Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 68

तेषां हि वचनं श्रुत्वा वसिष्ठः प्रत्युवाच ह। मित्रामात्यगणान्सर्वान्ब्राह्मणांस्तानिदं वचः।।2.68.1।।

teṣāṃ hi vacanaṃ śrutvā vasiṣṭhaḥ pratyuvāca ha| mitrāmātyagaṇānsarvānbrāhmaṇāṃstānidaṃ vacaḥ

Having listened to their (the counsellors') words, Vasistha replied to the host of friends and counsellors of the king and to all the brahmins:

यदसौ मातुलकुले दत्तराज्यं परं सुखी। भरतो वसति भ्रात्रा शत्रुघ्नेन समन्वितः।।2.68.2।। तच्छीघ्रं जवना दूता गच्छन्तु त्वरितैर्हयैः। आनेतुं भ्रातरौ वीरौ किं समीक्षामहे वयम्।।2.68.3।।

yadasau mātulakule dattarājyaṃ paraṃ sukhī| bharato vasati bhrātrā śatrughnena samanvitaḥ tacchīghraṃ javanā dūtā gacchantu tvaritairhayaiḥ| ānetuṃ bhrātarau vīrau kiṃ samīkṣāmahe vayam

Bharata on whom the kingdom has been conferred is living comfortably in his maternal uncle's house. Let swift messengers go quickly on speeding horses and bring back the valiant brothers, Bharata and Satrughna. What is there to deliberate for us in this matter?

यदसौ मातुलकुले दत्तराज्यं परं सुखी। भरतो वसति भ्रात्रा शत्रुघ्नेन समन्वितः।।2.68.2।। तच्छीघ्रं जवना दूता गच्छन्तु त्वरितैर्हयैः। आनेतुं भ्रातरौ वीरौ किं समीक्षामहे वयम्।।2.68.3।।

yadasau mātulakule dattarājyaṃ paraṃ sukhī| bharato vasati bhrātrā śatrughnena samanvitaḥ tacchīghraṃ javanā dūtā gacchantu tvaritairhayaiḥ| ānetuṃ bhrātarau vīrau kiṃ samīkṣāmahe vayam

Bharata on whom the kingdom has been conferred is living comfortably in his maternal uncle's house. Let swift messengers go quickly on speeding horses and bring back the valiant brothers, Bharata and Satrughna. What is there to deliberate for us in this matter?

गच्छन्त्विति तत स्सर्वे वसिष्ठं वाक्यमब्रुवन्। तेषां तद्वचनं श्रूत्वा वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत्।।2.68.4।।

gacchantviti tata ssarve vasiṣṭhaṃ vākyamabruvan| teṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ śrūtvā vasiṣṭho vākyamabravīt

Let the messengers go, said all of them to Vasistha. On hearing this, Vasistha replied again.

एहि सिद्धार्थ विजय जयन्ताशोक नन्दन। श्रूयतामिति कर्तव्यं सर्वानेव ब्रवीमि वः।।2.68.5।।

ehi siddhārtha vijaya jayantāśoka nandana| śrūyatāmiti kartavyaṃ sarvāneva bravīmi vaḥ

Calling Siddhartha, Vijaya, Jayanta, Asoka and Nandana, Vasistha said, All of you listen to what is required to be done (by you).

पुरं राजगृहं गत्वा शीघ्रं शीघ्रजवै र्हयैः। त्यक्तशोकैरिदं वाच्य श्शासनाद्भरतो मम।।2.68.6।।

puraṃ rājagṛhaṃ gatvā śīghraṃ śīghrajavai rhayaiḥ| tyaktaśokairidaṃ vācya śśāsanādbharato mama

Go at once from here on swift horses to the city of Rajagrha and concealing signs of grief, convey these words to Bharata as my command:

पुरोहित स्त्वां कुशलं प्राह सर्वे च मन्त्रिणः। त्वरमाणश्च निर्याहि कृत्यमात्ययिकं त्वया।।2.68.7।।

purohita stvāṃ kuśalaṃ prāha sarve ca mantriṇaḥ| tvaramāṇaśca niryāhi kṛtyamātyayikaṃ tvayā

The family priest and all the counsellors wish your welfare. You must return in haste. There is an urgent task required to be done by you.

मा चास्मै प्रोषितं रामं मा चास्मै पितरं मृतम्। भवन्त श्शंसिषुर्गत्वा राघवाणामिमं क्षयम्।।2.68.8।।

mā cāsmai proṣitaṃ rāmaṃ mā cāsmai pitaraṃ mṛtam| bhavanta śśaṃsiṣurgatvā rāghavāṇāmimaṃ kṣayam

All of you go there and do not communicate (to Bharata) about the exile of Rama or the demise of his father and the disaster that has befallen the Raghus.

कौशेयानि च वस्त्राणि भूषणानि वराणि च। क्षिप्रमादय राज्ञश्च भरतस्य च गच्छत।।2.68.9।।

kauśeyāni ca vastrāṇi bhūṣaṇāni varāṇi ca| kṣipramādaya rājñaśca bharatasya ca gacchata

Take with you silk garments and precious ornaments for the king of Kekaya and Bharata and depart at once.

दत्तपथ्यशना दूता जग्मुस्स्वं स्वं निवेशनम्। केकयां स्ते गमिष्यन्तो हयानारुह्य संमतान्।।2.68.10।।

dattapathyaśanā dūtā jagmussvaṃ svaṃ niveśanam| kekayāṃ ste gamiṣyanto hayānāruhya saṃmatān

The messengers set to depart to Kekaya kingdom, carrying with them the necessaries for their journey went to their respective homes mounted on excellent horses.

ततः प्रास्थानिकं कृत्वा कार्यशेषमनन्तरम्। वसिष्ठेनाभ्यनुज्ञाता दूता स्संत्वरिता ययुः।।2.68.11।।

tataḥ prāsthānikaṃ kṛtvā kāryaśeṣamanantaram| vasiṣṭhenābhyanujñātā dūtā ssaṃtvaritā yayuḥ

Having completed the rest of the arrangements for the journey and permitted by Vasistha, the messengers left.

न्यन्तेनापरतालस्य प्रलम्बस्योत्तरं प्रति। निषेवमाणा स्ते जग्मुर्नदीं मध्येन मालिनीम्।।2.68.12।।

nyantenāparatālasya pralambasyottaraṃ prati| niṣevamāṇā ste jagmurnadīṃ madhyena mālinīm

The messengers proceeded in westerly direction for some distance and then crossed the southern end of the Aparatala mountain. Thereafter, they travelled northward along the bank of Malini that flows in between Aparatala and Pralamba mountains.

ते हस्तिनापुरे गङ्गां तीर्त्वा प्रत्यङ्मुखा ययुः। पाञ्चालदेशमासाद्य मध्येन कुरुजाङ्गलम्।।2.68.13।। सरांसि च सुपूर्णानि नदीश्च विमलोदकाः। निरीक्षमाणा स्ते जग्मुर्दूताः कार्यवशाद्द्रुतम्।।2.68.14।।

te hastināpure gaṅgāṃ tīrtvā pratyaṅmukhā yayuḥ| pāñcāladeśamāsādya madhyena kurujāṅgalam sarāṃsi ca supūrṇāni nadīśca vimalodakāḥ| nirīkṣamāṇā ste jagmurdūtāḥ kāryavaśāddrutam

The messengers crossed Ganga at Hastinapura, and went in the westerly direction through the middle of Kurujangala and reached the country of Panchala. Beholding lakes full of water and rivers of pellucid waters there, they travelled fast with a view to fulfilling their mission.

ते हस्तिनापुरे गङ्गां तीर्त्वा प्रत्यङ्मुखा ययुः। पाञ्चालदेशमासाद्य मध्येन कुरुजाङ्गलम्।।2.68.13।। सरांसि च सुपूर्णानि नदीश्च विमलोदकाः। निरीक्षमाणा स्ते जग्मुर्दूताः कार्यवशाद्द्रुतम्।।2.68.14।।

te hastināpure gaṅgāṃ tīrtvā pratyaṅmukhā yayuḥ| pāñcāladeśamāsādya madhyena kurujāṅgalam sarāṃsi ca supūrṇāni nadīśca vimalodakāḥ| nirīkṣamāṇā ste jagmurdūtāḥ kāryavaśāddrutam

The messengers crossed Ganga at Hastinapura, and went in the westerly direction through the middle of Kurujangala and reached the country of Panchala. Beholding lakes full of water and rivers of pellucid waters there, they travelled fast with a view to fulfilling their mission.

ते प्रसन्नोदकां दिव्यां नानाविहगसेविताम्। उपातिजग्मुर्वेगेन शरदण्डां जनाकुलाम्।।2.68.15।।

te prasannodakāṃ divyāṃ nānāvihagasevitām| upātijagmurvegena śaradaṇḍāṃ janākulām

The messengers crossed the divine Saradanda of calm waters frequented by fowls of various speices and thronged with people. And proceeded speedily.

निकूलवृक्षमासाद्य दिव्यं सत्योपयाचनम्। अभिगम्याभिवाद्यं तं कुलिङ्गां प्राविशन्पुरीम्।।2.68.16।।

nikūlavṛkṣamāsādya divyaṃ satyopayācanam| abhigamyābhivādyaṃ taṃ kuliṅgāṃ prāviśanpurīm

They reached a divine tree (of great powers) known as Satyopayachana tree and having gone round and paid homage they entered the Kulinga city.

आभिकालं ततः प्राप्य ते बोधिभवनाच्च्युताम्। पितृपैतामहीं पुण्यां तेरुरिक्षुमतीं नदीम्।।2.68.17।।

ābhikālaṃ tataḥ prāpya te bodhibhavanāccyutām| pitṛpaitāmahīṃ puṇyāṃ terurikṣumatīṃ nadīm

From there they reached a village known as Abhikala and crossed the sacred Ikshumati flowing from Bodhibhavana mountain. This region was enjoyed by fathers and forefathers of Dasaratha.

अवेक्ष्याञ्जलिपानांश्च ब्राह्मणान्वेदपारगान्। ययुर्मध्येन बाह्लीकान् सुदामानं च पर्वतम्।।2.68.18।।

avekṣyāñjalipānāṃśca brāhmaṇānvedapāragān| yayurmadhyena bāhlīkān sudāmānaṃ ca parvatam

There they saw the brahmins versed in the Vedas and drank water with cupped palms. Then they continued their journey through the middle of Bahlika country, and reached Sudama mountain.

विष्णोः पदं प्रेक्षमाणा विपाशांचापि शाल्मलीम्। नदीर्वापी स्तटाकानि पल्वलानि सरांसि च।।2.68.19।। पश्यन्तो विविधांश्चापि सिंहाव्याघ्रमृग द्विपान्। ययुः पथाऽतिमहता शासनं भर्तुरीप्सवः।।2.68.20।।

viṣṇoḥ padaṃ prekṣamāṇā vipāśāṃcāpi śālmalīm| nadīrvāpī staṭākāni palvalāni sarāṃsi ca paśyanto vividhāṃścāpi siṃhāvyāghramṛga dvipān| yayuḥ pathā'timahatā śāsanaṃ bharturīpsavaḥ

Beholding the footprints of Visnu (on Sudama mountain), and seeing Vipasa, and Salmali rivers, trees, streams, deep wells, ponds, pools, large tanks, different kinds of lions, tigers and elephants, they travelled a long distance with the intention of fulfilling the command of their master.

विष्णोः पदं प्रेक्षमाणा विपाशांचापि शाल्मलीम्। नदीर्वापी स्तटाकानि पल्वलानि सरांसि च।।2.68.19।। पश्यन्तो विविधांश्चापि सिंहाव्याघ्रमृग द्विपान्। ययुः पथाऽतिमहता शासनं भर्तुरीप्सवः।।2.68.20।।

viṣṇoḥ padaṃ prekṣamāṇā vipāśāṃcāpi śālmalīm| nadīrvāpī staṭākāni palvalāni sarāṃsi ca paśyanto vividhāṃścāpi siṃhāvyāghramṛga dvipān| yayuḥ pathā'timahatā śāsanaṃ bharturīpsavaḥ

Beholding the footprints of Visnu (on Sudama mountain), and seeing Vipasa, and Salmali rivers, trees, streams, deep wells, ponds, pools, large tanks, different kinds of lions, tigers and elephants, they travelled a long distance with the intention of fulfilling the command of their master.

ते श्रान्तवाहना दूता विकृष्णेन पथा ततः। गिरिव्रजं पुरवरं शीघ्रमासेदुरञ्जसा।।2.68.21।।

te śrāntavāhanā dūtā vikṛṣṇena pathā tataḥ| girivrajaṃ puravaraṃ śīghramāsedurañjasā

After a prolonged journey the messengers with their tired horses soon reached Girivraja, the (capital city of Kekaya kingdom) best of cities.

भर्तुः प्रियार्थं कुलरक्षणार्थं भर्तुश्च वंशस्य परिग्रहार्थम्। अहेडमाना स्त्वरया स्म दूता रात्र्यान्तु ते तत्पुरमेव याताः।।2.68.22।।

bhartuḥ priyārthaṃ kularakṣaṇārthaṃ bhartuśca vaṃśasya parigrahārtham| aheḍamānā stvarayā sma dūtā rātryāntu te tatpurameva yātāḥ

To please their master (sage Vasistha) and to preserve the royal dynasty and also to protect the honour of the (race and people), the messengers soon reached their destination by night without any negligence of their duty. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे अष्टषष्टितमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the sixtyeighth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.