Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 107 of 119 · 19 verses
“Save Our Father from Hell”
Honoured among his kinsmen, glorious Rama, Lakshmana’s elder, answers Bharata, who speaks so again: “What you have said is fitting for a son born to Dasharatha, best of kings, by Kaikeyi. Long ago, brother, when our father married your mother, he promised your grandfather the kingdom as her bride-price. And in the war of the gods and asuras the king, delighted, gave your mother a boon, having been pleased by her. Then your glorious mother, of fine complexion, having made him promise, asked the best of men for two boons: the kingdom for you, tiger among men, and my banishment. Bound by his word, the king gave her those two boons. By that father I too have been commanded, bull among men, to live fourteen years in the forest, as a result of the boon. So I have come to this lonely forest with Lakshmana and Sita, unopposed, standing by my father’s word. You too, lord of kings, should make our father true to his word by being consecrated at once. Free the king, our lord, from his debt for my sake, Bharata; and gladden our father, who knew dharma, and your mother.
“We hear, dear brother, that long ago the glorious Gaya, sacrificing at Gaya, sang this verse to the ancestors: ‘Because a son saves his father from the hell called Put, he is called putra; or because he protects his ancestors. One should wish for many sons, virtuous and learned, so that of all of them at least one might go to Gaya.’ All the royal sages have believed this, delight of the king. So save our father from hell, best of men, lord. Go to Ayodhya, Bharata, and win the people’s hearts, with Shatrughna and all the twice-born, hero. I too will enter the Dandaka forest without delay, with these two, Vaidehi and Lakshmana, king. Be king of men yourself, Bharata; I will be king of the wild beasts of the forest. Go now gladly to the best of cities; I will gladly enter the Dandakas. Let the umbrella shade your head from the sun’s rays, Bharata, and keep it cool; I will happily take the deep shade of these forest trees. Shatrughna of sound mind will be your helper; Saumitri is known as my chief friend. We four excellent sons will keep the lord of men in his truth, Bharata; do not despair.”
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पुनरेवं ब्रुवाणं तं भरतं लक्ष्मणाग्रजः । प्रत्युवाच ततः श्रीमान् ज्ञातिमध्ये ऽभिसत्कृतः ॥ १ ॥
To Bharata, speaking so again, glorious Rama, Lakshmana’s elder, honoured in the midst of his kinsmen, then replied:
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उपपन्नमिदं वाक्यं यत्त्वमेवमभाषथाः । जातः पुत्रो दशरथात् कैकेय्यां राजसत्तमात् ॥ २ ॥
“What you have said is fitting, since you are a son born to Dasharatha, best of kings, by Kaikeyi.
पुरा भ्रातः पिता नः स मातरं ते समुद्वहन् । मातामहे समाश्रौषीद्राज्यशुल्कमनुत्तमम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Long ago, brother, when our father married your mother, he promised your maternal grandfather the kingdom as an unsurpassed bride-price.
दैवासुरे च सङ्ग्रामे जनन्यै तव पार्थिवः । सम्प्रहृष्टो ददौ राजा वरमाराधितः प्रभुः ॥ ४ ॥
“And in the war of the gods and asuras, the king, the lord, delighted, pleased by her, gave your mother a boon.
ततः सा सम्प्रतिश्राव्य तव माता यशस्विनी । अयाचत नरश्रेष्ठं द्वौ वरौ वरवर्णिनी ॥ ५ ॥
“Then your glorious mother, of fine complexion, having made him promise, asked the best of men for two boons:
तव राज्यं नरव्याघ्र मम प्रव्राजनं तथा । तौ च राजा तदा तस्यै नियुक्तः प्रददौ वरौ ॥ ६ ॥
“the kingdom for you, tiger among men, and my banishment. And the king, bound, then gave her those two boons.
तेन पित्रा ऽहमप्यत्र नियुक्तः पुरुषर्षभ । चतुर्दश वने वासं वर्षाणि वरदानिकम् ॥ ७ ॥
“By that father I too have been commanded here, bull among men, to live fourteen years in the forest, as the gift of a boon.
सो ऽहं वनमिदं प्राप्तो निर्जनं लक्ष्मणान्वितः । सीतया चाप्रतिद्वन्द्वः सत्यवादे स्थितः पितुः ॥ ८ ॥
“So I have come to this lonely forest with Lakshmana and Sita, unopposed, standing in my father’s truthful word.
भवानपि तथेत्येव पितरं सत्यवादिनम् । कर्त्तुमर्हति राजेन्द्र क्षिप्रमेवाभिषेचनात् ॥ ९ ॥
“You too, lord of kings, should make our father true to his word by being consecrated at once.
ऋणान्मोचय राजानं मत्कृते भरत प्रभुम् । पितरं चापि धर्मज्ञं मातरं चाभिनन्दय ॥ १० ॥
“Free the king, our lord, from his debt for my sake, Bharata; and gladden our father, who knew dharma, and your mother.
श्रूयते हि पुरा तात श्रुतिर्गीता यशस्विना । गयेन यजमानेन गयेष्वेव पितऽन् प्रति ॥ ११ ॥
“For it is heard, dear one, that long ago a verse was sung by glorious Gaya, sacrificing at Gaya itself, to the ancestors:
पुन्नाम्नो नरकाद्यस्मात् पितरं त्रायते सुतः । तस्मात् पुत्र इति प्रोक्तः पितऽन् यत्पाति वा सुतः ॥ १२ ॥
“’Because a son saves his father from the hell called Put, he is called putra, or because the son protects the ancestors.
एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा गुणवन्तो बहुश्रुताः । तेषां वै समवेतानामपि कश्चिद्गयां व्रजेत् ॥ १३ ॥
“’Many sons, virtuous and learned, should be wished for, so that of all of them together one at least might go to Gaya.’
एवं राजर्षयः सर्वे प्रतीता राजनन्दन । तस्मात् त्राहि नरश्रेष्ठ पितरं नरकात् प्रभो ॥ १४ ॥
“All the royal sages have believed this, delight of the king. So save our father from hell, best of men, lord.
अयोध्यां गच्छ भरत प्रकृतीरनुरञ्जय । शत्रुघ्नसहितो वीर सह सर्वैर्द्विजातिभिः ॥ १५ ॥
“Go to Ayodhya, Bharata, and win the subjects’ affection, together with Shatrughna and all the twice-born, hero.
प्रवेक्ष्ये दण्डकारण्यमहमप्यविलम्बयन् । आभ्यां तु सहितो राजन् वैदेह्या लक्ष्मणेन च ॥ १६ ॥
“I too will enter the Dandaka forest without delay, together with these two, Vaidehi and Lakshmana, king.
त्वं राजा भरत भव स्वयं नराणां वन्यानामहमपि राजराण्मृगाणाम् । गच्छत्वं पुरवरमद्य सम्प्रहृष्टः संहृष्टस्त्वहमपि दण्डकान् प्रवेक्ष्ये ॥ १७ ॥
“Be king of men yourself, Bharata; I too will be the sovereign king of the wild beasts. Go today, delighted, to the best of cities; and I, delighted, will enter the Dandakas.
छायां ते दिनकरभाः प्रबाधमानं वर्षत्रं भरत करोतु मूर्ध्नि शीताम् । एतेषामहमपि काननद्रुमाणां छायां तामति शयिनीं सुखी श्रयिष्ये ॥ १८ ॥
“Let the umbrella, keeping off the sun’s light, make cool shade on your head, Bharata; I too will happily take the deep shade of these forest trees.
शत्रुघ्नः कुशलमतिस्तु ते सहायः सौमित्रिर्मम विदितः प्रधानमित्रम् । चत्वारस्तनयवरा वयं नरेन्द्रं सत्यस्थं भरत चराम मा विषादम् ॥ १९ ॥
“Shatrughna of sound mind is your helper; Saumitri is known as my chief friend. We four, the best of sons, will keep the lord of men standing in truth, Bharata; do not despair.”