When Bharata hear the sound of couches and drums early in the morning, he gets more depressed. He orders for stopping of those sounds and starts lamenting. Then, Vasishta the family-priest enters the assembly-hall and sends messengers, asking them to call Bharata urging him to be present in the court, and in response to his call, Bharata with Shatrughna, the ministers and others enter the assembly.
tataH naandii mukhiim raatrim bharatam suuta maagadhaaH |
tuShTuvur vaag visheShaGYaaH stavaiH mangala samhitaiH || 2-81-1
1. tataH = then; suuta maagadhaH = bards and panegyrists; vaagvisheSajJNaaH = who know the importance of words; tuSTuvuH = eulogized; bharatam = Bharata; maN^gala sahitaiH = with auspicious; stavaiH = hymns of praise; raatrim = on the night; naandiimukham = preceding Naandimukha.
Then, bards and pangegyrists, who knew the importance of tidings, eulogized Bharata with auspicious hymns of praise on the night preceding Naandimukha.
Naandimukha: The name of a ceremony in honour and for the benefit of dead relatives observed on a festive occasion to secure their blessings.
suvarNa koNa abhihataH praaNadad yaama dundubhiH |
dadhmuH shankhaamH ca shatasho vaadyaamH ca ucca avaca svaraan || 2-81-2
2. yaama dundubhiH = a drum from which night-hours are identified; suvarNakoNaabhihataH = struck with a gold stick; praaNadat = gave its sound; shamkhaashcha = couches; naadaamshcha = and loud-sounding instruments; uchchavacha svaraan = in various types of noises; shatashaH = in hundreds; dadhmuH = were blown.
A drum from the sound of which nigh-hours are identified, struck with a golden stick, gave its sound. Couches and loud-sounding instruments in hundreds producing various types of noises were blown.
sa tuurya ghoShaH sumahaan divam aapuurayann iva |
bharatam shoka samtaptam bhuuyaH shokaiH arandhrayat || 2-81-3
3. saH = that; sumahaan = mammoth; tuuryaghoSaH = sound of the musical instruments; aapuurayaanniva = as though filling up; divam = the sky; arandayat bhuuyaH = created further distress; shokaiH = and grief; bharatam = to Bharata; shoka samtaptam = who was already tormented with grief.
That mammoth sound of the musical instruments, as if filling up the whole sky, created further distress and grief to Bharata who was already tormented with grief.
tataH prabuddho bharataH tam ghoSham samnivartya ca |
na aham raajaa iti ca api uktvaa shatrughnam idam abraviit || 2-81-4
4. tataH = then; prabuddhaH = the awaken; bharataH = Bharata; uktvaa = having spoken; iti = that; aham = I; na = am not; raajaa = the king; samnivartyacha = caused to stop; tam = that; ghoSam = sound; abraviit = and spoke; idam = the following words; shatrughnam = to Shatrughna.
Then, the awakened Bharata proclaiming that "I am not the king", caused to stop that sound and spoke the following words to shatrughna:
pashya shatrughna kaikeyyaa lokasya apakR^itam mahat |
visR^ijya mayi duhkhaani raajaa dasharatho gataH || 2-81-5
5. pashya = behold; shatrughna = O; Shatrughna!; mahat = a great; apakR^itam = harm was done; lokasya = to the world; kaikeyyaa = by Kaikeyi; raajaa = the king; dasharathaH = Dasaratha; gataH = went away; visR^ijya = leaving; duHkhaani = the sorrows; mayi = in me.
"Behold, O, Shatrughna! How much harm was done to the world by Kaikeyi! The king Dasartha left us, leaving all sorrows to me."
tasya eShaa dharma raajasya dharma muulaa mahaatmanaH |
paribhramati raaja shriir naur iva akarNikaa jale || 2-81-6
6. eSaH = this; raajashriiH = prosperous kingdom; dharmamuulaa = a foundation of law and religion; tasya = of that; mahaatmanaH = high-souled; dhamaraajasya = Dasaratha the righteous king; paribhranati = is moving hitter and thither; nau iva = like a boat; jale = in water; akarNikaa = without a rudder.
"This prosperous kingdom of Ayodhya, a foundation of law and religion of that high-souled Dasaratha the righteous king is now like boat without a rudder moving hitter and thither in water.
yo hi naH sumahaannaathaH so.api pravraajito vanam |
anayaa dharmamutsR^ijya maatraa me raaghavaH svayam || 2-81-7
7. anayaa = by this; me maatraa = my mother; utsR^ijya = who has abandoned; dharmam = righeousness; svayam = herself; pravraajitaH = has sent away; saH raaghavaH api = even that Rama; yaH = who; sumahaan = was a great; naathaH = protector; naH = to us; vanam = to the forest.
"Even that Rama, who was a great protector has been sent to the forest by this very mother of mine, abandoning her righteousness."
iti evam bharatam prekShya vilapantam vicetanam |
kR^ipaNam ruruduH sarvaaH sasvaram yoShitaH tadaa || 2-81-8
8. prekshya = seeing; bharatam = Bharata; vichetanam = who lost his consciousness; vilapantam = by lamenting; ityevam = in that manner; sarvaaH = all; yoSitaH = the women; tada = then; kR^ipaNam = miserably; rurudhuH = wept; sa svaram = with one voice.
Seeing Bharata who lost his consciousness by lamenting in that way, all the women then miserably cried in one voice.
tathaa tasmin vilapati vasiShTho raaja dharmavit |
sabhaam ikShvaaku naathasya pravivesha mahaa yashaaH || 2-81-9
9. tasmin = (While) Bharata; vilapati = was lamenting; tathaa = thus; vasiSThaH = Vaishta; raajadharmavit = who knew the rules relating to kings; mahaayashaaH = and was very famous; pravivesha = entered; sabhaam = the assembly-hall; ikshvaakunaathasya = of Dasaratha the Lord of Ikshvaku dynasty.
While Bharata was lamenting thus, the great illustrious Vasishta who knew the rules relating to kings, entered the assembly-hall of Dasaratha the Lord of Ikshvaku dynasty.
shaata kumbhamayiim ramyaam maNi ratna samaakulaam |
sudharmaam iva dharma aatmaa sagaNaH pratyapadyata || 2-81-10
10. dharmaatma = the pious minded Vasishta; sagaNaH = along with his attendants; pratyapadyata = entered; (that assembly-hall); shaatakumbhamayiim = made of gold; ramyaam = lovely; maNiratna samaakulaam = extensively studded with gems and jewels; sudharmamiva = looking like Sudharma the celestial assembly-hall.
The pious minded Vasishta along with his attendants entered that lovely assembly-hall, made of gold and studded with gems and jewels, resembling Sudharma the celestial assembly-hall.
sa kaancanamayam piiTham para ardhya aastaraNa aavR^itam |
adhyaasta sarva vedaGYo duutaan anushashaasa ca || 2-81-11
11. saH = Vasistha; sarvavedajJNaH = who knew all the scriptures; adhyaastha = was seated; piiTham = in a presidential chair; kaaNchanamayam = made of gold; sukhaastaraNa samvR^itam = and wrapped up with a comfortable cushion; anushashaasa cha = he ordered; duutaan = the messengers (as follows)
Vasista, who knew all the scriptures, then sat in a presidential chair made of gold and wrapped with a comfortable cushion. He ordered the messengers as follows:
braahmaNaan kShatriyaan yodhaan amaatyaan gaNa ballabhaan |
kShipram aanayata avyagraaH kR^ityam aatyayikam hi naH || 2-81-12
12. aanayata = bring; kshipram = quickly; braahmaNaan = Brahmanas; ksatriyaan = Kshatriyas; vaishyaan = Vaisyas; amaatyaan = ministers; gaNavallabhaan = troop-commanders; avyagraaH = coolly; naH = for us; atyayikam = there is an urgent; kR^ityamhi = duty indeed to be done.
"Quickly bring Brahmanas (a class of people having divine knowledge), Kshatriyas (people belonging to warrior-class), Vaisyas (agriculturists and traders), ministers and troop commanders coolly. There is an urgent duty indeed for us to be done.
saraajabhR^ityam shatrughnam bharatam ca yashsvinam |
yudhaajitam sumantram ca ye ca tatra hitaa janaaH || 2-81-13
13. (Bring); shatrughnam = Shatrughna; saraajabhR^ityam = with his royal attendants; bharatam = Bharata; yashasvinam = the illustrious man; yudhajitam = Yudhajit (maternal uncle of Bharata); sumantram cha = Sumantra the charioteer; ye janaaH = and those people who; hitaaH = are royal well-wishers; tatra = there.
"Bring Shatrughna with his royal attendants, the illustrious Bharata, Yudhaajit (Bharata's maternal uncle) Sumantra the charioteer and those people who are royal well-wishers there."
tataH halahalaa shabdo mahaan samudapadyata |
rathaiH ashvaiH gajaiH ca api janaanaam upagacchataam || 2-81-14
14. tataH = then; sumahaan = there was a huge; halaahala shabdaH = hallooing sound; samapadyata = generated from the people; upagachchhataam = coming; rathaiH = on chariots; ashvaiH = horses; gajaishchaapi = and elephants.
There was a huge hallooing sound generated while the people invited were coming on chariots, horses and elephants.
tataH bharatam aayaantam shata kratum iva amaraaH |
pratyanandan prakR^itayo yathaa dasharatham tathaa || 2-81-15
15. tataH = thereafter; prakR^itayaH = people of high position like ministers and others; pratyanandan = welcomed; aayaantam = the approaching; bharatam = Bharata; yathaa tathaa = in every way as (welcoming); dasharatham = Dasaratha; shatakratumiva = and as Indra; amaraaH = by celestials.
People of high position like ministers and other welcomed the approaching Bharata in every way as they had welcomed Dasaratha and as Indra was welcomed by celestials.
hradaiva timi naaga samvR^itaH |
stimita jalo maNi shankha sharkaraH |
dasharatha suta shobhitaa sabhaa |
sadasharathaa iva babhau yathaa puraa || 2-81-16
16. sabhaa = (That) assembly; dasharatha suta shobhitaa = made splendid by the son of Dasaratha; abhau = radiated; yathaapuraa = as before; sadasharathaa iva = as with Dasaratha; hrada iva = like a lake; stimitajalaH = of tranquil waters; maNi shaN^ka sharkaraH = sown with pearls shells and sand; timinaaga samvR^itaH = and filled with great fish and serpents.
That royal assembly, made splendid by Bharata the son of Dasartha, radiated as before as with the presence of Dasaratha, like a lake of tranquil waters sown with pearls shells and sand and filled with great fish and serpents.
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ityaarShe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye ayodhyaakaaNDe ekaashiititamaH sargaH
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© July 2003, K. M. K. Murthy