Sloka & Translation

[Bharata's joy on locating the hermitage of Sri Rama.]

nivēśya sēnāṅ tu vibhuḥ padbhyāṅ pādavatāṅ varaḥ.

abhigantuṅ sa kākutthsamiyēṣa guruvartakam৷৷2.98.1৷৷


vibhuḥ the lord, pādavatām among the bipeds, varaḥ best, saḥ that Bharata, sēnām army, nivēśya after encamping, guruvartakam devoted the preceptor (father), kākutthsam Rama, padbhyām on foot, abhigantum to approach, iyēṣa wished.

On encamping the army, lord Bharata, the best among men, wished to approach on
foot Rama who was devoted to his father.
niviṣṭamātrē sainyē tu yathōddēśaṅ vinītavat.

bharatō bhrātaraṅ vākyaṅ śatrughnamidamabravīt৷৷2.98.2৷৷


sainyē army, yathōddēśam in assigned places, niviṣṭamātrē after encamping, bharataḥ Bharata, bhrātaram brother, śatrughnam to Satrughna, idam these words, abravīt said.

After the army encamped in the assigned places, Bharata said to his brother Satrughna thus:
kṣipraṅ vanamidaṅ saumya! narasaṅghai ssamantataḥ.

lubdhaiśca sahitairēbhi stvamanvēṣitumarhasi৷৷2.98.3৷৷


saumya! O dear Satrughna, narasaṅghai: with groups of people, sahitaiḥ accompanied by, lubdhaiśca in the company of hunters as well, tvam you, kṣipram quickly, idaṅ vanam this forest, samantataḥ all over, anvēṣitum to explore, arhasi should.

O dear Satrughna, you should explore this forest quickly along with groups of our
people and hunters as well.
guhō jñātisahasrēṇa śaracāpāsidhāriṇā.

samanvēṣatu kākutsthamasmin parivṛtassvayam৷৷2.98.4৷৷


guhaḥ Guha, śaracāpāsidhāriṇā armed with bows, arrows and swords, jñātisahasrēṇa with a thousand kinsmen, parivṛtaḥ surrounded by, svayam himself, asmin in this forest, kākutstham Rama, samanvēṣatu explore.

Let Guha, surrounded by a thousand kinsmen and armed with bows, arrows and swords look for Rama.
amātyai ssaha pauraiśca gurubhiśca dvijātibhiḥ.

vanaṅ sarvaṅ cariṣyāmi padbhyāṅ parivṛta ssvayam৷৷2.98.5৷৷


svayam I myself, amātyaiḥ saha with counsellors, pauraiśca with citizens, gurubhiśca with preceptors, dvijātibhiḥ with brahmins, parivṛtaḥ surrounded by, sarvam entire, vanam forest, padbhyām on foot, cariṣyāmi I shall move about.

'I myself shall go on foot surrounded by ministers, citizens, preceptors and brahmins and search the entire forest.
yāvanna rāmaṅ drakṣyāmi lakṣmaṇaṅ vā mahābalam.

vaidēhīṅ ca mahābhāgāṅ na mē śāntirbhaviṣyati৷৷2.98.6৷৷


rāmam Rama, mahābalam powerful, lakṣmaṇaṅ vā Lakshmana, mahābhāgāṅ illustrious, vaidēhīṅ ca Sita, yāvat till such time, na drakṣyāmi I do not see, mē to me, śānti peace, na bhaviṣyati shall not come.

'I shall not rest in peace until I see Rama, powerful Lakshmana and illustrious princess of Videha (Sita).
yāvanna candrasaṅkāśaṅ drakṣyāmi śubhamānanam.

bhrātuḥ padmapalāśākṣaṅ na mē śāntirbhaviṣyati৷৷2.98.7৷৷


candrasaṅkāśam radiant as the Moon, padmapalāśākṣam eyes resembling lotus-petals, bhrātuḥ brother Rama, śubham auspicious, ānanam face, yāvat till such time, na drakṣyāmi I do not see, mē to me, śāntiḥ peace, na bhaviṣyati shall not come.

I shall not attain peace until I see my brother, Rama whose auspicious countenance looks radiant as the Moon and whose eyes as lotus-petals.
yāvanna caraṇau bhrātuḥ pārthivavyañjanānvitau.

śirasā dhārayiṣyāmi na mē śāntirbhaviṣyati৷৷2.98.8৷৷


bhrātuḥ brother's, pārthivavyañjanānvitau bearing the signs of royalty, caraṇau feet, yāvat till such time, śirasā with the head, na dhārayiṣyāmi I will not carry, mē to me, śānti: peace, na bhaviṣyati shall not come.

Peace shall not come to me until I hold on my head the feet of my brother, the insignia of royalty.
yāvanna rājyē rājyārhaḥ pitṛpaitāmahē sthitaḥ.

abhiṣēkajalaklinnō na mē śāntirbhaviṣyati৷৷2.98.9৷৷


rājyārhaḥ one who is worthy of this kingdom, abhiṣēkajalaklinnaḥ wet with the holy waters of consecration, pitṛpaitāmahē pertaining to our father and forefathers, rājyē in the kingdom, yāvat till such time, na sthitaḥ is not established, mē my, śāntiḥ peace, na bhaviṣyati shall not attain.

I shall not attain peace until Rama, who is worthy of this kingdom, is sprinkled with the holy water of coronation and assumes the ancestral kingdom.
siddhārthaḥ khalu saumitriryaścandravimalōpamam.

mukhaṅ paśyati rāmasya rājīvākṣaṅ mahādyuti৷৷2.98.10৷৷


yaḥ who, candravimalōpamam like the spotless Moon, rājīvākṣam whose eyes resemble red lotuses, mahādyuti of great effulgence, rāmasya Rama's, mukham countenance, paśyati beholds, saumitriḥ Lakshmana, siddārthaḥ khalu blessed indeed.

Lakshmana, one who beholds the highly effulgent countenance of Rama, resembling the spotless Moon and whose eyes resemble red lotuses, is blessed indeed!
kṛtakṛtyā mahābhāgā vaidēhī janakātmajā.

bhartāraṅ sāgarāntāyāḥ pṛthivyā yānugacchati৷৷2.98.11৷৷


yā that Sita, sāgarāntāyāḥ bounded by the ocean, pṛthivyāḥ of the earth, bhartāram Rama as lord, anugacchati who is following, mahābhāgā illustrious lady, janakātmajā daughter of Janaka, vaidēhī princess of Videha (Sita), kṛtakṛtyā has accomplished her purpose.

Sita, the illustrious daughter of Janaka and princess of Videha, has accomplished her purpose by following Rama, the lord of this earth bounded by the ocean.
subhagaścitrakūṭō.sau girirājōpamō giriḥ.

yasminvasati kākutsthaḥ kubēra iva nandanē৷৷2.98.12৷৷


kākutstha: Rama, yasmin on which, kubēraḥ Kubera, the lord of wealth, nandanē iva like in the Nandana garden, vasati staying, asau such, girirājōpamaḥ comparable to the king of the mountains, Himavan, citrakūṭaḥ giriḥ Chitrakuta mountain, subhagaḥ is fortunate.

Like Kubera in the Nandana garden, Rama lives here on mount Chitrakuta which is indeed blessed like the Himalaya, king of the mountains.
kṛtakāryamidaṅ durgaṅ vanaṅ vyālaniṣēvitam.

yadadhyāstē mahātējā rāma śśastrabhṛtāṅ varaḥ৷৷2.98.13৷৷


śastrabhṛtām among those who wield weapons, varaḥ the foremost, mahātējāḥ most radiant, rāmaḥ Rama, yat that, adhyāstē is dwelling, vyālaniṣēvitam inhabited by wild animals, durgam inaccessible, idaṅ vanam this forest, kṛtakāryam accomplished its task.

Fortunate is this inaccessible forest which is inhabited by wild animals to have become the dwelling place of the most radiant Rama, the foremost among the wielders of weapons.
ēvamuktvā mahātējā bharataḥ puraṣarṣabhaḥ.

padbhyāmēva mahābāhuḥ pravivēśa mahādvanam৷৷2.98.14৷৷


mahātējā: a man of great radiance, puruṣarṣabhaḥ best of men, mahābāhuḥ mighty-armed, bharataḥ
Bharata, ēvam in this way, uktvā having said, mahat great, vanam forest, padbhyāmēva on foot alone, pravivēśa entered.

Having said thus, the best of men, mighty-armed and highly energetic Bharata entered the great forest on foot.
sa tāni drumajālāni jātāni girisānuṣu.

puṣpitāgrāṇi madhyēna jagāma vadatāṅ varaḥ৷৷2.98.15৷৷


vadatām among the eloquent, vara: best, saḥ that, girisānuṣu on mountain slopes, jātāni growing, puṣpitāgrāṇi tops of trees in bloom, tāni those, drumajālāni madhyēna through the midst of multitude of trees, jagāma went.

Bharata, the best among the eloquent, made his way amidst multitude of trees grown on mountain slopes with their tops in full bloom.
sa girēścitrakūṭasya sālamāsādya puṣpitam.

rāmāśramagatasyāgnērdadarśa dhvajamucchritam৷৷2.98.16৷৷


saḥ that, citrakūṭasya girēḥ atop Chitrakuta mountain, puṣpitam flowering, sālam sala trees, asādya having reached, rāmāśramagatasya in Rama's hermitage, agnēḥ of the burning fire, ucchritaṅ lofty, dhvajam banner of smoke, dadarśa beheld.

Having reached a flowering sala tree atop Chitrakuta mountain, he beheld a lofty banner of smoke rising from the fire burning in Rama's hermitage.
taṅ dṛṣṭvā bharata śrīmānmumōda saha bāndhavaḥ.

atra rāma iti jñātvā gataḥ pāramivāmbhasaḥ৷৷2.98.17৷৷


śrīmān the majestic, saha bāndhavaḥ with relatives, bharataḥ Bharata, tam that smoke, dṛṣṭvā having seen, rāmaḥ Rama, atra iti here he is, jñātvā having known, ambhasaḥ of waters, pāram the other bank, gataḥ iva having reached, mumōda rejoiced.

On seeing the smoke, majestic Bharata in the company of relatives concluded that Rama was staying there and rejoiced like a man who had reached the other bank of the river.
sa citrakūṭē tu girau niśamyava rāmāśramaṅ puṇyajanōpapannam.

guhēna sārdhaṅ tvaritō jagāma punarnivēśyaiva camūṅ mahātmā৷৷2.98.18৷৷


mahātmā the magnanimous one, saḥ that Bharata, citrakūṭē girau on Chitrakuta mountain, puṇyajanōpapannam inhabited by pious men, rāmāśramam Rama's hermitage, niśamya having heard about, camūm the army, nivēśyaiva having camped at a distance, punaḥ again, guhēna sārdham with Guha, tvaritaḥ quickly, jagāma went.

Having heard of Rama's hermitage on the Chitrakuta mountain inhabited by pious men, magnanimous Bharata, commanded his army to stay at a distance, and quickly proceeded with Guha.
ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē aṣṭanavatitamassargaḥ৷৷
Thus ends the ninetyeighth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.