Book VI : Yuddha Kanda - Book Of War
Rama, travelling in the aerial car towards Ayodhya, lands at the hermitage of Bharadwaja the sage. When Rama enquires of Bhardwaja about the welfare of Ayodhya-City, Bharata and his mothers. Bharadwaja informs Rama about their welfare. Further, the sage informs that by virtue of his asceticism, he could know everything about the exploits of Rama from the day he left Ayodhya, till he destroyed Ravana. Then, Rama seeks a boon from Bharadwaja, asking him to make the trees on the route to Ayodhya, to bear fruit in the off-season for which the sage grants the boon. Thereupon, the troops of monkeys feasted on those fruits at will. |
puurNe chaturdashe varShe paJNchamyaaM lakShmaNaagrajaH |
bharadvaajaashramaM praapya vavande niyato munim || 6-124-1
1. chatrudashe varShe puurNe= after completion of fourteen years (of his exile); paN^chamyaam= and on the fifth day (the bright half) of the lunar month of Ashvayuja (roughly corresponding to the month of september); lakShmaNaagrajaH= Rama; niyataH= who was disciplined even now; raapya= having reached; bharadvaajaashramam= the hermitage of the sage, Bharadwaja; vavande= offered his salutation; (to the sage).
After completion of fourteen years of his exile and on the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Ashvayuja (roughly corresponding to the month of September), Rama, who was disciplined even now, reaching the hermitage of the sage Bharadwaja, offered his salutation to the sage.
so.apR^ichchhadabhivaadyainaM bharadvaajaM tapodhanam |
shR^iNoShi kachchidbhagavan subhikShaanaamayaM pure || 6-124-2
kachchitsa yukto bharato jiivantyapi cha maataraH |
2. abhivaadya= having offered his obeisance; bharadvaajam= to the sage, Bharadwaja; enam tapodhanam= who was rich in this asceticism; saH= Rama; apR^ichchhat= enquired; bhagaran= O venerable one!; shR^iNoShi kachchit= have you heard; pure= of Ayodhya city; subhikShaanaamayam= having an abundance of food and free from disease?; saH bharataH kachchit= is that Bharata; yuktaH= attentive (in his rule)?; maataraH mama jiivanti= I hope my mothers are (still) alive.
Having offered his obeisance to Bharadwaja, who was rich in asceticism, Rama enquired (of him): "Have you heard, O venerable one, of Ayodhya City having an abundance of food and free from disease? Is that Bharata attentive in his rule? I hope my mothers are still alive."
evamuktastu raameNa bharadvaajo mahaamuniH || 6-124-3
pratyuvaacha raghushreShThaM smitapuurvaM prahR^iShTavat |
3. evam= thus; uktaH= spoken; raameNa= by Rama; bharadvaajaH= Bharadwaja; mahaamuniH= the great sage; prahR^iShTavat= quite rejoiced as he was; pratyuvaacha= replied; smitapuurvam= with a smile; raghushreShTham= to Rama (as follows):
Hearing the words of Rama, Bharadwaja the great sage, quite rejoiced as he was, smilingly replied to Rama (as follows):
paN^kadigdhastu bharato jaTilastvaaM pratiikShate || 6-124-4
paaduke te puraskR^itya sarvaM cha kushalaM gR^ihe |
4. bharataH= Bharata; paN^kadigdhaH tu= mud-smeared as he is (throwing the burden and blame ie. mud on himself); jaTilaH= with his hari twisted together; puraskR^itya= and keeping in front; te paaduke= your wooden sandals; pratiikShate= is looking forward; tvaam= for you; sarvam cha= all are; kshalam= safe; gR^ihe= at your home and in the city.
"Bharata, with his mud-smeared limbs 9throwing the burden and blame ie. mud and with matted locks, as also placing your wooden-sandals before him, is looking forward for your arrival. All are safe at your home and in the city."
tvaaM puraa chiiravasanaM pravishantaM mahaavanam || 6-124-5
striitR^itiiyaM chyutaM raajyaaddharmakaamaM cha kevalam |
padaatiM tyaktasarvasvaM pitR^inirdeshakaariNam || 6-124-6
sarvabhogaiH parityaktaM svargachyutamvaamaram |
dR^iShTvaa tu karuNaa puurvaM mamaasiitsamitiMjaya || 6-124-7
kaikeyiivachane yuktaM vanyamuulaphalaashinam |
5-7. samitimjaya= O Rama, the victorious in battles!; puraa= formerly; dR^iShTvaa= on seeing; tvaam= you; pravishantam= penetrating deeply; mahaavanam= into the great forest; padaatim= on foot; kevalam dharmakaamam cha= with the sole intention of practicing virtue; chiiravasanam= clad in pieces of bark; chyutam= going away; raajyaat= from the sovereignty; sarvabhogaiH paritaktam= deprived of all enjoyments; amaram iva= like an immortal; svarga chyutam= fallen from heaven; tyakta sarvasvam= having renounced all your possession, striitR^itiiyam= with your spouse (Seetha) as the third (of your party besides Lakshmana and yourself); pitR^inirdeshakaariNam= resolved in carrying out the behest of your father; kaikeyii vachane yuktam= and intent on implementing the pledge given (by your father) to Kaikeyi; vanyamuula phalaashinam= and living; on wild roots and fruits; mama aashiit karuNaa= pity arose in me; puurvam= earlier.
"O Rama, the victorious in battles! Formerly, on seeing you penetrating deeply into the great forest on foot, with the sole intention of practicing virtue, clad in pieces of bark, going away from sovereignty, deprived of all enjoyments, like an immortal fallen from heaven, having renounced all your possession, with your spouse (Seetha) as the third (of your party besides Lakshmana and yourself), resolved in carrying out the behest of your father and intent on implementing the pledge given (by your father) to Kaikeyi and living on wild roots and fruits, pity arose in me earlier."
saaMpratam tu samR^iddhaarthaM samitragaNabaandhavam || 6-124-8
samiikShya vijitaariM cha mamaabhuutpriitiruttamaa |
8. sampratamtu= but now; uttamaa priitiH= a great delight; abhuut= occurred; mama= to me; samiikShya= on seeing; samR^iddhaartham= you, having fulfilled your purpose; vijitaarim= that you have conquered your enemies; samitragaNa baandhavam= and are accompanied by your host of friends and relatives.
"But now, a great delight occurred to me, on seeing you, having fulfilled your purpose, that you have conquered your enemies and are accompanied by your host of friends and relatives."
sarvaM cha sukhakuHkhaM te viditaM mamam raaghava |
yattvayaa vipulaM praaptaM janasthaananivaasinaa || 6-124-9
9. sarvam viditam= it is completely known; mama= to me; te= of you; janasthaana nivaasinaa= having resided in Janasthana forest; praaptam= and having to; yat vipulam= that abundant; sukha duHkham= joy and sorrow; tvayaa= by you; raaghava= o Rama!
"That joy and sorrow experienced by you in abundance while residing in Janasthana-forest in completely known to me, O Rama!"
braahmaNaarthe niyuktasya rakShataH sarvataapasaan |
raavaNena hR^itaa bhaaryaa babhuuveyamaninditaa || 6-124-10
10. rakShataH= (While) you were protecting; sarvataapasaan= all the ascetics; niyuktasya= who prayed; braahmaNaarthe= for safe guarding the interest of Brahmanas; aninditaa iyam= this irreproachible wife of yours; babhuuva hR^itaa= was taken away; raavaNena= by Ravana.
"While you were busy in protecting all the ascetics who prayed you for safeguarding the interests of Brahmanas, this irreproachable wife of yours was taken away by Ravana."
maariichadarshanaM chaiva siitonmathanameva cha |
kabandhadarshanaM chaiva pampaabhigamanaM tathaa || 6-124-11
sugriiveNa cha te sakhyaM yathaa vaalii hatastvayaa |
maargaNaM chaiva vaidehyaaH karma vaataatmajasya cha || 6-124-12
viditaayaaM cha siitaayaaM nalaseturyathaa kR^itaH |
yathaa chaadiipitaa laN^kaa prahR^iShTuurariyuuthapaiH || 6-124-13
saputrabaandavaamaatyaH sabalaH sahaavaahanaH |
yathaa cha nihataH saMkhye raavaNo baladarpitaH || 6-124-14
yathaa cha nihate tasmin raavaNe devakaNTake |
samaagamashcha tridashairyathaa dattashcha te varaH || 6-124-15
sarvam mamaitadviditaM tapasaa dharmavatsala |
saMpatanti cha me shiShyaaH pravR^ittyaakhyaaH puriimitaH || 6-124-16
11-16. dharmavatsala= O Rama, devoted to virtue!; maariicha darshanamchaiva= even the apearance of Mareecha; siitonmattanevacha= the abduction of Seetha (by Ravana); kabandhadarshanam chaiva= the sight of Kabandha; tathaa= and pampaabhigamanam= your arrival at the Pampa lake; te sakhyam= your alliance; sugriiveNa= with Sugreeva; yathaa= and how; vaali= Vali; hataH= was killed; tvayaa= by you; maargaNam= the search; vaidehyaam= for Seetha; yathaa= how; nala setuH= the bridge, Nalasetu; kR^itaH= was constructed (over the sea); yathaa= how; laN^kaa= the city of Lanka; aadiipitaa= was set fire; prahR^iShTaiH hariyuuthapaiH= by the rejoiced monkey-chiefs; yathaa= how; tasmin raavaNe= that Ravana; devakaNTake= who was a thorn in the side of god; bala darpitaH= and who was arrogant of his might; nihataH= was killed; samkhye= in battle; saputra baandhavaamaatyaH= with his sons, kinsfolk and ministers; sabalaH= as well as his army; saharaahanaH= together with their mounts; yathaa= how samaagamaH= yur meeting; tridashaiH= with the gods (occured); yathaa= how; varaH cha= a boon; dattashcha= was conferred; te= on you; sarvam etat= all this; viditam= is known; mayaa= to me; tapasaa= by virtue of my asceticism; me shiShaaH= my disciples; pravR^ittaakhyaaH= who were accustomed to report to me the news; sampatnti= used to go; puriim= to Ayodhya City; itaH= from here.
"O Rama, devoted to virtue! Even the appearance of Mareecha, the abduction of Seetha by Ravana, the sight of Kabandha, your arrival at the Pampa lake, your alliance with Sugreeva, how Vali was killed by you, the search-operation for Seetha, the exploit of Hanuma, the tracing of Seetha, how the bridge, Nalasetu was constructed (over the sea), how the City of Lanka was set fire by the rejoiced monkey-chiefs, how that Ravana who was the thorn in the side of gods and how was arrogant of his might, was killed in battle, with his sons kinsfolk and his ministers as the gods happened, how a boon was conferred by them on you- all this is known to me by virtue of my asceticism. My disciples, who were accustomed to report to me the news, used to go to Ayodhya-City from here."
mitraaNi dhana dhaanyaani prajaanaaM sammataaniva |
jananii janma bhuumishcha svargaadapi gariiyasii || 6-124-17
17. mitraaNi= the friends; dhana dhaanyaani= the riches and the grains; sammataani= are highly honoured; iha= in this world; jananii= mother; janmabhuumishcha= and mother-land; gariiyasii= and far superior; svargaadapi= to even the heaven.
"The friends, the riches and the grains are highly honoured in this world. Mother and mother-land are far superior to even the heaven."
This sloka is seen in the edition published by Hindi Prachara Press, Madras in 1930 by T.R. Krishna chary, Editor and T. R. Vemkoba chary the publisher.
tasya tachchhirasaa vaakyaM pratigR^ihya nR^ipaatmajaH |
baaDhamityeva saMhR^iShTaH shriimaanvaramayaachata || 6-124-18
18. shirasaa tasya tat vaakyam pratigR^iya= bowing to the aforesaid statement of the sage with his head bent low; samhR^iShTaH= highly pleased as he was; baaDham ityeva= and saying by all means"; shriimaan= the glorious; nR^ipaatmajaH= prince (Rama); aayaachat= asked to him; varam= the following boon:
Bowing to the aforesaid statement of the sage with his head bent low, highly pleased as he was and saying, "By all means" the glorious prince (Rama) asked of him the following boon:
akaalaphalino vR^ikShaaH sarve chaapi madhusravaaH |
phalaanyamR^itagandhiini bahuuni vividhaani cha || 6-124-19
bhavantu maarge bhavannayodhyaaM prati gachchhataH |
19. nhagavan= O the venerable sir!; sarvechaapi vR^ikShaaH= let all the trees; maarge= on the way; gachchhataH= even as I fly; ayodhyaam prati= To Ayodhya; akaalaphalinaH= bear fruit even in the off-season; madhusravaaH= and flow with honey; bahuuni vividhaani cha phalaani= let abundant fruits of various kinds; amR^itagandhiini= and emitting the fragrance of nectar; bhavantu= appear on them.
"O venerable sir! Let all the trees on the way, even as I fly to Ayodhya, bear fruit even in the off-season and flow with honey. Let abundant fruits of various kinds, emitting the fragrance of nectar, appear on them."
tatheti cha pratijJNaate vachanaatsamanantaram || 6-124-20
abhavanpaadapaastatra svargapaadapasaMnibhaaH |
20. tatheti pratiJNaate samanantaram vachanam= once the consent was given in the words "Be it so"; paadapaaH= the trees; tatra= there; abhavan= grew; svarga paadapa samnibhaaH= to be closely like the heavenly trees.
Once the consent of the sage was given in the words "be it so", the trees there grew to be closely like the heavenly trees.
niShphalaaH phalinashchaasanvipuShpaaH puShpashaalinaH || 6-124-21
shuShkaaH samagrapatraaste nagaashchaiva madhusravaaH |
sarvato yojanaastrisro gachchhataamabhavaMstadaa || 6-124-22
21-22. tadaa= then; tistraH yojanaaH= three Yojanas (twenty four miles); gachchhataam= of the direction of their travel; nagaaH= the trees; niShphalaaH= that no longer bore fruit; phalinashcha= were laden with fruit; vipuShpaaH= and those which had ceased to blossom; puShpashaalinaH= looked charming with blossom; shuShkaaH= the withered trees; samagra patraashcha= were fully clothed with foliage; abhavan madhusravaaH= and further began to flow with honey.
Then, for an extent of three Yojanas (twenty four miles) on all sides, in the direction of their travel, the trees that no longer bore fruit, were laden with fruit and those which had ceased to blossom looked charming with blossom. The withered trees were fully clothed with foliage and further began to flow with honey.
tataH prahR^iShTaaH plavagarShabhaaste |
bahuuni divyaani phalaani chaiva |
kaamaadupaashnanti sahasrashaste |
mudaanvitaaH svargajito mudeva || 6-124-23
23. te vaanararShabhaaH= those monkey-chiefs; prahR^iShTaaH= were highly pleased; anvitaaH= and endowed; mudena= with delight; svargajitaH= as those who had conquered the heaven; tataH= thereupon upaashnanti consumed; kaamaat= at will; sahasrashaH= thousands; bahuuni divyaani phalaani= of many of those wonderful fruits.
Highly rejoiced who had conquered the heaven, those monkey-chiefs thereupon consumed at will, thousands of many of those wonderful fruits.
ityaarShe shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye yuddhakaaNDe chaturviMshatyadhika shatatamaH sargaH
Thus, this is the 124th chapter in Yuddha Kanda of Valmiki Ramayana, the First Epic poem of India.
© October 2009, K. M. K. Murthy