Bharata Refuses the Throne

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.79.1)

ततः प्रभात समये दिवसे अथ चतुर्दशे। समेत्य राज कर्तारः भरतम् वाक्यम् अब्रुवन्॥ 79.1 ॥

tataḥ prabhāta samaye divase atha caturdaśe| sametya rāja kartāraḥ bharatam vākyam abruvan

Then, at the break of dawn on the fourteenth day, the king-makers assembled and spoke these words to Bharata:

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.79.2)

गतः दशरथः स्वर्गम् यो नो गुरुतरः गुरुः। रामम् प्रव्राज्य वै ज्येष्ठम् लक्ष्मणम् च महा बलम्॥ 79.2 ॥

gataḥ daśarathaḥ svargam yo no gurutaraḥ guruḥ| rāmam pravrājya vai jyeṣṭham lakṣmaṇam ca mahā balam

"Dasharatha, who was our most venerable master, has gone to heaven, having sent away his eldest son Rama and the mighty Lakshmana.

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.79.3)

त्वम् अद्य भव नो राजा राज पुत्र महा यशः। सम्गत्या न अपराध्नोति राज्यम् एतत् अनायकम्॥ 79.3 ॥

tvam adya bhava no rājā rāja putra mahā yaśaḥ| samgatyā na aparādhnoti rājyam etat anāyakam

O highly renowned prince, be our king from this day. By good fortune this kingdom has not yet come to harm, even without a ruler.

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.79.4)

आभिषेचनिकम् सर्वम् इदम् आदाय राघव। प्रतीक्षते त्वाम् स्व जनः श्रेणयः च नृप आत्मज॥ 79.4 ॥

ābhiṣecanikam sarvam idam ādāya rāghava| pratīkṣate tvām sva janaḥ śreṇayaḥ ca nṛpa ātmaja

O Raghava, O prince, taking up all these things gathered for the coronation, your own people and the guilds of the city await you."

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.79.5)

राज्यम् गृहाण भरत पितृ पैतामहम् महत्। अभिषेचय च आत्मानम् पाहि च अस्मान् नर ऋषभ॥ 79.5 ॥

rājyam gṛhāṇa bharata pitṛ paitāmaham mahat| abhiṣecaya ca ātmānam pāhi ca asmān nara ṛṣabha

"Take up, O Bharata, this great kingdom that has come down from your fathers and forefathers; consecrate yourself, and protect us, O foremost among men."

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.79.6)

आभिषेचनिकम् भाण्डम् कृत्वा सर्वम् प्रदक्षिणम्। भरतः तम् जनम् सर्वम् प्रत्युवाच धृत व्रतः॥ 79.6 ॥

ābhiṣecanikam bhāṇḍam kṛtvā sarvam pradakṣiṇam| bharataḥ tam janam sarvam pratyuvāca dhṛta vrataḥ

Bharata, firm in his resolve, walked round all the vessels prepared for the consecration and replied to all those assembled people:

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.79.7)

ज्येष्ठस्य राजता नित्यम् उचिता हि कुलस्य नः। न एवम् भवन्तः माम् वक्तुम् अर्हन्ति कुशला जनाः॥ 79.7 ॥

jyeṣṭhasya rājatā nityam ucitā hi kulasya naḥ| na evam bhavantaḥ mām vaktum arhanti kuśalā janāḥ

"In our line, kingship rightly belongs always to the eldest; you, being wise and well-versed people, ought not to speak to me in this way.

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.79.8)

रामः पूर्वो हि नो भ्राता भविष्यति मही पतिः। अहम् तु अरण्ये वत्स्यामि वर्षाणि नव पन्च च॥ 79.8 ॥

rāmaḥ pūrvo hi no bhrātā bhaviṣyati mahī patiḥ| aham tu araṇye vatsyāmi varṣāṇi nava panca ca

Rama, our eldest brother, shall be the lord of the earth; I, for my part, shall dwell in the forest for fourteen years.

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.79.9)

युज्यताम् महती सेना चतुर् अन्ग महा बला। आनयिष्याम्य् अहम् ज्येष्ठम् भ्रातरम् राघवम् वनात्॥ 79.9 ॥

yujyatām mahatī senā catur anga mahā balā| ānayiṣyāmy aham jyeṣṭham bhrātaram rāghavam vanāt

Let a great and mighty fourfold army be made ready; I myself shall bring back my eldest brother, Raghava, from the forest.

Shloka 10 (ayodhya.79.10)

आभिषेचनिकम् चैव सर्वम् एतत् उपस्कृतम्। पुरः कृत्य गमिष्यामि राम हेतोर् वनम् प्रति॥ 79.10 ॥

ābhiṣecanikam caiva sarvam etat upaskṛtam| puraḥ kṛtya gamiṣyāmi rāma hetor vanam prati

Taking with me all these things prepared here for the coronation, I shall go to the forest for Rama's sake.

Shloka 11 (ayodhya.79.11)

तत्र एव तम् नर व्याघ्रम् अभिषिच्य पुरः कृतम्। आनेष्यामि तु वै रामम् हव्य वाहम् इव अध्वरात्॥ 79.11 ॥

tatra eva tam nara vyāghram abhiṣicya puraḥ kṛtam| āneṣyāmi tu vai rāmam havya vāham iva adhvarāt

Consecrating that tiger among men there itself and placing him at the fore, I shall surely bring Rama back, as one brings home the sacrificial fire from a rite.

Shloka 12 (ayodhya.79.12)

न सकामा करिष्यामि स्वम् इमाम् मातृ गन्धिनीम्। वने वत्स्याम्य् अहम् दुर्गे रामः राजा भविष्यति॥ 79.12 ॥

na sakāmā kariṣyāmi svam imām mātṛ gandhinīm| vane vatsyāmy aham durge rāmaḥ rājā bhaviṣyati

I shall not let this so-called mother of mine have her desire fulfilled. I shall dwell in the impassable forest; Rama shall be king.

Shloka 13 (ayodhya.79.13)

क्रियताम् शिल्पिभिः पन्थाः समानि विषमाणि च। रक्षिणः च अनुसम्यान्तु पथि दुर्ग विचारकाः॥ 79.13 ॥

kriyatām śilpibhiḥ panthāḥ samāni viṣamāṇi ca| rakṣiṇaḥ ca anusamyāntu pathi durga vicārakāḥ

Let the artisans prepare a road, levelling the uneven ground along with the smooth; and let guards skilled in moving through wild terrain accompany us on the way."

Shloka 14 (ayodhya.79.14)

एवम् सम्भाषमाणम् तम् राम हेतोर् नृप आत्मजम्। प्रत्युवाच जनः सर्वः श्रीमद् वाक्यम् अनुत्तमम्॥ 79.14 ॥

evam sambhāṣamāṇam tam rāma hetor nṛpa ātmajam| pratyuvāca janaḥ sarvaḥ śrīmad vākyam anuttamam

To that prince, thus speaking for Rama's sake, all the people replied with these noble and excellent words:

Shloka 15 (ayodhya.79.15)

एवम् ते भाषमाणस्य पद्मा श्रीर् उपतिष्ठताम्। यः त्वम् ज्येष्ठे नृप सुते पृथिवीम् दातुम् इच्चसि॥ 79.15 ॥

evam te bhāṣamāṇasya padmā śrīr upatiṣṭhatām| yaḥ tvam jyeṣṭhe nṛpa sute pṛthivīm dātum iccasi

"May the lotus-throned goddess of fortune ever attend you, who, speaking thus, wish to give the earth to the king's eldest son.

Shloka 16 (ayodhya.79.16)

अनुत्तमम् तत् वचनम् नृप आत्मज। प्रभाषितम् संश्रवणे निशम्य च। प्रहर्षजाः तम् प्रति बाष्प बिन्दवो। निपेतुर् आर्य आनन नेत्र सम्भवाः॥ 79.16 ॥

anuttamam tat vacanam nṛpa ātmaja| prabhāṣitam saṃśravaṇe niśamya ca| praharṣajāḥ tam prati bāṣpa bindavo| nipetur ārya ānana netra sambhavāḥ

Hearing that most excellent word spoken by the prince close to their ears, tears born of joy fell from the faces and eyes of those venerable men.

Shloka 17 (ayodhya.79.17)

ऊचुस् ते वचनम् इदम् निशम्य हृष्टाः। सामात्याः सपरिषदो वियात शोकाः। पन्थानम् नर वर भक्तिमान् जनः च। व्यादिष्टः तव वचनाच् च शिल्पि वर्गः॥ 79.17 ॥

ūcus te vacanam idam niśamya hṛṣṭāḥ| sāmātyāḥ sapariṣado viyāta śokāḥ| panthānam nara vara bhaktimān janaḥ ca| vyādiṣṭaḥ tava vacanāc ca śilpi vargaḥ

Hearing this, the councillors together with the ministers rejoiced, their grief now gone, and said: "O best of men, your devoted people and the guild of artisans have already been instructed, by your own word, to build the road."