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Ayodhya Kaanda - Sarga 87
In this Sarga, everyone rushes to Bharata, seeing him sink to the ground. Ṡatrughna hugs him. All the mothers sit around him. Kousalyā takes him into her embrace, asking him whether he received any bad news about Rāma. Bharata consoles her and asks Guha to tell him where Rāma stayed, what he ate and where he slept.
Guha tells him how he offered food to Rāma, how Rāma did not accept it, how Rāma spent the night taking just the water brought by Lakshmaṇa, how Rāma slept on the bed of grass made by Lakshmaṇa under the Iṅgudi tree and how Lakshmaṇa and he kept vigil all through the night.
2.87.1 குஹஸ்ய வசநம் ஸ்ருத்வா பரதோ ப்ருஸமப்ரியம் ।
த்யாநம் ஜகாம தத்ரைவ யத்ர தச்ச்ருதமப்ரியம் ॥
guhasya vacanaṃ ṡrutvā bharatō bhṛṡamapriyam ।
dhyānaṃ jagāma tatraiva yatra tacchrutamapriyam ॥
Hearing those agonizing words from Guha,
Bharata fell into melancholic brooding,
standing rooted to the very spot where he heard them. Rāma’s first night of life outside the comforts of a palace was described in Sargas 50 and 51 and is repeated here.
Why the repetition? Sargas 50 and 51 narrate the story from the perspective of Rāma, and this Sarga gives a perspective of an outsider, Guha.
2.87.2-3 ஸுகுமாரோ மஹாஸத்த்வஸ்ஸிம்ஹஸ்கந்தோ மஹாபுஜ: ।
புண்டரீகவிஸாலாக்ஷ ஸ்தருண: ப்ரியதர்ஸந: ॥
ப்ரத்யாஸ்வஸ்ய முஹூர்தம் து காலம் பரமதுர்மநா: ।
பபாத ஸஹஸா தோத்ரைர்ஹ்யதிவித்த இவ த்விப: ॥
sukumārō mahāsattvassiṃhaskandhō mahābhujaḥ ।
puṇḍarīkaviṡālākṣa staruṇaḥ priyadarṡanaḥ ॥
pratyāṡvasya muhūrtaṃ tu kālaṃ paramadurmanāḥ ।
papāta sahasā tōtrairhyatividdha iva dvipaḥ ॥
The gentle, mighty strong, mighty armed
and pleasing young man with
eyes wide like lotus petals
and shoulders like that of a lion
gathered himself for a moment.
Then again, feeling terrible,
he fell down like an elephant
that was beaten up excessively by a whip.
2.87.4 ததவஸ்தம் து பரதம் ஸத்ருக்நோऽநந்தரஸ்தித: ।
பரிஷ்வஜ்ய ருரோதோச்சைர்விஸம்ஜ்ஞஸ்ஸோககர்ஸித: ॥
tadavasthaṃ tu bharataṃ ṡatrughnō'nantarasthitaḥ ।
pariṣvajya rurōdōccairvisaṃjñaṡṡōkakarṡitaḥ ॥
Seeing Bharata next to him in that state
Ṡatrughna hugged him and cried bitterly,
worn by grief and senses disoriented.
2.87.5 ததஸ்ஸர்வாஸ்ஸமாபேதுர்மாதரோ பரதஸ்ய தா: ।
உபவாஸக்ருஸா தீநா பர்த்ருவ்யஸநகர்ஸிதா: ॥
tatassarvāssamāpēturmātarō bharatasya tāḥ ।
upavāsakṛṡā dīnā bhartṛvyasanakarṡitāḥ ॥
Then rushed there all the mothers of Bharata
who were downcast, gaunt due to fasting and
worn out mourning their husband.
2.87.6 தாஸ்ச தம் பதிதம் பூமௌ ருதந்த்ய: பர்யவாரயந் ।
கௌஸல்யாத்வநுஸ்ருத்யைநம் துர்மநா: பரிஷஸ்வஜே ॥
tāṡca taṃ patitaṃ bhūmau rudantyaḥ paryavārayan ।
kausalyātvanusṛtyainaṃ durmanāḥ pariṣasvajē ॥
Then, crying bitterly, they surrounded
him, who was fallen on the ground.
Kousalyā, feeling terrible,
Could not help taking him into her embrace.
2.87.7 வத்ஸலா ஸ்வம் யதா வத்ஸமுபகூஹ்ய தபஸ்விநீ ।
பரிபப்ரச்ச பரதம் ருதந்தீ ஸோகலாலஸா ॥
vatsalā svaṃ yathā vatsamupagūhya tapasvinī ।
paripapraccha bharataṃ rudantī ṡōkalālasā ॥
That affectionate one, who was worn out
and crying engulfed by grief, took Bharata
like she would her own bosom child and asked:
2.87.8 புத்ரவ்யாதிர்ந தே கச்சிச்சரீரம் பரிபாததே ।
அத்ய ராஜகுலஸ்யாஸ்ய த்வததீநம் ஹி ஜீவிதம் ॥
putravyādhirna tē kacciccharīraṃ paribādhatē ।
adya rājakulasyāsya tvadadhīnaṃ hi jīvitam ॥
My dear son! I hope no illness has taken over your body!
The survival of this royal family, today, depends on you.
2.87.9 த்வாம் த்ருஷ்ட்வா புத்ர ஜீவாமி ராமே ஸப்ராத்ருகேகதே ।
வ்ருத்தே தஸரதே ராஜ்ஞி நாத ஏகஸ்த்வமத்ய ந: ॥
tvāṃ dṛṣṭvā putra jīvāmi rāmē sabhrātṛkēgatē ।
vṛttē daṡarathē rājñi nātha ēkastvamadya naḥ ॥
With Rāma gone along with his brother
and king Daṡaratha dead,
you are the only refuge for us today!
2.87.10 கச்சிந்ந லக்ஷ்மணே புத்ர! ஸ்ருதம் தே கிம்சதப்ரியம் ।
புத்ரே வாऽப்யேகபுத்ராயாஸ்ஸஹபார்யே வநம் கதே ॥
kaccinna lakṣmaṇē putra! ṡrutaṃ tē kiṃcadapriyam ।
putrē vā'pyēkaputrāyāssahabhāryē vanaṃ gatē ॥
I hope you have not heard any bad news
about my only son, who has now left for the Vana
along with Lakshmaṇa and Seetā!
2.87.11 ஸ முஹூர்தம் ஸமாஸ்வஸ்ய ருதந்நேவ மஹாயஸா: ।
கௌஸல்யாம் பரிஸாந்த்வேத்யம் குஹம் வசநமப்ரவீத் ॥
sa muhūrtaṃ samāṡvasya rudannēva mahāyaṡāḥ ।
kausalyāṃ parisāntvēdyaṃ guhaṃ vacanamabravīt ॥
That supremely renowned (Bharata)
then gathered himself for a moment.
Still crying, he consoled Kousalyā, and said to Guha:
2.87.12 ப்ராதா மே க்வாவஸத்ராத்ரௌ க்வ ஸீதா க்வ ச லக்ஷ்மண: ।
அஸ்வபச்சயநே கஸ்மிந் கிம் புக்த்வா குஹ ஸம்ஸ மே ॥
bhrātā mē kvāvasadrātrau kva sītā kva ca lakṣmaṇaḥ ।
asvapacchayanē kasmin kiṃ bhuktvā guha ṡaṃsa mē ॥
Where did my brother, and Seetā and Lakshmaṇa, spend the night?
Guha, tell me, what did he eat, where did he sleep?
2.87.13 ஸோऽப்ரவீத்பரதம் ஹ்ருஷ்டோ நிஷாதாதிபதிர்குஹ: ।
யத்விதம் ப்ரதிபேதே ச ராமே ப்ரியஹிதேऽதிதௌ ॥
sō'bravīdbharataṃ hṛṣṭō niṣādādhipatirguhaḥ ।
yadvidhaṃ pratipēdē ca rāmē priyahitē'tithau ॥
Guha, the tribal chief was very happy
to recount to Bharata how he provided hospitality
to his guest, his beloved and best friend.
2.87.14 அந்நமுச்சாவசம் பக்ஷா: பலாநி விவிதாநி ச ।
ராமாயாப்யவஹாரார்தம் பஹுசோபஹ்ருதம் மயா ॥
annamuccāvacaṃ bhakṣāḥ phalāni vividhāni ca ।
rāmāyābhyavahārārthaṃ bahucōpahṛtaṃ mayā ॥
I offered plenty of food with many dishes
and a variety of fruits for Rāma to eat.
2.87.15 தத்ஸர்வம் ப்ரத்யநுஜ்ஞாஸீத்ராமஸ்ஸத்யபராக்ரம: ।
ந து தத்ப்ரத்யக்ருஹ்ணாத்ஸ க்ஷத்ரதர்மமநுஸ்மரந் ॥
tatsarvaṃ pratyanujñāsīdrāmassatyaparākramaḥ ।
na tu tatpratyagṛhṇātsa kṣatradharmamanusmaran ॥
Rāma, that man of true valor,
illustrious of the edicts of the Dharma of a Kshatriya,
returned it all asking us to take them back, saying: Every society lives a story. A society’s prosperity and quality of life depends on that story. The story we are telling ourselves these days is that happiness comes from earning a lot (Artha) and enjoying a lot (Kāma).
But again, to counter our obsession with Artha and Kama, we add another line to our story, imploring ourselves about the virtues and joy of giving.
Thus the story we are telling ourselves pulls us in two opposite directions, to give on the one hand, and to enjoy and earn on the other. Caught between these two pulls, the youth of today are unable to find a convincing direction to follow. They are being asked to court an extreme position in either case.
Life, in the bygone eras, or at least in the times of Rāmāyaṇa, seems to be more balanced, going by a well told story like this. People of those times attained the needed balance by adding the critical ingredient of ‘Dharma’ to the equation, without giving up Artha or Kāma, to straighten things out.
Dharma is living in a way that is in tune with one’s own nature, blood, vocation and profession. Kshatriyas are the ones who feel fulfilled, living a life of giving. It is a virtue they possess naturally. Even in the most trying circumstances that Rāma was in, he was not looking for a shoulder to cry upon or for someone to take care of him. The act of refusing a nightly meal is just a symbolic gesture of that edict a Kshatriya likes to live by.
Unlike what we are doing in modern times, people in those days did not prescribe one virtue over the other for everyone. Everyone lived by a virtue that came naturally to them.
Dharma is nothing but living by the virtues that come naturally to oneself and letting others live by the virtues that come naturally to them.
To think that people are not born with or attracted to any virtue is being cynical. It is only by helping everyone identify their virtues and by imploring them to live by them, that we create a peaceful and harmonious society; not by imploring everyone to live by a virtue that we are attracted to or obsessed with.
2.87.16 ந ஹ்யஸ்மாபி: ப்ரதிக்ராஹ்யம் ஸகே! தேயம் து ஸர்வதா ।
இதி தேந வயம் ராஜந்நநுநீதா மஹாத்மநா ॥
na hyasmābhiḥ pratigrāhyaṃ sakhē! dēyaṃ tu sarvadā ।
iti tēna vayaṃ rājannanunītā mahātmanā ॥
"Dear friend, it must always be given, not taken, by us!"
O King! We were excused thus by that Mahātma!
2.87.17 லக்ஷ்மணேந ஸமாநீதம் பீத்வா வாரி மஹாயஸா: ।
ஔபவாஸ்யம் ததாऽகார்ஷீத்ராகவஸ்ஸஹ ஸீதயா ॥
lakṣmaṇēna samānītaṃ pītvā vāri mahāyaṡāḥ ।
aupavāsyaṃ tadā'kārṣīdrāghavassaha sītayā ॥
The supremely renowned Rāghava
fasted then, along with Seetā,
drinking only water brought by Lakshmaṇa.
2.87.18 ததஸ்து ஜலஸேஷேண லக்ஷ்மணோऽப்யகரோத்ததா ।
வாக்யதாஸ்தே த்ரயஸ்ஸந்த்யாம் ஸமுபாஸத ஸம்ஹிதா: ॥
tatastu jalaṡēṣēṇa lakṣmaṇō'pyakarōttadā ।
vāgyatāstē trayassandhyāṃ samupāsata saṃhitāḥ ॥
Then Lakshmaṇa called it a day, drinking the remaining water.
The three of them, then, prayed to Sandhya in silence.
2.87.19 ஸௌமித்ரிஸ்து தத: பஸ்சாதகரோத்ஸ்வாஸ்தரம் ஸுபம் ।
ஸ்வயமாநீய பர்ஹீம்ஷி க்ஷிப்ரம் ராகவகாரணாத் ॥
saumitristu tataḥ paṡcādakarōtsvāstaraṃ ṡubham ।
svayamānīya barhīṃṣi kṣipraṃ rāghavakāraṇāt ॥
Then, the son of Sumitrā brought
reeds of Darbha grass himself
and quickly made a nice bed out of them for Rāghava.
2.87.20 தஸ்மிந்ஸமாவிஸத்ராமஸ்ஸ்வாஸ்தரே ஸஹ ஸீதயா ।
ப்ரக்ஷால்ய ச தயோ: பாதாவபசக்ராம லக்ஷ்மண: ॥
tasminsamāviṡadrāmassvāstarē saha sītayā ।
prakṣālya ca tayōḥ pādāvapacakrāma lakṣmaṇaḥ ॥
Lakshmaṇa washed their feet and
moved away (leaving them alone).
Rāma, along with Seetā, slept on that bed.
2.87.21 ஏதத்ததிங்குதீமூலமிதமேவ ச தத்த்ருணம் ।
யஸ்மிந்ராமஸ்ச ஸீதா ச ராத்ரிம் தாம் ஸயிதாவுபௌ ॥
ētattadiṅgudīmūlamidamēva ca tattṛṇam ।
yasminrāmaṡca sītā ca rātriṃ tāṃ ṡayitāvubhau ॥
This is the foot of that very Iṅgudi tree
and this is that bed of grass
where both of them slept for the night.
2.87.22 நியம்ய ப்ருஷ்டே து தலாங்குலித்ரவாந்
ஸரைஸ்ஸுபூர்ணாவிஷுதீ பரந்தப: ।
மஹாத்தநுஸ்ஸஜ்யமுபோஹ்ய லக்ஷ்மணோ
நிஸாமதிஷ்டத்பரிதோऽஸ்ய கேவலம் ॥
niyamya pṛṣṭhē tu talāṅgulitravān
ṡaraissupūrṇāviṣudhī parantapaḥ ।
mahāddhanussajyamupōhya lakṣmaṇō
niṡāmatiṣṭhatparitō'sya kēvalam ॥
Lakshmaṇa, the harrower of foes,
stood here all through the night
with gloves covering his fingers,
with quivers full of arrows on his back,
holding a great bow with the string tied.
2.87.23 ததஸ்த்வஹம்சோத்தமபாணசாபத்ருத்
ஸ்திதோऽபவம் தத்ர ஸ யத்ர லக்ஷ்மண: ।
அதந்த்ரிதைர்ஜ்ஞாதிபிராத்தகார்முகை-
ர்மஹேந்த்ரகல்பம் பரிபாலயம்ஸ்ததா ॥
tatastvahaṃcōttamabāṇacāpadhṛt
sthitō'bhavaṃ tatra sa yatra lakṣmaṇaḥ ।
atandritairjñātibhirāttakārmukai-
rmahēndrakalpaṃ paripālayaṃstadā ॥
Then, I too, with the best of arrows and the best bow,
stood where Lakshmaṇa was,
along with my alert kinsmen who were also holding bows,
guarding (Rāma,) who is equal to the great Indra.
இத்யார்ஷே ஸ்ரீமத்ராமாயணே வால்மீகீயே ஆதிகாவ்யே
அயோத்யாகாண்டே ஸப்தாஸீதிதமஸ்ஸர்க: ॥
ityārṣē ṡrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīyē ādikāvyē
ayōdhyākāṇḍē saptāṡītitamassargaḥ ॥
Thus concludes the eighty seventh Sarga
in Ayōdhyā Kāṇḍa of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vālmeeki.