Rama's Answer to Bharata

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.107.1)

पुनर् एवम् ब्रुवाणम् तु भरतम् लक्ष्मण अग्रजः। प्रत्युवच ततः श्रीमान् ज्ञाति मध्ये अतिसत्कृतः॥ 107.1 ॥

punar evam bruvāṇam tu bharatam lakṣmaṇa agrajaḥ| pratyuvaca tataḥ śrīmān jñāti madhye atisatkṛtaḥ

Then Lakshmana's elder brother, the glorious Rama, greatly honoured there among his kinsmen, replied to Bharata who was speaking thus.

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.107.2)

उपपन्नम् इदम् वाक्यम् यत् त्वम् एवम् अभाषथाः। जातः पुत्रो दशरथात् कैकेय्याम् राज सत्तमात्॥ 107.2 ॥

upapannam idam vākyam yat tvam evam abhāṣathāḥ| jātaḥ putro daśarathāt kaikeyyām rāja sattamāt

"These words that you have spoken befit you well, born as you are of the most excellent King Dasharatha through Kaikeyi.

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.107.3)

पुरा भ्रातः पिता नः स मातरम् ते समुद्वहन्। मातामहे समाश्रौषीद् राज्य शुल्कम् अनुत्तमम्॥ 107.3 ॥

purā bhrātaḥ pitā naḥ sa mātaram te samudvahan| mātāmahe samāśrauṣīd rājya śulkam anuttamam

Long ago, brother, when our father took your mother in marriage, he promised your grandfather an unsurpassed bride-price — the kingdom itself.

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.107.4)

देव असुरे च सम्ग्रामे जनन्यै तव पार्थिवः। सम्प्रहृष्टो ददौ राजा वरम् आराधितः प्रभुः॥ 107.4 ॥

deva asure ca samgrāme jananyai tava pārthivaḥ| samprahṛṣṭo dadau rājā varam ārādhitaḥ prabhuḥ

And afterward, in the war between the gods and the demons, the lord of the earth, being pleased and won over by your mother's devotion, granted her a boon.

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.107.5)

ततः सा सम्प्रतिश्राव्य तव माता यशस्विनी। अयाचत नर श्रेष्ठम् द्वौ वरौ वर वर्णिनी॥ 107.5 ॥

tataḥ sā sampratiśrāvya tava mātā yaśasvinī| ayācata nara śreṣṭham dvau varau vara varṇinī

Then, having received that promise, your illustrious and beautiful mother asked the best of men for two boons.

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.107.6)

तव राज्यम् नर व्याघ्र मम प्रव्राजनम् तथा। तच् च राजा तथा तस्यै नियुक्तः प्रददौ वरौ॥ 107.6 ॥

tava rājyam nara vyāghra mama pravrājanam tathā| tac ca rājā tathā tasyai niyuktaḥ pradadau varau

O tiger among men, the kingdom for you and exile for me; and the king, bound by his promise, granted her both those boons accordingly.

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.107.7)

तेन पित्रा अहम् अप्य् अत्र नियुक्तः पुरुष ऋषभ। चतुर्दश वने वासम् वर्षाणि वरदानिकम्॥ 107.7 ॥

tena pitrā aham apy atra niyuktaḥ puruṣa ṛṣabha| caturdaśa vane vāsam varṣāṇi varadānikam

O best of men, it is by that same father that I too was bound, in fulfilment of his promised boon, to dwell fourteen years in this forest.

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.107.8)

सो अहम् वनम् इदम् प्राप्तो निर्जनम् लक्ष्मण अन्वितः। सीतया च अप्रतिद्वन्द्वः सत्य वादे स्थितः पितुः॥ 107.8 ॥

so aham vanam idam prāpto nirjanam lakṣmaṇa anvitaḥ| sītayā ca apratidvandvaḥ satya vāde sthitaḥ pituḥ

So it is I who, unrivalled by any, have come to this lonely forest with Lakshmana and Sita, standing firm in truth to my father's word.

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.107.9)

भवान् अपि तथा इत्य् एव पितरम् सत्य वादिनम्। कर्तुम् अर्हति राज इन्द्रम् क्षिप्रम् एव अभिषेचनात्॥ 107.9 ॥

bhavān api tathā ity eva pitaram satya vādinam| kartum arhati rāja indram kṣipram eva abhiṣecanāt

You too, O foremost among kings, ought in the same way to make our father true to his word, and quickly, by receiving your own consecration.

Shloka 10 (ayodhya.107.10)

ऋणान् मोचय राजानम् मत् कृते भरत प्रभुम्। पितरम् त्राहि धर्मज्ञ मातरम् च अभिनन्दय॥ 107.10 ॥

ṛṇān mocaya rājānam mat kṛte bharata prabhum| pitaram trāhi dharmajña mātaram ca abhinandaya

For my sake, O Bharata, release the mighty king from his debt of promise; O knower of dharma, save our father, and gladden our mother too.

Shloka 11 (ayodhya.107.11)

श्रूयते हि पुरा तात श्रुतिर् गीता यशस्विनी। गयेन यजमानेन गयेषु एव पितृऋन् प्रति॥ 107.11 ॥

śrūyate hi purā tāta śrutir gītā yaśasvinī| gayena yajamānena gayeṣu eva pitṛṛn prati

For, dear one, it is told that long ago a famous verse was sung by the illustrious King Gaya, while performing a sacrifice at Gaya itself, in honour of the ancestors.

Shloka 12 (ayodhya.107.12)

पुम् नाम्ना नरकाद् यस्मात् पितरम् त्रायते सुतः। तस्मात् पुत्र इति प्रोक्तः पितृऋन् यत् पाति वा सुतः॥ 107.12 ॥

pum nāmnā narakād yasmāt pitaram trāyate sutaḥ| tasmāt putra iti proktaḥ pitṛṛn yat pāti vā sutaḥ

Because a son delivers his father from the hell called 'Put', he is therefore called 'putra' — since a son thus protects his ancestors.

Shloka 13 (ayodhya.107.13)

एष्टव्या बहवः पुत्रा गुणवन्तो बहु श्रुताः। तेषाम् वै समवेतानाम् अपि कश्चिद् गयाम् व्रजेत्॥ 107.13 ॥

eṣṭavyā bahavaḥ putrā guṇavanto bahu śrutāḥ| teṣām vai samavetānām api kaścid gayām vrajet

Many virtuous and learned sons are to be wished for, for among them all, gathered together, it may be that even one will go to Gaya.

Shloka 14 (ayodhya.107.14)

एवम् राज ऋषयः सर्वे प्रतीता राज नन्दन। तस्मात् त्राहि नर श्रेष्ठ पितरम् नरकात् प्रभो॥ 107.14 ॥

evam rāja ṛṣayaḥ sarve pratītā rāja nandana| tasmāt trāhi nara śreṣṭha pitaram narakāt prabho

O son of a king, all the royal sages are convinced of this; therefore, O lord, best among men, save our father from that hell.

Shloka 15 (ayodhya.107.15)

अयोध्याम् गच्छ भरत प्रकृतीर् अनुरन्जय। शत्रुघ्न सहितो वीर सह सर्वैर् द्विजातिभिः॥ 107.15 ॥

ayodhyām gaccha bharata prakṛtīr anuranjaya| śatrughna sahito vīra saha sarvair dvijātibhiḥ

Go, O valiant Bharata, to Ayodhya, together with Shatrughna and all the twice-born, and bring joy to the people.

Shloka 16 (ayodhya.107.16)

प्रवेक्ष्ये दण्डक अरण्यम् अहम् अप्य् अविलम्बयन्। आभ्याम् तु सहितो राजन् वैदेह्या लक्ष्मणेन च॥ 107.16 ॥

pravekṣye daṇḍaka araṇyam aham apy avilambayan| ābhyām tu sahito rājan vaidehyā lakṣmaṇena ca

O king, I too, without delay, shall enter the Dandaka forest, accompanied by these two, Vaidehi and Lakshmana.

Shloka 17 (ayodhya.107.17)

त्वम् राजा भव भरत स्वयम् नराणाम्। वन्यानाम् अहम् अपि राज राण् मृगाणाम्। गच्छ त्वम् पुर वरम् अद्य सम्प्रहृष्टः। सम्हृष्टः तु अहम् अपि दण्डकान् प्रवेक्ष्ये॥ 107.17 ॥

tvam rājā bhava bharata svayam narāṇām| vanyānām aham api rāja rāṇ mṛgāṇām| gaccha tvam pura varam adya samprahṛṣṭaḥ| samhṛṣṭaḥ tu aham api daṇḍakān pravekṣye

You yourself, Bharata, become the king of men, while I become the sovereign of the forest's wild creatures. Go joyfully today to that finest of cities, and I too, rejoicing, shall enter the Dandaka forest.

Shloka 18 (ayodhya.107.18)

छायाम् ते दिन कर भाः प्रबाधमानम्। वर्षत्रम् भरत करोतु मूर्ध्नि शीताम्। एतेषाम् अहम् अपि कानन द्रुमाणाम्। छायाम् ताम् अतिशयिनीम् सुखम् श्रयिष्ये॥ 107.18 ॥

chāyām te dina kara bhāḥ prabādhamānam| varṣatram bharata karotu mūrdhni śītām| eteṣām aham api kānana drumāṇām| chāyām tām atiśayinīm sukham śrayiṣye

O Bharata, let the royal umbrella cast a cool shade over your head against the sun's harassing rays; I too shall gladly take shelter beneath the deep, abundant shade of these forest trees.

Shloka 19 (ayodhya.107.19)

शत्रुघ्नः कुशल मतिः तु ते सहायः। सौमित्रिर् मम विदितः प्रधान मित्रम्। चत्वारः तनय वरा वयम् नर इन्द्रम्। सत्यस्थम् भरत चराम मा विषादम्॥ 107.19 ॥

śatrughnaḥ kuśala matiḥ tu te sahāyaḥ| saumitrir mama viditaḥ pradhāna mitram| catvāraḥ tanaya varā vayam nara indram| satyastham bharata carāma mā viṣādam

The wise Shatrughna shall be your helper, and Saumitri, I know, is my chief companion; we four excellent sons shall together make our king true to his word — grieve not, Bharata.