Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 113 of 119 · 25 verses
The Return Journey
Placing the sandals on his head, Bharata joyfully mounts his chariot with Shatrughna. Vasishtha, Vamadeva, Jabali of firm vows and all the ministers, honoured for their counsel, go ahead. Facing east, they go to the lovely river Mandakini, walking round the great mountain Chitrakuta with their right sides toward it. Looking at thousands of lovely minerals of many kinds, Bharata goes along its side with his army. Not far from Chitrakuta he sees the hermitage where the sage Bharadvaja lives. Reaching it, wise Bharata gets down from his chariot and salutes his feet. Delighted, Bharadvaja asks: “Is your business done, dear one? Did you meet Rama?” Bharata, devoted to his brother, answers: “Begged by our teacher and by me, Raghava, firm in valour, very pleased, said to Vasishtha: ‘I will keep my father’s promise truly, the promise of fourteen years that my father made.’ Then Vasishtha, very wise, skilled in words, said these great words to Raghava, himself skilled in speech: ‘Give these gold-adorned sandals gladly, very wise one, to bring welfare and security to Ayodhya in your place.’ So addressed by Vasishtha, Raghava, standing facing east, stepped on to these sandals and gave them to me for the kingdom. Given leave by great-souled Rama, I have turned back, and I am going to Ayodhya with these auspicious sandals.” Hearing great-souled Bharata’s auspicious words, the sage Bharadvaja says still more auspicious words: “It is no wonder, tiger among men, best of those with character and good conduct, that nobility should rest in you, as water flows to low ground. Your mighty-armed father Dasharatha is immortal, whose son is such as you, knowing dharma and loving dharma.” With joined palms, Bharata clasps the feet of the great seer and takes leave; walking round Bharadvaja again and again, glorious Bharata goes toward Ayodhya with his ministers. With carriages, carts, horses and elephants, the army following Bharata turns back, spread wide. They cross the divine Yamuna, garlanded with waves, and see again the Ganga with its auspicious water. Crossing it, full of lovely water, with his kin, Bharata enters lovely Shringaverapura with his soldiers. From Shringaverapura he again sees Ayodhya. Seeing Ayodhya without his father and his brother, Bharata, burning with sorrow, says to the charioteer: “See, charioteer, Ayodhya is ruined and does not shine. It is formless, joyless, wretched, its voice silenced.”
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ततः शिरसि कृत्वा तु पादुके भरतस्तदा । आरुरोह रथं हृष्टः शत्रुघ्नेन समन्वितः ॥ १ ॥
Then, placing the sandals on his head, Bharata joyfully mounted his chariot, together with Shatrughna.
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The Return Journey 1 min read.
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वसिष्ऺठो वामदेवश्च जाबालिश्च दृढव्रतः । अग्रतः प्रययुः सर्वे मन्त्रिणो मन्त्रपूजिताः ॥ २ ॥
Vasishtha, Vamadeva and Jabali of firm vows, and all the ministers honoured for their counsel, went in front.
मन्दाकिनीं नदीं रम्यां प्राङ्मुखास्ते ययुस्तदा । प्रदक्षिणं च कुर्वाणाश्चित्रकूटं महागिरिम् ॥ ३ ॥
Facing east, they then went to the lovely river Mandakini, walking round the great mountain Chitrakuta with their right sides toward it.
पश्यन् धातुसहस्राणि रम्याणि विविधानि च । प्रययौ तस्य पार्श्वेन ससैन्यो भरतस्तदा ॥ ४ ॥
Seeing thousands of lovely minerals of many kinds, Bharata then went along its side with his army.
अदूराच्चित्रकूटस्य ददर्श भरतस्तदा । आश्रमं यत्र स मुनिर्भरद्वाजः कृतालयः ॥ ५ ॥
Not far from Chitrakuta, Bharata then saw the hermitage where the sage Bharadvaja had made his home.
स तमाश्रममागम्य भरद्वाजस्य बुद्धिमान् । अवतीर्य रथात् पादौ ववन्दे भरतस्तदा ॥ ६ ॥
Coming to that hermitage of Bharadvaja, wise Bharata got down from the chariot and saluted his feet.
ततो हृष्टो भरद्वाजो भरतं वाक्यमब्रवीत् । अपि कृत्यं कृतं तात रामेण च समागतम् ॥ ७ ॥
Then Bharadvaja, delighted, said to Bharata: “Has your business been done, dear one? Did you meet Rama?”
एवमुक्तः स तु ततो भरद्वाजेन धीमता । प्रत्युवाच भरद्वाजं भरतो भ्रातृवत्सलः ॥ ८ ॥
Spoken to so by wise Bharadvaja, Bharata, devoted to his brother, replied to Bharadvaja:
स याच्यमानो गुरुणा मया च दृढविक्रमः । राघवः परमप्रीतो वसिष्ठं वाक्यमब्रवीत् ॥ ९ ॥
“Begged by our teacher and by me, Raghava, firm in valour, very pleased, said to Vasishtha:
पितुः प्रतिज्ञां तामेव पालयिष्यामि तत्त्वतः । चतुर्दश हि वर्षाणि या प्रतिज्ञा पितुर्मम ॥ १० ॥
“’I will keep that very promise of my father’s truly, the promise of fourteen years that my father made.’
एवमुक्तो महाप्राज्ञो वसिष्ठः प्रत्युवाच ह । वाक्यज्ञो वाक्यकुशलं राघवं वचनं महत् ॥ ११ ॥
“Spoken to so, the very wise Vasishtha, skilled in words, replied to Raghava, skilled in speech, with great words:
एते प्रयच्छ संहृष्टः पादुके हेमभूषिते । अयोध्यायां महाप्राज्ञ योगक्षेमकरे तव ॥ १२ ॥
“’Gladly give these sandals adorned with gold, very wise one, to bring about welfare and security in Ayodhya in your place.’
एवमुक्तो वसिष्ठेन राघवः प्राङ्मुखः स्थितः । पादुके अधिरुह्यैते मम राज्याय वै ददौ ॥ १३ ॥
“Spoken to so by Vasishtha, Raghava, standing facing east, stepped on to these sandals and gave them to me for the kingdom.
निवृत्तो ऽहमनुज्ञातो रामेण सुमहात्मना । अयोध्यामेव गच्छामि गृहीत्वा पादुके शुभे ॥ १४ ॥
“Given leave by great-souled Rama, I have turned back, and I am going to Ayodhya itself, taking the auspicious sandals.”
एतच्छ्रुत्वा शुभं वाक्यं भरतस्य महात्मनः । भरद्वाजः शुभतरं मुनिर्वाक्यमुवाच तम् ॥ १५ ॥
Hearing these auspicious words of great-souled Bharata, the sage Bharadvaja spoke still more auspicious words to him:
नैतच्चित्रं नरव्याघ्र शीलवृत्तवतां वर । यदार्यं त्वयि तिष्ठेत्तु निम्ने सृष्टमिवोदकम् ॥ १६ ॥
“It is no wonder, tiger among men, best of those with character and conduct, that nobility should rest in you, like water poured into low ground.
अमृतः स महाबाहुः पिता दशरथस्तव । यस्य त्वमीदृशः पुत्रो धर्मज्ञो धर्मवत्सलः ॥ १७ ॥
“Your mighty-armed father Dasharatha is immortal, whose son is such as you, knowing dharma and loving dharma.”
तमृषिं तु महात्मानमुक्तवाक्यं कृताञ्जलिः । आमतन्त्रयितुमारेभे चरणावुपगृह्य च ॥ १८ ॥
With joined palms, clasping his feet, he began to take leave of that great-souled seer, who had spoken.
ततः प्रदक्षिणं कृत्वा भरद्वाजं पुनःपुनः । भरतस्तु ययौ श्रीमानयोध्यां सह मन्त्रिभिः ॥ १९ ॥
Then, walking round Bharadvaja again and again, glorious Bharata went to Ayodhya with his ministers.
यानैश्च शकटैश्चैव हयैर्नागैश्च सा चमूः । पुनर्निवृत्ता विस्तीर्णा भरतस्यानुयायिनी ॥ २० ॥
With carriages and carts, horses and elephants, that army following Bharata turned back, spread wide.
ततस्ते यमुनां दिव्यां नदीं तीर्त्वोर्मिमालिनीम् । ददृशुस्तां पुनः सर्वे गङ्गां शुभजलां नदीम् ॥ २१ ॥
Then, having crossed the divine river Yamuna, garlanded with waves, they all saw again the Ganga, river of auspicious water.
तां रम्यजलसम्पूर्णां सन्तीर्य सहबान्धवः । शृङ्गिबेरपुरं रम्यं प्रविवेश ससैनिकः ॥ २२ ॥
Having crossed that river full of lovely water, with his kin, he entered lovely Shringaverapura with his soldiers.
शृङ्गिबेरपुराद्भूयस्त्वयोध्यां संददर्श ह ॥ २३ ॥
And from Shringaverapura he saw Ayodhya again.
अयोध्यां च ततो दृष्ट्वा पित्रा भ्रात्रा विवर्जिताम् । भरतो दुःखसन्तप्तः सारथिं चेदमब्रवीत् ॥ २४ ॥
And seeing Ayodhya bereft of his father and his brother, Bharata, burning with sorrow, said this to the charioteer:
सारथे पश्य विध्वस्ता सायोध्या न प्रकाशते । निराकारा निरानन्दा दीना प्रतिहतस्वरा ॥ २५ ॥
“Charioteer, see: Ayodhya is ruined and does not shine; formless, joyless, wretched, its voice silenced.”