Ayodhya Kanda: Chapter 77

ततो दशाहेऽतिगते कृतशौचो नृपात्मजः। द्वादशेऽहनि सम्प्राप्ते श्राद्धकर्माण्यकारयत्॥
When the ten days had gone by, the king's son, his uncleanness (consequent on the demise of his father) removed, performed the sraddha on the twelfth day.

ब्राह्मणेभ्यो धनं रत्नं ददावन्नं च पुष्कलम्। वासांसि च महार्हाणि रत्नानि विविधानि च। बास्तिकं बहु शुक्लं च गाश्चापि बहुशस्तदा॥ दासीर्दासांश्च यानानि वेश्मानि सुमहान्ति च। ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददौ पुत्रो राज्ञस्तस्यौर्ध्वदेहिकम्॥
On the occasion on the ceremonies for the welfare of the departed Spirit, the son of the king conferred on Brāhmaṇas wealth and gems, and rice in abundance, and herds of goats, and silver in profusion, and countless kine, and maidservants and man-servants, and vehicles and spacious mansions.

ततः प्रभातसमये दिवसे च त्रयोदशे। विललाप महाबाहुर्भरतः शोकमूर्च्छितः॥
And on the thirteenth day, the long armed Bharata, overwhelmed with grief, burst into lamentation.

शब्दापिहितकण्ठश्च शोधनार्थमुपागतः। चितामूले पितुर्वाक्यमिदमाह सुदुःखितः॥ तात यस्मिन् निसृष्टोऽहं त्वया भ्रातरि राघवे। तस्मिन् वनं प्रव्रजिते शून्ये त्यक्तोऽस्म्यहं त्वया॥
And coming to the foot of the funeral pyre for gathering the bones of the departed, he overcome with grief, with his throat obstructed with the sounds of lamentation, said, “my father, on brother Rāma, to whom I had been consigned by you, having gone to the forest, I have been cast by you into vacancy.

यस्या गतिरनाथायाः पुत्रः प्रव्राजितो वनम्। तामम्बां तात कौसल्यां त्यक्त्वात्वं व गतोनृप।७।।
My father, forsaking forlorn mother Kausalya, whose stay her son, had gone to the forest, where have you gone, Oking?

दृष्ट्वा भस्मारुणं तच्च दग्धास्थि स्थानमण्डलम्। पितुः शरीरनिर्वाणं निष्टनन् विषसाद ह॥
Seeing the spot where lay the bones of his father mixed with ashes and embers Bharata looking at the place where occurred the dissolution of his father's fame, carried away by emotion, indulged in sorrow.

स तु दृष्ट्वा रुदन् दीनः पपात धरणीतले। उत्थाप्यमानः शक्रस्य यन्त्रध्वज इवोच्छ्रितः॥
And seeing this, he exceedingly distressed, crying fell down to the ground. And raised up (by others) he looked like an uplifted banner of Sakra bound to an engine.

अभिपेतुस्ततः सर्वे तस्यामात्याः शुचिव्रतम्। अन्तकाले निपतितं ययातिमृषयो यथा॥
His counsellors rushed towards that one of pure vows, like the saints making towards Yayati as he was falling on the extinction of his merit.

शत्रुघ्नश्चापि भरतं दृष्ट्वा शोकपरिप्लुतम्। विसंज्ञो न्यपतद् भूमौ भूमिपालमनुस्मरन्॥
Seeing Bharata plunged in grief, Satrughna remembering the king, fell down to the ground deprived of consciousness.

उन्मत्त इव निश्चित्तो विललाप सुदुःखितः। स्मृत्वा पितुर्गुणाङ्गानि तानि तानि तदा तदा॥
And devoid of sense and like a madman, he in grief of heart began to lament remembering all the virtues of his father again and again.

मन्थराप्रभवस्तीव्रः कैकेयीग्राहसंकुलः। वरदानमयोऽक्षोभ्योऽमज्जयच्छोकसागरः॥
This terrible sea of grief owing its origin to Mantharā, containing its ferocious aquatic animal in the shape of Kaikeyī, and incapable of being disturbed in consequence of the bestowal of the boon drowns (us).

सुकुमारं च बालं च सततं लालितं त्वया। क तात भरतं हित्वा विलपन्तं गतो भवान् ॥
O father, where have you gone, leaving the tender and youthful Bharata fondled by you, to lament (your loss).

ननु भोज्येषु पानेषु वस्त्रेष्वाभरणेषु च। प्रवारयति सर्वान् नस्तनः कोऽद्य करिष्यति॥
You did use to confer on us eatables and drinkable and attires and ornaments. Who will now do so?

अवदारणकाले तु पृथिवी नावदीर्यते। विहीना या त्वया राज्ञा धर्मज्ञेन महात्मना ॥
Deprived of you, the high souled king cognisant of duty, the earth albeit her time of riving is come, is not yet riven.

पितरि स्वर्गमापन्ने रामे चारण्यमाश्रिते। किं मे जीवितसामर्थ्य प्रवेक्ष्यामि हुताशनम्॥
My father having gone to heaven and Rāma having sought the woods, how can I live? I will enter fire.

हीनो भ्रात्रा च पित्रा च शून्यामिक्ष्वाकुपालिताम्। अयोध्यां न प्रवेक्ष्यामि प्रवेक्ष्यामि तपोवनम्॥
Bereft of my brother and sire, I will not enter the empty Ayodhyā governed by the Ikşvākus. I will repair to the forest of asceticism.

तपोर्विलपितं श्रुत्वा व्यसनं चाप्यवेक्ष्य तत्। भृशमार्ततरा भूयः सर्व एवानुगामिनः॥
Hearing his lamentations and seeing that disaster, all the followers became all the more distressed.

ततो विषण्णौ श्रान्तौ च शत्रुघ्नभरतावुभौ। धरायां स्म व्यचेष्टेतां भग्नशृङ्गविवर्षभौ॥
Then depressed and exhausted, both Šatrughna and Bharata rolled on the earth like two bulls with their horns fractured,

ततः प्रकृतिमान् वैद्यः पितुरेषां पुरोहितः। वसिष्ठो भरतं वाक्यमुत्थाप्य तमुवाच ह॥
Then the all-knowing priest of their father possessed of sterling worth, Vasistha, raising Bharata, said to him.

त्रयोदशोऽयं दिवसः पितुर्वृत्तस्य ते विभो। सावशेषास्थिनिचये किमिह त्वं विलम्बसे ॥
O Lord this is the thirteenth day since the cremation of your sire. Why did you delay, when you have to collect the bones?

त्रीणि द्वन्द्वानि भूतेषु प्रवृत्तान्यविशेषतः। तेषु चापरिहार्येषु नैवं भवितुमर्हसि॥
Three couples* pertain in especial to all creatures and these being inevitable, you ought not to bear yourself thus. *Hunger and thirst, ignorance and grief, sickness and death.

सुमन्त्रश्चापि शत्रुघ्नमुत्थाप्याभिप्रसाद्य च। श्रावयामास तत्त्वज्ञः सर्वभूतभवाभवौ॥
And Sumantra also versed in the nature of things, raising up Šatrughna and pacifying him, discoursed the birth and heath of all beings.

उत्थितौ तौ नरव्याघ्रौ प्रकाशेते यशस्विनौ। वर्षातपपरिग्लानौ पृथगिन्द्रध्वजाविव ॥
Being raised up, those renowned chiefs of men looked like Indra's banner stained by shine and shower.

अश्रूणि परिमृद्गन्तौ रक्ताक्षौ दीनभाषिणौ। अमात्यास्त्वरयन्ति स्म तनयौ चापराः क्रियाः॥
And as the princes stood there shedding tears, with reddened eyes, and speaking sadly, the courers urged nem on in behalf of the rites that remained.