Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 73 of 119 · 28 verses
Bharata Rejects His Mother
Hearing that his father is dead and his two brothers banished, Bharata, burning with grief, says: “What use is a kingdom to me, struck down and grieving here, without my father and without my brother who was like a father? You have added pain to my pain, like salt on a wound, making the king a ghost and Rama an ascetic. You came to destroy this family like the night of doom. My father did not realise he was embracing a live coal. You, who see only evil, have brought my king to death; in your delusion you have taken away the happiness of this family, disgrace of the family. Having married you, my father, glorious and truthful King Dasharatha, has died, burning with fierce grief. Why was my righteous father destroyed? Why was Rama banished, why has he gone to the forest? Kausalya and Sumitra, tormented by grief for their sons, will hardly live, now that they have you, my mother.
“The noble, righteous one, who knows how to treat elders, behaved toward you with the very best conduct, as toward his own mother. My eldest mother, far-sighted Kausalya, holding to dharma, treated you like a sister. How do you not grieve, wicked one, having sent her son, the perfected one, in bark and rags to live in the forest? Having banished the brave, glorious one who sees no evil, dressed in rags, what reason do you see? You are greedy; I think you did not know how I feel about Raghava, since you have brought about this great disaster for the sake of the kingdom. Without those two tigers among men, Rama and Lakshmana, by what strength could I protect the kingdom? The mighty, righteous great king always relied on the mighty one, as Mount Meru relies on its forest. How could I bear this burden, lifted by a great draught-ox, like a young bullock put to the yoke? Even if I had the strength, by means or by force of intelligence, I would not fulfil the wish of you who long for your son’s advancement. I would not hesitate to cast you off, you of wicked resolve, if Rama did not always regard you as his mother. How did this thought arise in you, who see evil, fallen from good conduct, condemned by our ancestors? In this family the eldest of all is consecrated king, and the other brothers serve him faithfully. Cruel one, I think you do not look to the king’s dharma, or know the eternal way of royal conduct. Always, in royal custom, the eldest is consecrated king; this holds for all kings, and especially the Ikshvakus, who protect dharma alone and are joined to the conduct of their family. Their pride in good conduct has turned back now that it has come to you. Your forefathers too, very fortunate kings of men, came before you; how has this condemned delusion of the mind arisen in you? I will not do what you desire, you of wicked resolve, who have begun a calamity that will end my life. Here and now, to displease you, I will bring back from the forest my sinless brother, beloved of his people. Having brought back Rama of blazing splendour, I will be his servant, with steady heart.” Saying this, great-souled Bharata, wounding her with streams of unwelcome words, and tormented by grief, roars again like a lion in a mountain cave.
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श्रुत्वा तु पितरं वृत्तं भ्रातरौ च विवासितौ । भरतो दुःखसंतप्त इदं वचनमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Hearing that his father was dead and his two brothers banished, Bharata, burning with sorrow, said these words:
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किं नु कार्यं हतस्येह मम राज्येन शोचतः । विहीनस्याथ पित्रा च भ्रात्रा पितृसमेन च ॥ २ ॥
“What shall I, struck down and grieving here, do with a kingdom, bereft of my father and of my brother who was like a father?
दुःखे मे दुःखमकरोर्व्रणे क्षारमिवादधाः । राजानं प्रेतभावस्थं कृत्वा रामं च तापसम् ॥ ३ ॥
“You have caused me sorrow upon sorrow, as if putting salt on a wound, having made the king a departed spirit and Rama an ascetic.
कुलस्य त्वमभावाय कालरात्रिरिवागता । अङ्गारमुपगूह्य स्म पिता मे नावबुद्धवान् ॥ ४ ॥
“You have come like the night of doom for the destruction of the family. My father did not realise he was embracing a live coal.
मृत्युमापादितो राजा त्वया मे पापदर्शिनि । सुखं परिहृतं मोहात्कुलेऽस्मिन्कुलपांसनि ॥ ५ ॥
“The king has been brought to death by you, who see only evil; in your delusion you have taken away happiness from this family, disgrace of the family.
त्वां प्राप्य हि पिता मे द्य सत्यसंधो महायशाः । तीव्रदुःखाभिसंतप्तो वृत्तो दशरथो नृपः ॥ ६ ॥
“For, having got you, my father, the truthful and greatly glorious King Dasharatha, burning with intense sorrow, has died today.
विनाशितो महाराजः पिता मे धर्मवत्सलः । कस्मात्प्रव्राजितो रामः कस्मादेव वनं गतः ॥ ७ ॥
“My father, the great king, devoted to dharma, has been destroyed. Why was Rama banished? Why did he go to the forest?
कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च पुत्रशोकाभिपीडिते । दुष्करं यदि जीवेतां प्राप्य त्वां जननीं मम ॥ ८ ॥
“Kausalya and Sumitra, tormented by grief for their sons, will hardly live, having you as my mother.
ननु त्वार्योऽपि धर्मात्मा त्वयि वृत्तिमनुत्तमाम् । वर्तते गुरुवृत्तिज्ञो यथा मातरि वर्तते ॥ ९ ॥
“Surely the noble one too, righteous, knowing how to behave toward elders, always behaved toward you with the best conduct, as he behaves toward his mother.
तथा ज्येष्ठा हि मे माता कौसल्या दीर्घदर्शिनी । त्वयि धर्मं समास्थाय भगिन्यामिव वर्तते ॥ १० ॥
“And so my eldest mother, far-sighted Kausalya, holding to dharma, behaved toward you as toward a sister.
तस्याः पुत्रं कृतात्मानं चीरवल्कलवाससम् । प्रस्थाप्य वनवासाय कथं पापे न शोचसि ॥ ११ ॥
“Having sent her son, the perfected one, wearing rags and bark, to live in the forest, how is it, wicked one, that you do not grieve?
अपापदर्शिनं शूरं कृतात्मानं यशस्विनम् । प्रव्राज्य चीरवसनं किं नु पश्यसि कारणम् ॥ १२ ॥
“Having banished the brave, glorious, perfected one, who sees no evil, in rags: what reason do you see?
लुब्धाया विदितो मन्ये न तेऽहं राघवं प्रति । तथाह्यनर्थो राज्यार्थं त्वया नीतो महानयम् ॥ १३ ॥
“Greedy one, I think you did not know how I feel toward Raghava; for so you have brought about this great disaster for the sake of the kingdom.
अहं हि पुरुषव्याघ्रावपश्यन् रामलक्ष्मणौ । केन शक्तिप्रभावेन राज्यं रक्षितुमुत्सहे ॥ १४ ॥
“Not seeing those tigers among men, Rama and Lakshmana, by the power of what strength could I undertake to protect the kingdom?
तं हि नित्यं महाराजो बलवन्तं महाबलः । उअपाश्रितोऽभूद्धर्मात्मा मेरुर्मेरुवनं यथा ॥ १५ ॥
“For the mighty, righteous great king always relied on that mighty one, as Meru relies on Meru’s forest.
सोऽहं कथमिमं भारं महाधुर्यसमुद्यतम् । दम्यो धुरमिवासाद्य सहेयं केन चौजसा ॥ १६ ॥
“How could I bear this burden, carried by a great draught-ox, like a young bullock coming to the yoke? With what strength?
अथवा मे भवेच्छक्तिर्योगैर्बुद्धिबलेन वा । सकामां न करिष्यामि त्वामहं पुत्रगर्धिनीम् ॥ १७ ॥
“Or even if I had the power, by means or by strength of intellect, I would not fulfil the desire of you who long for your son.
न मे विकाङ्क्षा जायेत त्यक्तुं त्वां पापनिश्चयाम् । यदि रामस्य नावेक्षा त्वयि स्यान्मातृवत्सदा ॥ १८ ॥
“I would have no hesitation in abandoning you, of evil resolve, if Rama did not always regard you as his mother.
उत्पन्ना तु कथं बुद्धिस्तवेयं पापदर्शिनि । साधुचारित्रविभ्रष्टे पूर्वेषां नो विगर्हिता ॥ १९ ॥
“How did this idea of yours arise, you who see evil, fallen from good conduct, condemned by our forefathers?
अस्मिन्कुले हि सर्वेषां ज्येष्ठो राज्येऽभिषिच्यते । अपरे भ्रातरस्तस्मिन्प्रवर्तन्ते समाहिताः ॥ २० ॥
“For in this family the eldest of all is consecrated in the kingdom, and the other brothers attend on him attentively.
न हि मन्ये नृशंसे त्वं राजधर्ममवेक्षसे । गतिं वा न विजानासि राजवृत्तस्य शाश्वतीम् ॥ २१ ॥
“Cruel one, I do not think you look to the dharma of kings, or know the eternal course of royal conduct.
सततं राजवृत्ते हि ज्येष्ठो राज्येऽभिषिच्यते । राज्ञामेतत्समं तत्स्यादिक्ष्वाकूणां विशेषतः ॥ २२ ॥
“Always, in royal conduct, the eldest is consecrated in the kingdom. This would be the same for all kings, and especially for the Ikshvakus,
तेषां धर्मैकरक्षाणां कुलचारित्रशोभिनाम् । अत्र चारित्रशौण्डीर्यं त्वां प्राप्य विनिवर्तितम् ॥ २३ ॥
“who protect dharma alone and are joined to the conduct of their family. Here their pride in good conduct has turned back, having come to you.
तवापि सुमहाभागा जनेन्द्राः कुलपूर्वगाः । बुद्धेर्मोहः कथमयं सम्भूतस्त्वयि गर्हितः ॥ २४ ॥
“Your forefathers too were very fortunate kings of men, leading the family. How has this condemned delusion of mind arisen in you?
न तु कामं करिष्यामि तवाऽह्ं पापनिश्चये । त्वया व्यसनमारब्धं जीवितान्तकरं मम ॥ २५ ॥
“I will not do what you wish, you of evil resolve, who have begun a calamity that will end my life.
एष त्विदानीमेवाहमप्रियार्थं तवानघम् । निवर्तयिष्यामि वनाद्भ्रातरं स्वजनप्रियम् ॥ २६ ॥
“Here, now, to displease you, I will bring back from the forest my sinless brother, beloved of his own people.
निवर्तयित्वा रामं च तस्याहं दीप्ततेजसः । दासभूतो भविष्यामि सुस्थितेनान्तरात्मना ॥ २७ ॥
“And having brought back Rama of blazing splendour, I will become his servant, with a firm heart.”
इत्येवमुक्त्वा भरतो महात्मा प्रियेतरैर्वाक्यगणैस्तुदंस्ताम् । शोकातुरश्चापि ननाद भूयः सिंहो यथा पर्वतगह्वरस्थः ॥ २८ ॥
Saying this, great-souled Bharata, piercing her with a host of unwelcome words, and tormented with grief, roared again, like a lion in a mountain cave.