Guha's Account to Bharata

Shloka 1 (ayodhya.86.1)

आचचक्षे अथ सद्भावम् लक्ष्मणस्य महात्मनः । भरताय अप्रमेयाय गुहो गहन गोचरः ॥ 86.1 ॥

ācacakṣe atha sadbhāvam lakṣmaṇasya mahātmanaḥ | bharatāya aprameyāya guho gahana gocaraḥ || 86.1 ||

Then Guha, well versed in that dense forest, told the immeasurable Bharata of high-souled Lakshmana's goodness of heart.

Shloka 2 (ayodhya.86.2)

तम् जाग्रतम् गुणैर् युक्तम् वर चाप इषु धारिणम् । भ्रातृ गुप्त्य् अर्थम् अत्यन्तम् अहम् लक्ष्मणम् अब्रवम् ॥ 86.2 ॥

tam jāgratam guṇair yuktam vara cāpa iṣu dhāriṇam | bhrātṛ guptyartham atyantam aham lakṣmaṇam abravam || 86.2 ||

To that watchful Lakshmana—endowed with every virtue, bearing his excellent bow and arrows, ever alert to guard his brother—I said this:

Shloka 3 (ayodhya.86.3)

इयम् तात सुखा शय्या त्वद् अर्थम् उपकल्पिता । प्रत्याश्वसिहि शेष्व अस्याम् सुखम् राघव नन्दन ॥ 86.3 ॥

iyam tāta sukhā śayyā tvad artham upakalpitā | pratyāśvasihi śeṣva asyām sukham rāghava nandana || 86.3 ||

'Dear brother, here is a comfortable bed made ready for you. Take heart, O delight of the Raghus, and rest upon it at ease.'

Shloka 4 (ayodhya.86.4)

उचितो ऽयम् जनः सर्वे दुःखानाम् त्वम् सुख उचितः । धर्मात्मन् तस्य गुप्त्य् अर्थम् जागरिष्यामहे वयम् ॥ 86.4 ॥

ucito'yam janaḥ sarve duḥkhānām tvam sukha ucitaḥ | dharmātman tasya guptyartham jāgariṣyāmahe vayam || 86.4 ||

'O righteous prince, all these people of mine are used to hardship, while you are used to comfort. So we shall stay awake to guard him.'

Shloka 5 (ayodhya.86.5)

न हि रामात् प्रियतरो मम अस्ति भुवि कश्चन । मा उत्सुको भूर् ब्रवीम्य् एतद् अप्य् असत्यम् तव अग्रतः ॥ 86.5 ॥

na hi rāmāt priyataro mama asti bhuvi kaścana | mā utsuko bhūr bravīmy etad apy asatyam tava agrataḥ || 86.5 ||

'There is truly none on earth dearer to me than Rama. Do not be anxious—I speak this as plain truth before you.'

Shloka 6 (ayodhya.86.6)

अस्य प्रसादाद् आशंसे लोके अस्मिन् सुमहद् यशः । धर्म अवाप्तिम् च विपुलाम् अर्थ अवाप्तिम् च केवलाम् ॥ 86.6 ॥

asya prasādād āśaṃse loke asmin sumahad yaśaḥ | dharma avāptim ca vipulām artha avāptim ca kevalām || 86.6 ||

'By his grace alone I hope to win great renown in this world—abundant merit in righteousness, and unblemished gain in wealth.'

Shloka 7 (ayodhya.86.7)

सो ऽहम् प्रिय सखम् रामम् शयानम् सह सीतया । रक्षिष्यामि धनुष्पाणिः सर्वैः स्वैर् ज्ञातिभिः सह ॥ 86.7 ॥

so'ham priya sakham rāmam śayānam saha sītayā | rakṣiṣyāmi dhanuṣpāṇiḥ sarvaiḥ svair jñātibhiḥ saha || 86.7 ||

'So, bow in hand, together with all my own kinsmen, I shall guard my dear friend Rama, who lies asleep here with Sita.'

Shloka 8 (ayodhya.86.8)

न हि मे अविदितम् किंचिद् वने अस्मिन् चरतः सदा । चतुरङ्गम् ह्य् अपि बलम् प्रसहेम वयम् युधि ॥ 86.8 ॥

na hi me aviditam kiṃcid vane asmin carataḥ sadā | caturaṅgam hy api balam prasahema vayam yudhi || 86.8 ||

'Nothing here is unknown to me, who forever wander in this forest. We could overpower even a fourfold army in battle.'

Shloka 9 (ayodhya.86.9)

एवम् अस्माभिर् उक्तेन लक्ष्मणेन महात्मना । अनुनीता वयम् सर्वे धर्मम् एव अनुपश्यता ॥ 86.9 ॥

evam asmābhir uktena lakṣmaṇena mahātmanā | anunītā vayam sarve dharmam eva anupaśyatā || 86.9 ||

Thus addressed by us, high-souled Lakshmana, whose eye was fixed only on what was right, gently answered and pacified us all.

Shloka 10 (ayodhya.86.10)

कथम् दाशरथौ भूमौ शयाने सह सीतया । शक्या निद्रा मया लब्धुम् जीवितम् वा सुखानि वा ॥ 86.10 ॥

katham dāśarathau bhūmau śayāne saha sītayā | śakyā nidrā mayā labdhum jīvitam vā sukhāni vā || 86.10 ||

'While the son of Dasharatha lies on the bare ground with Sita, how could sleep, or even life, or any comfort come to me?'

Shloka 11 (ayodhya.86.11)

यो न देवासुरैः सर्वैः शक्यः प्रसहितुम् युधि । तम् पश्य गुह संविष्टम् तृणेषु सह सीतया ॥ 86.11 ॥

yo na devāsuraiḥ sarvaiḥ śakyaḥ prasahitum yudhi | tam paśya guha saṃviṣṭam tṛṇeṣu saha sītayā || 86.11 ||

'Behold, O Guha—he whom all the gods and demons together could never overpower in battle now lies here on the grass with Sita.'

Shloka 12 (ayodhya.86.12)

महता तपसा लब्धो विविधैः च परिश्रमैः । एको दशरथस्य एष पुत्रः सदृश लक्षणः ॥ 86.12 ॥

mahatā tapasā labdho vividhaiḥ ca pariśramaiḥ | eko daśarathasya eṣa putraḥ sadṛśa lakṣaṇaḥ || 86.12 ||

This Rama, bearing marks equal to his father's own, is the one son that Dasharatha won through great penance and manifold toils.

Shloka 13 (ayodhya.86.13)

अस्मिन् प्रव्राजिते राजा न चिरम् वर्तयिष्यति । विधवा मेदिनी नूनम् क्षिप्रम् एव भविष्यति ॥ 86.13 ॥

asmin pravrājite rājā na ciram vartayiṣyati | vidhavā medinī nūnam kṣipram eva bhaviṣyati || 86.13 ||

'Now that he has been exiled, the king will not live much longer—soon, surely, this earth will be widowed of him.'

Shloka 14 (ayodhya.86.14)

विनद्य सुमहानादम् श्रमेण उपरताः स्त्रियः । निर्घोष उपरतम् नूनम् अद्य राज निवेशनम् ॥ 86.14 ॥

vinadya sumahānādam śrameṇa uparatāḥ striyaḥ | nirghoṣa uparatam nūnam adya rāja niveśanam || 86.14 ||

'Having wailed aloud, the women of the inner apartments must by now have fallen silent from sheer exhaustion, and today the tumult in the royal house must surely have died down.'

Shloka 15 (ayodhya.86.15)

कौसल्या चैव राजा च तथैव जननी मम । न आशंसे यदि ते सर्वे जीवेयुः शर्वरीम् इमाम् ॥ 86.15 ॥

kausalyā caiva rājā ca tathaiva jananī mama | na āśaṃse yadi te sarve jīveyuḥ śarvarīm imām || 86.15 ||

'I do not know whether Kausalya, the king, and my own mother will all live through even this one night.'

Shloka 16 (ayodhya.86.16)

जीवेद् अपि हि मे माता शत्रुघ्नस्य अन्ववेक्षया । दुःखिता या तु कौसल्या वीरसूर् विनशिष्यति ॥ 86.16 ॥

jīved api hi me mātā śatrughnasya anvavekṣayā | duḥkhitā yā tu kausalyā vīrasūr vinaśiṣyati || 86.16 ||

'My own mother may perhaps live on, sustained by watching over Shatrughna—but grieving Kausalya, mother of a hero, will surely perish.'

Shloka 17 (ayodhya.86.17)

अतिक्रान्तम् अतिक्रान्तम् अनवाप्य मनोरथम् । राज्ये रामम् अनिक्षिप्य पिता मे विनशिष्यति ॥ 86.17 ॥

atikrāntam atikrāntam anavāpya manoratham | rājye rāmam anikṣipya pitā me vinaśiṣyati || 86.17 ||

'With his long-cherished wish forever passing him by, unfulfilled, and Rama never installed on the throne, my father will surely die.'

Shloka 18 (ayodhya.86.18)

सिद्धार्थाः पितरम् वृत्तम् तस्मिन् काले ह्य् उपस्थिते । प्रेत कार्येषु सर्वेषु संस्करिष्यन्ति भूमिपम् ॥ 86.18 ॥

siddhārthāḥ pitaram vṛttam tasmin kāle hy upasthite | preta kāryeṣu sarveṣu saṃskariṣyanti bhūmipam || 86.18 ||

'When that hour comes, those whose purpose is already accomplished will perform all the funeral rites for my departed father, the lord of the earth.'

Shloka 19 (ayodhya.86.19)

रम्य चत्वर संस्थानाम् सुविभक्त महापथाम् । हर्म्य प्रासाद सम्पन्नाम् सर्व रत्न विभूषिताम् ॥ 86.19 ॥

ramya catvara saṃsthānām suvibhakta mahāpathām | harmya prāsāda sampannām sarva ratna vibhūṣitām || 86.19 ||

That capital—with its lovely squares and well laid-out main roads, rich with mansions and palaces, adorned with every jewel,

Shloka 20 (ayodhya.86.20)

गज अश्व रथ सम्बाधाम् तूर्य नाद विनादिताम् । सर्व कल्याण सम्पूर्णाम् हृष्ट पुष्ट जन आकुलाम् ॥ 86.20 ॥

gaja aśva ratha sambādhām tūrya nāda vinādhitām | sarva kalyāṇa sampūrṇām hṛṣṭa puṣṭa jana ākulām || 86.20 ||

thronging with elephants, horses and chariots, resounding with the note of trumpets, brimming with every good fortune, crowded with happy, thriving people,

Shloka 21 (ayodhya.86.21)

आराम उद्यान सम्पूर्णाम् समाज उत्सव शालिनीम् । सुखिता विचरिष्यन्ति राज धानीम् पितुर् मम ॥ 86.21 ॥

ārāma udyāna sampūrṇām samāja utsava śālinīm | sukhitā vicariṣyanti rāja dhānīm pitur mama || 86.21 ||

and full of parks and gardens, graced with festive gatherings—through my father's capital city like this, people will one day walk about again in happiness.'

Shloka 22 (ayodhya.86.22)

अपि सत्य प्रतिज्ञेन सार्धम् कुशलिना वयम् । निवृत्ते समये ह्य् अस्मिन् सुखिताः प्रविशेमहि ॥ 86.22 ॥

api satya pratijñena sārdham kuśalinā vayam | nivṛtte samaye hy asmin sukhitāḥ praviśemahi || 86.22 ||

'Shall we too, together with that truthful and unharmed Rama, enter the city rejoicing once this term of exile has run its course?'

Shloka 23 (ayodhya.86.23)

परिदेवयमानस्य तस्य एवम् सुमहात्मनः । तिष्ठतो राज पुत्रस्य शर्वरी सा अत्यवर्तत ॥ 86.23 ॥

paridevayamānasya tasya evam sumahātmanaḥ | tiṣṭhato rāja putrasya śarvarī sā atyavartata || 86.23 ||

Thus lamenting as he stood watch through the night, that great-souled prince let the darkness pass.

Shloka 24 (ayodhya.86.24)

प्रभाते विमले सूर्ये कारयित्वा जटा उभौ । अस्मिन् भागीरथी तीरे सुखम् संतारितौ मया ॥ 86.24 ॥

prabhāte vimale sūrye kārayitvā jaṭā ubhau | asmin bhāgīrathī tīre sukham saṃtāritau mayā || 86.24 ||

'When the sun rose bright and clear, the two of them had their hair matted here on the bank of the Ganga, and I safely ferried them across.'

Shloka 25 (ayodhya.86.25)

जटाधरौ तौ द्रुम चीर वाससौ । महाबलौ कुञ्जर यूथप उपमौ । वर इषु चाप असि धरौ परन्तपौ । व्यवेक्षमाणौ सह सीतया गतौ ॥ 86.25 ॥

jaṭādharau tau druma cīra vāsasau | mahābalau kuñjara yūthapa upamau | vara iṣu cāpa asi dharau parantapau | vyavekṣamāṇau saha sītayā gatau || 86.25 ||

Wearing matted locks and garments of bark, mighty as the lords of elephant herds, those two scorchers of the foe, bearing their excellent bows, arrows and sword, went on with Sita, looking back again and again.