Sloka & Translation

[Bharata pleads with Rama to return --- informs passing away of king Dasaratha.]

rāmasya vacanaṅ śrutvā bharataḥ pratyuvāca ha.

kiṅ mē dharmādvihīnasya rājadharmaḥ kariṣyati৷৷2.101.1৷৷


rāmasya Rama's, vacanam words, śrutvā on listening, bharataḥ Bharata, pratyuvāca ha replied, dharmāt from righteousness, vihīnasya devoid of, mē to me, rājadharmaḥ royal duties, kiṅ kariṣyati of what use to me.

On listening to Rama, Bharata replied Of what use shall be these royal duties to me, when I have fallen from righteousness?
śāśvatō.yaṅ sadā dharmaḥ sthitō.smāsu nararṣabha.

jēṣṭhaputrē sthitē rājannakanīyānnṛpōbhavēt৷৷2.101.2৷৷


nararṣabha best of men, ayam this one, śāśvataḥ ancient, dharmaḥ righteousness, asmāsu in our race, sadā always, sthitaḥ exists, rājan O king, jyēṣṭhaputrē the eldest son, sthitē is there, kanīyān younger one, nṛpaḥ king, na bhavēt can never become.

O best of men! there is an ancient tradition in our race that the younger son cannot become king when the eldest is there.
sa samṛddhāṅ mayā sārdhamayōdhyāṅ gaccha rāghava.

abhiṣēcayacātmānaṅ kulasyāsya bhavāya naḥ৷৷2.101.3৷৷


rāghava Rama, saḥ he, mayā sārdham with me, samṛddhām prosperous, ayōdhyām to Ayodhya, gaccha return, naḥ for us, asya kulasya for this race, bhavāya for the good of, ātmānam yourself, abhiṣēcaya coronated.

Therefore, O scion of the Raghu race, return along with me to prosperous Ayodhya and for the good of our race get your self coronated.
rājānaṅ mānuṣaṅ prāhu rdēvatvē sammatō mama.

yasya dharmārthasahitaṅ vṛttamāhuramānuṣam৷৷2.101.4৷৷


rājānam king, mānuṣam to be a man, prāhuḥ is said (by the wise), yasya whose, dharmārdhasahitam in conformity with righteousness and state craft, vṛttam conduct, amānuṣam beyond human capacity, āhuḥ they say, mama my, dēvatvē godly, sammataḥ has been claimed.

Other think the king to be a human, but to me, he is divine since his conduct and the statecraft are superhuman as they are in conformity with righteousness.
kēkayasthē ca mayi tu tvayi cāraṇya māśritē.

divamāryō gatō rājā yāyajūkassatāṅ mataḥ৷৷2.101.5৷৷


mayi me, kēkayasthē while I was in Kekaya, tvayi ca when you, araṇyam to the forest, āśritē having taken refuge, āryaḥ revered, yāyajūkaḥ ever performing sacrifices, satām by the virtuous, mataḥ esteemed, rājā king, divam to heaven, gataḥ went.

While I was in Kekaya and you took refuge in the forest, venerable king (Dasaratha), who was always engaged in sacrifices and was held in high esteem by the virtuous, ascended to heaven.
niṣkrāntamātrē bhavati sasītē sahalakṣmaṇē.

duḥkhaśōkābhibhūtastu rājā tridivamabhyagāt৷৷2.101.6৷৷


sasītē along with Sita, sahalakṣmaṇē with Lakshmana, bhavati when you, niṣkrāntamātrē had just set out, rājā king, duḥkhaśōkābhibhūtaḥ grief-stricken, tridivam to heaven, abhyagāt went.

As soon as you set out for the forest along with Sita and Lakshmana, the king, overwhelmed with grief, attained heaven.
uttiṣṭha puruṣavyāghra kriyatāmudakaṅ pituḥ.

ahaṅ cāyaṅ ca śatrughnaḥ pūrvamēva kṛtōdakau৷৷2.101.7৷৷


puruṣavyāghraḥ O best of men, uttiṣṭha arise, pituḥ to father, udakam traditional libation of water, kriyatām offer, ahaṅ ca I also, ayam this, śatrughnaśca Satrughna also, pūrvamēva already, kṛtōdakau offered libations of water.

Arise, O best of men! and offer libations to our father. I and Satrughna have already done so.
priyēṇa kila dattaṅ hi pitṛlōkēṣu rāghava.

akṣayyaṅ bhavatītyāhurbhavāṅścaiva pituḥ priyaḥ৷৷2.101.8৷৷


rāghava O Rama, priyēṇa by a dear one, dattam offered, pitṛlōkēṣu in the world of manes, akṣayyam bhavati becomes eternal, iti thus, āhuḥ khalu people say indeed, bhavāṅścaiva you alone, pituḥ to father, priyaḥ is beloved.

O son of Raghu's race, it is said that whatever is offered by a dear son becomes eternal in the world of manes. You alone are the beloved son of our father.
tvāmēva śōcaṅstava darśanēpsustvayyēva saktāmanivartya buddhim.

tvayā vihīna stava śōkamagnastvāṅ saṅsmarannastamitaḥ pitā tē৷৷2.101.9৷৷


tē your, pitā father, tvayā by you, vihīnaḥ separated, tvāmēva about you, śōcan grieving, tava your, darśanēpsuḥ wishing to see, tvayyēva in you alone, saktām fixing, buddhim mind, anivartya without diverting, tava your, śōkamagnaḥ immersed in sorrow, tvām you, saṅsmaran remembering, astamitaḥ departed.

Your father, deprived of you, brooding over you, wishing to behold you, unable to divert his mind fixed on you, remembering you alone and immersed in sorrow departed (from this world).
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē ēkōttara śatatama ssargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the hundred-one sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.