# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 65 — Bharata reaches Ayodhyā *He hastens ahead of his company, finds the city silent and neglected and enters his father’s residence in alarm* Portion: Bharata is summoned home · Verses: 28 · Ref format: 2.65. ## Sequence - Bharata travels east from Rājagṛha, crossing rivers and passing mountains and forests (65.1–3) - after crossing the Yamunā, he rests and refreshes his tired company before continuing through the wilderness (65.4–6) - at Ujjihānā, he leaves the larger force behind and presses ahead with faster horses, crossing more rivers including the Gomatī (65.7–11) - after seven nights he sees Ayodhyā at dawn (65.12–14) - the silence alarms him: the usual crowds, traffic, festivities, and lively gardens are absent (65.15–19) - entering through the Vaijayanta gate, he notices further bad signs (65.20–23) - the people look unwashed, thin, and tearful → increasingly anxious, he enters his father's residence (65.24–28). ## Verses **2.65.1** sa prāṅmukho rājagṛhād abhiniryāya vīryavān hrādinīṃ dūrapārāṃ ca pratyaksrotas taraṅgiṇīm śatadrūm atarac chrīmān nadīm ikṣvākunandanaḥ Setting out eastward from Rājagṛha, the valorous and illustrious delight of the Ikṣvākus crossed the river Śatadru — roaring, hard to cross to its far shore, its waves running westward. **2.65.2** eladhāne nadīṃ tīrtvā prāpya cāparaparpaṭān śilām ākurvatīṃ tīrtvā āgneyaṃ śalyakartanam Crossing the river at Eladhāna and reaching the western Parpaṭas, and crossing the Śilā and the Ākurvatī, (he came to) Śalyakartana in the south-east. **2.65.3** satyasaṃdhaḥ śuciḥ śrīmān prekṣamāṇaḥ śilāvahām atyayāt sa mahāśailān vanaṃ caitrarathaṃ prati True to his word, pure and illustrious, gazing upon the Śilāvahā, he passed over the great mountains toward the Caitraratha forest. **2.65.4** veginīṃ ca kuliṅgākhyāṃ hrādinīṃ parvatāvṛtām yamunāṃ prāpya saṃtīrṇo balam āśvāsayat tadā Coming to the swift, roaring, mountain-girt river called Kuliṅgā, and reaching the Yamunā, once across he then let his army rest. **2.65.5** śītīkṛtya tu gātrāṇi klāntān āśvāsya vājinaḥ tatra snātvā ca pītvā ca prāyād ādāya codakam Cooling their bodies and reviving the weary horses, and having there bathed and drunk, he set off, taking water with him. **2.65.6** rājaputro mahāraṇyam anabhīkṣṇopasevitam bhadro bhadreṇa yānena mārutaḥ kham ivātyayāt The gracious prince passed through the great wilderness, seldom frequented, in his fine vehicle, as the wind traverses the sky. **2.65.7** toraṇaṃ dakṣiṇārdhena jambūprastham upāgamat varūthaṃ ca yayau ramyaṃ grāmaṃ daśarathātmajaḥ By the southern side he came to Toraṇa and Jambūprastha, and the son of Daśaratha went on to the lovely village of Varūtha. **2.65.8** tatra ramye vane vāsaṃ kṛtvāsau prāṅmukho yayau udyānam ujjihānāyāḥ priyakā yatra pādapāḥ Having made his halt there in the lovely forest, he went on eastward to the garden of Ujjihānā, where there are priyaka trees. **2.65.9** sālāṃs tu priyakān prāpya śīghrān āsthāya vājinaḥ anujñāpyātha bharato vāhinīṃ tvarito yayau Reaching the sāla and priyaka trees, Bharata mounted swift horses and, after dismissing his army, hurried on. **2.65.10** vāsaṃ kṛtvā sarvatīrthe tīrtvā cottānakāṃ nadīm anyā nadīś ca vividhāḥ pārvatīyais turaṃgamaiḥ Halting at Sarvatīrtha, and crossing the river Uttānakā and various other rivers on mountain-bred horses, **2.65.11** hastipṛṣṭhakam āsādya kuṭikām atyavartata tatāra ca naravyāghro lauhitye sa kapīvatīm ekasāle sthāṇumatīṃ vinate gomatīṃ nadīm Reaching Hastipṛṣṭhaka, he passed beyond Kuṭikā; and the tiger among men crossed the Kapīvatī at Lauhitya, the Sthāṇumatī at Ekasāla, and the river Gomatī at Vinata. **2.65.12** kaliṅga nagare cāpi prāpya sālavanaṃ tadā bharataḥ kṣipram āgacchat supariśrāntavāhanaḥ And reaching a sāla forest near the city of Kaliṅga, Bharata then came on swiftly, though his mounts were quite worn out. **2.65.13** vanaṃ ca samatītyāśu śarvaryām aruṇodaye ayodhyāṃ manunā rājñā nirmitāṃ sa dadarśa ha And swiftly passing beyond the forest, at the reddening dawn of night he beheld Ayodhyā, built by King Manu. **2.65.14** tāṃ purīṃ puruṣavyāghraḥ saptarātroṣiṭaḥ pathi ayodhyām agrato dṛṣṭvā rathe sārathim abravīt Having lodged seven nights on the road, that tiger among men, seeing the city Ayodhyā before him, spoke from his chariot to the charioteer: **2.65.15** eṣā nātipratītā me puṇyodyānā yaśasvinī ayodhyā dṛśyate dūrāt sārathe pāṇḍumṛttikā “This glorious Ayodhyā with its holy gardens does not gladden me as before; seen from afar, O charioteer, its soil looks pale. **2.65.16** yajvabhir guṇasaṃpannair brāhmaṇair vedapāragaiḥ bhūyiṣṭham ṛṣhair ākīrṇā rājarṣivarapālitā usually thronged with sacrificers, with virtuous brahmins versed in the Vedas, and with seers, and guarded by the best of royal sages — **2.65.17** ayodhyāyāṃ purāśabdaḥ śrūyate tumulo mahān samantān naranārīṇāṃ tam adya na śṛṇomy aham In Ayodhyā a great tumultuous din of men and women used to be heard on all sides; today I do not hear it. **2.65.18** udyānāni hi sāyāhne krīḍitvoparatair naraiḥ samantād vipradhāvadbhiḥ prakāśante mamānyadā For at eventide the gardens used to shine for me, thronged with men hurrying about on all sides after they had ceased their play. **2.65.19** tāny adyānurudantīva parityaktāni kāmibhiḥ araṇyabhūteva purī sārathe pratibhāti me Today those (gardens), forsaken by the pleasure-seekers, seem as if to weep; the city appears to me, O charioteer, as though turned to wilderness. **2.65.20** na hy atra yānair dṛśyante na gajair na ca vājibhiḥ niryānto vābhiyānto vā naramukhyā yathāpuram For here no chief men are seen going out or coming in with vehicles, elephants, or horses, as they used to in the city. **2.65.21** aniṣṭāni ca pāpāni paśyāmi vividhāni ca nimittāny amanojñāni tena sīdati te manaḥ And I see manifold inauspicious, evil, and disagreeable omens; because of that your mind is sinking. **2.65.22** dvāreṇa vaijayantena prāviśac chrāntavāhanaḥ dvāḥsthair utthāya vijayaṃ pṛṣṭas taiḥ sahito yayau With his mounts worn out he entered by the Vaijayanta gate; the gatekeepers rose and asked after his welfare, and he went on together with them. **2.65.23** sa tv anekāgrahṛdayo dvāḥsthaṃ pratyarcya taṃ janam sūtam aśvapateḥ klāntam abravīt tatra rāghavaḥ But he, his heart distracted, having returned the greeting of the gate-people, there said to the weary charioteer of Aśvapati: **2.65.24** śrutā no yādṛśāḥ pūrvaṃ nṛpatīnāṃ vināśane ākārās tān ahaṃ sarvān iha paśyāmi sārathe “Such signs as we have formerly heard of at the destruction of kings — all those I see here, O charioteer. **2.65.25** malinaṃ cāśrupūrṇākṣaṃ dīnaṃ dhyānaparaṃ kṛśam sastrī puṃsaṃ ca paśyāmi janam utkaṇṭhitaṃ pure I see the people in the city, women and men alike, dirty, their eyes brimming with tears, wretched, lost in brooding, gaunt, and full of anxious longing. **2.65.26** ity evam uktvā bharataḥ sūtaṃ taṃ dīnamānasaḥ tāny aniṣṭāny ayodhyāyāṃ prekṣya rājagṛhaṃ yayau Having spoken thus to the charioteer, Bharata, dejected at heart, observing those ill omens in Ayodhyā, went on to the royal residence. **2.65.27** tāṃ śūnyaśṛṅgāṭakaveśmarathyāṃ rajo'ruṇadvārakapāṭayantrām dṛṣṭvā purīm indrapurī prakāśāṃ duḥkhena saṃpūrṇataro babhūva Seeing that city — once bright as Indra's city, now with its crossroads, houses, and streets deserted, its gate-panels and bolts reddened with dust — he grew filled with grief all the more. **2.65.28** bahūni paśyan manaso 'priyāṇi yāny annyadā nāsya pure babhūvuḥ avākśirā dīnamanā nahṛṣṭaḥ pitur mahātmā praviveśa veśma Seeing many things unwelcome to his heart, such as had never been in this city before, the great-souled one, head bowed, dejected in mind and joyless, entered his father's dwelling.