Ayodhya Kanda · Sarga 97 of 119 · 31 verses
“Bharata Is Dearer to Me than Life”
Calming Lakshmana, beside himself with anger, Rama says: “What need is there of a bow here, or a sword and shield, when Bharata himself has come, the great archer, the very wise? Having promised to keep my father’s word, what would I do with a kingdom stained with blame, after killing Bharata who has come to me? Wealth that comes from the destruction of kin or friends I would not accept, any more than food mixed with poison. Dharma, wealth, pleasure and the earth itself, Lakshmana, I want only for your sakes; I promise you this. For the sake of my brothers’ welfare and happiness I want the kingdom too, Lakshmana; I swear it by my weapon. This sea-girt earth is not hard for me to win, gentle one; but I would not want even the rank of Indra by adharma. If there were any happiness for me without Bharata, you and Shatrughna, giver of honour, let fire turn it to ash. I think Bharata, who loves his brother, dearer to me than my life, came back to Ayodhya, remembering the family’s dharma, and heard that I had been banished, wearing matted hair and bark, with Janaki and with you, hero. His heart overcome by love, his senses confused by grief, Bharata has come to see us; he has come for no other reason. Angry with mother Kaikeyi, speaking harsh, unwelcome words to her, the glorious one, having won our father’s favour, has come to give me the kingdom. It is timely that Bharata wishes to see us; even in his mind he would never do anything unpleasant to us. When has Bharata ever done you a wrong before, that you have such a fear today and suspect Bharata here? You must not speak harshly or unkindly to Bharata; if you wrong Bharata, it is I who am wronged. How could sons kill their father in any trouble, Saumitri, or a brother kill his brother, his own life? If you are saying this for the sake of the kingdom, I will tell Bharata when I see him, ‘Give the kingdom to him.’ Even if I tell Bharata truly, Lakshmana, ‘Give him the kingdom’, he will say, ‘Gladly.’”
Spoken to so by his righteous brother, Lakshmana, devoted to his good, seems to shrink into his own body with shame. Abashed, Lakshmana says: “I think our father Dasharatha himself has come to see you.” Seeing Lakshmana abashed, Raghava says: “I think it is the mighty-armed one who has come here to see us. Or surely, thinking we are used to comfort and reflecting on our life in the forest, he will take us back home. Or my glorious father, Raghava, will take Vaidehi, who has always lived in great comfort, away from the forest. There shine those two fine, well-bred horses, swift as the wind, hero. That is the huge old elephant called Shatrunjaya, of our wise father, swaying at the head of the army. But I do not see that white, heavenly umbrella of our father’s, honoured by the world, mighty-armed one; and here a doubt arises in me.” Coming down from the top of the sala tree, Lakshmana, victorious in battle, stands beside Rama with joined palms. Ordered by Bharata to cause no disturbance, the army camps all around the mountain. The Ikshvaku army, crowded with elephants, horses and chariots, camps on the mountain’s side, covering a yojana and a half. Led there by wise Bharata, putting dharma first and casting off pride, to win the favour of the delight of the Raghus, the army shines at Chitrakuta.
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सुसंरब्धं तु सौमित्रिं लक्ष्मणं क्रोधमूर्च्छितम् । रामस्तु परिसान्त्व्याथ वचनं चेदमब्रवीत् ॥ १ ॥
Then Rama, calming Saumitri Lakshmana, very agitated, beside himself with anger, said these words:
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किमत्र धनुषा कार्यमसिना वा सचर्मणा । महेष्वासे महाप्राज्ञे भरते स्वयमागते ॥ २ ॥
“What is there to do here with a bow, or a sword with a shield, when the great archer, the very wise Bharata, has come himself?
पितुः सत्यं प्रतिश्रुत्य हत्वा भरतमागतम् । किं करिष्ऺयामि राज्येन सापवादेन लक्ष्मण ॥ ३ ॥
“Having promised to keep my father’s truth, what would I do with a kingdom bearing blame, having killed Bharata who has come, Lakshmana?
यद्द्रव्यं बान्धवानां वा मित्राणां वा क्षये भवेत् । नाहं तत् प्रतिगृह्णीयां भक्षान् विषकृतानिव ॥ ४ ॥
“Whatever wealth would come from the destruction of kinsmen or friends, I would not accept it, like food mixed with poison.
धर्ममर्थं च कामं च पृथिवीं चापि लक्ष्मण । इच्छामि भवतामर्थे एतत् प्रतिश्रृणोमि ते ॥ ५ ॥
“Dharma, wealth, pleasure, and even the earth, Lakshmana, I want for your sakes; this I promise you.
भ्रातऽणां सङ्ग्रहार्थं च सुखार्थं चापि लक्ष्मण । राज्यमप्यहमिच्छामि सत्येनायुधमालभे ॥ ६ ॥
“For the sake of gathering and gladdening my brothers, Lakshmana, I want even the kingdom; I touch my weapon in truth.
नेयं मम मही सौम्य दुर्ल्लभा सागराम्बरा । नहीच्छेयमधर्मेण शक्रत्वमपि लक्ष्मण ॥ ७ ॥
“This earth girdled by the ocean is not hard for me to obtain, gentle one; but I would not wish even for Indra’s rank by adharma, Lakshmana.
यद्विना भरतं त्वां च शत्रुघ्नं चापि मानद । भवेन्मम सुखं किञ्चिद्भस्म तत् कुरुतां शिखी ॥ ८ ॥
“Whatever happiness might be mine without Bharata, and you and Shatrughna, giver of honour, let fire make it ash.
मन्येऽहमागतोऽयोध्यां भरतो भ्रातृवत्सलः । मम प्राणात् प्रियतरः कुलधर्ममनुस्मरन् ॥ ९ ॥
“I think Bharata, loving his brother, dearer to me than my life, came to Ayodhya remembering the dharma of the family,
श्रुत्वा प्रव्राजितं मां हि जटावल्कलधारिणम् । जानक्या सहितं वीर त्वया च पुरुषर्षभ ॥ १० ॥
“and, hearing that I had been banished, wearing matted hair and bark, together with Janaki and with you, hero, bull among men,
स्नेहेनाक्रान्तहृदयः शोकेनाकुलितेन्द्रियः । द्रष्टुमभ्यागतो ह्येष भरतो नान्यथा गतः ॥ ११ ॥
“his heart overcome with love, his senses troubled with grief, this Bharata has come to see us; he has not come otherwise.
अम्बां च कैकयीं रुष्य परुषं चाप्रियं वदन् । प्रसाद्य पितरं श्रीमान् राज्यं मे दातुमागतः ॥ १२ ॥
“Angry with mother Kaikeyi, speaking harsh and unwelcome words, having won our father’s favour, the glorious one has come to give me the kingdom.
प्राप्तकालं यदेषोऽस्मान् भरतो द्रष्टुमिच्छति । अस्मासु मनसाप्येष नाप्रियं किञ्चिदाचरेत् ॥ १३ ॥
“It is timely that this Bharata wishes to see us. He would not do anything unpleasant to us even in his mind.
विप्रियं कृतपूर्वं ते भरतेन कदा नु किम् । ईदृशं वा भयं तेऽद्य भरतं योऽत्र शङ्कसे ॥ १४ ॥
“When has Bharata ever done you anything unpleasant before, that you have such fear today and suspect Bharata here?
नहि ते निष्ठुरं वाच्यो भरतो नाप्रियं वचः । अहं ह्यप्रियमुक्तः स्यां भरतस्याप्रिये कृते ॥ १५ ॥
“You must not speak harsh words to Bharata, nor unpleasant ones. For if anything unpleasant is done to Bharata, it will be said to me.
कथं नु पुत्राः पितरं हन्युः कस्याञ्चिदापदि । भ्राता वा भ्रातरं हन्यात् सौमित्रे प्राणमात्मनः ॥ १६ ॥
“How could sons kill their father in any trouble, Saumitri, or a brother kill a brother, his own life-breath?
यदि राज्यस्य हेतोस्त्वमिमां वाचं प्रभाषसे । वक्ष्यामि भरतं दृष्ट्वा राज्यमस्मै प्रदीयताम् ॥ १७ ॥
“If you are saying these words for the sake of the kingdom, I will say to Bharata on seeing him: ‘Let the kingdom be given to him.’
उच्यमानोऽपि भरतो मया लक्ष्मण तत्त्वतः । राज्यमस्मै प्रयच्छेति बाढमित्येव वक्ष्यति ॥ १८ ॥
“Even if I tell Bharata truly, Lakshmana, ‘Give the kingdom to him,’ he will say only, ‘Gladly.’”
तथोक्तो धर्मशीलेन भ्रात्रा तस्य हिते रतः । लक्ष्मणः प्रविवेशेव स्वानि गात्राणि लज्जया ॥ १९ ॥
Spoken to so by his brother, whose nature is dharma, Lakshmana, devoted to his good, seemed to enter into his own limbs out of shame.
तद्वाक्यं लक्ष्मणः श्रुत्वा व्रीडितः प्रत्युवाच ह । त्वां मन्ये द्रष्टुमायातः पिता दशरथः स्वयम् ॥ २० ॥
Hearing those words, Lakshmana, abashed, replied: “I think our father Dasharatha himself has come to see you.”
व्रीडितं लक्ष्मणं दृष्ट्वा राघवः प्रत्युवाच ह । एष मन्ये महाबाहुरिहास्मान् द्रष्टुमागतः ॥ २१ ॥
Seeing Lakshmana abashed, Raghava replied: “I think this mighty-armed one has come here to see us.
अथवा नौ ध्रुवं मन्ये मन्यमानः सुखोचितौ । वनवासमनुध्याय गृहाय प्रतिनेष्यति ॥ २२ ॥
“Or else, surely, thinking us used to comfort and reflecting on our forest life, he will lead us back home.
इमां वाप्येष वैदेहीमत्यन्तसुखसेविनीम् । पिता मे राघवः श्रीमान् वनादादाय यास्यति ॥ २३ ॥
“Or my glorious father, Raghava, will take away from the forest this Vaidehi, who has always enjoyed great comfort.
एतौ तौ सम्प्रकाशेते गोत्रवन्तौ मनोरमौ । वायुवेगसमौ वीर जवनौ तुरगोत्तमौ ॥ २४ ॥
“There shine those two well-bred, lovely, excellent horses, equal to the wind in speed, hero, swift.
स एष सुमहाकायः कम्पते वाहिनीमुखे । नागः शत्रुञ्जयो नाम वृद्धस्तातस्य धीमतः ॥ २५ ॥
“That very huge elephant swaying at the head of the army is old Shatrunjaya, of our wise father.
न तु पश्यामि तच्छत्ऺत्रं पाण्डरं लोकसत्कृतम् । पितुर्दिव्यं महाबाहो संशयो भवतीह मे ॥ २६ ॥
“But I do not see that white umbrella of our father’s, heavenly, honoured by the world, mighty-armed one; and here a doubt arises in me.”
वृक्षाग्रादवरोह त्वं कुरु लक्ष्मण मद्वचः । इतीव रामो धर्मात्मा सौमित्रिं तमुवाच ह ॥ २७ ॥
“Come down from the treetop, Lakshmana, and do as I say.” So spoke Rama, whose self is dharma, to Saumitri.
अवतीर्य्य तु सालाग्रात्तस्मात्स समितिञ्जयः । लक्ष्मणः प्राञ्जलिर्भूत्वा तस्थौ रामस्य पार्श्वतः ॥ २८ ॥
Coming down from the top of that sala tree, Lakshmana, victorious in battle, stood beside Rama with joined palms.
भरतेनापि सन्दिष्टा सम्मर्दो न भवेदिऺति । समन्तात्तस्य शैलस्य सेना वासमकल्पयत् ॥ २९ ॥
Ordered by Bharata, “Let there be no crowding,” the army made its camp all around the mountain.
अध्यर्द्धमिक्ष्वाकुचमूर्योजनं पर्वतस्य सा । पार्श्वे न्यविशदावृत्य गजवाजिरथाकुला ॥ ३० ॥
The Ikshvaku army, crowded with elephants, horses and chariots, camped on the side of the mountain, covering a yojana and a half.
सा चित्रकूटे भरतेन सेना धर्मं पुरस्कृत्य विधूय दर्प्पम् । प्रसादनार्थं रघुनन्दनस्य विराजते नीतिमता प्रणीता ॥ ३१ ॥
That army at Chitrakuta, led by wise Bharata, putting dharma in front and casting off pride, to win the favour of the delight of the Raghus, shone.