Uttara Kanda, Sarga 107

विसृज्य लक्ष्मणं रामो दुःखशोकसमन्वितः । पुरोधसं मन्त्रिणश्च नैगमांश्चेदमब्रवीत् ।। 7.107.1 ।।

visṛjya lakṣmaṇaṃ rāmo duḥkhaśokasamanvitaḥ | purodhasaṃ mantriṇaśca naigamāṃścedamabravīt || 7.107.1 ||

Having sent Lakshmana away, Rama, filled with sorrow and grief, spoke these words to his chief priest, ministers, and citizens.

अद्य राज्ये ऽभिषेक्ष्यामि भरतं धर्मवत्सलम् । अयोध्यायाः पतिं वीरं ततो यास्याम्यहं वनम् ।। 7.107.2 ।।

adya rājye 'bhiṣekṣyāmi bharataṃ dharmavatsalam | ayodhyāyāḥ patiṃ vīraṃ tato yāsyāmyahaṃ vanam || 7.107.2 ||

Rama declared, "Today I shall install the righteous and brave Bharata as the ruler of Ayodhya, and then I myself shall go to the forest."

प्रवेशयत सम्भारान्माभूत्कालस्य पर्ययः । अद्यैवाहं गमिष्यामि लक्ष्मणेन गतां गतिम् ।। 7.107.3 ।।

praveśayata sambhārānmābhūtkālasya paryayaḥ | adyaivāhaṃ gamiṣyāmi lakṣmaṇena gatāṃ gatim || 7.107.3 ||

Bring in the preparations, let there be no delay, for today itself I will follow the path that Lakshmana has taken.

तच्छ्रुत्वा राघवेणोक्तं सर्वाः प्रकृतयो भृशम् । मूर्धभिः प्रणता भूमौ गतसत्त्वा इवाभवन् ।। 7.107.4 ।।

tacchrutvā rāghaveṇoktaṃ sarvāḥ prakṛtayo bhṛśam | mūrdhabhiḥ praṇatā bhūmau gatasattvā ivābhavan || 7.107.4 ||

Having heard those words spoken by Rama, all the subjects greatly bowed their heads to the ground, as if they had lost their very life.

भरतश्च विसञ्ज्ञो ऽभूच्छ्रुत्वा रामस्य भाषितम् । राज्यं विगर्हयामास राघवं चेदमब्रवीत् ।। 7.107.5 ।।

bharataśca visañjño 'bhūcchrutvā rāmasya bhāṣitam | rājyaṃ vigarhayāmāsa rāghavaṃ cedamabravīt || 7.107.5 ||

Bharata also became unconscious upon hearing Rama's words, and condemning kingship, he spoke these words to Rama.

सत्येनाहं शपे राजन्स्वर्गलोके न चैव हि । न कामये यथा राज्यं त्वां विना रघुनन्दन ।। 7.107.6 ।।

satyenāhaṃ śape rājansvargaloke na caiva hi | na kāmaye yathā rājyaṃ tvāṃ vinā raghunandana || 7.107.6 ||

O King, I swear by truth, and indeed by the heavenly world, that I do not desire kingship without you, O delight of the Raghus.

इमौ कुशलवौ राजन्नभिषिञ्च नराधिप । कोसलेषु कुशं वीरमुत्तरेषु तथा लवम् ।। 7.107.7 ।।

imau kuśalavau rājannabhiṣiñca narādhipa | kosaleṣu kuśaṃ vīramuttareṣu tathā lavam || 7.107.7 ||

O King, O lord of men, enthrone these two, Kusha and Lava; Kusha, the brave, in Kosala, and similarly Lava in the northern regions.

शत्रुघ्नस्य तु गच्छन्तु दूतास्त्वरितविक्रमाः । इदं गमनमस्माकं स्वर्गायाख्यातु मा चिरम् ।। 7.107.8 ।।

śatrughnasya tu gacchantu dūtāstvaritavikramāḥ | idaṃ gamanamasmākaṃ svargāyākhyātu mā ciram || 7.107.8 ||

Let swift messengers go to Shatrughna and without delay inform him of our departure to heaven.

तच्छ्रुत्वा भरतेनोक्तं दृष्ट्वा चापि ह्यधोमुखान् । पौरान्दुःखेन सन्तप्तान्वसिष्ठो वाक्यमब्रवीत् ।। 7.107.9 ।।

tacchrutvā bharatenoktaṃ dṛṣṭvā cāpi hyadhomukhān | paurānduḥkhena santaptānvasiṣṭho vākyamabravīt || 7.107.9 ||

Having heard what Bharata said and seeing the citizens distressed and downcast with sorrow, Vasishtha spoke these words.

वत्स राम इमाः पश्य धरणीं प्रकृतीर्गताः । ज्ञात्वैषामीप्सितं कार्यं मा चैषां विप्रियं कृथाः ।। 7.107.10 ।।

vatsa rāma imāḥ paśya dharaṇīṃ prakṛtīrgatāḥ | jñātvaiṣāmīpsitaṃ kāryaṃ mā caiṣāṃ vipriyaṃ kṛthāḥ || 7.107.10 ||

Vasishtha said, "Dear Rama, behold these subjects fallen to the ground; understanding their desire, do not cause them any displeasure."

वसिष्ठस्य तु वाक्येन उत्थाप्य प्रकृतीजनम् । किं करोमीति काकुत्स्थः सर्वा वचनमब्रवीत् ।। 7.107.11 ।।

vasiṣṭhasya tu vākyena utthāpya prakṛtījanam | kiṃ karomīti kākutsthaḥ sarvā vacanamabravīt || 7.107.11 ||

And by the words of Vasishtha, Rama, having raised up the people, spoke to all, asking, "What shall I do?"

ततः सर्वाः प्रकृतयो रामं वचनमब्रुवन् । गच्छन्तमनुगच्छामो यत्र राम गमिष्यसि ।। 7.107.12 ।।

tataḥ sarvāḥ prakṛtayo rāmaṃ vacanamabruvan | gacchantamanugacchāmo yatra rāma gamiṣyasi || 7.107.12 ||

Then all the subjects spoke to Rama, saying, "We will follow you, wherever you, Rama, will go."

पौरेषु यदि ते प्रीतिर्यदि स्नेहो ह्यनुत्तमः । सपुत्रदाराः काकुत्स्थ समागच्छाम सत्पथम् ।। 7.107.13 ।।

paureṣu yadi te prītiryadi sneho hyanuttamaḥ | saputradārāḥ kākutstha samāgacchāma satpatham || 7.107.13 ||

O Rama, if you truly have unsurpassed affection and love for your citizens, then let us all, with our children and wives, accompany you on your path.

तपोवनं वा दुर्गं वा नदीमम्भोनिधिं तथा । वयं ते यदि न त्याज्याः सर्वान्नो नय ईश्वर ।। 7.107.14 ।।

tapovanaṃ vā durgaṃ vā nadīmambhonidhiṃ tathā | vayaṃ te yadi na tyājyāḥ sarvānno naya īśvara || 7.107.14 ||

O Lord, if we are not to be abandoned by you, then lead all of us, whether to a hermitage, a fortress, a river, or the ocean.

एषा नः परमा प्रीतिरेष नः परमो वरः । हृद्गता नः सदा प्रीतिस्तवानुगमने नृप ।। 7.107.15 ।।

eṣā naḥ paramā prītireṣa naḥ paramo varaḥ | hṛdgatā naḥ sadā prītistavānugamane nṛpa || 7.107.15 ||

O King, this is our supreme affection and our greatest wish, for our hearts are always filled with love for following you.

पौराणां दृढभक्तिं च बाढमित्येव सो ऽब्रवीत् । स्वकृतान्तं चान्ववेक्ष्य तस्मिन्नहनि राघवः ।। 7.107.16 ।।

paurāṇāṃ dṛḍhabhaktiṃ ca bāḍhamityeva so 'bravīt | svakṛtāntaṃ cānvavekṣya tasminnahani rāghavaḥ || 7.107.16 ||

Having observed the firm devotion of the citizens and considering his own destined end, Rama said, "Certainly, yes," on that very day.

कोसलेषु कुशं वीरमुत्तरेषु तथा लवम् । अभिषिच्य महात्मानावुभौ रामः कुशीलवौ ।। 7.107.17 ।।

kosaleṣu kuśaṃ vīramuttareṣu tathā lavam | abhiṣicya mahātmānāvubhau rāmaḥ kuśīlavau || 7.107.17 ||

Rama, having consecrated both the brave and great-souled Kusha in Kosala and similarly Lava in the northern regions, completed his arrangements.

अभिषिक्तौ सुतावङ्के प्रतिष्ठाप्य पुरे ततः । परिष्वज्य महाबाहुर्मूर्ध्न्युपाघ्राय चासकृत् ।। 7.107.18 ।।

abhiṣiktau sutāvaṅke pratiṣṭhāpya pure tataḥ | pariṣvajya mahābāhurmūrdhnyupāghrāya cāsakṛt || 7.107.18 ||

Then, the mighty-armed Rama, having consecrated his two sons and established them in the city, repeatedly embraced them and kissed them on their heads.

रथानां तु सहस्राणि नागानामयुतानि च । दशायुतानि चाश्वानामेकैकस्य धनं ददौ ।। 7.107.19 ।।

rathānāṃ tu sahasrāṇi nāgānāmayutāni ca | daśāyutāni cāśvānāmekaikasya dhanaṃ dadau || 7.107.19 ||

He gave to each of his sons thousands of chariots, ten thousands of elephants, and one hundred thousand horses as wealth.

बहुरत्नौ बहुधनौ हृष्टपुष्टजनावृतौ । स्वे पुरे प्रेषयामास भ्रातरौ तु कुशीलवौ ।। 7.107.20 ।।

bahuratnau bahudhanau hṛṣṭapuṣṭajanāvṛtau | sve pure preṣayāmāsa bhrātarau tu kuśīlavau || 7.107.20 ||

He then sent the two brothers, Kusha and Lava, to their respective cities, each endowed with many jewels, much wealth, and surrounded by happy and prosperous people.

अभिषिच्य सुतौ वीरौ प्रतिष्ठाप्य पुरे तदा । दूतान्सम्प्रेषयामास शत्रुघ्नाय महात्मने ।। 7.107.21 ।।

abhiṣicya sutau vīrau pratiṣṭhāpya pure tadā | dūtānsampreṣayāmāsa śatrughnāya mahātmane || 7.107.21 ||

After consecrating his heroic sons and establishing them in their cities, he then dispatched messengers to the great-souled Shatrughna. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदुत्तरकाण्डे सप्तोत्तरशततमः सर्गः ।। 107 ।। Thus ends the hundred and seventh sarga of Uttara Kanda of the holy Ramayana the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.