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Ayodhya Kaanda - Sarga 68
In this short Sarga, Vasishṭha makes it loud and clear that the kingdom was given to Bharata and hence the next order of business was nothing other than bringing him to Ayōdhyā.
He asks the messengers to start immediately and instructs them not to say anything about Rāma’s exile or Daṡaratha’s death. He tells them to convey merely that he is urgently needed in Ayōdhyā.
Then the messengers proceed on their long journey and finally reach the city of Girivraja.
2.68.1 தேஷாம் ஹி வசநம் ஸ்ருத்வா வஸிஷ்ட: ப்ரத்யுவாச ஹ ।
மித்ராமாத்யகணாந்ஸர்வாந்ப்ராஹ்மணாம்ஸ்தாநிதம் வச: ॥
tēṣāṃ hi vacanaṃ ṡrutvā vasiṣṭhaḥ pratyuvāca ha ।
mitrāmātyagaṇānsarvānbrāhmaṇāṃstānidaṃ vacaḥ ॥
On hearing those words, Vasishṭha responded
to the King’s many confidants,
to the retinue of ministers and
to all of the Brāhmaṇas, saying:
2.68.2-3 யதஸௌ மாதுலகுலே தத்தராஜ்யம் பரம் ஸுகீ ।
பரதோ வஸதி ப்ராத்ரா ஸத்ருக்நேந ஸமந்வித: ॥
தச்சீக்ரம் ஜவநா தூதா கச்சந்து த்வரிதைர்ஹயை: ।
ஆநேதும் ப்ராதரௌ வீரௌ கிம் ஸமீக்ஷாமஹே வயம் ॥
yadasau mātulakulē dattarājyaṃ paraṃ sukhī ।
bharatō vasati bhrātrā ṡatrughnēna samanvitaḥ ॥
tacchīghraṃ javanā dūtā gacchantu tvaritairhayaiḥ ।
ānētuṃ bhrātarau vīrau kiṃ samīkṣāmahē vayam ॥
There is not much to deliberate here.
The kingdom has already been given to Bharata.
He is now at his maternal uncle’s house along with Ṡatrughna.
May messengers go immediately on swift horses
and bring the two valorous brothers here! In the previous Sarga the ministers and Brāhmaṇas asked to install someone from the Ikshwāku dynasty as the king, without explicitly mentioning a name.
They did not specify whether it should be Bharata (as per the demand of Kaikēyee, which the king was bound to) or Rāma, whom everyone loved to have as the king.
In this Ṡlōka Vasishṭha sticks to Dharma and essentially puts an end to their hopes of having Rāma installed as the king.
2.68.4 கச்சந்த்விதி ததஸ்ஸர்வே வஸிஷ்டம் வாக்யமப்ருவந் ।
தேஷாம் தத்வசநம் ஸ்ருத்வா வஸிஷ்டோ வாக்யமப்ரவீத் ॥
gacchantviti tatassarvē vasiṣṭhaṃ vākyamabruvan ।
tēṣāṃ tadvacanaṃ ṡrutvā vasiṣṭhō vākyamabravīt ॥
Everyone responded to him saying,
“May they (the messengers) leave (as instructed)!”
Hearing that response, Vasishṭha added immediately:
2.68.5 ஏஹி ஸித்தார்த! விஜய! ஜயந்தாஸோக! நந்தந! ।
ஸ்ரூயதாமிதி கர்தவ்யம் ஸர்வாநேவ ப்ரவீமி வ: ॥
ēhi siddhārtha! vijaya! jayantāṡōka! nandana! ।
ṡrūyatāmiti kartavyaṃ sarvānēva bravīmi vaḥ ॥
O Siddhartha, Jayanta, Vijaya, Asoka and Nanda!
Come here and listen carefully as to what must be done now.
2.68.6 புரம் ராஜக்ருஹம் கத்வா ஸீக்ரம் ஸீக்ரஜவை ர்ஹயை: ।
த்யக்தஸோகைரிதம் வாச்யஸ்ஸாஸநாத்பரதோ மம ॥
puraṃ rājagṛhaṃ gatvā ṡīghraṃ ṡīghrajavai rhayaiḥ ।
tyaktaṡōkairidaṃ vācyaṡṡāsanādbharatō mama ॥
Leave your grief here.
Tell Bharata the exact words that I instruct you,
after reaching the city of Rājagṛha on swift horses:
2.68.7 புரோஹிதஸ்த்வாம் குஸலம் ப்ராஹ ஸர்வே ச மந்த்ரிண: ।
த்வரமாணஸ்ச நிர்யாஹி க்ருத்யமாத்யயிகம் த்வயா ॥
purōhitastvāṃ kuṡalaṃ prāha sarvē ca mantriṇaḥ ।
tvaramāṇaṡca niryāhi kṛtyamātyayikaṃ tvayā ॥
Purōhita and all the ministers
enquire about your wellbeing.
May you start immediately!
We need you for something that is extremely important!
2.68.8 மா சாஸ்மை ப்ரோஷிதம் ராமம் மா சாஸ்மை பிதரம் ம்ருதம் ।
பவந்தஸ்ஸம்ஸிஷுர்கத்வா ராகவாணாமிமம் க்ஷயம் ॥
mā cāsmai prōṣitaṃ rāmaṃ mā cāsmai pitaraṃ mṛtam ।
bhavantaṡṡaṃsiṣurgatvā rāghavāṇāmimaṃ kṣayam ॥
After arriving there, you should tell him
neither about Rāma’s exile,
nor about the death of his father,
nor the calamity that had befallen the clan of Raghu.
2.68.9 கௌஸேயாநி ச வஸ்த்ராணி பூஷணாநி வராணி ச ।
க்ஷிப்ரமாதாய ராஜ்ஞஸ்ச பரதஸ்ய ச கச்சத ॥
kauṡēyāni ca vastrāṇi bhūṣaṇāni varāṇi ca ।
kṣipramādāya rājñaṡca bharatasya ca gacchata ॥
Please quickly take exquisite ornaments and silk garments
for Bharata and the king (as gifts), and leave!
2.68.10 தத்தபத்யஸநா தூதா ஜக்முஸ்ஸ்வம் ஸ்வம் நிவேஸநம் ।
கேகயாம்ஸ்தே கமிஷ்யந்தோ ஹயாநாருஹ்ய ஸம்மதாந் ॥
dattapathyaṡanā dūtā jagmussvaṃ svaṃ nivēṡanam ।
kēkayāṃstē gamiṣyantō hayānāruhya saṃmatān ॥
Those messengers who were bound for Kēkaya kingdom
were then given allowances and rations for travel.
Mounting the best of horses, they then
left to their respective residences.
2.68.11 தத: ப்ராஸ்தாநிகம் க்ருத்வா கார்யஸேஷமநந்தரம் ।
வஸிஷ்டேநாப்யநுஜ்ஞாதா தூதாஸ்ஸம்த்வரிதா யயு: ॥
tataḥ prāsthānikaṃ kṛtvā kāryaṡēṣamanantaram ।
vasiṣṭhēnābhyanujñātā dūtāssaṃtvaritā yayuḥ ॥
Then, having completed the rest of the arrangements for the journey
and taking leave of Vasishṭha, those messengers started in haste.
2.68.12 ந்யந்தேநாபரதாலஸ்ய ப்ரலம்பஸ்யோத்தரம் ப்ரதி ।
நிஷேவமாணா ஸ்தே ஜக்முர்நதீம் மத்யேந மாலிநீம் ॥
nyantēnāparatālasya pralambasyōttaraṃ prati ।
niṣēvamāṇā stē jagmurnadīṃ madhyēna mālinīm ॥
They went around the farthest reach of the Aparatāla mountain,
and along the river Mālini to the
northern side of the Pralamba mountain.
2.68.13-14 தே ஹஸ்திநாபுரே கங்காம் தீர்த்வா ப்ரத்யங்முகா யயு: ।
பாஞ்சாலதேஸமாஸாத்ய மத்யேந குருஜாங்கலம் ॥
ஸராம்ஸி ச ஸுபூர்ணாநி நதீஸ்ச விமலோதகா: ।
நிரீக்ஷமாணாஸ்தே ஜக்முர்தூதா: கார்யவஸாத்த்ருதம் ॥
tē hastināpurē gaṅgāṃ tīrtvā pratyaṅmukhā yayuḥ ।
pāñcāladēṡamāsādya madhyēna kurujāṅgalam ॥
sarāṃsi ca supūrṇāni nadīṡca vimalōdakāḥ ।
nirīkṣamāṇāstē jagmurdūtāḥ kāryavaṡāddrutam ॥
Then they crossed river Gaṅgā at Hastināpura,
and going west through the heart of the Kurujāṅgala country,
they reached the area of Pāñcāla
and went on in all haste, because of the urgency of their mission,
seeing many lakes full of water and
streams of clear waters, on the way.
2.68.15 தே ப்ரஸந்நோதகாம் திவ்யாம் நாநாவிஹகஸேவிதாம் ।
உபாதிஜக்முர்வேகேந ஸரதண்டாம் ஜநாகுலாம் ॥
tē prasannōdakāṃ divyāṃ nānāvihagasēvitām ।
upātijagmurvēgēna ṡaradaṇḍāṃ janākulām ॥
They quickly crossed the magnificent
river Ṡaradaṇḍa, of pleasing waters,
that was frequented by birds of many kinds
and was thronged with people.
2.68.16 நிகூலவ்ருக்ஷமாஸாத்ய திவ்யம் ஸத்யோபயாசநம் ।
அபிகம்யாபிவாத்யம் தம் குலிங்காம் ப்ராவிஸந்புரீம் ॥
nikūlavṛkṣamāsādya divyaṃ satyōpayācanam ।
abhigamyābhivādyaṃ taṃ kuliṅgāṃ prāviṡanpurīm ॥
Reaching a sacred tree on the bank of the river
that was worthy of reverence, and the one that had
earned the distinction of ‘The Granter of wishes’,
and circumambulating it,
they proceeded to enter the city of Kuliṅga.
2.68.17 ஆபிகாலம் தத: ப்ராப்ய தே போதிபவநாச்ச்யுதாம் ।
பித்ருபைதாமஹீம் புண்யாம் தேருரிக்ஷுமதீம் நதீம் ॥
ābhikālaṃ tataḥ prāpya tē bōdhibhavanāccyutām ।
pitṛpaitāmahīṃ puṇyāṃ tērurikṣumatīṃ nadīm ॥
Then, reaching the village of Abhikāla,
they crossed the sacred river Ikshumati
that flowed from the mountain Bōdibhavana
and had been under their rule for generations.
2.68.18 அவேக்ஷ்யாஞ்ஜலிபாநாம்ஸ்ச ப்ராஹ்மணாந்வேதபாரகாந் ।
யயுர்மத்யேந பாஹ்லீகாந் ஸுதாமாநம் ச பர்வதம் ॥
avēkṣyāñjalipānāṃṡca brāhmaṇānvēdapāragān ।
yayurmadhyēna bāhlīkān sudāmānaṃ ca parvatam ॥
They saw the Brāhmaṇas who were masters of Vēdas,
who lived on nothing but water
that they could take in their cupped palms.
Then they passed through the middle of the Bāhlika
region and reached the mountain Sudāma.
2.68.19-20 விஷ்ணோ: பதம் ப்ரேக்ஷமாணா விபாஸாம்சாபி ஸால்மலீம் ।
நதீர்வாபீ ஸ்தடாகாநி பல்வலாநி ஸராம்ஸி ச ॥
பஸ்யந்தோ விவிதாம்ஸ்சாபி ஸிம்ஹாவ்யாக்ரம்ருக த்விபாந் ।
யயு: பதாऽதிமஹதா ஸாஸநம் பர்துரீப்ஸவ: ॥
viṣṇōḥ padaṃ prēkṣamāṇā vipāṡāṃcāpi ṡālmalīm ।
nadīrvāpī staṭākāni palvalāni sarāṃsi ca ॥
paṡyantō vividhāṃṡcāpi siṃhāvyāghramṛga dvipān ।
yayuḥ pathā'timahatā ṡāsanaṃ bharturīpsavaḥ ॥
They saw the sacred spot with the imprint of Vishnu’s foot,
the river Vipāṡa and the tree Ṡālmali,
as well as many streams, pools, tanks, ponds and lakes,
and many a lion, tiger, deer and elephant,
as they went on that extraordinarily long journey,
eager to fulfill their master’s injunctions. The mention of ‘long journey’ here is worthy of note.
Among the many that were not invited to the failed consecration of Rāma were the father-in-law of Rāma (Janaka) himself and the father-in-law of Daṡaratha (King of Kēkaya).
The reason is that both of them were too far away from Ayōdhyā to reach in time for the consecration, which was organized in a hurry, when Daṡaratha started seeing bad omens, which he interpreted as omens of death for himself, unsuspecting of the calamity that would befall.
2.68.21 தே ஸ்ராந்தவாஹநா தூதா விக்ருஷ்ணேந பதா தத: ।
கிரிவ்ரஜம் புரவரம் ஸீக்ரமாஸேதுரஞ்ஜஸா ॥
tē ṡrāntavāhanā dūtā vikṛṣṇēna pathā tataḥ ।
girivrajaṃ puravaraṃ ṡīghramāsēdurañjasā ॥
Just as their mounts were getting tired by the long journey,
those messengers promptly and safely
reached the prominent city of Girivraja.
2.68.22 பர்து: ப்ரியார்தம் குலரக்ஷணார்தம்
பர்துஸ்ச வம்ஸஸ்ய பரிக்ரஹார்தம் ।
அஹேடமாநா ஸ்த்வரயா ஸ்ம தூதா
ராத்ர்யாந்து தே தத்புரமேவ யாதா: ॥
bhartuḥ priyārthaṃ kularakṣaṇārthaṃ
bhartuṡca vaṃṡasya parigrahārtham ।
ahēḍamānā stvarayā sma dūtā
rātryāntu tē tatpuramēva yātāḥ ॥
For the pleasure of their master,
to safeguard the welfare of the dynasty and
to save the dignity of the lineage of their master,
the messengers reached that city by night,
without relaxing and with
the best speed they could muster.
இத்யார்ஷே ஸ்ரீமத்ராமாயணே வால்மீகீயே ஆதிகாவ்யே
அயோத்யாகாண்டே அஷ்டஷஷ்டிதமஸ்ஸர்க: ॥
ityārṣē ṡrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīyē ādikāvyē
ayōdhyākāṇḍē aṣṭaṣaṣṭitamassargaḥ ॥
Thus concludes the sixty eighth Sarga
in Ayōdhyā Kāṇḍa of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vālmeeki.
You have completed reading 4941 Ṡlōkas out of ~24,000 Ṡlōkas of Vālmeeki Rāmāyaṇa.
Meaning, notes and commentary by: Krishna Sharma.