Chapter [Sarga] 102

Book II : Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya

Chapter [Sarga] 102

Introduction

Bharata replies that it is an established practice for the eldest son to become a king and requests Rama to come to Ayodhya and get crowned in the kingdom for the welfare of Ikshvaku race. Bharata requests Rama to offer traditional libations of water to their deceased father, who died wtih the thought of Rama alone, absorbed in his mind.

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raamasya vachanam shrutvaa bharataH pratyuvaacha ha |
kim me dharmaadvihiinasya raajadharmaH kariSyati || 2-102-1

1. shrutvaa= Hearing; raamasya= Rama's; vachanam= words; bharataH= Bharata; pratyuvaacha ha= replied (as follows); kim kariSyati raajadharma= "What will the discharge of royal duties amount; me= to me; vihiinasya= who is bereft; dharmaat= of that code.

Hearing Rama's words, Bharata replied as follows: "What will the discharge of royal duties amount to me, who is outside of that code?"

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shaashvato.ayaM sadaa dhramaH sthito.asmaasu nararSabha |
jeSThaputre sthte raajan na kaniiyaan nR^ipo bhavet || 2-102-2

2. nararSabha= O, the foremost of men!; ayam= this one; sthitaH= is established; sadaa= forever; asmaasu= in us; shaashvataH= as an eternal; dharmaH= law; jyeSTha putre sthite= when the elder son is there; kaniiyaan= the younger son; na bhavet= cannot become; nR^ipaH= a king; raajan= O, Majesty!

"O, the foremost of men! O, Majesty! It has been ever the established tradition in us that while the elder son is there, the younger one cannot become a king."

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sa samR^iddhaaM mayaa saardhamayodhyaaM gachchha raaghava |
abhiSechaya chaatmaanaM kulasyaasya bhavaaya naH ||2-102-3

3. raaghavaH= O, Rama!; saH= you, as such; gachchha= come; ayodhyaam= to Ayodhya; samR^iddhaam= of great prosperity; saardham= along with me; abhiSechaya= and get anointed in kingdom; aatmaanam= yourself; bhavaaya= for the welfare; asya kulasya= of this race; naH= of ours.

"O, Rama! Therefore, come to the prosperous Ayodhya along with me and get anointed in kingdom for the welfare of our race."

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raajaanaM maanuSaM praahurdevatve sammato mama |
yasya dharmaarthasahitaM vR^ittamaahuramaanuSam || 2-102-4

4. raajaanam= the king; yasya= whom; praahuH= people speak of ; maanvSam= as a human being; vR^ittam= and whose conduct; dharmaarthasahitam= is in conformity with righteaousness and worldly prosperity; aahuH= they declare; amaanuSam= as super-human; sammataH= is conceded; mama= by me; devatve= as a godhead.

"The king, whom people speak of as a human being and whose conduct is in conformity with righteousness and worldly prosperity, they declare as super- human, is conceded by me as a god-head."

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kekayasthe cha mayi tu tvayi chaaraNyamaashrite |
divamaaryo gato raajaa yaayajuukaH sataaM mataH || 2-102-5

5. mayi kekayasthe= while I was there in Kekaya kingdom; tvayi cha= and you; araNyam= to the forest; raajaa= the king Dasaratha; aaryaH= the revered one; yaayajuukaH= who was given to the performance of sacrifices; mataH= and was honoured; sataam= by the virtuous; gataH= has gone; divam= to heaven.

"While I was there in Kekaya kingdom and you had proceeded tot he forest, the king Dasaratha, the revered one who was given to the performance of sacrifices and was honoured by the virtuous, has gone to heaven."

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niSkraantamaatre bhavati sahasiite salakshmaNe |
duHkhashokaabhibhuutastu raajaa tridivamabhyagaat || 2-102-6

6. bhavati niSkraanta maatre= hardly were you gone; saha siite= with Seetha; sa lakSmana= along with Lakshmana; raajaa= than the king; duHkha shokaabhibhuutaH= succumbed to misfortune and grief; abhyagaat= and ascended; tridivam= to the most sacred heaven."

"Hardly were you gone with Seetha and Lakshmana, than the king succumbed to misfortune and grief and ascended to the most sacred heaven."

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uttiSTha puruSavyaaghra kriyataamudakaM pituH |
ahaM chaayaM cha shatrughnaH puurvameva kR^itodakau || 2-102-7

7. uttiSTha= arise; puruSa vyaaghraH= O, the tigr among men!; udakam kriyataam= let the traditonal libations of water be offered; pituH= to our father; aham= I and; ayam= this; shatrughnashcha= Shatrughna; puurvam eva= have previously; kR^itodakau= offered the tradiotnal libations of water.

"Arise, O the Tiger among men! Let the traditional libations of water be offered to our father. Shatrughna and I have previously done it."

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priyeNa khalu dattaM hi pitR^ilokeSu raaghava |
akshayyaM bhavatiityaahurbhavaaMshchaiva pituH priyaH || 2-102-8

8. raaghavaH= O, Rama!; aahuH khalu= people indeed tell; iti= that; dattam= the one given; priyeNa= by an affectionate son; bhavati= becomes; akSayyam= measureless; bhavaamshchaiva= you alone; priyaH= are beloved; pituH= to our father.

"O, Rama! It is said that the one given by an affectionate son becomes measureless and you undoubtedly are beloved to our father."

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tvaameva shochamstava darshanepsuH |
tvayeva saktaamanivartya buddhim |
tvayaa vihiinastava shokamagna |
stvaam saMsmarannastamitaH pitaa te || 2-102-9

9. vihiinaH= Entirely abandoned; tvayaa= by you; shchan= lamenting; tvaameva= about you; tava darshanepsu= desirous of beholding you; anivartya= not capable of turning away; buddhim= his mind; saktaam= appended; trayyeva= in you alone; shokamagnaH= and immersed in grief; tava= of you; te= your; pitaa= father; astamitaH= died; samsmaran= recollecting; tvaam= you.

"Entirely abandoned by you, lamenting about you, desirous of beholding you, being not able to turn away his mind absorbed in you alone, immersed in grief of you and recollecting you, your father died."

ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye ayodhyaakaaNDe duvyttarashatatamaH sargaH

Thus completes 102nd Chapter of Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.