Chapter [Sarga] 84

Book II : Ayodhya Kanda - Book Of Ayodhya

Chapter [Sarga] 84

Introduction

Guha the king of Nishada tribe asks his relative to guard the river bank and get ready for a battle, if necessary, with Bharata. Then, Guha approaches Bharata with a welcome-drink of honey, meat and fish. He asks Bharata with his army to accept his hospitality.

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tataH niviSTaam dhvajiniim gangaam anvaashritaam nadiim |
niSaada raajo dR^iSTvaa eva j~naatiin samtvaritaH abraviit || 2-84-1

1. tataH= then; dR^iSTvaiva= just on seeing; dhvajiniim= an army; niviSTaam= encamped; anvaashritaam= and situated along; gaN^gaam nadiim= the River Ganga; niSaadaraajaH= Guha, the king of Nishadas; samtvasitaH= hastily; abraviit= spoke; jJNaatiin= to his relatives (as follows):

Just on seeing an army encamped and positioned along the River Ganga, Guha the king of Nishadas hastily spoke to his relatives as follows:

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mahatii iyam ataH senaa saagara aabhaa pradR^ishyate |
na asya antam avagacchaami manasaa api vicintayan || 2-84-2

2. itaH= on this side; iyam= this; mahatii= huge; senaa= army; pradR^ishyati= is seen; saagaraabhaa= as an ocean; naadhigachchhami= I am not able to find; antam= the extent; asyaaH= of this army; vidintayannapi= even by my discerning; manasaa= with the mind.

“On this side, a huge army is seen like an ocean. I am not able to comprehend the extent of this army even by my discerning mind.”

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yathaa tu khalu durbhaddhirbharataH svayamaagataH |
sa eSa hi mahaa kaayaH kovidaara dhvajo rathe || 2-84-3

3. eSaH= here ( is seen); rathe hi= on the chariot; saH= that; mahaakaayaH= towering; kovidaara*; dhvajaH=banner bearing Kovidara tree; bharataH= (and hence) Bharata; durbuddhiH= with an evil intent; svayam= himself; yathaatu aagataH= seems to have come.

“Here is seen on that chariot, a towering banner bearing Kovidara tree and hence Bharata himself with an evil intent seems to have come.”

Kovidara tree: pomegranate tree.

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bandhayiSyati vaa daashaan atha vaa asmaan vadhiSyati |
atha daasharathim raamam pitraa raajyaat vivaasitam || 2-84-4
sampannaam shriyamanvicchamstasya raajJNaH sudurlabhaam |
bharataH kaikeyii putraH hantum samadhigacchati || 2-84-5

4, 5. bharataH= (Will) Bharata; kaikeyiiputraH= the son of Kaikeyi; badhayiSyati= bind with chains; daashaan= our fishermen; athavaa= or; vadhiSyati= kill; asmaan= us?; atha= or; samadhigachchhati= is he coming; hantum= to kill; raamam= Rama; daasharthiim= the son of Dasaratha; vivaasitam= who was exiled; raajyaat= from the kingdom; pitraa= by his father; anvichchhan= and desiring; shriyam= the prosperous kingdom; sampannaam= a luxury; sudurlabham= and that which is inaccessible to another.

“Will Bharata the son of Kaikeyi bind us with chains or slay us? Or is he coming to kill Rama, the son of Dasaratha, who was exiled from the kingdom by his father, desirous as Bharata is to get the prosperous Ayodhya kingdom, a luxury and that which is inaccessible to another?”

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bhartaa caiva sakhaa caiva raamaH daasharathir mama |
tasya artha kaamaaH samnaddhaa gangaa anuupe atra tiSThata || 2-84-6

6. raamaH= Rama; daasharathiH= the son of Dasaratha; mama= is my; bhartaachaiva= Lord; sakhaa chaiva= and my friend too; (Hence); pratiSThata= be stationed; sannaddhaa= covered with armor; gaN^gaanuupe= one this bank of Ganga River; artha kaamaaH= desiring to advance the interest; tasya= of that Rama.

“Rama the son of Dasaratha is my Lord and my companion too. Hence you, covered with armor, be stationed on this bank of Ganga River, desiring to advance the interest of Rama.”

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tiSThantu sarva daashaaH ca gangaam anvaashritaa nadiim |
bala yuktaa nadii rakSaa maamsa muula phala ashanaaH || 2-84-7

7. sarve= (Let) all; daashaashcha= our ferrymen; nadiirakSaaH= guarding the river; balayuktaaH= along with troops; maamsa muula phalaashanaaH= eating; meet, roota and fruits ( in the boats); tiSThantu= stay; anvaashritaaH= positioned along; gaN^gaam nadiim= the River Ganga.

“Let all our ferrymen guarding the river, along with the troops, eating meat roots and fruits ( in their boats), stay positioned along the River Ganga.”

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naavaam shataanaam pancaanaam kaivartaanaam shatam shatam |
samnaddhaanaam tathaa yuunaam tiSThantu atyabhyacodayat || 2-84-8

8. paN^chaanam= (Let) five; shataanaam= hundred; naavaam= boats; shatam shatam= each; manned by a hundred; yuunaam= youthful; kaivartanaam= ferrymen; tiSThantu= be stationed; tathaa= and sannddhaam= made ready; iti= (Guha) thus; abhyachodayat= announced.

“Let five hundred boats, each manner by a hundred youthful ferrymen, be stationed and made ready” –thus announced Guha.

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yadaa tuSTaH tu bharataH raamasya iha bhaviSyati |
saa iyam svastimayii senaa gangaam adya tariSyati || 2-84-9

9. yadaatu= when; bharataH= Bharata; bhaviSyati= be; aduSTaH= well-disposed; iha= here; raamasya= towards Rama; saa iyam= such of this; senaa= army; tariSyati= may cross; gaN^gaam= the River Ganga; adya= today; svastimatii= in safety.

“If Bharata is favourably disposed now towards Rama, then only his army may (be allowed to) cross the River Ganga in safety.”

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iti uktvaa upaayanam gR^ihya matsya maamsa madhuuni ca |
abhicakraama bharatam niSaada adhipatir guhaH || 2-84-10

10. iti= thus; uktvaa= spoken; guhaH= Guha; niSaadaadhipatiH= the Lord of Nishadas; gR^ihya= took; matsya maamsa madhuuni= fish meat and honey; upaayanam= as an offering; abhichakraama= and approached; bharatam= Bharata.

After uttering thus, Guha the king of Nishadas took fish, meat and honey as an offering and approached Bharata.

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tam aayaantam tu samprekSya suuta putraH prataapavaan |
bharataaya aacacakSe atha vinayaj~no viniitavat || 2-84-11

11. atha= thereafter; suutaputraH= Sumantra the charioteer; prataapavaan= a majestic man; vinayajJNaH= who knows the rules of discipline; samprekshya= seeing; tam= him aayaantam= approach; aachachaksha= told; bharataaya= Bharata; viniitavat= humbly (as follows):

Seeing him approach, Sumantra the charioteer, a majestic man who knows the rules of discipline, humbly told Bharata as follows:

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eSa j~naati sahasreNa sthapatiH parivaaritaH |
kushalo daNDaka araNye vR^iddho bhraatuH ca te sakhaa || 2-84-12

12. eSaH= this; sthapatiH= Lord; parivaaritaH= who is surrounded; jJNaati sahasresha= by a thousand of his own people; kushalaH= is fully acquainted; daN^kaaraaN^ye= with the forest of Dandaka; vR^iddhaH= and an old; sakhaacha= friend; te= of your; bhraatuH= elder brother.

“This Lord who is surrounded by a thousand of his own people, is fully acquainted with the forest of Dandaka and also an old friend of your elder brother.”

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tasmaat pashyatu kaakutstha tvaam niSaada adhipo guhaH |
asamshayam vijaaniite yatra tau raama lakSmaNau || 2-84-13

13. kaakutthsa= O, Bharata! Tasmaat= for that reason; guhaH= (let) Guha; niSaadaadhiphaH= the king of Nishadas; pashyatu= see; tvaam= you; vijaaniite= (He) knows; asamshayam= surely; yatra= where; tau= those; raamalakshmaNau= Rama and Lakshmana (are there).

“O, Bharata! For that reason, let Guha the king of Nishadas see you. He knows surely where those two Rama and Lakshmana – are stationed.”

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etat tu vacanam shrutvaa sumantraat bharataH shubham |
uvaaca vacanam shiighram guhaH pashyatu maam iti || 2-84-14

14. shrutvaa= hearing; etat= these; shubham= auspicious; vachanam= words; sumantreaat= of Sumantra; bharataH= Bharata; uvaacha= spoke; iti= these; vachanam= words; guhaH= (let) Guha; pashyati= see; maam= me; shiighram= immediately.

Hearing the auspicious words of Sumantra, Bharata answered, “Introduce Guha to me without delay.”

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labdhvaa abhyanuj~naam samhR^iSTaH j~naatibhiH parivaaritaH |
aagamya bharatam prahvo guho vacanam abraviiit || 2-84-15

15. labdhvaa= having obtained; abhyamjJNaam= the permission; guhaH= Guha; parivaaritaH= surrouned; jJNaatibhiH= by his own people; samhR^iSTaH= joyfully; prahvaH= and humbly; aagamya= approached; baratam= Bharata; abraviit= and spoke; vachanam= these words.

Having obtained permission, Guha along with his own people, joyfully and humbly approached Bharata and spoke as follows:

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niSkuTaH caiva desho ayam vancitaaH ca api te vayam |
nivedayaamaH te sarve svake daasha kule vasa || 2-84-16

16. ayam= this; deshaH= place; niSkuTaH= is like a pleasure-grove near your house; vayam= we; vaN^chitaashchaapi= are your subjects; sarve= all of us; nivedayaavaH= are reporting to you; te= as such; vasa= stay; daasakule= in this servant’s house.

“This place is like a pleasure-grove near your house. We are your subjects and are reporting to you as such. Stay in this servant’s house.”

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asti muulam phalam caiva niSaadaiH samupaahR^itam |
aardram ca maamsam shuSkam ca vanyam ca ucca avacam mahat || 2-84-17

17. asti= here are; muulam= the root; phalam chaiva= fruit; samudaahR^itam= gathered; niSaadaiH= by my tribe; maamsamcha= and the meat; mahat= of great quality; ucchaavacham= and of various kinds; aardram= fresh; shuSkamcha= and dried; vanyam= and all a produce of the forest.

“Here are the roots and fruits gathered by my tribe as well as fresh and dried meat of great quality and of various kinds, and all a produce of the forest.”

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aashamse svaashitaa senaa vatsyati imaam vibhaavariim |
arcitaH vividhaiH kaamaiH shvaH sasainyo gamiSyasi || 2-84-18

18. aasham se= I hope; senaa= the army; svaashitaa= after eating well; vatsyat= can halt; imam= in this night; architaH= offered reverently; vividhaiH= various kinds; kaamaiH= of all that you could desire; gamiSyasi= you can go; shvaH= tomorrow; sasainyaH= along with your army.

“I hope the army, after eating well, can halt for the night here. Furnished with all you could desire, you can continue your journey tomorrow along with your troops.”

ityaarSe shriimadraamaayaNe aadikaavye ayodhyaakaaNDe caturashiititamaH sargaH

Thus completes 84th Chapter of Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.