aagamya= having come; kaale= in time; abraviit= spoke; praaN^jaliH= with joined palms; bharatam= to Bharata (as follows):
While those two lions among men were talking themselves with each other thus, Guha came in time and with joined palms, addressed Bharata saying:
kaccit sukham nadii tiire avaatsiiH kaakutstha sharvariim |
kaccic ca saha sainyasya tava sarvam anaamayam || 2-89-5
5. kaakutthsa= O, Bharata; kachchit vaatsiiH= did you pass; sharvariim= the night; sukham= happily; nadiitiire= on the banks of the river?; (I hope); sarvam= all; anaamayam= taavat kachchit= is well indeed; te= to you; saha sainyasya= along with your army.
"O, Bharata! Did you pass the night happily on the banks of the river? I hope all is well with your army."
guhasya tat tu vacanam shrutvaa snehaad udiiritam |
raamasya anuvasho vaakyam bharato api idam abraviit || 2-89-6
6. shrutvaa= hearing; tat= those; vachanam= words; guhasya= of Guha; udiiritam= spoken; snehaat= in affection; bharato.api= Bharata also; anuvashaH= in his devotion; raamasya= to Rama; abraviit= spoke; idam vaakyam= these words.
Hearing those words of Guha spoken with affection, Bharata also in his devotion to Rama, replied as follows:
sukhaa naH sharvarii raajan puujitaaH ca api te vayam |
gangaam tu naubhir bahviibhir daashaaH samtaarayantu naH || 2-89-7
7. raajan= O, king!; sharvarii= the night; sukhaa= passed pleasantly; naH= for us; were treated hospitably; te= by you; dashaaH= (Let) your fisher man; naH samtaarayantu= ferry us across; gaN^gaam= Ganga River; bahviibhiH= countless; naubhiH= boats;
"O, king! The night passed pleasantly for us. We were treated hospitably by you. Let your fisher-men ferry us across Ganga River on your courtless boats."
tato guhaH samtvaritaH shrutvaa bharata shaasanam |
pratipravishya nagaram tam jnaati janam abraviit || 2-89-8
8. shrutvaa= hearing; bharata shaasanam= Bharata's command; guhaH= Guha; tataH= then; pratipravishya= returned; nagaram= to the city; samtvaritam= in all haste; abraviit= and spoke; tam= to those; jJNaatijanam= multitude of his people (as follows):
Hearing Bharata's command, Guha returned to the city in all haste and spoke to those multitude of his people (as follows):
uttiShThata prabudhyadhvam bhadram astu hi vaH sadaa |
naavaH samanukarShadhvam taarayiShyaama vaahiniim || 2-89-9
9. uttiSThata= rise; prabudhyadhvam= awake; bhadram= and may prosperity; sadaa= ever; astu= attend; vaH= you; samanukarSadhvam= duly haul; naavaH= the boats; (to the bank); taarayiSyaama= let us carry across; vaahiniim= the army.
"Rise, awake and may prosperity ever attend you! Duly haul the boats to the bank. Let us carry the army across the river."
te tathaa uktaaH samutthaaya tvaritaaH raaja shaasanaat |
panca naavaam shataany eva samaaninyuH samantataH || 2-89-10
10. lathaa= thus; uktaaH= spoken; tvaritaaH= (rising) immediatley; raajashaasanaat= on the command of their king; te= they; samaaninyuH= brought together; aashu= quickly; pancha shataani= five hundred; naavaami= boatsamantataH= from very quarter.
Rising immediately on hearing the command of their king, they quickly brought together five hundred boats from every quarter.
anyaaH svastika vijneyaa mahaa ghaNDaa dharaa varaaH |
shobhamaanaaH pataakinyo yukta vaataaH susamhataaH || 2-89-11
11. anyaaH= some; varaaH= excellent boats; mahaaghanTaadharaaH= possessing large bells; svastikavijJNaayaaH= were marked with Swastika; susamhataah= well-kept together; yukta vaataaH= with appropriate sails; shobhamaanaaH= and adorned; pataakaabhiH= with flags.
Some excellent boats, possessing large bells were marked with Sawstika, well-kept together with appropriate sails and adorned with flags.
tataH svastika vijneyaam paaNDu kambala samvR^itaam |
sanandi ghoShaam kalyaaNiim guho naavam upaaharat || 2-89-12
12. tataH= then; guhaH= Guha; upaaharat= brought; naavam= one boat; svastika viJJneyaam= also adorned with Swastika; paaN^DukambaLa samvR^itaam= covered with white canvas; sanandighosSaam= covered with white canvas; sanandighoSaam= re-echoing with acclamations; kalyaaNaam= and beautiful.
Then, Guha brought there one boat also adorned with Swastika, was covered with white canvas, re-echoing with acclamations and which was beautiful.
taam aaruroha bharataH shatrughnaH ca mahaa balaH |
kausalyaa ca sumitraa ca yaaH ca anyaa raaja yoShitaH || 2-89-13
purohitaH ca tat puurvam gurave braahmaNaaH ca ye |
anantaram raaja daaraaH tathaiva shakaTa aapaNaaH || 2-89-14
13-14. bharataH= Bharata; aaruroha= ascended; taam= it; shatrughnaH= Shatrughna; mahaabalaH= the exceedingly strong man; kausalyaacha= Kausalya; sumitraacha= Sumitra; yaaH= and whatever; anyaaH= other; raaja yoSitaH= royal women; (mounted the boats); tatpuurvam= Prior to them; purohitashcha= Vasisha, the royal priest; ye= and whatever; guravaH= elderly; braahmaNaashcha= Brahmanas; anantaram= thereafter; raa daaraaH= the king's wives; tathaiva= and; shakaTaavaNaaH= the bullock-carts and the provisions.
Vasishta, the royal priest and whatever elderly Brahmanas were present there ascended the boats, even before Bharata, Shatrughna, Kausalya, Sumitra. Whatever royal women were present also took their seats. Thereafter followed the king's wives a well as bullock- carts and provisions.
aavaasam aadiipayataam tiirtham ca apy avagaahataam |
bhaaNDaani ca aadadaanaanaam ghoShaH tridivam aspR^ishat || 2-89-15
15. ghoSaH= the sound; aadiipayataam= of men; setting fire; aavaasam= to the huts; avagaahataam= and of those who were descending; tiirthamchaa api= the stone-steps (leading to the boat); aadadaanaam= and those who were transporting; bhaaN^Daani= their effects; who were transporting; bhaaN^Daani= their effects; aspR^ishat- touched; tridvam= the sky.
The sound of men setting fire to the huts, of those who were descending the steps leading to the boat and those who were transporting their effects touched the sky.
It has been a convention among Indian troops in the past to burn whatever is removing their essential things and tents while leaving a halting place in the course of their march to a destination. The idea is not to leave any trace of their whereabouts for the enemy. The practice was also believed to bring triumph to the troops who resorted to it.
pataakinyaH tu taa naavaH svayam daashair adhiShThitaaH |
vahantyo janam aaruuDham tadaa sampetur aashugaaH || 2-89-16
16. taam naavaH= those boats, pataakinyaH= possessing flags; adhiSThitaaH= administered; daashaiH= by the fisher-men; svayam= themselves; tadaa= then; sampetuH= ran; aashugaaH= speedily; rahantyaH= carrying; aaruuDhamjanam= the passengers.
Thos boats, adorned with flags, steered by fisher-men themselves ran speedily, duly carrying those passengers.
naariiNaam abhipuurNaaH tu kaashcit kaashcit tu vaajinaam |
kashcit tatra vahanti sma yaana yugyam mahaa dhanam || 2-89-17
17. kaashchit= some; adhipuurNaaH= were filled; naariiNaam= with women; atra= there; kaashchit= and some; (were loaded) vaajinaam= with horses; kaashchit= some; vahantisma= ferried animals of draught; mahaadhanam= of great value.
Some were filled with women. Some were loaded with horses and some of them ferried animals of draught of great value.
taaH sma gatvaa param tiiram avaropya ca tam janam |
nivR^ittaaH kaaNDa citraaNi kriyante daasha bandhubhiH || 2-89-18
18. gatvaa= having reached; param tiiram= the opposite shore; taaH= those boats; avaropya= cleared; tam janam= those people; nivR^ittaaHsma= and returened; kriyantesma= (the boats) were plied; kaanDachitraaNi= as toy-boats made of bamboo; daashabandubhiH= by the kinsfolk of Guha.
Having reached the opposite shore, those boats cleared those people and on the return journey, the kinsfolk of Guha plied them as easily as toy- boats made of bamboo.
savaijayantaaH tu gajaa gaja aarohaiH pracoditaaH |
tarantaH sma prakaashante sadhvajaa iva parvataaH || 2-89-19
19. gajaaroha prachoditaaH= goaded on by their mahouts; gajaaH= elephants; savaijayantaaH= adorned with flags; tarantaH= swimming across the river; prakaashantesma iva= looked like; sadhvajaaH= winged; parvataaH= mountains.
Goaded on by their mahouts, elephants adorned with their flags, swimming across the river, looked life winged mountains.
naavaH ca aaruruhuH tu anye plavaiH teruH tathaa apare |
anye kumbha ghaTaiH terur anye teruH ca baahubhiH || 2-89-20
20. anye= some; aaruruhshcha= ascended; naavaH= boats; apare= some others; teruH= crossed; plavaiH= by rafts; tathaa= in the same manner; anye= some others; teruH= swam across kumbhaghaTaiH= with the help of big and small earthen vessels; anye= some other; terushcha= swam; baahibhiH= with arms.
Some ascended boats. Some others crossed the river by rafts in the same manner. Some others swam across with the help of big and small earthen vessels. The rest swam with arms.
saa puNyaa dhvajinii gangaam daashaiH samtaaritaa svayam |
maitre muhuurte prayayau prayaaga vanam uttamam || 2-89-21
21. samtaaritaa= having been made to cross; gaNgaam= River Ganga; daashaiH= by the fishermen; svayam= themselves; saa puNyaa= that holy; dhvajinii= army; prayaryau= that holy; dhvajinii= army; prayayau= reached; uttamam= the magnificient; prayaagavanam= woods of Prayaga; maitre muhuurte= at the hour of maitra.
Having made to cross River Ganga by the fisher-men themselves, that holy army reached the magnificent woods of Prayaga at the hour of Maitra.
The hour of early hours. A Muhurta, loosely translated as an hour, really consist of 48 minutes. There are fifteen such Muhurtas in a day. They are named in order by Brihaspati as Randra, Sarpa, maitra, Paitra, Vasava, Apya, Vaisva, Brahma, Praja, Isha, Sindra, Aindragna, Nairta, Varunaryamana and Bhagi.
aashvaasayitvaa ca camuum mahaatmaa |
niveshayitvaa ca yathaa upajoSham |
draShTum bharadvaajam R^iShi pravaryam |
R^itvig vR^itaH san bharataH pratasthe || 2-89-22
22. mahaatmaa= the high souled; bharataH= Bharata; aashvaasayitvaa chamnum= made the army to rest; niveshayitvaa= by encamping it; yathopajoSam= according to its inclination; pratasthe= and set out; R^itvigvR^itassan= along with the priests and the king's counsellors; draSTum= to see; bharadvaajam= Bharadwaja; R^iSivaryam= the foremost of sages.
The high-souled Bharata made the army to rest, by encamping it according to its inclination and set out along with the priests and king's counsellors to meet Bharadwaja, the foremost of sages.
sa braahmaNasyaashramamabhyupetya |
mahaatmano devapurohitasya |
dadarsha ramyoTajavR^ikSaSaNDaM |
mahadvanaM vipravarasya ramyam || 2-89-23
23. abhyupetya= approaching; aashramam= the hermitage; braahmaNasya= of that Brahmana; mahaatmanaH= the high-souled; deva purohitasya= and the family- priest of gods; saH= Bharata; dadarsha= saw; mahat vanam= and extensive grove; vipravarasya= of the chief of ascetics; ramyam= which was enchanting; ramyoTaja vR^ikSaSaNDam= with its leafy huts and trees.
Approaching the hermitage of that high-souled Brahmana and the family priest of gods, Bharata saw an extensive and enchanting grove with its leafy huts and tress the chief of ascetics.
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye ayodhyaakaaNDe ekonanavatitamaH sargaH
Thus completes 40th chapter in the AyodhyaKanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© March 2004, K. M. K. Murthy