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Ayodhya Kaanda - Sarga 80
This Sarga describes the massive and quick construction of roads and camp houses for Bharata and his army that stretch along the banks of river Gaṅgā.
2.80.1-3 அத பூமிப்ரதேஸஜ்ஞாஸ்ஸூத்ரகர்மவிஸாரதா: ।
ஸ்வகர்மாபிரதாஸ்ஸூரா: கநகா யந்த்ரகாஸ்ததா ॥
கர்மாந்திகா: ஸ்தபதய: புருஷ யந்த்ரகோவிதா: ।
ததா வார்தகயஸ்சைவ மார்கிணோ வ்ருக்ஷதக்ஷகா: ॥
கூபகாராஸ்ஸுதாகாரார்வம்ஸகர்மக்ருதஸ்ததா ।
ஸமர்தா யே ச த்ரஷ்டார: புரதஸ்தே ப்ரதஸ்திரே ॥
atha bhūmipradēṡajñāssūtrakarmaviṡāradāḥ ।
svakarmābhiratāṡṡūrāḥ khanakā yantrakāstathā ॥
karmāntikāḥ sthapatayaḥ puruṣa yantrakōvidāḥ ।
tathā vārdhakayaṡcaiva mārgiṇō vṛkṣatakṣakāḥ ॥
kūpakārāssudhākārārvaṃṡakarmakṛtastathā ।
samarthā yē ca draṣṭāraḥ puratastē pratasthirē ॥
Then land surveyors, measurement experts,
strong and committed workers, excavators,
machine operators, skilled workers, architects,
engineers, carpenters, road layers, tree cutters,
well drillers, masons, bamboo craftsmen and
competent supervisors headed out in advance. Again, this Sarga shows how timeless Rāmāyaṇa really is. If one reads this Sarga in isolation without the context, one would easily mistake it to be the description of a massive construction project of contemporary times that is done on a war-footing.
Also, this Sarga is suggestive of the massive opulence, power and capabilities of the kingdom that Rāma left behind without a second thought.
2.80.4 ஸ து ஹர்ஷாத்தமுத்தேஸம் ஜநௌகோ விபுல: ப்ரயாந் ।
அஸோபத மஹாவேகஸ்ஸமுத்ர இவ பர்வணி ॥
sa tu harṣāttamuddēṡaṃ janaughō vipulaḥ prayān ।
aṡōbhata mahāvēgassamudra iva parvaṇi ॥
That great multitude of people
proceeding joyfully on that task
shined like a sea that burst
into a swell on a full moon day.
2.80.5 தே ஸ்வவாரம் ஸமாஸ்தாய வர்த்மகர்மணி கோவிதா: ।
கரணைர்விவிதோபேதை: புரஸ்தாத்ஸம்ப்ரதஸ்திரே ॥
tē svavāraṃ samāsthāya vartmakarmaṇi kōvidāḥ ।
karaṇairvividhōpētaiḥ purastātsampratasthirē ॥
The experts in laying the roads
went ahead along with their teams,
taking a variety of tools with them.
2.80.6 லதாவல்லீ ஸ்ச குல்மாம்ஸ்ச ஸ்தாணூநஸ்மந ஏவ ச ।
ஜநாயாம்சக்ரிரே மார்கம் சிந்தந்தோ விவிதாந்த்ருமாந் ॥
latāvallī ṡca gulmāṃṡca sthāṇūnaṡmana ēva ca ।
janāyāṃcakrirē mārgaṃ chindantō vividhāndrumān ॥
They removed creepers, bushes and stones,
smashed boulders and cut many kinds of trees
and laid the road.
2.80.7 அவ்ருக்ஷேஷு ச தேவேஷு கேசித்வ்ருக்ஷாநரோபயந் ।
கேசித்குடாரைஷ்டங்கைஸ்ச தாத்ரைஸ்சிந்தந்க்வசித்க்வசித் ॥
avṛkṣēṣu ca dēvēṣu kēcidvṛkṣānarōpayan ।
kēcitkuṭhāraiṣṭaṅkaiṡca dātraiṡcindankvacitkvacit ॥
Some of them planted trees where there were none.
Others, with axes, hatchets and saws
cut (where there were many).
2.80.8 அபரே வீரணஸ்தம்பாந்பலிநோ பலவத்தரா: ।
விதமந்தி ஸ்ம துர்காணி ஸ்தலாநி ச தத ஸ்தத: ॥
aparē vīraṇastambhānbalinō balavattarāḥ ।
vidhamanti sma durgāṇi sthalāni ca tata stataḥ ॥
And other men who were strong
pulled strong rooted reeds.
Others leveled the mounds
that were found here and there.
2.80.9 அபரேऽபூரயந்கூபாந்பாம்ஸுபிஸ்ஸ்வப்ரமாயதம் ।
நிம்நபாகாந்ஸ்தத: கேசித்ஸமாந்ஸ்சக்ரு ஸ்ஸமந்தத: ॥
aparē'pūrayankūpānpāṃsubhiṡṡvabhramāyatam ।
nimnabhāgānstataḥ kēcitsamānṡcakru ssamantataḥ ॥
Others filled up deep and wide pits with earth.
Yet others leveled the depressed spots.
2.80.10 பபந்துர்பந்தநீயாம்ஸ்ச க்ஷோத்யாந்ஸஞ்சுக்ஷுதுஸ்ததா ।
பிபிதுர்பேதநீயாம்ஸ்ச தாம்ஸ்தாந்தேஸாந்நரா ஸ்ததா ॥
babandhurbandhanīyāṃṡca kṣōdyānsañcukṣudustadā ।
bibhidurbhēdanīyāṃṡca tāṃstāndēṡānnarā stadā ॥
They bridged wherever it could be bridged,
crushed wherever it could be crushed and
blasted whatever needed to be blasted.
2.80.11 அசிரேணைவ காலேந பரிவாஹாந்பஹூதகாந் ।
சக்ருர்பஹுவிதாகாராந் ஸாகரப்ரதிமாந்பஹூந் ॥
acirēṇaiva kālēna parivāhānbahūdakān ।
cakrurbahuvidhākārān sāgarapratimānbahūn ॥
In no time they created reservoirs of different shapes
that resembled oceans with plentiful water.
2.80.12 நிர்ஜலேஷு ச தேஸேஷு காநயாமாஸுருத்தமாந் ।
உதபாநாந்பஹுவிதாந்வேதிகாபரிமண்டிதாந் ॥
nirjalēṣu ca dēṡēṣu khānayāmāsuruttamān ।
udapānānbahuvidhānvēdikāparimaṇḍitān ॥
In places where there was no water,
they dug majestic wells and set up
a variety of benches around them.
2.80.13-14 ஸஸுதாகுட்டிமதல: ப்ரபுஷ்பிதமஹீருஹ: ।
மத்தோத்குஷ்ட த்விஜகண: பதாகாபிரலங்க்ருத: ॥
சந்தநோதகஸம்ஸிக்தோ நாநாகுஸுமபூஷித: ।
பஹ்வஸோபத ஸேநாயா: பந்தாஸ்ஸுரபதோபம: ॥
sasudhākuṭṭimatalaḥ prapuṣpitamahīruhaḥ ।
mattōdghuṣṭa dvijagaṇaḥ patākābhiralaṅkṛtaḥ ॥
candanōdakasaṃsiktō nānākusumabhūṣitaḥ ।
bahvaṡōbhata sēnāyāḥ panthāssurapathōpamaḥ ॥
The roads thus made for the army
shone like the roads of heaven,
paved smooth and plastered with lime,
lined with flowering trees that attracted
flocks of intoxicated, noisy birds,
adorned with flags and buntings,
sprinkled with sandal flavored water,
and decorated with a great variety of flowers.
2.80.15-16 ஆஜ்ஞாப்யாத யதாऽஜ்ஞப்தி யுக்தாஸ்தேऽதிக்ருதா நரா: ।
ரமணீயேஷு தேஸேஷு பஹுஸ்வாதுபலேஷு ச ॥
யோ நிவேஸஸ்த்வபிப்ரேதோ பரதஸ்ய மஹாத்மந: ।
பூயஸ்தம் ஸோபயாமாஸுர்பூஷாபிர்பூஷணோபமம் ॥
ājñāpyātha yathā'jñapti yuktāstē'dhikṛtā narāḥ ।
ramaṇīyēṣu dēṡēṣu bahusvāduphalēṣu ca ॥
yō nivēṡastvabhiprētō bharatasya mahātmanaḥ ।
bhūyastaṃ ṡōbhayāmāsurbhūṣābhirbhūṣaṇōpamam ॥
The men who were in-charge,
committing themselves to their tasks,
passing down appropriate instructions,
built resplendent camp houses
for Mahātma Bharata according to specifications
in exotic places filled with trees
bearing fruits of great taste,
with decorations that glistened like jewels.
2.80.17 நக்ஷத்ரேஷு ப்ரஸஸ்தேஷு முஹூர்தேஷு ச தத்வித: ।
நிவேஸாந் ஸ்தாபயாமாஸுர்பரதஸ்ய மஹாத்மந: ॥
nakṣatrēṣu praṡastēṣu muhūrtēṣu ca tadvidaḥ ।
nivēṡān sthāpayāmāsurbharatasya mahātmanaḥ ॥
The men who were conversant with
the conjunctions of stars with moon,
commenced the camps of Mahatma Bharata
at auspicious moments.
2.80.18-20 பஹுபாம்ஸுசயாஸ்சாபி பரிகாபரிவாரிதா: ।
தத்ரேந்த்ரகீலப்ரதிமா: ப்ரதோலீவரஸோபிதா: ॥
ப்ராஸாதமாலாவிததாஸ்ஸௌதப்ராகாரஸம்வ்ருதா: ।
பதாகாஸோபிதாஸ்ஸர்வே ஸுநிர்மிதமஹாபதா: ॥
விஸர்பத்பிரிவாऽகாஸே விடங்காக்ரவிமாநகை: ।
ஸமுச்ச்ரிதைர்நிவேஸாஸ்தே பபுஸ்ஸக்ரபுரோபமா: ॥
bahupāṃsucayāṡcāpi parikhāparivāritāḥ ।
tatrēndrakīlapratimāḥ pratōlīvaraṡōbhitāḥ ॥
prāsādamālāvitatāssaudhaprākārasaṃvṛtāḥ ।
patākāṡōbhitāssarvē sunirmitamahāpathāḥ ॥
visarpadbhirivā'kāṡē viṭaṅkāgravimānakaiḥ ।
samucchritairnivēṡāstē babhuṡṡakrapurōpamāḥ ॥
Those camps shined like the city of Indra,
enclosed by moats, protected by sand heaps,
looking like the mountains of Indrakeela,
with the best of roads and well laid highways,
with rows of towering buildings and
palaces enclosed in compound walls,
decorated with flags and pennants,
and residences seeming to float in the sky
with the their turrets peaking with Vimānas.
2.80.21 ஜாஹ்நவீம் து ஸமாஸாத்ய விவிதத்ருமகாநநாம் ।
ஸீதலாமலபாநீயாம் மஹாமீநஸமாகுலாம் ॥
jāhnavīṃ tu samāsādya vividhadrumakānanām ।
ṡītalāmalapānīyāṃ mahāmīnasamākulām ॥
(The camps and roads) reached up to river Jahnavi (Gaṅgā)
that boasted of woods of a variety of trees,
abounding in large fish and clear and cool waters.
2.80.22 ஸசந்த்ரதாராகணமண்டிதம் யதா
நப: க்ஷபாயாமமலம் விராஜதே ।
நரேந்த்ரமார்கஸ்ஸ ததா வ்யராஜத
க்ரமேண ரம்ய: ஸுபஸில்பிநிர்மித: ॥
sacandratārāgaṇamaṇḍitaṃ yathā
nabhaḥ kṣapāyāmamalaṃ virājatē ।
narēndramārgassa tathā vyarājata
kramēṇa ramyaḥ ṡubhaṡilpinirmitaḥ ॥
Just as the sky shines in the night
illuminated gradually by moon and stars,
that royal pathway shined resplendently,
as it was built gradually by the best of architects.
இத்யார்ஷே ஸ்ரீமத்ராமாயணே வால்மீகீயே ஆதிகாவ்யே
அயோத்யாகாண்டே அஸீதிதமஸ்ஸர்க: ॥
ityārṣē ṡrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīyē ādikāvyē
ayōdhyākāṇḍē aṡītitamassargaḥ ॥
Thus concludes the eightieth Sarga
in Ayōdhyā Kāṇḍa of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vālmeeki.