Valmiki Ramayana - Ayodhya Kanda

Guha the king of Nishada tribe asks his relative to guard the river bank and get ready for a battle, if necessary, with Bharata. Then, Guha approaches Bharata with a welcome-drink of honey, meat and fish. He asks Bharata with his army to accept his hospitality.

tt> inivòam! XvijnIm! gNgam! ANvaiïtam! ndIm!,
in;ad rajae †òœva @v }atIn! sMTvirt> AävIt!. 2£84£1

1. tataH= then; dR^iSTvaiva= just on seeing; dhvajiniim= an army; niviSTaam= encamped; anvaashritaam= and situated along; gaN^gaam nadiim= the River Ganga; niSaadaraajaH= Guha, the king of Nishadas; samtvasitaH= hastily; abraviit= spoke; jJNaatiin= to his relatives (as follows):

Just on seeing an army encamped and positioned along the River Ganga, Guha the king of Nishadas hastily spoke to his relatives as follows:

mhtI #ym! At> sena sagr Aa-a à†Zyte,
n ASy ANtm! Avg½aim mnsa Aip ivicNtyn!. 2£84£2

2. itaH= on this side; iyam= this; mahatii= huge; senaa= army; pradR^ishyati= is seen; saagaraabhaa= as an ocean; naadhigachchhami= I am not able to find; antam= the extent; asyaaH= of this army; vidintayannapi= even by my discerning; manasaa= with the mind.

“On this side, a huge army is seen like an ocean. I am not able to comprehend the extent of this army even by my discerning mind.”

3. eSaH= here ( is seen); rathe hi= on the chariot; saH= that; mahaakaayaH= towering; kovidaara*; dhvajaH=banner bearing Kovidara tree; bharataH= (and hence) Bharata; durbuddhiH= with an evil intent; svayam= himself; yathaatu aagataH= seems to have come.

“Here is seen on that chariot, a towering banner bearing Kovidara tree and hence Bharata himself with an evil intent seems to have come.”

bNxiy:yit va dazan! Aw va ASman! vix:yit,
Aw dazriwm! ramm! ipÇa raJyat! ivvaistm!. 2£84£4
sMpÚam! iïymiNv½MStSy ra}> suÊlR-am!,
-rt> kEkeyI puÇ> hNtum! smixg½it. 2£84£5

4, 5. bharataH= (Will) Bharata; kaikeyiiputraH= the son of Kaikeyi; badhayiSyati= bind with chains; daashaan= our fishermen; athavaa= or; vadhiSyati= kill; asmaan= us?; atha= or; samadhigachchhati= is he coming; hantum= to kill; raamam= Rama; daasharthiim= the son of Dasaratha; vivaasitam= who was exiled; raajyaat= from the kingdom; pitraa= by his father; anvichchhan= and desiring; shriyam= the prosperous kingdom; sampannaam= a luxury; sudurlabham= and that which is inaccessible to another.

“Will Bharata the son of Kaikeyi bind us with chains or slay us? Or is he coming to kill Rama, the son of Dasaratha, who was exiled from the kingdom by his father, desirous as Bharata is to get the prosperous Ayodhya kingdom, a luxury and that which is inaccessible to another?”

-taR cEv soa cEv ram> dazriwrœ mm,
tSy AwR kama> sçÏa gNga AnUpe AÇ itót. 2£84£6

6. raamaH= Rama; daasharathiH= the son of Dasaratha; mama= is my; bhartaachaiva= Lord; sakhaa chaiva= and my friend too; (Hence); pratiSThata= be stationed; sannaddhaa= covered with armor; gaN^gaanuupe= one this bank of Ganga River; artha kaamaaH= desiring to advance the interest; tasya= of that Rama.

“Rama the son of Dasaratha is my Lord and my companion too. Hence you, covered with armor, be stationed on this bank of Ganga River, desiring to advance the interest of Rama.”

itóNtu svR daza> c gNgam! ANvaiïta ndIm!,
bl yua ndI r]a maMs mUl )l Azna>. 2£84£7

7. sarve= (Let) all; daashaashcha= our ferrymen; nadiirakSaaH= guarding the river; balayuktaaH= along with troops; maamsa muula phalaashanaaH= eating; meet, roota and fruits ( in the boats); tiSThantu= stay; anvaashritaaH= positioned along; gaN^gaam nadiim= the River Ganga.

“Let all our ferrymen guarding the river, along with the troops, eating meat roots and fruits ( in their boats), stay positioned along the River Ganga.”

navam! ztanam! pNcanam! kEvtaRnam! ztm! ztm!,
sçÏanam! twa yUnam! itóNtu ATy_ycaedyt!. 2£84£8

8. paN^chaanam= (Let) five; shataanaam= hundred; naavaam= boats; shatam shatam= each; manned by a hundred; yuunaam= youthful; kaivartanaam= ferrymen; tiSThantu= be stationed; tathaa= and sannddhaam= made ready; iti= (Guha) thus; abhyachodayat= announced.

“Let five hundred boats, each manner by a hundred youthful ferrymen, be stationed and made ready” –thus announced Guha.

yda tuò> tu -rt> ramSy #h -iv:yit,
sa #ym! SviStmyI sena gNgam! A* tir:yit. 2£84£9

9. yadaatu= when; bharataH= Bharata; bhaviSyati= be; aduSTaH= well-disposed; iha= here; raamasya= towards Rama; saa iyam= such of this; senaa= army; tariSyati= may cross; gaN^gaam= the River Ganga; adya= today; svastimatii= in safety.

“If Bharata is favourably disposed now towards Rama, then only his army may (be allowed to) cross the River Ganga in safety.”

#it %®va %paynm! g&ý mTSy maMs mxUin c,
Ai-c³am -rtm! in;ad Aixpitrœ guh>. 2£84£10

10. iti= thus; uktvaa= spoken; guhaH= Guha; niSaadaadhipatiH= the Lord of Nishadas; gR^ihya= took; matsya maamsa madhuuni= fish meat and honey; upaayanam= as an offering; abhichakraama= and approached; bharatam= Bharata.

After uttering thus, Guha the king of Nishadas took fish, meat and honey as an offering and approached Bharata.

tm! AayaNtm! tu sMàeúy sUt puÇ> àtapvan!,
-rtay Aacc]e Aw ivny}ae ivnItvt!. 2£84£11

11. atha= thereafter; suutaputraH= Sumantra the charioteer; prataapavaan= a majestic man; vinayajJNaH= who knows the rules of discipline; samprekshya= seeing; tam= him aayaantam= approach; aachachaksha= told; bharataaya= Bharata; viniitavat= humbly (as follows):

Seeing him approach, Sumantra the charioteer, a majestic man who knows the rules of discipline, humbly told Bharata as follows:

@; }ait shöe[ Swpit> pirvairt>,
k…zlae d{fk Ar{ye v&Ïae æatu> c te soa. 2£84£12

12. eSaH= this; sthapatiH= Lord; parivaaritaH= who is surrounded; jJNaati sahasresha= by a thousand of his own people; kushalaH= is fully acquainted; daN^kaaraaN^ye= with the forest of Dandaka; vR^iddhaH= and an old; sakhaacha= friend; te= of your; bhraatuH= elder brother.

“This Lord who is surrounded by a thousand of his own people, is fully acquainted with the forest of Dandaka and also an old friend of your elder brother.”

tSmat! pZytu kak…TSw Tvam! in;ad Aixpae guh>,
AsMzym! ivjanIte yÇ taE ram lúm[aE. 2£84£13

13. kaakutthsa= O, Bharata! Tasmaat= for that reason; guhaH= (let) Guha; niSaadaadhiphaH= the king of Nishadas; pashyatu= see; tvaam= you; vijaaniite= (He) knows; asamshayam= surely; yatra= where; tau= those; raamalakshmaNau= Rama and Lakshmana (are there).

“O, Bharata! For that reason, let Guha the king of Nishadas see you. He knows surely where those two Rama and Lakshmana – are stationed.”

@tt! tu vcnm! ïuTva sumÙat! -rt> zu-m!,
%vac vcnm! zIºm! guh> pZytu mam! #it. 2£84£14

14. shrutvaa= hearing; etat= these; shubham= auspicious; vachanam= words; sumantreaat= of Sumantra; bharataH= Bharata; uvaacha= spoke; iti= these; vachanam= words; guhaH= (let) Guha; pashyati= see; maam= me; shiighram= immediately.

Hearing the auspicious words of Sumantra, Bharata answered, “Introduce Guha to me without delay.”

lBXva A_ynu}am! sMùò> }aiti-> pirvairt>,
AagMy -rtm! àþae guhae vcnm! AävIt!. 2£84£15

15. labdhvaa= having obtained; abhyamjJNaam= the permission; guhaH= Guha; parivaaritaH= surrouned; jJNaatibhiH= by his own people; samhR^iSTaH= joyfully; prahvaH= and humbly; aagamya= approached; baratam= Bharata; abraviit= and spoke; vachanam= these words.

Having obtained permission, Guha along with his own people, joyfully and humbly approached Bharata and spoke as follows:

in:k…q> cEv dezae Aym! viNcta> c Aip te vym!,
invedyam> te sveR Svke daz k…le vs. 2£84£16

16. ayam= this; deshaH= place; niSkuTaH= is like a pleasure-grove near your house; vayam= we; vaN^chitaashchaapi= are your subjects; sarve= all of us; nivedayaavaH= are reporting to you; te= as such; vasa= stay; daasakule= in this servant’s house.

“This place is like a pleasure-grove near your house. We are your subjects and are reporting to you as such. Stay in this servant’s house.”

AiSt mUlm! )lm! cEv in;adE> smupaùtm!,
AaÔRm! c maMsm! zu:km! c vNym! c %½ Avcm! mht!. 2£84£17

17. asti= here are; muulam= the root; phalam chaiva= fruit; samudaahR^itam= gathered; niSaadaiH= by my tribe; maamsamcha= and the meat; mahat= of great quality; ucchaavacham= and of various kinds; aardram= fresh; shuSkamcha= and dried; vanyam= and all a produce of the forest.

“Here are the roots and fruits gathered by my tribe as well as fresh and dried meat of great quality and of various kinds, and all a produce of the forest.”

AazMse Svaizta sena vTSyit #mam! iv-avrIm!,
AicRt> ivivxE> kamE> ñ> ssENyae gim:yis. 2£84£18

18. aasham se= I hope; senaa= the army; svaashitaa= after eating well; vatsyat= can halt; imam= in this night; architaH= offered reverently; vividhaiH= various kinds; kaamaiH= of all that you could desire; gamiSyasi= you can go; shvaH= tomorrow; sasainyaH= along with your army.

“I hope the army, after eating well, can halt for the night here. Furnished with all you could desire, you can continue your journey tomorrow along with your troops.”

Thus completes 84th Chapter of Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.

Chapter [Sarga] 84

Introduction

Verse Locator for Book II : Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya : Chapter 84