Bharata experiences a bad dream on that very night in which the messengers entered the city of Girivraja. His friends in the palace arranged entertainment like recitation of stories, playing of musical instruments, stage plays and jokes to make him cheerful. Even then, his depression was not gone. Bharata explains in detail his unpleasant dream in its different forms to his friends.
Chapter [Sarga] 69 in Detail
yaam eva raatrim te duutaah pravishanti sma taam puriim |
bharatena api taam raatrim svapno dristah ayam apriyah || 2-69-1
On that very night those messengers entered the city; Bharata also had experienced an unpleasant dream.
vyustaam eva tu taam raatrim dristvaa tam svapnam apriyam |
putrah raaja adhiraajasya subhrisham paryatapyata || 2-69-2
Bharata, the son of Dasaratha the paramount sovereign, after seeing that unpleasant dream just at the dawn of that night, felt very much anguished.
tapyamaanam samaajnaaya vayasyaah priya vaadinah |
aayaasam hi vinesyantah sabhaayaam cakrire kathaah || 2-69-3
Knowing Bharata to have been in anguish, his graceful speaking friends arranged recitation of stories in the palace; so as to erase his anguish.
vaadayanti tathaa shaantim laasayanti api ca apare |
naatakaani apare praahur haasyaani vividhaani ca || 2-69-4
Some played musical instruments for bringing about peacefulness. Likewise some others arranged for exhibition of dramas and some others told various types of jokes.
sa taih mahaatmaa bharatah sakhibhih priya vaadibhih |
gosthii haasyaani kurvadbhir na praahrisyata raaghavah || 2-69-5
That high-soled Bharata born in Raghu Dynasty could not be made cheerful by his gently speaking friends by stage-plays or jokes.
tam abraviit priya sakho bharatam sakhibhir vritam |
suhridbhih paryupaasiinah kim sakhe na anumodase || 2-69-6
A close friend spoke to Bharata, who was surrounded by his companions, as follows, “O, friend! Why are you not rejoicing, even when entertained by your friends?”
evam bruvaanam suhridam bharatah pratyuvaaca ha |
shrinu tvam yan nimittamme dainyam etat upaagatam || 2-69-7
Bharata replied to the friend who spoke thus, as follows “You listen to me the reason for which this depression came to me”
svapne pitaram adraaksam malinam mukta muurdhajam |
patantam adri shikharaat kaluse gomaye hrade || 2-69-8
“I have seen a dream in which my father with his soiled body and with his hair disheveled, was falling from the top of a mountain into a polluted pond defiled with cow dung.
plavamaanah ca me dristah sa tasmin gomaya hrade |
pibann anjalinaa tailam hasann iva muhur muhuh || 2-69-9
“He was seen by me, as he was floating in that pond defiled with cow dung, drinking an oil through his hollowed palms and laughing again and again”
tatah tilodanam bhuktvaa punah punar adhah shiraah |
tailena abhyakta sarva angah tailam eva avagaahata || 2-69-10
“Thereafter, having eaten cooked rice mixed with gingelly seeds repeatedly, with his head bent down and with his whole body smeared with oil, he plunged into the oil itself
svapne api saagaram shuskam candram ca patitam bhuvi |
sahasaa ca api samshantam jvalitam jaata vedasam || 2-69-11
aupavaahyasya naagasya visaanam shakaliikritam |
sahasaa caapi samshaantam jvalitam jaatavedasam || 2-69-12
avadiirnaam ca prithiviim shuskaamh ca vividhaan drumaan |
aham pashyaami vidhvastaan sadhuumaamh caiva paarvataan || 2-69-13
“I saw in the dream, the ocean dry up, the moon fall on the ground, the earth molested as if covered by darkness, a tusk of an elephant (on which the monarch rode) broken to pieces, a blazing fire suddenly extinguished, the earth riven, the various trees dry up, and the mountains whirl up into a mist.”
piithe kaarsnaayase ca enam nisannam krisna vaasasam |
prahasanti sma raajaanam pramadaah krisna pingalaah || 2-69-14
“I saw my father in the dream, wearing black clothes, sitting on a stool made of iron and women with black and reddish brown complexion deriding the king.”
tvaramaanah ca dharma aatmaa rakta maalya anulepanah |
rathena khara yuktena prayaatah daksinaa mukhah || 2-69-15
“My father, the virtuous man, adorned with red garlands and his body besmeared with sandal paste and seated in a chariot drawn by asses, proceeded hurriedly towards the south.”
prahasantiiva raajaanam pramadaa raktavaasinii |
prakarsantii mayaa dristaa raakshasii vikritaasanaa || 2-69-16
“I saw an ugly faced female demon, wearing red colored clothes, laughingly dragging away the king.
evam etan mayaa dristam imaam raatrim bhaya aavahaam |
aham raamah atha vaa raajaa laksmano vaa marisyati || 2-69-17
“This fearful dream was seen thus by me during that night. I myself or the king or Lakshmana may die.”
narah yaanena yah svapne khara yuktena yaati hi |
aciraat tasya dhuuma agram citaayaam sampradrishyate || 2-69-18
“If in a dream, a person sees a man going in a chariot, yoked with donkeys, the smoke of a funeral pyre will soon be seen ascending him.”
etan nimittam diino aham tan na vah pratipuujaye |
shusyati iva ca me kantho na svastham iva me manah || 2-69-19
“For this reason, I have become broken hearted. Hence, I am not able to treat you properly. My throat seems to be drying up. My mind is not at ease.”
na pashyaami bhayasthaanam bhayam caivopadhaaraye |
bhrastashca svarayogo me chaayaa copahataa mama || 2-69-20
jugupsann iva ca aatmaanam na ca pashyaami kaaranam |
“I do not see the root cause of this fear. But I am experiencing a fear indeed. My voice is choked. My luster is affected. I abhor me myself and I do not see a reason for it.”
imaam hi duhsvapna gatim nishaamya taam |
aneka ruupaam avitarkitaam puraa |
bhayam mahat tadd hridayaan na yaati me |
vicintya raajaanam acintya darshanam || 2-69-21
“That great fear is not going away from my heart, having seen such a course of this bad dream in varied forms and which dream was not imagined by me earlier and also reflecting on that inconceivable sight of the king.”
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye ayodhyaakaande ekonasaptatitamah sargah
Thus completes 69th Chapter of Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate