Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 111 of 119 · 32 verses
Bharata’s Fast and Rama’s Answer
Then Vasishtha, the royal priest, says to Rama further righteous words: “A man born here has three elders, Kakutstha: his teacher, his father and his mother. The father begets the man, bull among men, and the teacher gives him wisdom; so he is called an elder. I am your father’s teacher and yours, scorcher of foes; by doing as I say you will not stray from the way of the good. Here are your assembly, the guilds and the twice-born; practising dharma toward them, dear one, you will not stray from the way of the good. You should not disobey your old, righteous mother; by doing as she says you will not stray from the way of the good. By doing what Bharata begs, Raghava, you will not go beyond yourself, you whose strength is truth and dharma.” Spoken to so sweetly by his teacher, Raghava, bull among men, answers the seated Vasishtha: “What mother and father always do for their son cannot easily be repaid: giving as they are able, bathing and anointing him, always speaking kindly and raising him. My father King Dasharatha begot me. What I was commanded by him will not be made false.”
Hearing Rama, the noble Bharata, deeply downcast, says at once to the charioteer: “Spread kusha grass on the ground here quickly, charioteer. I will sit here against my noble brother until he is gracious to me. Like a brahmana robbed of his wealth, I will lie before the hut without food and without light until he turns back.” Seeing Sumantra looking at Rama, Bharata, troubled, spreads a heap of kusha grass on the ground himself. Rama of great splendour, best of royal seers, says to him: “What am I doing, Bharata, dear one, that you sit against me like this? A brahmana may lie on one side to restrain men here; but this rite of sitting in protest is not for consecrated kings. Rise, tiger among men, give up this harsh vow, and go quickly from here to Ayodhya, best of cities, Raghava.” Still seated, Bharata looks all round at the citizens and country people and says: “Why do you not tell the noble one?” The citizens and country people say to the great soul: “We know Kakutstha; Raghava speaks rightly. This fortunate one too stands by his father’s word; so we cannot turn him back at once.” Hearing them, Rama says: “Hear the words of these friends who see with the eye of dharma. Having heard both sides, Raghava, consider rightly. Rise, mighty-armed one, and touch me, and touch water.” Bharata rises, touches water and says: “Let the assembly, the ministers and the guilds hear me. I did not ask my father for the kingdom, nor did I instruct my mother; nor do I consent to the exile of my noble brother Raghava, who knows the highest dharma. But if he must live in the forest and our father’s word must be kept, I myself will live in the forest for fourteen years.” Righteous Rama, amazed at his brother’s sincere words, looks at the citizens and country people and says: “What my father sold, pledged or bought while he lived cannot be cancelled by me or by Bharata. I must not take a substitute for the forest exile; that would be disgraceful. What Kaikeyi asked was proper, and what my father did was right. I know Bharata is patient and honours his elders; everything is auspicious in this truthful great soul. When I come back from the forest, I will be, with this righteous brother, the best of lords of the earth. Kaikeyi chose and the king granted; I have done his word. Let Bharata now free our father, the lord of the earth, from untruth.”
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वसिष्ठस्तु तदा राममुक्त्वा राजपुरोऺहितः । अब्रवीद्धर्मसंयुक्तं पुनरेवापरं वचः ॥ १ ॥
Then Vasishtha, the royal priest, having spoken to Rama, spoke again further words joined with dharma:
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Bharata’s Fast and Rama’s Answer 1 min read.
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पुरुषस्येह जातस्य भवन्ति गुरवस्त्रयः । आचार्य्यश्चैव काकुत्स्थ पिता माता च राघव ॥ २ ॥
“For a man born here there are three elders: the teacher, Kakutstha, the father and the mother, Raghava.
पिता ह्येनं जनयति पुरुषं पुरुषर्षभ । प्रज्ञां ददाति चाचार्यस्तस्मात्स गुरुरुच्यते ॥ ३ ॥
“The father begets the man, bull among men, and the teacher gives him wisdom; therefore he is called an elder.
सो ऽहं ते पितुराचार्य्यस्तव चैव परन्तप । मम त्वं वचनं कुर्वन् नातिवर्त्तेः सताङ्गतिम् ॥ ४ ॥
“I am your father’s teacher, and yours, scorcher of foes; doing what I say, you would not stray from the way of the good.
इमा हि ते परिषदः श्रेणयश्च द्विजास्तथा । एषु तात चरन् धर्मं नातिवर्त्तेः सताङ्गतिम् ॥ ५ ॥
“Here are your assemblies, the guilds and the twice-born; practising dharma toward these, dear one, you would not stray from the way of the good.
वृद्धाया धर्मशीलाया मातुर्नार्हस्यवर्त्तितुम् । अस्यास्तु वचनं कुर्वन् नातिवर्त्तेः सताङ्गतिम् ॥ ६ ॥
“You should not disobey your old, righteous mother; doing what she says, you would not stray from the way of the good.
भरतस्य वचः कुर्वन् याचमानस्य राघव । आत्मानं नातिवर्त्तेस्त्वं सत्यधर्मपराक्रम ॥ ७ ॥
“By doing what Bharata says as he begs you, Raghava, you would not go beyond yourself, you whose strength is truth and dharma.”
एवं मधुरमुक्तस्तु गुरुणा राघवः स्वयम् । प्रत्युवाच समासीनं वसिष्ठं पुरुषर्षभः ॥ ८ ॥
Spoken to so sweetly by his teacher, Raghava himself, bull among men, answered the seated Vasishtha:
यन्मातापितरौ वृत्तं तनये कुरुतः सदा । न सुप्रतिकरं तत्तु मात्रा पित्रा च यत्कृतम् ॥ ९ ॥
यथाशक्ति प्रदानेन स्नापनोच्छादनेन च । नित्यं च प्रियवादेन तथा संवर्द्धनेन च ॥ १० ॥
“What mother and father always do for their son is not easily repaid, what is done by mother and father: giving as they are able, bathing and anointing, always speaking kindly, and raising him.
स हि राजा जनयिता पिता दशरथो मम । आज्ञातं यन्मया तस्य न तन्मिथ्या भविष्यति ॥ ११ ॥
“That king, my begetter, is my father Dasharatha. What I was commanded by him will not become false.”
एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण भरतः प्रत्यनन्तरम् । उवाच परमोदारः सूतं परमदुर्मनाः ॥ १२ ॥
Spoken to so by Rama, the very noble Bharata, deeply downcast, at once said to the charioteer:
इह मे स्थण्डिले शीघ्रं कुशानास्तर सारथे । आर्य्यं प्रत्युपवेक्ष्यामि यावन्मे न प्रसीदति ॥ १३ ॥
“Quickly spread kusha grass for me here on the bare ground, charioteer. I will sit against my noble brother until he is gracious to me.
अनाहारो निरालोको धनहीनो यथा द्विजः । शेष्ये पुरस्तात् शालाया यावन्न प्रतियास्यति ॥ १४ ॥
“Without food, without light, like a brahmana robbed of his wealth, I will lie before the hut until he turns back.”
स तु राममवेक्षन्तं सुमन्त्रं प्रेक्ष्य दुर्मनाः । कुशोत्तरमुपस्थाप्य भूमावेवास्तरत् स्वयम् ॥ १५ ॥
Seeing Sumantra looking at Rama, he, downcast, setting up a heap of kusha, spread it on the ground himself.
तमुवाच महातेजा रामो राजर्षिसत्तमः । किं मां भरत कुर्वाणं तात प्रत्युपवेक्ष्यसि ॥ १६ ॥
Rama of great splendour, best of royal seers, said to him: “What am I doing to you, Bharata, dear one, that you sit against me?
ब्राह्मणो ह्येकपार्श्वेन नरान् रोद्धुमिहार्हति । न तु मूर्द्धाभिषिक्तानां विधिः प्रत्युपवेशने ॥ १७ ॥
“A brahmana may restrain men here by lying on one side; but there is no such rule of sitting in protest for those consecrated on the head.
उत्तिष्ठ नरशार्दूल हित्वैतद्दारुणं व्रतम् । पुरवर्य्यामितः क्षिप्रमयोध्यां याहि राघव ॥ १८ ॥
“Rise, tiger among men, abandoning this harsh vow, and go quickly from here to Ayodhya, best of cities, Raghava.”
आसीनस्त्वेव भरतः पौरजानपदं जनम् । उवाच सर्वतः प्रेक्ष्य किमार्यं नानुशासथ ॥ १९ ॥
Still seated, Bharata, looking all round at the citizens and country people, said: “Why do you not instruct the noble one?”
ते तमूचुर्महात्मानं पौरजानपदा जनाः । काकुत्स्थमभिजानीमः सम्यग्वदति राघवः ॥ २० ॥
The citizens and country people said to that great soul: “We know Kakutstha; Raghava speaks rightly.
एषो ऽपि हि महाभागः पितुर्वचसि तिष्ठति । अत एव न शक्ताः स्मो व्यावर्त्तयितुमञ्जसा ॥ २१ ॥
“This fortunate one too stands by his father’s word; for that very reason we cannot turn him back easily.”
तेषामाज्ञाय वचनं रामो वचनमब्रवीत् । एवं निबोध वचनं सुहृदां धर्मचक्षुषाम् ॥ २२ ॥
Understanding their words, Rama said: “Hear thus the words of your friends who see with the eye of dharma.
एतच्चैवोभयं श्रुत्वा सम्यक् सम्पश्य राघव । उत्तिष्ठ त्वं महाबाहो मां च स्पृश तथोदकम् ॥ २३ ॥
“Having heard both of these, Raghava, consider rightly. Rise, mighty-armed one, and touch me, and touch water.”
अथोत्थाय जलं स्पृष्ट्वा भरतो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । श्रृण्वन्तु मे परिषदो मन्त्रिणः श्रेणयस्तथा ॥ २४ ॥
Then, rising and touching water, Bharata said: “Let the assemblies hear me, and the ministers and the guilds.
न याचे पितरं राज्यं नानुशासामि मातरम् । आर्यं परमधर्मज्ञं नानुजानामि राघवम् ॥ २५ ॥
“I do not ask my father for the kingdom; I did not instruct my mother; nor do I consent to my noble brother Raghava, who knows the highest dharma, being sent away.
यदि त्ववश्यं वस्तव्यं कर्त्तव्यं च पितुर्वचः । अहमेव निवत्स्यामि चतुर्दश समा वने ॥ २६ ॥
“But if living in the forest must be done, and our father’s word kept, I myself will live in the forest for fourteen years.”
धर्मात्मा तस्य तथ्येन भ्रातुर्वाक्येन विस्मितः । उवाच रामः सम्प्रेक्ष्य पौरजानपदं जनम् ॥ २७ ॥
The righteous Rama, amazed by the true words of his brother, looking at the citizens and country people, said:
विक्रीतमाहितं क्रीतं यत् पित्रा जीवता मम । न तल्लोपयितुं शक्यं मया वा भरतेन वा ॥ २८ ॥
“What was sold, pledged or bought by my father while he lived cannot be cancelled by me or by Bharata.
अपधिर्न मया कार्य्यो वनवासे जुगुप्सितः । युक्तमुक्तं च कैकेय्या पित्रा मे सुकृतं कृतम् ॥ २९ ॥
“No substitute is to be made by me in the forest exile; that would be despised. What Kaikeyi asked was proper, and what my father did was well done.
जानामि भरतं क्षान्तं गुरुसत्कारकारिणम् । सर्वमेवात्र कल्याणं सत्यसन्धे महात्मनि ॥ ३० ॥
“I know Bharata is patient and does honour to his elders. Everything is auspicious in this truthful great soul.
अनेन धर्मशीलेन वनात् प्रत्यागतः पुनः । भ्रात्रा सह भविष्यामि पृथिव्याः पतिरुत्तमः ॥ ३१ ॥
“When I come back again from the forest, with this righteous brother I will be the best of lords of the earth.
वृतो राजा हि कैकेय्या मया तद्वचनं कृतम् । अनृतन्मोचयानेन पितरं तं महीपतिम् ॥ ३२ ॥
“The king was asked by Kaikeyi, and I have done his word. Let this one free our father, that lord of the earth, from untruth.”