Sloka & Translation

[Bharata expresses his desire to bring back Rama -- enquires the way to Bharadwaja's hermitage.]

एवमुक्तस्तु भरतो निषादाधिपतिं गुहम्।

प्रत्युवाच महाप्राज्ञो वाक्यं हेत्वर्थसंहितम्।।2.85.1।।


एवम् thus, उक्तः having spoken, महाप्राज्ञः great intellectual, भरतः Bharata, निषादाधिपतिम् the overlord of the nishadas, गुहम् Guha, हेत्वर्थसंहितम् in well thought out and significant, वाक्यम् words, प्रत्युवाच replied.

When thus spoken to, Bharata, a great intellectual, replied to Guha with these well thought out and meaningful words.
ऊर्जितः खलु ते कामः कृतो मम गुरोस्सखे।

यो मे त्वमीदृशीं सेनामेकोऽभ्यर्चितुमिच्छसि।।2.85.2।।


मम my, गुरोः elder brother's, सखे friend, यः त्वम् you, एकः alone, ईदृशीम् this large, सेनाम् army, अभ्यर्चितुम् to extend hospitality, इच्छसि want, ते your, कृतः done, कामः desire, ऊर्जितः खलु is indeed great.

O dear friend of my elder brother, your desire to extend hospitality to this large army all alone is indeed noble.
इत्युक्त्वा तु महातेजा गुहं वचनमुत्तमम्।

अब्रवीद्भरत श्श्रीमाननिषादाधिपतिं पुनः।।2.85.3।।


महातेजाः of great radiance, श्रीमान् the majestic one, भरतः Bharata, गुहम् to Guha, उत्तमम् courteous, वचनम् word, उक्त्वा तु having said, पुनः again, निषादाधिपतिम् addressing king of the nishadas, अब्रवीत् said.

Having spoken to Guha courteously, the majestic, radiant Bharata continued:
कतरेण गमिष्यामि भरद्वाजाश्रमं गुह।

गहनोऽयं भृशं देशो गङ्गाऽनूपो दुरत्ययः।।2.85.4।।


गुह Guha, कतरेण by which path, भरद्वाजाश्रमम् to the hermitage of Bharadwaja, गमिष्यामि can I go, गङ्गनूपः marshy banks of Ganga, अयम् this, देशः region, भृशम् highly, गहनः is
dense, दुरत्ययः very difficult to traverse.

O Guha this region of Ganga with its dense forest is very difficult to cross. How can I reach the hermitage of Bharadwaja?
तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा राजपुत्रस्य धीमतः।

अब्रवीत्प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यं गुहो गहनगोचरः।।2.85.5।।


धीमतः of the sagacious, तस्य राजपुत्रस्य of that king's son, तत् वचनम् those words, श्रुत्वा having heard, गहनगोचरः one who ranges in the dense forest, गुहः Guha, प्राञ्जलिः with folded palms (in reverence), वाक्यम् these words, अब्रवीत् spoke.

When he heard those words of the sagacious Bharata, Guha the forest ranger answered him reverentially with folded palms.
दाशास्त्वाऽनुऽगमिष्यन्ति धन्विनस्सुसमाहिताः।

अहं त्वानुगमिष्यामि राजपुत्र महायशः।।2.85.6।।


महायशः a man of great renown, राजपुत्रः king's son, धन्विनः armed with bows, दाशाः fishermen, सुसमाहिताः wellprepared, त्वा you, अनुगमिष्यन्ति shall follow, अहम् I, त्वा you, अनुगमिष्यामि shall follow.

O prince of great renown I shall follow you, wellprepared with these fishermen, armed with bows.
कच्छिन्नदुष्टो व्रजसि रामस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः।

इयं ते महती सेना शङ्कां जनयतीव मे।।2.85.7।।


अक्लिष्टकर्मणः of unwearied actions, रामस्य towards Rama, दुष्टः bearing illwill, न व्रजसि कच्छित् are you not going to that place?, महती large, ते your, इयं सेना this army, मे to me, शङ्काम् doubt, जनयतीव as though arouses.

Are you not going to that place with the evil intention of causing harm to Rama of unwearied actions? This large army of yours arouses doubts in me.
तमेवमभिभाषन्तमाकाश इव निर्मलः।

भरतश्श्लक्ष्णया वाचा गुहं वचनमब्रवीत्।।2.85.8।।


आकाशः इव like the sky, निर्मलः tranquil, भरतः Bharata, एवम् thus, अभिभाषन्तम् talking, तं गुहम् addressing Guha, श्लक्ष्णया in gentle, वाचा voice, वचनम् words, अब्रवीत् said.

When he heard Guha thus speaking, Bharata who was as tranquil as the sky, said to him in a gentle voice.
माभूत्स कालो यत्कष्टं न मां शङ्कितुमर्हसि।

राघव स्सहि मे भ्राता ज्येष्ठः पितुसमो मतः।।2.85.9।।


यत् which, कष्टम् calamity, सः कालः that time, मा भूत् shall not come, माम् to me, शङ्कितुम् to suspect, नार्हसि you should not, मे my, ज्येष्ठः eldest, भ्राता brother, सः राघवः that Rama, पितृसमः is equal to my father, मतः हि he has been held in high esteem.

That calmitous time will never come (again). You should not suspect me. I look upon Rama, my eldest brother, as my father.
तं निवर्तयितुं यामि काकुत्स्थं वनवासिनम्।

बुद्धिरन्या न ते कार्या गुह सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते।।2.85.10।।


वनवासिनम् residing in the forest, तम् काकुत्स्थम् to that scion of the Kakutsthas, निवर्तयितुम् to bring back, यामि I am going, गुह O Guha, ते to you, अन्या other, बुद्धि: thought, न कार्या not to be entertained, ते to you, सत्यम् truth, ब्रवीमि I am telling.

I am going to bring back that scion of the kakutsthas (Rama) who resides in the forest. O Guha, do not entertain any other thought. I am tellng you the truth.
स तु संहृष्टवदन श्श्रुत्वा भरतभाषितम्।

पुनरेवाब्रवीद्वाक्यं भरतं प्रति हर्षितः।।2.85.11।।


भरतभाषितम् Bharata's words, श्रुत्वा on hearing, संहृष्टवदनः one whose is face beaming with joy, सः तु that Guha, हर्षितः delighted, भरतं प्रति looking at Bharata, पुनरेव once again, वाक्यम् these words, अब्रवीत् said.

When he heard those words of Bharata, Guha was delighted and his face beamed with joy as he said to Bharata:
धन्यस्त्वं न त्वया तुल्यं पश्यामि जगतीतले।

अयत्नादागतं राज्यं यस्त्वं त्यक्तुमिहेच्छसि।।2.85.12।।


यः त्वम् such a man as you are, इह now, अयत्नात् effortlessly, आगतम् arrived, राज्यम् kingdom, त्यक्तुम् to renounce, इच्छसि wish, त्वम् you, धन्यः are blessed, त्वया your, तुल्यम् equal, जगतीतले on this earth, न पश्यामि I do not see.

Blessed indeed you are as you desire to renounce the kingdom that has come to you effortlessly. I see none equal to you on this earth.
शाश्वती खलु ते कीर्तिर्लोकाननुचरिष्यति।

यस्त्वं कृच्छ्रगतं रामं प्रत्यानयितुमिच्छसि।।2.85.13।।


यः त्वम् you, कृच्छ्रगतम् who is in great difficulty, रामम् Rama, प्रत्यानयितुम् to bring back, इच्छसि desire, ते your, शाश्वती everlasting, कीर्तिः fame, लोकान् in this world, अनुचरिष्यति will spread.

You desire to bring back Rama who is in great difficulty. This everlasting fame of yours will spread all over the world.
एवं सम्भाषमाणस्य गुहस्य भरतं तदा।

बभौ नष्टप्रभस्सूर्यो रजनी चाभ्यवर्तत।।2.85.14।।


तदा then, गुहस्य Guha's, एवं thus, भरतं to Bharata, सम्भाषमाणस्य while conversing, सूर्यः sun, नष्टप्रभः diminished light, बभौ shone, रजनी च night, अभ्यवर्तत set in.

As Guha was thus conversing with Bharata, the rays of the Sun diminished and the night set in.
सन्निवेश्य स तां सेनां गुहेन परितोषितः।

शत्रुघ्नेन सह श्रीमाञ्छयनं समुपागमत्।।2.85.15।।


श्रीमान् fortunate Bharata, सः he, तां सेनां that army, सन्निवेश्य having encamped, गुहेन with Guha, परितोषितः gratified, शत्रुघ्नेन सह along with Satrughna, शयनं sleep, समुपागमत् obtained.

Fortunate Bharata gratified by Guha encamped his army and retired to bed along with Satrughna.
रामचिन्तामय श्शोको भरतस्य महात्मनः।

उपस्थितो ह्यनर्हस्य धर्मप्रेक्षस्य तादृशः।।2.85.16।।


महात्मनः of the magnanimous, धर्मप्रेक्षस्य of a man of righteous outlook, अनर्हस्य of him who does not deserve (grief), भरतस्य Bharata's, तादृशः such, रामचिन्तामयः filled with the
thought of Rama, शोकः grief, उपस्थितः हि had befallen.

But the thought of Rama caused grief to the magnanimous Bharata, a man of righteous outlook who did not deserve such grief.
अन्तर्दाहेन दहनस्सन्तापयति राघवम्।

वनदाहाभिसन्तप्तं गूढोऽग्निरिव पादपम्।।2.85.17।।


वनदाहाभिसन्तप्तं dried by forest fire, पादपं tree, गूढः hidden, अग्निरिव like a fire, राघवम् Bharata, दहनः grief, अन्तर्दाहेन burning within himself, सन्तापयति scorching.

Just like a concealed forestfire scorching the dried up forest, the fire of sorrow kindled in his mind scorched Bharata.
प्रसृतस्सर्वगात्रेभ्यस्स्वेदं शोकाग्निसम्भवम्।

यथा सूर्यांशुसन्तप्तो हिमवान् प्रसृतोहिमम्।।2.85.18।।


सूर्यांशुसन्तप्तः heated by the Sun's rays, हिमवान् Himalayas, यथा just as, हिमं ice, प्रसृतः melted, सर्वगात्रेभ्यः from all limbs, शोकाग्निसम्भवम् caused by the fire of grief, स्वेदम् sweat, प्रसृतः poured out.

Like the ice melted by the heat of the Sun's rays flows down the Himalayas, sweat poured from all parts of his body caused by the fire of grief.
ध्याननिर्धरशैलेन विनिश्श्वसितधातुना।

दैन्यपादपसंघेन शोकायासाधिशृङ्गिणा।।2.85.19।।

प्रमोहानन्तसत्त्वेन सन्तापौषधिवेणुना।

आक्रान्तो दुःखशैलेन महता कैकयीसुतः।।2.85.20।।


कैकयीसुतः Kaikeyi's son, ध्याननिर्धरशैलेन by the cavityless rocks of that mountain of
contemplation, विनिःश्वसितधातुना by the minerals of heaving sighs, दैन्यपादपसंघेन by the multitude of trees in the form of dejection, शोकायासाधिशृङ्गिणा by the peaks of sorrow fatigue and mental distress, प्रमोहानन्तसत्त्वेन by the countless creatures of stupor, सन्तापौषधिवेणुना by the bamboo tree of sorrow, महता great, दुःखशैलेन by the mountains of grief, आक्रान्तः was invaded.

Bharata, son of Kaikeyi was stricken by a lofty mountain of grief. The cavityless rocks of that mountain were his contemplation, the minerals were his sighs, the multitude of trees were his desolation, peaks were his fatigue and mental distress, the unlimited number of animals were his stupor, the bamboo tree was his sorrow.
विनिश्श्वसन्वै भृशदुर्मनास्ततः प्रमूढसंज्ञः परमापदं गतः।

शमं न लेभे हृदयज्वरार्दितो नरर्षभो यूथहतो यथर्षभः।।2.85.21।।


ततः then, नरर्षभः best among men (Bharata), विनिश्श्वसन् heaving sighs, भृशदुर्मनाः with greatly distraught mind, प्रमूढसंज्ञः with bewildered senses, परमापदं a great calamity, गतः caught, हृदयज्वरार्दितः oppressed by the fever raging his heart, यूथहतः separated from the herd, ऋषभः यथा like a bull, शमं peace of mind, न लेभे did not get.

Then best of men, Bharata, with highly distraught mind and heaving sighs, with senses bewildered and oppressed by the fever raging in his heart and caught in a great calamity, like a bull separated from the herd enjoyed no peace of mind.
गुहेन सार्धं भरतस्समागतो महानुभावस्सजनस्समाहितः।

सुदुर्मनास्तं भरतं तदा पुनर्गुह स्समाश्वासयदग्रजं प्रति।।2.85.22।।


महानुभावः magnanimous, सजनः along with his people, भरतः Bharata, समाहितः with a composed mind, गुहेन सार्धं with Guha, समागतः joined, तदा then, सुदुर्मनाः with greatly distraught mind, गुहः Guha, तं भरतम् that Bharata, पुनः again, अग्रजं प्रति about elder brother Rama, आश्वासयत् consoled.

Bharata, a man of great magnanimity, joined Guha together with his people with composed mind. Then Guha, greatly distraught, again consoled Bharata regarding his elder brother Rama.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे पञ्चाशीतितमस्सर्गः।।
Thus ends the eightyfifth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.