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Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 74: Construction of Bharata’s route

Summary. Workers clear and level the ground, plant trees, dig wells and build supplied, defended camps along the road to the Gaṅgā

Sequence

  1. Surveyors, builders, diggers, carpenters, tree-cutters, well-makers, and other workers move ahead (2.74.1–4)
  2. they clear vegetation, stumps, and stones, and plant trees in treeless stretches (2.74.5–7)
  3. they level rough ground, fill hollows, and make difficult stretches passable (2.74.8–10)
  4. they provide waterworks and wells, then decorate and water the road (2.74.11–13)
  5. suitable stopping places are prepared in well-supplied areas (2.74.14–16)
  6. the camps include roads, defenses, and accommodation for the traveling company (2.74.17–19)
  7. the completed route reaches the Gaṅgā. (2.74.20–21)

Verses 2.74.1–21

2.74.1

atha bhūmipradeśajñāḥ sūtrakarmaviśāradāḥ
svakarmābhiratāḥ śūrāḥ khanakā yantrakās tathā

Then those who knew the lay of the land, skilled in surveying with the measuring-line, devoted to their tasks and stout of heart, and diggers and machinists as well,

Words: atha — then; bhūmipradeśajñāḥ — knowers of the terrain; sūtrakarmaviśāradāḥ — skilled in surveying with the measuring-line; svakarmābhiratāḥ — devoted to their own tasks; śūrāḥ — valiant; khanakā — diggers; yantrakās — machinists, engineers; tathā — as well

2.74.2

karmāntikāḥ sthapatayaḥ puruṣā yantrakovidāḥ
tathā vardhakayaś caiva mārgiṇo vṛkṣatakṣakāḥ

labourers, master-builders, men expert with machines, and likewise carpenters, road-makers, and tree-cutters,

Words: karmāntikāḥ — labourers, workmen; sthapatayaḥ — master-builders, architects; puruṣā — men; yantrakovidāḥ — expert with machines; tathā — and likewise; vardhakayaś caiva — and carpenters; mārgiṇo — road-makers; vṛkṣatakṣakāḥ — tree-cutters

2.74.3

kūpakārāḥ sudhākārā vaṃśakarmakṛtas tathā
samarthā ye ca draṣṭāraḥ puratas te pratasthire

well-diggers, plasterers, and workers in bamboo, and those capable ones who serve as overseers — they set out in front.

Words: kūpakārāḥ — well-diggers; sudhākārā — plasterers; vaṃśakarmakṛtas — workers in bamboo; tathā — and; samarthā — capable; ye ca — and who; draṣṭāraḥ — overseers (lit. seers, inspectors); puratas — in front; te — they; pratasthire — set out

2.74.4

sa tu harṣāt tam uddeśaṃ janaugho vipulaḥ prayān
aśobhata mahāvegaḥ sāgarasyeva parvaṇi

That vast crowd of people, advancing in joy toward that region, shone with great momentum, like the surge of the sea at the full moon.

Words: sa tu — and that; harṣāt — out of joy; tam uddeśaṃ — toward that region; janaugho — the crowd of people; vipulaḥ — vast; prayān — advancing; aśobhata — shone; mahāvegaḥ — of great momentum; sāgarasyeva — like that of the ocean; parvaṇi — at the (moon's) node, full moon

2.74.5

te svavāraṃ samāsthāya vartmakarmāṇi kovidāḥ
karaṇair vividhopetaiḥ purastāt saṃpratasthire

Taking up each his own station, those skilled in road-work set out in front, equipped with various implements.

Words: te — they; svavāraṃ — his own turn/station; samāsthāya — having taken up; vartmakarmāṇi — in road-works; kovidāḥ — skilled; karaṇair — with instruments; vividhopetaiḥ — provided with various (ones); purastāt — in front; saṃpratasthire — set out

2.74.6

latāvallīś ca gulmāṃś ca sthāṇūn aśmana eva ca
janās te cakrire mārgaṃ chindanto vividhān drumān

Cutting down creepers and vines and shrubs, stumps and stones, and trees of many kinds, those men made the road.

Words: latāvallīś ca — creepers and vines; gulmāṃś ca — and shrubs; sthāṇūn — stumps, posts; aśmana eva ca — and stones too; janās — the people; te — those; cakrire — made; mārgaṃ — the road; chindanto — cutting down; vividhān — various; drumān — trees

2.74.7

avṛkṣeṣu ca deśeṣu ke cid vṛkṣān aropayan
ke cit kuṭhāraiṣ ṭaṅkaiś ca dātraiś chindan kva cit kva cit

In treeless places some planted trees, while some cut here and there with axes, chisels, and sickles.

Words: avṛkṣeṣu — in treeless (places); ca deśeṣu — and regions; ke cid — some; vṛkṣān — trees; aropayan — planted; ke cit — some; kuṭhāraiṣ — with axes; ṭaṅkaiś ca — and with chisels; dātraiś — with sickles; chindan — cut; kva cit kva cit — here and there

2.74.8

apare vīraṇastambān balino balavattarāḥ
vidhamanti sma durgāṇi sthalāni ca tatas tataḥ

Others, strong and stronger still, tore up clumps of vīraṇa-grass and cleared away rough ground and high spots here and there.

Words: apare — others; vīraṇastambān — clumps of vīraṇa-grass; balino — strong; balavattarāḥ — stronger still; vidhamanti sma — tore up, cleared away; durgāṇi — rough places, difficult ground; sthalāni ca — and high (dry) grounds; tatas tataḥ — here and there

2.74.9

apare 'pūrayan kūpān pāṃsubhiḥ śvabhram āyatam
nimnabhāgāṃs tathā ke cit samāṃś cakruḥ samantataḥ

Others filled up the wells and a long chasm with earth; and some made the low-lying parts level all around.

Words: apare — others; 'pūrayan — filled up; kūpān — wells; pāṃsubhiḥ — with earth, dust; śvabhram — a chasm, pit; āyatam — long, deep; nimnabhāgāṃs — the low-lying parts; tathā — likewise; ke cit — some; samāṃś — level; cakruḥ — made; samantataḥ — all around

2.74.10

babandhur bandhanīyāṃś ca kṣodyān saṃcukṣudus tadā
bibhidur bhedanīyāṃś ca tāṃs tān deśān narās tadā

Then the men bound up what was to be bound, pounded flat what was to be crushed, and broke up what was to be broken — those various places.

Words: babandhur — bound up; bandhanīyāṃś ca — what was to be bound; kṣodyān — what was to be crushed; saṃcukṣudus — pounded, crushed; tadā — then; bibhidur — broke up, split; bhedanīyāṃś ca — what was to be split; tāṃs tān — those various; deśān — places; narās — the men; tadā — then

2.74.11

acireṇaiva kālena parivāhān bahūdakān
cakrur bahuvidhākārān sāgarapratimān bahūn
udapānān bahuvidhān vedikā parimaṇḍitān

In no long time they made many overflowing channels full of water, of manifold form and resembling seas, and many kinds of wells adorned with railed platforms.

Words: acireṇaiva — in no long (time); kālena — by time; parivāhān — overflow-channels, reservoirs; bahūdakān — having much water; cakrur — made; bahuvidhākārān — of manifold form; sāgarapratimān — resembling seas; bahūn — many; udapānān — wells; bahuvidhān — of many kinds; vedikā parimaṇḍitān — adorned with railed platforms

2.74.12

sasudhākuṭṭimatalaḥ prapuṣpitamahīruhaḥ
mattodghuṣṭadvijagaṇaḥ patākābhir alaṃkṛtaḥ

With its ground paved smooth with plaster, its trees in full bloom, its flocks of birds crying out in rapture, and decked with banners,

Words: sasudhākuṭṭimatalaḥ — with its floor paved smooth with plaster; prapuṣpitamahīruhaḥ — with trees in full bloom; mattodghuṣṭadvijagaṇaḥ — with flocks of birds crying in rapture; patākābhir — with banners; alaṃkṛtaḥ — adorned

2.74.13

candanodakasaṃsikto nānākusumabhūṣitaḥ
bahv aśobhata senāyāḥ panthāḥ svargapathopamaḥ

sprinkled with sandal-scented water and decorated with all sorts of flowers, the army's road shone greatly, like a path to heaven.

Words: candanodakasaṃsikto — sprinkled with sandal-scented water; nānākusumabhūṣitaḥ — adorned with various flowers; bahv — greatly; aśobhata — shone; senāyāḥ — of the army; panthāḥ — the road; svargapathopamaḥ — resembling a path to heaven

2.74.14

ājñāpyātha yathājñapti yuktās te 'dhikṛtā narāḥ
ramaṇīyeṣu deśeṣu bahusvāduphaleṣu ca

Then, being commanded, the appointed men, diligent, according to the order, in lovely regions abounding in sweet fruits,

Words: ājñāpyātha — having been commanded, then; yathājñapti — according to the order; yuktās — diligent, engaged; te — those; 'dhikṛtā — appointed; narāḥ — men; ramaṇīyeṣu — in lovely; deśeṣu — regions; bahusvāduphaleṣu ca — and abounding in sweet fruits

2.74.15

yo niveśas tv abhipreto bharatasya mahātmanaḥ
bhūyas taṃ śobhayām āsur bhūṣābhir bhūṣaṇopamam

whatever encampment was desired by the great-souled Bharata, that they made all the more beautiful with adornments, so it was like an ornament itself.

Words: yo — which; niveśas tv — encampment; abhipreto — was desired, intended; bharatasya — by Bharata; mahātmanaḥ — the great-souled; bhūyas — all the more; taṃ — that; śobhayām āsur — they beautified; bhūṣābhir — with adornments; bhūṣaṇopamam — resembling an ornament

2.74.16

nakṣatreṣu praśasteṣu muhūrteṣu ca tadvidaḥ
niveśaṃ sthāpayām āsur bharatasya mahātmanaḥ

Under auspicious constellations and at favourable moments, those who knew such matters set up the encampment of the great-souled Bharata.

Words: nakṣatreṣu — under the constellations; praśasteṣu — auspicious, commended; muhūrteṣu ca — and at (favourable) moments; tadvidaḥ — those who know such things; niveśaṃ — the encampment; sthāpayām āsur — set up, established; bharatasya — of Bharata; mahātmanaḥ — the great-souled

2.74.17

bahupāṃsucayāś cāpi parikhāparivāritāḥ
tatrendrakīlapratimāḥ pratolīvaraśobhitāḥ

with high ramparts of heaped earth and surrounded by moats, resembling Indra's peaks there, graced with fine broad streets,

Words: bahupāṃsucayāś cāpi — with many earthen ramparts; parikhāparivāritāḥ — surrounded by moats; tatrendrakīlapratimāḥ — there resembling Indra's peak; pratolīvaraśobhitāḥ — graced with fine broad streets

2.74.18

prāsādamālāsaṃyuktāḥ saudhaprākārasaṃvṛtāḥ
patākā śobhitāḥ sarve sunirmitamahāpathāḥ

furnished with rows of palaces, enclosed by white-plastered ramparts, all graced with banners and with well-made great roads —

Words: prāsādamālāsaṃyuktāḥ — joined with rows of palaces; saudhaprākārasaṃvṛtāḥ — enclosed by white-plastered ramparts; patākā śobhitāḥ — graced with banners; sarve — all; sunirmitamahāpathāḥ — with well-made great roads

2.74.19

visarpatbhir ivākāśe viṭaṅkāgravimānakaiḥ
samucchritair niveśās te babhuḥ śakrapuropamāḥ

With their lofty turret-topped mansions seeming to glide through the sky, those encampments looked like the city of Śakra.

Words: visarpatbhir — gliding, moving along; ivākāśe — as if in the sky; viṭaṅkāgravimānakaiḥ — with turret-topped mansions; samucchritair — lofty, raised high; niveśās — the encampments; te — those; babhuḥ — shone, appeared; śakrapuropamāḥ — resembling the city of Śakra (Indra)

2.74.20

jāhnavīṃ tu samāsādya vividhadruma kānanām
śītalāmalapānīyāṃ mahāmīnasamākulām

And reaching the Jāhnavī, with its forests of many kinds of trees, its cool clear waters, and teeming with great fish —

Words: jāhnavīṃ — the Jāhnavī (Gaṅgā); tu — and; samāsādya — having reached; vividhadruma kānanām — with forests of many kinds of trees; śītalāmalapānīyāṃ — with cool, clear water; mahāmīnasamākulām — teeming with great fish

2.74.21

sacandratārāgaṇamaṇḍitaṃ yathā nabhaḥkṣapāyām amalaṃ virājate
narendramārgaḥ sa tathā vyarājata krameṇa ramyaḥ śubhaśilpinirmitaḥ

Just as the spotless sky, adorned with the moon and hosts of stars, shines by night, so did that king's highway shine — delightful in every stretch, wrought by skilled artisans.

Words: sacandratārāgaṇamaṇḍitaṃ — adorned with the moon and hosts of stars; yathā — just as; nabhaḥkṣapāyām — the sky at night; amalaṃ — spotless, clear; virājate — shines; narendramārgaḥ — the king's highway; sa — that; tathā — so; vyarājata — shone; krameṇa — stretch by stretch, in due order; ramyaḥ — delightful; śubhaśilpinirmitaḥ — wrought by skilled artisans

← 2.73 Bharata’s plan to restore Rāma · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.75 Bharata refuses royal honours →

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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