The Thirteenth-Day Rites and the Grief of Bharata and Shatrughna

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.77.1)

ततः दश अहे अतिगते कृत शौचो नृप आत्मजः। द्वादशे अहनि सम्प्राप्ते श्राद्ध कर्माणि अकारयत्॥ 77.1 ॥

tataḥ daśa ahe atigate kṛta śauco nṛpa ātmajaḥ| dvādaśe ahani samprāpte śrāddha karmāṇi akārayat

When ten days had passed, the king's son, having purified himself, performed the shraddha rites on the arrival of the twelfth day.

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.77.2)

ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददौ रत्नम् धनम् अन्नम् च पुष्कलम्। वासांसि च महार्हाणि रत्नानि विविधानि च॥ 77.2 ॥

brāhmaṇebhyo dadau ratnam dhanam annam ca puṣkalam| vāsāṃsi ca mahārhāṇi ratnāni vividhāni ca

To the brahmins he gave jewels, wealth, and abundant food, costly garments, and many other kinds of precious gifts.

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.77.3)

बास्तिकम् बहु शुक्लम् च गाः च अपि शतशः तथा। दासी दासम् च यानम् च वेश्मानि सुमहान्ति च॥ 77.3 ॥

bāstikam bahu śuklam ca gāḥ ca api śataśaḥ tathā| dāsī dāsam ca yānam ca veśmāni sumahānti ca

Many white goats, and hundreds of cows besides, maidservants and menservants, conveyances, and vast mansions—

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.77.4)

ब्राह्मणेभ्यो ददौ पुत्रः राज्ञः तस्य और्ध्वदैहिकम्। ततः प्रभात समये दिवसे अथ त्रयोदशे॥ 77.4 ॥

brāhmaṇebhyo dadau putraḥ rājñaḥ tasya aurdhvadaihikam| tataḥ prabhāta samaye divase atha trayodaśe

—all these the king's son gave to the brahmins as part of his father's funeral offering. Then, at the break of dawn on the thirteenth day,

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.77.5)

विललाप महा बाहुर् भरतः शोक मूर्चितः। शब्द अपिहित कण्ठः च शोधन अर्थम् उपागतः॥ 77.5 ॥

vilalāpa mahā bāhur bharataḥ śoka mūrcitaḥ| śabda apihita kaṇṭhaḥ ca śodhana artham upāgataḥ

the mighty-armed Bharata, having come there to gather the bones, his voice choked with grief, broke into lamentation, overwhelmed with sorrow.

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.77.6)

चिता मूले पितुर् वाक्यम् इदम् आह सुदुह्खितः। तात यस्मिन् निषृष्टः अहम् त्वया भ्रातरि राघवे॥ 77.6 ॥

citā mūle pitur vākyam idam āha suduhkhitaḥ| tāta yasmin niṣṛṣṭaḥ aham tvayā bhrātari rāghave

At the foot of his father's pyre, deeply anguished, he spoke these words: "Father, that very brother Raghava into whose keeping you placed me—

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.77.7)

तस्मिन् वनम् प्रव्रजिते शून्ये त्यक्तः अस्म्य् अहम् त्वया। यथा गतिर् अनाथायाः पुत्रः प्रव्राजितः वनम्॥ 77.7 ॥

tasmin vanam pravrajite śūnye tyaktaḥ asmy aham tvayā| yathā gatir anāthāyāḥ putraḥ pravrājitaḥ vanam

—he having gone into exile in the forest, I have been left desolate, abandoned by you as well; just as she now stands helpless, whose son, her only refuge, has been sent to the forest.

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.77.8)

ताम् अम्बाम् तात कौसल्याम् त्यक्त्वा त्वम् क्व गतः नृप। दृष्ट्वा भस्म अरुणम् तच् च दग्ध अस्थि स्थान मण्डलम्॥ 77.8 ॥

tām ambām tāta kausalyām tyaktvā tvam kva gataḥ nṛpa| dṛṣṭvā bhasma aruṇam tac ca dagdha asthi sthāna maṇḍalam

O king, O father, where have you gone, leaving that mother Kaushalya behind?" Seeing that reddish-brown circle of ashes, the place where the burnt bones lay,

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.77.9)

पितुः शरीर निर्वाणम् निष्टनन् विषसाद ह। स तु दृष्ट्वा रुदन् दीनः पपात धरणी तले॥ 77.9 ॥

pituḥ śarīra nirvāṇam niṣṭanan viṣasāda ha| sa tu dṛṣṭvā rudan dīnaḥ papāta dharaṇī tale

—his father's body now extinguished—he groaned aloud and sank into despair; and seeing it, that pitiful man fell weeping to the ground,

Shloka 10 (ayodhya.77.10)

उत्थाप्यमानः शक्रस्य यन्त्र ध्वजैव च्युतः। अभिपेतुस् ततः सर्वे तस्य अमात्याः शुचि व्रतम्॥ 77.10 ॥

utthāpyamānaḥ śakrasya yantra dhvajaiva cyutaḥ| abhipetus tataḥ sarve tasya amātyāḥ śuci vratam

like Indra's banner, raised by mechanism, suddenly slipping down. Then all his ministers rushed at once to him, the man of pure vows,

Shloka 11 (ayodhya.77.11)

अन्त काले निपतितम् ययातिम् ऋषयो यथा। शत्रुघ्नः च अपि भरतम् दृष्ट्वा शोक परिप्लुतम्॥ 77.11 ॥

anta kāle nipatitam yayātim ṛṣayo yathā| śatrughnaḥ ca api bharatam dṛṣṭvā śoka pariplutam

just as the sages once rushed to fallen Yayati at the hour of his fall. And Shatrughna too, seeing Bharata drowning in grief,

Shloka 12 (ayodhya.77.12)

विसम्ज्ञो न्यपतत् भूमौ भूमि पालम् अनुस्मरन्। उन्मत्तैव निश्चेता विललाप सुदुह्खितः॥ 77.12 ॥

visamjño nyapatat bhūmau bhūmi pālam anusmaran| unmattaiva niścetā vilalāpa suduhkhitaḥ

remembering the lord of the earth, fell senseless upon the ground; bewildered as one out of his wits, deeply afflicted, he lamented,

Shloka 13 (ayodhya.77.13)

स्मृत्वा पितुर् गुण अन्गानि तनि तानि तदा तदा। मन्थरा प्रभवः तीव्रः कैकेयी ग्राह सम्कुलः॥ 77.13 ॥

smṛtvā pitur guṇa angāni tani tāni tadā tadā| mantharā prabhavaḥ tīvraḥ kaikeyī grāha samkulaḥ

recalling one by one, again and again, his father's many endearing ways: "A violent ocean of grief, born of Manthara, teeming with Kaikeyi as its crocodile,

Shloka 14 (ayodhya.77.14)

वर दानमयो अक्षोभ्यो अमज्जयत् शोक सागरः। सुकुमारम् च बालम् च सततम् लालितम् त्वया॥ 77.14 ॥

vara dānamayo akṣobhyo amajjayat śoka sāgaraḥ| sukumāram ca bālam ca satatam lālitam tvayā

made turbulent by the granting of the boon, has swallowed us. O father, where have you gone, leaving behind this tender child, always cherished by you,

Shloka 15 (ayodhya.77.15)

क्व तात भरतम् हित्वा विलपन्तम् गतः भवान्। ननु भोज्येषु पानेषु वस्त्रेष्व् आभरणेषु च॥ 77.15 ॥

kva tāta bharatam hitvā vilapantam gataḥ bhavān| nanu bhojyeṣu pāneṣu vastreṣv ābharaṇeṣu ca

this Bharata, now lamenting—where have you gone, leaving him behind? In matters of food and drink, of garments and ornaments,

Shloka 16 (ayodhya.77.16)

प्रवारयसि नः सर्वांस् तन् नः को अद्य करिष्यति। अवदारण काले तु पृथिवी न अवदीर्यते॥ 77.16 ॥

pravārayasi naḥ sarvāṃs tan naḥ ko adya kariṣyati| avadāraṇa kāle tu pṛthivī na avadīryate

you used to indulge us all—who will do that for us now? The earth does not split open even now, at the very hour it should,

Shloka 17 (ayodhya.77.17)

विहीना या त्वया राज्ञा धर्मज्ञेन महात्मना। पितरि स्वर्गम् आपन्ने रामे च अरण्यम् आश्रिते॥ 77.17 ॥

vihīnā yā tvayā rājñā dharmajñena mahātmanā| pitari svargam āpanne rāme ca araṇyam āśrite

though bereft of you, the righteous, high-souled king. With father gone to heaven and Rama taken refuge in the forest,

Shloka 18 (ayodhya.77.18)

किम् मे जीवित सामर्थ्यम् प्रवेक्ष्यामि हुत अशनम्। हीनो भ्रात्रा च पित्रा च शून्याम् इक्ष्वाकु पालिताम्॥ 77.18 ॥

kim me jīvita sāmarthyam pravekṣyāmi huta aśanam| hīno bhrātrā ca pitrā ca śūnyām ikṣvāku pālitām

what worth has my life? I shall enter the fire. Bereft of both brother and father, that empty Ayodhya once ruled by the Ikshvakus—

Shloka 19 (ayodhya.77.19)

अयोध्याम् न प्रवेक्ष्यामि प्रवेक्ष्यामि तपो वनम्। तयोः विलपितम् श्रुत्वा व्यसनम् च अन्ववेक्ष्य तत्॥ 77.19 ॥

ayodhyām na pravekṣyāmi pravekṣyāmi tapo vanam| tayoḥ vilapitam śrutvā vyasanam ca anvavekṣya tat

—into that Ayodhya I will not enter; I shall retire instead to a forest of penance." Hearing the lamentation of the two brothers and witnessing their calamity,

Shloka 20 (ayodhya.77.20)

भृशम् आर्ततरा भूयः सर्वएव अनुगामिनः। ततः विषण्णौ श्रान्तौ च शत्रुघ्न भरताव् उभौ॥ 77.20 ॥

bhṛśam ārtatarā bhūyaḥ sarvaeva anugāminaḥ| tataḥ viṣaṇṇau śrāntau ca śatrughna bharatāv ubhau

all their attendants once again were seized with deep anguish. Then both Shatrughna and Bharata, dejected and exhausted,

Shloka 21 (ayodhya.77.21)

धरण्याम् सम्व्यचेष्टेताम् भग्न शृन्गाव् इव ऋषभौ। ततः प्रकृतिमान् वैद्यः पितुर् एषाम् पुरोहितः॥ 77.21 ॥

dharaṇyām samvyaceṣṭetām bhagna śṛngāv iva ṛṣabhau| tataḥ prakṛtimān vaidyaḥ pitur eṣām purohitaḥ

writhed upon the ground like two bulls with broken horns. Then their father's family priest, a man of composed and wise nature,

Shloka 22 (ayodhya.77.22)

वसिष्ठो भरतम् वाक्यम् उत्थाप्य तम् उवाच ह। त्रयोदशोऽयम् दिवसः पितुर्वृत्तस्य ते विभो॥ 77.22 ॥

vasiṣṭho bharatam vākyam utthāpya tam uvāca ha| trayodaśo'yam divasaḥ piturvṛttasya te vibho

Vashishtha, raised Bharata up and spoke these words to him: "This, O lord, is the thirteenth day since your father's passing;

Shloka 23 (ayodhya.77.23)

सावशेषास्थिनिचये किमिह त्वम् विलम्बसे। त्रीणि द्वन्द्वानि भूतेषु प्रवृत्तानि अविशेषतः॥ 77.23 ॥

sāvaśeṣāsthinicaye kimiha tvam vilambase| trīṇi dvandvāni bhūteṣu pravṛttāni aviśeṣataḥ

why do you delay here, when the gathering of the remaining bones is still unfinished? Three pairs of opposites govern all beings without exception—

Shloka 24 (ayodhya.77.24)

तेषु च अपरिहार्येषु न एवम् भवितुम् अर्हति। सुमन्त्रः च अपि शत्रुघ्नम् उत्थाप्य अभिप्रसाद्य च॥ 77.24 ॥

teṣu ca aparihāryeṣu na evam bhavitum arhati| sumantraḥ ca api śatrughnam utthāpya abhiprasādya ca

and since these are unavoidable, you ought not to give way like this." And Sumantra too, raising Shatrughna up and comforting him,

Shloka 25 (ayodhya.77.25)

श्रावयाम् आस तत्त्वज्ञः सर्व भूत भव अभवौ। उत्थितौ तौ नर व्याघ्रौ प्रकाशेते यशस्विनौ॥ 77.25 ॥

śrāvayām āsa tattvajñaḥ sarva bhūta bhava abhavau| utthitau tau nara vyāghrau prakāśete yaśasvinau

he who knew the truth of things, spoke to him of the arising and passing away of all creatures. The two illustrious tigers among men, now risen, shone forth—

Shloka 26 (ayodhya.77.26)

वर्ष आतप परिक्लिन्नौ पृथग् इन्द्र ध्वजाव् इव। अश्रूणि परिमृद्नन्तौ रक्त अक्षौ दीन भाषिणौ॥ 77.26 ॥

varṣa ātapa pariklinnau pṛthag indra dhvajāv iva| aśrūṇi parimṛdnantau rakta akṣau dīna bhāṣiṇau

like a pair of Indra's banners, each worn by rain and sun, wiping away their tears, their eyes red, speaking in piteous tones.

Shloka 27 (ayodhya.77.27)

अमात्याः त्वरयन्ति स्म तनयौ च अपराः क्रियाः॥ 77.27 ॥

amātyāḥ tvarayanti sma tanayau ca aparāḥ kriyāḥ

The ministers then urged the two princes onward to the remaining rites.