Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 89 of 119 · 22 verses
Crossing the Ganga
Having spent the night there on the bank of the Ganga, Bharata Raghava rises at daybreak and says to Shatrughna: “Shatrughna, get up; why are you sleeping? Bless you, quickly bring Guha, lord of the Nishadas; he will take the army across.” Shatrughna, urged by his brother, says: “I am awake, not asleep, thinking only of our noble brother.” As the two lions among men talk, Guha comes at the right time with joined palms and says to Bharata: “Did you spend the night happily on the riverbank, Kakutstha? Is all well with you and your army?” Hearing Guha’s affectionate words, Bharata, devoted to Rama, says: “We spent a pleasant night, king, and you have honoured us. Now let the fishermen take us across the Ganga in many boats.”
Hearing Bharata’s command, Guha quickly goes back into his town and says to his kinsmen: “Get up, wake up, good fortune to you always! Bring the boats; we will take the army across.” Roused at the king’s command, they quickly bring five hundred boats from all around, and others, the svastika boats, fine, carrying great bells, gay with banners, with good sails, well built. Then Guha brings an auspicious svastika boat covered with white blankets, ringing with joyful sounds, and Bharata and mighty Shatrughna board it, with Kausalya, Sumitra and the other royal women; before them the priest, the elders and the brahmanas, then the king’s wives, and the carts and goods. The noise of people setting fire to the camp, going down to the ford and taking up their goods touches heaven. The boats, with their banners, steered by the fishermen themselves, carry the people swiftly across. Some are full of women, some of horses; some carry carriages, draught animals and great wealth. Reaching the far bank and setting down the people, they return, the fishermen making their wonderful turns. Elephants with banners, urged by their riders, swimming across, look like mountains with flags. Some board boats, others cross on rafts; others cross on jars and pots, others with their arms. That holy army, taken across the Ganga by the fishermen themselves, sets out at the auspicious hour of Maitra for the excellent forest of Prayaga. Having let the army rest and camped it at ease, great-souled Bharata, surrounded by the priests, goes to see Bharadvaja, best of seers. Approaching the hermitage of that great-souled brahmana, priest of the gods, he sees the great, lovely forest of the best of brahmanas, with its charming huts and groves of trees.
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व्युष्य रात्रिं तु तत्रैव गङ्गाकूले स राघवः । भरतः काल्यमुत्थाय शत्रुघ्नमिदमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Having spent the night right there on the bank of the Ganga, Bharata Raghava rose at daybreak and said this to Shatrughna:
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शत्रुघ्नोत्तिष्ठ किं शेषे निषादाधिपतिं गुहम् । शीघ्रमानय भद्रं ते तारयिष्यति वाहिनीम् ॥ २ ॥
“Shatrughna, get up! Why are you lying there? Bring Guha, lord of the Nishadas, quickly, bless you; he will take the army across.”
जागर्मि नाहं स्वपिमि तमेवार्य्यं विचिन्तयन् । इत्येवमब्रवीद्भ्रात्रा शत्रुघ्नोपि प्रचोदितः ॥ ३ ॥
“I am awake, I am not sleeping, thinking only of that noble one.” So Shatrughna said, urged by his brother.
इति संवदतोरेवमन्योन्यं नरसिंहयोः । आगम्य प्राञ्जलिः काले गुहो भरतमब्रवीत् ॥ ४ ॥
While the two lions among men were talking together so, Guha came at the right time with joined palms and said to Bharata:
कच्चित्सुखं नदीतीरे ऽवात्सीः काकुत्स्थ शर्वरीम् । कच्चित्ते सहसैन्यस्य तावत्सर्वमनामयम् ॥ ५ ॥
“Did you spend the night happily on the riverbank, Kakutstha? Is everything well with you and your army?”
गुहस्य तत्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा स्नेहादुदीरितम् । रामस्यानुवशो वाक्यं भरतो ऽपीदमब्रवीत् ॥ ६ ॥
Hearing those words of Guha, spoken out of affection, Bharata, devoted to Rama, said this:
सुखा नः शर्वरी राजन् पूजिताश्चापि ते वयम् । गङ्गां तु नौभिर्बह्वीभिर्दाशाः सन्तारयन्तु नः ॥ ७ ॥
“The night was pleasant for us, king, and we have been honoured by you. Now let the fishermen take us across the Ganga with many boats.”
ततो गुहः संत्वरितं श्रुत्वा भरतशासनम् । प्रतिप्रविश्य नगरं तं ज्ञातिजनमब्रवीत् ॥ ८ ॥
Then Guha, hearing Bharata’s command, quickly went back into his town and said to his kinsmen:
उत्तिष्ठत प्रबुध्यध्वं भद्रमस्तु च वः सदा । नावः समनुकर्षध्वं तारयिष्याम वाहिनीम् ॥ ९ ॥
“Get up, wake up, and may good fortune always be yours! Drag the boats here; we will take the army across.”
ते तथोक्ताः समुत्थाय त्वरिता राजशासनात् । पञ्च नावां शतान्याशु समानिन्युः समन्ततः ॥ १० ॥
Spoken to so, they rose quickly at the king’s command and swiftly brought five hundred boats from all around.
अन्याः स्वस्तिकविज्ञेया महाघण्टाधरा वराः । शोभमानाः पताकाभिर्युक्तवाताः सुसंहताः ॥ ११ ॥
And others, known as svastika boats, excellent, bearing great bells, shining with banners, with good sails, well built.
ततः स्वस्तिकविज्ञेयां पाण्डुकम्बलसंवृताम् । सनन्दिघोषां कल्याणीं गुहो नावमुपाहरत् । तामारुरोह भरतः शत्रुघ्नश्च महाबलः ॥ १२ ॥
Then Guha brought an auspicious svastika boat, covered with white blankets, with joyful sounds; Bharata boarded it, and mighty Shatrughna,
कौसल्या च सुमित्रा च याश्चान्या राजयोषितः । पुरोहितश्च तत्पूर्वं गुरवो ब्राह्मणाश्च ये । अनन्तरं राजदारास्तथैव शकटापणाः ॥ १३ ॥
and Kausalya and Sumitra and the other royal women; before that the priest, the elders and the brahmanas; after them the king’s wives, and likewise the carts and goods.
आवासमादीपयतां तीर्थं चाप्यवगाहताम् । भाण्डानि चाददानानां घोषस्त्रिदिवमस्पृशत् ॥ १४ ॥
The noise of those setting fire to their quarters, plunging into the ford, and taking up their goods touched heaven.
पताकिन्यस्तु ता नावः स्वयं दाशैरधिष्ठिताः । वहन्त्यो जनमारूढं तदा सम्पेतुराशुगाः ॥ १५ ॥
Those boats with banners, steered by the fishermen themselves, carrying the people on board, then moved swiftly.
नारीणामभिपूर्णास्तु काश्चित् काश्चिच्च वाजिनाम् । काश्चिदत्र वहन्ति स्म यानयुग्यं महाधनम् ॥ १६ ॥
Some were full of women, some of horses; some carried here carriages, draught animals and great wealth.
ताः स्म गत्वा परं तीरमवरोप्य च तं जनम् । निवृत्ताः काण्डचित्राणि क्रियन्ते दाशबन्धुभिः ॥ १७ ॥
Having gone to the far bank and set the people down, they turned back, making wonderful turns, by the fishermen kinsmen.
सवैजयन्तास्तु गजा गजारोहप्रचोदिताः । तरन्तः स्म प्रकाशन्ते सध्वजा इव पर्वताः ॥ १८ ॥
Elephants with banners, urged on by their riders, swimming across, shone like mountains with flags.
नावश्चारुरुहुश्चान्ये प्लवैस्तेरुस्तथापरे । अन्ये कुम्भघटैस्तेरुरन्ये तेरुश्च बाहुभिः ॥ १९ ॥
Some boarded boats, others crossed on rafts; others crossed on jars and pots, others crossed with their arms.
सा पुण्या ध्वजिनी गङ्गा दाशैः सन्तारिता स्वयम् । मैत्रे मुहूर्त्ते प्रययौ प्रयागवनमुत्तमम् ॥ २० ॥
That holy army, taken across the Ganga by the fishermen themselves, set out at the hour of Maitra for the excellent forest of Prayaga.
आश्वासयित्वा च चमूं महात्मा निवेशयित्वा च यथोपजोषम् । द्रष्टुं भरद्वाजमृषिप्रवर्य्यमृत्विग्वृतः सन् भरतः प्रतस्थे ॥ २१ ॥
Having refreshed the army and camped it at ease, great-souled Bharata, surrounded by the priests, set out to see Bharadvaja, best of seers.
स ब्राह्मणस्याश्रममभ्युपेत्य महात्मनो देवपुरोहितस्य । ददर्श रम्योटजवृक्षषण्डं महद्वनं विप्रवरस्य रम्यम् ॥ २२ ॥
Approaching the hermitage of the great-souled brahmana, priest of the gods, he saw the great, lovely forest of the best of brahmanas, with its charming huts and groves of trees.