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Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 106: Bharata returns without Rāma

Summary. Ayodhyā resembles an extinguished fire and deserted altar, he laments its emptiness and reaches Daśaratha’s residence

Sequence

  1. Bharata enters the city (2.106.1)
  2. the narrative pauses over its emptiness through a series of comparisons: an extinguished fire, a defeated army, an abandoned altar, a damaged watering place, and a sky without its familiar lights (2.106.2–18)
  3. Bharata asks why the music, pleasant scents, traffic, horses, elephants, and well-dressed crowds of former days are gone (2.106.19–23)
  4. lamenting Rāma's absence, he reaches Daśaratha's residence, now empty of the King. (2.106.24)

Verses 2.106.1–24

2.106.1

snigdhagambhīraghoṣeṇa syandanenopayān prabhuḥ
ayodhyāṃ bharataḥ kṣipraṃ praviveśa mahāyaśāḥ

Approaching in a chariot of smooth, deep rumble, the mighty and greatly renowned Bharata swiftly entered Ayodhyā —

Words: snigdhagambhīraghoṣeṇa — with a smooth, deep rumble; syandanenopayān — approaching in his chariot; prabhuḥ — the lord; ayodhyāṃ — Ayodhyā; bharataḥ — Bharata; kṣipraṃ — swiftly; praviveśa — entered; mahāyaśāḥ — greatly renowned

2.106.2

biḍālolūkacaritām ālīnanaravāraṇām
timirābhyāhatāṃ kālīm aprakāśāṃ niśām iva

— (a city) roamed by cats and owls, its men and elephants withdrawn indoors, overwhelmed by gloom, black and lightless like the night;

Words: biḍālolūkacaritām — roamed by cats and owls; ālīnanaravāraṇām — with men and elephants withdrawn within; timirābhyāhatāṃ — smitten by darkness; kālīm — black; aprakāśāṃ — lightless; niśām iva — like night

2.106.3

rāhuśatroḥ priyāṃ patnīṃ śriyā prajvalitaprabhām
graheṇābhyutthitenaikāṃ rohiṇīm iva pīḍitām

like Rohiṇī, the beloved wife of the Moon (foe of Rāhu), blazing with radiant beauty yet, all alone, afflicted by an assailing planet;

Words: rāhuśatroḥ — of the Moon, Rāhu's foe; priyāṃ — the dear; patnīṃ — wife; śriyā — with beauty; prajvalitaprabhām — of blazing radiance; graheṇābhyutthitenaikāṃ — by a risen planet, all alone; rohiṇīm iva — like Rohiṇī; pīḍitām — afflicted

2.106.4

alpoṣṇakṣubdhasalilāṃ gharmottaptavihaṃgamām
līnamīnajhaṣagrāhāṃ kṛśāṃ girinadīm iva

like a shrunken mountain-stream, its scant water warm and troubled, its birds scorched by heat, its minnows, fish, and crocodiles lurking hidden;

Words: alpoṣṇakṣubdhasalilāṃ — with scant, warm, troubled water; gharmottaptavihaṃgamām — its birds scorched by heat; līnamīnajhaṣagrāhāṃ — with minnows, fish, and crocodiles hidden; kṛśāṃ — shrunken, thin; girinadīm iva — like a mountain-river

2.106.5

vidhūmām iva hemābhām adhvarāgnisamutthitām
havirabhyukṣitāṃ paścāc chikhāṃ vipralayaṃ gatām

like a smokeless, gold-hued flame risen from the sacrificial fire, then, sprinkled over with oblation, sunk to extinction;

Words: vidhūmām iva — like a smokeless one; hemābhām — gold-hued; adhvarāgnisamutthitām — risen from the sacrificial fire; havirabhyukṣitāṃ — sprinkled with oblation; paścāc — afterwards; chikhāṃ — the flame; vipralayaṃ gatām — gone to extinction

2.106.6

vidhvastakavacāṃ rugṇagajavājirathadhvajām
hatapravīrām āpannāṃ camūm iva mahāhave

like an army in a great battle, its armor shattered, its elephants, horses, chariots, and banners broken, its champions slain, brought to ruin;

Words: vidhvastakavacāṃ — with shattered armor; rugṇagajavājirathadhvajām — with broken elephants, horses, chariots, and banners; hatapravīrām — its champions slain; āpannāṃ — fallen into distress; camūm iva — like an army; mahāhave — in a great battle

2.106.7

saphenāṃ sasvanāṃ bhūtvā sāgarasya samutthitām
praśāntamārutoddhūtāṃ jalormim iva niḥsvanām

like an ocean-wave that, having risen foaming and roaring, once the wind that raised it was stilled, fell silent;

Words: saphenāṃ — foaming; sasvanāṃ — resounding; bhūtvā — having become; sāgarasya — of the ocean; samutthitām — risen; praśāntamārutoddhūtāṃ — raised by the now-calmed wind; jalormim iva — like a water-wave; niḥsvanām — soundless

2.106.8

tyaktāṃ yajñāyudhaiḥ sarvair abhirūpaiś ca yājakaiḥ
sutyākāle vinirvṛtte vediṃ gataravām iva

like an altar deserted, when the soma-pressing hour is over, by all its sacred implements and its comely priests, its clamor gone;

Words: tyaktāṃ — abandoned; yajñāyudhaiḥ — by the sacrificial implements; sarvair — by all; abhirūpaiś ca — and comely; yājakaiḥ — by the priests; sutyākāle — when the pressing-time; vinirvṛtte — is finished; vediṃ — altar; gataravām iva — like one whose clamor is gone

2.106.9

goṣṭhamadhye sthitām ārtām acarantīṃ navaṃ tṛṇam
govṛṣeṇa parityaktāṃ gavāṃ patnīm ivotsukām

like a cow, mate of the herd, standing distressed in the midst of the pen, not grazing the fresh grass, forsaken by the bull and full of longing;

Words: goṣṭhamadhye — in the midst of the cow-pen; sthitām — standing; ārtām — distressed; acarantīṃ — not grazing; navaṃ tṛṇam — the fresh grass; govṛṣeṇa — by the bull; parityaktāṃ — forsaken; gavāṃ patnīm — mate of the cattle; ivotsukām — like a longing one

2.106.10

prabhākarālaiḥ susnigdhaiḥ prajvaladbhir ivottamaiḥ
viyuktāṃ maṇibhir jātyair navāṃ muktāvalīm iva

like a new pearl-strand robbed of its finest genuine gems — dazzling with light, well-polished, as if ablaze;

Words: prabhākarālaiḥ — dazzling with light; susnigdhaiḥ — well-polished; prajvaladbhir — blazing; ivottamaiḥ — as if the finest; viyuktāṃ — deprived, parted; maṇibhir — of gems; jātyair — genuine, of pure water; navāṃ — new; muktāvalīm iva — like a pearl-strand

2.106.11

sahasā calitāṃ sthānān mahīṃ puṇyakṣayād gatām
saṃhṛtadyutivistārāṃ tārām iva divaś cyutām

like a star fallen from the sky, suddenly dislodged from its station, come down to earth at the exhaustion of its merit, its spread of radiance drawn in;

Words: sahasā — suddenly; calitāṃ — dislodged, moved; sthānān — from its station; mahīṃ — to the earth; puṇyakṣayād — at the exhaustion of merit; gatām — gone; saṃhṛtadyutivistārāṃ — with its spread of radiance drawn in; tārām iva — like a star; divaś — from heaven; cyutām — fallen

2.106.12

puṣpanaddhāṃ vasantānte mattabhramaraśālinīm
drutadāvāgnivipluṣṭāṃ klāntāṃ vanalatām iva

like a forest-creeper at spring's close, decked with blossoms and graced by drunken bees, scorched by a rushing wildfire and withered;

Words: puṣpanaddhāṃ — decked with blossoms; vasantānte — at spring's end; mattabhramaraśālinīm — graced by intoxicated bees; drutadāvāgnivipluṣṭāṃ — scorched by a rushing wildfire; klāntāṃ — withered, weary; vanalatām iva — like a forest-creeper

2.106.13

saṃmūḍhanigamāṃ sarvāṃ saṃkṣiptavipaṇāpaṇām
pracchannaśaśinakṣatrāṃ dyām ivāmbudharair vṛtām

the whole city with its trade-roads bewildered and its markets and shops shut up, like the sky veiled by rain-clouds, its moon and stars concealed;

Words: saṃmūḍhanigamāṃ — with bewildered trade-roads; sarvāṃ — whole; saṃkṣiptavipaṇāpaṇām — with markets and shops drawn shut; pracchannaśaśinakṣatrāṃ — with moon and stars concealed; dyām — the sky; ivāmbudharair — as if by clouds; vṛtām — covered

2.106.14

kṣīṇapānottamair bhinnaiḥ śarāvair abhisaṃvṛtām
hataśauṇḍām ivākāśe pānabhūmim asaṃskṛtām

strewn with broken cups drained of their finest drink, like an untended tavern-ground in the open, its topers struck down;

Words: kṣīṇapānottamair — with the finest drink exhausted; bhinnaiḥ — broken; śarāvair — with cups; abhisaṃvṛtām — strewn over; hataśauṇḍām — its topers slain; ivākāśe — as if in the open; pānabhūmim — a drinking-ground; asaṃskṛtām — unkempt, untended

2.106.15

vṛkṇabhūmitalāṃ nimnāṃ vṛkṇapātraiḥ samāvṛtām
upayuktodakāṃ bhagnāṃ prapāṃ nipatitām iva

like a fallen, broken watering-shed, its floor torn up and sunken, littered with shattered vessels, its water all used up;

Words: vṛkṇabhūmitalāṃ — with its floor torn up; nimnāṃ — sunken, low; vṛkṇapātraiḥ — with broken vessels; samāvṛtām — littered, covered over; upayuktodakāṃ — its water used up; bhagnāṃ — broken; prapāṃ — a watering-shed; nipatitām iva — like a fallen one

2.106.16

vipulāṃ vitatāṃ caiva yuktapāśāṃ tarasvinām
bhūmau bāṇair viniṣkṛttāṃ patitāṃ jyām ivāyudhāt

broad and outstretched, like the bowstring of mighty men — its loop made fast — severed by arrows and fallen from the bow to the ground;

Words: vipulāṃ — broad; vitatāṃ caiva — and outstretched; yuktapāśāṃ — with its loop made fast; tarasvinām — of the mighty; bhūmau — to the ground; bāṇair — by arrows; viniṣkṛttāṃ — severed; patitāṃ — fallen; jyām ivāyudhāt — like a bowstring from the bow

2.106.17

sahasā yuddhaśauṇḍena hayāroheṇa vāhitām
nikṣiptabhāṇḍām utsṛṣṭāṃ kiśorīm iva durbalām

like a weak young mare ridden hard all at once by a battle-avid horseman, then, its trappings cast off, turned loose;

Words: sahasā — violently, all at once; yuddhaśauṇḍena — by a battle-avid one; hayāroheṇa — by a horseman; vāhitām — driven hard; nikṣiptabhāṇḍām — with its trappings laid aside; utsṛṣṭāṃ — turned loose; kiśorīm iva — like a filly; durbalām — weak

2.106.18

prāvṛṣi pravigāḍhāyāṃ praviṣṭasyābhra maṇḍalam
pracchannāṃ nīlajīmūtair bhāskarasya prabhām iva

like the radiance of the sun that, when the rains are at their height, has entered the mass of clouds and is hidden by dark thunderheads.

Words: prāvṛṣi — in the rainy season; pravigāḍhāyāṃ — at its height, deepened; praviṣṭasyābhra — of (the sun) entered into the cloud-; maṇḍalam — -mass, circle; pracchannāṃ — concealed; nīlajīmūtair — by dark thunderclouds; bhāskarasya — of the sun; prabhām iva — like the radiance

2.106.19

bharatas tu rathasthaḥ sañ śrīmān daśarathātmajaḥ
vāhayantaṃ rathaśreṣṭhaṃ sārathiṃ vākyam abravīt

But the illustrious Bharata, Daśaratha's son, seated in his chariot, spoke these words to the charioteer who was driving that finest of cars:

Words: bharatas tu — but Bharata; rathasthaḥ — seated in the chariot; sañ — being; śrīmān — illustrious; daśarathātmajaḥ — son of Daśaratha; vāhayantaṃ — driving; rathaśreṣṭhaṃ — the best of chariots; sārathiṃ — to the charioteer; vākyam — words; abravīt — spoke

2.106.20

kiṃ nu khalv adya gambhīro mūrchito na niśamyate
yathāpuram ayodhyāyāṃ gītavāditraniḥsvanaḥ

“Why is it that today the deep, swelling sound of song and instruments is not heard in Ayodhyā, as it used to be?

Words: kiṃ nu khalv — why indeed; adya — today; gambhīro — deep; mūrchito — swelling, intensified; na niśamyate — is not heard; yathāpuram — as before; ayodhyāyāṃ — in Ayodhyā; gītavāditraniḥsvanaḥ — the sound of song and instruments

2.106.21

vāruṇīmadagandhāś ca mālyagandhaś ca mūrchitaḥ
dhūpitāgarugandhaś ca na pravāti samantataḥ

The heady scents of wine, the pervading fragrance of garlands, and the smoky perfume of burning aloe-wood no longer waft on every side.

Words: vāruṇīmadagandhāś ca — and the intoxicating scents of wine; mālyagandhaś ca — and the fragrance of garlands; mūrchitaḥ — grown strong, pervading; dhūpitāgarugandhaś ca — and the scent of fumigated aloe-wood; na pravāti — does not waft; samantataḥ — on every side

2.106.22

yānapravaraghoṣaś ca snigdhaś ca hayaniḥsvanaḥ
pramattagajanādaś ca mahāṃś ca rathaniḥsvanaḥ
nedānīṃ śrūyate puryām asyāṃ rāme vivāsite

The rumble of fine carriages, the gentle neighing of horses, the trumpeting of rutting elephants, and the great din of chariots — none of it is heard now in this city, with Rāma sent into exile.

Words: yānapravaraghoṣaś ca — and the rumble of fine carriages; snigdhaś ca — and gentle; hayaniḥsvanaḥ — the neighing of horses; pramattagajanādaś ca — and the trumpeting of rutting elephants; mahāṃś ca — and great; rathaniḥsvanaḥ — the din of chariots; nedānīṃ — not now; śrūyate — is heard; puryām asyāṃ — in this city; rāme vivāsite — Rāma being exiled

2.106.23

taruṇaiś cāru veṣaiś ca narair unnatagāmibhiḥ
saṃpatadbhir ayodhyāyāṃ na vibhānti mahāpathāḥ

No longer do the great avenues of Ayodhyā shine, once thronged by young men, handsomely attired and stately in their gait.

Words: taruṇaiś — by young men; cāru veṣaiś ca — and of comely attire; narair — by men; unnatagāmibhiḥ — of lofty gait; saṃpatadbhir — thronging together; ayodhyāyāṃ — in Ayodhyā; na vibhānti — do not shine; mahāpathāḥ — the great avenues

2.106.24

evaṃ bahuvidhaṃ jalpan viveśa vasatiṃ pituḥ
tena hīnāṃ narendreṇa siṃhahīnāṃ guhām iva

Lamenting thus in many ways, he entered his father's dwelling, bereft of that lord of men — like a cave bereft of its lion.

Words: evaṃ — thus; bahuvidhaṃ — in many ways; jalpan — muttering, lamenting; viveśa — entered; vasatiṃ — the dwelling; pituḥ — of the father; tena — that; hīnāṃ — bereft; narendreṇa — of the lord of men; siṃhahīnāṃ — bereft of its lion; guhām iva — like a cave

← 2.105 Bharata carries the sandals home · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.107 Bharata establishes rule at Nandigrāma →

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.

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