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Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 71: Daśaratha’s remaining rites

Summary. Bharata performs śrāddha and distributes gifts, the brothers grieve over the ashes and bones, Vasiṣṭha & Sumantra help them complete their duties

Sequence

  1. After the mourning period, Bharata performs the twelfth-day śrāddha (ancestral rite) and gives food, wealth, cattle, and other gifts in his father's memory (2.71.1–3)
  2. on the thirteenth morning he returns to the pyre and laments that both his father and the brother entrusted with his care are gone (2.71.4–7)
  3. the sight of ashes and bones overwhelms him (2.71.8–10)
  4. Śatrughna also collapses, recalling Daśaratha's affection and blaming the crisis that began with Mantharā (2.71.11–16)
  5. he says he cannot bear returning to an empty Ayodhyā (2.71.17–20)
  6. Vasiṣṭha raises and comforts Bharata, while Sumantra does the same for Śatrughna → reminded that death is unavoidable, they recover enough to complete the remaining duties. (2.71.21–25)

Verses 2.71.1–25

2.71.1

tato daśāhe 'tigate kṛtaśauco nṛpātmajaḥ
dvādaśe 'hani saṃprāpte śrāddhakarmāṇy akārayat

Then, when the ten days had passed, the king's son, having performed the purification, when the twelfth day arrived, had the śrāddha rites performed.

Words: tato — then; daśāhe 'tigate — when the ten days had passed; kṛtaśauco — having performed the purification; nṛpātmajaḥ — the king's son; dvādaśe 'hani — on the twelfth day; saṃprāpte — having arrived; śrāddhakarmāṇy — the śrāddha rites; akārayat — had (them) performed

2.71.2

brāhmaṇebhyo dadau ratnaṃ dhanam annaṃ ca puṣkalam
bāstikaṃ bahuśuklaṃ ca gāś cāpi śataśas tathā

He gave to the brahmins jewels, wealth, and abundant food, goods of goat's-hair and much silver, and cows too by the hundreds.

Words: brāhmaṇebhyo — to the brahmins; dadau — gave; ratnaṃ — jewels; dhanam — wealth; annaṃ ca — and food; puṣkalam — abundant; bāstikaṃ — goods of goat's-hair (woolen blankets); bahuśuklaṃ ca — and much silver (white metal); gāś cāpi — and cows too; śataśas — by the hundreds; tathā — likewise

2.71.3

dāsīdāsaṃ ca yānaṃ ca veśmāni sumahānti ca
brāhmaṇebhyo dadau putro rājñas tasyaurdhvadaihikam

Female and male slaves, carriages, and very great houses — these the son gave to the brahmins as the funerary offering for the king.

Words: dāsīdāsaṃ ca — female and male slaves; yānaṃ ca — and carriages; veśmāni — houses; sumahānti ca — and very great; brāhmaṇebhyo — to the brahmins; dadau — gave; putro — the son; rājñas — of the king; tasyaurdhvadaihikam — as his funerary offering

2.71.4

tataḥ prabhātasamaye divase 'tha trayodaśe
vilalāpa mahābāhur bharataḥ śokamūrchitaḥ

Then at daybreak, on the thirteenth day, the mighty-armed Bharata, stupefied with grief, lamented.

Words: tataḥ — then; prabhātasamaye — at daybreak; divase 'tha — and on the day; trayodaśe — thirteenth; vilalāpa — lamented; mahābāhur — the mighty-armed; bharataḥ — Bharata; śokamūrchitaḥ — stupefied with grief

2.71.5

śabdāpihitakaṇṭhaś ca śodhanārtham upāgataḥ
citāmūle pitur vākyam idam āha suduḥkhitaḥ

His throat choked by his sobbing, having come for the purification, deeply grieved, at the foot of the pyre he spoke these words concerning his father:

Words: śabdāpihitakaṇṭhaś ca — his throat choked with sound; śodhanārtham — for the sake of purification; upāgataḥ — having come; citāmūle — at the foot of the pyre; pitur — of his father; vākyam — words; idam — this; āha — spoke; suduḥkhitaḥ — deeply grieved

2.71.6

tāta yasmin niṣṛṣṭo 'haṃ tvayā bhrātari rāghave
tasmin vanaṃ pravrajite śūnye tyakto 'smy ahaṃ tvayā

Father, the brother Rāghava in whose charge I was placed by you — now that he has gone forth to the forest, I am left abandoned by you in this desolation.

Words: tāta — father; yasmin — in whom; niṣṛṣṭo 'haṃ — I was entrusted; tvayā — by you; bhrātari rāghave — to the brother Rāghava (Rāma); tasmin — when he; vanaṃ — to the forest; pravrajite — had gone forth; śūnye — in the empty, desolate (place); tyakto 'smy ahaṃ — I have been abandoned; tvayā — by you

2.71.7

yathāgatir anāthāyāḥ putraḥ pravrājito vanam
tām ambāṃ tāta kausalyāṃ tyaktvā tvaṃ kva gato nṛpa

That mother Kausalyā, now helpless, whose only recourse — her son — has been banished to the forest: having forsaken her, O father, O king, where have you gone?

Words: yathāgatir — such being her recourse; anāthāyāḥ — of the helpless (woman); putraḥ — the son; pravrājito — was banished; vanam — to the forest; tām ambāṃ — that mother; tāta — O father; kausalyāṃ — Kausalyā; tyaktvā — having forsaken; tvaṃ — you; kva — where; gato — have gone; nṛpa — O king

2.71.8

dṛṣṭvā bhasmāruṇaṃ tac ca dagdhāsthisthānamaṇḍalam
pituḥ śarīra nirvāṇaṃ niṣṭanan viṣasāda ha

And seeing that circle of ground grey-red with ashes and strewn with burnt bones — the extinction of his father's body — he groaned and sank down in despair.

Words: dṛṣṭvā — having seen; bhasmāruṇaṃ — grey-red with ashes; tac ca — and that; dagdhāsthisthānamaṇḍalam — the circular site strewn with burnt bones; pituḥ — of his father; śarīra nirvāṇaṃ — the extinction of the body; niṣṭanan — groaning; viṣasāda — sank down, despaired; ha — indeed

2.71.9

sa tu dṛṣṭvā rudan dīnaḥ papāta dharaṇītale
utthāpyamānaḥ śakrasya yantra dhvaja iva cyutaḥ

And seeing it, weeping and wretched, he fell to the ground; though being raised up, he collapsed like Śakra's mechanical banner-pole let fall.

Words: sa tu — and he; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; rudan — weeping; dīnaḥ — wretched; papāta — fell; dharaṇītale — on the ground; utthāpyamānaḥ — while being raised up; śakrasya — of Śakra (Indra); yantra dhvaja iva — like the mechanical banner-pole; cyutaḥ — fallen, let loose

2.71.10

abhipetus tataḥ sarve tasyāmātyāḥ śucivratam
antakāle nipatitaṃ yayātim ṛṣayo yathā

Then all his ministers rushed up to him of pure vows as he lay fallen, just as the seers came to Yayāti fallen at his life's end.

Words: abhipetus — rushed up; tataḥ — then; sarve — all; tasyāmātyāḥ — his ministers; śucivratam — him of pure vows; antakāle — at the time of death; nipatitaṃ — fallen; yayātim — Yayāti; ṛṣayo yathā — as the seers

2.71.11

śatrughnaś cāpi bharataṃ dṛṣṭvā śokapariplutam
visaṃjño nyapatad bhūmau bhūmipālam anusmaran

And Śatrughna too, seeing Bharata drowned in grief, fell senseless to the ground, remembering the king their father.

Words: śatrughnaś cāpi — and Śatrughna too; bharataṃ — Bharata; dṛṣṭvā — having seen; śokapariplutam — drowned in grief; visaṃjño — senseless; nyapatad — fell down; bhūmau — on the ground; bhūmipālam — the king (protector of the earth); anusmaran — remembering

2.71.12

unmatta iva niścetā vilalāpa suduḥkhitaḥ
smṛtvā pitur guṇāṅgāni tāni tāni tadā tadā

Like one gone mad and out of his senses, deeply grieved, he lamented, recalling again and again those many virtues of his father.

Words: unmatta iva — like one mad; niścetā — out of his senses; vilalāpa — lamented; suduḥkhitaḥ — deeply grieved; smṛtvā — having recalled; pitur — of his father; guṇāṅgāni — the marks of virtue, good qualities; tāni tāni — those various ones; tadā tadā — again and again, at each moment

2.71.13

mantharā prabhavas tīvraḥ kaikeyīgrāhasaṃkulaḥ
varadānamayo 'kṣobhyo 'majjayac chokasāgaraḥ

The ocean of grief — originating from Mantharā, fierce, teeming with the crocodile Kaikeyī, made up of the granting of the boon, unfathomable — has drowned us.

Words: mantharā prabhavas — originating from Mantharā; tīvraḥ — fierce; kaikeyīgrāhasaṃkulaḥ — teeming with the crocodile Kaikeyī; varadānamayo — made up of the boon-granting; 'kṣobhyo — unfathomable, unassailable; 'majjayac — has drowned; chokasāgaraḥ — the ocean of grief

2.71.14

sukumāraṃ ca bālaṃ ca satataṃ lālitaṃ tvayā
kva tāta bharataṃ hitvā vilapantaṃ gato bhavān

Forsaking Bharata — so tender and young, ever cherished by you — now lamenting, where, O father, have you gone?

Words: sukumāraṃ ca — so tender; bālaṃ ca — and young; satataṃ — constantly; lālitaṃ — cherished, fondled; tvayā — by you; kva — where; tāta — O father; bharataṃ — Bharata; hitvā — having forsaken; vilapantaṃ — lamenting; gato — gone; bhavān — have you (honorific)

2.71.15

nanu bhojyeṣu pāneṣu vastreṣv ābharaṇeṣu ca
pravārayasi naḥ sarvāṃs tan naḥ ko 'dya kariṣyati

Surely in food, drink, garments and ornaments you used to indulge us all — who now will do that for us?

Words: nanu — surely; bhojyeṣu — in foods; pāneṣu — in drinks; vastreṣv — in garments; ābharaṇeṣu ca — and in ornaments; pravārayasi — you indulge, provide abundantly for; naḥ — us; sarvāṃs — all; tan — that; naḥ — for us; ko 'dya — who now; kariṣyati — will do

2.71.16

avadāraṇa kāle tu pṛthivī nāvadīryate
vihīnā yā tvayā rājñā dharmajñena mahātmanā

Though the time for splitting has come, the earth does not split open — she who has been bereft of you, the king, knower of dharma, great of soul.

Words: avadāraṇa kāle — at the time for splitting; tu — yet; pṛthivī — the earth; nāvadīryate — does not split open; vihīnā — bereft; yā — she who; tvayā — of you; rājñā — the king; dharmajñena — knower of dharma; mahātmanā — great of soul

2.71.17

pitari svargam āpanne rāme cāraṇyam āśrite
kiṃ me jīvita sāmarthyaṃ pravekṣyāmi hutāśanam

With my father gone to heaven and Rāma taken to the forest, what power to live have I? I shall enter the fire.

Words: pitari — when the father; svargam — to heaven; āpanne — had attained; rāme — and when Rāma; cāraṇyam — to the forest; āśrite — had resorted; kiṃ — what; me — for me; jīvita sāmarthyaṃ — power to live; pravekṣyāmi — I shall enter; hutāśanam — the fire (oblation-eater)

2.71.18

hīno bhrātrā ca pitrā ca śūnyām ikṣvākupālitām
ayodhyāṃ na pravekṣyāmi pravekṣyāmi tapovanam

Deprived of both brother and father, I will not enter empty Ayodhyā, guarded once by the Ikṣvākus; I will enter the forest of penance.

Words: hīno — deprived; bhrātrā ca — of both brother; pitrā ca — and father; śūnyām — empty; ikṣvākupālitām — guarded by the Ikṣvākus; ayodhyāṃ — Ayodhyā; na — not; pravekṣyāmi — I shall enter; pravekṣyāmi — I shall enter (instead); tapovanam — the forest of penance

2.71.19

tayor vilapitaṃ śrutvā vyasanaṃ cānvavekṣya tat
bhṛśam ārtatarā bhūyaḥ sarva evānugāminaḥ

Hearing the lament of the two and beholding that calamity, all the attendants became yet more grievously afflicted.

Words: tayor — of the two; vilapitaṃ — the lament; śrutvā — having heard; vyasanaṃ — the calamity; cānvavekṣya — and having observed; tat — that; bhṛśam — exceedingly; ārtatarā — more afflicted; bhūyaḥ — still more; sarva — all; evānugāminaḥ — the very followers

2.71.20

tato viṣaṇṇau śrāntau ca śatrughna bharatāv ubhau
dharaṇyāṃ saṃvyaceṣṭetāṃ bhagnaśṛṅgāv ivarṣabhau

Then both Śatrughna and Bharata, dejected and exhausted, writhed on the ground like two bulls with broken horns.

Words: tato — then; viṣaṇṇau — both dejected; śrāntau ca — and exhausted; śatrughna bharatāv — Śatrughna and Bharata; ubhau — both; dharaṇyāṃ — on the ground; saṃvyaceṣṭetāṃ — writhed, rolled about; bhagnaśṛṅgāv — with broken horns; ivarṣabhau — like bulls

2.71.21

tataḥ prakṛtimān vaidyaḥ pitur eṣāṃ purohitaḥ
vasiṣṭho bharataṃ vākyam utthāpya tam uvāca ha

Then Vasiṣṭha, self-possessed and learned, the family priest of their father, having raised Bharata up, spoke these words to him:

Words: tataḥ — then; prakṛtimān — self-possessed, of steady nature; vaidyaḥ — the learned one; pitur — of their father; eṣāṃ — of these (their); purohitaḥ — the family priest; vasiṣṭho — Vasiṣṭha; bharataṃ — Bharata; vākyam — words; utthāpya — having raised up; tam — him; uvāca — spoke; ha — indeed

2.71.22

trīṇi dvandvāni bhūteṣu pravṛttāny aviśeṣataḥ
teṣu cāparihāryeṣu naivaṃ bhavitum arhati

Three pairs of opposites operate among all beings without distinction; and since these are unavoidable, one ought not to behave thus.

Words: trīṇi — three; dvandvāni — pairs (of opposites); bhūteṣu — among beings; pravṛttāny — operate, occur; aviśeṣataḥ — without distinction; teṣu — among these; cāparihāryeṣu — and (being) unavoidable; naivaṃ — not thus; bhavitum — to become, behave; arhati — one ought

2.71.23

sumantraś cāpi śatrughnam utthāpyābhiprasādya ca
śrāvayām āsa tattvajñaḥ sarvabhūtabhavābhavau

And Sumantra too, raising Śatrughna up and consoling him, that knower of truth, made him hear of the coming-to-be and passing-away of all creatures.

Words: sumantraś cāpi — and Sumantra too; śatrughnam — Śatrughna; utthāpyābhiprasādya ca — having raised up and consoled; śrāvayām āsa — made (him) hear, instructed; tattvajñaḥ — the knower of truth; sarvabhūtabhavābhavau — the birth and death of all beings

2.71.24

utthitau tau naravyāghrau prakāśete yaśasvinau
varṣātapapariklinnau pṛthag indradhvajāv iva

Risen up, those two tigers among men, illustrious, shone like two separate banners of Indra drenched by rain and sun.

Words: utthitau — risen up (both); tau — those two; naravyāghrau — tigers among men; prakāśete — shone forth; yaśasvinau — illustrious (both); varṣātapapariklinnau — drenched by rain and sun; pṛthag — separately; indradhvajāv iva — like Indra's banners

2.71.25

aśrūṇi parimṛdnantau raktākṣau dīnabhāṣiṇau
amātyās tvarayanti sma tanayau cāparāḥ kriyāḥ

The two princes, wiping away their tears, red-eyed, speaking piteously — the ministers urged them on, and the remaining rites as well.

Words: aśrūṇi — tears; parimṛdnantau — wiping away (both); raktākṣau — red-eyed; dīnabhāṣiṇau — speaking piteously; amātyās — the ministers; tvarayanti sma — urged, hastened; tanayau — the two sons; cāparāḥ — and the other; kriyāḥ — rites

← 2.70 Daśaratha’s cremation · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.72 Bharata stops Mantharā’s punishment →

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki. 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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