Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 83 of 119 · 26 verses
The Whole City Goes to Bring Rama Back
Rising at daybreak and mounting an excellent chariot, Bharata sets out quickly, longing to see Rama. Ahead go all the ministers and priests in horse-drawn chariots like the sun’s chariot. Nine thousand elephants, equipped by rule, follow Bharata, delight of the Ikshvakus; sixty thousand chariots with archers bearing many weapons; a hundred thousand horsemen follow the glorious prince. Kaikeyi, Sumitra and glorious Kausalya go in a shining carriage, glad at the thought of bringing Rama back. Groups of nobles go to see Rama and Lakshmana, telling wonderful stories about him, glad at heart: “When shall we see mighty-armed Rama, dark as a cloud, steady and firm in his vows, who destroys the world’s grief? As soon as he is seen, Raghava will drive away our grief, as the rising sun drives away the darkness of the whole world.” Talking happily so and embracing one another, the citizens go.
All the respected people, the merchants, and all the subjects go joyfully toward Rama: jewellers, fine potters, weavers, those who live by arms, peacock-feather workers, sawyers, ornament-makers, piercers, ivory carvers, plasterers, perfumers, famous goldsmiths, blanket-washers, bath attendants, masseurs, physicians, incense-makers, vintners, washermen, tailors, village and cattle-station headmen, actors with their women, and fishermen. Thousands of composed, learned brahmanas, honoured for their conduct, follow Bharata in ox-carts. Well-dressed, in clean clothes, anointed with copper-coloured paste, all of them follow Bharata slowly in many kinds of vehicles. The army, joyful and glad, follows Kaikeyi’s son Bharata, who loves his brother, going to bring him back. Having gone a long way with chariots, carriages, horses and elephants, they reach the Ganga near Shringaverapura, where heroic Guha, Rama’s friend, lives with his kinsmen, watchfully protecting that land. Coming to the bank of the Ganga, adorned with chakravaka birds, Bharata’s following army halts. Looking at the army behind him and the Ganga with its auspicious water, Bharata, skilled in speech, says to all his ministers: “Camp my army as you think best. Rested, we will cross this river tomorrow. Meanwhile I wish to go down into the river and offer water for the departed lord of the earth, for his life after the body.” The ministers, attentive, say “So be it” and camp the troops each as he wishes. Having camped the army along the great river Ganga, adorned with arrangements and equipment, Bharata stays there, thinking how to bring great-souled Rama back.
Press › to begin with verse 1.
ततः समुत्थितः काल्यमास्थाय स्यन्दनोत्तमम् । प्रययौ भरतः शीघ्रं रामदर्शन काङ्क्षया ॥ १ ॥
Then, rising at daybreak and mounting an excellent chariot, Bharata set out quickly, longing to see Rama.
Commentary on the whole sarga
The Whole City Goes to Bring Rama Back 1 min read.
Read the commentary
अग्रतः प्रययुस्तस्य सर्वे मन्त्रिपुरोधसः । अधिरुह्य हयैर्युक्तान् रथान्सूर्यरथोपमान् ॥ २ ॥
Ahead of him went all the ministers and priests, mounted on chariots yoked with horses, like the chariot of the sun.
नवनागसहस्राणि कल्पितानि यथाविधि । अन्वयुर्भरतं यान्तमिक्ष्वाकुकुलनन्दनम् ॥ ३ ॥
Nine thousand elephants, equipped according to rule, followed Bharata, delight of the Ikshvaku line, as he went.
षष्टी रथसहस्राणि धन्विनो विविधायुधाः । अन्वयुर्भरतं यान्तं राजपुत्रं यशस्विनम् ॥ ४ ॥
Sixty thousand chariots, with archers bearing many kinds of weapons, followed Bharata, the glorious prince, as he went.
शतं सहस्राण्यश्वानां समारूढानि राघवम् । अन्वयुर्भरतं यान्तं राजपुत्रं यशस्विनं ॥ ५ ॥
A hundred thousand horses with their riders followed Bharata Raghava, the glorious prince, as he went.
कैकेयी च सुमित्रा च कौसल्या च यशस्विनी । रामानयनसंहृष्टा ययुर्यानेन भास्वता ॥ ६ ॥
Kaikeyi and Sumitra and glorious Kausalya, delighted at the bringing back of Rama, went in a shining carriage.
प्रयाताश्चार्यसंघाता रामं द्रष्टुं सलक्ष्मणम् । तस्यैव च कथाश्चित्राः कुर्वाणा हृष्टमानसाः ॥ ७ ॥
And the companies of nobles set out to see Rama with Lakshmana, telling wonderful stories about him, glad at heart:
मेघश्यामं महाबाहुं स्थिरसत्त्वं दृढव्रतम् । कदा द्रक्ष्यामहे रामं जगतः शोकनाशनम् ॥ ८ ॥
“When shall we see Rama, dark as a cloud, mighty-armed, steady in courage, firm in his vows, the destroyer of the world’s grief?
दृष्टएव हि नः शोकमपनेष्यति राघवः । तमः सर्वस्य लोकस्य समुद्यन्निव भास्करः ॥ ९ ॥
“As soon as he is seen, Raghava will drive away our grief, as the rising sun drives away the darkness of the whole world.”
इत्येवं कथयन्तस्ते सम्प्रहृष्टाः कथाः शुभाः । परिष्वजानाश्चान्योन्यं ययुर्नागरिकास्तदा ॥ १० ॥
Telling such auspicious stories, delighted, embracing one another, the citizens then went on.
ये च तत्रापरे सर्वे सम्मता ये च नैगमाः । रामं प्रतिययुर्हृष्टाः सर्वाः प्रकृतयस्तदा ॥ ११ ॥
And all the others there who were respected, and the merchants, all the subjects, went joyfully toward Rama then.
मणिकाराश्च ये केचित्कुम्भकाराश्च शोभनाः । सूत्रकर्मकृतश्चैव ये च शस्त्रोपजीविनः ॥ १२ ॥
Jewellers of every kind, and fine potters, weavers, and those who live by weapons,
मायूरकाः क्राकचिका रोचका वेधकास्तथा । दन्तकाराः सुधाकारास्तथा गन्धोपजीविनः ॥ १३ ॥
peacock-feather workers, sawyers, ornament makers and piercers, ivory carvers and plasterers, and those who live by perfumes,
सुवर्णकाराः प्रख्यातास्तथा कम्बलधावकाः । स्नापकाच्चादका वैद्या धूपकाः शौण्डिकास्तथा ॥ १४ ॥
famous goldsmiths, and blanket-washers, bath attendants, masseurs, physicians, incense makers and vintners,
रजकास्तुन्नवायाश्च ग्रामघोषमहत्तराः । शैलूषाश्च सह स्त्रीभिर्यान्ति कैवर्तकास्तथा ॥ १५ ॥
washermen and tailors, the headmen of villages and cattle stations, actors with their women, and fishermen too, went.
समाहिता वेदविदो ब्राह्मणा वृत्तसम्मताः । गोरथैर्भरतं यान्तमनुजग्मुः सहस्रशः ॥ १६ ॥
Composed brahmanas who knew the Vedas, honoured for their conduct, followed Bharata in ox-carts by the thousand.
सुवेषाः शुद्धवसनास्ताम्रमृष्टानुलेपनाः । सर्वे ते विविधैर्यानैः शनैर्भरतमन्वयुः ॥ १७ ॥
Well dressed, in clean clothes, anointed with copper-coloured unguents, all of them followed Bharata slowly in many kinds of vehicles.
प्रहृष्टमुदिता सेना सान्वयात्कैकयीसुतम् । भ्रातुरानयने यान्तं भरतं भ्रातृवत्सलम् ॥ १८ ॥
The army, joyful and glad, followed Kaikeyi’s son Bharata, who loved his brother, going to bring his brother back.
ते गत्वा दूरमध्वानं रथंयानाश्वकुञ्जरैः । समासेदुस्ततो गङ्गां शृङ्गिबेरपुरं प्रति ॥ १९ ॥
Having gone a long way with chariots, carriages, horses and elephants, they then reached the Ganga near Shringaverapura,
यत्र रामसखो वीरो गुहो ज्ञातिगणैर्वृतः । निवसत्यप्रमादेन देशं तं परिपालयन् ॥ २० ॥
where Rama’s friend, heroic Guha, surrounded by his kinsmen, lived, watchfully protecting that region.
उपेत्य तीरं गङ्गायाश्चक्रवाकैरलंकृतम् । व्यवतिष्ठत सा सेना भरतस्यानुयायिनी ॥ २१ ॥
Coming to the bank of the Ganga, adorned with chakravaka birds, that army following Bharata halted.
निरीक्ष्यानुगतां सेनां तां च गङ्गां शिवोदकाम् । भरतः सचिवान्सर्वानब्रवीद् वाक्यकोविदः ॥ २२ ॥
Looking at the army that had followed and at the Ganga with its auspicious water, Bharata, skilled in speech, said to all his ministers:
निवेशयत मे सैन्यमभिप्रायेण सर्वतः । विश्रान्ताः प्रतरिष्यामः श्व इदानीमिमां नदीम् ॥ २३ ॥
“Camp my army in every way as you think fit. Having rested, we will cross the great river tomorrow.
दातुं च तावदिच्छामि स्वर्गंतस्य महीपतेः । और्ध्वदेहनिमित्तार्थमवतीर्योदकं नदीम् ॥ २४ ॥
“Meanwhile I wish to go down into the river and give water to the departed lord of the earth, for the sake of his life after the body.”
तस्यैवं ब्रुवतोऽमात्यास्तथेत्युक्त्वा समाहिताः । न्यवेशयंस्तांश्चन्देन स्वेन स्वेन पृथक्पृथक् ॥ २५ ॥
To him speaking so, the ministers, attentive, said “So be it”, and camped them each according to his own wish, separately.
निवेश्य गङ्गामनु तां महा नदीं चमूं विधानैः परिबर्हशोभिनीम् । उवास रामस्य तदा महात्मनो विचिन्तयानो भरतो निवर्तनम् ॥ २६ ॥
Having camped the army along that great river Ganga, splendid with its arrangements and equipment, Bharata stayed there, thinking about the return of great-souled Rama.