# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 86 — Bharadvāja directs Bharata to Citrakūṭa *The Mandākinī and leaf hut identify Rāma’s home, Bharata introduces the Queens and is urged not to blame Kaikeyī* Portion: Bharadvāja’s welcome and guidance · Verses: 36 · Ref format: 2.86. ## Sequence - The next morning Bharata thanks Bharadvāja, saying that even the servants have been fully cared for (86.1–6) - he asks the way to his brother (86.7–8) - Bharadvāja directs him toward Citrakūṭa, two and a half yojanas away, and identifies the Mandākinī and the nearby leaf hut as landmarks (86.9–13) - the Queens approach to take leave (86.14–17) - asked to identify them, Bharata introduces Kausalyā and Sumitrā with affection, then bitterly identifies Kaikeyī as the cause of the disaster (86.18–25) - Bharadvāja asks him not to blame her, assuring him that the exile will have a good outcome (86.26–28) - Bharata orders the army to prepare, and the expedition heads south, with the Queens eager to see Rāma (86.29–36). ## Verses **2.86.1** tatas tāṃ rajanīm uṣya bharataḥ saparicchadaḥ kṛtātithyo bharadvājaṃ kāmād abhijagāma ha Then, having passed that night, Bharata with his retinue, his hospitality accomplished, went eagerly to Bharadvāja. **2.86.2** tam ṛṣiḥ puruṣavyāghraṃ prekṣya prāñjalim āgatam hutāgnihotro bharataṃ bharadvājo 'bhyabhāṣata Seeing that tiger among men, Bharata, come to him with joined palms, the sage Bharadvāja, having offered the fire-oblation, addressed him. **2.86.3** kaccid atra sukhā rātris tavāsmadviṣaye gatā samagras te janaḥ kaccid ātithye śaṃsa me 'nagha “Was the night passed happily by you here in our domain? And was your whole company (content) with the hospitality? Tell me, O sinless one.” **2.86.4** tam uvācāñjaliṃ kṛtvā bharato 'bhipraṇamya ca āśramād abhiniṣkrantam ṛṣim uttama tejasaṃ Joining his palms and bowing, Bharata said to that sage of surpassing splendour, who had come out of the hermitage: **2.86.5** sukhoṣito 'smi bhagavan samagrabalavāhanaḥ tarpitaḥ sarvakāmaiś ca sāmātyo balavat tvayā “I have passed the night in comfort, O venerable one, together with my whole army and its mounts; and I, with my ministers, have been abundantly gratified by you with all delights. **2.86.6** apetaklamasaṃtāpāḥ subhakṣyāḥ supratiśrayāḥ api preṣyān upādāya sarve sma susukhoṣitāḥ Freed from fatigue and distress, with good food and good shelter, all of us — even including the servants — have dwelt in great comfort. **2.86.7** āmantraye 'haṃ bhagavan kāmaṃ tvām ṛṣisattama samīpaṃ prasthitaṃ bhrātur maireṇekṣasva cakṣuṣā I take my leave of you now, O venerable best of sages; as I set out toward my brother, look upon me with a kindly eye. **2.86.8** āśramaṃ tasya dharmajña dhārmikasya mahātmanaḥ ācakṣva katamo mārgaḥ kiyān iti ca śaṃsa me O knower of dharma, point out the hermitage of that righteous, great-souled one; tell me which is the road, and how far it is. **2.86.9** iti pṛṣṭas tu bharataṃ bhrātṛdarśanalālasaṃ pratyuvāca mahātejā bharadvājo mahātapāḥ Thus questioned, the greatly splendid Bharadvāja of great penance answered Bharata, who longed to see his brother. **2.86.10** bharatārdhatṛtīyeṣu yojaneṣv ajane vane citrakūṭo giris tatra ramyanirdarakānanaḥ “O Bharata, two and a half yojanas away, in an uninhabited forest, is the mountain Citrakūṭa, with lovely glens and woods. **2.86.11** uttaraṃ pārśvam āsādya tasya mandākinī nadī puṣpitadrumasaṃchannā ramyapuṣpitakānanā Reaching its northern side, one comes to the river Mandākinī, covered with flowering trees, with lovely blossoming woods. **2.86.12** anantaraṃ tat saritaś citrakūṭaś ca parvataḥ tato parṇakuṭī tāta tatra tau vasato dhruvam Just beyond that river is the mountain Citrakūṭa, and beyond that a leaf-hut, my dear; there the two surely dwell. **2.86.13** dakṣiṇenaiva mārgeṇa savyadakṣiṇam eva ca gajavājirathākīrṇāṃ vāhinīṃ vāhinīpate vāhayasva mahābhāga tato drakṣyasi rāghavam By the southern road, keeping it to your right, O lord of the army, lead your host thronged with elephants, horses and chariots, O illustrious one; then you shall behold Rāghava. **2.86.14** prayāṇam iti ca śrutvā rājarājasya yoṣitaḥ hitvā yānāni yānārhā brāhmaṇaṃ paryavārayan And hearing “the march!”, the women of the king of kings, though worthy of vehicles, left their conveyances and gathered round the brahmin. **2.86.15** vepamānā kṛśā dīnā saha devyā sumantriyā kausalyā tatra jagrāha karābhyāṃ caraṇau muneḥ Trembling, emaciated, and wretched, Kausalyā there, together with Queen Sumitrā, grasped the sage's feet with both her hands. **2.86.16** asamṛddhena kāmena sarvalokasya garhitā kaikeyī tasya jagrāha caraṇau savyapatrapā Kaikeyī, censured by all the world, her desire unfulfilled and ashamed, grasped his feet as well. **2.86.17** taṃ pradakṣiṇam āgamya bhagavantaṃ mahāmunim adūrād bharatasyaiva tasthau dīnamanās tadā Having circumambulated that venerable great sage, she then stood, downcast, not far from Bharata. **2.86.18** tataḥ papraccha bharataṃ bharadvājo dṛḍhavrataḥ viśeṣaṃ jñātum icchāmi mātṝṇāṃ tava rāghava Then Bharadvāja, of firm vows, asked Bharata: “I wish to know the particulars of your mothers, O Rāghava.” **2.86.19** evam uktas tu bharato bharadvājena dhārmikaḥ uvāca prāñjalir bhūtvā vākyaṃ vacanakovidaḥ Thus addressed by Bharadvāja, the righteous Bharata, skilled in speech, joined his palms and spoke these words: **2.86.20** yām imāṃ bhagavan dīnāṃ śokān aśanakarśitām pitur hi mahiṣīṃ devīṃ devatām iva paśyasi “This wretched lady whom you see, O venerable one, wasted by grief and fasting — she is my father's chief queen, like a very goddess — **2.86.21** eṣā taṃ puruṣavyāghraṃ siṃhavikrāntagāminam kausalyā suṣuve rāmaṃ dhātāram aditir yathā this is Kausalyā, who bore that tiger among men, Rāma, whose gait is a lion's stride, just as Aditi bore Dhātṛ. **2.86.22** asyā vāmabhujaṃ śliṣṭā yaiṣā tiṣṭhati durmanāḥ karṇikārasya śākheva śīrṇapuṣpā vanāntare And she who stands here downcast, clinging to her left arm, is like a branch of the karṇikāra with its flowers withered, in the depths of the forest. **2.86.23** etasyās tau sutau devyāḥ kumārau devavarṇinau ubhau lakṣmaṇaśatrughnau vīrau satyaparākramau The two sons of this queen are the youths of godlike hue, both Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna, heroes of true valour. **2.86.24** yasyāḥ kṛte narayāghrau jīvanāśam ito gatau rājā putravihīnaś ca svargaṃ daśaratho gataḥ she for whose sake the two tigers among men came to loss of their life here, and for whose sake King Daśaratha, bereft of his sons, went to heaven — **2.86.25** aiśvaryakāmāṃ kaikeyīm anāryām āryarūpiṇīm mamaitāṃ mātaraṃ viddhi nṛśaṃsāṃ pāpaniścayām yatomūlaṃ hi paśyāmi vyasanaṃ mahad ātmanaḥ Know this Kaikeyī — greedy for power, ignoble though noble in appearance, cruel and of wicked resolve — to be my mother, in whom I see the very root of this great calamity of mine. **2.86.26** ity uktvā naraśārdūlo bāṣpagadgadayā girā sa niśaśvāsa tāmrākṣo kruddho nāga ivāsakṛt Having spoken thus in a voice choked with tears, that tiger among men, his eyes coppery-red, sighed again and again like an angry serpent. **2.86.27** bharadvājo maharṣis taṃ bruvantaṃ bharataṃ tadā pratyuvāca mahābuddhir idaṃ vacanam arthavat To Bharata as he spoke thus, the great sage Bharadvāja of great wisdom then made this meaningful reply: **2.86.28** na doṣeṇāvagantavyā kaikeyī bharata tvayā rāmapravrājanaṃ hy etat sukhodarkaṃ bhaviṣyati “Kaikeyī should not be regarded by you as at fault, Bharata; for this banishing of Rāma will prove to have a happy outcome. **2.86.29** abhivādya tu saṃsiddhaḥ kṛtvā cainaṃ pradakṣiṇam āmantrya bharataḥ sainyaṃ yujyatām ity acodayat Having saluted and circumambulated him, Bharata, resolved, took his leave and urged on the army: “Let it be made ready!” **2.86.30** tato vājirathān yuktvā divyān hemapariṣkritān adhyārohat prayāṇārthī bahūn bahuvidho janaḥ Then, harnessing the divine horse-chariots adorned with gold, the manifold host, eager to set out, mounted the many vehicles. **2.86.31** gajakanyāgajāś caiva hemakakṣyāḥ patākinaḥ jīmūtā iva gharmānte saghoṣāḥ saṃpratasthire And the she-elephants and bull-elephants, with golden girths and banners, set forth resounding like thunderclouds at the end of the hot season. **2.86.32** vividhāny api yānāni mahāni ca laghūni ca prayayuḥ sumahārhāṇi pādair eva padātayaḥ Various vehicles too, both great and small, most costly, went forward; and the foot-soldiers went on foot. **2.86.33** atha yānapravekais tu kausalyāpramukhāḥ striyaḥ rāmadarśanakāṅkṣiṇyaḥ prayayur muditās tadā Then the women, headed by Kausalyā, longing to see Rāma, went forth joyfully in the finest vehicles. **2.86.34** sa cārkataruṇābhāsāṃ niyuktāṃ śibikāṃ śubhām āsthāya prayayau śrīmān bharataḥ saparicchadaḥ And the illustrious Bharata, with his retinue, mounting a splendid palanquin harnessed to bearers and shining like the young sun, set forth. **2.86.35** sā prayātā mahāsenā gajavājirathākulā dakṣiṇāṃ diśam āvṛtya mahāmegha ivotthitaḥ vanāni tu vyatikramya juṣṭāni mṛgapakṣibhiḥ That great army, thronged with elephants, horses and chariots, set out, turning toward the southern quarter like a great cloud risen up, and passing through forests frequented by beasts and birds. **2.86.36** sā saṃprahṛṣṭadvipavājiyodhā vitrāsayantī mṛgapakṣisaṃghān mahad vanaṃ tat pravigāhamānā rarāja senā bharatasya tatra That army of Bharata, with its exultant elephants, horses and warriors, terrifying the flocks of beasts and birds, plunging into that great forest, shone resplendent there.