Sloka & Translation

[Guha spots from a distance Bharata's army approaching --- wants to know the intentions of Bharata --- convinced of Bharata's loyalty, he extends warn hospitality.]

tatō niviṣṭāṅ dhvajinīṅ gaṅgāmanvāśritāṅ nadīm.

niṣādarājō dṛṣṭvaiva jñātīnsantvaritō৷৷bravīt৷৷2.84.1৷৷


tataḥ then, niṣādarājaḥ king of the nishadas (Guha), gaṅgāṅ nadīm river Ganga, anvāśritām all along the bank, niviṣṭām encamped, dhvajinīm the bannered army, dṛṣṭvaiva on seeing, santvaritaḥ hurriedly, jñātīn to relatives, abravīt said.

Guha, king of the nishadas, observed the bannered army encamped all along the bank of the river Ganga, hurried off and said to his kinsmen:
mahatīyamitassēnā sāgarābhā pradṛśyatē.

nāsyāntamadhigacchāmi manasāpi vicintayan৷৷2.84.2৷৷


itaḥ this side, sāgarābhā looking like an ocean, iyam this, mahatī vast, sēnā army, pradṛśyatē appearing, manasā in my mind, vicintayannapi even by thinking, asyāḥ this army's, antam end, nādhigacchāmi I am not able to reach.

Here is an army as vast as the ocean, and I am unable to comprehend its magnitude even mentally.
yathā tu khalu durbuddhirbharata ssvayamāgataḥ.

sa ēṣa hi mahākāyaḥ kōvidāradhvajō rathē৷৷2.84.3৷৷


durbuddhi: evil-minded, bharataḥ Bharata, svayam himself, yathā tu āgataḥ khalu has come it appears, saḥ that, mahākāyaḥ of huge size, kōvidāradhvajaḥ having the emblem of kovidara (promegranate) tree, ēṣaḥ this one, rathē hi on the chariot.

It appears that the evil-minded Bharata himself has come here. The emblem of a huge kovidara (pomegranate) tree is seen on his chariot.
bandhayiṣyati vā dāśānathavā.smānvadhiṣyati.

atha dāśarathiṅ rāmaṅ pitrā rājyādvivāsitam৷৷2.84.4৷৷

sampannāṅ śriyamanvicchanstasya rājña ssudurlabhām.

bharataḥ kaikayīputrō hantuṅ samadhigacchati৷৷2.84.5৷৷


kaikayīputraḥ Kaikeyi's son, bharataḥ Bharata, dāśān fishermen, bandhayiṣyati is going to bind us with cords?, athavā or, asmān us, vadhiṣyati will slay?, atha or, tasya rājñaḥ that king's, sampannām prosperous, sudurlabhām not easily obtainable, śriyam wealth, anvicchan wishing, pitrā by father, rājyāt from kingdom, vivāsitam banished, dāśarathim son of Dasaratha, rāmam to Rama, hantum to slay, samadhigacchati is he marching forward?

Could it be that Bharata, son of Kaikeyi, has come here to bind us with the cords or to slay us? Or is he marching forward with the intention of taking possession of a prosperous, rare kingdom by slaying Rama who has been banished by his father:
bhartācaiva sakhācaiva rāmō dāśarathirmama.

tasyārthakāmāssannaddhā gaṅgā.nūpē pratiṣṭhata৷৷2.84.6৷৷


dāśarathiḥ son of Dasaratha, rāmaḥ Rama, mama to me, bhartā caiva is my master, sakhācaiva friend too, tasya his, arthakāmāḥ wealth and desires, gaṅgā.nūpē on the bank of river Ganga, pratiṣṭhata remain stationed.

Rama, son of Dasaratha, is not only my master but also my friend. Therefore, to safeguard his interests remain stationed here on the bank of the river Ganga.
tiṣṭhantu sarvē dāśāśca gaṅgāmanvāśritā nadīm.

balayuktā nadīrakṣā māṅsamūlaphalāśanāḥ৷৷2.84.7৷৷


māṅsamūlaphalāśanāḥ living on meat, roots and fruits, nadīrakṣāḥ protectors of the river, sarvē all, dāśāśca fishermen, balayuktāḥ with your troops, gaṅgāṅ nadīm river Ganga, anvāśritāḥ following and taking up your positions, tiṣṭhantu stay here.

Let all the fishermen, who live on meat, roots and fruits and protect the river, stay here with the troops by taking up positions along the banks of the river Ganga.
nāvāṅ śatānāṅ pañcānāṅ kaivartānāṅ śataṅ śatam.

sannaddhānāṅ tathā yūnāṅ tiṣṭhantvityabhyacōdayat৷৷2.84.8৷৷


pañcānām five, śatānām hundred, nāvām boats, sannaddhānām fully equipped, tathā also, yūnām youths, kaivartānām fishermen, śataṅ śatam one hundred in each, tiṣṭhantu stand, iti like that, abhyacōdayat exhorted.

Let five hundred boats, each manned by a hundred young fishermen fully equipped, be in readiness he exhorted them.
yadā৷৷duṣṭastu bharatō rāmasyēha bhaviṣyati.

sēyaṅ svastimatī sēnā gaṅgāmadya tariṣyati৷৷2.84.9৷৷


bharataḥ Bharata, iha here, rāmasya toward Rama, aduṣṭaḥ not ill-disposed, yadā tu bhaviṣyati when it be proved, sā iyam that this, sēnā army, adya to-day, svastimatī in safety, gaṅgām Ganga, tariṣyati will cross over.

Should it happen that Bharata is not ill-disposed toward Rama, the army will safe cross the river Ganga today itself.
ityuktvōpāyanaṅ gṛhya matsyamāṅsamadhūni ca.

abhicakrāma bharataṅ niṣādādhipatirguhaḥ৷৷2.84.10৷৷


niṣādādhipatiḥ guhaḥ overlord of the nishadas, Guha, iti thus, uktvā having spoken, matsyamāṅsamadhūni fish, meat and wine, upāyanam as gifts, gṛhya holding, bharatam to Bharata, abhicakrāma approached.

Having spoken thus, Guha, lord of the nishadas, approached Bharata, taking with him fish, meat and wine as offerings.
tamāyāntaṅ tu samprēkṣya sūtaputraḥ pratāpavān.

bharatāyā.cacakṣē.tha vinayajñō vinītavat৷৷2.84.11৷৷


atha thereafter, pratāpavān valiant, vinayajñaḥ conversant with modesty, sūtaputraḥ son of charioteer, Sumantra, āyāntam approaching, tam him, samprēkṣya having seen, vinītavat humbly, bharatāya to Bharata, ācacakṣē informed.

The valiant Sumantra, conversant with ways of modesty, observed Guha approaching them and humbly informed Bharata.
ēṣa jñātisahasrēṇa sthapatiḥ parivāritaḥ.

kuśalō daṇḍakāraṇyē vṛddhō bhrātuśca tē sakhā৷৷2.84.12৷৷


jñātisahasrēṇa with thousands of relations, parivāritaḥ surrounded by, ēṣaḥ sthapatiḥ this lord, daṇḍakāraṇyē in the Dandaka forest, kuśalaḥ skilled, vṛddhaḥ aged one, tē your, bhrātuḥ brother's, sakhā ca friend also.

Guha who has come here surrounded by too many thousands of his relations is fully acquainted with the Dandaka forest. He is an aged man and a friend of your brother said Sumatra.
tasmātpaśyatu kākutstha! tvāṅ niṣādādhipō guhaḥ.

asaṅśayaṅ vijānītē yatra tau rāmalakṣmaṇau৷৷2.84.13৷৷


kākutstha! O Kakutstha, tasmāt therefore, niṣādādhipaḥ overlord of Nishadas, guhaḥ Guha, tvām
you, paśyatu let him see, tau rāmalakṣmaṇau both Rama and Lakshmana, yatra where, asaṅśayam undoubtedly, vijānītē he will know.

O scion of the Kakusthas (Bharata)! therefore, give audience to the overlord of the nishadas, Guha, who undoubtedly knows the whereabouts of Rama and Lakshmana.
ētattu vacanaṅ śrutvā sumantrādbharata śśubham.

uvāca vacanaṅ śīghraṅ guhaḥ paśyatu māmiti৷৷2.84.14৷৷


bharataḥ Bharata, sumantrāt from Sumantra, ētat śubham these auspicious, vacanam word, śrutvā having heard, guhaḥ Guha, śīghram at once, mām me, paśyatu let him see, iti these, vacanam word, uvāca said.

On hearing these auspicious words of Sumantra, Bharata said Let Guha see me at once.
labdhvā.bhyanujñāṅ saṅhṛṣṭō jñātibhiḥ parivāritaḥ.

āgamya bharataṅ prahvō guhō vacanamabravīt৷৷2.84.15৷৷


guhaḥ Guha, abhyanujñām permission, labdhvā having obtained, saṅhṛṣṭaḥ delighted, jñātibhiḥ relatives, parivāritaḥ escorted by, āgamya having approached, prahvaḥ bowing humbly, bharatam to Bharata, vacanam words, abravīt said.

Having obtaind the permission, a delighted Guha, escorted by his relatives, approached Bharata and humbly said:
niṣkuṭaścaiva dēśō.yaṅ vañcitāścāpi tē vayam.

nivēdayāmastē sarvē svakē dāsakulē vasa৷৷2.84.16৷৷


ayam this, dēśaḥ country, tē your, niṣkuṭaḥ is like a pleasure-garden behind your house, vayam we, vañcitāścāpi are subordinate, tē sarvē all of us, nivēdayāmaḥ soliciting, dāsakulē in the house of this servant, vasa stay.

This country is like a pleasure-garden at the backyard of your palace. All of us are subordinate to you and we solicit you to stay in the house of this servant of yours.
asti mūlaṅ phalañcaiva niṣādaissamupāhṛtam.

ārdraṅ ca māṅsaṅ śuṣkaṅ ca vanyaṅ cōccāvacaṅ mahat৷৷2.84.17৷৷


niṣādaiḥ by nishadas, samupāhṛtam have been brought, mūlam root, phalaṅ caiva fruits also, vanyam the forest produce, ārdram fresh, śuṣkaṅ ca dried, uccāvacam of great variety, mahat best, māṅsaṅ ca asti meat are here.

Here are roots, fruits and a great variety of forest produce, fresh and dried meat brought by the nishadas.
āśaṅsē svāśitā sēnā vatsyatīmāṅ vibhāvarīm.

arcitō vividhaiḥ kāmai śśva ssasainyō gamiṣyasi৷৷2.84.18৷৷


sēnā army, svāśitā refreshed, imām vibhāvarīm this night, vatsyati will spend, āśaṅsē I hope, vividhaiḥ by various, kāmaiḥ by our hospitality, arcitaḥ treated, śvaḥ tomorrow, sasainyaḥ with army, gamiṣyasi will go.

We hope your army having refreshed themselves will spend the night here. With our hospitality extended, you can proceed tomorrow.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē caturaśītitamassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the eightyfourth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.