# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 81 — Rāma and Sītā’s grass bed *Guha shows Bharata where they slept after taking only water, while Lakṣmaṇa and the Niṣādas kept watch* Portion: Guha and the Gaṅgā crossing · Verses: 23 · Ref format: 2.81. ## Sequence - Hearing Guha's account, Bharata faints (81.1–3) - Śatrughna supports him, and the Queens hurry over (81.4–7) - Kausalyā asks whether he is ill or has heard bad news of the travelers; she tells him that the family now depends on him (81.8–10) - recovering, Bharata reassures her and asks where Rāma slept and what he ate (81.11–12) - Guha explains that Rāma politely refused his abundant food, saying that a warrior should give rather than accept gifts (81.13–16) - Rāma and Sītā fasted after taking water brought by Lakṣmaṇa; Lakṣmaṇa took the remaining water and fasted too, and all three performed evening worship (81.17–18) - Lakṣmaṇa made a grass bed for Rāma and Sītā and washed their feet after they lay down → Guha points out that same bed beneath the iṅgudī tree (81.19–21) - he describes how Lakṣmaṇa and the Niṣādas guarded them through the night (81.22–23). ## Verses **2.81.1** guhasya vacanaṃ śrutvā bharato bhṛśam apriyam dhyānaṃ jagāma tatraiva yatra tac chrutam apriyam Hearing Guha's exceedingly painful words, Bharata sank into brooding, right there where that unwelcome news had been told. **2.81.2** sukumāro mahāsattvaḥ siṃhaskandho mahābhujaḥ puṇḍarīka viśālākṣas taruṇaḥ priyadarśanaḥ Tender, great of spirit, lion-shouldered, mighty-armed, his eyes broad as lotus petals, young, and fair to look upon — **2.81.3** pratyāśvasya muhūrtaṃ tu kālaṃ paramadurmanāḥ papāta sahasā totrair hṛdi viddha iva dvipaḥ Regaining himself for a brief while, then, utterly disheartened, he fell down all at once, like an elephant pierced in the heart by goads. **2.81.4** tadavasthaṃ tu bharataṃ śatrughno 'nantara sthitaḥ pariṣvajya rurodoccair visaṃjñaḥ śokakarśitaḥ Śatrughna, standing close by, embraced Bharata in that state and wept aloud, senseless and wasted with grief. **2.81.5** tataḥ sarvāḥ samāpetur mātaro bharatasya tāḥ upavāsa kṛśā dīnā bhartṛvyasanakarśitāḥ Then all those mothers of Bharata came running — gaunt from fasting, wretched, worn by the calamity that had befallen their husband. **2.81.6** tāś ca taṃ patitaṃ bhūmau rudantyaḥ paryavārayan kausalyā tv anusṛtyainaṃ durmanāḥ pariṣasvaje And they, weeping, surrounded him where he had fallen to the ground; but Kausalyā, coming up to him in her grief, embraced him. **2.81.7** vatsalā svaṃ yathā vatsam upagūhya tapasvinī paripapraccha bharataṃ rudantī śokalālasā As a loving cow embraces her own calf, the poor woman clasped him and, weeping, distraught with grief, questioned Bharata: **2.81.8** putravyādhir na te kaccic charīraṃ paribādhate adya rājakulasyāsya tvadadhīnaṃ hi jīvitam Surely no illness afflicts your body, my son? For today the very life of this royal house depends upon you. **2.81.9** tvāṃ dṛṣṭvā putra jīvāmi rāme sabhrātṛke gate vṛtte daśarathe rājñi nātha ekas tvam adya naḥ Seeing you, my son, I live on; with Rāma gone away together with his brother, and King Daśaratha dead, you alone are now our protector. **2.81.10** kaccin na lakṣmaṇe putra śrutaṃ te kiṃ cid apriyam putra vā hy ekaputrāyāḥ sahabhārye vanaṃ gate Have you heard, my son, no ill news of Lakṣmaṇa, or of the one son of his mother, gone with his wife to the forest? **2.81.11** sa muhūrtaṃ samāśvasya rudann eva mahāyaśāḥ kausalyāṃ parisāntvyedaṃ guhaṃ vacanam abravīt Recovering himself for a moment, still weeping, the illustrious one consoled Kausalyā and spoke these words to Guha: **2.81.12** bhrātā me kvāvasad rātriṃ kva sītā kva ca lakṣmaṇaḥ asvapac chayane kasmin kiṃ bhuktvā guha śaṃsa me Where did my brother spend the night, and where Sītā, and where Lakṣmaṇa? On what bed did he sleep, and having eaten what? Tell me, Guha. **2.81.13** so 'bravīd bharataṃ pṛṣṭo niṣādādhipatir guhaḥ yad vidhaṃ pratipede ca rāme priyahite 'tithau Being asked, Guha, lord of the Niṣādas, told Bharata what manner of hospitality he had rendered to Rāma, his dear and cherished guest: **2.81.14** annam uccāvacaṃ bhakṣyāḥ phalāni vividhāni ca rāmāyābhyavahārārthaṃ bahucopahṛtaṃ mayā Food of every kind, delicacies, and fruits of many sorts were offered by me in abundance to Rāma for his eating; **2.81.15** tat sarvaṃ pratyanujñāsīd rāmaḥ satyaparākramaḥ na hi tat pratyagṛhṇāt sa kṣatradharmam anusmaran But Rāma of true valor courteously declined it all; recalling the warrior's code, he would not accept it, **2.81.16** na hy asmābhiḥ pratigrāhyaṃ sakhe deyaṃ tu sarvadā iti tena vayaṃ rājann anunītā mahātmanā ‘We must never accept, friend, but must ever give’ — with these words, O king, we were won over by that great-souled one. **2.81.17** lakṣmaṇena samānītaṃ pītvā vāri mahāyaśāḥ aupavāsyaṃ tadākārṣīd rāghavaḥ saha sītayā The illustrious Rāghava, drinking the water Lakṣmaṇa brought, then kept a fast together with Sītā. **2.81.18** tatas tu jalaśeṣeṇa lakṣmaṇo 'py akarot tadā vāg yatās te trayaḥ saṃdhyām upāsata samāhitāḥ Then Lakṣmaṇa too, with the water that remained, did the same; and the three of them, keeping silence and composed, performed the twilight worship. **2.81.19** saumitris tu tataḥ paścād akarot svāstaraṃ śubham svayam ānīya barhīṃṣi kṣipraṃ rāghava kāraṇāt Then Saumitri, quickly bringing kuśa grass himself, made a comfortable bed for Rāghava's sake. **2.81.20** tasmin samāviśad rāmaḥ svāstare saha sītayā prakṣālya ca tayoḥ pādāv apacakrāma lakṣmaṇaḥ On that comfortable bed Rāma lay down with Sītā; and Lakṣmaṇa, having washed the feet of them both, withdrew. **2.81.21** etat tad iṅgudīmūlam idam eva ca tat tṛṇam yasmin rāmaś ca sītā ca rātriṃ tāṃ śayitāv ubhau This here is that very foot of the iṅgudī tree, and this the grass upon which both Rāma and Sītā lay that night. **2.81.22** niyamya pṛṣṭhe tu talāṅgulitravāñ śaraiḥ supūrṇāv iṣudhī paraṃtapaḥ mahad dhanuḥ sajyam upohya lakṣmaṇo niśām atiṣṭhat parito 'sya kevalam Wearing his hand- and finger-guards, having fastened upon his back the two quivers well-filled with arrows, and taking up the great strung bow, Lakṣmaṇa, that scorcher of foes, stood watch through the whole night entirely around him. **2.81.23** tatas tv ahaṃ cottamabāṇacāpadhṛk sthito 'bhavaṃ tatra sa yatra lakṣmaṇaḥ atandribhir jñātibhir āttakārmukair mahendrakalpaṃ paripālayaṃs tadā And then I too, bearing my finest bow and arrows, kept my station there where Lakṣmaṇa stood, guarding, with my tireless kinsmen bows in hand, that hero who was the equal of great Indra.