Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 76 of 119 · 23 verses
The Funeral of Dasharatha
To Bharata, son of Kaikeyi, burning with grief, Vasishtha, best of speakers, says: “Enough of grief, glorious prince, bless you. It is time; perform the last journey of the lord of men.” Hearing him, Bharata steadies himself and, knowing dharma, has all the funeral rites performed. The king is lifted out of the oil and laid on the ground, his face yellowish, as if asleep. Laying him on a fine bed adorned with many jewels, his son laments: “What did you decide, king, while I was away and had not returned, banishing Rama who knows dharma and mighty Lakshmana? Where will you go, great king, leaving these grieving people, bereft of Rama, lion among men, of unwearied deeds? Who will provide for the welfare and security of this city, father, now that you have gone to heaven and Rama has gone to the forest? The earth, widowed without you, does not shine, king; the city looks to me like a night without a moon.”
As Bharata laments so, sick at heart, great Vasishtha says again: “Let the rites due to this lord of the people be performed without hesitation and without delay, mighty-armed one.” “So be it,” says Bharata, honouring Vasishtha’s words, and hurries the officiating priests, the family priest and the teachers. The sacred fires of the lord of men, taken out from the fire-house, are carried in front by the priests and sacrificers according to rule. The attendants, their throats choked with tears, sick at heart, lift the lifeless king on to a litter and carry him. People go ahead of the king on the road, scattering silver, gold and clothes of many kinds. Others bring sandalwood, aloe, resins, sarala and padmaka wood and deodar, and build a pyre. Having put many fragrances on it, the priests lay the lord of the earth in the middle of the pyre. The priests pour oblations into the fire and recite prayers; the Sama singers sing Samans according to the shastra. His wives come out of the city in litters and carriages, as befits them, surrounded by elders. The priests walk round the king on the pyre with their left sides toward it, and so do the grieving women, Kausalya first. The cry of the women is heard there like the cry of curlews, thousands of them wailing piteously in their pain. Then, weeping helplessly, lamenting again and again, the noble women get down from the carriages at the bank of the Sarayu. Having offered water with Bharata, the king’s women, ministers and priests enter the city, their eyes streaming with tears, and spend ten days in mourning, sleeping on the ground.
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तमेवं शोकसंतप्तं भरतं केकयीसुतम् । उवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठो वसिष्ठः श्रेष्ठवागृषिः ॥ १ ॥
To Bharata, son of Kaikeyi, burning so with grief, Vasishtha, best of speakers, the seer of excellent speech, said:
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अलं शोकेन भद्रं ते राजपुत्र महायशः । प्राप्तकालं नरपतेः कुरु संयानमुत्तमम् ॥ २ ॥
“Enough of grief, bless you, greatly glorious prince. Perform now, at the proper time, the final journey of the lord of men.”
वसिष्ठस्य वचः श्रुत्वा भरतो धारणां गतः । प्रेतकार्याणि सर्वाणि कारयामास धर्मवित् ॥ ३ ॥
Hearing Vasishtha’s words, Bharata steadied himself and, knowing dharma, had all the funeral rites performed.
उद्धृतं तैल संक्लेदात्स तु भूमौ निवेशितम् । आपीतवर्णवदनं प्रसुप्तमिव भूमिपम् ॥ ४ ॥
Lifted out of the immersion in oil, he was laid on the ground, the lord of the earth, his face yellowish, as if asleep.
संवेश्य शयने चाग्र्ये नानारत्नपरिष्कृते । ततो दशरथं पुत्रो विललाप सुदुःखितः ॥ ५ ॥
Then, laying Dasharatha on an excellent bed adorned with many kinds of jewels, his son lamented, deeply grieved:
किं ते व्यवसितं राजन्प्रोषिते मय्यनागते । विवास्य रामं धर्मज्ञं लक्ष्मणं च महाबलम् ॥ ६ ॥
“What did you resolve, king, while I was away and had not returned, having banished Rama, who knows dharma, and mighty Lakshmana?
क्व यास्यसि महाराज हित्वेमं दुःखितं जनम् । हीनं पुरुषसिंहेन रामेणाक्लिष्टकर्मणा ॥ ७ ॥
“Where will you go, great king, leaving these grieving people, bereft of Rama, lion among men, of unwearied deeds?
योगक्षेमं तु ते राजन्कोऽस्मिन् कल्पयिता पुरे । त्वयि प्रयाते स्वस्तात रामे च वनमाश्रिते ॥ ८ ॥
“Who will provide welfare and security in this city for you, king, now that you have gone to heaven, father, and Rama has taken to the forest?
विधवा पृथिवी राजंस्त्वया हीना न राजते । हीनचन्द्रेव रजनी नगरी प्रतिभाति माम् ॥ ९ ॥
“The widowed earth does not shine without you, king; the city seems to me like a night without the moon.”
एवं विलपमानं तं भरतं दीनमानसम् । अब्रवीद्वचनं भूयो वसिष्ठस्तु महामुनिः ॥ १० ॥
To Bharata, lamenting so, sick at heart, the great seer Vasishtha spoke again:
प्रेतकार्याणि यान्यस्य कर्तव्यानि विशाम्पतेः । तान्यव्यग्रं महाबाहो क्रियतामविचारितम् ॥ ११ ॥
“Let the funeral rites that are to be done for this lord of the people be done without distraction, mighty-armed one, without hesitation.”
तथेति भरतो वाक्यं वसिष्ठस्याभिपूज्य तत् । ऋत्विक्पुरोहिताचार्यांस्त्वरयामास सर्वशः ॥ १२ ॥
Saying “So be it”, Bharata, honouring Vasishtha’s words, hurried the officiating priests, the family priest and the teachers in every way.
ये त्वग्नयो नरेन्द्रस्य अग्न्यगाराद्बहिष्कृताः । ऋत्विग्भिर्याजकैश्चैव ते ह्रियन्ते यथाविधि ॥ १३ ॥
The fires of the lord of men, which had been brought out of the fire-house, were carried according to rule by the officiating priests and sacrificers.
शिबिकायामथारोप्य राजानं गतचेतनम् । बाष्पकण्ठा विमनसस्तमूहुः परिचारकाः ॥ १४ ॥
Then, placing the lifeless king on a litter, the attendants, their throats choked with tears, sick at heart, carried him.
हिरण्यं च सुवर्णं च वासांसि विविधानि च । प्रकिरन्तो जना मार्गं नृपतेरग्रतो ययुः ॥ १५ ॥
People went in front of the king along the road, scattering silver and gold and clothes of many kinds.
चन्दनागरुनिर्यासान्सरलं पद्मकं तथा । देवदारूणि चाहृत्य क्षेपयन्ति तथापरे ॥ १६ ॥
Others, bringing sandal, aloe and resins, sarala and padmaka, and deodar wood, cast them on the pyre.
गन्धानुच्चावचांश्चान्यांस्तत्र गत्वाथ भूमिपम् । ततः संवेशयामासुश्चितामध्ये तमृत्विजः ॥ १७ ॥
Having placed many other fragrances, high and low, there, the priests then laid the lord of the earth in the middle of the pyre.
तथा हुताशनं हुत्वा जेपुस्तस्य तदर्त्विजः । जगुश्च ते यथाशास्त्रं तत्र सामानि सामगाः ॥ १८ ॥
Then, having made offerings into the fire, the priests murmured prayers for him; and the Sama singers sang Samans there according to the shastra.
शिबिकाभिश्च यानैश्च यथार्हं तस्य योषितः । नगरान्निर्ययुस्तत्र वृद्धैः परिवृतास्तदा ॥ १९ ॥
In litters and carriages, as befitted them, his wives came out of the city there, surrounded by elders.
प्रसव्यं चापि तं चक्रुरृत्विजोऽग्निचितं नृपम् । स्त्रियश्च शोकसंतप्ताः कौसल्याप्रमुखास्तदा ॥ २० ॥
And the priests walked round the king on the fire-pyre with their left sides toward him, and so did the women burning with grief, Kausalya first.
क्रौञ्चीनामिव नारीणां निनादस्तत्र शुश्रुवे । आर्तानां करुणं काले क्रोशन्तीनां सहस्रशः ॥ २१ ॥
The cry of the women was heard there like that of curlews, thousands of them crying piteously in their distress at that time.
ततो रुदन्त्यो विवशा विलप्य च पुनः पुनः । यानेभ्यः सरयूतीरमवतेरुर्वराङ्गनाः ॥ २२ ॥
Then, weeping, helpless, having lamented again and again, the noble women got down from the carriages at the bank of the Sarayu.
कृतोदकं ते भरतेन सार्धं नृपाङ्गना मन्त्रिपुरोहिताश्च । पुरं प्रविश्याश्रुपरीतनेत्रा भूमौ दशाहं व्यनयन्त दुःखम् ॥ २३ ॥
Having offered water with Bharata, the king’s women, the ministers and the priests entered the city with eyes full of tears, and spent ten days of mourning on the ground.