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Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 67: Bharata rejects Kaikeyī’s scheme

Summary. He condemns the loss of his father and elder brother, refuses the Kingdom and promises to bring Rāma back

Sequence

  1. Bharata asks what use a Kingdom is without his father and the elder brother who was like a father to him (2.67.1–3)
  2. he accuses Kaikeyī of destroying the family and bringing unbearable grief to Kausalyā and Sumitrā (2.67.4–5)
  3. he reminds her that Rāma treated her as his mother and Kausalyā treated her as a sister (2.67.6–9)
  4. he says she never understood his love for Rāma, on whom the Kingdom depended (2.67.10–12)
  5. he refuses to fulfill her wish even if he could bear the burden of rule → he declares that he will bring Rāma back from the forest. (2.67.13–15)

Verses 2.67.1–15

2.67.1

śrutvā tu pitaraṃ vṛttaṃ bhrātaru ca vivāsitau
bharato duḥkhasaṃtapta idaṃ vacanam abravīt

Having heard that his father had passed away and that his two brothers had been sent into exile, Bharata, tormented with grief, spoke these words:

Words: śrutvā — having heard; tu — and; pitaraṃ — his father; vṛttaṃ — deceased, come to his end; bhrātaru — the two brothers; ca — and; vivāsitau — both banished; bharato — Bharata; duḥkhasaṃtapta — tormented with grief; idaṃ vacanam — these words; abravīt — spoke

2.67.2

kiṃ nuṇkāryaṃ hatasyeha mama rājyena śocataḥ
vihīnasyātha pitrā ca bhrātrā pitṛsamena ca

What use now is a kingdom to me here — ruined and grieving, bereft of my father and of my brother who was like a father to me?

Words: kiṃ — what; nuṇkāryaṃ — then is to be done, of use; hatasyeha — to me here, stricken; mama — my, to me; rājyena — with a kingdom; śocataḥ — grieving; vihīnasyātha — and to me deprived; pitrā — of my father; ca — and; bhrātrā — of my brother; pitṛsamena — who was equal to a father; ca — and

2.67.3

duḥkhe me duḥkham akaror vraṇe kṣāram ivādadhāḥ
rājānaṃ pretabhāvasthaṃ kṛtvā rāmaṃ ca tāpasaṃ

You have heaped grief upon my grief, as though laying caustic on a wound, having reduced the king to the state of the dead and made Rāma an ascetic.

Words: duḥkhe — upon grief; me — my; duḥkham — grief; akaror — you made; vraṇe — on a wound; kṣāram — caustic, alkaline salt; ivādadhāḥ — as if you applied; rājānaṃ — the king; pretabhāvasthaṃ — in the state of the dead; kṛtvā — having made; rāmaṃ — Rāma; ca — and; tāpasaṃ — an ascetic

2.67.4

kulasya tvam abhāvāya kālarātrir ivāgatā
aṅgāram upagūhya sma pitā me nāvabuddhavān

You have come like the Night of Doom for the destruction of the family; my father embraced a live coal and did not perceive it.

Words: kulasya — of the family; tvam — you; abhāvāya — for the destruction, non-being; kālarātrir — like the Night of Doom; ivāgatā — have come, as it were; aṅgāram — a live coal, ember; upagūhya — having embraced, clasped; sma — indeed; pitā — father; me — my; nāvabuddhavān — did not perceive it

2.67.5

kausalyā ca sumitrā ca putraśokābhipīḍite
duṣkaraṃ yadi jīvetāṃ prāpya tvāṃ jananīṃ mama

It will be hard for Kausalyā and Sumitrā, tormented by grief for their sons, to go on living, now that they have got you for my mother.

Words: kausalyā — Kausalyā; ca — and; sumitrā — Sumitrā; ca — and; putraśokābhipīḍite — the two afflicted by grief for their sons; duṣkaraṃ — hard, difficult (it is); yadi — if; jīvetāṃ — the two should live; prāpya — having obtained; tvāṃ — you; jananīṃ — as mother; mama — my

2.67.6

nanu tv āryo 'pi dharmātmā tvayi vṛttim anuttamām
vartate guruvṛttijño yathā mātari vartate

Surely even the noble and righteous one, who knows the conduct due to elders, behaves toward you with the utmost regard, just as one behaves toward a mother.

Words: nanu — surely; tv — indeed; āryo 'pi — even the noble one; dharmātmā — righteous of soul; tvayi — toward you; vṛttim — conduct, behaviour; anuttamām — most excellent; vartate — behaves, conducts himself; guruvṛttijño — knowing the conduct due to elders; yathā — just as; mātari — toward a mother; vartate — one behaves

2.67.7

tathā jyeṣṭhā hi me mātā kausalyā dīrghadarśinī
tvayi dharmaṃ samāsthāya bhaginyām iva vartate

And likewise my eldest mother, the far-sighted Kausalyā, holding firm to dharma, behaves toward you as toward a sister.

Words: tathā — and likewise; jyeṣṭhā — eldest; hi — indeed; me — my; mātā — mother; kausalyā — Kausalyā; dīrghadarśinī — far-sighted; tvayi — toward you; dharmaṃ — dharma; samāsthāya — having taken her stand on; bhaginyām — toward a sister; iva — as; vartate — behaves

2.67.8

tasyāḥ putraṃ kṛtātmānaṃ cīravalkalavāsasaṃ
prasthāpya vanavāsāya kathaṃ pāpe na śocasi

Having sent off her disciplined son, clad in bark and tree-rind, to dwell in the forest, how do you feel no grief, O wicked woman?

Words: tasyāḥ — her; putraṃ — son; kṛtātmānaṃ — of perfected soul, disciplined; cīravalkalavāsasaṃ — wearing garments of bark and tree-rind; prasthāpya — having sent off; vanavāsāya — for dwelling in the forest; kathaṃ — how; pāpe — O wicked woman; na — not; śocasi — do you grieve

2.67.9

apāpadarśinaṃ śūraṃ kṛtātmānaṃ yaśasvinam
pravrājya cīravasanaṃ kiṃ nu paśyasi kāraṇam

Having driven into exile the heroic, disciplined, illustrious one who looks upon no evil, clad in bark garments — what reason, then, do you see?

Words: apāpadarśinaṃ — who looks upon no evil; śūraṃ — the hero; kṛtātmānaṃ — disciplined, of perfected soul; yaśasvinam — illustrious; pravrājya — having sent into exile; cīravasanaṃ — clad in bark garments; kiṃ nu — what, then; paśyasi — do you see; kāraṇam — reason, cause

2.67.10

lubdhāyā vidito manye na te 'haṃ rāghavaṃ prati
tathā hy anartho rājyārthaṃ tvayā nīto mahān ayam

Greedy as you are, my feeling toward Rāghava was not, I think, known to you; for such a great calamity has been brought on by you for the sake of the kingdom.

Words: lubdhāyā — by you, greedy one; vidito — known; manye — I think; na — not; te — to you; 'haṃ — I; rāghavaṃ — Rāghava; prati — toward, with regard to; tathā — so; hy — indeed; anartho — calamity, mischief; rājyārthaṃ — for the sake of the kingdom; tvayā — by you; nīto — brought about; mahān — great; ayam — this

2.67.11

ahaṃ hi puruṣavyāghrāv apaśyan rāmalakṣmaṇau
kena śaktiprabhāvena rājyaṃ rakṣitum utsahe

For, not seeing those two tigers among men, Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, by what power and might could I venture to guard the kingdom?

Words: ahaṃ — I; hi — for; puruṣavyāghrāv — the two tigers among men; apaśyan — not seeing; rāmalakṣmaṇau — Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa; kena — by what; śaktiprabhāvena — power and might; rājyaṃ — the kingdom; rakṣitum — to protect; utsahe — do I dare, am able

2.67.12

taṃ hi nityaṃ mahārājo balavantaṃ mahābalaḥ
apāśrito 'bhūd dharmātmā merur meruvanaṃ yathā

For the mighty great king, righteous of soul, ever leaned upon that powerful one, as Mount Meru rests upon the Meru forest.

Words: taṃ — on him; hi — for; nityaṃ — always; mahārājo — the great king; balavantaṃ — the powerful one; mahābalaḥ — of great strength; apāśrito 'bhūd — relied, leaned upon; dharmātmā — righteous of soul; merur — Meru; meruvanaṃ — the Meru forest; yathā — as

2.67.13

so 'haṃ katham imaṃ bhāraṃ mahādhuryasamudyatam
damyo dhuram ivāsādya saheyaṃ kena caujasā

How then could I, taking up this burden fit only for a mighty draught-ox, bear it — like an untamed bullock set to the yoke — and by what strength?

Words: so 'haṃ — I; katham — how; imaṃ — this; bhāraṃ — burden, load; mahādhuryasamudyatam — raised up for a mighty draught-animal; damyo — a young ox yet to be tamed; dhuram — the yoke; ivāsādya — as if having come up to; saheyaṃ — could I bear; kena — by what; caujasā — and strength

2.67.14

atha vā me bhavec chaktir yogair buddhibalena vā
sakāmāṃ na kariṣyāmi tvām ahaṃ putragardhinīm
nivartayiṣyāmi vanād bhrātaraṃ svajanapriyam

But even were I to have the power, whether through stratagems or force of intellect, I will not grant you your wish, you who crave the throne for your son; I shall bring my brother, dear to his kinsfolk, back from the forest.

Words: atha vā — but rather, or else; me — to me; bhavec chaktir — should there be the power; yogair — by stratagems, means; buddhibalena — by force of intellect; vā — or; sakāmāṃ — having your desire fulfilled; na — not; kariṣyāmi — I will make; tvām — you; ahaṃ — I; putragardhinīm — you who crave for your son; nivartayiṣyāmi — I shall bring back; vanād — from the forest; bhrātaraṃ — my brother; svajanapriyam — dear to his own kinsfolk

2.67.15

ity evam uktvā bharato mahātmā priyetarair vākyagaṇais tudaṃs tām
śokāturaś cāpi nanāda bhūyaḥ siṃho yathā parvatagahvarasthaḥ

Having spoken thus, the great-souled Bharata, wounding her with volleys of unwelcome words and himself stricken with grief, roared out once more, like a lion within a mountain cave.

Words: ity evam uktvā — having spoken thus; bharato — Bharata; mahātmā — the great-souled one; priyetarair — with unwelcome, unkind; vākyagaṇais — volleys of words; tudaṃs — wounding, piercing; tām — her; śokāturaś — stricken with grief; cāpi — and also; nanāda — roared; bhūyaḥ — again; siṃho — a lion; yathā — as; parvatagahvarasthaḥ — standing in a mountain cave

← 2.66 Kaikeyī’s disclosure · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.68 Surabhi’s tears and Bharata’s vow →

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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