Sloka & Translation

[ Assembly of Vasistha, ministers, commanders of army and people of Ayodhya -- Bharata is invited to the assembly with the usual welcoming music etc.]

ततो नान्दीमुखीं रात्रिं भरतं सूतमागधाः।

तुष्टुवुर्वाग्विशेषज्ञास्स्तवैर्मङ्गलसंहितैः।।2.81.1।।


ततः thereafter, वाग्विशेषज्ञाः experts in conversation, सूतमागधाः bards and panegyrists, नान्दीमुखीम् with an auspicious start, रात्रिम् the night, मङ्गलसंहितैः filled with an auspicious notes, स्तवैः praises, भरतम् Bharata, तुष्टुवुः pleased.

Thereafter bards and panegyrists adept in conversation with an auspicious start
pleased Bharata with eulogy in the last part of the night.
सुवर्णकोणाभिहतः प्राणदद्यामदुन्दुभिः।

दध्मुश्शङ्खांश्च शतशो नादांश्चोच्चावचस्वरान्।।2.81.2।।


सुवर्णकोणाभिहतः beaten by golden sticks, यामदुन्दुभिः the drums of the nightwatch (to indicate watchers of the night), प्राणदत् was struck, शङ्खांश्च conches, उच्चावचस्वरान् of various modulations, नादांश्च sounds, शतशः in hundreds, दध्मुः people blew.

The drums of the night watch were beaten by golden sticks. Conches in hundreds were blown and sounds of various modulations were created.
स तूर्यघोष स्सुमहान्दिवमापूरयन्निव।

भरतं शोकसन्तप्तं भूयश्शोकैररन्ध्रयत्।।2.81.3।।


सुमहान् shrill, सः that, तूर्यघोषः sound of trumpets, दिवम् the heaven, आपूरयन्निव as if filling, शोकसंतप्तम् griefstricken, भरतम् Bharata, भूयः still more, शोकैः with sorrows, अरन्ध्रयत् filled.

The shrill trempets which seemed to fill the heavens caused much more distress to the already griefstricken Bharata.
ततः प्रबुद्धो भरतस्तं घोषं सन्निवर्त्य च।

नाहं राजेति चाप्युक्त्वा शत्रुघ्नमिदमब्रवीत्।।2.81.4।।


ततः then, प्रबुद्ध: awakened, भरतः Bharata, अहम् I, राजा king, न not, इति thus, उक्त्वा having said, तम् घोषम् that sound, सन्निवर्त्य च having stopped, शत्रुघ्नम् to Satrughna, इदम् these words, अब्रवीत् said.

Then Bharata waking up, exclaimed, I am not the king, ordered the pipers to stop and said to Satrughna:
पश्य शत्रुघ्न कैकेय्या लोकस्यापकृतं महत्।

विसृज्य मयि दुःखानि राजा दशरथो गतः।।2.81.5।।


शत्रुघ्न O Satrughna, पश्य see, कैकेय्या by Kaikeyi, लोकस्य to the people, महत् great, अपकृतम् harm has been done, राजा king, दशरथः Dasaratha, दुःखानि all sufferings, मयि in me, विसृज्य having left, गतः went.

O Satrughna see what great harm has been done to these people at the instance of Kaikeyi. King Dasaratha has gone, leaving me to suffer.
तस्यैषा धर्मराजस्य धर्ममूला महात्मनः।

परिभ्रमति राज्य श्रीर्नौरिवाकर्णिका जले।।2.81.6।।


धर्मराजस्य of righteous king, तस्य his, महात्मनः noble one's, धर्ममूला rooted in righteousness, एषा such, राज्यश्रीः the goddess of kingdom, जले in water, आकर्णिका without helmsman, नौः इव like a boat, परिभ्रमति is revolving.

This kingdom, rooted in the righteousness of that noble king, is now whirling like a
boat in a whirlpool without a helmsman.
यो हि न स्सुमहान्नाथस्सोऽपि प्रव्राजितो वनम्।

अनया धर्ममुत्सृज्य मात्रा मे राघवस्स्वयम्।।2.81.7।।


यः whoever, नः for us, सुमहान् great, नाथः protector, सः (राघवः) अपि that Rama also, अनया this, मे मात्रा by my mother, धर्मम् virtuous conduct, उत्सृज्य having abandoned, स्वयम् herself, वनम् forest, प्रव्राजितः has been banished.

Even Rama, a great protector for all of us, has been banished to the forest by my mother bereft of virtuous conduct.
इत्येवं भरतं प्रेक्ष्य विलपन्तं विचेतनम्।

कृपणं रुरुदुस्सर्वास्सस्वरं योषित स्तदा।। 2.81.8।।


तदा then, इत्येवम् in this way, विलपन्तम् lamenting, विचेतनम् lying unconscious, भरतम् Bharata, प्रेक्ष्य having seen, सर्वाः all, योषितः women, सस्वरम् in one voice, कृपणम् piteously, रुरुदुः cried loudly.

Thus lamenting, Bharata fainted. Seeing him (in this state) all the women (of the inner apartment) at once cried aloud piteously.
तथा तस्मिन्विलपति वसिष्ठो राजधर्मवित्।

सभामिक्ष्वाकुनाथस्य प्रविवेश महायशाः।।2.81.9।।


तस्मिन् that Bharata, तथा in that way, विलपति lamenting, राजधर्मवित् conversant with royal traditions, महायशाः illustrious man, वसिष्ठः Vasistha, इक्ष्वाकुनाथस्य of the lord of Iksvakus (king Dasaratha's), सभाम् assembly hall, प्रविवेश entered.

While Bharata was weeping, illustrious Vasistha, conversant with royal traditions, entered the assembly hall of the lord of the Iksvakus (king Dasaratha).
शातकुम्भमयीं रम्यां मणिरत्नसमाकुलाम्।

सुधर्मामिव धर्मात्मा सगणः प्रत्यपद्यत।।2.81.10।।


धर्मात्मा righteous, सगणः along with his disciples, शातकुम्भमयीम् with gold finishing, रम्याम् lovely, मणिरत्नसमाकुलाम् inlaid with gems and precious stones, सुधर्मामिव like Sudharma, (the assembly hall of Indra), प्रत्यपद्यत reached.

Righteous Vasistha along with his disciples reached the lovely golden assembly hall inlaid with gems and precious stones, which resembled Sudharma, (the assembly hall of Indra).
स काञ्चनमयं पीठं सुखास्तरणसंवृतम्।

अध्यास्त सर्ववेदज्ञो दूताननुशशास च।।2.81.11।।


सर्ववेदज्ञः wellversed in all the Vedas, सः Vasistha, सुखास्तरणसंवृतम् covered with comfortable spread, काञ्चनमयम् made of gold, पीठम् seat, अध्यास्त sat, दूतान् messengers, अनुशशास च ordered too.

Vasistha, wellversed in all the Vedas, sat on a golden seat with a comfortable cover and ordered the messengers:
ब्राह्मणान् क्षत्रियान्वैश्यनमात्यान्गणवल्लभान्।

क्षिप्रमानयताऽव्यग्राः कृत्यमात्ययिकं हि नः।।2.81.12।।


अव्यग्राः with a steady mind, ब्राह्मणान् brahmins, क्षत्रियान् kshatriyas, वैश्यान् Vaisyas, अमात्यान् ministers, गणवल्लभान् army commanders, क्षिप्रम् at once, आनयत fetch, नः for us, आत्ययिकम् of great urgency, कृत्यं हि work to be done.

Fetch quietly brahmins, kshatriyas, vaisyas, ministers and army commanders at once. A matter of great urgency awaits us.
सराजभृत्यं शत्रुघ्नं भरतं च यशस्विनम्।

युधाजितं सुमन्त्रं च ये च तत्र हिता जनाः।।2.81.13।।


सराजभृत्यम् along with royal attendants, शत्रुघ्नम् Satrughna, यशस्विनम् the illustious one, भरतं च Bharata too, युधाजितम् Yudhajit, सुमन्त्रं च Sumantra also, तत्र there, हिताः well wishers of the king, ये जनाः all those people.

Bring all the royal attendants, Satrughna, the illustrious Bharata, Yudhajit, Sumantra and all those wellwishers of the king.
ततो हलहलाशब्दस्सुमहान्समपद्यत।

रथैरश्वैर्गजैश्चापि जनानामुपगच्छताम्।।2.81.14।।


ततः then, रथैः with chariots, अश्वैः on horses, गजैश्चापि on elephants, उपगच्छताम् of those arriving, जनानाम् people's, सुमहान् great, हलहला शब्दः tumultuous sound, समपद्यत arose.

As they (invitees) began arriving on chariots, horses and elephants, there arose a great tumult.
ततो भरतमायान्तं शतक्रतुमिवामराः।

प्रत्यनन्दन्प्रकृतयो यथा दशरथं तथा।।2.81.15।।


ततः then, आयान्तम् approaching, भरतम् Bharata, प्रकृतयः ministers and other subjects, दशरथम् Dasaratha, यथा like, तथा like, अमराः gods, शतक्रतुमिव like Indra, the performer of hundred sacrifices, प्रत्यनन्दन् greeted.

Then as Bharata apprroached, ministers and subjects greeted him as they used to greet Dasaratha, just as gods greet Indra, the performer of a hundred sacrifices.
ह्रद इव तिमिनागसंवृतः स्तिमितजलो मणिशङ्खशर्करः।

दशरथसुतशोभिता सभा सदशरथेव बभौ यथा पुरा।।2.81.16।।


दशरथसुतशोभिता graced by the son of Dasaratha, सभा assembly hall, सदशरथा इव as if Dasaratha was present, तिमिनाग संवृतः filled with whales and serpents, मणिसङ्खशर्करः with gems, shells, pebbles and grains of sand, स्तिमितजलः with placid water, ह्रद इव like a lake, यथापुरा as of yore, बभौ shone.

The assembly hall looked splendid like a lake of tranquil waters with gems, shells pebbles, grains of sand and teeming with whales and serpents in the presence of the son of king Dasaratha. It appeared as though Dasaratha himself was present.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे एकाशीतितमस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the eightyfirst sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.