# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 66 — Kaikeyī’s disclosure *Bharata learns that Daśaratha died calling for the exiles, Kaikeyī admits arranging Rāma’s banishment and urges him to claim the throne* Portion: Bharata rejects the Kingdom · Verses: 45 · Ref format: 2.66. ## Sequence - Finding Daśaratha absent, Bharata goes to Kaikeyī, who welcomes him happily (66.1–4) - he tells her about the journey and says he traveled ahead of the slower gifts and baggage (66.5–10) - he asks where his father is and why the palace seems so joyless → Kaikeyī tells him that Daśaratha has died (66.11–14) - Bharata falls to the ground in grief (66.15–17) - he explains that he had expected the summons to concern Rāma's abhiṣeka or a sacrifice, and asks what illness killed their father → still unaware of the exile, he assumes Rāma and the others were present to perform the funeral (66.18–23) - he asks for Rāma, whom he now regards as his father and refuge, and for Daśaratha's final words (66.24–28) - Kaikeyī says the King died calling for Rāma, Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa and speaking of their future return (66.29–32) - Bharata asks where they are → on hearing of the exile, he anxiously asks whether Rāma committed some grave offense (66.33–38) - Kaikeyī admits that Rāma did nothing wrong: she obtained the Kingdom for Bharata and the exile for Rāma, after which Daśaratha died of grief → she tells Bharata to perform the funeral and take the throne, expecting gratitude for what she has done (66.39–45). ## Verses **2.66.1** apaśyaṃs tu tatas tatra pitaraṃ pitur ālaye jagāma bharato draṣṭuṃ mātaraṃ mātur ālaye Not seeing his father there in his father's dwelling, Bharata went to see his mother in his mother's dwelling. **2.66.2** anuprāptaṃ tu taṃ dṛṣṭvā kaikeyī proṣitaṃ sutam utpapāta tadā hṛṣṭā tyaktvā sauvarṇamānasaṃ Seeing her son arrived, come back from abroad, Kaikeyī then, delighted, sprang up, abandoning her golden seat. **2.66.3** sa praviśyaiva dharmātmā svagṛhaṃ śrīvivarjitam bharataḥ prekṣya jagrāha jananyāś caraṇau śubhau That righteous Bharata, the moment he entered his own house bereft of its splendour, on seeing her clasped the two auspicious feet of his mother. **2.66.4** taṃ mūrdhni samupāghrāya pariṣvajya yaśasvinam aṅke bharatam āropya praṣṭuṃ samupacakrame Having smelled him upon the head and embraced the illustrious one, and set Bharata on her lap, she began to question him. **2.66.5** adya te kati cid rātryaś cyutasyāryakaveśmanaḥ api nādhvaśramaḥ śīghraṃ rathenāpatatas tava “How many nights is it now since you left your grandfather's house? And is there no fatigue of the road for you, speeding hither swiftly by chariot?” **2.66.6** āryakas te sukuśalo yudhājin mātulas tava pravāsāc ca sukhaṃ putra sarvaṃ me vaktum arhasi “Is your grandfather quite well, and your uncle Yudhājit? And of your comfortable sojourn abroad, my son, you must tell me everything.” **2.66.7** evaṃ pṛṣṭhas tu kaikeyyā priyaṃ pārthivanandanaḥ ācaṣṭa bharataḥ sarvaṃ mātre rājīvalocanaḥ Thus questioned kindly by Kaikeyī, the lotus-eyed Bharata, delight of the king, related everything to his mother. **2.66.8** adya me saptamī rātriś cyutasyāryakaveśmanaḥ ambāyāḥ kuśalī tāto yudhājin mātulaś ca me “This is now my seventh night since I left grandfather's house; well is my mother's father, and my uncle Yudhājit.” **2.66.9** yan me dhanaṃ ca ratnaṃ ca dadau rājā paraṃtapaḥ pariśrāntaṃ pathy abhavat tato 'haṃ pūrvam āgataḥ “The wealth and jewels that the king, scorcher of foes, gave me grew wearied on the road, so I came on ahead.” **2.66.10** rājavākyaharair dūtais tvaryamāṇo 'ham āgataḥ yad ahaṃ praṣṭum icchāmi tad ambā vaktum arhasi “Urged on by the messengers who bore the king's word, I have come; what I wish to ask, that, mother, you must tell me.” **2.66.11** śūnyo 'yaṃ śayanīyas te paryaṅko hemabhūṣitaḥ na cāyam ikṣvākujanaḥ prahṛṣṭaḥ pratibhāti me “Empty is this couch of yours, this gold-adorned bedstead; and these people of the Ikṣvākus do not appear to me glad.” **2.66.12** rājā bhavati bhūyiṣṭhgam ihāmbāyā niveśane tam ahaṃ nādya paśyāmi draṣṭum icchann ihāgataḥ “The king is most often here in my mother's chambers; yet I do not see him today, though I have come here wishing to see him.” **2.66.13** pitur grahīṣye caraṇau taṃ mamākhyāhi pṛcchataḥ āhosvid amba jyeṣṭhāyāḥ kausalyāyā niveśane “I would clasp my father's feet — point him out to me who ask; or is he, mother, in the chambers of the eldest, Kausalyā?” **2.66.14** taṃ pratyuvāca kaikeyī priyavad ghoram apriyam ajānantaṃ prajānantī rājyalobhena mohitā yā gatiḥ sarvabhūtānāṃ tāṃ gatiṃ te pitā gataḥ To him Kaikeyī, deluded by greed for the kingdom — she knowing, he unknowing — spoke as if kindly a dreadful, unwelcome thing: “The path that is the destiny of all beings, by that path has your father gone.” **2.66.15** tac chrutvā bharato vākyaṃ dharmābhijanavāñ śuciḥ papāta sahasā bhūmau pitṛśokabalārditaḥ Hearing that speech, Bharata — of righteous lineage, pure — suddenly fell to the ground, tormented by the force of grief for his father. **2.66.16** tataḥ śokena saṃvītaḥ pitur maraṇaduḥkhitaḥ vilalāpa mahātejā bhrāntākulitacetanaḥ Then, wrapped in grief and pained by his father's death, the greatly-splendid one lamented, his mind reeling and distraught. **2.66.17** etat suruciraṃ bhāti pitur me śayanaṃ purā tad idaṃ na vibhāty adya vihīnaṃ tena dhīmatā “This bed of my father shone most lovely before; but now this same one, bereft of that wise man, gleams no longer.” **2.66.18** tam ārtaṃ devasaṃkāśaṃ samīkṣya patitaṃ bhuvi utthāpayitvā śokārtaṃ vacanaṃ cedam abravīt Seeing him, godlike, stricken and fallen upon the ground, she raised the grief-stricken one up and spoke these words: **2.66.19** uttiṣṭhottiṣṭha kiṃ śeṣe rājaputra mahāyaśaḥ tvadvidhā na hi śocanti santaḥ sadasi saṃmatāḥ “Rise up, rise up! Why do you lie there, O prince of great renown? Men like you, the virtuous, honoured in the assembly, do not grieve.” **2.66.20** sa rudatyā ciraṃ kālaṃ bhūmau viparivṛtya ca jananīṃ pratyuvācedaṃ śokair bahubhir āvṛtaḥ Weeping and rolling on the ground a long while, he, overwhelmed by many griefs, answered his mother thus: **2.66.21** abhiṣekṣyati rāmaṃ tu rājā yajñaṃ nu yakṣyati ity ahaṃ kṛtasaṃkalpo hṛṣṭo yātrām ayāsiṣam “'The king will consecrate Rāma, or perform a sacrifice' — thinking thus, resolved and glad, I made my journey.” **2.66.22** tad idaṃ hy anyathā bhūtaṃ vyavadīrṇaṃ mano mama pitaraṃ yo na paśyāmi nityaṃ priyahite ratam “But now this has turned out otherwise, and my heart is torn asunder, since I do not see my father, ever devoted to my welfare and delight.” **2.66.23** amba kenātyagād rājā vyādhinā mayy anāgate dhanyā rāmādayaḥ sarve yaiḥ pitā saṃskṛtaḥ svayam “Mother, by what disease did the king pass away while I was not come? Fortunate are Rāma and all the others, by whom our father was himself given the last rites.” **2.66.24** na nūnaṃ māṃ mahārājaḥ prāptaṃ jānāti kīrtimān upajighred dhi māṃ mūrdhni tātaḥ saṃnamya satvaram “Surely the illustrious great king does not know that I have arrived; else my father would quickly have bent down and smelled my head.” **2.66.25** kva sa pāṇiḥ sukhasparśas tātasyākliṣṭakarmaṇaḥ yena māṃ rajasā dhvastam abhīkṣṇaṃ parimārjati “Where is that hand, sweet to the touch, of my father of untiring deeds, with which he would ever wipe me clean when I was covered with dust?” **2.66.26** yo me bhrātā pitā bandhur yasya dāso 'smi dhīmataḥ tasya māṃ śīghram ākhyāhi rāmasyākliṣṭa karmaṇaḥ “Quickly tell me of him who is my brother, father, and kinsman, that wise one whose servant I am — of Rāma of untiring deeds.” **2.66.27** pitā hi bhavati jyeṣṭho dharmam āryasya jānataḥ tasya pādau grahīṣyāmi sa hīdānīṃ gatir mama “For to a noble man who knows the dharma, the eldest brother becomes a father; I shall clasp his feet, for he is now my refuge.” **2.66.28** ārye kim abravīd rājā pitā me satyavikramaḥ paścimaṃ sādhusaṃdeśam icchāmi śrotum ātmanaḥ “Noble lady, what did the king, my father of true valour, say? I wish to hear his last good message to me.” **2.66.29** iti pṛṣṭā yathātattvaṃ kaikeyī vākyam abravīt rāmeti rājā vilapan hā sīte lakṣmaṇeti ca sa mahātmā paraṃ lokaṃ gato gatimatāṃ varaḥ Thus questioned, Kaikeyī spoke the truth in words: “The king, wailing 'Rāma! Ah Sītā! Lakṣmaṇa!', that great soul, best of those who fare well, went to the highest world.” **2.66.30** imāṃ tu paścimāṃ vācaṃ vyājahāra pitā tava kāla dharmaparikṣiptaḥ pāśair iva mahāgajaḥ “This last word your father uttered, encompassed by the law of Time as a great elephant is caught by snares:” **2.66.31** siddhārthās tu narā rāmam āgataṃ sītayā saha lakṣmaṇaṃ ca mahābāhuṃ drakṣyanti punar āgatam “'Those men whose ends are attained shall behold Rāma come back together with Sītā, and the mighty-armed Lakṣmaṇa returned.'” **2.66.32** tac chrutvā viṣasādaiva dvitīyā priyaśaṃsanāt viṣaṇṇavadano bhūtvā bhūyaḥ papraccha mātaram Hearing that, he sank down in despair at the second welcome-sounding announcement, and with a dejected face questioned his mother again. **2.66.33** kva cedānīṃ sa dharmātmā kausalyānandavardhanaḥ lakṣmaṇena saha bhrātrā sītayā ca samaṃ gataḥ “And where now is that righteous one, the increaser of Kausalyā's joy, gone away together with his brother Lakṣmaṇa and with Sītā?” **2.66.34** tathā pṛṣṭā yathātattvam ākhyātum upacakrame mātāsya yugapad vākyaṃ vipriyaṃ priyaśaṅkayā Questioned thus, his mother began to tell him the truth all at once — an unwelcome speech, in the belief that it was welcome. **2.66.35** sa hi rājasutaḥ putra cīravāsā mahāvanam daṇḍakān saha vaidehyā lakṣmaṇānucaro gataḥ “That prince, my son, clad in bark-cloth, has gone to the great forest, to the Daṇḍakas, together with Vaidehī and with Lakṣmaṇa for his follower.” **2.66.36** tac chrutvā bharatas trasto bhrātuś cāritraśaṅkayā svasya vaṃśasya māhātmyāt praṣṭuṃ samupacakrame Hearing that, Bharata, alarmed by a doubt about his brother's conduct, out of the greatness of his own lineage began to ask: **2.66.37** kaccin na brāhmaṇavadhaṃ hṛtaṃ rāmeṇa kasya cit kaccin nāḍhyo daridro vā tenāpāpo vihiṃsitaḥ “Surely Rāma has not incurred the slaying of anyone's brahmin? Surely no sinless man, rich or poor, has been harmed by him?” **2.66.38** kaccin na paradārān vā rājaputro 'bhimanyate kasmāt sa daṇḍakāraṇye bhrūṇaheva vivāsitaḥ “Surely the prince has not coveted another man's wife? Why has he been banished to the Daṇḍaka forest like the slayer of an embryo?” **2.66.39** athāsya capalā mātā tat svakarma yathātatham tenaiva strīsvabhāvena vyāhartum upacakrame Then his fickle mother, by that very womanish nature, set about relating her own deed exactly as it was. **2.66.40** na brāhmaṇa dhanaṃ kiṃcid dhṛtaṃ rāmeṇa kasya cit kaś cin nāḍhyo daridro vā tenāpāpo vihiṃsitaḥ na rāmaḥ paradārāṃś ca cakṣurbhyām api paśyati “No brahmin's wealth of any kind was taken by Rāma; no sinless man, rich or poor, was harmed by him; nor does Rāma so much as look with his eyes upon another's wife.” **2.66.41** mayā tu putra śrutvaiva rāmasyaivābhiṣecanam yācitas te pitā rājyaṃ rāmasya ca vivāsanam “But I, my son, the moment I heard of Rāma's consecration, begged your father for the kingdom and for Rāma's banishment.” **2.66.42** sa svavṛttiṃ samāsthāya pitā te tat tathākarot rāmaś ca sahasaumitriḥ preṣitaḥ saha sītayā “Holding to his own course of conduct, your father did just that; and Rāma, together with Saumitri, was sent away along with Sītā.” **2.66.43** tam apaśyan priyaṃ putraṃ mahīpālo mahāyaśāḥ putraśokaparidyūnaḥ pañcatvam upapedivān “Not seeing his dear son, the great and glorious lord of the earth, worn down by grief for his son, attained dissolution into the five elements.” **2.66.44** tvayā tv idānīṃ dharmajña rājatvam avalambyatām tvatkṛte hi mayā sarvam idam evaṃvidhaṃ kṛtam “Now, O knower of dharma, let the kingship be taken up by you; for it was for your sake that I did all this of such a kind.” **2.66.45** tat putra śīghraṃ vidhinā vidhijñair vasiṣṭhamukhyaiḥ sahito dvijendraiḥ saṃkālya rājānam adīnasattvam ātmānam urvyām abhiṣecayasva “Therefore, my son, quickly and in due form, together with the foremost twice-born led by Vasiṣṭha who know the rites, perform the funeral of the king of undaunted spirit, and consecrate yourself upon the earth.”