Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 90 of 119 · 24 verses
Bharadvaja Questions Bharata
Seeing Bharadvaja’s hermitage from a krosha away, the bull among men halts the whole army and goes on with his ministers, on foot, knowing dharma, having laid aside his weapons and regalia, dressed in two linen garments, with the priest in front. Coming within sight of Bharadvaja, Raghava leaves the ministers behind and goes on following the priest. Seeing Vasishtha, the great ascetic Bharadvaja rises quickly from his seat, telling his pupils, “Bring the guest-water.” He gives them water for the hands and feet, then fruit, and, knowing dharma, asks in due order after the welfare of the family, of Ayodhya, the army, the treasury, the allies and the ministers; knowing Dasharatha is dead, he does not mention the king. Vasishtha and Bharata ask after his health, his body, his sacred fires, his trees, his pupils, beasts and birds. “All is well,” says the great ascetic, and then, out of love for Raghava, says to Bharata: “What business brings you here, while you are ruling the kingdom? Tell me everything; my mind is not at ease. The glorious one whom Kausalya bore, slayer of foes, increaser of joy, was banished to the forest for a long time with his brother and wife; his father, commanded by a woman, ordered that great man to live in the forest for fourteen years. I hope you do not wish to do some harm to that sinless one and his younger brother, wanting to enjoy the kingdom without a thorn?”
Spoken to so, Bharata answers Bharadvaja, his eyes full of tears, his voice faltering with sorrow: “I am lost, if even the lord thinks of me like this. Do not think of me so; I fear no fault from myself. What my mother said in my absence was not what I wanted. I am not pleased with it, nor do I accept her words. I have come to that tiger among men to win his favour, to take him back to Ayodhya and to bow at his feet. Thinking of me as one in this state, be gracious to me. Tell me, lord, where is Rama, the lord of the earth, now?” Then, asked also by Vasishtha and the other priests, the lord Bharadvaja graciously says to Bharata: “This is fitting in you, tiger among men, born in the line of Raghu: service to elders, self-control and following the good. I knew this was in your mind, but I asked you so closely to make it firm, and to increase your fame. I know righteous Rama, with Sita and Lakshmana. Your brother lives on the great mountain Chitrakuta. You will go to that place tomorrow; stay here today with your ministers. Grant me this wish, very wise one, skilled in desire and purpose.” Then noble-looking Bharata, reassured, says, “So be it,” and the king’s son decides to spend the night at the hermitage.
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भरद्वाजाश्रमं दृष्ट्वा क्रोशादेव नरर्षभः । बलं सर्वमवस्थाप्य जगाम सह मन्त्रिभिः ॥ १ ॥
Seeing Bharadvaja’s hermitage from a krosha away, the bull among men halted the whole army and went on with his ministers,
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Bharadvaja Questions Bharata 1 min read.
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पद्भ्यामेव हि धर्मज्ञो न्यस्तशस्त्रपरिच्छदः । वसानो वाससी क्षौमे पुरोधाय पुरोधसम् ॥ २ ॥
on foot, knowing dharma, having laid aside his weapons and regalia, wearing two linen garments, placing the priest in front.
ततः सन्दर्शने तस्य भरद्वाजस्य राघवः । मन्त्रिणस्तानवस्थाप्य जगामानुपुरोहितम् ॥ ३ ॥
Then, coming within sight of that Bharadvaja, Raghava left those ministers behind and went on following the priest.
वसिष्ठमथ दृष्ट्वैव भरद्वाजो महातपाः । सञ्चचालासनात्तूर्णं शिष्यानर्घ्यमिति ब्रुवन् ॥ ४ ॥
Seeing Vasishtha, the great ascetic Bharadvaja rose quickly from his seat, saying to his pupils, “The guest-water!”
समागम्य वसिष्ठेन भरतेनाभिवादितः । अबुध्यत महातेजाः सुतं दशरथस्य तम् ॥ ५ ॥
Meeting Vasishtha, and greeted by Bharata, the radiant sage understood that this was the son of Dasharatha.
ताभ्यामर्घ्यं च पाद्यं च दत्त्वा पश्चात् फलानि च । आनुपूर्व्याच्च धर्मज्ञः पप्रच्छ कुशलं कुले ॥ ६ ॥
Having given the two of them guest-water and water for the feet, and then fruits, the one who knew dharma asked in due order after the welfare of the family,
अयोध्यायां बले कोशे मित्रेष्वपि च मन्त्रिषु । जानन् दशरथं वृत्तं न राजानमुदाहरत् ॥ ७ ॥
of Ayodhya, the army, the treasury, the allies and the ministers. Knowing that Dasharatha was dead, he did not mention the king.
वसिष्ठो भरतश्चैनं पप्रच्छतुरनामयम् । शरीरे ऽग्निषु वृक्षेषु शिष्येषु मृगपक्षिषु ॥ ८ ॥
Vasishtha and Bharata asked him about his health: about his body, his fires, his trees, his pupils, his beasts and birds.
तथेति तत्प्रतिज्ञाय भरद्वाजो महातपाः । भरतं प्रत्युवाचेदं राघवस्नेहबन्धनात् ॥ ९ ॥
Saying “So it is” to that, the great ascetic Bharadvaja said this to Bharata, out of the bond of love for Raghava:
किमिहागमने कार्य्यं तव राज्यं प्रशासतः । एतदाचक्ष्व मे सर्वं नहि मे शुद्ध्यते मनः ॥ १० ॥
“What is your business in coming here, while you are ruling the kingdom? Tell me all of this, for my mind is not at ease.
सुषुवे यममित्रघ्नं कौसल्या नन्दवर्द्धनम् । भ्रात्रा सह सभार्यो यश्चिरं प्रव्राजितो वनम् ॥ ११ ॥
“He whom Kausalya bore, slayer of foes, increaser of joy, who has been banished with his brother and wife to the forest for a long time,
नियुक्तः स्त्रीनियुक्तेन पित्रा यो ऽसौ महायशाः । वनवासी भवेतीह समाः किल चतुर्दश ॥ १२ ॥
“that greatly glorious one who was commanded by his father, himself commanded by a woman, ‘Be a forest-dweller here for fourteen years’:
कच्चिन्न तस्यापापस्य पापं कर्तुमिहेच्छसि । अकण्टकं भोक्तुमना राज्यं तस्यानुजस्य च ॥ १३ ॥
“I hope you do not wish here to do some evil to that sinless one and his younger brother, wishing to enjoy the kingdom without a thorn?”
एवमुक्तो भरद्वाजं भरतः प्रत्युवाच ह । पर्य्यश्रुनयनो दुःखाद्वाचा संसज्जमानया ॥ १४ ॥
Spoken to so, Bharata answered Bharadvaja, his eyes full of tears from sorrow, with a faltering voice:
हतो ऽस्मि यदि मामेवं भगवानपि मन्यते । मत्तो न दोषमाशङ्के नैवं मामनुशाधि हि ॥ १५ ॥
“I am lost, if even the lord thinks of me like this. I fear no fault from myself; do not instruct me so.
न चैतदिष्टं माता मे यदवोचन्मदन्तरे । नाहमेतेन तुष्टश्च न तद्वचनमाददे ॥ १६ ॥
“What my mother said in my absence was not what I wanted. I am not pleased with it, and I do not accept her words.
अहं तु तं नरव्याघ्रमुपयातः प्रसादकः । प्रतिनेतुमयोध्यां च पादौ तस्याभिवन्दितुम् ॥ १७ ॥
“I have come to that tiger among men to win his favour, to lead him back to Ayodhya, and to salute his feet.
त्वं मामेवङ्गतं मत्वा प्रसादं कर्तुमर्हसि । शंस मे भगवन् रामः क्व सम्प्रति महीपतिः ॥ १८ ॥
“Thinking of me as come to this, you should be gracious. Tell me, lord, where is Rama, the lord of the earth, now?”
वसिष्ठादिभिर्ऋत्विग्भिर्याचितो भगवांस्ततः । उवाच तं भरद्वाजः प्रसादाद्भरतं वचः ॥ १९ ॥
Then, entreated by Vasishtha and the other priests, the lord Bharadvaja graciously said these words to Bharata:
त्वय्येतत्पुरुषव्याघ्र युक्तं राघववंशजे । गुरुवृत्तिर्दमश्चैव साधूनां चानुयायिता ॥ २० ॥
“This is fitting in you, tiger among men, born in the line of Raghu: service to elders, self-control, and following the good.
जाने चैतन्मनःस्थं ते दृढीकरणमस्त्विति । अपृच्छं त्वां तथात्यर्थं कीर्त्तिं समभिवर्द्धयन् ॥ २१ ॥
“I knew this was in your mind; I questioned you so closely that it might be made firm, increasing your fame.
जाने च रामं धर्म्मज्ञं ससीतं सहलक्ष्मणम् । असौ वसति ते भ्राता चित्रकूटे महागिरौ ॥ २२ ॥
“And I know Rama, who knows dharma, with Sita and with Lakshmana. Your brother lives on the great mountain Chitrakuta.
श्वस्तु गन्तासि तं देशं वसाद्य सह मन्त्रिभिः । एतं मे कुरु सुप्राज्ञ कामं कामार्थकोविद ॥ २३ ॥
“Tomorrow you will go to that place; stay today with your ministers. Grant me this wish, very wise one, skilled in desire and purpose.”
ततस्तथेत्येवमुदारदर्शनः प्रतीतरूपो भरतो ऽब्रवीद्वचः । चकार बुद्धिं च तदा तदाश्रमे निशानिवासाय नराधिपात्मजः ॥ २४ ॥
Then noble-looking Bharata, reassured, said, “So be it,” and the king’s son resolved to spend the night at that hermitage.