Sloka & Translation

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

tataḥ prabhātasamayē divasē.tha caturdaśē.

samētya rājakartārō bharataṅ vākyamabruvan৷৷2.79.1৷৷


tataḥ then, caturdaśē on the fourteenth, divasē day, atha afterwards, prabhātasamayē at the hour of dawn, rājakartāraḥ those who are empowered to proclaim a king, samētya having come, bharatam to Bharata, vākyam these words, abruvan said.

Then, at the hour of dawn on the fourteenth day, all those who were empowered to proclaim the king, assembled and addressed Bharata:
gatō daśarathassvargaṅ yō nō gurutarō guruḥ.

rāmaṅ pravrājya vai jyēṣṭhaṅ lakṣmaṇaṅ ca mahābalam৷৷2.79.2৷৷


yaḥ who, naḥ for us, gurutaraḥ superior, guruḥ preceptor, daśarathaḥ Dasaratha, jyēṣṭham eldest son, rāmam to Rama, mahābalaṅ ca mighty, lakṣmaṇaṅ ca to Lakshmana also, pravrājya having exiled, svargam heaven, gataḥ gone.

Dasaratha, who was our most revered master and preceptor, having exiled his eldest son Rama and mighty Lakshmana, ascended heaven.
tvamadya bhava nō rājā rājaputra! mahāyaśaḥ.

saṅgatyā nāparādhnōti rājyamētadanāyakam৷৷2.79.3৷৷


mahāyaśaḥ O illustrious one, rājaputra! O king's son (prince), adya now, tvam you, naḥ for us, rājā bhava be king, anāyakam without a leader, ētat rājyam this kingdom, saṅgatyā by association, nāparādhnōti has not comitted any offence.

O illutrious prince! do assume kingship now. Incidentally, there has been yet no attack on this leaderless kingdom.
abhiṣēcanikaṅ sarvamidamādāya rāghava!.

pratīkṣatē tvāṅ svajanaśśrēṇayaśca nṛpātmaja৷৷2.79.4৷৷


nṛpātmaja son of the king, rāghava Bharata (of Raghus race), svajanaḥ your subjects, śrēṇayaśca guilds of traders, artisans, etc, sarvam all, idam this, abhiṣēcanikam necessary materials for consecration, ādāya having brought, tvām you, pratīkṣatē 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.
rājyaṅ gṛhāṇa bharata! pitṛpaitāmahaṅ dhruvam.

abhiṣēcaya cātmānaṅ pāhi cāsmānnararṣabha!৷৷2.79.5৷৷


bharata! O Bharata!, pitṛpaitāmaham ancestral, dhruvam stable, rājyam kingdom, gṛhāṇa you may receive, nararṣabha bull (best) among men, ātmānam yourself , abhiṣēcaya get consecrated, asmān us, pāhi ca save.

O best among men, inherit this stable kingdom of your ancestors, get yourself consecrated and save us.
abhiṣēcanikaṅ bhāṇḍaṅ kṛtvā sarvaṅ pradakṣiṇam.

bharatastaṅ janaṅ sarvaṅ pratyuvāca dhṛtavrataḥ৷৷2.79.6৷৷


dhṛtavrataḥ a man of firm vows, bharataḥ Bharata, abhiṣēcanikam relating to consecration, sarvam all, bhāṇḍam the articles procured, pradakṣiṇaṅ kṛtvā having circumambulated, sarvam all, taṅ janam to those people, pratyuvāca replied.

Bharata, firm in vows, circumambulated all the articles procured in connection with
consecration, and replied them as follows:
jyēṣṭhasya rājatā nityamucitā hi kulasya naḥ.

naivaṅ bhavantō māṅ vaktumarhanti kuśalā janāḥ৷৷2.79.7৷৷


nityam always, naḥ our, kulasya race, jyēṣṭhasya the eldest one, rājatā kingship, ucitā hi is befitting (tradition) indeed, kuśalāḥ intelligent, janāḥ people, bhavantaḥ all of you, mām me, ēvam in this way, vaktum to tell, na arhanti 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.
rāmaḥ pūrvō hi nō bhrātā bhaviṣyati mahīpatiḥ.

ahaṅ tvaraṇyē vatsyāmi varṣāṇi nava pañca ca৷৷2.79.8৷৷


naḥ our, pūrvaḥ eldest, bhrātā brother, rāmaḥ Rama, mahīpatiḥ bhaviṣyati shall become king, ahaṅ tu as for me, nava pañca ca nine and four (fourteen), varṣāṇi years, araṇyē in the forest, vatsyāmi I shall dwell.

Our eldest brother, Rama shall become king. As for me, I shall dwell in the forest for fourteen years.
yujyatāṅ mahatī sēnā caturaṅgamahābalā.

ānayiṣyāmyahaṅ jyēṣṭhaṅ bhrātaraṅ rāghavaṅ vanāt৷৷2.79.9৷৷


caturaṅgamahābalā powerful army of four divisions, mahatī great, sēnā army, yujyatām be marshalled, aham I, jyēṣṭham eldest, bhrātaram brother, rāghavam Rama, vanāt from the forest, ānayiṣyāmi 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.
abhiṣēcanikaṅ caiva sarvamētadupaskṛtam.

puraskṛtya gamiṣyāmi rāmahētōrvanaṅ prati৷৷2.79.10৷৷


ētat upaskṛtam these collected, sarvam all, ābhiṣēcanikam all these articles for coronation, puraskṛtya kept in front, rāmahētōḥ for Rama, vanaṅ prati to the forest, gamiṣyāmi I shall go.

I shall go to the forest to (bring back) Rama, with all these articles, procured for coronation kept in front.
tatraivaṅ taṅ naravyāghramabhiṣicya puraskṛtam.

ānēṣyāmi tu vai rāmaṅ havyavāhamivādhvarāt৷৷2.79.11.


naravyāghram tiger among men, tam him, tatraiva there itself, abhiṣicya having crowned, puraskṛtam going ahead of me, rāmam to Rama, adhvarāt from the place of sacrifice, havyavāhamiva like the fire, ānēṣyāmi tu vai 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.
na sakāmāṅ kariṣyāmi svāmimāṅ mātṛgandhinīm.

vanē vatsyāmyahaṅ durgē rāmō rājā bhaviṣyati৷৷2.79.12৷৷


svām my own, mātṛgandhinīm called mother, imām this, sakāmām fulfil her desire, na kariṣyāmi
shall never do, aham I, durgē in the inaccessible, vanē in the forest, vatsyāmi shall dwell, rāmaḥ Rama, rājā bhaviṣyati 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.
kriyatāṅ śilpibhiḥ panthā ssamāni viṣamāṇi ca.

rakṣiṇaścānusamyāntu pathi durgavicārakāḥ৷৷2.79.13৷৷


śilpibhi: by the artisans, panthāḥ road, kriyatām let it be laid, viṣamāṇi uneven ground, samāni be levelled, durgavicārakāḥ judging the inaccessible terrains, rakṣiṇaśca guards, pathi on the way, anusamyāntu 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.
ēvaṅ sambhāṣamāṇaṅ taṅ rāmahētōrnṛpātmajam.

pratyuvāca janassarva śśrīmadvākyamanuttamam৷৷2.79.14৷৷


rāmahētōḥ on behalf of Rama, ēvam in this way, sambhāṣamāṇam speaking, taṅ nṛpātmajam to the son of the king, Bharata, sarvaḥ all, janaḥ the people, śrīmat with auspiciousness, anuttamam excellent, vākyam words, pratyuvāca replied.

When prince Bharata was thus speaking in favour of Rama, all the people responded with these excellent, propitious words:
ēvaṅ tē bhāṣamāṇasya padmā śrīrupatiṣṭhatāt.

yastvaṅ jyēṣṭhē nṛpasutē pṛthivīṅ dātumicchasi৷৷2.79.15৷৷


yaḥ tvam such as you are, jyēṣṭhē in the eldest, nṛpa sutē in king's son, pṛthivīm kingdom, dātum to bestow, icchasi are desiring, ēvam in this way, bhāṣamāṇasya talking, tē to you, śrīḥ goddess of prosperity, padmā Lakshmi, upatiṣṭhatām 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.
anuttamaṅ tadvacanaṅ nṛpātmajaprabhāṣitaṅ saṅśravaṇē niśamya ca.

praharṣajāstaṅ prati bāṣpabindavō nipēturāryānananētrasambhavāḥ৷৷2.79.16৷৷


saṅśravaṇē within hearing range, nṛpātmajaprabhāṣitam spoken by the king's son, anuttamam graceful, tat vacanam that speech, niśamya ca having heard, taṅ prati to him, praharṣajāḥ born of joy, āryānananētrasambhavāḥ arising from the eyes and countenances of noble ones, bāṣpabindavaḥ drops of tears, nipētuḥ 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.
ūcustē vacanamidaṅ niśamya hṛṣṭā ssāmātyā ssapariṣadō viyātaśōkāḥ.

panthānaṅ naravara! bhaktimān janaśca vyādiṣṭastava vacanācca śilpivargaḥ৷৷2.79.17.


idam this, vacanam word, niśamya having heard, hṛṣṭāḥ delighted, sāmātyāḥ with ministers, sapariṣadaḥ with council of members, tē they, viyātaśōkāḥ relieved of their distress, idaṅ vacanam these words, ūcuḥ uttered, naravara! O best among men, bhaktimān devoted man, janaśca people, śilpi vargaḥ groups of artisans, tava your, vacanāt from orders, panthānam to prepare the way, vyādiṣṭaḥ 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.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē ēkōnāśītitamassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the seventyninth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.