Book II : Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya
Bharata instructs Shatrughna and Guha along with some troops each to search for Rama and Lakshmana in the forest. Bharata, personally, along with his ministers citizens and priests, proceed on foot to some other side of the forest for the search. He goes through the forest for some time. Climbing up a sala tree, Bharata observes a plume of smoke at a distance and conjectures that place as Rama's hermitage. Bharata quickly proceeds with quick steps, along with Guha, to see Rama. |
niveshya senaam tu vibhuH padbhyaam paadavataam varaH |
abhigantum sa kaakutstham iyeSha guru vartakam || 2-98-1
1. saH= that Bharata, vibhuH= the mighty; varaH= and the excellent; paadavataam= among men (those having feet); niveshya= (after) encamping; senaam= the army; iyeshha= sought; abhigantum= to approach; kaakutthsam= Rama; guruvartakam= who was abiding his; padbhyaam= by foot.
After encamping the army, the mighty Bharata the excellent among men, sought to approach on foot, Rama who was complying with the words of his father.
niviShTa maatre sainye tu yathaa uddesham viniitavat |
bharato bhraataram vaakyam shatrughnam idam abraviit || 2-98-2
2. niviSTa maatre= Soon after encamping; sainye= the army; viniitavat= in a well-behaved manner; yathoddesham= according to the guidelines; bharataH= Bharata; abraviit= spoke; idam= these words; shatrughnam= to Shatrughna.
Soon after encamping the army in a well-behaved manner per the guidelines, Bharata spoke the following words to Shatrughna:
kShipram vanam idam saumya nara samghaiH samantataH |
lubdhaiH ca sahitair ebhiH tvam anveShitum arhasi || 2-98-3
3. saumyaH= O, gentle brother!; tvam= you; narasaN^ghaiH= along with a troop of men; lubdhaishcha sahitaiH= and along with trackers; arhasi= ought; anveSitum= to search; samantataH= on all sides; idam anam= of this forest.
"O, gentle brother! You, along with a troop of men and trackers, ought to search on all sides of this forest."
guho jJNaatisahasreNa sharachaapaasidhaariNaa |
samanveSatu kaakutthsamasmin parivR^itaH svayam || 2-98-4
4. guhaH= (Let) Guha; svayam= himself; samanveSutu= search; kaakutthsau= for Rama and Lakshmana; asmin= in this forest; parivR^itaH= accompanied; j^Naati sahasreNa= by his multitude of kinsmen; shara chaapaasi dhaariNaa= wielding arrows, bows and swords.
"Let Guha search for Rama and Lakshmana in this forest, himself accompanied by a multitude of his kinsmen, duly wielding their bows, arrows and swords."
amaatyaiH saha pauraishcha gurubhishcha dvijaatibhiH |
vanaM sarvaM chariSyaami padbhyaaM parivR^itaH svayam || 2-98-5
5. svayam= I, too; parivR^itaH= encircled; amaatyaiH saha= along with ministers; parveshcha= citizens; gurubhishcha= priests; dvijaatibhiH= and Brahmanas; chariSyaami= shall move; padbhyaam= by foot; sarvam= in the entire; vanam= forest.
"I too, surrounded by the ministers, citizens, priests and Brahmanas; shall personally go round the entire forest on foot.
yaavan na raamam drakShyaami lakShmaNam vaa mahaa balam |
vaidehiim vaa mahaa bhaagaam na me shaantir bhaviShyati || 2-98-6
6. shaantiH= peace; na bhaviSyati= will not come; me= to me; yaavat= until which time; na drakSyaami= I do not see; raamam= Rama; mahaabalam= the immensely strong; lakSmaNam vaa= Lakshmana or; mahaabhaagam= the illustrious; vaidehiim vaa= Seetha.
"Peace will not be with me until I do not see Rama or the very mighty Lakshmana or the illustrious Seetha."
yaavan na candra samkaasham drakShyaami shubham aananam |
bhraatuH padma palaasha akSham na me shaantir bhaviShyati || 2-98-7
7. shaantiH= peace; na bhaviSyati= will not be; me= with me; yaavat= until which time; na drakSyaami= I do not see; shubham= the auspicious; aananam= face; bhraatuH= of my elder brother; chandra samkaasham= resembling the moon; padma palaashakSam= having eyes like lotus= leaves.
"Peace will not be with me until I do not see the auspicious face of my elder brother, resembling the moon and having eyes bearing resemblance to lotus-leaves.
yaavan na caraNau bhraatuH paarthiva vyanjana anvitau |
shirasaa dhaarayiShyaami na me shaantir bhaviShyati || 2-98-8
8. shaantiH= peace; na bhaviSyati= will not be; me= with me; yaavat= until which time; na dhaarayiSyaami= I do not hold; shirasaa= on my head; charaNau= the soles; bhraatuH= of my elder brother; paarthiva vyaN^janaanvitau= bearubg ritak ubsugbua,
"Peace will nt be with me until I do not hold firmly on my head, the soles of my elder brother, bearing royal insignia.
yaavan raajye raajya arhaH pitR^i paitaamahe sthitaH |
abhiSheka jala klinno na me shaantir bhaviShyati || 2-98-9
9. shaantiH= peace; na bhaviSyati= will not be; me= with me; yaavat= until which time; raajyaarhaH= my elder brother eligible for the crown; na sthitaH= is not installed; raajya= in the kingdom; pitR^ipaitaamahe= which was derived from father and grandfather; abhiSeka jalaklinnaH= and consecrated by sprinkling water (on his head).
"Peace will not come to me until my elder brother, who is eligible for the crown, is not installed in the kingdom of Ayodhya, which was derived from our father and grand father and consecrated by sprinkling water on his head (as a symbol of crowing the kingdom)."
siddhaarthaH khalu saumitriryashchandravimalovamam |
mukhaM pashyati raamasya raajiivaakSaM mahaadyuti || 2-98-10
10. saumitriH= Lakshmana; yaH= who; pashyati= is seeing; mukham= the face; raamasya= of Rama; mahaa dyuti= having a great luminance; chandra vimalopamam= resembling the bright moon; raajiivakSam= and having lotus= eyes; siddhaarthaH khalu= is indeed an accomplished man.
"Lakshmana, who is seeing regularly the face of Rama having a great luminance resembling the bright moon and having lotus eyes, is indeed an accomplished man."
kR^ita kR^ityaa mahaa bhaagaa vaidehii janaka aatmajaa |
bhartaaram saagara antaayaaH pR^ithivyaa yaa anugagcCati || 2-98-11
11. mahaabhaagaa= the illustrious; vaidehii= Seetha; janakaatmajaa= the daughter of Janaka; yaa= who; anugachchhati= is following; (Rama); bhartaaram= the Lord; pR^ithivyaaH= of the earth, saagaraantayaaH= extending to the sea; kR^ita kR^ityaa= has fulfilled her object.
"Seetha, the illustrious daughter of Janaka, who is following the steps of Rama the Lord of the earth extending to the sea, has fulfilled her object."
subhagaH citra kuuTo asau giri raaja upamo giriH |
yasmin vasati kaakutsthaH kubera iva nandane || 2-98-12
12. asau= that; subhagaH= enchanting; chitrakuuTaH giriH= mountain of Chitrakuta; giriraajopamaH= resembles the King of mountains; yasmin= on which; kaakutthsaH= Rama; vasati= is residing; kuberaH iva= as Kubera the Lord of riches; nanadane= is living in the garden of nandana."
"That enchanting mountain of Chitrakuta resembles the King of Mountains on which Rama is residing, as Kubera the Lord of riches is living in the garden of Nandana."
kR^ita kaaryam idam durgam vanam vyaala niShevitam |
yad adhyaaste mahaa tejaa raamaH shastrabhR^itaam varaH || 2-98-13
13. kR^itakaaryam= Blessed; idam= is this; durgam= dense; vanam= forest; vyaala niSevitam= inhabited by wild animals; yat= where; mahaatejaaH= the great warrior; varaH= the excellent; shastrabhR^itaam= among the wielders of raamaH= Rama; adhyaaste= dwells;
"Blessed is this dense forest, inhabited by wild animals, where Rama, the great warrior and the excellent man among the wielders of weapons, dwells."
ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye ayodhyakaaNDe aSTanavatitamaH sargaH
Thus completes 98th Chapter of Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
© November 2004, K. M. K. Murthy