Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 65 of 119 · 29 verses
A Morning Without a King
When the night has passed, early the next morning, the bards come to the king’s palace as usual: well-trained sutas, genealogists of high learning, singers given to praise, each reciting separately. The sound of praise, with lofty blessings, spreads through the wide palace. Hand-clappers beat time, recounting his great deeds. At the sound, the birds of the royal household, on branches and in cages, wake and sing. Auspicious words, the notes of vinas, and the singing of blessing verses fill the house. Then attendants of pure conduct, skilled in service, mostly women and eunuchs, come as before. At the right time and by rule they bring water mixed with yellow sandal in golden jars for the bath; other women, many of them young girls, bring auspicious things to touch, food and utensils. Everything is ready, properly honoured, auspicious, fit for the king. Up to sunrise everyone waits eagerly, wondering why he has not come.
Then the women who lie nearest the bed of the lord of Kosala come together to wake their husband. Gently and properly they touch his bed, but find no sign of life. Knowing the signs of sleep, its movements and stirrings, they tremble like grass-tips against a current, fearing for the king’s life. Seeing the king, as the women tremble, the evil they had feared becomes certain. Kausalya and Sumitra, overcome by grief for their sons, lie asleep and do not wake, as if dead. Kausalya, pale and lustreless, sunk in grief, does not shine, like a star covered by darkness; beside her lies Sumitra, her face streaked with tears. Seeing the two queens asleep, and the king asleep as if his life had gone, the whole inner palace understands. Then the noble women cry out wretchedly, like cow-elephants in the forest whose leader has fallen from his place. At the sound, Kausalya and Sumitra wake suddenly; seeing and touching the king, they cry “Ha, lord!” and fall to the ground. The daughter of the Kosala king, writhing on the ground, covered in dust, does not shine, like a star fallen from the sky. With the king’s virtues silenced and Kausalya fallen, the women see her like a slain she-serpent. Then all the king’s women, Kaikeyi first, weeping, burning with grief, fall senseless. Their great cry, joined by the wailing of all, fills the house. The palace of the god among men who has met his end becomes a place of terror, confusion and anxious crowds, of tumult on every side, kinsmen tormented, joy suddenly gone, misery everywhere. Knowing that the glorious bull among kings has passed, his wives surround him, weeping bitterly, raising their arms and lamenting like women without a protector.
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अथ रात्र्यां व्यतीतायां प्रातरेवापरेऽहनि । वन्दिनः पर्युपातिष्ठंस्तत्पार्थिवनिवेशनम् ॥ १ ॥
Then, when the night had passed, early on the next day, the bards came to the palace of the lord of the earth.
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सूताः परमसंस्कारा मङ्गलाश्चोओत्तमश्रुताः । गायकाः स्तुतिशीलाश्च निगदन्तः पृथक्पृथक् ॥ २ ॥
राजानं स्तुवतां तेषामुदात्ताभिहिताशिषाम् । प्रासादाभोगविस्तीर्णः स्तुतिशब्दो ह्यवर्तत ॥ ३ ॥
Sutas of great refinement, genealogists of excellent learning, singers devoted to praise, reciting each separately, praised the king; and the sound of praise from those uttering lofty blessings spread through the wide expanse of the palace.
ततस्तु स्तुवतां तेषां सूतानां पाणिवादकाः । अपदानान्युदाहृत्य पाणिवादानवादयन् ॥ ४ ॥
Then, as those sutas praised him, the hand-clappers, recounting his great deeds, clapped their hands.
तेन शब्देन विहगाः प्रतिबुद्धा विसस्वनुः । शाखास्थाः पञ्जरस्थाश्च ये राजकुलगोचराः ॥ ५ ॥
At that sound the birds woke and sang, those on branches and those in cages, which belonged to the royal household.
व्याहृताः पुण्यशब्दाश्च वीणानां चापि निःस्वनाः । आशीर्गेयं च गाथानां पूरयामास वेश्म तत् ॥ ६ ॥
The auspicious words spoken, the notes of the vinas, and the singing of blessing verses filled that house.
ततः शुचिसमाचाराः पर्युपस्थानकोविदाः । स्त्रीवर्षवरभूयिष्ठा उपतस्थुर्यथापुरम् ॥ ७ ॥
Then attendants of pure conduct, skilled in service, mostly women and eunuchs, came as before.
हरिचन्दनसम्पृक्तमुदकं काञ्चनैर्घटैः । आनिन्युः स्नानशिक्षाज्ञा यथाकालं यथाविधि ॥ ८ ॥
They brought water mixed with yellow sandal in golden jars, those charged with the bath, at the proper time and according to rule.
मङ्गलालम्भनीयानि प्राशनीयान्युपस्करान् । उपनिन्युस्तथाप्यन्याः कुमारीबहुलाः स्त्रियः ॥ ९ ॥
And other women, many of them maidens, brought auspicious things to touch, things to eat, and utensils.
सर्वलक्षणसम्पन्नं सर्वं विधिवदर्चितम् । सर्वं सुगुणलक्ष्मीवत्तद्बभूवाभिहारिकम् ॥ १० ॥
All of it, having every good mark, all honoured according to rule, of excellent quality and splendour, was ready to be offered.
ततः सूर्योदयं यावत्सर्वं परिसमुत्सुकम् । तस्थावनुपसम्प्राप्तं किंस्विदित्युपश् ॥ ११ ॥
Then, until sunrise, all of it stood waiting eagerly, not yet taken up, while they wondered, “What is it?”
अथ याः कोसलेन्द्रस्य शयनं प्रत्यनन्तराः । ताः स्त्रियस्तु समागम्य भर्तारं प्रत्यबोधयन् ॥ १२ ॥
Then the women who were closest to the bed of the lord of Kosala came together and tried to wake their husband.
तथाप्युचितवृत्तास्ता विनयेन नयेन च । न ह्यस्य शयनं स्पृष्ट्वा किंचिदप्युपलेभिरे ॥ १३ ॥
Yet, though they behaved as was proper, with discipline and good judgment, touching his bed, they perceived nothing at all.
ताः स्त्रीयः स्वप्नशीलज्ञास्चेष्टासंचलनादिषु । ता वेपथुपरीताश्च राज्ञः प्राणेषु शङ्किताः ॥ १४ ॥
प्रतिस्रोतस्तृणाग्राणां सदृशं संचकाशिरे । अथ संवेपमानानां स्त्रीणां दृष्ट्वा च पार्थिवम् ॥ १५ ॥
Those women, who knew the signs of sleep in its movements and stirrings, seized with trembling, fearing for the king’s life, were like the tips of grass against a current. Then, as the women trembled, seeing the lord of the earth,
यत्तदाशङ्कितं पापं तस्य जज्ञे विनिश्चयः । कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च पुत्रशोकपराजिते ॥ १६ ॥
the evil they had feared became certain. And Kausalya and Sumitra, overcome by grief for their sons,
प्रसुप्ते न प्रबुध्येते यथा कालसमन्विते । निष्प्रभा च विवर्णा च सन्ना शोकेन सन्नता ॥ १७ ॥
न व्यराजत कौसल्या तारेव तिमिरावृता । कौसल्यानन्तरं राज्ञः सुमित्रा तदनन्तरम् ॥ १८ ॥
asleep, did not wake, like those joined to death. Kausalya, lustreless and pale, sunk in grief, did not shine, like a star covered by darkness. Next to Kausalya, beside the king, lay Sumitra;
न स्म विभ्राजते देवी शोकाश्रुलुलितानना । ते च दृष्ट्वा तथा सुप्ते उभे देव्यौ च तं नृपम् ॥ १९ ॥
सुप्तमेवोद्गतप्राणमन्तःपुरममन्यत । ततः प्रचुक्रुशुर्दीनाः सस्वरं ता वराङ्गनाः ॥ २० ॥
the queen did not shine, her face streaked with tears of grief. Seeing those two auspicious queens asleep so, and the king, as if asleep, his life gone, the inner palace understood. Then the noble women, wretched, cried out loudly,
करेणव इवारण्ये स्थानप्रच्युतयूथपाः । तासामाक्रन्दशब्देन सहसोद्गतचेतने ॥ २१ ॥
कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च त्यक्तनिद्रे बभूवतुः । कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च दृष्ट्वा स्पृष्ट्वा च पार्थिवम् ॥ २२ ॥
like cow-elephants in the forest whose herd-leader has fallen from his place. At the sound of their wailing, suddenly coming to their senses, Kausalya and Sumitra woke from sleep. Kausalya and Sumitra, seeing and touching the lord of the earth,
हा नाथेति परिक्रुश्य पेततुर्धरणीतले । सा कोसलेन्द्रदुहिता वेष्टमाना महीतले ॥ २३ ॥
न बभ्राज रजोध्वस्ता तारेव गगनाच्च्युता । नृपे शान्तगुणे जाते कौसल्यां पतितां भुवि ॥ २४ ॥
crying “Ha, lord!”, fell to the ground. That daughter of the king of Kosala, writhing on the ground, covered with dust, did not shine, like a star fallen from the sky. When the king’s virtues had become still, seeing Kausalya fallen on the ground,
आपश्यंस्ताः स्त्रियः सर्वा हतां नागवधूमिव । ततः सर्वा नरेन्द्रस्य कैकेयीप्रमुखाः स्त्रियः ॥ २५ ॥
रुदन्त्यः शोकसंतप्ता निपेतुर्गतचेतनाः । ताभिः स बलवान्नादः क्रोशन्तीभिरनुद्रुतः ॥ २६ ॥
all those women saw her like a slain she-serpent. Then all the king’s women, Kaikeyi first, weeping, burning with grief, fell senseless. That mighty cry, taken up by them as they wailed,
येन स्फीतीकृतो भूयस्तद्गृहं समनादयत् । तत्समुत्त्रस्तसम्भ्रान्तं पर्युत्सुकजनाकुलम् ॥ २७ ॥
सर्वतस्तुमुलाक्रन्दं परितापार्तबान्धवम् । सद्यो निपतितानन्दं दीन विक्लवदर्शनम् ॥ २८ ॥
बभूव नरदेवस्य सद्म दिष्टान्तमीयुषः । अतीतमाज्ञाय तु पार्थिवर्षभम् । यशस्विनं सम्परिवार्य पत्नयः । भृशं रुदन्त्यः करुणं सुदुःखिताः । प्रगृह्य बाहू व्यलपन्ननाथवत् ॥ २९ ॥
swelled again and made the house resound. That house of the god among men who had met his end became full of terror and confusion, crowded with anxious people, with tumultuous wailing on every side, its kin afflicted with anguish, its joy suddenly fallen, miserable and distressed to see. Knowing that the glorious bull among kings had passed away, his wives, surrounding him, weeping bitterly, deeply grieved, raising their arms, lamented like women without a protector.