Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 76

तमेवं शोकसन्तप्तं भरतं कैकयी सुतम्। उवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठो वसिष्ठ श्श्रेष्ठवागृषिः।।2.76.1।।

tamevaṃ śokasantaptaṃ bharataṃ kaikayī sutam| uvāca vadatāṃ śreṣṭho vasiṣṭha śśreṣṭhavāgṛṣiḥ

Vasistha, the most eloquent and the best of ascetics said to Bharata, the son of Kaikeyi who was tormented with grief:

अलं शोकेन भद्रं ते राजपुत्र महायशः। प्राप्तकालं नरपतेः कुरु संयानमुत्तमम्।।2.76.2।।

alaṃ śokena bhadraṃ te rājaputra mahāyaśaḥ| prāptakālaṃ narapateḥ kuru saṃyānamuttamam

O prince of great renown, may God bless you It is not proper on your part to grieve. It is time to perform the funeral rites of the king in the best way possible.

वसिष्ठस्य वच श्शृत्वा भरतो धारणां गतः। प्रेतकार्याणि सर्वाणि कारयामास धर्मवित्।।2.76.3।।

vasiṣṭhasya vaca śśṛtvā bharato dhāraṇāṃ gataḥ| pretakāryāṇi sarvāṇi kārayāmāsa dharmavit

On hearing the words of Vasistha, dutiful Bharata regained his steadiness and engaged in the performance of the funeral rites.

उद्धृतं तैलसंरोधात्सतु भूमौ निवेशितम्। आपीतवर्णवदनं प्रसुप्तमिव भूमिपम्।।2.76.4।। संवेश्य शयने चाग्य्रे नानारत्नपरिष्कृते। ततो दशरथं पुत्रो विललाप सुदुःखितः।।2.76.5।।

uddhṛtaṃ tailasaṃrodhātsatu bhūmau niveśitam| āpītavarṇavadanaṃ prasuptamiva bhūmipam saṃveśya śayane cāgyre nānāratnapariṣkṛte| tato daśarathaṃ putro vilalāpa suduḥkhitaḥ

The mortal remains of king Dasaratha, protector of the earth, was taken out of the oil container and placed on the floor. His pale, yellow face appeared as if he was asleep. Thereafter it was laid upon a magnificent couch adorned with every kind of gem. On seeing Dasaratha in that state Bharata lamented in extreme distress.

उद्धृतं तैलसंरोधात्सतु भूमौ निवेशितम्। आपीतवर्णवदनं प्रसुप्तमिव भूमिपम्।।2.76.4।। संवेश्य शयने चाग्य्रे नानारत्नपरिष्कृते। ततो दशरथं पुत्रो विललाप सुदुःखितः।।2.76.5।।

uddhṛtaṃ tailasaṃrodhātsatu bhūmau niveśitam| āpītavarṇavadanaṃ prasuptamiva bhūmipam saṃveśya śayane cāgyre nānāratnapariṣkṛte| tato daśarathaṃ putro vilalāpa suduḥkhitaḥ

The mortal remains of king Dasaratha, protector of the earth, was taken out of the oil container and placed on the floor. His pale, yellow face appeared as if he was asleep. Thereafter it was laid upon a magnificent couch adorned with every kind of gem. On seeing Dasaratha in that state Bharata lamented in extreme distress.

किं ते व्यवसितं राजन् प्रोषिते मय्यनागते। विवास्य रामं धर्मज्ञं लक्ष्मणं च महाबलम्।।2.76.6।।

kiṃ te vyavasitaṃ rājan proṣite mayyanāgate| vivāsya rāmaṃ dharmajñaṃ lakṣmaṇaṃ ca mahābalam

What have you done, O king, between my absence and my arrival? You have banished the righteous Rama and the valiant Lakshmana.

क्व यास्यसि महाराज हित्वेमं दुःखितं जनम्। हीनं पुरुषसिंहेन रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा।।2.76.7।।

kva yāsyasi mahārāja hitvemaṃ duḥkhitaṃ janam| hīnaṃ puruṣasiṃhena rāmeṇākliṣṭakarmaṇā

O great king Where will you go leaving me who is bewailing for having been left by Rama, the lion among men and a man of pious deeds?

योगक्षेमं तु ते राजन् कोऽस्मिन्कल्पयिता पुरे त्वयि प्रयाते स्वस्तात रामे च वनमाश्रिते।।2.76.8।।

yogakṣemaṃ tu te rājan ko'sminkalpayitā pure tvayi prayāte svastāta rāme ca vanamāśrite

O king O father you have gone to heaven and Rama has taken shelter in the forest now. Who will take care of the welfare and security of your city?

विधवा पृथिवी राजन् स्त्वया हीना न राजते। हीनचन्द्रेव रजनी नगरी प्रतिभाति मा।।2.76.9।।

vidhavā pṛthivī rājan stvayā hīnā na rājate| hīnacandreva rajanī nagarī pratibhāti mā

O king bereft of you, the earth (kingdom) is widowed and has lost its radiance. The city appears to me like a moonless night.

एवं विलपमानं तं भरतं दीनमानसम्। अब्रवीद्वचनं भूयो वसिष्ठस्तु महामुनिः।।2.76.10।।

evaṃ vilapamānaṃ taṃ bharataṃ dīnamānasam| abravīdvacanaṃ bhūyo vasiṣṭhastu mahāmuniḥ

To Bharata who was thus lamenting with a dejected mind, the great ascetic Vasistha once again said:

प्रेतकार्याणि यान्यस्य कर्तव्यानि विशां पतेः। तान्यव्यग्रं महाबाहो क्रियान्तामविचारितम्।।2.76.11।।

pretakāryāṇi yānyasya kartavyāni viśāṃ pateḥ| tānyavyagraṃ mahābāho kriyāntāmavicāritam

O mightyarmed prince, the funeral rites that are required to be performed for the departed king ought to be done carefully without any shortcomings.

तथेति भरतो वाक्यं वसिष्ठस्याभिपूज्य तत्। ऋत्विक्पुरोहिताचार्यान् स्त्वरयामास सर्वशः।।2.76.12।।

tatheti bharato vākyaṃ vasiṣṭhasyābhipūjya tat| ṛtvikpurohitācāryān stvarayāmāsa sarvaśaḥ

Bharata said, 'Be it so' in obedience to Vasistha, who hastened up the learned Vedic scholars, family priests and preceptors to perform various rites.

ये त्वग्नयो नरेन्द्रेस्य चाग्न्यगाराद्बहिष्कृताः। ऋत्विग्भिर्याजकैश्चैव ते आह्रियन्त यथाविधि।।2.76.13।।

ye tvagnayo narendresya cāgnyagārādbahiṣkṛtāḥ| ṛtvigbhiryājakaiścaiva te āhriyanta yathāvidhi

The sacrificial fire of the king has been put outside the firesanctuary in accordance with the ritual precepts and were withdrawn by the attendants and priests wellversed in Vedic lore.

शिबिकायामथा़ऽरोप्य राजानं गतचेतसम्। बाष्पकण्ठा विमनसस्तमूहुः परिचारकाः।।2.76.14।।

śibikāyāmathā़'ropya rājānaṃ gatacetasam| bāṣpakaṇṭhā vimanasastamūhuḥ paricārakāḥ

Thereafter the attendants raised the mortal remains of the deceased king onto a litter, with dejected minds, throats choked with tears and carried him away.

हिरण्यं च सुवर्णं च वासांसि विविधानि च। प्रकिरन्तो जना मार्गं नृपतेरग्रतो ययुः।।2.76.15।।

hiraṇyaṃ ca suvarṇaṃ ca vāsāṃsi vividhāni ca| prakiranto janā mārgaṃ nṛpateragrato yayuḥ

The people went ahead of the king's body strewing on the way gold of brilliant colour and different kinds of garments.

चन्दनागरुनिर्यासान् सरलं पद्मकं तथा। देवदारूणि चाहृत्य क्षेपयन्ति तथापरे।।2.76.16।। गन्धानुच्चावचांश्चान्यां स्तत्र गत्वाथ भूमिपम्। तत्र संवेशयामासुश्चितामध्ये तमृत्विजः।।2.76.17।।

candanāgaruniryāsān saralaṃ padmakaṃ tathā| devadārūṇi cāhṛtya kṣepayanti tathāpare gandhānuccāvacāṃścānyāṃ statra gatvātha bhūmipam| tatra saṃveśayāmāsuścitāmadhye tamṛtvijaḥ

In this way others brought sandal, agaru and fragrant gum gugul, the resin of balsa tree and woods of sarala, padmaka and devadaru and built a pyre and strew many kinds of fragrant substances on it. Thereafter the priests laid the mortal remains of the king in the centre of the pyre.

चन्दनागरुनिर्यासान् सरलं पद्मकं तथा। देवदारूणि चाहृत्य क्षेपयन्ति तथापरे।।2.76.16।। गन्धानुच्चावचांश्चान्यां स्तत्र गत्वाथ भूमिपम्। तत्र संवेशयामासुश्चितामध्ये तमृत्विजः।।2.76.17।।

candanāgaruniryāsān saralaṃ padmakaṃ tathā| devadārūṇi cāhṛtya kṣepayanti tathāpare gandhānuccāvacāṃścānyāṃ statra gatvātha bhūmipam| tatra saṃveśayāmāsuścitāmadhye tamṛtvijaḥ

In this way others brought sandal, agaru and fragrant gum gugul, the resin of balsa tree and woods of sarala, padmaka and devadaru and built a pyre and strew many kinds of fragrant substances on it. Thereafter the priests laid the mortal remains of the king in the centre of the pyre.

तदा हुताशनं हुत्वा जेपुस्तस्य तदृत्विजः। जगुश्च ते यथाशास्त्र तत्र सामानि सामगाः।।2.76.18।।

tadā hutāśanaṃ hutvā jepustasya tadṛtvijaḥ| jaguśca te yathāśāstra tatra sāmāni sāmagāḥ

Then the priests offering oblations to the king's fire, intoned prayers. The reciters of Sama Veda sang the hymns in accordance with the sacred scriptures.

शिबिकाभिश्च यानैश्च यथार्हं तस्य योषितः। नगरा न्निर्ययुस्तत्र वृद्धैः परिवृता स्तदा।।2.76.19।।

śibikābhiśca yānaiśca yathārhaṃ tasya yoṣitaḥ| nagarā nniryayustatra vṛddhaiḥ parivṛtā stadā

Then in accordance with their rank and surrounded by aged guards, the wives of king Dasaratha departed for that place from the city in palanquins and other carriages.

प्रसव्यं चापि तं चकुः ऋत्विजोऽग्निचितं नृपम्। स्त्रियश्च शोकसन्तप्ताः कौसल्याप्रमुखास्तदा।।2.76.20।।

prasavyaṃ cāpi taṃ cakuḥ ṛtvijo'gnicitaṃ nṛpam| striyaśca śokasantaptāḥ kausalyāpramukhāstadā

Then the priests and other women led by Kausalya who was consumed with grief circumambulated the pyre in the reverse direction as the king's body was engulfed by flames.

क्रौञ्चीनामिव नारीणां निनादस्तत्र शुश्रुवे। आर्तानां करुणं काले क्रोशन्तीनां सहस्रशः।।2.76.21।।

krauñcīnāmiva nārīṇāṃ ninādastatra śuśruve| ārtānāṃ karuṇaṃ kāle krośantīnāṃ sahasraśaḥ

At that time, piteous cries of distressed women in their thousands like the piercing cries of female kraunchas (birds) were heard.

ततो रुदन्त्यो विवशाविलप्य च पुनः पुनः। यानेभ्यस्सरयूतीरमवतेरुर्वराङ्गनाः।।2.76.22।।

tato rudantyo vivaśāvilapya ca punaḥ punaḥ| yānebhyassarayūtīramavaterurvarāṅganāḥ

Thereafter, the courtesans weeping uncontrollably and, lamenting again and again, alighted from carriages on the bank of the river Sarayu.

कृत्वोदकं ते भरतेन सार्धं नृपाङ्गना मन्त्रिपुरोहिता श्च। पुरंप्रविश्याश्रुपरीतनेत्राः भूमौ दशाहं व्यनयन्त दुःखम्।।2.76.23।।

kṛtvodakaṃ te bharatena sārdhaṃ nṛpāṅganā mantripurohitā śca| puraṃpraviśyāśruparītanetrāḥ bhūmau daśāhaṃ vyanayanta duḥkham

The wives of the king, counsellors and priests along with Bharata offered waterlibation and entered the city with tearful eyes. They spent the tenday mourning period sleeping on the ground (floor) in great grief. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे षटसप्ततितमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the seventysixth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.