Sloka & Translation

[Bharata experiences unhappiness over a distressing and frightening dream.]

यामेव रात्रिं ते दूताः प्रविशन्ति स्म तां पुरीम्।

भरतेनापि तां रात्रिं स्वप्नो दृष्टोऽयमप्रियः।।2.69.1।।


ते दूताः those messengers, यामेव on whichever, रात्रिम् night, तां पुरीम् that city, प्रविशन्ति स्म were entering, तां रात्रिम् that night, भरतेनापि by Bharata also, अयम् this, आप्रियः distressing, स्वप्नः dream, दृष्टः has been seen.

On the very night the messengers were entering the city, Bharata had a distressing dream.
व्युष्टामेव तु तां रात्रिं दृष्ट्वा तं स्वप्नमप्रियम्।

पुत्रो राजाधिराजस्य सुभृशं पर्यतप्यत।।2.69.2।।


राजाधिराजस्य (the son) of the king of kings, पुत्रः son, तां रात्रिम् that night, व्युष्टाम् एव when dawn appeared, तम् that, अप्रियम् unpleasant, स्वप्नम् dream, दृष्ट्वा having seen, सुभृशम् extremely, पर्यतप्यत felt troubled.

The son of the king of kings (Bharata) felt extremely troubled hen he had an unpleasant dream at dawn.
तप्यमानं समाज्ञाय वयस्याः प्रियवादिनः।

आयासं हि विनेष्यन्त स्सभायां चक्रिरे कथाः।।2.69.3।।


प्रियवादिनः speaking pleasing words, वयस्याः peers, तप्यमानम् griefstricken, समाज्ञाय having observed, आयासम् despair, विनेष्यन्तः with a view to remove, सभायाम् in the assembly, कथाः stories, चक्रिरे made.

Observing him griefstricken his peers who always spoke pleasant words, engaged him in a variety of ways in the assembly in order to divert him.
वादयन्ति तथा शान्तिं लास यन्त्यपि चापरे।

नाटकान्यपरे प्राहुर्हास्यानि विविधानि च।।2.69.4।।


शान्तिम् to provide mental peace, वादयन्ति played stringed instruments, तथा similarly, अपरे some, नाटकानि dramatic scenes, लासयन्त्यपि danced, अपरे some, विविधानि various kinds of, हास्यानि jokes, प्राहुः told.

In order to provide mental peace to Bharata, some played stringed instruments while some enacted dramatic scenes, some danced and cracked various kinds of jokes.
स तैर्महात्मा भरतस्सखिभिः प्रियवादिभिः।

गोष्ठीहास्यानि कुर्वद्भिर्न प्राहृष्यत राघवः।।2.69.5।।


राघवः one born in the Raghu race, महात्मा the magnanimous, सः भरतः that Bharata, गोष्ठीहास्यानि conversations and jokes, कुर्वद्भि: while performing, प्रियवादिभिः were soothing words, सखिभिः by friends also, न प्राहृष्यत could not be delighted.

The magnanimous Bharata born in the race of Raghus, was not delighted by the conversations and jokes and soothing words of his friends.
तमब्रवीत्प्रियसखो भरतं सखिभिर्वृतम्।

सुहृद्भिः पर्युपासीनः किं सखे नानुमोदसे।।2.69.6।।


प्रियसखः one dear friend, सखिभिः with friends, वृतम् surrounded, भरतं addressing that Bharata, अब्रवीत् said, सखे O friend, सुहृद्भिः with friends, पर्युपासीनः accompanied by, किम् why, न अनुमोदसे you are not pleased.

Addressing Bharata amidst his companions some one close among them said O friend why are you dejected in spite of being in the company of friends.
एवं ब्रुवाणं सुहृदं भरतः प्रत्युवाच ह।

श्रुणु त्वं यन्निमित्तं मे दैन्यमेतदुपागतम्।।2.69.7।।


भरतः Bharata, एवम् in this manner, ब्रुवाणम् saying, सुहृदम् his companion, प्रत्युवाच ह replied, मे my, यन्निमित्तम् for what reason, एतत् this, दैन्यम् desolation, उपागतम् that has overtaken me, त्वम् you, श्रुणु listen.

Addressing his companion who was speaking thus, Bharata replied, saying Listen to the reason this desolation has overtaken me:
स्वप्ने पितरमद्राक्षं मलिनं मुक्त मूर्धजम्।

पतन्तमद्रिशिखरात्कलुषे गोमयह्रदे।।2.69.8।।


स्वप्ने in a dream, मलिनम् pale, मुक्तमूर्धजम् with dishevelled hair, अद्रिशिखरात् from the peak of a mountain, कलुषे dirty, गोमयह्रदे pool filled with cow dung, पतन्तम् falling down, पितरम् father, अद्राक्षम् saw.

In my dream I saw my father looking pale, with dishevelled hair, his body filled with filth falling from the peak of a mountain into a pool of cow dung.
प्लवमानश्च मे दृष्टस्स तस्मिन्गोमयह्रदे।

पिबन्नञ्जलिना तैलं हसन्नपि मुहुर्मुहुः।।2.69.9।।


सः he, तस्मिन् that, गोमयह्रदे in the pool filled with cow dung, प्लवमानः floating, अञ्जलिना with both palms cupped, तैलम् oil, पिबन् drinking मुहुर्मुहुः again and again, हसन् laughing, मे by me, दृष्टः was seen.

I saw my father floating in that pool of cow dung, drinking oil with cupped palms and bursting into laughter again and again.
ततस्तिलौदनं भुक्त्वा पुनः पुनरधश्शिराः।

तैलेनाभ्यक्तसर्वाङ्गः तैलमेवान्वगाहत।।2.69.10।।


ततः thereafter, तिलौदनम् rice cooked with sesame seeds, भुक्त्वा eating, पुनः पुनः again and again, अधःशिराः plunging his head downwards, तैलेन with oil, अभ्यक्तसर्वाङ्ग: his body besmeared with oil, तैलमेव into the oil alone, अन्वगाहत entered.

Thereafter I beheld him eating rice cooked with sesame seeds, his body besmeared with oil plunging again and again into it (the pool).
स्वप्नेऽपि सागरं शुष्कं चन्द्रं च पतितं भवि।

उपरुद्धां च जगतीं तमसेव समावृताम्।।2.69.11।।

औपवाह्यस्य नागस्य विषाणं शकलीकृतम्।

सहसाचापि संशान्तं ज्वलितं जातवेदसम्।।2.69.12।।

अवतीर्णां च पृथिवीं शुष्कां श्च विविधान् द्रुमान्।

अहं पश्यामि विध्वस्तान् सधूमांश्चापि पर्वतान्।।2.69.13।।


अहम् I, स्वप्ने in the dream, सागरम् sea, शुष्कम् having dried up, चन्द्रम् Moon, भुवि on the ground, पतितम् having fallen down, जगतीम् the earth, तमस समावृताम् इव as if enveloped in darkness, उपरुद्धाम् obscured, औपवाह्यस्य worthy of a ride, नागस्य elephant's, विषाणम् tusk, शकलीकृतम् broken into pieces, ज्वलितम् blazing, जातवेदनम् fire, सहसा suddenly, संशान्तम् extinguished, पृथिवीम् earth, अवतीर्णां च split open, विविधान् various, द्रुमान् trees, शुष्कांश्च dried up, पर्वतान् mountains, विध्वस्तान् having been destroyed, सधूमान् with smoke, पश्यामि I see.

In that dream I beheld the sea being dried up and the Moon fallen onto the ground. I saw the earth as though enveloped by darkness and obscured, the tusk of an elephant worthy of a ride by the monarch broken into pieces, a blazing fire extinguished suddenly, the earth split open, various trees dried up and mountains crumbled and covered with smoke.
पीठे कार्ष्णायसे चैनं निषण्णं कृष्णवाससम्।

प्रहसन्ति स्म राजानं प्रमदाः कृष्णपिङ्गलाः।।2.69.14।।


कार्ष्णायसे on an iron, पीठे seat, निषण्णम् resting, कृष्णवाससम् clad in black clothes, एनं राजानं this king, कृष्णपिङ्गलाः having dark and brownish complexion, प्रमादाः women, प्रहसन्ति were laughing.

In the dream, I beheld my father clad in black clothes and resting on a seat made of iron and the women in dark and brownish complexion laughing at him.
त्वरमाणश्च धर्मात्मा रक्तमाल्यानुलेपनः।

रथेन खरयुक्तेन प्रयातो दक्षिणामुखः।।2.69.15।।


धर्मात्मा virtuous one, रक्तमाल्यानुलेपनः wearing garlands of red flowers and with his body bedaubed with red sandal, त्वरमाणश्च hurrying off, खरयुक्तेन yoked with asses, रथेन on chariot, दक्षिणामुखः southward, प्रयातः went.

Thereafter, I beheld that virtuous monarch bedecked with garlands made of red flowers and his body bedaubed with red sandalpaste, hurrying off southward on a chariot yoked with asses.
प्रहसन्तीव राजानं प्रमदा रक्तवासिनी।

प्रकर्षन्ती मया दृष्टा राक्षसी विकृतानना।।2.69.16।।


रक्तवासिनी clad in red coloured clothes, विकृतानना with an ugly appearance, राक्षसी प्रमदा a demoness, प्रहसन्तीव as if mocking at him, राजानम् the king, प्रकर्षन्ती dragging, मया by me, दृष्टा was beheld.

Finally I beheld a demoness attired in red clothes with an ugly appearance, dragging the king away as if mocking at him.
एवमेतन्मया दृष्टमिमां रात्रिं भयावहम्।

अहं रामोऽथवा राजा लक्ष्मणो वा मरिष्यति।।2.69.17।।


एवम् in this manner, इमां रात्रिम् last night, भयावहम् frightening, एतत् this one, (मया) दृष्टम् was beheld (by me), अहम् either me, अथवा or, राजा the king, लक्ष्मणो वा or Lakshmana, मरिष्यति might die.

I had such a frightful dream last night. Either I, Rama, the king or Lakshmana might die.
नरो यानेन य स्स्वप्ने स्वरयुक्तेन याति हि।

अचिरात्तस्य धूमाग्रं चितायां सम्प्रदृश्यते।।2.69.18।।


स्वप्ने in the dream, यः any one, नरः human, रस्वयुक्तेन yoked to asses, यानेन by carriage, याति sets out, अचिरात् in a short time, चितायाम् on the funeral pyre, तस्य his, धूमाग्रम् wreath of smoke of his deadbody ascending, सम्प्रदृश्यते will be seen.

If one beholds in a dream a person setting out on a carriage yoked to asses, the wreath of smoke ascending from his funeral pyre will be seen soon.
एतन्निमित्तं दीनोऽहं तन्नवः प्रतिपूजये।

शुष्यतीव च मे कण्ठः न स्वस्थमिव मे मनः।।2.69.19।।


अहम् I, एतन्निमित्तम् for this reason, दीनः am desolate, तत् therefore, वः all of you, न प्रतिपूजये not responded well, मे my, कण्ठः throat, शुष्यतीव च is as though getting parched up, मे my, मनः mind, न स्वस्थम् इव is as though uneasy.

So it is for this reason that I am desolate and cannot respond well to your conversation. It appears as if my throat is getting parched up and my mind is illdisposed.
न पश्यामि भयस्थानं भयं चैवोपधारये

भ्रष्टश्च स्वरयोगो मे छाया चोपहता मम।

जुगुप्सन्निव चाऽत्मानं न पश्यमि च कारणम्।।2.69.20।।


भयस्थानम् any reason for apprehension, नपश्यामि I do not see, भयं चैव fear alone, उपधारये am experiencing, मे my, स्वरयोगः voice, भ्रष्टः degenerated, मम my, छाया च appearance, उपहता haggard, आत्मानम् of my self, जुगुप्सन्निव as if I detest, कारणम् च reason, न पश्यामि cannot see.

I do not see any reason for apprehension but I experience only fear. My voice has degenerated. My appearance looks haggard. Without any reason whatsoever I detest myself.
इमां च दुस्स्वप्नगतिं निशाम्यतामनेकरूपामवितर्कितां पुरा।

भयं महत्तद्धृदयान्नयाति मे विचिन्त्य राजानमचिन्तदर्शनम्।।2.69.21।।


अनेकरूपाम् of several images, पुरा formerly, अतर्किताम् unthought of, ताम् such, इमाम् this, दुःस्वप्नगतिम् the course of this nightmare, निशाम्य having perceived, राजानम् the king, अचिन्त्यदर्शनम् as incomprehensible view, विचिन्त्य having thought of, महत् great, तत् that, भयम् fear, मे हृदयात् from my heart, न याति does not go.

On observing the course of this nightmare, with all those images formerly unconceived and having thought of the king's incomprehensible presence, a great fear that has gripped my heart does not leave me.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे एकोनसप्ततितमस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the sixtyninth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki