# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 93 — Bharata finds Rāma *Bark markers and smoke lead him to the hut, he falls before his brother in tapasvin dress, Rāma embraces him & Śatrughna* Portion: The reunion and mourning for Daśaratha · Verses: 41 · Ref format: 2.93. ## Sequence - Bharata goes ahead, asking Vasiṣṭha to bring the mothers; Śatrughna and Sumantra also approach (93.1–3) - he notices a leaf hut, gathered flowers, firewood, and fuel stored against the cold (93.4–7) - strips of bark hung along the route appear to be Lakṣmaṇa's markers, and smoke confirms that the dwelling is occupied (93.8–12) - near the Mandākinī he reproaches himself that Rāma is living this way for his sake (93.13–16) - he sees the shelter's leaf roof, grass floor, bows, quivers, swords, shields, and finger-guards (93.17–22) - he sees its fire altar, and inside sits Rāma with Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa, wearing bark, deerskin, and matted hair (93.23–27) - Bharata runs toward him, contrasting the tapasvin's appearance with the royal life he should have had (93.28–32) - overcome before reaching his feet, he falls and can scarcely speak (93.33–38) - Śatrughna also bows weeping → Rāma embraces both brothers, and the reunion moves everyone present to tears (93.39–41). ## Verses **2.93.1** niviṣṭāyāṃ tu senāyām utsuko bharatas tadā jagāma bhrātaraṃ draṣṭuṃ śatrughnam anudarśayan When the army had encamped, then eager Bharata set out to see his brother, pointing out the way to Śatrughna. **2.93.2** ṛṣiṃ vasiṣṭhaṃ saṃdiśya mātṝr me śīghram ānaya iti taritam agre sa jāgama guruvatsalaḥ Having instructed the sage Vasiṣṭha, “Bring my mothers here quickly,” he, devoted to his elders, went on ahead in haste. **2.93.3** sumantras tv api śatughnam adūrād anvapadyata rāmadārśanajas tarṣo bharatasyeva tasya ca And Sumantra too followed Śatrughna from not far off, for the longing born of the sight of Rāma was his as it was Bharata's. **2.93.4** gacchann evātha bharatas tāpasālayasaṃsthitām bhrātuḥ parṇakuṭīṃ śrīmān uṭajaṃ ca dadarśa ha As he went on, the glorious Bharata beheld his brother's leaf-hut set within the ascetics' settlement, and the hermitage. **2.93.5** śālāyās tv agratas tasyā dadarśa bharatas tadā kāṣṭāni cāvabhagnāni puṣpāṇy avacitāni ca In front of that hut Bharata then saw pieces of firewood that had been broken and flowers that had been gathered. **2.93.6** dadarśa ca vane tasmin mahataḥ saṃcayān kṛtān mṛgāṇāṃ mahiṣāṇāṃ ca karīṣaiḥ śītakāraṇāt And in that forest he saw great heaps piled up from the dung of deer and buffalo, gathered against the cold. **2.93.7** gacchan eva mahābāhur dyutimān bharatas tadā śatrughnaṃ cābravīd dhṛṣṭas tān amātyāṃś ca sarvaśaḥ As he went on, the mighty-armed, splendid Bharata then, delighted, spoke to Śatrughna and to all those ministers. **2.93.8** manye prāptāḥ sma taṃ deśaṃ bharadvājo yam abravīt nātidūre hi manye 'haṃ nadīṃ mandākinīm itaḥ I think we have reached that region of which Bharadvāja spoke; for I think the river Mandākinī is not far from here. **2.93.9** uccair baddhāni cīrāṇi lakṣmaṇena bhaved ayam abhijñānakṛtaḥ panthā vikāle gantum icchatā The bark-garments are tied up high — this must be a path made as a marker by Lakṣmaṇa, who wished to travel it at an odd hour. **2.93.10** idaṃ codāttadantānāṃ kuñjarāṇāṃ tarasvinām śailapārśve parikrāntam anyonyam abhigarjatām And this, on the mountainside, is where powerful elephants with lofty tusks have roamed about, trumpeting at one another. **2.93.11** yam evādhātum icchanti tāpasāḥ satataṃ vane tasyāsau dṛśyate dhūmaḥ saṃkulaḥ kṛṣṭavartmanaḥ The smoke of that fire which the ascetics ever wish to keep kindled in the forest is seen yonder, dense, rising along the beaten track. **2.93.12** atrāhaṃ puruṣavyāghraṃ gurusatkārakāriṇam āryaṃ drakṣyāmi saṃhṛṣṭo maharṣim iva rāghavam Here, overjoyed, I shall behold the tiger among men, the noble Rāghava who honors his elders, as one beholds a great sage. **2.93.13** atha gatvā muhūrtaṃ tu citrakūṭaṃ sa rāghavaḥ mandākinīm anuprāptas taṃ janaṃ cedam abravīt Then, having gone on a while, that scion of Raghu reached the Mandākinī at Citrakūṭa and said this to those people: **2.93.14** jagatyāṃ puruṣavyāghra āste vīrāsane rataḥ janendro nirjanaṃ prāpya dhin me janma sajīvitam The tiger among men, the lord of men, having withdrawn to a lonely place, sits on the bare ground intent on the hero's posture — fie on my birth and my life! **2.93.15** matkṛte vyasanaṃ prāpto lokanātho mahādyutiḥ sarān kāmān parityajya vane vasati rāghavaḥ For my sake the lord of the world, of great splendor, has fallen into calamity; giving up all pleasures, Rāghava dwells in the forest. **2.93.16** iti lokasamākruṣṭaḥ pādeṣv adya prasādayan rāmasya nipatiṣyāmi sītāyāś ca punaḥ punaḥ So reviled by the world, seeking to appease him, today I shall fall again and again at the feet of Rāma and of Sītā. **2.93.17** evaṃ sa vilapaṃs tasmin vane daśarathātmajaḥ dadarśa mahatīṃ puṇyāṃ parṇaśālāṃ manoramām Thus lamenting in that forest, the son of Daśaratha caught sight of a great, holy, and delightful leaf-hall. **2.93.18** sālatālāśvakarṇānāṃ parṇair bahubhir āvṛtām viśālāṃ mṛdubhis tīrṇāṃ kuśair vedim ivādhvare Covered over with many leaves of sāla, tāla, and aśvakarṇa trees, spacious, strewn with soft kuśa grass, like a sacrificial altar at a rite. **2.93.19** śakrāyudha nikāśaiś ca kārmukair bhārasādhanaiḥ rukmapṛṣṭhair mahāsāraiḥ śobhitāṃ śatrubādhakaiḥ And adorned with bows like Indra's rainbow, able to bear great strain, gold-backed, of mighty force, tormentors of foes. **2.93.20** arkaraśmipratīkāśair ghorais tūṇīgataiḥ śaraiḥ śobhitāṃ dīptavadanaiḥ sarpair bhogavatīm iva Adorned with dreadful arrows like the sun's rays lying in the quiver, as Bhogavatī is adorned with flame-mouthed serpents. **2.93.21** mahārajatavāsobhyām asibhyāṃ ca virājitām rukmabinduvicitrābhyāṃ carmabhyāṃ cāpi śobhitām Made resplendent by two swords in golden sheaths, and adorned also with two shields spangled with golden dots. **2.93.22** godhāṅgulitrair āsāktaiś citraiḥ kāñcanabhūṣitaiḥ arisaṃghair anādhṛṣyāṃ mṛgaiḥ siṃhaguhām iva With bright leather finger-guards hung up, decked with gold; unassailable by hosts of foes, as a lion's cave is unassailable by [lesser] beasts. **2.93.23** prāgudaksravaṇāṃ vediṃ viśālāṃ dīptapāvakām dadarśa bharatas tatra puṇyāṃ rāmaniveśane There in Rāma's dwelling Bharata saw a holy, spacious altar, sloping toward the east and the north, with blazing fire upon it. **2.93.24** nirīkṣya sa muhūrtaṃ tu dadarśa bharato gurum uṭaje rāmam āsīnāṃ jaṭāmaṇḍaladhāriṇam After gazing a while, Bharata beheld his venerable elder, Rāma, seated in the hut, wearing a great mass of matted locks. **2.93.25** taṃ tu kṛṣṇājinadharaṃ cīravalkalavāsasaṃ dadarśa rāmam āsīnam abhitaḥ pāvakopamam He saw that Rāma seated, clad in a black antelope-skin and in garments of bark, resembling fire on every side. **2.93.26** siṃhaskandhaṃ mahābāhuṃ puṇḍarīkanibhekṣaṇam pṛthivyāḥ sagarāntāyā bhartāraṃ dharmacāriṇam Lion-shouldered, mighty-armed, with eyes like white lotuses, the righteous lord of the earth bounded by the sea, a follower of dharma. **2.93.27** upaviṣṭaṃ mahābāhuṃ brahmāṇam iva śāśvatam sthaṇḍile darbhasasmtīrṇe sītayā lakṣmaṇena ca The mighty-armed one seated like the eternal Brahmā upon a patch of ground strewn with darbha grass, together with Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa. **2.93.28** taṃ dṛṣṭvā bharataḥ śrīmān duḥkhamohapariplutaḥ abhyadhāvata dharmātmā bharataḥ kaikayīsutaḥ Seeing him, the glorious, righteous Bharata, son of Kaikeyī, overwhelmed with grief and bewilderment, ran forward. **2.93.29** dṛṣṭvā ca vilalāpārto bāṣpasaṃdigdhayā girā aśaknuvan dhārayituṃ dhairyād vacanam abravīt And seeing him, stricken, he lamented in a voice choked with tears; unable to restrain himself, he spoke these words with an effort at composure. **2.93.30** yaḥ saṃsadi prakṛtibhir bhaved yukta upāsitum vanyair mṛgair upāsīnaḥ so 'yam āste mamāgrajaḥ He who was fit to be waited upon by his subjects in the assembly — that same elder brother of mine now sits attended by wild beasts. **2.93.31** vāsobhir bahusāhasrair yo mahātmā purocitaḥ mṛgājine so 'yam iha pravaste dharmam ācaran That great soul who was once used to garments by the many thousands now clothes himself here in a deerskin, practicing dharma. **2.93.32** adhārayad yo vividhāś citrāḥ sumanasas tadā so 'yaṃ jaṭābhāram imaṃ sahate rāghavaḥ katham He who once used to wear garlands of many kinds of bright flowers — how does that same Rāghava now endure this weight of matted hair? **2.93.33** yasya yajñair yathādiṣṭair yukto dharmasya saṃcayaḥ śarīra kleśasaṃbhūtaṃ sa dharmaṃ parimārgate He for whom a store of merit was to be won by sacrifices duly enjoined now seeks after that same merit, born of bodily hardship. **2.93.34** candanena mahārheṇa yasyāṅgam upasevitam malena tasyāṅgam idaṃ katham āryasya sevyate He whose body was once anointed with costly sandal-paste — how is this body of that noble one now covered with grime? **2.93.35** mannimittam idaṃ duḥkhaṃ prāpto rāmaḥ sukhocitaḥ dhig jīvitaṃ nṛśaṃsasya mama lokavigarhitam On my account has Rāma, who deserves only comfort, met with this misery; fie on the life of a cruel wretch like me, condemned by the world! **2.93.36** ity evaṃ vilapan dīnaḥ prasvinnamukhapaṅkajaḥ pādāv aprāpya rāmasya papāta bharato rudan Thus lamenting, wretched, his lotus-face bathed in sweat, Bharata, weeping, fell down before he could even reach Rāma's feet. **2.93.37** duḥkhābhitapto bharato rājaputro mahābalaḥ uktvāryeti sakṛd dīnaṃ punar novāca kiṃ cana Tormented by grief, Bharata, the mighty prince, having piteously cried out but once “Noble one!”, could say nothing further. **2.93.38** bāṣpāpihita kaṇṭhaś ca prekṣya rāmaṃ yaśasvinam āryety evābhisaṃkruśya vyāhartuṃ nāśakat tataḥ His throat stopped with tears, gazing upon the illustrious Rāma, having cried out only “Noble one!”, he could then say no more. **2.93.39** śatrughnaś cāpi rāmasya vavande caraṇau rudan tāv ubhau sa samāliṅgya rāmo 'py aśrūṇy avartayat Śatrughna too, weeping, bowed to Rāma's feet; and Rāma, embracing them both, likewise let his tears flow. **2.93.40** tataḥ sumantreṇa guhena caiva samīyatū rājasutāv araṇye divākaraś caiva niśākaraś ca yathāmbare śukrabṛhaspatibhyām divākaraś caiva niśākaraś ca yathāmbare śukrabṛhaspatibhyām Then the two princes met in the forest, together with Sumantra and with Guha, as the sun and the moon [come together] in the sky with Venus and Jupiter. **2.93.41** tān pārthivān vāraṇayūthapābhān samāgatāṃs tatra mahaty araṇye vanaukasas te 'pi samīkṣya sarve 'py aśrūṇy amuñcan pravihāya harṣam vanaukasas te 'pi samīkṣya sarve 'py aśrūṇy amuñcan pravihāya harṣam Beholding those princes, who looked like lordly leaders of elephant herds, gathered together there in the great forest, even all those forest-dwellers gave up their joy and shed tears.