Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 77

ततो दशाहेऽतिगते कृतशौचो नृपात्मजः। द्वादशेऽहनि सम्प्राप्ते श्राद्धकर्माण्यकारयत्।।2.77.1।।

tato daśāhe'tigate kṛtaśauco nṛpātmajaḥ| dvādaśe'hani samprāpte śrāddhakarmāṇyakārayat

Having observed the tenday mourning period, Bharata purified himself on the twelfth day and got the shraddha rites (obsequies) performed.

ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददौ रत्नं धनमन्नं च पुष्कलम्। वासांसि च महार्हाणि रत्नानि विविधानि च।।2.77.2।।

brāhmaṇebhyo dadau ratnaṃ dhanamannaṃ ca puṣkalam| vāsāṃsi ca mahārhāṇi ratnāni vividhāni ca

During the shraddha ceremony (obsequies) Bharata bestowed on brahmins precious stones, wealth, large quantities of rice, highly valuable garments and various gems.

बास्तिकं बहु शुक्लं च गाश्चापि शतशस्तथा। दासीदासं च यानं च वेश्मानि सुमहान्ति च।।2.77.3।। ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददौ पुत्रो राज्ञस्तस्यौर्ध्वदैहिकम्।

bāstikaṃ bahu śuklaṃ ca gāścāpi śataśastathā| dāsīdāsaṃ ca yānaṃ ca veśmāni sumahānti ca brāhmaṇebhyo dadau putro rājñastasyaurdhvadaihikam|

At the time of performing the rites pertaining to the other world, Bharata bestowed on brahmins herds of white goats, cows in hundreds, male and female servants and spacious houses and carriages.

ततः प्रभातसमये दिवसेऽथ त्रयोदशे।।2.77.4।। विललाप महाबाहुर्भरत श्शोकमूर्छितः। शब्दापिहितकण्ठस्तु शोधनार्थमुपागतः।।2.77.5।। चितामूले पितुर्वाक्यमिदमाह सुदुःखितः।

tataḥ prabhātasamaye divase'tha trayodaśe vilalāpa mahābāhurbharata śśokamūrchitaḥ| śabdāpihitakaṇṭhastu śodhanārthamupāgataḥ citāmūle piturvākyamidamāha suduḥkhitaḥ|

Thereafter at the hour of dawn on the thirteenth day mightyarmed Bharata visited the cemetery to perform the purificatory ceremony. Approaching the place of the funeral pyre of his father, he lamented in the intensity of grief:

ततः प्रभातसमये दिवसेऽथ त्रयोदशे।।2.77.4।। विललाप महाबाहुर्भरत श्शोकमूर्छितः। शब्दापिहितकण्ठस्तु शोधनार्थमुपागतः।।2.77.5।। चितामूले पितुर्वाक्यमिदमाह सुदुःखितः।

tataḥ prabhātasamaye divase'tha trayodaśe vilalāpa mahābāhurbharata śśokamūrchitaḥ| śabdāpihitakaṇṭhastu śodhanārthamupāgataḥ citāmūle piturvākyamidamāha suduḥkhitaḥ|

Thereafter at the hour of dawn on the thirteenth day mightyarmed Bharata visited the cemetery to perform the purificatory ceremony. Approaching the place of the funeral pyre of his father, he lamented in the intensity of grief:

तात यस्मिन्निसृष्टोऽहं त्वया भ्रातरि राघवे।।2.77.6।। तस्मिन्वनं प्रव्रजिते शून्ये त्यक्तोऽस्म्यहं त्वया।

tāta yasminnisṛṣṭo'haṃ tvayā bhrātari rāghave tasminvanaṃ pravrajite śūnye tyakto'smyahaṃ tvayā|

O dear father, my brother Rama to whom you have entrusted me has been sent to the forest now and I am left in a vacuum.

यस्या गतिरनाथायाः पुत्रः प्रवाजितो वनम्। तामम्बां तात कौसल्यां त्यक्त्वा त्वं क्व गतो नृप।।2.77.7।।

yasyā gatiranāthāyāḥ putraḥ pravājito vanam| tāmambāṃ tāta kausalyāṃ tyaktvā tvaṃ kva gato nṛpa

Where have you gone, my king my father, forsaking mother Kausalya who is without a protector and whose only support Rama, her son has been sent away to the forest?

दृष्ट्वा भस्मारुणं तच्च दग्धास्थि स्थानमण्डलम्।।2.77.8।। पितु श्शरीरनिर्वाणं निष्टनन्विषसाद सः।

dṛṣṭvā bhasmāruṇaṃ tacca dagdhāsthi sthānamaṇḍalam pitu śśarīranirvāṇaṃ niṣṭananviṣasāda saḥ|

Having seen the circular place, looking reddishbrown with burnt bones and ashes, where his father's body was consumed by fire, Bharata started crying aloud in deep despondency.

स तु दृष्ट्वा रुदन् दीनः पपात धरणीतले।।2.77.9।। उत्थाप्यमानश्शक्रस्य यन्त्रध्वज इव च्युतः।

sa tu dṛṣṭvā rudan dīnaḥ papāta dharaṇītale utthāpyamānaśśakrasya yantradhvaja iva cyutaḥ|

On seeing the cremation ground desolate Bharata collapsed sobbing on the ground like a fastened flag staff of Indra, which fell as it was being raised.

अभिपेतुस्ततस्सर्वे तस्यामात्याश्शुचिव्रतम्।।2.77.10।। अन्तकाले निपतितं ययातिमृषयो यथा।

abhipetustatassarve tasyāmātyāśśucivratam antakāle nipatitaṃ yayātimṛṣayo yathā|

Immediately all his counsellors ran towards him like the ascetics who raised Yayati, a man of pious vows, when he fell down at the final hour.

शत्रुघ्न श्चापि भरतं दृष्ट्वा शोकम् परिप्लुतः।।2.77.11।। विसंज्ञो न्यपतद्भूमौ भूमिपालमनुस्मरन्।

śatrughna ścāpi bharataṃ dṛṣṭvā śokam pariplutaḥ visaṃjño nyapatadbhūmau bhūmipālamanusmaran|

Beholding Bharata, Satrughna also plunged in grief remembering the king, and fell unconscious on the ground.

उन्मत्त इव निश्चेता विललाप सुदुःखितः।।2.77.12।। स्मृत्वा पितुर्गुणाङ्गानि तानि तानि तथा तथा।

unmatta iva niścetā vilalāpa suduḥkhitaḥ smṛtvā piturguṇāṅgāni tāni tāni tathā tathā|

Recollecting the many virtues of his father again and again, like a madman, Satrughna, mentally unsteady, lamented in profound sorrow.

मन्थराप्रभवस्तीव्रः कैकेयीग्राहसङ्कुलः।।2.77.13।। वरदानमयोऽक्षोभ्योऽमञ्जयच्छोकसागरः।

mantharāprabhavastīvraḥ kaikeyīgrāhasaṅkulaḥ varadānamayo'kṣobhyo'mañjayacchokasāgaraḥ|

With Manthara as the source, Kaikeyi as a crocodile, this terrible sea of sorrow which has submerged all of us lies unruffled.

सुकुमारं च बालं च सततं लालितं त्वया।।2.77.14।। क्व तात भरतं हित्वा विलपन्तं गतो भवान्।

sukumāraṃ ca bālaṃ ca satataṃ lālitaṃ tvayā kva tāta bharataṃ hitvā vilapantaṃ gato bhavān|

Where have you gone dear father, leaving the lamenting Bharata, so young and tender, who was always your darling?

ननु भोज्येषु पानेषु वस्त्रेष्वाभरणेषु च।।2.77.15।। प्रवारयसि नस्सर्वान् तन्नः कोऽन्यः करिष्यति।

nanu bhojyeṣu pāneṣu vastreṣvābharaṇeṣu ca pravārayasi nassarvān tannaḥ ko'nyaḥ kariṣyati|

You used to make all of us choose delicious food, drinks, garments and ornaments. Who else will do that now?

अवदारणकाले तु पृथिवी नावदीर्यते।।2.77.16।। या विहीना त्वया राज्ञा धर्मज्ञेन महात्मना।

avadāraṇakāle tu pṛthivī nāvadīryate yā vihīnā tvayā rājñā dharmajñena mahātmanā|

You are a righteous and mighty king and without you, this earth would have been broken into pieces. But it does not.

पितरि स्वर्गमापन्ने रामे चारण्यमाश्रिते।।2.77.17।। किं मे जीवितसामर्थ्यं प्रवेक्ष्यामि हुताशनम्।

pitari svargamāpanne rāme cāraṇyamāśrite kiṃ me jīvitasāmarthyaṃ pravekṣyāmi hutāśanam|

With my father ascended to heaven and Rama gone to the forest, where is the strength in me to live? I shall enter the blazing fire.

हीनो भ्रात्रा च पित्रा च शून्यामिक्ष्वाकुपालिताम्।।2.77.18।। अयोध्यां न प्रवेक्ष्यामि प्रवेक्ष्यामि तपोवनम्।

hīno bhrātrā ca pitrā ca śūnyāmikṣvākupālitām ayodhyāṃ na pravekṣyāmi pravekṣyāmi tapovanam|

Devoid of my father and brother, I will not return to empty Ayodhya that was once ruled by the Ikshvakus. I will enter the grove of asceticism .

तयोर्विलपितं श्रुत्वा व्यसनं चान्ववेक्ष्य तत्।।2.77.19।। भृशमार्ततरा भूयस्सर्वएवानुगामिनः।

tayorvilapitaṃ śrutvā vyasanaṃ cānvavekṣya tat bhṛśamārtatarā bhūyassarvaevānugāminaḥ|

Having heard the lamentataions of both the brothers and reflecting the calamity befallen on them, the attendants felt extremely afflicted once again.

ततो विषण्णौ श्रान्तौ च शत्रुघ्नभरतावुभौ।।2.77.20।। धरण्यां संव्यवेष्टेतां भग्नशृङ्गाविवर्षभौ।

tato viṣaṇṇau śrāntau ca śatrughnabharatāvubhau dharaṇyāṃ saṃvyaveṣṭetāṃ bhagnaśṛṅgāvivarṣabhau|

Thereafter, both Satrughna and Bharata, dejected and exhausted, lay writhing on the floor like two bulls with their horns broken.

ततः प्रकृतिमान्वैद्यः पितुरेषां पुरोहितः।।2.77.21।। वसिष्ठो भरतं वाक्यमुत्थाप्य तमुवाच ह।

tataḥ prakṛtimānvaidyaḥ pitureṣāṃ purohitaḥ vasiṣṭho bharataṃ vākyamutthāpya tamuvāca ha|

Then his father's family priest Vasistha of composed mind and versed in the Vedas raised Bharata and said to him:

त्रयोदशोऽयं दिवसः पितुर्वृत्तस्य ते विभो।।2.77.22।। सावशेषास्थिनिचये किमिह त्वं विलम्भसे।

trayodaśo'yaṃ divasaḥ piturvṛttasya te vibho sāvaśeṣāsthinicaye kimiha tvaṃ vilambhase|

O lord, this is the thirteenth day since the death of your father. The heap of bones and ashes still remain on the pyre. Why this delay on your part?

त्रीणि द्वन्द्वानि भूतेषु प्रवृत्तान्यविशेषतः।।2.77.23।। तेषु चापरिहार्येषु नैवं भवितुमर्हसि।

trīṇi dvandvāni bhūteṣu pravṛttānyaviśeṣataḥ teṣu cāparihāryeṣu naivaṃ bhavitumarhasi|

There are three dualities (hunger and thirst, pain and pleasure, birth and death), which are applicable to all living beings without any exception and cannot be eschewed. Therefore, it does not behove you to act in this way.

सुमन्त्रश्चापि शत्रुघ्नमुत्थाप्याभिप्रसाद्य च।।2.77.24।। श्रावयामास तत्त्वज्ञ स्सर्वभूतभवाभवम्।

sumantraścāpi śatrughnamutthāpyābhiprasādya ca śrāvayāmāsa tattvajña ssarvabhūtabhavābhavam|

The knower of reality Sumantra helped Satrughna to rise, after having consoled him, imparted him the truth about the inevitability of birth and death.

उत्थितौ च नरव्याघ्रौ प्रकाशेते यशस्विनौ।।2.77.25।। वर्षातपपरिक्लिनौ पृथगिन्द्रध्वजाविव।

utthitau ca naravyāghrau prakāśete yaśasvinau varṣātapapariklinau pṛthagindradhvajāviva|

Having risen from the earth both the illustrious tigers among men, Bharata and Satrughna looked faded and weather beaten like the banners of Indra that had faded under the Sun and rain.

अश्रूणि परिमृद्नन्तौ रक्ताक्षौ दीनभाषिणौ। अमात्यास्त्वरयन्ति स्म तनयौ चापराः क्रियाः।।2.77.26।।

aśrūṇi parimṛdnantau raktākṣau dīnabhāṣiṇau| amātyāstvarayanti sma tanayau cāparāḥ kriyāḥ

The counsellors hastened up both the sons, who were wiping away the tears and speaking with blodshot eyes, to complete the remaining part of the funeral rites. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे सप्तसप्ततितमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the seventyseventh sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.