Sloka & Translation

[Guha spots from a distance Bharata's army approaching -- wants to know the intentions of Bharata -- convinced of Bharata's loyalty, he extends warn hospitality.]

ततो निविष्टां ध्वजिनीं गङ्गामन्वाश्रितां नदीम्।

निषादराजो दृष्ट्वैव ज्ञातीन्सन्त्वरितोऽऽब्रवीत्।।2.84.1।।


ततः then, निषादराजः king of the nishadas (Guha), गङ्गां नदीम् river Ganga, अन्वाश्रिताम् all along the bank, निविष्टाम् encamped, ध्वजिनीम् the bannered army, दृष्ट्वैव on seeing, सन्त्वरितः hurriedly, ज्ञातीन् to relatives, अब्रवीत् said.

Guha, king of the nishadas, observed the bannered army encamped all along the bank of the river Ganga, hurried off and said to his kinsmen:
महतीयमितस्सेना सागराभा प्रदृश्यते।

नास्यान्तमधिगच्छामि मनसापि विचिन्तयन्।।2.84.2।।


इतः this side, सागराभा looking like an ocean, इयम् this, महती vast, सेना army, प्रदृश्यते appearing, मनसा in my mind, विचिन्तयन्नपि even by thinking, अस्याः this army's, अन्तम् end, नाधिगच्छामि I am not able to reach.

Here is an army as vast as the ocean, and I am unable to comprehend its magnitude even mentally.
यथा तु खलु दुर्बुद्धिर्भरत स्स्वयमागतः।

स एष हि महाकायः कोविदारध्वजो रथे।।2.84.3।।


दुर्बुद्धि: evilminded, भरतः Bharata, स्वयम् himself, यथा तु आगतः खलु has come it appears, सः that, महाकायः of huge size, कोविदारध्वजः having the emblem of kovidara (promegranate) tree, एषः this one, रथे हि on the chariot.

It appears that the evilminded Bharata himself has come here. The emblem of a huge kovidara (pomegranate) tree is seen on his chariot.
बन्धयिष्यति वा दाशानथवाऽस्मान्वधिष्यति।

अथ दाशरथिं रामं पित्रा राज्याद्विवासितम्।।2.84.4।।

सम्पन्नां श्रियमन्विच्छन्स्तस्य राज्ञ स्सुदुर्लभाम्।

भरतः कैकयीपुत्रो हन्तुं समधिगच्छति।।2.84.5।।


कैकयीपुत्रः Kaikeyi's son, भरतः Bharata, दाशान् fishermen, बन्धयिष्यति is going to bind us with cords?, अथवा or, अस्मान् us, वधिष्यति will slay?, अथ or, तस्य राज्ञः that king's, सम्पन्नाम् prosperous, सुदुर्लभाम् not easily obtainable, श्रियम् wealth, अन्विच्छन् wishing, पित्रा by father, राज्यात् from kingdom, विवासितम् banished, दाशरथिम् son of Dasaratha, रामम् to Rama, हन्तुम् to slay, समधिगच्छति is he marching forward?

Could it be that Bharata, son of Kaikeyi, has come here to bind us with the cords or to slay us? Or is he marching forward with the intention of taking possession of a prosperous, rare kingdom by slaying Rama who has been banished by his father:
भर्ताचैव सखाचैव रामो दाशरथिर्मम।

तस्यार्थकामास्सन्नद्धा गङ्गाऽनूपे प्रतिष्ठत।।2.84.6।।


दाशरथिः son of Dasaratha, रामः Rama, मम to me, भर्ता चैव is my master, सखाचैव friend too, तस्य his, अर्थकामाः wealth and desires, गङ्गाऽनूपे on the bank of river Ganga, प्रतिष्ठत remain stationed.

Rama, son of Dasaratha, is not only my master but also my friend. Therefore, to safeguard his interests remain stationed here on the bank of the river Ganga.
तिष्ठन्तु सर्वे दाशाश्च गङ्गामन्वाश्रिता नदीम्।

बलयुक्ता नदीरक्षा मांसमूलफलाशनाः।।2.84.7।।


मांसमूलफलाशनाः living on meat, roots and fruits, नदीरक्षाः protectors of the river, सर्वे all, दाशाश्च fishermen, बलयुक्ताः with your troops, गङ्गां नदीम् river Ganga, अन्वाश्रिताः following and taking up your positions, तिष्ठन्तु stay here.

Let all the fishermen, who live on meat, roots and fruits and protect the river, stay here with the troops by taking up positions along the banks of the river Ganga.
नावां शतानां पञ्चानां कैवर्तानां शतं शतम्।

सन्नद्धानां तथा यूनां तिष्ठन्त्वित्यभ्यचोदयत्।।2.84.8।।


पञ्चानाम् five, शतानाम् hundred, नावाम् boats, सन्नद्धानाम् fully equipped, तथा also, यूनाम् youths, कैवर्तानाम् fishermen, शतं शतम् one hundred in each, तिष्ठन्तु stand, इति like that, अभ्यचोदयत् exhorted.

Let five hundred boats, each manned by a hundred young fishermen fully equipped, be in readiness he exhorted them.
यदाऽऽदुष्टस्तु भरतो रामस्येह भविष्यति।

सेयं स्वस्तिमती सेना गङ्गामद्य तरिष्यति।।2.84.9।।


भरतः Bharata, इह here, रामस्य toward Rama, अदुष्टः not illdisposed, यदा तु भविष्यति when it be proved, सा इयम् that this, सेना army, अद्य today, स्वस्तिमती in safety, गङ्गाम् Ganga, तरिष्यति will cross over.

Should it happen that Bharata is not illdisposed toward Rama, the army will safe cross the river Ganga today itself.
इत्युक्त्वोपायनं गृह्य मत्स्यमांसमधूनि च।

अभिचक्राम भरतं निषादाधिपतिर्गुहः।।2.84.10।।


निषादाधिपतिः गुहः overlord of the nishadas, Guha, इति thus, उक्त्वा having spoken, मत्स्यमांसमधूनि fish, meat and wine, उपायनम् as gifts, गृह्य holding, भरतम् to Bharata, अभिचक्राम approached.

Having spoken thus, Guha, lord of the nishadas, approached Bharata, taking with him fish, meat and wine as offerings.
तमायान्तं तु सम्प्रेक्ष्य सूतपुत्रः प्रतापवान्।

भरतायाऽचचक्षेऽथ विनयज्ञो विनीतवत्।।2.84.11।।


अथ thereafter, प्रतापवान् valiant, विनयज्ञः conversant with modesty, सूतपुत्रः son of charioteer, Sumantra, आयान्तम् approaching, तम् him, सम्प्रेक्ष्य having seen, विनीतवत् humbly, भरताय to Bharata, आचचक्षे informed.

The valiant Sumantra, conversant with ways of modesty, observed Guha approaching them and humbly informed Bharata.
एष ज्ञातिसहस्रेण स्थपतिः परिवारितः।

कुशलो दण्डकारण्ये वृद्धो भ्रातुश्च ते सखा।।2.84.12।।


ज्ञातिसहस्रेण with thousands of relations, परिवारितः surrounded by, एषः स्थपतिः this lord, दण्डकारण्ये in the Dandaka forest, कुशलः skilled, वृद्धः aged one, ते your, भ्रातुः brother's, सखा च friend also.

Guha who has come here surrounded by too many thousands of his relations is fully acquainted with the Dandaka forest. He is an aged man and a friend of your brother said Sumatra.
तस्मात्पश्यतु काकुत्स्थ त्वां निषादाधिपो गुहः।

असंशयं विजानीते यत्र तौ रामलक्ष्मणौ।।2.84.13।।


काकुत्स्थ O Kakutstha, तस्मात् therefore, निषादाधिपः overlord of Nishadas, गुहः Guha, त्वाम्
you, पश्यतु let him see, तौ रामलक्ष्मणौ both Rama and Lakshmana, यत्र where, असंशयम् undoubtedly, विजानीते he will know.

O scion of the Kakusthas (Bharata) therefore, give audience to the overlord of the nishadas, Guha, who undoubtedly knows the whereabouts of Rama and Lakshmana.
एतत्तु वचनं श्रुत्वा सुमन्त्राद्भरत श्शुभम्।

उवाच वचनं शीघ्रं गुहः पश्यतु मामिति।।2.84.14।।


भरतः Bharata, सुमन्त्रात् from Sumantra, एतत् शुभम् these auspicious, वचनम् word, श्रुत्वा having heard, गुहः Guha, शीघ्रम् at once, माम् me, पश्यतु let him see, इति these, वचनम् word, उवाच said.

On hearing these auspicious words of Sumantra, Bharata said Let Guha see me at once.
लब्ध्वाऽभ्यनुज्ञां संहृष्टो ज्ञातिभिः परिवारितः।

आगम्य भरतं प्रह्वो गुहो वचनमब्रवीत्।।2.84.15।।


गुहः Guha, अभ्यनुज्ञाम् permission, लब्ध्वा having obtained, संहृष्टः delighted, ज्ञातिभिः relatives, परिवारितः escorted by, आगम्य having approached, प्रह्वः bowing humbly, भरतम् to Bharata, वचनम् words, अब्रवीत् said.

Having obtaind the permission, a delighted Guha, escorted by his relatives, approached Bharata and humbly said:
निष्कुटश्चैव देशोऽयं वञ्चिताश्चापि ते वयम्।

निवेदयामस्ते सर्वे स्वके दासकुले वस।।2.84.16।।


अयम् this, देशः country, ते your, निष्कुटः is like a pleasuregarden behind your house, वयम् we, वञ्चिताश्चापि are subordinate, ते सर्वे all of us, निवेदयामः soliciting, दासकुले in the house of this servant, वस stay.

This country is like a pleasuregarden at the backyard of your palace. All of us are subordinate to you and we solicit you to stay in the house of this servant of yours.
अस्ति मूलं फलञ्चैव निषादैस्समुपाहृतम्।

आर्द्रं च मांसं शुष्कं च वन्यं चोच्चावचं महत्।।2.84.17।।


निषादैः by nishadas, समुपाहृतम् have been brought, मूलम् root, फलं चैव fruits also, वन्यम् the forest produce, आर्द्रम् fresh, शुष्कं च dried, उच्चावचम् of great variety, महत् best, मांसं च अस्ति meat are here.

Here are roots, fruits and a great variety of forest produce, fresh and dried meat brought by the nishadas.
आशंसे स्वाशिता सेना वत्स्यतीमां विभावरीम्।

अर्चितो विविधैः कामै श्श्व स्ससैन्यो गमिष्यसि।।2.84.18।।


सेना army, स्वाशिता refreshed, इमाम् विभावरीम् this night, वत्स्यति will spend, आशंसे I hope, विविधैः by various, कामैः by our hospitality, अर्चितः treated, श्वः tomorrow, ससैन्यः with army, गमिष्यसि will go.

We hope your army having refreshed themselves will spend the night here. With our hospitality extended, you can proceed tomorrow.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे चतुरशीतितमस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the eightyfourth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.