Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 79 of 119 · 17 verses
Bharata Refuses the Crown
At dawn on the fourteenth day, the king-makers gather and say to Bharata: “Dasharatha, our greatest elder, has gone to heaven, having banished his eldest son Rama and mighty Lakshmana. Be our king today, glorious prince. This kingdom without a leader has done no wrong in coming together. Taking all these things for the consecration, Raghava, your own people and the guilds await you. Take the great kingdom of your fathers and grandfathers, Bharata; have yourself consecrated and protect us, bull among men.”
Bharata, firm in his vows, walks round all the consecration vessels with his right side toward them and answers all those people: “Kingship has always belonged to the eldest in our family. You are wise people; you should not speak to me like this. Rama, our elder brother, will be lord of the earth; I will live in the forest for fourteen years. Let a great army of four divisions be readied; I will bring back my eldest brother Raghava from the forest. Putting all these prepared consecration things in front, I will go to the forest for Rama’s sake. There I will consecrate that tiger among men and bring Rama back in front, as the sacred fire is brought from the sacrifice. I will not fulfil the wish of this woman who is a mother only in name. I will live in the hard forest; Rama will be king. Let craftsmen make a road, levelling the rough places, and let guards who know the difficult places go along the way.” Hearing the prince speak so for Rama’s sake, all the people answer with splendid words: “Because you speak like this, wishing to give the earth to the eldest prince, may Shri of the lotus attend you.” Hearing these incomparable words spoken by the prince, tears of joy fall from the noble faces of all. Their grief gone, the ministers and the assembly, delighted, say: “At your command, best of men, devoted people and the guild of craftsmen have been ordered to make the road.”
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ततः प्रभातसमये दिवसेऽथ चतुर्दशे । समेत्य राजकर्तारो भरतं वाक्यमब्रुवन् ॥ १ ॥
Then, at dawn on the fourteenth day, the king-makers came together and said to Bharata:
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गतो दशरथः स्वर्गं यो नो गुरुतरो गुरुः । रामं प्रव्राज्य वै ज्येष्ठं लक्ष्मणं च महाबलम् ॥ २ ॥
“Dasharatha, our weightiest elder, has gone to heaven, having banished his eldest son Rama and mighty Lakshmana.
त्वमद्य भव नो राजा राजपुत्र महायशः । संगत्या नापराध्नोति राज्यमेतदनायकम् ॥ ३ ॥
“Be our king today, greatly glorious prince. This leaderless kingdom does no wrong by meeting together.
आभिषेचनिकं सर्वमिदमादाय राघव । प्रतीक्षते त्वां स्वजनः श्रेणयश्च नृपात्मज ॥ ४ ॥
“Taking all this for the consecration, Raghava, your own people and the guilds await you, prince.
राज्यं गृहाण भरत पितृपैतामहं ध्रुवम् । अभिषेचय चात्मानं पाहि चास्मान्नरर्षभ ॥ ५ ॥
“Take the enduring kingdom of your fathers and grandfathers, Bharata; have yourself consecrated, and protect us, bull among men.”
आभिषेचनिकं भाण्डं कृत्वा सर्वं प्रदक्षिणम् । भरतस्तं जनं सर्वं प्रत्युवाच धृतव्रतः ॥ ६ ॥
Having walked round all the consecration vessels with his right side toward them, Bharata, firm in his vows, answered all those people:
ज्येष्ठस्य राजता नित्यमुचिता हि कुलस्य नः । नैवं भवन्तो मां वक्तुमर्हन्ति कुशला जनाः ॥ ७ ॥
“Kingship is always fitting for the eldest in our family. You, who are wise people, should not speak to me so.
रामः पूर्वो हि नो भ्राता भविष्यति महीपतिः । अहं त्वरण्ये वत्स्यामि वर्षाणि नव पञ्च च ॥ ८ ॥
“Rama, our elder brother, will be lord of the earth. I will live in the forest for nine and five years.
युज्यतां महती सेना चतुरङ्गमहाबला । आनयिष्याम्यहं ज्येष्ठं भ्रातरं राघवं वनात् ॥ ९ ॥
“Let a great army of four divisions, very strong, be yoked. I will bring my eldest brother Raghava back from the forest.
आभिषेचनिकं चैव सर्वमेतदुपस्कृतम् । पुरस्कृत्य गमिष्यामि रामहेतोर्वनं प्रति ॥ १० ॥
“And putting all this consecration equipment that has been prepared in front, I will go to the forest for Rama’s sake.
तत्रैव तं नरव्याघ्रमभिषिच्य पुरस्कृतम् । आनेष्यामि तु वै रामं हव्यवाहमिवाध्वरात् ॥ ११ ॥
“There I will consecrate that tiger among men and, placing him in front, bring Rama back, as the sacrificial fire is brought from the sacrifice.
न सकामा करिष्यामि स्वमिमां मातृगन्धिनीम् । वने वत्स्याम्यहं दुर्गे रामो राजा भविष्यति ॥ १२ ॥
“I will not fulfil the wish of this woman who has only the smell of a mother about her. I will live in the hard forest; Rama will be king.
क्रियतां शिल्पिभिः पन्थाः समानि विषमाणि च । रक्षिणश्चानुसंयान्तु पथि दुर्गविचारकाः ॥ १३ ॥
“Let craftsmen make a road, levelling the rough places, and let guards follow along the way who know the difficult places.”
एवं सम्भाषमाणं तं रामहेतोर्नृपात्मजम् । प्रत्युवाच जनः सर्वः श्रीमद्वाक्यमनुत्तमम् ॥ १४ ॥
To the prince speaking so for Rama’s sake, all the people replied with glorious, incomparable words:
एवं ते भाषमाणस्य पद्मा श्रीरुपतिष्ठताम् । यस्त्वं ज्येष्ठे नृपसुते पृथिवीं दातुमिच्छसि ॥ १५ ॥
“Since you speak like this, wishing to give the earth to the eldest prince, may Shri of the lotus attend you.”
अनुत्तमं तद्वचनं नृपात्मजप्रभाषितं संश्रवणे निशम्य च । प्रहर्षजास्तं प्रति बाष्पबिन्दवो निपेतुरार्यानननेत्रसम्भवाः ॥ १६ ॥
Hearing those incomparable words of the prince spoken in their hearing, tears born of joy fell toward him from the eyes in the noble faces.
ऊचुस्ते वचनमिदं निशम्य हृष्टाः सामात्याः सपरिषदो वियातशोकाः । पन्थानं नरवर भक्तिमाञ्जनश्च व्यादिष्टस्तव वचनाच्च शिल्पिवर्गः ॥ १७ ॥
Hearing these words, the ministers with the assembly, delighted, their grief gone, said: “Best of men, the devoted people and the guild of craftsmen have been ordered by your word to make the road.”