Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 69 of 119 · 21 verses
Bharata’s Bad Dream
On the very night the messengers enter the city, Bharata has an unpleasant dream. As that night dawns, the son of the king of kings is deeply troubled. His friends, seeing his distress and wishing to lift it, tell stories in the assembly; some play soothing music, some dance, others put on plays and many kinds of comedy. But great-souled Bharata does not cheer up, though his kind-spoken friends joke and talk. A dear friend, sitting among the others, asks: “Why are you not happy, friend?” Bharata answers: “Listen to why this gloom has come on me.
“In a dream I saw my father, dirty, his hair loose, falling from a mountain peak into a foul pond of cow-dung. I saw him floating in that pond of dung, drinking oil from his cupped hands, laughing again and again. Then, having eaten rice with sesame, his head bent down again and again, his whole body smeared with oil, he plunged into oil. In the dream I also saw the ocean dried up, the moon fallen to the earth, and a blazing fire suddenly gone out; the tusk of the king’s riding elephant broken to pieces; the earth split open, many trees dried up, and mountains shattered and smoking. I saw the king sitting on an iron seat, dressed in black, and dark, tawny women laughing at him. The righteous one, wearing red garlands and red sandal paste, was hurrying away southward in a chariot drawn by donkeys. I saw a rakshasi in red clothes, with a deformed face, laughing at the king and dragging him away. This is what I saw this terrifying night: either I, or Rama, or the king, or Lakshmana will die. When a man in a dream rides in a vehicle drawn by donkeys, the smoke of his pyre is soon seen. This is why I am downcast and cannot return your kindness. My throat feels dry, my mind is not at ease. I see no cause for fear, yet I feel fear. My voice has failed, my radiance is dimmed. I almost loathe myself and do not see why. Seeing this course of evil dreams, many-formed, never imagined before, and thinking of the king, whose face I cannot picture, a great fear does not leave my heart.”
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यामेव रात्रिं ते दूताः प्रविशन्ति स्म तां पुरीम् । भरतेनापि तां रात्रिं स्वप्नो दृष्टोऽयमप्रियः ॥ १ ॥
On the very night the messengers entered that city, this unpleasant dream was seen by Bharata too, that night.
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व्युष्टामेव तु तां रात्रिं दृष्ट्वा तं स्वप्नमप्रियम् । पुत्रो राजाधिराजस्य सुभृशं पर्यतप्यत ॥ २ ॥
Having seen that unpleasant dream as that night dawned, the son of the king of kings was deeply troubled.
तप्यमानं समाज्ञाय वयस्याः प्रियवादिनः । आयासं हि विनेष्यन्तः सभायां चक्रिरे कथाः ॥ ३ ॥
Knowing him to be troubled, his kind-spoken friends, to lift his distress, held conversations in the assembly.
वादयन्ति तथा शान्तिं लासयन्त्यपि चापरे । नाटकान्यपरे प्राहुर्हास्यानि विविधानि च ॥ ४ ॥
Some played soothing music, and others danced; others performed plays and many kinds of comedies.
स तैर्महात्मा भरतः सखिभिः प्रियवादिभिः । गोष्ठीहास्यानि कुर्वद्भिर्न प्राहृष्यत राघवः ॥ ५ ॥
But great-souled Bharata, the Raghava, did not cheer up with those kind-spoken friends making jokes in company.
तमब्रवीत् प्रियसखो भरतं सखिभिर्वृतम् । सुहृद्भिः पर्युपासीनः किं सखे नानुमोदसे ॥ ६ ॥
A dear friend said to Bharata, who was surrounded by friends and attended by companions: “Why do you not rejoice, friend?”
एवं ब्रुवाणं सुहृदं भरतः प्रत्युवाच ह । शृणु त्वं यन्निमित्तम्मे दैन्यमेतदुपागतम् ॥ ७ ॥
To the friend speaking so Bharata replied: “Listen to the reason for which this dejection has come to me.
स्वप्ने पितरमद्राक्षं मलिनं मुक्तमूर्धजम् । पतन्तमद्रिशिखरात् कलुषे गोमये ह्रदे ॥ ८ ॥
“In a dream I saw my father, dirty, his hair loosed, falling from a mountain peak into a foul pond of cow-dung.
प्लवमानश्च मे दृष्टः स तस्मिन्गोमयह्रदे । पिबन्नञ्जलिना तैलं हसन्निव मुहुर्मुहुः ॥ ९ ॥
“And I saw him floating in that pond of cow-dung, drinking oil from his cupped hands, as if laughing again and again.
ततस्तिलोदनं भुक्त्वा पुनः पुनरधः शिराः । तैलेनाभ्यक्तसर्वाङ्गस्तैलमेवावगाहत ॥ १० ॥
“Then, having eaten rice with sesame, again and again head downwards, his whole body smeared with oil, he plunged into oil.
स्वप्नेऽपि सागरं शुष्कं चन्द्रं च पतितं भुवि । उपरुद्धां च जगतीं तमसेव समावृताम् ॥ ११ ॥
“In the dream too I saw the ocean dried up and the moon fallen on the earth, and the world besieged, as if covered with darkness.
औपवाह्यस्य नागस्य विषाणं शकलीकृतम् । सहसा चापि संशान्तं ज्वलितं जातवेदसम् ॥ १२ ॥
“The tusk of the riding elephant broken to pieces, and suddenly a blazing fire gone out.
अवदीर्णां च पृथिवीं शुष्कांश्च विविधान्द्रुमान् । अहं पश्यामि विध्वस्तान्सधूमांश्चैव पर्वतान् ॥ १३ ॥
“I see the earth split open, and many trees dried up, and the mountains shattered and smoking.
पीठे कार्ष्णायसे चैनं निषण्णं कृष्णवाससम् । प्रहसन्ति स्म राजानं प्रमदाः कृष्णपिङ्गलाः ॥ १४ ॥
“And dark, tawny women were laughing at the king, seated on a black iron seat, dressed in black.
त्वरमाणश्च धर्मात्मा रक्तमाल्यानुलेपनः । रथेन खरयुक्तेन प्रयातो दक्षिणामुखः ॥ १५ ॥
“And the righteous one, wearing red garlands and red paste, was going in haste, facing south, in a chariot yoked with donkeys.
प्रहसन्तीव राजानं प्रमदा रक्तवासिनी । प्रकर्षन्ती मया दृष्टा राक्षसी विकृतानना ॥ १६ ॥
“I saw a woman in red clothes, a rakshasi with a deformed face, as if laughing at the king and dragging him along.
एवमेतन्मया दृष्टमिमां रात्रिं भयावहाम् । अहं रामोऽथ वा राजा लक्ष्मणो वा मरिष्यति ॥ १७ ॥
“This is what I saw this fear-bringing night. I, or Rama, or the king, or Lakshmana will die.
नरो यानेन यः स्वप्ने खरयुक्तेन याति हि । अचिरात्तस्य धूमाग्रं चितायां सम्प्रदृश्यते ॥ १८ ॥
“For the man who in a dream goes in a vehicle yoked with donkeys: before long the tip of the smoke on his funeral pyre is seen.
एतन्निमित्तं दीनोऽहं तन्न वः प्रतिपूजये । शुष्यतीव च मे कण्ठो न स्वस्थमिव मे मनः ॥ १९ ॥
“This is why I am downcast and do not return your courtesy. My throat seems to be drying, and my mind is not at ease.
न पश्यामि भयस्थानं भयं चैवोपधारये । भ्रष्टश्च स्वरयोगो मे छाया चोपहता मम ॥ २० ॥
“I see no source of fear, and yet I feel fear. My voice has failed, and my radiance is struck.
जुगुप्सन्निव चात्मानं न च पश्यामि कारणम् । इमां हि दुःस्वप्नगतिं निशाम्य ताम् । अनेकरूपामवितर्कितां पुरा । भयं महत्तद्द्हृदयान्न याति मे । विचिन्त्य राजानमचिन्त्यदर्शनम् ॥ २१ ॥
“I almost loathe myself, and I do not see the reason. Hearing this course of an evil dream, many-formed, never before imagined, a great fear does not leave my heart, as I think of the king, whose face I cannot picture.”