Bharata censures Kaikeyi saying that because of her, Dasaratha is dead and Rama is sent to exile. He abuses his mother of her greed for the kingdom and the misfortune thus brought to Kausalya, Sumitra and other mothers because of his father’s death and brother’s exile to the forest. He compares the grief of the Kausalya with the grief of Kaamadhenu the mythical cow who was aggrieved of a pair of bullocks (her sons) being harassed by a plough –man. Bharata then promises that he would bring Rama back to Ayodhya and make him as a king.
Chapter [Sarga] 74 in Detail
taam tathaa garhayitvaa tu maataram bharatah tadaa |
rosena mahataa aavistah punar eva abraviid vacah || 2-74-1
Reproaching Kaikeyi in that manner, Bharata again spoke the following words, wrapped as he was in great anger.
raajyaat bhramshasva kaikeyi nrishamse dusta caarini |
parityaktaa ca dharmena maa mritam rudatii bhava || 2-74-2
“O, Kaikeyi! The cruel and evil–mannered woman! Get lost from this kingdom. You having abandoned righteousness, remain lamenting about me, who will be dead soon.”
kim nu te aduusayad raajaa raamah vaa bhrisha dhaarmikah |
yayoh mrityur vivaasah ca tvat krite tulyam aagatau || 2-74-3
“What harm king Dasaratha or the highly righteous Rama have done to you so harshly that Dasaratha’s death and Rama’s exile have occurred at one and the same time because of you?”
bhruunahatyaam asi praaptaa kulasya asya vinaashanaat |
kaikeyi narakam gaccha maa ca bhartuh salokataam || 2-74-4
“O, Kaikeyi! You got the sin of killing an embryo because of the destruction of this race. O, Kaikeyi! Go to hell .Do not get the residence in the same heaven as your husband.”
yattvayaa hiidrisham paapam kritam ghorena karmanaa |
sarvalokapriyam hitvaa mamaapyaapaaditam bhayam || 2-74-5
“You have done this terrific act and committed such a great sin. By forsaking the persons beloved by all, an alarm has been created in me also.”
tvat krite me pitaa vrittah raamah ca aranyam aashritah |
ayasho jiiva loke ca tvayaa aham pratipaaditah || 2-74-6
“My father died and Rama is dwelling in a forest, because of you. You got me ill fame in this world of beings.”
maatri ruupe mama amitre nrishamse raajya kaamuke |
na te aham abhibhaasyo asmi durvritte pati ghaatini || 2-74-7
“Though in appearance you are my mother, you are inimical to me. You are a cruel woman, greedy of kingdom. With evil conduct, you killed your husband. I should never speak to you.”
kausalyaa ca sumitraa ca yaah ca anyaa mama maatarah |
duhkhena mahataa aavistaah tvaam praapya kula duusiniim || 2-74-8
“Kausalya, Sumitra and my other mothers are engrossed in a great misfortune, by falling victim to you, who brought disgrace to our family.”
na tvam ashva pateh kanyaa dharma raajasya dhiimatah |
raaksasii tatra jaataa asi kula pradhvamsinii pituh || 2-74-9
yat tvayaa dhaarmiko raamah nityam satya paraayanah |
vanam prasthaapitah duhkhaat pitaa ca tridivam gatah || 2-74-10
“The righteous Rama, who is forever devoted to truth, was sent to the forest. Due to grief for his son, my father went to heaven. You do not seem to be the daughter of Asvapati, the pious and sensible king. You were born there as a demo ness, to destroy the house of my father.”
yat pradhaanaa asi tat paapam mayi pitraa vinaa krite |
bhraatribhyaam ca parityakte sarva lokasya ca apriye || 2-74-11
“The aforesaid sin you have committed has made me father less. Besides, I have been abandoned by my brothers and all the people dislike me now.”
kausalyaam dharma samyuktaam viyuktaam paapa nishcaye |
kritvaa kam praapsyase tu adya lokam niraya gaaminii || 2-74-12
“O, woman having evil desires, moving towards hell! Which world will you attain now, after making Kausalya endowed with righteousness, deprived of her son?”
kim na avabudhyase kruure niyatam bandhu samshrayam |
jyestham pitri samam raamam kausalyaaya aatma sambhavam || 2-74-13
“O, cruel woman! Don’t you know that Rama the son of Kausalya is a subdued man, who is devoted to his relatives and as an eldest brother, equal to a father?”
anga pratyangajah putrah hridayaac ca api jaayate |
tasmaat priyatarah maatuh priyatvaan na tu baandhavah || 2-74-14
“A son is the most beloved to his mother as he is born from the primary and secondary limbs of her body and also from her heart. The other relatives are only like friends.”
anyadaa kila dharmajnaa surabhih sura sammataa |
vahamaanau dadarsha urvyaam putrau vigata cetasau || 2-74-15
“Once upon a time, Kaamadhenu the mythical cow of Vasista, who knew righteousness and was worshipped by celestials, is said to have seen her sons, drawing a heavy burden on earth and became unconscious.”
taav ardha divase shraantau dristvaa putrau mahii tale |
ruroda putra shokena baaspa paryaakula iiksanaa || 2-74-16
“Seeing her sons (a pair of bullocks) fatigued, after toiling for half a part of their day on earth, Kaamadhenu the mythical cow cried with her eyes full of tears in grief for the fate of her sons.”
adhastaat vrajatah tasyaah sura raajno mahaatmanah |
bindavah patitaa gaatre suuksmaah surabhi gandhinah || 2-74-17
“Small and sweet smelling tear drops of that mythical cow fell on the limbs of the high soled Indra the lord of celestials, who was traveling below in a lower region.”
indro.apyashrunipaatam tam svagaatre punyagandhinam |
surabhim manyate dristvaa bhuuyasiim taam sureshvarah || 2-74-18
“Seeing those sweet- scented tears falling on his limbs, Indra the Lord of celestials identified the tears to be those of the great Kaamadhenu the mythical cow.”
niriiksamaanah shakrastaam dadarsha surabhim sthitaam |
aakaashe visthitaam diinaam rudatiim bhrishaduhkhitaam || 2-74-19
“Looking into the sky, Indra saw that Kaamadhenu standing there with anguish and pitiably weeping with great grief.”
taam dristvaa shoka samtaptaam vajra paanir yashasviniim |
indrah praanjalir udvignah sura raajo abraviid vacah || 2-74-20
“Indra the lord of celestials with a thunder bolt in his hand, seeing that beautiful Kaamadhenu the mythical cow, tormented with grief, spoke eagerly with joined palms to her, as follows:
bhayam kaccin na ca asmaasu kutashcit vidyate mahat |
kutah nimittah shokah te bruuhi sarva hita esini || 2-74-21
“O, cow the well wisher of all! I hope there is no great panic from any quarter to us. For what occasion is your sorrow?”
evam uktaa tu surabhih sura raajena dhiimataa |
patyuvaaca tatah dhiiraa vaakyam vaakya vishaaradaa || 2-74-22
“Hearing the words of the intelligent Indra the god of celestials, the prudent Kaamadhenu who was skilled in expressing words, replied as follows:
shaantam paatam na vah kimcit kutashcit amara adhipa |
aham tu magnau shocaami sva putrau visame sthitau || 2-74-23
etau dristvaa krisau diinau suurya rashmi prataapinau |
ardhyamaanau balii vardau karsakena sura adhipa || 2-74-24
“Heaven forefend that evil! O, Indra the lord of celestials! There is no danger whatsoever to you from any quarter. Seeing these pair of bullocks, my sons, who are in hardship, being scorched by sun’s rays, becoming weak, being troubled by the man who ploughs the land and being immersed in grief, I am pitiably weeping O, Indra!”
mama kaayaat prasuutau hi duhkhitau bhaara piiditau |
yau dristvaa paritapye aham na asti putra samah priyah || 2-74-25
“By seeing them who are afflicted with the burden and aggrieved, I am greatly anguished. They are indeed born of my body. There is no dearest one equal to a son indeed!”
yasyaah putra sahastraistu kritsnam vyaaptamidam jagat |
taam dristvaa rudatiim shakro na sutaanmanyate param || 2-74-26
Seeing such a sacred cow weeping, whose hundreds of sons pervaded the entire world, Indra reckoned none whosoever as more than a son (to a mother) .
sadaa.apratimavrittaayaa lokadhaaranakaamyayaa |
shriimatyaa gunanityaayaah svabhaavaparicestayaa || 2-74-27
yasyaah putrasahasraani saapi shocai kaamadhuk |
kim punar yaa vinaa raamam kausalyaa vartayisyati || 2-74-28
“Such a Kaamadhenu the sacred cow, which is desirous of maintaining the world always having unequalled behavior, the venerable one, by its very nature functioning forever with good qualities and to whom there are thousands of sons, is lamenting, how much more indeed Kausalya will drag her existence, without Rama?”
eka putraa ca saadhvii ca vivatsaa iyam tvayaa kritaa |
tasmaat tvam satatam duhkham pretya ca iha ca lapsyase || 2-74-29
“She, who has only one son and who is a holy woman, has been made without a child by you. Thereafter, you will obtain grief forever after your death or even here while living.”
aham hi apacitim bhraatuh pituh ca sakalaam imaam |
vardhanam yashasah ca api karisyaami na samshayah || 2-74-30
“I for my part, shall toil for the complete reinstatement of my brother and complete the obsequial rites due to my father as well as for their prosperity and glory. There is no doubt.”
aanaayayitvaa tanayam kausalyaayaa mahaa dyutim |
svayam eva praveksyaami vanam muni nisevitam || 2-74-31
“Rama the son of Kausalya, of great prowess will be brought back to Ayodhya and I, myself will go to the forest inhabited by the sages.”
na hyaham paapasamkalpe paape paapam tvayaa kritam |
shakto dhaarayitum paurairashrukanthai rniriikshitah || 2-74-32
“O, wretched and evil minded woman! By seeing the sorrow stricken citizens, I am indeed not able to bear the inequity done by you.”
saa tvamagnim pravisha vaa svayam vaa dandakaanvisha |
rajjum badhaana vaa kanthe na hi te.anyatparaayanam || 2-74-33
“As for you, enter the fire or you yourself go to forest of Dandaka or fasten a rope around your neck. There is no other recourse for you.”
ahamapyavanim praapte raame satyaparaakrame |
kritakrityo bhavisyaami vipravaasitakalmasah || 2-74-34
“After Rama the truly mighty man, obtains his native land, I will even become an accomplished man, with my sins duly washed away.”
iti naagaiva aranye tomara ankusha coditah |
papaata bhuvi samkruddho nihshvasann iva pannagah || 2-74-35
As an elephant in a forest pricked with a javelin and a goad and as a hissing serpent, Bharata was enraged and fell on the ground.
samrakta netrah shithila ambarah tadaa |
vidhuuta sarva aabharanah paramtapah |
babhuuva bhuumau patitah nripa aatmajah |
shacii pateh ketur iva utsava ksaye || 2-74-36
His eyes inflamed, his clothes in disarray, and his all ornaments discarded, Bharata the prince and the tormentor of foes, lay on the earth, like a banner of Indra raised at the end of a ceremony
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye ayodhyaakaande catuhsaptatitamah sargah
Thus completes 74th Chapter of Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate