Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 86 of 119 · 25 verses
Guha Tells of Lakshmana’s Vigil
Guha, who knows the forest thickets, tells boundless Bharata of the goodness of great-souled Lakshmana: “When Lakshmana, full of virtues, carrying his fine bow and arrows, stayed awake all night to guard his brother, I said to him: ‘Dear friend, this comfortable bed has been prepared for you. Rest and sleep on it happily, delight of the Raghus. All of us are used to hardship; you are used to comfort. We will stay awake to guard the righteous one. There is no one on earth dearer to me than Rama. Do not be anxious; I would not lie before you. By his grace I hope for great fame in this world, abundant dharma and all good things. So with bow in hand, with all my kinsmen, I will guard my dear friend Rama as he sleeps with Sita. Nothing in this forest is unknown to me, who always roam it; we could withstand even an army of four divisions in battle.’
“Spoken to so by us, great-souled Lakshmana, who looks only to dharma, persuaded us all: ‘How can I sleep, or live, or find any pleasure, while Dasharatha’s son lies on the ground with Sita? See him, Guha, lying on grass with Sita, he whom all the gods and demons together could not withstand in battle. Won by great austerity and many labours, he is Dasharatha’s one son with the marks of his father. With him banished, the king will not live long; the earth will soon be widowed. The women have surely cried out loudly and fallen silent with exhaustion; the royal palace must be hushed tonight. I do not hope that Kausalya, the king and my own mother will all survive this night. My mother might live, looking to Shatrughna; but grieving Kausalya, mother of a hero, will perish. My father, having failed to reach his heart’s desire, having failed to place Rama in the kingdom, will perish. Those who are present when the time comes will be fortunate: they will perform all the funeral rites for the king. They will walk happily in my father’s capital, with its lovely squares, its well-laid great roads, its mansions and palaces, adorned with every jewel, crowded with elephants, horses and chariots, echoing with music, full of every good thing, crowded with joyful, well-fed people, full of gardens and parks, rich in gatherings and festivals. Will we, with him who is true to his promise, safe and sound, when this term is over, enter it happily?’ As the great-souled prince lamented so, standing, the night passed. At dawn, when the sun was clear, both had their hair matted, and I took them safely across here on the bank of the Bhagirathi. Wearing matted hair, dressed in bark from trees, mighty, like leaders of elephant herds, carrying fine arrows, bows and swords, the scorchers of foes went with Sita, looking about them.”
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आचचक्षेऽथ सद्भावं लक्ष्मणस्य महात्मनः । भरतायाप्रमेयाय गुहो गहनगोचरः ॥ १ ॥
Then Guha, who moved in the thickets, told boundless Bharata of the goodness of great-souled Lakshmana:
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Guha Tells of Lakshmana’s Vigil 1 min read.
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तं जाग्रतं गुणैर्युक्तं वरचापेषुधारिणम् । भ्रातृगुप्त्यर्थमत्यन्तमहं लक्ष्मणमब्रवम् ॥ २ ॥
“To that Lakshmana, awake, full of virtues, bearing his fine bow and arrows, utterly devoted to guarding his brother, I said:
इयं तात सुखा शय्या त्वदर्थमुपकल्पिता । प्रत्याश्वसिहि शेष्वास्यां सुखं राघवनन्दन ॥ ३ ॥
“’Dear friend, this comfortable bed has been prepared for your sake. Rest, and sleep happily on it, delight of the Raghus.
उचितोऽयं जनः सर्वो दुःखानां त्वं सुखोचितः । धर्मात्मंस्तस्य गुप्त्यर्थं जागरिष्यामहे वयम् ॥ ४ ॥
“’All these people are used to hardship; you are used to comfort. We will stay awake to guard that righteous one.
न हि रामात् प्रियतरो ममास्ति भुवि कश्चन । मोत्सुको भूर्ब्रवीम्येतदप्यसत्यं तवाग्रतः ॥ ५ ॥
“’For there is no one on earth dearer to me than Rama. Do not be anxious; I would not speak an untruth before you.
अस्य प्रसादादाशंसे लोकेऽस्मिन्सुमहद्यशः । धर्मावाप्तिं च विपुलामर्थावाप्तिं च केवलाम् ॥ ६ ॥
“’By his grace I hope for very great fame in this world, abundant attainment of dharma, and all attainment of wealth.
सोऽहं प्रियसखं रामं शयानं सह सीतया । रक्षिष्यामि धनुष्पाणिः सर्वैः स्वैर्ज्नातिभिः सह ॥ ७ ॥
“’So I, bow in hand, with all my kinsmen, will guard my dear friend Rama, sleeping with Sita.
न हि मेऽविदितं किंचिद्वनेऽस्मिमश्चरतः सदा । चतुरङ्गं ह्यपि बलं प्रसहेम वयं युधि ॥ ८ ॥
“’For nothing in this forest is unknown to me, who always roam it; we could withstand even a four-limbed army in battle.’
एवमस्माभिरुक्तेन लक्ष्मणेन महात्मना । अनुनीता वयं सर्वे धर्ममेवानुपश्यता ॥ ९ ॥
“Spoken to so by us, great-souled Lakshmana, looking only to dharma, won us all over:
कथं दाशरथौ भूमौ शयाने सह सीतया । शक्या निद्रा मया लब्धुं जीवितं वा सुखानि वा ॥ १० ॥
“’How could I find sleep, or life, or pleasures, while Dasharatha’s son lies on the ground with Sita?
यो न देवासुरैः सर्वैः शक्यः प्रसहितुं युधि । तं पश्य गुह संविष्टं तृणेषु सह सीतया ॥ ११ ॥
“’See, Guha, him whom all the gods and demons could not withstand in battle, lying on grass with Sita.
महता तपसा लब्धो विविधैश्च परिश्रमैः । एको दशरथस्यैष पुत्रः सदृशलक्षणः ॥ १२ ॥
“’Won by great austerity and many kinds of labour, this is the one son of Dasharatha who bears marks like his father’s.
अस्मिन् प्रव्राजिते राजा न चिरं वर्तयिष्यति । विधवा मेदिनी नूनं क्षिप्रमेव भविष्यति ॥ १३ ॥
“’With him banished, the king will not live long. The earth will surely soon be widowed.
विनद्य सुमहानादं श्रमेणोपरताः स्त्रियः । निर्घोषोपरतं नूनमद्य राजनिवेशनम् ॥ १४ ॥
“’The women, having cried out with a very great cry, have fallen silent from exhaustion; surely the royal palace is hushed of sound today.
कौसल्या चैव राजा च तथैव जननी मम । नाशंसे यदि ते सर्वे जीवेयुः शर्वरीमिमाम् ॥ १५ ॥
“’Kausalya, and the king, and my own mother: I do not hope that all of them will live through this night.
जीवेदपि च मे माता शत्रुघ्नस्यान्ववेक्षया । दुःखिता या तु कौसल्या वीरसूर्विनशिष्यति ॥ १६ ॥
“’My mother might live, looking to Shatrughna; but grieving Kausalya, mother of a hero, will perish.
अतिक्रान्तमतिक्रान्तमनवाप्य मनोरथम् । राज्ये राममनिक्षिप्य पिता मे विनशिष्यति ॥ १७ ॥
“’My father, having failed to reach his heart’s desire, having failed to place Rama in the kingdom, will perish.
सिद्धार्थाः पितरं वृत्तं तस्मिन्काले ह्युपस्थिते । प्रेतकार्येषु सर्वेषु संस्करिष्यन्ति भूमिपम् ॥ १८ ॥
“’Those who are present when that time comes will have their purpose fulfilled; they will perform all the funeral rites for the departed lord of the earth.
रम्यचत्वरसंस्थानां सुविभक्तमहापथाम् । हर्म्यप्रासादसम्पन्नां सर्वरत्नविभूषिताम् ॥ १९ ॥
गजाश्वरथसम्बाधां तूर्यनादविनादिताम् । सर्वकल्याणसम्पूर्णां हृष्टपुष्टजनाकुलाम् ॥ २० ॥
आरामोद्यानसम्पूर्णां समाजोत्सवशालिनीम् । सुखिता विचरिष्यन्ति राजधानीं पितुर्मम ॥ २१ ॥
“’They will walk happily in my father’s capital, with its lovely squares and arrangements, its well-divided great roads, rich in mansions and palaces, adorned with every jewel, crowded with elephants, horses and chariots, resounding with the sound of music, full of every good thing, thronged with glad, well-fed people, full of gardens and parks, rich in gatherings and festivals.
अपि सत्यप्रतिज्ञेन सार्धं कुशलिना वयम् । निवृत्ते समये ह्यस्मिन्सुखिताः प्रविशेमहि ॥ २२ ॥
“’Will we, with him who is true to his promise, safe and sound, when this term is over, enter it happily?’
परिदेवयमानस्य तस्यैवं सुमहात्मनः । तिष्ठतो राजपुत्रस्य शर्वरी सात्यवर्तत ॥ २३ ॥
“As the great-souled prince lamented so, standing, that night passed.
प्रभाते विमले सूर्ये कारयित्वा जटा उभौ । अस्मिन्भागीरथीतीरे सुखं संतारितौ मया ॥ २४ ॥
“At dawn, when the sun was clear, both having had their hair matted, I took them safely across here on this bank of the Bhagirathi.
जटाधरौ तौ द्रुमचीरवाससौ महाबलौ कुञ्जरयूथपोपमौ । वरेषुचापासिधरौ परंतपौ व्यवेक्षमाणौ सह सीतया गतौ ॥ २५ ॥
“Wearing matted hair, dressed in bark from trees, very mighty, like leaders of elephant herds, carrying fine arrows, bows and swords, the scorchers of foes went with Sita, looking about them.”