# Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 95 — Rāma’s offerings for Daśaratha *Hearing of his death, Rāma collapses, then offers Mandākinī water and iṅgudī paste with jujube as his own forest fare* Portion: The reunion and mourning for Daśaratha · Verses: 47 · Ref format: 2.95. ## Sequence - Bharata says he does not want the Kingdom and asks Rāma to return as the rightful elder (95.1–4) - he then reveals that Daśaratha died while they were both away and asks Rāma to make the offering of water for him (95.5–7) - Rāma faints at the news (95.8–9) - Sītā and his brothers revive him with water (95.10–12) - he laments that he could not serve his father at the end and wonders who will welcome or guide him when the exile is over (95.13–17) - he speaks to Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa about their loss, then asks for the materials for the rites (95.18–22) - supported by Sumantra, he goes down to the Mandākinī and, facing south, offers water to his father (95.23–28) - he lays out a nivāpa (food offering for the deceased) of iṅgudī paste mixed with jujube on darbha grass, explaining that he offers the food on which he himself now lives → the brothers return to the hut and embrace (95.29–33) - their cries reach the camp, and people hurry toward them → Rāma receives the grieving followers affectionately (95.34–47). ## Verses **2.95.1** rāmasya vacanaṃ śrutvā bharataḥ pratyuvāca ha kiṃ me dharmād vihīnasya rājadharmaḥ kariṣyati Having heard Rāma's words, Bharata replied: “What will the royal duty avail me, who am bereft of righteousness? **2.95.2** śāśvato 'yaṃ sadā dharmaḥ sthito 'smāsu nararṣabha jyeṣṭha putre sthite rājan na kanīyān bhaven nṛpaḥ This is the eternal law, ever established among us, O bull among men: while the eldest son lives, O king, the younger should not become king. **2.95.3** sa samṛddhāṃ mayā sārdham ayodhyāṃ gaccha rāghava abhiṣecaya cātmānaṃ kulasyāsya bhavāya naḥ Come with me, O Rāghava, to prosperous Ayodhyā, and consecrate yourself for the welfare of this our house. **2.95.4** rājānaṃ mānuṣaṃ prāhur devatve saṃmato mama yasya dharmārthasahitaṃ vṛttam āhur amānuṣam Men call a king a mere human, yet in my view he is held to be of divine nature — he whose conduct, joined with duty and profit, they declare superhuman. **2.95.5** kekayasthe ca mayi tu tvayi cāraṇyam āśrite divam ārya gato rājā yāyajūkaḥ satāṃ mataḥ While I was staying in Kekaya and you, O noble one, had resorted to the forest, the king — a constant sacrificer, esteemed by the good — went to heaven. **2.95.6** uttiṣṭha puruṣavyāghra kriyatām udakaṃ pituḥ ahaṃ cāyaṃ ca śatrughnaḥ pūrvam eva kṛtodakau Rise, O tiger among men; let the water-offering be made for our father. This Śatrughna and I have already performed the water-offering. **2.95.7** priyeṇa kila dattaṃ hi pitṛlokeṣu rāghava akṣayyaṃ bhavatīty āhur bhavāṃś caiva pituḥ priyaḥ For what is given by a loved one, O Rāghava, they say becomes imperishable in the worlds of the fathers; and you indeed were dear to our father. **2.95.8** tāṃ śrutvā karuṇāṃ vācaṃ pitur maraṇasaṃhitām rāghavo bharatenoktāṃ babhūva gatacetanaḥ Having heard that piteous speech, concerning his father's death, spoken by Bharata, Rāghava lost consciousness. **2.95.9** vāgvajraṃ bharatenoktam amanojñaṃ paraṃtapaḥ pragṛhya bāhū rāmo vai puṣpitāgro yathā drumaḥ vane paraśunā kṛttas tathā bhuvi papāta ha Receiving that unwelcome word-thunderbolt uttered by Bharata, the scorcher of foes Rāma threw up his arms and fell to the ground, like a tree in full flower cut down by an axe in the forest. **2.95.10** tathā hi patitaṃ rāmaṃ jagatyāṃ jagatīpatim kūlaghātapariśrāntaṃ prasuptam iva kuñjaram Rāma, lord of the earth, thus fallen upon the ground like an elephant asleep, worn out from battering a riverbank, **2.95.11** bhrātaras te maheṣvāsaṃ sarvataḥ śokakarśitam rudantaḥ saha vaidehyā siṣicuḥ salilena vai his brothers, weeping together with Vaidehī, sprinkled with water on every side that great archer emaciated by grief. **2.95.12** sa tu saṃjñāṃ punar labdhvā netrābhyām āsram utsṛjan upākrāmata kākutsthaḥ kṛpaṇaṃ bahubhāṣitum But regaining consciousness, shedding tears from both eyes, Kākutstha began to lament piteously at length. **2.95.13** kiṃ nu tasya mayā kāryaṃ durjātena mahātmanā yo mṛto mama śokena na mayā cāpi saṃskṛtaḥ What now can be done by me, ill-fated as I am, for that great-souled father, who died of grief for me and was not even given the funeral rites by me? **2.95.14** aho bharata siddhārtho yena rājā tvayānagha śatrugheṇa ca sarveṣu pretakṛtyeṣu satkṛtaḥ Ah, Bharata, you have accomplished your purpose, O sinless one, in that by you and by Śatrughna the king was duly honoured in all the funeral rites. **2.95.15** niṣpradhānām anekāgraṃ narendreṇa vinākṛtām nivṛttavanavāso 'pi nāyodhyāṃ gantum utsahe Even though my forest-dwelling is over, I cannot bring myself to go to Ayodhyā — leaderless, in disarray, deprived of its king. **2.95.16** samāptavanavāsaṃ mām ayodhyāyāṃ paraṃtapa ko nu śāsiṣyati punas tāte lokāntaraṃ gate Now that our father has gone to the other world, O scorcher of foes, who will guide me, my forest-exile completed, in Ayodhyā? **2.95.17** purā prekṣya suvṛttaṃ māṃ pitā yāny āha sāntvayan vākyāni tāni śroṣyāmi kutaḥ karṇasukhāny aham Those words which my father, seeing me of old well-conducted, spoke to console me — where shall I ever hear those words that were sweet to the ear? **2.95.18** evam uktvā sa bharataṃ bhāryām abhyetya rāghavaḥ uvāca śokasaṃtaptaḥ pūrṇacandranibhānanām Having spoken thus to Bharata, Rāghava, tormented by grief, went up to his wife, whose face was like the full moon, and said: **2.95.19** sīte mṛtas te śvaśuraḥ pitrā hīno 'si lakṣmaṇa bharato duḥkham ācaṣṭe svargataṃ pṛthivīpatim “Sītā, your father-in-law is dead; Lakṣmaṇa, you are bereft of a father. Bharata reports the sorrowful news that the lord of the earth has gone to heaven.” **2.95.20** sāntvayitvā tu tāṃ rāmo rudantīṃ janakātmajām uvāca lakṣmaṇaṃ tatra duḥkhito duḥkhitaṃ vacaḥ Then, having consoled the weeping daughter of Janaka, Rāma, himself grieving, there spoke these words to the grieving Lakṣmaṇa: **2.95.21** ānayeṅgudipiṇyākaṃ cīram āhara cottaram jalakriyārthaṃ tātasya gamiṣyāmi mahātmanaḥ “Bring the ingudi-paste and fetch an upper bark-garment; I shall go to perform the water-rite for our great-souled father.” **2.95.22** sītā purastād vrajatu tvam enām abhito vraja ahaṃ paścād gamiṣyāmi gatir hy eṣā sudāruṇā “Let Sītā walk in front; you walk on either side of her; I shall go behind — for this is a most grievous path.” **2.95.23** tato nityānugas teṣāṃ viditātmā mahāmatiḥ mṛdur dāntaś ca śāntaś ca rāme ca dṛḍha bhaktimān Then their constant attendant, of disciplined self and great wisdom, gentle, self-controlled and serene, and firmly devoted to Rāma — **2.95.24** sumantras tair nṛpasutaiḥ sārdham āśvāsya rāghavam avātārayad ālambya nadīṃ mandākinīṃ śivām — Sumantra, together with those princes, having comforted Rāghava, supported him and brought him down to the auspicious river Mandākinī. **2.95.25** te sutīrthāṃ tataḥ kṛcchrād upāgamya yaśasvinaḥ nadīṃ mandākinīṃ ramyāṃ sadā puṣpitakānanām Then those illustrious ones, having with difficulty reached the lovely Mandākinī river with its fair fords and ever-flowering groves, **2.95.26** śīghrasrotasam āsādya tīrthaṃ śivam akardamam siṣicus tūdakaṃ rājñe tata etad bhavatv iti — reaching its swift current at an auspicious, mud-free ford, poured out the water for the king, saying, “Let this reach him.” **2.95.27** pragṛhya ca mahīpālo jalapūritam añjalim diśaṃ yāmyām abhimukho rudan vacanam abravīt And the ruler of the earth, taking up a cupped handful filled with water, facing the southern quarter, wept and spoke these words: **2.95.28** etat te rājaśārdūla vimalaṃ toyam akṣayam pitṛlokagatasyādya maddattam upatiṣṭhatu “O tiger among kings, may this pure, imperishable water, given by me, reach you today, now gone to the world of the fathers.” **2.95.29** tato mandākinī tīrāt pratyuttīrya sa rāghavaḥ pituś cakāra tejasvī nivāpaṃ bhrātṛbhiḥ saha Then, coming up from the bank of the Mandākinī, the illustrious Rāghava, together with his brothers, made the funeral offering for his father. **2.95.30** aiṅgudaṃ badarīmiśraṃ piṇyākaṃ darbhasaṃstare nyasya rāmaḥ suduḥkhārto rudan vacanam abravīt Placing on a spread of darbha grass the ingudi-paste mixed with jujube, Rāma, sorely afflicted, wept and spoke these words: **2.95.31** idaṃ bhuṅkṣva mahārājaprīto yad aśanā vayam yadannaḥ puruṣo bhavati tadannās tasya devatāḥ “Eat this, O great king, well pleased — the very food on which we ourselves feed. For whatever food a man eats, on that same food do his deities feed.” **2.95.32** tatas tenaiva mārgeṇa pratyuttīrya nadītaṭāt āruroha naravyāghro ramyasānuṃ mahīdharam Then, coming up from the riverbank by that same path, the tiger among men climbed the mountain with its lovely ridges. **2.95.33** tataḥ parṇakuṭīdvāram āsādya jagatīpatiḥ parijagrāha pāṇibhyām ubhau bharatalakṣmaṇau Then, reaching the door of his leaf-hut, the lord of the earth clasped with both hands both Bharata and Lakṣmaṇa. **2.95.34** teṣāṃ tu rudatāṃ śabdāt pratiśrutkābhavad girau bhrātṝṇāṃ saha vaidehyā siṃhānāṃ nardatām iva From the sound of those brothers weeping together with Vaidehī, an echo arose on the mountain, as of lions roaring. **2.95.35** vijñāya tumulaṃ śabdaṃ trastā bharatasainikāḥ abruvaṃś cāpi rāmeṇa bharataḥ saṃgato dhruvam teṣām eva mahāñ śabdaḥ śocatāṃ pitaraṃ mṛtam Hearing the tumultuous sound, Bharata's soldiers took fright and said: “Surely Bharata has met with Rāma; this great cry is theirs alone, as they mourn their dead father.” **2.95.36** atha vāsān parityajya taṃ sarve 'bhimukhāḥ svanam apy eka manaso jagmur yathāsthānaṃ pradhāvitāḥ Then, abandoning their dwellings, all of one mind, facing that sound, they rushed forth from their several stations and went toward it. **2.95.37** hayair anye gajair anye rathair anye svalaṃkṛtaiḥ sukumārās tathaivānye padbhir eva narā yayuḥ Some went by horses, some by elephants, some by well-adorned chariots; and yet other delicate men went on foot alone. **2.95.38** aciraproṣitaṃ rāmaṃ ciraviproṣitaṃ yathā draṣṭukāmo janaḥ sarvo jagāma sahasāśramam Longing to see Rāma, gone away but a short while, as though he had been absent long, all the people went at once to the hermitage. **2.95.39** bhrātṝṇāṃ tvaritās te tu draṣṭukāmāḥ samāgamam yayur bahuvidhair yānaiḥ khuranemisamākulaiḥ Eager to see the meeting of the brothers, they went in haste, in vehicles of many kinds, thronged with hooves and wheel-rims. **2.95.40** sā bhūmir bahubhir yānaiḥ khuranemisamāhatā mumoca tumulaṃ śabdaṃ dyaur ivābhrasamāgame That ground, struck by many vehicles with their hooves and wheel-rims, gave forth a tumultuous sound, like the sky at the gathering of clouds. **2.95.41** tena vitrāsitā nāgāḥ kareṇuparivāritāḥ āvāsayanto gandhena jagmur anyad vanaṃ tataḥ Frightened by it, the elephants, surrounded by their she-elephants, filling the air with their scent, then went off to another forest. **2.95.42** varāhamṛgasiṃhāś ca mahiṣāḥ sarkṣavānarāḥ vyāghra gokarṇagavayā vitreṣuḥ pṛṣataiḥ saha Boars, deer and lions, buffaloes, along with bears and monkeys, tigers, gokarṇa antelopes and gavayas, took fright together with the spotted deer. **2.95.43** rathāṅgasāhvā natyūhā haṃsāḥ kāraṇḍavāḥ plavāḥ tathā puṃskokilāḥ krauñcā visaṃjñā bhejire diśaḥ Ruddy geese, gallinules, swans, kāraṇḍava ducks and coots, and likewise male cuckoos and curlews, bewildered, scattered to the quarters. **2.95.44** tena śabdena vitrastair ākāśaṃ pakṣibhir vṛtam manuṣyair āvṛtā bhūmir ubhayaṃ prababhau tadā The sky was filled with birds frightened by that noise, and the earth was covered with men; both then shone resplendent. **2.95.45** tān narān bāṣpapūrṇākṣān samīkṣyātha suduḥkhitān paryaṣvajata dharmajñaḥ pitṛvan mātṛvac ca saḥ Then, seeing those men with eyes full of tears and deeply distressed, the knower of dharma embraced them like a father and like a mother. **2.95.46** sa tatra kāṃś cit pariṣasvaje narān narāś ca ke cit tu tam abhyavādayan cakāra sarvān savayasyabāndhavān yathārham āsādya tadā nṛpātmajaḥ There he embraced some of the men, and some of the men saluted him; and the prince, approaching each as befitted, then treated them all as his friends and kinsmen. **2.95.47** tataḥ sa teṣāṃ rudatāṃ mahātmanāṃ bhuvaṃ ca khaṃ cānuvinādayan svanaḥ guhā girīṇāṃ ca diśaś ca saṃtataṃ mṛdaṅgaghoṣapratimo viśuśruve Then the sound of those great-souled men weeping, making earth and sky resound like the beat of a mṛdaṅga drum, was heard continuously through the mountain-caves and the quarters.