# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 90 — Lakṣmaṇa suspects Bharata’s army *He recognizes the banner, assumes an attack and urges Rāma to extinguish the fire, hide Sītā and prepare to fight* Portion: Bharata approaches Citrakūṭa · Verses: 25 · Ref format: 2.90. ## Sequence - The approaching army raises dust and noise, sending animals fleeing (90.1–4) - Rāma asks Lakṣmaṇa to find out whether a ruler is hunting nearby or some other danger has disturbed the forest (90.5–6) - Lakṣmaṇa climbs a tree and sees the army to the north → he tells Rāma to put out the fire, hide Sītā in a cave, and prepare his weapons (90.7–10) - recognizing Bharata's banner, he assumes Bharata has come to kill them after securing the throne (90.11–14) - he urges taking a defensible position and attacking (90.15–17) - he argues that killing the supposed aggressor would be justified (90.18–19) - his anger grows into threats against Bharata, Kaikeyī, and the army (90.20–25). ## Verses **2.90.1** tathā tatrāsatas tasya bharatasyopayāyinaḥ sainya reṇuś ca śabdaś ca prādurāstāṃ nabhaḥ spṛśau As Bharata thus tarried there and advanced, the dust and the din of the army arose, touching the sky. **2.90.2** etasminn antare trastāḥ śabdena mahatā tataḥ arditā yūthapā mattāḥ sayūthā dudruvur diśaḥ At that moment, terrified by the great noise, the rutting herd-leaders, tormented, fled with their herds in all directions. **2.90.3** sa taṃ sainyasamudbhūtaṃ śabdaṃ śuśrava rāghavaḥ tāṃś ca vipradrutān sarvān yūthapān anvavaikṣata Rāghava heard that noise raised by the army, and gazed upon all those herd-leaders fleeing away. **2.90.4** tāṃś ca vidravato dṛṣṭvā taṃ ca śrutvā sa niḥsvanam uvāca rāmaḥ saumitriṃ lakṣmaṇaṃ dīptatejasaṃ Seeing them fleeing and hearing that din, Rāma said to Saumitri — Lakṣmaṇa of blazing splendor: **2.90.5** hanta lakṣmaṇa paśyeha sumitrā suprajās tvayā bhīmastanitagambhīras tumulaḥ śrūyate svanaḥ “Ah, Lakṣmaṇa, look here — in you Sumitrā has a noble son! A tumultuous sound is heard, deep as terrible thunder. **2.90.6** rājā vā rājamātro vā mṛgayām aṭate vane anyad vā śvāpadaṃ kiṃ cit saumitre jñātum arhasi sarvam etad yathātattvam acirāj jñātum arhasi Either a king, or one of royal rank, roams the forest in the hunt — or perhaps it is some other wild beast, Saumitri; you should find out. You should soon learn all this exactly as it is. **2.90.7** sa lakṣmaṇaḥ saṃtvaritaḥ sālam āruhya puṣpitam prekṣamāṇo diśaḥ sarvāḥ pūrvāṃ diśam avaikṣata That Lakṣmaṇa, in haste, climbed a flowering sāla tree and, surveying all directions, looked toward the east. **2.90.8** udaṅmukhaḥ prekṣamāṇo dadarśa mahatīṃ camūm rathāśvagajasaṃbādhāṃ yattair yuktāṃ padātibhiḥ Turning to face north and looking, he saw a great army, dense with chariots, horses, and elephants, and furnished with alert foot-soldiers. **2.90.9** tām aśvagajasaṃpūrṇāṃ rathadhvajavibhūṣitām śaśaṃsa senāṃ rāmāya vacanaṃ cedam abravīt He announced to Rāma that army, full of horses and elephants, adorned with chariots and banners, and spoke these words: **2.90.10** agniṃ saṃśamayatv āryaḥ sītā ca bhajatāṃ guhām sajyaṃ kuruṣva cāpaṃ ca śarāṃś ca kavacaṃ tathā “Let the noble one put out the fire, and let Sītā take to a cave; string your bow, and make ready your arrows and your armor. **2.90.11** taṃ rāmaḥ puruṣavyāghro lakṣmaṇaṃ pratyuvāca ha aṅgāvekṣasva saumitre kasyaitāṃ manyase camūm To him Rāma, tiger among men, replied: “Just consider, Saumitri — whose army do you take this to be?” **2.90.12** evam ukktas tu rāmeṇa lakṣmāṇo vākyam abravīt didhakṣann iva tāṃ senāṃ ruṣitaḥ pāvako yathā Thus addressed by Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa spoke these words, as if to burn up that army, enraged like fire: **2.90.13** saṃpannaṃ rājyam icchaṃs tu vyaktaṃ prāpyābhiṣecanam āvāṃ hantuṃ samabhyeti kaikeyyā bharataḥ sutaḥ Clearly, wishing to secure the kingdom, having obtained the consecration, Bharata, Kaikeyī's son, comes to kill the two of us. **2.90.14** eṣa vai sumahāñ śrīmān viṭapī saṃprakāśate virājaty udgataskandhaḥ kovidāra dhvajo rathe There indeed shines forth that great, splendid, spreading tree; the kovidāra banner, its top upraised, gleams upon the chariot. **2.90.15** bhajanty ete yathākāmam aśvān āruhya śīghragān ete bhrājanti saṃhṛṣṭā jagān āruhya sādinaḥ These men, mounting swift horses, range about at will; these gladdened riders shine as they mount their steeds. **2.90.16** gṛhītadhanuṣau cāvāṃ giriṃ vīra śrayāvahe api nau vaśam āgacchet kovidāradhvajo raṇe With our bows taken up, O hero, let us two take to the mountain; perhaps the kovidāra-bannered one will fall into our power in battle. **2.90.17** api drakṣyāmi bharataṃ yatkṛte vyasanaṃ mahat tvayā rāghava saṃprāptaṃ sītayā ca mayā tathā Shall I indeed see Bharata, for whose sake this great calamity has befallen you, Rāghava, and Sītā, and me alike? **2.90.18** yannimittaṃ bhavān rājyāc cyuto rāghava śāśvatīm saṃprāpto 'yam arir vīra bharato vadhya eva me He on whose account you, Rāghava, have fallen from the everlasting kingship — this enemy Bharata has come, O hero; he is surely to be slain by me. **2.90.19** bharatasya vadhe doṣaṃ nāhaṃ paśyāmi rāghava pūrvāpakariṇāṃ tyāge na hy adharmo vidhīyate etasminn nihate kṛtsnām anuśādhi vasuṃdharām I see no fault in slaying Bharata, Rāghava; for in doing away with those who have first done wrong no unrighteousness is ordained. With him slain, rule the whole earth. **2.90.20** adya putraṃ hataṃ saṃkhye kaikeyī rājyakāmukā mayā paśyet suduḥkhārtā hastibhagnam iva drumam Today let Kaikeyī, greedy for the kingdom, sore-stricken with grief, behold her son slain by me in battle, like a tree broken by an elephant. **2.90.21** kaikeyīṃ ca vadhiṣyāmi sānubandhāṃ sabāndhavām kaluṣeṇādya mahatā medinī parimucyatām And I shall slay Kaikeyī, with her adherents and kinsmen; let the earth today be rid of a great defilement. **2.90.22** adyemaṃ saṃyataṃ krodham asatkāraṃ ca mānada mokṣyāmi śatrusainyeṣu kakṣeṣv iva hutāśanam Today, O giver of honor, I shall loose this pent-up anger and (avenge) the insult upon the enemy hosts, as fire set loose in dry brushwood. **2.90.23** adyaitac citrakūṭasya kānanaṃ niśitaiḥ śaraiḥ bhindañ śatruśarīrāṇi kariṣye śoṇitokṣitam Today, piercing the enemies' bodies with sharp arrows, I shall make this forest of Citrakūṭa drenched with blood. **2.90.24** śarair nirbhinnahṛdayān kuñjarāṃs turagāṃs tathā śvāpadāḥ parikarṣantu narāś ca nihatān mayā Let the wild beasts drag off the elephants and horses, their hearts pierced through by my arrows, and the men slain by me. **2.90.25** śarāṇāṃ dhanuṣaś cāham anṛṇo 'smi mahāvane sasainyaṃ bharataṃ hatvā bhaviṣyāmi na saṃśayaḥ By slaying Bharata together with his army in this great forest, I shall, beyond doubt, become free of my debt to my arrows and my bow.