Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 6 of 119 · 28 verses
The City Awaits the Dawn
After the priest leaves, Rama bathes and, with large-eyed Sita, approaches Narayana. Holding the vessel of offering to his head, he offers ghee into the fire to the great deity, eats the rest, prays for his own good, and, meditating on Narayana, lies silent and disciplined with Sita on a bed of kusha grass in Vishnu’s shrine. In the last watch of the night he wakes, has the house decorated, listens to the bards and heralds, performs the dawn rites, bows to Madhusudana, and, dressed in clean linen, has the brahmanas recite blessings, whose sound fills Ayodhya along with the music.
The citizens, hearing that Rama has fasted with Sita and seeing dawn break, decorate the city: flags on temples white as clouds, at crossroads, shrines, towers, shops, rich houses, halls and trees. Actors, dancers and singers perform; people talk of nothing but the coronation, in squares and homes, and even children playing at the doorways talk of it. The royal road is strewn with flowers and perfumed with incense, and lamp-trees are set up in case the ceremony runs into the night. Gathered in groups, people praise Dasharatha for crowning Rama in his old age: “We are blessed to have Rama as our lord; he has seen the high and low of the world, he is not proud, learned, righteous, loving to his brothers, and as loving to us.” Country people pour in from every direction, and the city roars like the sea at full moon.
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गते पुरोहिते रामः स्नातो नियतमानसः । सह पत्न्या विशालाक्ष्या नारायणमुपागमत् ॥ १ ॥
When the priest had gone, Rama, having bathed, with mind controlled, approached Narayana together with his large-eyed wife.
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प्रगृह्य शिरसा पात्रीं हविषो विधिवत् ततः । महते दैवतायाज्यं जुहाव ज्वलितानले ॥ २ ॥
Holding the vessel of offering on his head according to rule, he poured ghee into the blazing fire for the great deity.
शेषं च हविषस्तस्य प्राश्याशास्यात्मनः प्रियम् । ध्यायन्नारायणं देवं स्वास्तीर्णे कुशसंस्तरे ॥ ३ ॥
वाग्यतः सह वैदेह्या भूत्वा नियतमानसः । श्रीमत्यायतने विष्णोः शिश्ये नरवरात्मजः ॥ ४ ॥
Eating the remainder of that offering, praying for his own good, meditating on the god Narayana, silent, with mind controlled, together with Vaidehi, the son of the best of men lay down on a well-spread bed of kusha grass in the glorious shrine of Vishnu.
एकयामावशिष्टायां रात्र्यां प्रतिविबुध्य सः । अलंकारविधिं सम्यक् कारयामास वेश्मनः ॥ ५ ॥
When one watch of the night remained, he woke and had the house properly decorated.
तत्र शृण्वन् सुखा वाचः सूतमागधवन्दिनाम् । पूर्वां संध्यामुपासीनो जजाप सुसमाहितः ॥ ६ ॥
There, listening to the pleasant voices of the bards, heralds and panegyrists, he performed the morning twilight rites and recited his prayers with full attention.
तुष्टाव प्रणतश्चैव शिरसा मधुसूदनम् । विमलक्षौमसंवीतो वाचयामास स द्विजान् ॥ ७ ॥
Bowing his head, he praised Madhusudana, and, dressed in spotless linen, had the brahmanas recite.
तेषां पुण्याहघोषोऽथ गम्भीरमधुरस्तथा । अयोध्यां पूरयामास तूर्यघोषानुनादितः ॥ ८ ॥
Their deep and sweet chant of the auspicious day, echoed by the sound of instruments, filled Ayodhya.
कृतोपवासं तु तदा वैदेह्या सह राघवम् । अयोध्यानिलयः श्रुत्वा सर्वः प्रमुदितो जनः ॥ ९ ॥
Hearing that Raghava had fasted with Vaidehi, all the people living in Ayodhya were delighted.
ततः पौरजनः सर्वः श्रुत्वा रामाभिषेचनम् । प्रभातां रजनीं दृष्ट्वा चक्रे शोभयितुं पुरीम् ॥ १० ॥
Then all the citizens, having heard of Rama’s consecration and seeing that night had dawned, set about adorning the city.
सिताभ्रशिखराभेषु देवतायतनेषु च । चतुष्पथेषु रथ्यासु चैत्येष्वट्टालकेषु च ॥ ११ ॥
नानापण्यसमृद्धेषु वणिजामापणेषु च । कुटुम्बिनां समृद्धेषु श्रीमत्सु भवनेषु च ॥ १२ ॥
सभासु चैव सर्वासु वृक्षेष्वालक्षितेषु च । ध्वजाः समुच्छ्रिताः साधु पताकाश्चाभवंस्तथा ॥ १३ ॥
On the temples like peaks of white clouds, at crossroads and in streets, at shrines and on towers, in the shops of merchants rich in goods of every kind, in the prosperous and splendid houses of householders, in all the halls and on prominent trees, flags and banners were raised well.
नटनर्तकसङ्घानां गायकानां च गायताम् । मनःकर्णसुखा वाचः शुश्राव जनता ततः ॥ १४ ॥
Then the people heard voices pleasing to mind and ear, of troupes of actors and dancers and of singers singing.
रामाभिषेकयुक्ताश्च कथाश्चक्रुर्मिथो जनाः । रामाभिषेके सम्प्राप्ते चत्वरेषु गृहेषु च ॥ १५ ॥
People talked to one another about Rama’s consecration, in the squares and in the houses, when the consecration had arrived.
बाला अपि क्रीडमाना गृहद्वारेषु सङ्घशः । रामाभिषवसंयुक्ताश्चक्रुरेव कथा मिथः ॥ १६ ॥
Even children playing in groups at the doors of houses talked to one another about Rama’s consecration.
कृतपुष्पोपहारश्च धूपगन्धाधिवासितः । राजमार्गः कृतः श्रीमान् पौरै रामाभिषेचने ॥ १७ ॥
For Rama’s consecration the citizens made the royal road splendid, strewn with flower offerings and fragrant with incense.
प्रकाशकरणार्थं च निशागमनशङ्कया । दीपवृक्षांस्तथा चक्रुरनुरथ्यासु सर्वशः ॥ १८ ॥
And to give light, fearing that night might come on, they set up lamp-trees along all the streets.
अलंकारं पुरस्यैवं कृत्वा तत् पुरवासिनः । आकांक्षमाणा रामस्य यौवराज्याभिषेचनम् ॥ १९ ॥
समेत्य सङ्घशः सर्वे चत्वरेषु सभासु च । कथयन्तो मिथस्तत्र प्रशशंसुर्जनाधिपम् ॥ २० ॥
Having adorned the city so, the people of the city, longing for Rama’s consecration as crown prince, gathered in groups in the squares and halls, and, talking with one another, praised the lord of the people:
अहो महात्मा राजायमिक्ष्वाकुकुलनन्दनः । ज्ञात्वा वृद्धं स्वमात्मानं रामं राज्येऽभिषेक्ष्यति ॥ २१ ॥
“Ah, great-souled is this king, delight of the Ikshvaku line, who, knowing himself old, will consecrate Rama in the kingdom.
सर्वे ह्यनुगृहीताः स्म यन्नो रामो महीपतिः । चिराय भविता गोप्ता दृष्टलोकपरावरः ॥ २२ ॥
“We are all favoured, since Rama will be our lord, our protector for a long time, he who has seen the high and the low of the world.
अनुद्धतमना विद्वान् धर्मात्मा भ्रातृवत्सलः । यथा च भ्रातृषु स्निग्धस्तथास्मास्वपि राघवः ॥ २३ ॥
“He is not arrogant, he is learned, righteous, loving to his brothers; and as Raghava loves his brothers, so he loves us.
चिरं जीवतु धर्मात्मा राजा दशरथोऽनघः । यत्प्रसादेनाभिषिक्तं रामं द्रक्ष्यामहे वयम् ॥ २४ ॥
“Long live the righteous, sinless King Dasharatha, by whose grace we shall see Rama consecrated.”
एवंविधं कथयतां पौराणां शुश्रुवुः परे । दिग्भ्यो विश्रुतवृत्तान्ताः प्राप्ता जानपदा जनाः ॥ २५ ॥
Others heard the citizens speaking so: country people who had heard the news and come from every direction.
ते तु दिग्भ्यः पुरीं प्राप्ता द्रष्टुं रामाभिषेचनम् । रामस्य पूरयामासुः पुरीं जानपदा जनाः ॥ २६ ॥
They came from every direction to the city to see Rama’s consecration, and the country people filled Rama’s city.
जनौघैस्तैर्विसर्पद्भिः शुश्रुवे तत्र निःस्वनः । पर्वसूदीर्णवेगस्य सागरस्येव निःस्वनः ॥ २७ ॥
The sound of those spreading crowds was heard there, like the sound of the ocean when its waves surge at the full moon.
ततस्तदिन्द्रक्षयसंनिभं पुरं दिदृक्षुभिर्जानपदैरुपाहितैः । समन्ततः सस्वनमाकुलं बभौ समुद्रयादोभिरिवार्णवोदकम् ॥ २८ ॥
Then that city, like Indra’s abode, crowded on every side with country people eager to see, noisy and teeming, shone like the waters of the ocean full of sea creatures.