Yuddha Kanda · Sarga 124 of 128 · 23 verses
At Bharadvaja’s Hermitage
When the fourteenth year is complete, on the fifth day of the lunar fortnight, Lakshmana’s elder brother reaches Bharadvaja’s hermitage and, self-controlled, salutes the sage. Bowing to Bharadvaja, rich in austerity, he asks: blessed one, do you hear that there is plenty and good health in the city? Is Bharata steadfast, and are the mothers still alive? Smiling and glad, the great sage answers: Bharata, obedient to your command, wears matted hair and waits for you, keeping your sandals before him; and all is well at home. When I saw you long ago in bark clothes entering the great forest, with your wife as the third, fallen from the kingdom, seeking only dharma, on foot, having given up everything, obeying your father, deprived of every pleasure, like an immortal fallen from heaven, held by Kaikeyi’s word, living on forest roots and fruit, I was moved with pity, conqueror in battle. Now, seeing you with your purpose achieved, with your friends and kin, your enemies conquered, I feel the highest joy. I know all your joys and sorrows, Raghava, all you met with living in Janasthana: how, engaged for the brahmins and protecting all the ascetics, you lost this blameless wife to Ravana; the appearance of Maricha, the carrying off of Sita, the meeting with Kabandha, the journey to Pampa, your friendship with Sugriva, where you killed Vali, the search for the Vaidehi and the deeds of the son of the Wind; how, when the Vaidehi was found, Nala’s bridge was built; how Lanka was set on fire by the delighted monkey leaders; how Ravana, proud of his strength, was killed in battle with his sons, kin, ministers, army and mounts; and how, when Ravana, thorn of the gods, was killed, you met the gods and were given a boon. I know all this by my austerity, lover of dharma, and my disciples go from here to the city bringing news. I too give you a boon here, best of weapon-bearers; accept this guest-offering; tomorrow you will go to Ayodhya. Accepting his words with bowed head, the glorious prince, delighted, says “Very well,” and asks a boon: blessed one, on the road as I go to Ayodhya let all the trees bear fruit out of season and flow with honey, with many kinds of fruit fragrant as nectar. As soon as the sage promises it, the trees there become like the trees of heaven: those without fruit bear fruit, those without flowers blossom, dry trees are covered in leaves, and they flow with honey for three leagues on every side along the way. Then the bulls among the monkeys, delighted, eat thousands of many heavenly fruits as they please, joyful as those who have won heaven.
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पूर्णे चतुर्दशे वर्षे पञ्चम्यां लक्ष्मणाग्रजः । भरद्वाजाश्रमं प्राप्य ववन्दे नियतो मुनिम् ॥ १ ॥
When the fourteenth year was complete, on the fifth day, Lakshmana’s elder brother, reaching Bharadvaja’s hermitage, self-controlled, saluted the sage.
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सोऽपृच्छदभिवाद्यैनं भरद्वाजं तपोधनम् । शृणोषि कच्चिद् भगवन् सुभिक्षानामयं पुरे । कच्चित् स युक्तो भरतो जीवन्त्यपि च मातरः ॥ २ ॥
Having saluted him, he asked Bharadvaja, rich in austerity: “Do you hear, blessed one, of plenty and health in the city? Is Bharata steadfast, and are the mothers still living?”
एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण भरद्वाजो महामुनिः । प्रत्युवाच रघुश्रेष्ठं स्मितपूर्वं प्रहृष्टवत् ॥ ३ ॥
Spoken to so by Rama, the great sage Bharadvaja replied to the best of the Raghus with a smile, as if delighted:
आज्ञावशत्वे भरतो जटिलस्त्वां प्रतीक्षते । पादुके ते पुरस्कृत्य सर्वं च कुशलं गृहे ॥ ४ ॥
“Bharata, obedient to your command, with matted hair, waits for you, placing your sandals before him; and all is well at home.
त्वां पुरा चीरवसनं प्रविशन्तं महावनम् । स्त्रीतृतीयं च्युतं राज्याद् धर्मकामं च केवलम् ॥ ५ ॥
“Seeing you long ago, wearing bark clothes, entering the great forest, with your wife as the third, fallen from the kingdom, desiring only dharma,
पदातिं त्यक्तसर्वस्वं पितृनिर्देशकारिणम् । सर्वभोगैः परित्यक्तं स्वर्गच्युतमिवामरम् ॥ ६ ॥
“on foot, having given up everything, carrying out your father’s instruction, abandoned by all pleasures, like an immortal fallen from heaven,
दृष्ट्वा तु करुणापूर्वं ममासीत् समितिंजय । कैकेयीवचने युक्तं वन्यमूलफलाशिनम् ॥ ७ ॥
“seeing you, held by Kaikeyi’s word, eating forest roots and fruit, I was filled with pity, conqueror in battle.
साम्प्रतं तु समृद्धार्थं समित्रगणबान्धवम् । समीक्ष्य विजितारिं च ममाभूत् प्रीतिरुत्तमा ॥ ८ ॥
“But now, seeing you with your purpose prospered, with your band of friends and kin, your enemies conquered, the highest joy has come to me.
सर्वं च सुखदुःखं ते विदितं मम राघव । यत् त्वया विपुलं प्राप्तं जनस्थाननिवासिना ॥ ९ ॥
“And all your joy and sorrow is known to me, Raghava, the great deal you met with while living in Janasthana:
ब्राह्मणार्थे नियुक्तस्य रक्षतः सर्वतापसान् । रावणेन हृता भार्या बभूवेयमनिन्दिता ॥ १० ॥
“how, engaged for the sake of the brahmins, protecting all the ascetics, this blameless wife of yours was carried off by Ravana;
मारीचदर्शनं चैव सीतोन्मथनमेव च । कबन्धदर्शनं चैव पम्पाभिगमनं तथा ॥ ११ ॥
“the sight of Maricha, and the carrying off of Sita, the sight of Kabandha, and likewise the going to Pampa,
सुग्रीवेण च ते सख्यं यत्र वाली हतस्त्वया । मार्गणं चैव वैदेह्याः कर्म वातात्मजस्य च ॥ १२ ॥
“your friendship with Sugriva, where Vali was killed by you, the search for the Vaidehi, and the deed of the son of the Wind;
विदितायां च वैदेह्यां नलसेतुर्यथा कृतः । यथा चादीपिता लङ्का प्रहृष्टैर्हरियूथपैः ॥ १३ ॥
“how, when the Vaidehi was found, Nala’s bridge was made, and how Lanka was set on fire by the delighted monkey troop leaders;
सपुत्रबान्धवामात्यः सबलः सहवाहनः । यथा च निहतः संख्ये रावणो बलदर्पितः ॥ १४ ॥
“how, with his sons, kin and ministers, with his army and with his mounts, Ravana, proud of his strength, was killed in battle;
यथा च निहते तस्मिन् रावणे देवकण्टके । समागमश्च त्रिदशैर्यथा दत्तश्च ते वरः ॥ १५ ॥
“and how, when that Ravana, thorn of the gods, was killed, there was the meeting with the thirty gods, and how a boon was given to you:
सर्वं ममैतद् विदितं तपसा धर्मवत्सल । सम्पतन्ति च मे शिष्याः प्रवृत्त्याख्याः पुरीमितः ॥ १६ ॥
“all this is known to me by austerity, lover of dharma; and my disciples go from here to the city as bearers of news.
अहमप्यत्र ते दद्मि वरं शस्त्रभृतां वर । अर्घ्यं प्रतिगृहाणेदमयोध्यां श्वो गमिष्यसि ॥ १७ ॥
“I too give you a boon here, best of weapon-bearers; accept this guest-offering; tomorrow you will go to Ayodhya.”
तस्य तच्छिरसा वाक्यं प्रतिगृह्य नृपात्मजः । बाढमित्येव संहृष्टः श्रीमान् वरमयाचत ॥ १८ ॥
Accepting those words of his with his head, the prince, delighted, glorious, saying “Very well”, asked for a boon:
अकालफलिनो वृक्षाः सर्वे चापि मधुस्रवाः । फलान्यमृतगन्धीनि बहूनि विविधानि च ॥ १९ ॥
“Let the trees bear fruit out of season, and all flow with honey, and many fruits of many kinds, fragrant like nectar,
भवन्तु मार्गे भगवन्नयोध्यां प्रति गच्छतः । तथेति च प्रतिज्ञाते वचनात् समनन्तरम् ॥ २० ॥
“be on the road, blessed one, for one going toward Ayodhya.” And when he had promised “So be it”, immediately after the word,
अभवन् पादपास्तत्र स्वर्गपादपसंनिभाः । निष्फलाः फलिनश्चासन् विपुष्पाः पुष्पशालिनः ॥ २१ ॥
the trees there became like the trees of heaven; those without fruit bore fruit, those without flowers were rich in flowers,
शुष्काः समग्रपत्रास्ते नगाश्चैव मधुस्रवाः । सर्वतो योजनास्तिस्रो गच्छतामभवंस्तदा ॥ २२ ॥
the dry ones were full of leaves, and the trees flowed with honey for three leagues on every side for those going then.
ततः प्रहृष्टाः प्लवगर्षभास्ते बहूनि दिव्यानि फलानि चैव । कामादुपाश्नन्ति सहस्रशस्ते मुदान्विताः स्वर्गजितो यथैव ॥ २३ ॥
Then those bulls among the leapers, delighted, ate many heavenly fruits by thousands as they wished, filled with joy, like those who have won heaven.