Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 67 of 119 · 38 verses
A Land Without a King
The night passes in Ayodhya, joyless and full of wailing, crowded with people whose throats are choked with tears. At sunrise the brahmanas who make kings gather in the assembly hall: Markandeya, Maudgalya, Vamadeva, Kashyapa, Katyayana, Gautama and the renowned Jabali. With the ministers, each turns to Vasishtha, the chief royal priest, and speaks: “The night has passed in sorrow, like a hundred years, with the king dead of grief for his son. The great king has gone to heaven; Rama has gone to the forest, and splendid Lakshmana with him; Bharata and Shatrughna, both scorchers of foes, are in Kekaya, in the lovely city of Rajagriha, in their grandfather’s house. Let some prince of the Ikshvakus be made king here today, so that our kingless realm does not come to ruin.
“In a kingless land the rain-cloud, garlanded with lightning and thundering, does not pour heavenly water on the earth. In a kingless land no handful of seed is sown; the son does not obey his father, nor the wife her husband. In a kingless land there is no wealth, no wife, and this other great calamity: where is truth? In a kingless land men do not build assembly halls, lovely gardens or temples with joy. Brahmanas devoted to sacrifice, disciplined and keeping strict vows, do not hold long rites; rich sacrificers do not give generous fees at great sacrifices. Festivals and gatherings full of actors and dancers, which make the kingdom prosper, do not flourish. Litigants do not get their cases settled; story-lovers are not delighted by tales from storytellers. Maidens adorned with gold do not go together to the gardens in the evening to play. Lovers do not drive out to the woods with women on swift carriages. The rich do not sleep with doors open, nor farmers and herdsmen, safely guarded. Sixty-year-old tuskers with bells tied on do not roam the royal roads. The twang of bowstrings from men constantly practising archery is not heard. Merchants travelling far, laden with goods, do not go safely on the road. The solitary, self-controlled sage, meditating on the self and sleeping wherever evening finds him, does not wander. There is no security of property, and no army withstands the enemy in battle. Men do not drive out in splendid chariots with fine, spirited horses. Men learned in the shastras do not sit debating in forests and groves. Devout people do not prepare garlands, sweets and offerings to worship the gods. Princes anointed with sandal and aloe do not shine like trees in spring. A kingless kingdom is like rivers without water, a forest without grass, cows without a herdsman. A banner marks a chariot, smoke marks a fire; the king who was our banner has gone to the gods. In a kingless land nothing is anyone’s own; men devour one another like fish. Even atheists who break all bounds and have cut off doubt behave well when pressed by the king’s rod. As sight always guides the body, so the king is the source of truth and dharma in the kingdom. The king is truth and dharma; the king is the family of the well-born; the king is mother and father; the king does good to men. Yama, Vaishravana, Shakra and mighty Varuna are surpassed by a king of great conduct. If there were no king in the world to divide the good from the bad, all this would be darkness and nothing would be known. Even while the great king lived, we never went beyond your word, as the ocean does not go beyond its shore. So, best of brahmanas, seeing our situation, the kingdom like a forest without a king, consecrate some generous Ikshvaku prince as king here yourself.”
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आक्रन्दितनिरानन्दा सास्रकण्ठजनाकुला । अयोध्यायामवतता सा व्यतीयाय शर्वरी ॥ १ ॥
That night in Ayodhya, full of wailing and joyless, crowded with people whose throats were choked with tears, passed, seeming very long.
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व्यतीतायां तु शर्वर्यामादित्यस्योदये ततः । समेत्य राजकर्तारः सभामीयुर्द्विजातयः ॥ २ ॥
When the night had passed, then at sunrise the twice-born who make kings came together and went to the assembly hall:
मार्कण्डेयोऽथ मौद्गल्यो वामदेवश्च काश्यपः । कात्यायनो गौतमश्च जाबालिश्च महायशाः ॥ ३ ॥
Markandeya, then Maudgalya, Vamadeva and Kashyapa, Katyayana and Gautama and greatly renowned Jabali.
एते द्विजाः सहामात्यैः पृथग्वाचमुदीरयन् । वसिष्ठमेवाभिमुखाः श्रेष्ठो राजपुरोहितम् ॥ ४ ॥
These twice-born, with the ministers, spoke each in turn, facing Vasishtha, the best, the royal priest:
अतीता शर्वरी दुःखं या नो वर्षशतोपमा । अस्मिन्पञ्चत्वमापन्ने पुत्रशोकेन पार्थिवे ॥ ५ ॥
“The night has passed in sorrow, like a hundred years for us, with this lord of the earth gone to death through grief for his son.
स्वर् गतश्च महाराजो रामश्चारण्यमाश्रितः । लक्ष्मणश्चापि तेजस्वी रामेणैव गतः सह ॥ ६ ॥
“The great king has gone to heaven, and Rama has taken to the forest, and splendid Lakshmana too has gone with Rama.
उभौ भरत शत्रुघ्नौ क्केकयेषु परंतपौ । पुरे राजगृहे रम्ये मातामहनिवेशने ॥ ७ ॥
“Both Bharata and Shatrughna, scorchers of foes, are among the Kekayas, in the lovely city of Rajagriha, in their maternal grandfather’s house.
इक्ष्वाकूणामिहाद्यैव कश्चिद्राजा विधीयताम् । अराजकं हि नो राष्ट्रं न विनाशमवाप्नुयात् ॥ ८ ॥
“Let some prince of the Ikshvakus be appointed king here this very day, so that our kingdom, being kingless, does not come to ruin.
नाराजके जनपदे विद्युन्माली महास्वनः । अभिवर्षति पर्जन्यो महीं दिव्येन वारिणा ॥ ९ ॥
“In a kingless land the rain-cloud, garlanded with lightning, with its great roar, does not rain heavenly water on the earth.
नाराजके जनपदे बीजमुष्टिः प्रकीर्यते । नाराजके पितुः पुत्रो भार्या वा वर्तते वशे ॥ १० ॥
“In a kingless land no handful of seed is scattered. In a kingless land the son does not stay obedient to the father, nor the wife.
अराजके धनं नास्ति नास्ति भार्याप्यराजके । इदमत्याहितं चान्यत्कुतः सत्यमराजके ॥ ११ ॥
“In a kingless land there is no wealth; in a kingless land there is not even a wife; and this other great danger: where is truth in a kingless land?
नाराजके जनपदे कारयन्ति सभां नराः । उद्यानानि च रम्याणि हृष्टाः पुण्यगृहाणि च ॥ १२ ॥
“In a kingless land men do not build assembly halls, nor lovely gardens, nor, rejoicing, holy houses.
नाराजके जनपदे यज्ञशीला द्विजातयः । सत्राण्यन्वासते दान्ता ब्राह्मणाः संशितव्रताः ॥ १३ ॥
“In a kingless land the twice-born devoted to sacrifice, self-controlled brahmanas of firm vows, do not sit through long sacrificial sessions.
नाराजके जनपदे महायज्ञेषु यज्वनः । ब्राह्मणा वसुसम्पन्ना विसृजन्त्याप्तदक्षिणाः ॥ १४ ॥
“In a kingless land wealthy brahmana sacrificers do not distribute ample fees at great sacrifices.
नाराजके जनपदे प्रभूतनटनर्तकाः । उत्सवाश्च समाजाश्च वर्धन्ते राष्ट्रवर्धनाः ॥ १५ ॥
“In a kingless land festivals and gatherings, with many actors and dancers, which make the realm prosper, do not flourish.
नाराजके जनपदे सिद्धार्था व्यवहारिणः । कथाभिरनुरज्यन्ते कथाशीलाः कथाप्रियैः ॥ १६ ॥
“In a kingless land litigants do not have their cases decided, and lovers of stories are not delighted by tales from those who love to tell them.
नाराजके जनपदे उद्यानानि समागताः । सायाह्ने क्रीडितुं यान्ति कुमार्यो हेमभूषिताः ॥ १७ ॥
“In a kingless land maidens adorned with gold do not go together to the gardens at evening to play.
नाराजके जनपदे वाहनैः शीघ्रगामिभिः । नरा निर्यान्त्यरण्यानि नारीभिः सह कामिनः ॥ १८ ॥
“In a kingless land amorous men do not drive out to the woods with women on swift carriages.
नाराजके जनपदे धनवन्तः सुरक्षिताः । शेरते विवृतद्वाराः कृषिगोरक्षजीविनः ॥ १९ ॥
“In a kingless land the wealthy, and those who live by farming and cattle, do not sleep well protected with their doors open.
नाराजके जनपदे बद्धघण्टा विषाणिनः । अटन्ति राजमार्गेषु कुञ्जराः षष्टिहायनाः ॥ २० ॥
“In a kingless land tuskers sixty years old, with bells tied on, do not roam the royal roads.
नाराजके जनपदे शरान् संततमस्यताम् । श्रूयते तलनिर्घोष इष्वस्त्राणामुपासने ॥ २१ ॥
“In a kingless land the sound of the bowstring against the guard is not heard from those constantly shooting arrows in practice with bows and missiles.
नाराजके जनपदे वणिजो दूरगामिनः । गच्छन्ति क्षेममध्वानं बहुपुण्यसमाचिताः ॥ २२ ॥
“In a kingless land merchants travelling far, laden with many goods, do not go on the road in safety.
नाराजके जनपदे चरत्येकचरो वशी । भावयन्नात्मनात्मानं यत्र सायं गृहो मुनिः ॥ २३ ॥
“In a kingless land the solitary, self-controlled sage does not wander, contemplating the self by the self, making his home wherever evening finds him.
नाराजके जनपदे योगक्षेमं प्रवर्तते । न चाप्यराजके सेना शत्रून्विषहते युधि ॥ २४ ॥
“In a kingless land acquisition and security do not function; and in a kingless land the army does not withstand enemies in battle.
नाराजके जनपदे हृष्टैः परमवाजिभिः । नराः संयान्ति सहसा रथैश्च परिमण्डिताः ॥ २५ ॥
“In a kingless land men do not drive out at once, adorned, in chariots with excellent, spirited horses.
नाराजके जनपदे नराः शास्त्रविशारदाः । संवदन्तोऽवतिष्ठन्ते वनेषूपवनेषु च ॥ २६ ॥
“In a kingless land men learned in the shastras do not stay debating in forests and groves.
नाराजके जनपदे माल्यमोदकदक्षिणाः । देवताभ्यर्चनार्थय कल्प्यन्ते नियतैर्जनैः ॥ २७ ॥
“In a kingless land garlands, sweets and offerings are not prepared by disciplined people for the worship of the gods.
नाराजके जनपदे चन्दनागुरुरूषिताः । राजपुत्रा विराजन्ते वसन्त इव शाखिनः ॥ २८ ॥
“In a kingless land princes anointed with sandal and aloe do not shine like trees in spring.
यथा ह्यनुदका नद्यो यथा वाप्यतृणं वनम् । अगोपाला यथा गावस्तथा राष्ट्रमराजकम् ॥ २९ ॥
“As rivers without water, as a forest without grass, as cows without a herdsman, so is a kingdom without a king.
ध्वजो रथस्य प्रज्ञानं धूमो ज्ञानं विभावसोः । तेषां यो नो ध्वजो राजा स देवत्वमितो गतः ॥ ३० ॥
“The banner is the sign of a chariot; smoke is the sign of fire. He who was our banner, the king, has gone from here to the gods.
नाराजके जनपदे स्वकं भवति कस्यचित् । मत्स्याइव नरा नित्यं भक्षयन्ति परस्परम् ॥ ३१ ॥
“In a kingless land nothing is anyone’s own; men always devour one another like fish.
ये हि सम्भिन्नमर्यादा नास्तिकाश्छिन्नसंशयाः । तेऽपि भावाय कल्पन्ते राजदण्डनिपीडिताः ॥ ३२ ॥
“Even those unbelievers who break the bounds and cut off doubt are made to behave well when pressed by the king’s rod.
यथा दृष्टिः शरीरस्य नित्यमेव प्रवर्तते । तथा नरेन्द्रो राष्ट्रस्य प्रभवः सत्यधर्मयोः ॥ ३३ ॥
“As sight always guides the body, so the king is the source of truth and dharma in the kingdom.
राजा सत्यं च धर्मश्च राजा कुलवतां कुलम् । राजा माता पिता चैव राजा हितकरो नृणाम् ॥ ३४ ॥
“The king is truth and dharma; the king is the family of the well-born; the king is mother and father; the king is the benefactor of men.
यमो वैश्रवणः शक्रो वरुणश्च महाबलः । विशेष्यन्ते नरेन्द्रेण वृत्तेन महता ततः ॥ ३५ ॥
“Yama, Vaishravana, Shakra and mighty Varuna are surpassed by a lord of men through his great conduct.
अहो तम इवेदं स्यान्न प्रज्ञायेत किंचन । राजा चेन्न भवेल्लोके विभजन्साध्वसाधुनी ॥ ३६ ॥
“Ah, all this would be darkness and nothing could be known, if there were no king in the world to distinguish good and bad.
जीवत्यपि महाराजे तवैव वचनं वयम् । नातिक्रमामहे सर्वे वेलां प्राप्येव सागरः ॥ ३७ ॥
“Even while the great king was alive, we all never went beyond your word, as the ocean, reaching its shore, does not.
स नः समीक्ष्य द्विजवर्य वृत्तं नृपं विना राज्यमरण्यभूतम् । कुमारमिक्ष्वाकुसुतं वदान्यं त्वमेव राजानमिहाभिषिञ्चय ॥ ३८ ॥
“So, best of the twice-born, looking at our situation, the kingdom without a king become a wilderness, you yourself consecrate here as king a generous prince, a son of the Ikshvakus.”