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Ayodhya Kaanda - Sarga 107
In this short Sarga, Rāma, firmly established in his resolve, gives the plain and unemotional narrative of the turn of events, and then concludes, that to be the worthy sons of the king, they must make their father a man of his word, by him living in the Daṇḍaka forest, and Bharata taking the reins of the kingdom in Ayōdhyā.
2.107.1 புநரேவம் ப்ருவாணம் தம்
பரதம் லக்ஷ்மணாக்ரஜ: ।
ப்ரத்யுவாச ததஸ்ஸ்ரீமாந்
ஜ்ஞாதிமத்யேऽபிஸத்க்ருத: ॥
punarēvaṃ bruvāṇaṃ taṃ
bharataṃ lakṣmaṇāgrajaḥ ।
pratyuvāca tataṡṡrīmān
jñātimadhyē'bhisatkṛtaḥ ॥
To Bharata, who thus reiterated his request,
the well regarded and richly endowed
elder brother of Lakshmaṇa
replied in the midst of his kinsmen, saying:
2.107.2 உபபந்நமிதம் வாக்யம்
யத்த்வமேவமபாஷதா: ।
ஜாத: புத்ரோ தஸரதாத்
கைகேய்யாம் ராஜஸத்தமாத் ॥
upapannamidaṃ vākyaṃ
yattvamēvamabhāṣathāḥ ।
jātaḥ putrō daṡarathāt
kaikēyyāṃ rājasattamāt ॥
What you have said is wholly worthy of you,
born of Kaikēyee to Daṡaratha, an eminent king.
2.107.3 புரா ப்ராத: பிதா ந: ஸ
மாதரம் தே ஸமுத்வஹந் ।
மாதாமஹே ஸமாஸ்ரௌஷீத்
ராஜ்யஸுல்கமநுத்தமம் ॥
purā bhrātaḥ pitā naḥ sa
mātaraṃ tē samudvahan ।
mātāmahē samāṡrauṣīt
rājyaṡulkamanuttamam ॥
Long ago, brother,
when our father married your mother,
he promised the unparalleled kingdom
to your grandfather as bride-price. Something is not quite right with this Ṡlōka. The meaning is not very clear.
Did Daṡaratha promise the kingdom to Kaikēyee’s father? Did he promise the entire kingdom or parts of it? Did he already fulfill the promise or not? Or was he paying a share of his revenues?
If this is supposed to mean that Kaikēyee’s son should get the kingdom, why was this not a foregone conclusion? Why would Daṡaratha not honor his word given at the time of his marriage, just as he honored the word given at the time of the war between Dēvas and Asuras? Why would he even consider crowning Rāma?
And, why was this not brought up by Manthara or Kaikēyee or Vasishṭha or Sumantra or anyone else, or Rāma himself earlier?
One good possibility is that this Ṡlōka is not authentic.
2.107.4 தைவாஸுரே ச ஸங்க்ராமே
ஜநந்யை தவ பார்திவ: ।
ஸம்ப்ரஹ்ருஷ்டோ ததௌ ராஜா
வரமாராதித: ப்ரபு: ॥
daivāsurē ca saṅgrāmē
jananyai tava pārthivaḥ ।
samprahṛṣṭō dadau rājā
varamārādhitaḥ prabhuḥ ॥
In the war between the Dēvas and the Asuras,
the lord and king granted your mother a boon
because she served him in an exceptional manner
and he was pleased with her.
2.107.5-6 ததஸ்ஸா ஸம்ப்ரதிஸ்ராவ்ய
தவ மாதா யஸஸ்விநீ ।
அயாசத நரஸ்ரேஷ்டம்
த்வௌ வரௌ வரவர்ணிநீ ॥
தவ ராஜ்யம் நரவ்யாக்ர
மம ப்ரவ்ராஜநம் ததா ।
தௌ ச ராஜா ததா தஸ்யை
நியுக்த: ப்ரததௌ வரௌ ॥
tatassā sampratiṡrāvya
tava mātā yaṡasvinī ।
ayācata naraṡrēṣṭhaṃ
dvau varau varavarṇinī ॥
tava rājyaṃ naravyāghra
mama pravrājanaṃ tathā ।
tau ca rājā tadā tasyai
niyuktaḥ pradadau varau ॥
O tiger among men! Then your mother,
of great complexion and renown,
after securing a promise from him,
asked for the two boons
of kingdom for you and exile for me.
And the king, thus demanded,
granted those two boons.
2.107.7 தேந பித்ராऽஹமப்யத்ர
நியுக்த: புருஷர்ஷப ।
சதுர்தஸ வநே வாஸம்
வர்ஷாணி வரதாநிகம் ॥
tēna pitrā'hamapyatra
niyuktaḥ puruṣarṣabha ।
caturdaṡa vanē vāsaṃ
varṣāṇi varadānikam ॥
O bull among men! Then,
in accordance with that boon,
I have been ordered by father
to live in Vana for fourteen years.
2.107.8 ஸோऽஹம் வநமிதம் ப்ராப்தோ
நிர்ஜநம் லக்ஷ்மணாந்வித: ।
ஸீதயா சாப்ரதித்வந்த்வ:
ஸத்யவாதே ஸ்தித: பிது: ॥
sō'haṃ vanamidaṃ prāptō
nirjanaṃ lakṣmaṇānvitaḥ ।
sītayā cāpratidvandvaḥ
satyavādē sthitaḥ pituḥ ॥
Ordered thus, I came to this uninhabited forest
along with Lakshmaṇa and Seetā,
resolved to uphold father’s word,
with no misgivings whatsoever.
2.107.9 பவாநபி ததேத்யேவ
பிதரம் ஸத்யவாதிநம் ।
கர்துமர்ஹதி ராஜேந்த்ர
க்ஷிப்ரமேவாபிஷேசநாத் ॥
bhavānapi tathētyēva
pitaraṃ satyavādinam ।
kartumarhati rājēndra
kṣipramēvābhiṣēcanāt ॥
Similarly, O lord of people,
you also, to uphold father’s vows,
should get crowned immediately!
2.107.10 ருணாந்மோசய ராஜாநம்
மத்க்ருதே பரத ப்ரபும் ।
பிதரம் சாபி தர்மஜ்ஞம்
மாதரம் சாபிநந்தய ॥
ṛṇānmōcaya rājānaṃ
matkṛtē bharata prabhum ।
pitaraṃ cāpi dharmajñaṃ
mātaraṃ cābhinandaya ॥
O Bharata, for my sake,
relieve our father, the king and Dharmajña,
of his obligation (of fulfilling the boons)
and also, bring joy to your mother.
2.107.11 ஸ்ரூயதே ஹி புரா தாத
ஸ்ருதிர்கீதா யஸஸ்விநா ।
கயேந யஜமாநேந
கயேஷ்வேவ பிதந்ப்ரதி ॥
ສໄຨໍສໍະ
ṡrūyatē hi purā tāta
ṡrutirgītā yaṡasvinā ।
gayēna yajamānēna
gayēṣvēva pit nprati ॥
a్ a్ a
My dear! Don’t we hear the song
about the age old story of renowned Gaya,
who performed a Yajña in Gaya for the ancestors?
Gaya in the second line refers to the king Gaya.
Gaya in the third line refers to the place Gaya.
2.107.12 புந்நாம்நோ நரகாத்யஸ்மாத்
பிதரம் த்ராயதே ஸுத: ।
தஸ்மாத்புத்ர இதி ப்ரோக்த:
பிதந் ய: பாதி ஸர்வத: ॥
punnāmnō narakādyasmāt
pitaraṃ trāyatē sutaḥ ।
tasmātputra iti prōktaḥ
pit n yaḥ pāti sarvataḥ ॥
The son is called ‘Putra’ because
he saves his father from the hell named ‘Put’
and all the ancestors in every way.
2.107.13 ஏஷ்டவ்யா பஹவ: புத்ரா
குணவந்தோ பஹுஸ்ருதா: ।
தேஷாம் வை ஸமவேதாநாமபி
கஸ்சித்கயாம் வ்ரஜேத் ॥
ēṣṭavyā bahavaḥ putrā
guṇavantō bahuṡrutāḥ ।
tēṣāṃ vai samavētānāmapi
kaṡcidgayāṃ vrajēt ॥
One should desire many sons, virtuous and learned,
so that at least one among them might go to Gaya.
2.107.14 ஏவம் ராஜர்ஷயஸ்ஸர்வே
ப்ரதீதா ராஜநந்தந ।
தஸ்மாத்ராஹி நரஸ்ரேஷ்ட
பிதரம் நரகாத்ப்ரபோ ॥
ēvaṃ rājarṣayassarvē
pratītā rājanandana ।
tasmātrāhi naraṡrēṣṭha
pitaraṃ narakātprabhō ॥
O prince, this is how all the visionary kings saw it.
Hence, o lord and best among men,
save father from going to hell.
2.107.15 அயோத்யாம் கச்ச பரத
ப்ரக்ருதீரநுரஞ்ஜய ।
ஸத்ருக்நஸஹிதோ வீர
ஸஹ ஸர்வைர்த்விஜாதிபி: ॥
ayōdhyāṃ gaccha bharata
prakṛtīranurañjaya ।
ṡatrughnasahitō vīra
saha sarvairdvijātibhiḥ ॥
Go to Ayōdhyā, O Bharata, O Veera,
along with Ṡatrughna, and all the Brāhmaṇas
and please the subjects!
2.107.16 ப்ரவேக்ஷ்யே தண்டகாரண்யம்
அஹமப்யவிலம்பயந் ।
ஆப்யாந்து ஸஹிதோ ராஜந்
வைதேஹ்யா லக்ஷ்மணேந ச ॥
pravēkṣyē daṇḍakāraṇyam
ahamapyavilambayan ।
ābhyāntu sahitō rājan
vaidēhyā lakṣmaṇēna ca ॥
With no further delay, I too shall enter the Daṇḍaka forest,
along with this princess of Vidēha and Lakshmaṇa.
2.107.17 த்வம் ராஜா பரத பவ ஸ்வயம் நராணாம்
வந்யாநாமஹமபி ராஜராண்ம்ருகாணாம் ।
கச்ச த்வம் புரவரமத்ய ஸம்ப்ரஹ்ருஷ்ட-
ஸ்ஸம்ஹ்ருஷ்டஸ்த்வஹமபி தண்டகாந்ப்ரவேக்ஷ்யே ॥
tvaṃ rājā bharata bhava svayaṃ narāṇāṃ
vanyānāmahamapi rājarāṇmṛgāṇām ।
gaccha tvaṃ puravaramadya samprahṛṣṭa-
ssaṃhṛṣṭastvahamapi daṇḍakānpravēkṣyē ॥
O Bharata! You become the king of people,
and in the Vana, I too will become
the supreme king of all the animals.
You go happily to that great city.
I too will happily go to Daṇḍaka!
2.107.18 சாயாம் தே திநகரபா: ப்ரபாதமாநாம்
வர்ஷத்ரம் பரத கரோது மூர்த்நி ஸீதாம் ।
ஏதேஷாமஹமபி காநநத்ருமாணாம்
சாயாம் தாமதிஸயிநீம் ஸுகீ ஸ்ரயிஷ்யே ॥
chāyāṃ tē dinakarabhāḥ prabādhamānāṃ
varṣatraṃ bharata karōtu mūrdhni ṡītām ।
ētēṣāmahamapi kānanadrumāṇāṃ
chāyāṃ tāmatiṡayinīṃ sukhī ṡrayiṣyē ॥
O Bharata, let the umbrella (of State)
give a tough time to the scorching rays of the sun
and give cool shade for your head.
I too shall be happy, taking shelter in the
even more pleasant shade of these forest trees.
2.107.19 ஸத்ருக்ந: குஸலமதிஸ்து தே ஸஹாய:
ஸௌமித்ரிர்மம விதித: ப்ரதாநமித்ரம் ।
சத்வாரஸ்தநயவரா வயம் நரேந்த்ரம்
ஸத்யஸ்தம் பரத சராம மா விஷீத ॥
ṡatrughnaḥ kuṡalamatistu tē sahāyaḥ
saumitrirmama viditaḥ pradhānamitram ।
catvārastanayavarā vayaṃ narēndraṃ
satyasthaṃ bharata carāma mā viṣīda ॥
O Bharat, do not worry.
Ṡatrughna, the skilled counselor,
will be your companion.
And the son of Sumitrā, as is well known,
will stay as my best friend.
We, the four exemplary sons of the King,
will make the lord of the people,
a man of his word. Rāma is often mistaken as a mere obedient son, someone who carries out the command of the father without a question. It is much more than that. He abided by his father’s word, to make his father a man of his word.
Someone who keeps not only his word but also his father’s word is a rarity. And people speak of him for ages. And that is why Rāmāyaṇa has lived for so long.
For millennia, this extraordinary quality of Rāma resonated in the village communities of India, where it is very common to see people giving a word only to forget it, much less keep a word given by their forefathers.
This, indeed, is a pivotal Ṡlōka of Rāmāyaṇa.
இத்யார்ஷே ஸ்ரீமத்ராமாயணே
வால்மீகீயே ஆதிகாவ்யே
அயோத்யாகாண்டே
ஸப்தோத்தரஸததமஸ்ஸர்க: ।
ityārṣē ṡrīmadrāmāyaṇē
vālmīkīyē ādikāvyē
ayōdhyākāṇḍē
saptōttaraṡatatamassargaḥ ।
Thus concludes the one hundred and seventh Sarga
in Ayōdhyā Kāṇḍa of the glorious Rāmāyaṇa,
the first ever poem of humankind,
composed by Vālmeeki.
You have completed reading 6185 Ṡlōkas out of ~24,000 Ṡlōkas of Vālmeeki Rāmāyaṇa.
Meaning, notes and commentary by: Krishna Sharma.