Traveling for a long time, Bharata and his army reach Chitrakuta mountain. Bharata Chitrakuta mountain. Bharata appreciates the beauty of that place and identifies it as an abode of ascetics. He instructs his soldiers to explore the woods and find out where Rama and Lakshmana are living. Valiant men penetrate into the forest and pursuing their search, they observe a plume of smoke rising at some distance and concluding the site to be the hermitage of Rama. Bharata commands his army to halt and decides to walk with Sumantra and Dhriti his spiritual preceptor to Rama's hermitage.
Chapter [Sarga] 93 in Detail
tayaa mahatyaa yaayinyaa dhvajinyaa vana vaasinah |
arditaa yuuthapaa mattaah sayuuthaah sampradudruvuh || 2-93-1
Seeing that large army on the march, the herds of beasts with their leaders, the denizens of the woods were frightened and ran away together.
rikshaah prishata samghaah ca ruravah ca samantatah |
drishyante vana raajiishu girishu api nadiishu ca || 2-93-2
Bears, dappled deer and antelopes could be seen every where, on the tracks of the forest, on the hills and by the rivers.
sa sampratasthe dharma aatmaa priito dasharatha aatmajah |
vrito mahatyaa naadinyaa senayaa catur angayaa || 2-93-3
That pious minded Bharata gracefully marched ahead, surrounded by that clamorous army of four divisions.
saagara ogha nibhaa senaa bharatasya mahaatmanah |
mahiim samchaadayaam aasa praavrishi dyaam iva ambudah || 2-93-4
The army, of the magnanimous Bharata, which resembled the high tide of an ocean, covered the earth as clouds cover the sky in a rainy season.
turamga oghair avatataa vaaranaih ca mahaa javaih |
anaalakshyaa ciram kaalam tasmin kaale babhuuva bhuuh || 2-93-5
Submerged by the waves of horses and elephants of great speed at that time, the earth became invisible for a long time.
sa yaatvaa duuram adhvaanam suparishraanta vaahanah |
uvaaca bharatah shriimaan vasishtham mantrinaam varam || 2-93-6
Having traveled for a long distance, that glorious Bharata, whose animals were now fully exhausted, said to Vasishta, the most sagacious [of keen and farsighted penetration and judgment] of his counselors (as follows)
yaadrisham lakshyate ruupam yathaa caiva shrutam mayaa |
vyaktam praaptaah sma tam desham bharadvaajo yam abraviit || 2-93-7
"Looking at the features of the pace and from what has been heard by me, it is clear that we reached that area of which Bharadwaja spoke."
ayam girih citra kuutah tathaa mandaakinii nadii |
etat prakaashate duuraan niila megha nibham vanam || 2-93-8
"This mountain is Chitrakuta. This river is Mandakini. This forest is appearing like a blue cloud from a distance."
gireh saanuuni ramyaani citra kuutasya samprati |
vaaranair avamridyante maamakaih parvata upamaih || 2-93-9
"By my elephants appearing themselves like mountains, the lovely peaks of Chitrakuta mountain are being trampled."
muncanti kusumaany ete nagaah parvata saanushu |
niilaa iva aatapa apaaye toyam toya dharaa ghanaah || 2-93-10
"These trees on the peaks of the mountain are shedding flowers, as black and intense clouds shower water in a rainy season."
kinnara aacarita uddesham pashya shatrughna parvatam |
hayaih samantaad aakiirnam makarair iva saagaram || 2-93-11
"Behold, O Shatrughna, this mountain, (hitherto) frequented by Kinnaras, now teaming with horses on every side, as a sea is infested by alligators."
ete mriga ganaa bhaanti shiighra vegaah pracoditaah |
vaayu praviddhaah sharadi megha raajya iva ambare || 2-93-12
"These herds of antelopes, having a rapid speed, as urged forward (by the troops) appear like a mass of clouds driven by the wind in the sky in autumn."
kurvanti kusuma aapiidaan shirahsu surabhiin amii |
megha prakaashaih phalakair daakshinaatyaa yathaa naraah || 2-93-13
"Those tree, with their leaves in multitude dazzling, crowned with fragrant chaplets of flowers, resemble the people of the south."
nishkuujam iva bhuutvaa idam vanam ghora pradarshanam |
ayodhyaa iva jana aakiirnaa samprati pratibhaati maa || 2-93-14
"This forest, which was silent and wore a terrifying look till now, appears to me like Ayodhya, swarming with people."
khurair udiirito renur divam pragccaadya tishthati |
tam vahaty anilah shiighram kurvann iva mama priyam || 2-93-15
"The dust raised from the hooves of the horses blots out the heavens, but the wind carries it away immediately as if to give me pleasure."
syandanaamh turaga upetaan suuta mukhyair adhishthitaan |
etaan sampatatah shiighram pashya shatrughna kaanane || 2-93-16
"Behold, O Shatrughna, these chariots yoked with horses and mounted by the chief charioteers are rushing together rapidly in the forest."
etaan vitraasitaan pashya barhinah priya darshanaan |
etam aavishatah shailam adhivaasam patatrinaam || 2-93-17
"Behold these peacocks and birds, which are pleasant to the sight, are frightened and are entering their dwelling places hastily."
atimaatram ayam desho manojnah pratibhaati maa |
taapasaanaam nivaaso ayam vyaktam svarga patho yathaa || 2-93-18
"This place to me is appearing very much lovely. Resembling in every way like a threshold of heaven, it is clearly an abode of ascetics."
mrigaa mrigiibhih sahitaa bahavah prishataa vane |
manojna ruupaa lakshyante kusumair iva citritah || 2-93-19
"In this forest, many dappled deer with their hinds, endowed with enchanting forms, are seen as if studded with flowers."
saadhu sainyaah pratishthantaam vicinvantu ca kaananam |
yathaa tau purusha vyaaghrau drishyete raama lakshmanau || 2-93-20
"Let the soldiers proceed quickly to explore the woods to find those tigers among men, Rama and Lakshmana."
bharatasya vacah shrutvaa purushaah shastra paanayah |
vivishuh tad vanam shuuraa dhuumam ca dadrishuh tatah || 2-93-21
Hearing the words of Bharata, valiant men wearing weapons in their hands, penetrated into the forest suddenly they observed a plume of smoke rising.
te samaalokya dhuuma agram uucur bharatam aagataah |
na amanushye bhavaty agnir vyaktam atra eva raaghavau || 2-93-22
Seeing that spiral of smoke, they returned to Bharata and said; "There can be no fire in a deserted place. Assuredly, Rama and Lakshmana are there."
atha na atra nara vyaaghrau raaja putrau param tapau |
anye raama upamaah santi vyaktam atra tapasvinah || 2-93-23
"If it be not those two tigers among men, the two princes, the scourger [punisher] of their foes [enemy] here, obviously there are other ascetics like Rama here."
tat shrutvaa bharatah teshaam vacanam saadhu sammatam |
sainyaan uvaaca sarvaamh taan amitra bala mardanah || 2-93-24
Hearing those words concurred even by pious men, Bharata the destroyer of enemy's forces, spoke to the entire army (as follows)
yat taa bhavantah tishthantu na ito gantavyam agratah |
aham eva gamishyaami sumantro gurur eva ca || 2-93-25
"You stay here vigilantly. Do no proceed any further. I alone will go along with Sumantra and also Dhriti, my spiritual preceptor."
evam uktaah tatah sarve tatra tasthuh samantatah |
bharato yatra dhuuma agram tatra drishtim samaadadhat || 2-93-26
On this command, all the troops halted there and Bharata with his gaze fixed on the column of smoke, went forward.
vyavasthitaa yaa bharatena saa camuur |
niriikshamaanaa api ca dhuumam agratah |
babhuuva hrishtaa nacirena jaanatii |
priyasya raamasya samaagamam tadaa || 2-93-27
The army, which was held up there by Bharata, even though perceiving the place ahead, felt rejoiced in the thought of meeting their beloved Rama soon.
ityaarse shriimadraamaayane aadikaavye ayodhyaakaande trinavatitamah sargah
Thus completes 93rd Chapter of Ayodhya Kanda of the glorious Ramayana of Valmiki, the work of a sage and the oldest epic.
Sriman Moola Rama Vijayate