← 2.74 Construction of Bharata’s route · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.76 Bharata’s declaration to the assembly →

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 75: Bharata refuses royal honours

Summary. He stops the morning music proclaiming him King, Vasiṣṭha calls the ministers, priests, commanders and guild representatives to assemble

Sequence

  1. At dawn the palace musicians and bards begin honoring Bharata as King (2.75.1–3)
  2. he stops them, declaring that he is not the King → he tells Śatrughna that the Kingdom has been left without direction by Kaikeyī's actions and Daśaratha's death (2.75.4–6)
  3. as the household weeps, Vasiṣṭha enters the assembly hall (2.75.7–9)
  4. he urgently summons priests, ministers, military leaders, and representatives of the guilds (2.75.10–11)
  5. the gathering fills the hall and welcomes Bharata. (2.75.12–14)

Verses 2.75.1–14

2.75.1

tato nāndīmukhīṃ rātriṃ bharataṃ sūtamāgadhāḥ
tuṣṭuvur vāgviśeṣajñāḥ stavair maṅgalasaṃhitaiḥ

Then, through the night that ushers in a joyful dawn, the bards and panegyrists, masters of choice speech, praised Bharata with hymns filled with auspicious words.

Words: tato — then; nāndīmukhīṃ — ushering in joy, whose face heralds festivity; rātriṃ — the night; bharataṃ — Bharata; sūtamāgadhāḥ — the bards and panegyrists; tuṣṭuvur — praised; vāgviśeṣajñāḥ — masters of choice speech; stavair — with hymns of praise; maṅgalasaṃhitaiḥ — filled with auspicious words

2.75.2

suvarṇakoṇābhihataḥ prāṇadad yāmadundubhiḥ
dadhmuḥ śaṅkhāṃś ca śataśo vādyāṃś coccāvacasvarān

The watch-drum, struck with a golden stick, resounded; and they blew conches by the hundreds and sounded instruments of high and low notes.

Words: suvarṇakoṇābhihataḥ — struck with a golden drumstick; prāṇadad — resounded; yāmadundubhiḥ — the watch-drum; dadhmuḥ — they blew; śaṅkhāṃś ca — and the conches; śataśo — by the hundreds; vādyāṃś — instruments; coccāvacasvarān — and (those) of high and low notes

2.75.3

sa tūrya ghoṣaḥ sumahān divam āpūrayann iva
bharataṃ śokasaṃtaptaṃ bhūyaḥ śokair arandhrayat

That very great clamor of instruments, as if filling the sky, pierced Bharata — already tormented with grief — yet again with fresh sorrows.

Words: sa — that; tūrya ghoṣaḥ — clamor of instruments; sumahān — very great; divam — the sky; āpūrayann iva — as if filling; bharataṃ — Bharata; śokasaṃtaptaṃ — tormented with grief; bhūyaḥ — yet again, further; śokair — with sorrows; arandhrayat — pierced through

2.75.4

tato prabuddho bharatas taṃ ghoṣaṃ saṃnivartya ca
nāhaṃ rājeti cāpy uktvā śatrughnam idam abravīt

Then Bharata, roused, had that clamor stopped, and saying 'I am no king,' spoke thus to Śatrughna:

Words: tato — then; prabuddho — roused, awakened; bharatas — Bharata; taṃ ghoṣaṃ — that clamor; saṃnivartya ca — and having caused to cease; nāhaṃ — 'I am not; rājeti — king,' thus; cāpy — and; uktvā — having said; śatrughnam — to Śatrughna; idam abravīt — spoke this

2.75.5

paśya śatrughna kaikeyyā lokasyāpakṛtaṃ mahat
visṛjya mayi duḥkhāni rājā daśaratho gataḥ

Behold, Śatrughna, the great harm Kaikeyī has done to the world: having laid these sorrows upon me, King Daśaratha has departed.

Words: paśya — behold; śatrughna — O Śatrughna; kaikeyyā — by Kaikeyī; lokasyāpakṛtaṃ — the harm done to the world; mahat — great; visṛjya — having laid, released; mayi — upon me; duḥkhāni — sorrows; rājā — King; daśaratho — Daśaratha; gataḥ — has departed

2.75.6

tasyaiṣā dharmarājasya dharmamūlā mahātmanaḥ
paribhramati rājaśrīr naur ivākarṇikā jale

The royal fortune of that great-souled king of righteousness, rooted in dharma, now drifts about like a rudderless boat upon the water.

Words: tasyaiṣā — this ... of his; dharmarājasya — of the king of righteousness; dharmamūlā — rooted in dharma; mahātmanaḥ — of the great-souled one; paribhramati — drifts about, whirls; rājaśrīr — the royal fortune; naur — a boat; ivākarṇikā — like ... rudderless; jale — upon the water

2.75.7

ity evaṃ bharataṃ prekṣya vilapantaṃ vicetanam
kṛpaṇaṃ ruruduḥ sarvāḥ sasvaraṃ yoṣitas tadā

Seeing Bharata thus lamenting and beside himself, all the women then wept aloud, piteously.

Words: ity evaṃ — thus; bharataṃ — Bharata; prekṣya — having seen; vilapantaṃ — lamenting; vicetanam — beside himself, senseless; kṛpaṇaṃ — piteously; ruruduḥ — wept; sarvāḥ — all; sasvaraṃ — aloud, with a cry; yoṣitas — the women; tadā — then

2.75.8

tathā tasmin vilapati vasiṣṭho rājadharmavit
sabhām ikṣvākunāthasya praviveśa mahāyaśāḥ

While he was lamenting thus, the greatly renowned Vasiṣṭha, knower of royal dharma, entered the assembly-hall of the lord of the Ikṣvākus.

Words: tathā — thus; tasmin vilapati — while he was lamenting; vasiṣṭho — Vasiṣṭha; rājadharmavit — knower of royal dharma; sabhām — the assembly-hall; ikṣvākunāthasya — of the lord of the Ikṣvākus; praviveśa — entered; mahāyaśāḥ — the greatly renowned

2.75.9

śāta kumbhamayīṃ ramyāṃ maṇiratnasamākulām
sudharmām iva dharmātmā sagaṇaḥ pratyapadyata

The righteous one, with his retinue, entered that lovely hall of gold, thronged with gems and jewels, as though entering the Sudharmā (the assembly-hall of the gods).

Words: śāta kumbhamayīṃ — made of gold; ramyāṃ — lovely; maṇiratnasamākulām — thronged with gems and jewels; sudharmām iva — like the Sudharmā (hall of the gods); dharmātmā — the righteous one; sagaṇaḥ — with his retinue; pratyapadyata — entered, took his place in

2.75.10

sa kāñcanamayaṃ pīṭhaṃ parārdhyāstaraṇāvṛtam
adhyāsta sarvavedajño dūtān anuśaśāsa ca

He, the knower of all the Vedas, sat upon a golden seat covered with a priceless spread, and gave orders to the messengers:

Words: sa — he; kāñcanamayaṃ — made of gold; pīṭhaṃ — seat; parārdhyāstaraṇāvṛtam — covered with a priceless spread; adhyāsta — sat upon; sarvavedajño — the knower of all the Vedas; dūtān — the messengers; anuśaśāsa ca — and gave orders to, instructed

2.75.11

brāhmaṇān kṣatriyān yodhān amātyān gaṇaballabhān
kṣipram ānayatāvyagrāḥ kṛtyam ātyayikaṃ hi naḥ

'Bring quickly, without confusion, the brahmins, the kshatriyas, the warriors, the ministers, and the leaders dear to the guilds; for our business is urgent.'

Words: brāhmaṇān — the brahmins; kṣatriyān — the kshatriyas; yodhān — the warriors; amātyān — the ministers; gaṇaballabhān — the leaders dear to the guilds; kṣipram — quickly; ānayatāvyagrāḥ — bring (them), O unflustered ones; kṛtyam — the task; ātyayikaṃ — urgent, pressing; hi naḥ — for ours (is)

2.75.12

tato halahalāśabdo mahān samudapadyata
rathair aśvair gajaiś cāpi janānām upagacchatām

Then a great tumultuous din arose from the people approaching with chariots, horses, and elephants.

Words: tato — then; halahalāśabdo — a tumultuous din; mahān — great; samudapadyata — arose; rathair — with chariots; aśvair — with horses; gajaiś cāpi — and with elephants too; janānām — of the people; upagacchatām — approaching

2.75.13

tato bharatam āyāntaṃ śatakratum ivāmarāḥ
pratyanandan prakṛtayo yathā daśarathaṃ tathā

Then the subjects welcomed Bharata as he came, just as the immortals welcome Indra (Śatakratu), and just as they had welcomed Daśaratha.

Words: tato — then; bharatam — Bharata; āyāntaṃ — as he came; śatakratum — Śatakratu (Indra); ivāmarāḥ — as the immortals; pratyanandan — welcomed, greeted with joy; prakṛtayo — the subjects; yathā — just as; daśarathaṃ — Daśaratha; tathā — so

2.75.14

hrada iva timināgasaṃvṛtaḥ stimitajalo maṇiśaṅkhaśarkaraḥ
daśarathasutaśobhitā sabhā sadaśaratheva babhau yathā purā

Adorned by Daśaratha's son, the assembly-hall shone as of old, as if Daśaratha himself were present — like a lake with still waters, strewn with gems, conches, and pebbles, and filled with timi-fish and water-serpents.

Words: hrada iva — like a lake; timināgasaṃvṛtaḥ — filled with timi-fish and water-serpents; stimitajalo — with still waters; maṇiśaṅkhaśarkaraḥ — strewn with gems, conches, and pebbles; daśarathasutaśobhitā — adorned by Daśaratha's son; sabhā — the assembly-hall; sadaśaratheva — as if with Daśaratha present; babhau — shone; yathā purā — as of old

← 2.74 Construction of Bharata’s route · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa · 2.76 Bharata’s declaration to the assembly →

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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