Bharata's Plea for the Throne

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.102.1)

रामस्य वचनम् श्रुत्वा भरतः प्रत्युवाच ह । किम् मे धर्माद्विहीनस्य राजधर्मः करिष्यति ॥ 102.1 ॥

rāmasya vacanam śrutvā bharataḥ pratyuvāca ha | kim me dharmādvihīnasya rājadharmaḥ kariṣyati

Hearing Rama's words, Bharata replied, "What good will the discharge of royal duty do me, deprived as I am of righteousness?"

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.102.2)

शाश्वतोऽयं सदा ध्रमः स्थितोऽस्मासु नरर्षभ । जेष्ठपुत्रे स्थ्ते राजन् न कनीयान् नृपो भवेत् ॥ 102.2 ॥

śāśvato'yaṃ sadā dhramaḥ sthito'smāsu nararṣabha | jeṣṭhaputre sthte rājan na kanīyān nṛpo bhavet

"O foremost of men, O king, it has ever been the established tradition among us that so long as the elder son lives, the younger cannot become king."

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.102.3)

स समृद्धां मया सार्धमयोध्यां गच्छ राघव । अभिषेचय चात्मानं कुलस्यास्य भवाय नः ॥ 102.3 ॥

sa samṛddhāṃ mayā sārdhamayodhyāṃ gaccha rāghava | abhiṣecaya cātmānaṃ kulasyāsya bhavāya naḥ

"Therefore, O Raghava, come with me to prosperous Ayodhya and have yourself anointed, for the welfare of this our race."

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.102.4)

राजानं मानुषं प्राहुर्देवत्वे सम्मतो मम । यस्य धर्मार्थसहितं वृत्तमाहुरमानुषम् ॥ 102.4 ॥

rājānaṃ mānuṣaṃ prāhurdevatve sammato mama | yasya dharmārthasahitaṃ vṛttamāhuramānuṣam

"They call a king a mere man, but one whose conduct, joined with righteousness and worldly prosperity, is spoken of as more than human — such a one I hold to be a god."

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.102.5)

केकयस्थे च मयि तु त्वयि चारण्यमाश्रिते । दिवमार्यो गतो राजा यायजूकः सतां मतः ॥ 102.5 ॥

kekayasthe ca mayi tu tvayi cāraṇyamāśrite | divamāryo gato rājā yāyajūkaḥ satāṃ mataḥ

"While I was in the Kekaya kingdom and you had taken refuge in the forest, the noble king, ever devoted to sacrifice and honoured by the virtuous, went to heaven."

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.102.6)

निष्क्रान्तमात्रे भवति सहसीते सलक्ष्मणे । दुःखशोकाभिभूतस्तु राजा त्रिदिवमभ्यगात् ॥ 102.6 ॥

niṣkrāntamātre bhavati sahasīte salakṣmaṇe | duḥkhaśokābhibhūtastu rājā tridivamabhyagāt

"No sooner had you departed with Sita and Lakshmana, than the king, overwhelmed by sorrow and grief, ascended to the highest heaven."

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.102.7)

उत्तिष्ठ पुरुषव्याघ्र क्रियतामुदकं पितुः । अहं चायं च शत्रुघ्नः पूर्वमेव कृतोदकौ ॥ 102.7 ॥

uttiṣṭha puruṣavyāghra kriyatāmudakaṃ pituḥ | ahaṃ cāyaṃ ca śatrughnaḥ pūrvameva kṛtodakau

"Arise, O tiger among men! Let the water-offering be made to our father. Shatrughna and I have already performed it once before."

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.102.8)

प्रियेण खलु दत्तं हि पितृलोकेषु राघव । अक्षय्यं भवतीत्याहुर्भवांश्चैव पितुः प्रियः ॥ 102.8 ॥

priyeṇa khalu dattaṃ hi pitṛlokeṣu rāghava | akṣayyaṃ bhavatītyāhurbhavāṃścaiva pituḥ priyaḥ

"O Raghava, they say that whatever is given in the world of the ancestors by a beloved son becomes imperishable, and you indeed were most dear to our father."

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.102.9)

त्वामेव शोचंस्तव दर्शनेप्सुः । त्वयेव सक्तामनिवर्त्य बुद्धिम् । त्वया विहीनस्तव शोकमग्न । स्त्वाम् संस्मरन्नस्तमितः पिता ते ॥ 102.9 ॥

tvāmeva śocaṃstava darśanepsuḥ | tvayeva saktāmanivartya buddhim | tvayā vihīnastava śokamagna | stvām saṃsmarannastamitaḥ pitā te

"Grieving only for you, longing to see you, his mind fixed upon you alone and unable to turn away, bereft of you, sunk in sorrow for you, ever remembering you, your father set like the sun."