Sloka & Translation

[Bharata is asked to accept the throne -- orders construction of road into the forest -- gets ready to bring back Rama.]

ततः प्रभातसमये दिवसेऽथ चतुर्दशे।

समेत्य राजकर्तारो भरतं वाक्यमब्रुवन्।।2.79.1।।


ततः then, चतुर्दशे on the fourteenth, दिवसे day, अथ afterwards, प्रभातसमये at the hour of dawn, राजकर्तारः those who are empowered to proclaim a king, समेत्य having come, भरतम् to Bharata, वाक्यम् these words, अब्रुवन् said.

Then, at the hour of dawn on the fourteenth day, all those who were empowered to proclaim the king, assembled and addressed Bharata:
गतो दशरथस्स्वर्गं यो नो गुरुतरो गुरुः।

रामं प्रव्राज्य वै ज्येष्ठं लक्ष्मणं च महाबलम्।।2.79.2।।


यः who, नः for us, गुरुतरः superior, गुरुः preceptor, दशरथः Dasaratha, ज्येष्ठम् eldest son, रामम् to Rama, महाबलं च mighty, लक्ष्मणं च to Lakshmana also, प्रव्राज्य having exiled, स्वर्गम् heaven, गतः gone.

Dasaratha, who was our most revered master and preceptor, having exiled his eldest son Rama and mighty Lakshmana, ascended heaven.
त्वमद्य भव नो राजा राजपुत्र महायशः।

सङ्गत्या नापराध्नोति राज्यमेतदनायकम्।।2.79.3।।


महायशः O illustrious one, राजपुत्र O king's son (prince), अद्य now, त्वम् you, नः for us, राजा भव be king, अनायकम् without a leader, एतत् राज्यम् this kingdom, सङ्गत्या by association, नापराध्नोति has not comitted any offence.

O illutrious prince do assume kingship now. Incidentally, there has been yet no attack on this leaderless kingdom.
अभिषेचनिकं सर्वमिदमादाय राघव।

प्रतीक्षते त्वां स्वजनश्श्रेणयश्च नृपात्मज।।2.79.4।।


नृपात्मज son of the king, राघव Bharata (of Raghus race), स्वजनः your subjects, श्रेणयश्च guilds of traders, artisans, etc, सर्वम् all, इदम् this, अभिषेचनिकम् necessary materials for consecration, आदाय having brought, त्वाम् you, प्रतीक्षते waiting.

O prince of the Raghu race (Bharata), your subjects and guilds of traders, artisans, etc, have procured necessary materials for your consecration, and await you.
राज्यं गृहाण भरत पितृपैतामहं ध्रुवम्।

अभिषेचय चात्मानं पाहि चास्मान्नरर्षभ।।2.79.5।।


भरत O Bharata, पितृपैतामहम् ancestral, ध्रुवम् stable, राज्यम् kingdom, गृहाण you may receive, नरर्षभ bull (best) among men, आत्मानम् yourself , अभिषेचय get consecrated, अस्मान् us, पाहि च save.

O best among men, inherit this stable kingdom of your ancestors, get yourself consecrated and save us.
अभिषेचनिकं भाण्डं कृत्वा सर्वं प्रदक्षिणम्।

भरतस्तं जनं सर्वं प्रत्युवाच धृतव्रतः।।2.79.6।।


धृतव्रतः a man of firm vows, भरतः Bharata, अभिषेचनिकम् relating to consecration, सर्वम् all, भाण्डम् the articles procured, प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा having circumambulated, सर्वम् all, तं जनम् to those people, प्रत्युवाच replied.

Bharata, firm in vows, circumambulated all the articles procured in connection with
consecration, and replied them as follows:
ज्येष्ठस्य राजता नित्यमुचिता हि कुलस्य नः।

नैवं भवन्तो मां वक्तुमर्हन्ति कुशला जनाः।।2.79.7।।


नित्यम् always, नः our, कुलस्य race, ज्येष्ठस्य the eldest one, राजता kingship, उचिता हि is befitting (tradition) indeed, कुशलाः intelligent, जनाः people, भवन्तः all of you, माम् me, एवम् in this way, वक्तुम् to tell, न अर्हन्ति does not behove.

It has been the tradition in our race that the eldest son alone should always inherit the kingdom. It does not behove intelligent people like you to tell me like this.
रामः पूर्वो हि नो भ्राता भविष्यति महीपतिः।

अहं त्वरण्ये वत्स्यामि वर्षाणि नव पञ्च च।।2.79.8।।


नः our, पूर्वः eldest, भ्राता brother, रामः Rama, महीपतिः भविष्यति shall become king, अहं तु as for me, नव पञ्च च nine and four (fourteen), वर्षाणि years, अरण्ये in the forest, वत्स्यामि I shall dwell.

Our eldest brother, Rama shall become king. As for me, I shall dwell in the forest for fourteen years.
युज्यतां महती सेना चतुरङ्गमहाबला।

आनयिष्याम्यहं ज्येष्ठं भ्रातरं राघवं वनात्।।2.79.9।।


चतुरङ्गमहाबला powerful army of four divisions, महती great, सेना army, युज्यताम् be marshalled, अहम् I, ज्येष्ठम् eldest, भ्रातरम् brother, राघवम् Rama, वनात् from the forest, आनयिष्यामि I will bring back.

Let the great and powerful army of four divisions be marshalled. I will bring back my eldest brother Rama from the forest.
अभिषेचनिकं चैव सर्वमेतदुपस्कृतम्।

पुरस्कृत्य गमिष्यामि रामहेतोर्वनं प्रति।।2.79.10।।


एतत् उपस्कृतम् these collected, सर्वम् all, आभिषेचनिकम् all these articles for coronation, पुरस्कृत्य kept in front, रामहेतोः for Rama, वनं प्रति to the forest, गमिष्यामि I shall go.

I shall go to the forest to (bring back) Rama, with all these articles, procured for coronation kept in front.
तत्रैवं तं नरव्याघ्रमभिषिच्य पुरस्कृतम्।

आनेष्यामि तु वै रामं हव्यवाहमिवाध्वरात्।।2.79.11।


नरव्याघ्रम् tiger among men, तम् him, तत्रैव there itself, अभिषिच्य having crowned, पुरस्कृतम् going ahead of me, रामम् to Rama, अध्वरात् from the place of sacrifice, हव्यवाहमिव like the fire, आनेष्यामि तु वै will definitely bring back.

After coronating Rama, the best of men, there itself, I will definitely bring him back, letting him go ahead of me, like the sacred fire carried from the place of sacrifice.
न सकामां करिष्यामि स्वामिमां मातृगन्धिनीम्।

वने वत्स्याम्यहं दुर्गे रामो राजा भविष्यति।।2.79.12।।


स्वाम् my own, मातृगन्धिनीम् called mother, इमाम् this, सकामाम् fulfil her desire, न करिष्यामि
shall never do, अहम् I, दुर्गे in the inaccessible, वने in the forest, वत्स्यामि shall dwell, रामः Rama, राजा भविष्यति shall become king.

I shall never fulfil the wishes of that woman called my mother. I shall dwell in the inaccessible forest and Rama shall become king.
क्रियतां शिल्पिभिः पन्था स्समानि विषमाणि च।

रक्षिणश्चानुसम्यान्तु पथि दुर्गविचारकाः।।2.79.13।।


शिल्पिभि: by the artisans, पन्थाः road, क्रियताम् let it be laid, विषमाणि uneven ground, समानि be levelled, दुर्गविचारकाः judging the inaccessible terrains, रक्षिणश्च guards, पथि on the way, अनुसम्यान्तु be followed.

Let the road be aligned by artisans and uneven ground be levelled. The guards who judge the inaccessible terrains should follow them on their way.
एवं सम्भाषमाणं तं रामहेतोर्नृपात्मजम्।

प्रत्युवाच जनस्सर्व श्श्रीमद्वाक्यमनुत्तमम्।।2.79.14।।


रामहेतोः on behalf of Rama, एवम् in this way, सम्भाषमाणम् speaking, तं नृपात्मजम् to the son of the king, Bharata, सर्वः all, जनः the people, श्रीमत् with auspiciousness, अनुत्तमम् excellent, वाक्यम् words, प्रत्युवाच replied.

When prince Bharata was thus speaking in favour of Rama, all the people responded with these excellent, propitious words:
एवं ते भाषमाणस्य पद्मा श्रीरुपतिष्ठतात्।

यस्त्वं ज्येष्ठे नृपसुते पृथिवीं दातुमिच्छसि।।2.79.15।।


यः त्वम् such as you are, ज्येष्ठे in the eldest, नृप सुते in king's son, पृथिवीम् kingdom, दातुम् to bestow, इच्छसि are desiring, एवम् in this way, भाषमाणस्य talking, ते to you, श्रीः goddess of prosperity, पद्मा Lakshmi, उपतिष्ठताम् may grace you.

May Lakshmi, goddess of prosperity, abide in you for having expressed your desire to bestow the kingdom upon the king's eldest son.
अनुत्तमं तद्वचनं नृपात्मजप्रभाषितं संश्रवणे निशम्य च।

प्रहर्षजास्तं प्रति बाष्पबिन्दवो निपेतुरार्यानननेत्रसम्भवाः।।2.79.16।।


संश्रवणे within hearing range, नृपात्मजप्रभाषितम् spoken by the king's son, अनुत्तमम् graceful, तत् वचनम् that speech, निशम्य च having heard, तं प्रति to him, प्रहर्षजाः born of joy, आर्यानननेत्रसम्भवाः arising from the eyes and countenances of noble ones, बाष्पबिन्दवः drops of tears, निपेतुः trickled down.

With such graceful words spoken by the prince within their hearing, tears of joy filled the eyes of the noble people and fell drop by drop down their faces.
ऊचुस्ते वचनमिदं निशम्य हृष्टा स्सामात्या स्सपरिषदो वियातशोकाः।

पन्थानं नरवर भक्तिमान् जनश्च व्यादिष्टस्तव वचनाच्च शिल्पिवर्गः।।2.79.17।


इदम् this, वचनम् word, निशम्य having heard, हृष्टाः delighted, सामात्याः with ministers, सपरिषदः with council of members, ते they, वियातशोकाः relieved of their distress, इदं वचनम् these words, ऊचुः uttered, नरवर O best among men, भक्तिमान् devoted man, जनश्च people, शिल्पि वर्गः groups of artisans, तव your, वचनात् from orders, पन्थानम् to prepare the way, व्यादिष्टः have been instructed.

All the ministers and members of the council, relieved of their distress, were delighted to hear these words and said O best among men, on your orders devoted people and groups of artisans have been instructed to lay the road.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे एकोनाशीतितमस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the seventyninth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.