Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 93 of 119 · 27 verses
Smoke over Chitrakuta
Harried by that great marching army, rutting herd-leaders of the forest flee with their herds. Bears, spotted deer and ruru deer are seen on every side, in forest tracts, on mountains and by rivers. Righteous Bharata, son of Dasharatha, sets out happily, surrounded by his roaring army of four divisions. The great soul’s army, like the flood of the ocean, covers the earth as clouds cover the sky in the rains. Having gone a long way, his mounts exhausted, glorious Bharata says to Vasishtha, best of counsellors: “From what can be seen, and from what I heard, we have clearly reached the place Bharadvaja described. This is the mountain Chitrakuta; this is the river Mandakini; that forest shines from afar like a dark blue cloud. The lovely slopes of Chitrakuta are now being trampled by my mountain-like elephants. These trees on the slopes are shedding flowers, as dark rain-clouds shed water at the end of the heat. See, Shatrughna, the mountain frequented by kinnaras, crowded with deer on every side, like the ocean with makaras. These herds of deer, driven at speed, shine like rows of clouds tossed by the wind in the autumn sky. These men put fragrant crowns of flowers on their heads, like southerners with their shields bright as clouds. This forest, terrible to see and seemingly silent, now looks to me as crowded with people as Ayodhya. The dust raised by the hooves covers the sky, and the wind carries it quickly away, as if to please me. See, Shatrughna, these chariots with their horses, driven by the best charioteers, rushing swiftly into the forest. See these lovely peacocks frightened, and these birds quickly entering their nests. This place seems extremely lovely to me; this home of ascetics is clearly like the road to heaven. Many spotted deer with their does are seen in the forest, lovely, as if painted with flowers. Let good soldiers set out and search the forest, so that the two tigers among men, Rama and Lakshmana, may be found.”
Hearing Bharata, brave men, weapons in hand, enter the forest and see smoke. Seeing the column of smoke, they come back and tell Bharata: “There is no fire where there are no people; clearly the two Raghavas are here. Or if the two princes, tigers among men, scorchers of foes, are not here, surely there are ascetics here like Rama.” Hearing their words, approved by the good, Bharata, crusher of enemy armies, says to all the soldiers: “Stay here, alert; no one is to go further. I alone will go, with Sumantra and our teacher.” All stay where they are, and Bharata fixes his gaze on the column of smoke. The army, halted by Bharata, looking at the smoke ahead, is soon joyful, knowing that it will soon meet its beloved Rama.
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तया महत्या यायिन्या ध्वजिन्या वनवासिनः । अर्द्दिता यूथपा मत्ताः सयूथाः सम्प्रदुद्रुवुः ॥ १ ॥
Harried by that great marching army, the rutting herd-leaders, forest-dwellers, fled with their herds.
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ऋक्षाः पृषतसङ्घाश्च रुरवश्च समतन्तः । दृश्यन्ते वनराजीषु गिरिष्वपि नदीषु च ॥ २ ॥
Bears, herds of spotted deer and ruru deer were seen on every side, in the forest tracts, on mountains and by rivers.
स सम्प्रतस्थे धर्मात्मा प्रीतो दशरथात्मजः । वृतो महत्या नादिन्या सेनया चतुरङ्गया ॥ ३ ॥
Righteous Bharata, son of Dasharatha, set out joyfully, surrounded by his great, roaring army of four divisions.
सागरौघनिभा सेना भरतस्य महात्मनः । महीं सञ्छादयामास प्रावृषि द्यामिवाम्बुदः ॥ ४ ॥
The army of great-souled Bharata, like the flood of the ocean, covered the earth as a cloud covers the sky in the rains.
तुरङ्गौघैरवतता वारणैश्च महाजवैः । अनालक्ष्या चिरं कालं तस्मिन्काले बभूव भूः ॥ ५ ॥
Spread out with masses of horses and swift elephants, the land could not be seen at that time for a long while.
स यात्वा दूरमध्वानं सुपरिश्रान्तवाहनः । उवाच भरतः श्रीमान् वसिष्ठं मन्त्रिणां वरम् ॥ ६ ॥
Having gone a long way, his mounts very tired, glorious Bharata said to Vasishtha, best of counsellors:
यादृशं लक्ष्यते रूपं यथा चैव श्रुतं मया । व्यक्तं प्राप्ताः स्म तं देशं भरद्वाजो यमब्रवीत् ॥ ७ ॥
“From the appearance that is seen, and from what I heard, we have clearly reached the place Bharadvaja described.
अयं गिरिश्चित्रकूट इयं मन्दाकिनी नदी । एतत् प्रकाशते दूरान्नीलमेघनिभं वनम् ॥ ८ ॥
“This mountain is Chitrakuta, and this is the river Mandakini; this forest shines from afar like a dark-blue cloud.
गिरेः सानूनि रम्याणि चित्रकूटस्य सम्प्रति । वारणैरवमृद्यन्ते मामकैः पर्वतोपमैः ॥ ९ ॥
“The lovely slopes of the mountain Chitrakuta are now being trampled by my mountain-like elephants.
मुञ्चन्ति कुसुमान्येते नगाः पर्वतसानुषु । नीला इवातपापाये तोयं तोयधरा घनाः ॥ १० ॥
“These trees on the mountain slopes are shedding flowers, like dark rain-clouds shedding water at the end of the heat.
किन्नराचरितं देशं पश्य शत्रुघ्न पर्वतम् । मृगैः समन्तादाकीर्णं मकरैरिव सागरम् ॥ ११ ॥
“See, Shatrughna, the mountain, a region frequented by kinnaras, crowded with deer on every side, like the ocean with makaras.
एते मृगगणा भान्ति शीघ्रवेगाः प्रचोदिताः । वायुप्रविद्धा शरदि मेघराजिरिवाम्बरे ॥ १२ ॥
“These herds of deer, driven at swift speed, shine like rows of clouds tossed by the wind in the autumn sky.
कुर्वन्ति कुसुमापीडान् शिरस्सु सुरभीनमी । मेघप्रकाशैः फलकैर्दाक्षिणात्या यथा नराः ॥ १३ ॥
“These men are making fragrant crowns of flowers on their heads, like southern men with shields bright as clouds.
निष्कूजमिव भूत्वेदं वनं घोरप्रदर्शनम् । अयोध्येव जनाकीर्णा सम्प्रति प्रतिभाति मा ॥ १४ ॥
“This forest, having been as if silent and terrible to see, now seems to me crowded with people like Ayodhya.
खुरैरुदीरितो रेणुर्दिवं प्रच्छाद्य तिष्ठति । तं वहत्यनिलः शीघ्रं कुर्वन्निव मम प्रियम् ॥ १५ ॥
“The dust raised by hooves stands covering the sky; the wind carries it quickly away, as if doing what pleases me.
स्यन्दनांस्तुरगोपेतान् सूतमुख्यैरधिष्ठितान् । एतान् सम्पततः शीघ्रं पश्य शत्रुघ्न कानने ॥ १६ ॥
“See, Shatrughna, these chariots yoked with horses, driven by the best charioteers, rushing swiftly in the forest.
एतान् वित्रासितान् पश्य बर्हिणः प्रियदर्शनान् । एतमाविशतः शीघ्रमधिवासं पतत्ऺित्रणः ॥ १७ ॥
“See these lovely peacocks frightened, and these birds quickly entering their nests.
अतिमात्रमयं देशो मनोज्ञः प्रतिभाति मा । तापसानां निवासो ऽयं व्यक्तं स्वर्गपथो यथा ॥ १८ ॥
“This country seems to me exceedingly lovely; this dwelling of ascetics is clearly like the road to heaven.
मृगा मृगीभिः सहिता बहवः पृषता वने । मनोज्ञरूपा लक्ष्यन्ते कुसुमैरिव चित्रिताः ॥ १९ ॥
“Many spotted deer with their does are seen in the forest, lovely in form, as if painted with flowers.
साधुसैन्याः प्रतिष्ठन्तां विचिन्वन्तु च कानने । यथा तौ पुरुषव्याघ्रौ दृश्येते रामलक्ष्मणौ ॥ २० ॥
“Let good soldiers set out and search in the forest, so that those two tigers among men, Rama and Lakshmana, may be seen.”
भरतस्य वचः श्रुत्वा पुरुषाः शस्त्रपाणयः । विविशुस्तद्वनं शूरा धूमं च ददृशुस्ततः ॥ २१ ॥
Hearing Bharata’s words, brave men with weapons in hand entered that forest, and then saw smoke.
ते समालोक्य धूमाग्रमूचुर्भरतमागताः । नामनुष्ये भवत्याग्निर्व्यक्तमत्रैव राघवौ ॥ २२ ॥
Seeing the column of smoke, they came back and said to Bharata: “There is no fire where there are no people; clearly the two Raghavas are here.
अथ नात्र नरव्याघ्रौ राजपुत्रौ परन्तपौ । मन्ये रामोपमाः सन्ति व्यक्तमत्र तपस्विनः ॥ २३ ॥
“Or if the two princes, tigers among men, scorchers of foes, are not here, clearly there are ascetics like Rama here.”
तच्छ्रुत्वा भरतस्तेषां वचनं साधुसम्मतम् । सैन्यानुवाच सर्वांस्तानमित्रबलमर्दनः ॥ २४ ॥
Hearing those words of theirs, approved by the good, Bharata, crusher of enemy armies, said to all those soldiers:
यत्ता भवन्तस्तिष्ठन्तु नेतो गन्तव्यमग्रतः । अहमेव गमिष्यामि सुमन्त्रो गुरुरेव च ॥ २५ ॥
“Stay alert; no one is to go ahead from here. I alone will go, with Sumantra and our teacher.”
एवमुक्तास्ततः सर्वे तत्र तस्थुः समन्ततः । भरतो यत्र धूमाग्रं तत्र दृष्टिं समादधात् ॥ २६ ॥
Spoken to so, all of them stayed there on every side; and Bharata fixed his gaze where the column of smoke was.
व्यवस्थिता या भरतेन सा चमूर्निरीक्षमाणापि च धूममग्रतः । बभूव हृष्टा नचिरेण जानती प्रियस्य रामस्य समागमं तदा ॥ २७ ॥
The army halted by Bharata, though looking at the smoke ahead, became joyful before long, knowing then of the coming meeting with beloved Rama.