On the twelfth day of the death of Dasaratha, Bharata gives various presents to Brahmans. On the thirteenth day when Bharata and Shatrughna go to the cremation ground to collect the bones both of them are overwhelmed with grief and fall down on the ground. Vasista, the family priest and Sumantra raise them up and pacifying urge both of them to complete the remaining rites to be performed on the thirteenth day.
Chapter [Sarga] 77 in Detail
tatah dasha ahe atigate krita shauco nripa aatmajah |
dvaadashe ahani sampraapte shraaddha karmaani akaarayat || 2-77-1
After having passed the tenth day of the death of Dasaratha, Bharata having himself purified, performed Shraddha rites on the arrival of the twelfth day.
braahmanebhyo dadau ratnam dhanam annam ca puskalam |
vaasaamsi ca mahaarhaani ratnaani vividhaani ca || 2-77-2
On the occasion of Shraddha rites, Bharata gave precious stones, money, a lot of cooked rice, very valuable clothes and various other kinds of presents to Brahmans.
baastikam bahu shuklam ca gaah ca api shatashah tathaa |
daasii daasam ca yaanam ca veshmaani sumahaanti ca || 2-77-3
braahmanebhyo dadau putrah raajnah tasya aurdhvadaihikam |
In that ceremony performed in honor of the dead king, Bharata the son of Dasaratha gave multitudes of white goats, hundreds of cows, servants and servant maids, vehicles and very big houses to Brahmans.
tatah prabhaata samaye divase atha trayodashe || 2-77-4
vilalaapa mahaa baahur bharatah shoka muurchitah |
shabda apihita kanthah ca shodhana artham upaagatah || 2-77-5
citaa muule pitur vaakyam idam aaha suduhkhitah |
Then, at the time of dawn on the thirteenth day, the mighty armed Bharata who came for clearing up bones and ashes, wept in grief, his throat being choked of sound (because of crying) and spoke in great distress the following words, having reached the foot of his father’s funeral pile (to collect the bones and ashes for their immersion in Sarayu River).
taata yasmin nisristah aham tvayaa bhraatari raaghave || 2-77-6
tasmin vanam pravrajite shuunye tyaktah asmy aham tvayaa |
“O, father! My brother Rama to whose care I was entrusted by you, having gone on exile to the forest, I now become abandoned wholly alone, by you.”
yathaa gatir anaathaayaah putrah pravraajitah vanam || 2-77-7
taam ambaam taata kausalyaam tyaktvaa tvam kva gatah nripa |
“O, king! O, father! Where have you gone, leaving Kausalya the mother whose son Rama, her support, has been sent away from home to the forest?”
dristvaa bhasma arunam tac ca dagdha asthi sthaana mandalam || 2-77-8
pituh shariira nirvaanam nistanan visasaada ha |
Seeing that spot of collection (of bones), which became reddish brown in color because of ashes, with bones consumed by fire and his father’s body having extinguished, Bharata was depressed and began to cry loudly.
sa tu dristvaa rudan diinah papaata dharanii tale || 2-77-9
utthaapyamaanah shakrasya yantra dhvajaiva cyutah |
Miserable as he was to see the spot, Bharata fell weeping on the ground, as a flag staff fastened by any mechanical contrivance would drop down while being raised in honor of Indra the god of celestials.
abhipetus tatah sarve tasya amaatyaah shuci vratam || 2-77-10
anta kaale nipatitam yayaatim risayo yathaa |
All his ministers hastily approached Bharata who was virtuous in conduct, as sages once rushed to the fallen Yayaati at the time of his death.
shatrughnah ca api bharatam dristvaa shoka pariplutam || 2-77-11
visamjno nyapatat bhuumau bhuumi paalam anusmaran |
Seeing Bharata, Shatrughna was also overwhelmed with grief and while recollecting the king, fell unconscious on the ground.
unmattaiva nishcetaa vilalaapa suduhkhitah || 2-77-12
smritvaa pitur guna angaani tani taani tadaa tadaa |
Remembering the many gestures of his father resulting from his loving qualities made from time to time, Shatrughna was lamenting (as follows) like one who has lost his wits, bewildered as he was.
mantharaa prabhavah tiivrah kaikeyii graaha samkulah || 2-77-13
vara daanamayo aksobhyo amajjayat shoka saagarah |
“We are immersed in a violent and appalling ocean of sorrow invoked by Mandara, in which Kaikeyi in the form of a crocodile swam in its current the irrevocable boons granted to her by my father.”
sukumaaram ca baalam ca satatam laalitam tvayaa || 2-77-14
kva taata bharatam hitvaa vilapantam gatah bhavaan |
“O, father! Where have you gone leaving the lamenting Bharata, your boy always being caressed by you.”
nanu bhojyesu paanesu vastresv aabharanesu ca || 2-77-15
pravaarayasi nah sarvaams tan nah ko adya karisyati |
“You used to fulfill the wishes of all of us, in the matter of eatables, drinks, clothes, and jewels. Who else will do it (now) for us.”
avadaarana kaale tu prithivii na avadiiryate || 2-77-16
vihiinaa yaa tvayaa raajnaa dharmajnena mahaatmanaa |
“That earth which is deprived of you, the high soled and righteous king, is not riven [torn down] even when it is the time to be riven.”
pitari svargam aapanne raame ca aranyam aashrite || 2-77-17
kim me jiivita saamarthyam praveksyaami huta ashanam |
“The father having obtained heaven and Rama having taken refuge in a forest, what is the significance of life for me? I shall enter a fire.”
hiino bhraatraa ca pitraa ca shuunyaam iksvaaku paalitaam || 2-77-18
ayodhyaam na praveksyaami praveksyaami tapo vanam |
“Bereft of my brother and father, I can not return to the deserted city of Ayodhya, where Ikshvaku used to reign. I shall retire to a hermitage.”
tayoh vilapitam shrutvaa vyasanam ca anvaveksya tat || 2-77-19
bhrisham aartataraa bhuuyah sarvaeva anugaaminah |
Hearing the lamentation of both of them and beholding their plight, all their companions were disturbed very much, once again.
tatah visannau shraantau ca shatrughna bharataav ubhau || 2-77-20
dharanyaam samvyacestetaam bhagna shringaav iva risabhau |
Both Shatrughna, and Bharata were wearied with grief and began to roll on the ground, like two bulls whose horns have been broken.
tatah prakritimaan vaidyah pitur esaam purohitah || 2-77-21
vasistho bharatam vaakyam utthaapya tam uvaaca ha |
Then, Vasista, a noble man, a learned man and the family priest of their father, raised up that Bharata from the ground and spoke the following words:
trayodasho.ayam divasah piturvrittasya te vibho || 2-77-22
saavashesaasthinicaye kimiha tvam vilambase |
“O, Lord Bharata! This is the thirteenth day of the death of your father. Why are you hanging down here, when the ceremony of collecting the bones is still unfinished?”
triini dvandvaani bhuutesu pravrittaani avishesatah || 2-77-23
tesu ca aparihaaryesu na evam bhavitum arhati |
“The three pairs of opposites (namely hunger and thirst, joy and sorrow; birth and death) occur to all living beings without any distinction. They being inevitable, you ought not to behave like this.”
sumantrah ca api shatrughnam utthaapya abhiprasaadya ca || 2-77-24
shraavayaam aasa tattvajnah sarva bhuuta bhava abhavau |
Even Sumantra, who knew the Truth, raising up Shatrughna and pacifying him, told him about the origin and dissolution of all beings.
utthitau tau nara vyaaghrau prakaashete yashasvinau || 2-77-25
varsa aatapa pariklinnau prithag indra dhvajaav iva |
The two illustrious tigers among men (Bharata and Satrughna) who had got up, appeared like two banners severally raised in honor of Indra (the god of celestials) soiled through rain and the sun.
ashruuni parimridnantau rakta aksau diina bhaasinau || 2-77-26
amaatyaah tvarayanti sma tanayau ca aparaah kriyaah |
The ministers hurried up the princes, who were wiping their tears and who were talking pitiably with their eyes reddened (due to excessive weeping) to expedite the other rites pertaining to the thirteenth day.
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye ayodhyaakaande saptasaptatitamah sargah
Thus completes 77th Chapter of Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate