Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 88 of 119 · 30 verses
Bharata’s Vow at Rama’s Bed
Having heard everything in detail, Bharata goes with his ministers to the foot of the ingudi tree and looks at Rama’s bed. He says to all his mothers: “Here the great soul slept on the ground for a night; here it is crushed down. Born of the very fortunate, high-born, wise Dasharatha, Rama ought not to sleep on the ground. How does the tiger among men, who slept on piles of fine coverlets spread with deerskins, lie on the bare ground? He always lived in the top rooms of palaces and towers, in turrets, in chambers floored with gold and silver, spread with fine carpets, bright with heaps of flowers, fragrant with sandal and aloe, shining like white clouds, echoing with flocks of parrots, cool and fragrant, like Mount Meru, their walls worked in gold. He was always woken by the sound of song and music, the jingling of fine ornaments and the noble sound of the mridanga; at the right time he was praised by bards, by many sutas and magadhas, with fitting verses and hymns. This is unbelievable in the world; it does not seem true to me. My mind is bewildered; I think this is a dream. Surely no god is stronger than Time, if Rama, son of Dasharatha, lies on the ground like this. And Sita, the lovely daughter of the Videha king, beloved, the daughter-in-law of Dasharatha, lay on the ground.
“This is my brother’s bed; here he turned over. On the hard bare ground all the grass is crushed by his limbs. I think Sita slept on this bed wearing her ornaments; here and there flecks of gold are caught. Sita’s upper garment clearly caught here; these silk threads shine, caught in the grass. I think her husband’s bed is comfortable to her, since the young, devoted, delicate Maithili, faithful, does not feel hardship. Alas, I am lost, cruel as I am, since because of me Raghava and his wife lie on such a bed like those without protection. Born in a family of world-emperors, bringing happiness to all, dear to all, having given up the dear, incomparable kingdom, how does Raghava, dark as a blue lotus, red-eyed, handsome, who deserves happiness and not sorrow, sleep on the ground? Blessed indeed is fortunate Lakshmana of auspicious marks, who follows his brother Rama in this hard time. Vaidehi has reached her goal, following her husband to the forest. We are all in doubt, deprived of that great soul. With Dasharatha gone to heaven and Rama gone to the forest, the earth seems empty to me, like a ship without a helmsman. Yet no one longs for this earth even in his mind, protected by the might of his arms though he lives in the forest. Its walls unguarded, its horses and elephants unrestrained, its city gates open, the capital unprotected, its army dejected, weakened, in a hard plight, uncovered: enemies do not covet it, as no one covets food laced with poison. From today I will sleep on the ground or on grass, eating fruit and roots, always wearing matted hair and bark. For his sake I will live happily in the forest for the remaining time; so that promise will be kept, and it will not prove false for him. Shatrughna will live with me, while I live for my brother’s sake; and the noble one, with Lakshmana, will protect Ayodhya. The twice-born will consecrate Kakutstha in Ayodhya. May the gods make this wish of mine come true! If, though I beg him with my head in many ways, he will not agree, then I will follow Raghava for a long time, living in the forest; he cannot disregard me.”
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तच्छ्रुत्वा निपुणं सर्वं भरतः सह मन्त्रिभिः । इङ्गुदीमूलमागम्य रामशय्यामवेक्ष्य ताम् ॥ १ ॥
अब्रवीद्जननीः सर्वा इह तेन महात्मना । शर्वरी शयिता भूमाविदमस्य विमर्दितम् ॥ २ ॥
Having heard all that in detail, Bharata, with his ministers, came to the foot of the ingudi and, looking at Rama’s bed, said to all his mothers: “Here that great soul slept a night on the ground; here this is crushed by him.
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Bharata’s Vow at Rama’s Bed 1 min read.
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महाभागकुलीनेन महाभागेन धीमता । जातो दशरथेनोर्व्यां न रामः स्वप्तुमर्हति ॥ ३ ॥
“Born on the earth of greatly fortunate, high-born, very fortunate, wise Dasharatha, Rama ought not to sleep on the ground.
अजिनोत्तरसंस्तीर्णे वरास्तरणसंचये । शयित्वा पुरुषव्याघ्रः कथं शेते महीतले ॥ ४ ॥
“Having slept on piles of fine coverlets spread over with deerskins, how does the tiger among men lie on the bare ground?
प्रासादाग्रविमानेषु वलभीषु च सर्वदा । हैमराजतभौमेषु वरास्त्ररणशालिषु ॥ ५ ॥
पुष्पसंचयचित्रेषु चन्दनागरुगन्धिषु । पाण्डुराभ्रप्रकाशेषु शुकसंघरुतेषु च ॥ ६ ॥
प्रासादवरवर्येषु शीतवत्सु सुगन्धिषु । उषित्वा मेरुकल्पेषु कृतकाञ्चनभित्तिषु ॥ ७ ॥
“Having lived always in the top rooms and towers of palaces, in turrets, in chambers floored with gold and silver, splendid with fine carpets, bright with heaps of flowers, fragrant with sandal and aloe, shining like white clouds, echoing with flocks of parrots, in the best of palaces, cool and fragrant, like Meru, with walls worked in gold;
गीतवादित्रनिर्घोषैर्वराभरणनिःस्वनैः । मृदङ्गवरशब्दैश्च सततं प्रतिबोधितः ॥ ८ ॥
“always woken by the sounds of song and music, by the jingling of fine ornaments and the noble sound of the mridanga;
बन्दिभिर्वन्दितः काले बहुभिः सूतमागधैः । गाथाभिरनुरूपाभिः स्तुतिभिश्च परंतपः ॥ ९ ॥
“praised at the proper time by bards, by many sutas and magadhas, with fitting verses and hymns, the scorcher of foes:
अश्रद्धेयमिदं लोके न सत्यं प्रतिभाति मा । मुह्यते खलु मे भावः स्वप्नोऽयमिति मे मतिः ॥ १० ॥
“this is unbelievable in the world; it does not seem true to me. My mind is bewildered; I think this is a dream.
न नूनं दैवतं किंचित् कालेन बलवत्तरम् । यत्र दाशरथी रामो भूमावेवंशयीत सः ॥ ११ ॥
“Surely there is no deity stronger than Time, if Rama, son of Dasharatha, sleeps on the ground like this.
विदेहराजस्य सुता सीता च प्रियदर्शना । दयिता शयिता भूमौ स्नुषा दशरथस्य च ॥ १२ ॥
“And Sita, the daughter of the Videha king, lovely to see, beloved, the daughter-in-law of Dasharatha, slept on the ground.
इयं शय्या मम भ्रातुरिदं हि परिवर्तितम् । स्थण्डिले कठिने सर्वं गात्रैर्विमृदितं तृणम् ॥ १३ ॥
“This is my brother’s bed; here he turned over. On the hard bare ground all the grass is crushed by his limbs.
मन्ये साभरणा सुप्ता सीतास्मिञ्शयनेतदा । तत्र तत्र हि दृश्यन्ते सक्ताः कनकबिन्दवः ॥ १४ ॥
“I think Sita slept on this bed then with her ornaments on; for here and there flecks of gold are seen, caught.
उत्तरीयमिहासक्तं सुव्यक्तं सीतया तदा । तथा ह्येते प्रकाशन्ते सक्ताः कौशेयतन्तवः ॥ १५ ॥
“Sita’s upper garment clearly caught here then; for so these silk threads shine, caught.
मन्ये भर्तुः सुखा शय्या येन बाला तपस्विनी । सुकुमारी सती दुःखं न विजानाति मैथिली ॥ १६ ॥
“I think her husband’s bed is pleasant to her, since the young, devoted, delicate, faithful Maithili does not know hardship.
हा हन्तास्मि नृशंसोऽहं यत्सभार्यः कृते मम । ईदृशीं राघवः शय्यामधिशेते ह्यनाथवत् ॥ १७ ॥
“Alas, I am lost, cruel that I am, since for my sake Raghava and his wife lie on such a bed like those without a protector.
सार्वभौमकुले जातः सर्वलोकसुखावहः । सर्वलोकप्रियस्त्यक्त्वा राज्यं प्रियमनुत्तमम् ॥ १८ ॥
कथमिन्दीवरश्यामो रक्ताक्षः प्रियदर्शनः । सुखभागी न दुःखार्हः शयितो भुवि राघवः ॥ १९ ॥
“Born in a family of world-rulers, bringing happiness to all the world, dear to all the world, having given up the dear, incomparable kingdom, how does Raghava, dark as a blue lotus, red-eyed, handsome, a sharer in happiness who does not deserve sorrow, sleep on the ground?
धन्यः खलु महाभागो लक्ष्मणः शुभलक्षणः । भ्रातरं विषमे काले यो राममनुवर्तते ॥ २० ॥
“Blessed indeed is greatly fortunate Lakshmana of auspicious marks, who follows his brother Rama in a hard time.
सिद्धार्था खलु वैदेही पतिं यानुगता वनम् । वयं संशयिताः सर्वे हीनास्तेन महात्मना ॥ २१ ॥
“Vaidehi indeed has achieved her purpose, she who followed her husband to the forest. We are all in doubt, bereft of that great soul.
अकर्णधारा पृथिवी शून्येव प्रतिभाति मा । गते दशरथे स्वर्गे रामे चारण्यमाश्रिते ॥ २२ ॥
“The earth seems to me empty, like a ship without a helmsman, with Dasharatha gone to heaven and Rama taken to the forest.
न च प्रार्थयते कश्चिन्मनसापि वसुंधराम् । वनेऽपि वसतस्तस्य बाहुवीर्याभिरक्षिताम् ॥ २३ ॥
“And yet no one longs for the earth even in his mind, protected by the strength of his arms, though he lives in the forest.
शून्यसंवरणारक्षामयन्त्रितहयद्विपाम् । अपावृतपुरद्वारां राजधानीमरक्षिताम् ॥ २४ ॥
अप्रहृष्टबलां न्यूनां विषमस्थामनावृताम् । शत्रवो नाभिमन्यन्ते भक्ष्यान् विषकृतानिव ॥ २५ ॥
“Its walls unguarded, its horses and elephants unrestrained, its city gates open, the capital unprotected, its army dejected, weakened, in a hard place, uncovered: enemies do not covet it, as they would not covet food mixed with poison.
अद्यप्रभृति भूमौ तु शयिष्येऽहं तृणेषु वा । फलमूलाशनो नित्यं जटाचीराणि धारयन् ॥ २६ ॥
“From today I will sleep on the ground or on grass, always eating fruit and roots, wearing matted hair and rags.
तस्यार्थमुत्तरं कालं निवत्स्यामि सुखं वने । तं प्रतिश्रवमामुच्य नास्य मिथ्या भविष्यति ॥ २७ ॥
“For his sake I will live happily in the forest for the remaining time. Taking that promise on myself, it will not be false for him.
वसन्तं भ्रातुरर्थाय शत्रुघ्नो मानुवत्स्यति । लक्ष्मणेन सहत्वार्यो अयोध्यां पालयिष्यति ॥ २८ ॥
“Shatrughna will live with me while I live for my brother’s sake; and the noble one, with Lakshmana, will protect Ayodhya.
अभिषेक्ष्यन्ति काकुत्स्थमयोध्यायां द्विजातयोऽपि मे देवताः कुर्युरिमं सत्यं मनोरथम् । प्रसाद्यमानः शिरसा मया स्वयं बहुप्रकारं यदि न प्रपत्स्यते ॥ २९ ॥
“The twice-born will consecrate Kakutstha in Ayodhya. May the gods make this wish of mine come true! If, though entreated by me myself with my head in many ways, he will not agree,
ततोऽनुवत्स्यामि चिराय राघवम् । वनेचरं नार्हति मामुपेक्षितुम् ॥ ३० ॥
“then I will follow Raghava for a long time, living in the forest; he ought not to disregard me.”