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.]

tatō nāndīmukhīṅ rātriṅ bharataṅ sūtamāgadhāḥ.

tuṣṭuvurvāgviśēṣajñāsstavairmaṅgalasaṅhitaiḥ৷৷2.81.1৷৷


tataḥ thereafter, vāgviśēṣajñāḥ experts in conversation, sūtamāgadhāḥ bards and panegyrists, nāndīmukhīm with an auspicious start, rātrim the night, maṅgalasaṅhitaiḥ filled with an auspicious notes, stavaiḥ praises, bharatam Bharata, tuṣṭuvuḥ pleased.

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

dadhmuśśaṅkhāṅśca śataśō nādāṅścōccāvacasvarān৷৷2.81.2৷৷


suvarṇakōṇābhihataḥ beaten by golden sticks, yāmadundubhiḥ the drums of the nightwatch (to indicate watchers of the night), prāṇadat was struck, śaṅkhāṅśca conches, uccāvacasvarān of various modulations, nādāṅśca sounds, śataśaḥ in hundreds, dadhmuḥ 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.
sa tūryaghōṣa ssumahāndivamāpūrayanniva.

bharataṅ śōkasantaptaṅ bhūyaśśōkairarandhrayat৷৷2.81.3৷৷


sumahān shrill, saḥ that, tūryaghōṣaḥ sound of trumpets, divam the heaven, āpūrayanniva as if filling, śōkasaṅtaptam grief-stricken, bharatam Bharata, bhūyaḥ still more, śōkaiḥ with sorrows, arandhrayat filled.

The shrill trempets which seemed to fill the heavens caused much more distress to the already grief-stricken Bharata.
tataḥ prabuddhō bharatastaṅ ghōṣaṅ sannivartya ca.

nāhaṅ rājēti cāpyuktvā śatrughnamidamabravīt৷৷2.81.4৷৷


tataḥ then, prabuddha: awakened, bharataḥ Bharata, aham I, rājā king, na not, iti thus, uktvā having said, tam ghōṣam that sound, sannivartya ca having stopped, śatrughnam to Satrughna, idam these words, abravīt said.

Then Bharata waking up, exclaimed, I am not the king, ordered the pipers to stop and said to Satrughna:
paśya śatrughna! kaikēyyā lōkasyāpakṛtaṅ mahat.

visṛjya mayi duḥkhāni rājā daśarathō gataḥ৷৷2.81.5৷৷


śatrughna! O Satrughna, paśya see, kaikēyyā by Kaikeyi, lōkasya to the people, mahat great, apakṛtam harm has been done, rājā king, daśarathaḥ Dasaratha, duḥkhāni all sufferings, mayi in me, visṛjya having left, gataḥ 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.
tasyaiṣā dharmarājasya dharmamūlā mahātmanaḥ.

paribhramati rājya śrīrnaurivākarṇikā jalē৷৷2.81.6৷৷


dharmarājasya of righteous king, tasya his, mahātmanaḥ noble one's, dharmamūlā rooted in righteousness, ēṣā such, rājyaśrīḥ the goddess of kingdom, jalē in water, ākarṇikā without helmsman, nauḥ iva like a boat, paribhramati is revolving.

This kingdom, rooted in the righteousness of that noble king, is now whirling like a
boat in a whirlpool without a helmsman.
yō hi na ssumahānnāthassō.pi pravrājitō vanam.

anayā dharmamutsṛjya mātrā mē rāghavassvayam৷৷2.81.7৷৷


yaḥ whoever, naḥ for us, sumahān great, nāthaḥ protector, saḥ (rāghavaḥ) api that Rama also, anayā this, mē mātrā by my mother, dharmam virtuous conduct, utsṛjya having abandoned, svayam herself, vanam forest, pravrājitaḥ 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.
ityēvaṅ bharataṅ prēkṣya vilapantaṅ vicētanam.

kṛpaṇaṅ rurudussarvāssasvaraṅ yōṣita stadā৷৷ 2.81.8৷৷


tadā then, ityēvam in this way, vilapantam lamenting, vicētanam lying unconscious, bharatam Bharata, prēkṣya having seen, sarvāḥ all, yōṣitaḥ women, sasvaram in one voice, kṛpaṇam piteously, ruruduḥ cried loudly.

Thus lamenting, Bharata fainted. Seeing him (in this state) all the women (of the inner apartment) at once cried aloud piteously.
tathā tasminvilapati vasiṣṭhō rājadharmavit.

sabhāmikṣvākunāthasya pravivēśa mahāyaśāḥ৷৷2.81.9৷৷


tasmin that Bharata, tathā in that way, vilapati lamenting, rājadharmavit conversant with royal traditions, mahāyaśāḥ illustrious man, vasiṣṭhaḥ Vasistha, ikṣvākunāthasya of the lord of Iksvakus (king Dasaratha's), sabhām assembly hall, pravivēśa entered.

While Bharata was weeping, illustrious Vasistha, conversant with royal traditions, entered the assembly hall of the lord of the Iksvakus (king Dasaratha).
śātakumbhamayīṅ ramyāṅ maṇiratnasamākulām.

sudharmāmiva dharmātmā sagaṇaḥ pratyapadyata৷৷2.81.10৷৷


dharmātmā righteous, sagaṇaḥ along with his disciples, śātakumbhamayīm with gold finishing, ramyām lovely, maṇiratnasamākulām inlaid with gems and precious stones, sudharmāmiva like Sudharma, (the assembly hall of Indra), pratyapadyata 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).
sa kāñcanamayaṅ pīṭhaṅ sukhāstaraṇasaṅvṛtam.

adhyāsta sarvavēdajñō dūtānanuśaśāsa ca৷৷2.81.11৷৷


sarvavēdajñaḥ well-versed in all the Vedas, saḥ Vasistha, sukhāstaraṇasaṅvṛtam covered with comfortable spread, kāñcanamayam made of gold, pīṭham seat, adhyāsta sat, dūtān messengers, anuśaśāsa ca ordered too.

Vasistha, well-versed in all the Vedas, sat on a golden seat with a comfortable cover and ordered the messengers:
brāhmaṇān kṣatriyānvaiśyanamātyāngaṇavallabhān.

kṣipramānayatā.vyagrāḥ kṛtyamātyayikaṅ hi naḥ৷৷2.81.12৷৷


avyagrāḥ with a steady mind, brāhmaṇān brahmins, kṣatriyān kshatriyas, vaiśyān Vaisyas, amātyān ministers, gaṇavallabhān army commanders, kṣipram at once, ānayata fetch, naḥ for us, ātyayikam of great urgency, kṛtyaṅ hi work to be done.

Fetch quietly brahmins, kshatriyas, vaisyas, ministers and army commanders at once. A matter of great urgency awaits us.
sarājabhṛtyaṅ śatrughnaṅ bharataṅ ca yaśasvinam.

yudhājitaṅ sumantraṅ ca yē ca tatra hitā janāḥ৷৷2.81.13৷৷


sarājabhṛtyam along with royal attendants, śatrughnam Satrughna, yaśasvinam the illustious one, bharataṅ ca Bharata too, yudhājitam Yudhajit, sumantraṅ ca Sumantra also, tatra there, hitāḥ well- wishers of the king, yē janāḥ all those people.

Bring all the royal attendants, Satrughna, the illustrious Bharata, Yudhajit, Sumantra and all those well-wishers of the king.
tatō halahalāśabdassumahānsamapadyata.

rathairaśvairgajaiścāpi janānāmupagacchatām৷৷2.81.14৷৷


tataḥ then, rathaiḥ with chariots, aśvaiḥ on horses, gajaiścāpi on elephants, upagacchatām of those arriving, janānām people's, sumahān great, halahalā śabdaḥ tumultuous sound, samapadyata arose.

As they (invitees) began arriving on chariots, horses and elephants, there arose a great tumult.
tatō bharatamāyāntaṅ śatakratumivāmarāḥ.

pratyanandanprakṛtayō yathā daśarathaṅ tathā৷৷2.81.15৷৷


tataḥ then, āyāntam approaching, bharatam Bharata, prakṛtayaḥ ministers and other subjects, daśaratham Dasaratha, yathā like, tathā like, amarāḥ gods, śatakratumiva like Indra, the performer of hundred sacrifices, pratyanandan 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.
hrada iva timināgasaṅvṛtaḥ stimitajalō maṇiśaṅkhaśarkaraḥ.

daśarathasutaśōbhitā sabhā sadaśarathēva babhau yathā purā৷৷2.81.16৷৷


daśarathasutaśōbhitā graced by the son of Dasaratha, sabhā assembly hall, sadaśarathā iva as if Dasaratha was present, timināga saṅvṛtaḥ filled with whales and serpents, maṇisaṅkhaśarkaraḥ with gems, shells, pebbles and grains of sand, stimitajalaḥ with placid water, hrada iva like a lake, yathāpurā as of yore, babhau 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.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē ēkāśītitamassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the eightyfirst sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.