The messengers entered the city of Rajagriha and meet the king Kekeya and prince Yudhaajit. They request Bharata to start for Ayodhya urgently. Bharata seeks permission from king Kekeya his maternal uncle. King Kekeya gives permission to Bharata to leave for Ayodhya and bestows him various gifts. Bharata and Satrughna along with men. elephants and horses start his journey for Ayodhya.
Chapter [Sarga] 70 in Detail
bharate bruvati svapnam duutaah te klaanta vaahanaah |
pravishya asahya parikham ramyam raaja griham puram || 2-70-1
samaagamya tu raajnaa ca raaja putrena ca arcitaah |
raajnah paadau grihiitvaa tu tam uucur bharatam vacah || 2-70-2
While Bharata was narrating his dream, the messengers whose horses were tired, entered the beautiful city called Rajagriha, which has too big a palace-gate and met the king Kekeya and the prince Yudhaajit, who received them hospitably. They saluted the feet of the king Kekeya and spoke the following words to Bharata:
purohitah tvaa kushalam praaha sarve ca mantrinah |
tvaramaanah ca niryaahi krityam aatyayikam tvayaa || 2-70-3
“Vasistha, the family-priest and all the ministers were asking about your welfare. Come forth indeed quickly. There is an urgent work with you.”
imaani ca mahaarhaani vastraanyaabharanaani ca |
pratigrihya vishaalaaksha maatulasya ca daapaya || 2-70-4
“O, Bharata the wide-eyed man! Take these very valuable clothes and jewels and give them to your maternal uncle”
atra vimshati kotyah tu nripater maatulasya te |
dasha kotyah tu sampuurnaah tathaiva ca nripa aatmaja || 2-70-5
“O, prince! In these jewels and clothes, a worth of hundred crores is to be given to the king Kekeya and likewise a worth of ten crores in full to your maternal uncle."
pratigrihya ca tat sarvam svanuraktah suhrij jane |
duutaan uvaaca bharatah kaamaih sampratipuujya taan || 2-70-6
Bharata, who had a great affection towards his kind hearted relatives, took all that, honored these messengers profusely with gifts of their liking and spoke(as follows) :
kaccit sukushalii raajaa pitaa dasharatho mama |
kaccic ca araagataa raame laksmane vaa mahaatmani || 2-70-7
“I hope that king Dasaratha, my father is quite safe. I also hope that Rama and the high-soled Lakshmana are well.”
aaryaa ca dharma nirataa dharmajnaa dharma darshinii |
arogaa ca api kausalyaa maataa raamasya dhiimatah || 2-70-8
“Is Kausalya, the venerable lady, who is intent on virtue, who knows righteousness, who visualizes goodness and who is the mother of the wise Rama, also well? “
kaccit sumitraa dharmajnaa jananii laksmanasya yaa |
shatrughnasya ca viirasya saarogaa ca api madhyamaa || 2-70-9
“I hope that Sumitra, who knows righteousness, who is the mother of Lakshmana as well as the heroic Satrughna and our middle mother, is well.”
aatma kaamaa sadaa candii krodhanaa praajna maaninii |
arogaa ca api kaikeyii maataa me kim uvaaca ha || 2-70-10
“As Kaikeyi, who loves herself, a forever fiery lady of wrathful nature, who prides herself to be highly intelligent and my mother, also well? What did she say?”
evam uktaah tu te duutaa bharatena mahaatmanaa |
uucuh samprashritam vaakyam idam tam bharatam tadaa || 2-70-11
On hearing the words of the high soled Bharata, those messengers then respectfully spoke to Bharata as follows:
kushalaah te nara vyaaghra yesaam kushalam icchasi |
shriishca tvaam vrinute padmaa yujyataam caapi te rakah || 2-70-12
“O, tiger among men! Those, of whom you do enquire, are all well. The goddess of prosperity, holding a lotus in her hand, awaits you. Let your chariot be made ready.”
bharatah ca api taan duutaan evam uktah abhyabhaasata |
aapricche aham mahaa raajam duutaah samtvarayanti maam || 2-70-13
Hearing the words Bharata spoke to the messengers as follows: “I will get permission from the monarch (to leave for Ayodhya) saying that the messengers are hastening me up.”
evam uktvaa tu taan duutaan bharatah paarthiva aatmajah |
duutaih samcoditah vaakyam maataamaham uvaaca ha || 2-70-14
Bharata the prince having been asked to move quickly (to Ayodhya) by the messengers, spoke as aforesaid to those messengers and uttered the following words to his maternal uncle:
raajan pitur gamisyaami sakaasham duuta coditah |
punar api aham esyaami yadaa me tvam smarisyasi || 2-70-15
“O, king! Requested by the messengers to come to Ayodhya urgently, I am going to my father’s presence. I shall again come, whenever you recall me.”
bharatena evam uktah tu nripo maataamahah tadaa |
tam uvaaca shubham vaakyam shirasy aaghraaya raaghavam || 2-70-16
Hearing the words of Bharata, the king Kekeya, his maternal uncle smelled (as a token of affection) the head of Bharata and spoke the following auspicious words:
gaccha taata anujaane tvaam kaikeyii suprajaah tvayaa |
maataram kushalam bruuyaah pitaram ca param tapa || 2-70-17
“Go, my dear child! I am permitting you. Kaikeyi is fortunate to have a good son like you. Bear my greetings to your mother and father.”
purohitam ca kushalam ye ca anye dvija sattamaah |
tau ca taata mahaa isvaasau bhraataru raama laksmanau || 2-70-18
“My dear child! Pay obeisance to your family priest, the other illustrious Brahmins and your brothers Rama and Lakshmana the wielders of bows.”
tasmai hasti uttamaamh citraan kambalaan ajinaani ca |
abhisatkritya kaikeyo bharataaya dhanam dadau || 2-70-19
The king Kekaya, treating him hospitably gave that Bharata the best of elephants, woolen clothes of varied colors, antelope skins and riches (gold and silver vessels etc).
rukma niska sahasre dve sodasha ashva shataani ca |
satkritya kaikeyii putram kekayo dhanam aadishat || 2-70-20
The king Kekeya generously gave as gifts to Bharata, two thousands coins of gold and sixteen hundred horses.
tathaa amaatyaan abhipretaan vishvaasyaamh ca guna anvitaan |
dadaav ashva patih shiighram bharataaya anuyaayinah || 2-70-21
Likewise, Aswapathi sent some attendants, who were dear, reliable, endowed with virtues and inmates of his palace with Bharata (to accompany him on the return journey)
airaavataan aindra shiraan naagaan vai priya darshanaan |
kharaan shiighraan susamyuktaan maatulo asmai dhanam dadau || 2-70-22
Yudhaajit, his maternal uncle gave him as gifts, elephants of Airavata race born in Indrasira mountain-range and which were charming to behold as well as mules which could walk quickly and were well trained
antah pure atisamvriddhaan vyaaghra viirya bala anvitaan |
damstra aayudhaan mahaa kaayaan shunah ca upaayanam dadau || 2-70-23
He gave as a gift, large bodied dogs, which were well nourished in the gynaeceum, possessing strength and vitality of a tiger and which were using their tusks as weapons.
sa maataamaham aapricchya maatulam ca yudhaa jitam |
ratham aaruhya bharatah shatrughna sahitah yayau || 2-70-24
The wealth of gifts bestowed by the king Kekeya did not rejoice Bharata, Kaikeyi’s son, who was then in a hurry to go.
babhuuva hyasya hridate cintaa sumahatii tadaa |
tvarayaa caapi duutaanaam svapnasyaapi ca darshanaat || 2-70-25
Due to goading of messengers and visualization of the dream, a very big worry was formed at that time in his heart.
sa svaveshmaabhyatikramya naranaagashvasamvritam |
prapede sumahachchhriimaan raajamaargamanuttamam || 2-70-26
The glorious Bharata crossed his very big palace, augmented with men elephants and horses and entered the excellent royal high way.
abhyatiitya tato.apashyadantah puramudaaradhiih |
tatastadbharatah shriimaanaaviveshaanivaaritah || 2-70-27
The sagacious Bharata crossed the royal high way and perceived the gynoecia. Then, the glorious Bharata entered those gynoecia.
sa maataa mahamaapricchya maatulam ca yudhaajitam |
rathamaaruhya bharatah shatrughnasahito yayau || 2-70-28
Bharata took leave of his maternal grandfather and also Yudhajit, his maternal uncle and set out on a chariot (for Ayodhya) along with Satrughna.
rathaan mandala cakraamh ca yojayitvaa parah shatam |
ustra go ashva kharaih bhrityaa bharatam yaantam anvayuh || 2-70-29
With more than hundred chariots variegated with jewels yoked to camels, bullocks, horses and mules as also servants followed Bharata as he departed.
balena guptah bharatah mahaatmaa |
saha aaryakasya aatma samaih amaatyaih |
aadaaya shatrughnam apeta shatrur |
grihaat yayau siddhaiva indra lokaat || 2-70-30
Being protected by the army, the high soled Bharata, who was free from enemies, taking Shatrughna along with other companions good enough to him, started from the palace of his venerable maternal uncle, as a Siddha(a semi- divine being of great purity and perfection and said to possess supernatural faculties) would start from Indra loka (the world of celestials).
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye ayodhyaakaande saptatitamah sargah
Thus completes 70th Chapter of Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate