सर्गः 92

Bharata with his retinue received the hospitality and spent the night at Bharadwaja's ashram. Then he approached Bharadwaja on his own.

Seeing Bharata, the best among men, who stood with folded palms, sage Bharadwaja, who had just completed his firesacrifice, said to him:

O sinless one hope, you spent the night at our hermitage well? Tell me whether all your people enjoyed the hospitality?

Bharata saluted with folded palms the sage of great powers. And emerging from the hermitage, replied:

O holy one, I with my ministers and the entire army of men and animals passed the night happily. All our desires have been gratified by you.

All of us including the messengers were released from fatigue and heat. We were wellfed and wellhoused and the night was wellspent.

O venerable one O excellent of the ascetics I seek your leave. As I am proceeding to see my brother, bless me with a kindly look.

O knower of righteousness Tell me which path leads to the hermitage of that righteous and magnanimous one (Rama)? And how far is it (from here)?

Thus questioned, the great sage, brilliant Bharadwaja replied to Bharata who was yearning to see his brother:

O Bharata, three and a half yojanas from here in the lonely forest stands mount Chitrakuta, with its charming streams and woodlands

On its northern side flows the river Mandakini which is densely covered with flowering trees and lovely blossoming woods (on its banks).

O dear child, beyond that river lies mount Chitrakuta on which there is a hut made of leaves where, for sure, they both dwell.

O distinguished lord of the army, if you lead your army full of elephants, horses and chariots through the southern path or towards the southwest, you will come across Rama there.

When they heard about the journey, the wives of Dasaratha descended from their chariots worthy of them and stood around the brahmin, Bharadwaja.

Among them was Kausalya, trembling, emaciated and desolate, along with Sumitra. They grasped the feet of sage Bharadwaja with their hands.

Kaikeyi with her unfulfilled desire and despised in all the worlds overcome with shame, also grasped his feet.

She reverently circumambulated that great and divine ascetic and stood not far away from Bharata with a sad heart.

Then Bharadwaja, firm in his vows, said to Bharata, I want to know about your mothers individually.

Thus asked by the sagacious Bharadwaja, Bharata, proficient in speech, replied with palms folded in reverence:

O venerable sage, this queen you are looking at, forlorn and emaciated due to grief and fasting, and who resembles a goddess is Kausalya, the principal queen of my father. As Aditi bore Dhata, she bore Rama, the best among men who walks with the powerful stride of a lion.

O venerable sage, this queen you are looking at, forlorn and emaciated due to grief and fasting, and who resembles a goddess is Kausalya, the principal queen of my father. As Aditi bore Dhata, she bore Rama, the best among men who walks with the powerful stride of a lion.

This lady plunged in grief, resembling the branch of a karnikara tree in the midst of the forest with blossoms withered and leaning on the left arm of Kausalya, is queen Sumitra, mother of two heroes, comparable to gods in beauty and possessing true prowess -- Lakshmana and Satrughna.

This lady plunged in grief, resembling the branch of a karnikara tree in the midst of the forest with blossoms withered and leaning on the left arm of Kausalya, is queen Sumitra, mother of two heroes, comparable to gods in beauty and possessing true prowess -- Lakshmana and Satrughna.

She is my mother Kaikeyi who is irascible, lacks the power of discrimination, proud, boastful of her beauty, ambitious of wealth, ignoble in the guise of a noble woman, wicked and intent on sinful acts. Behold her. You may know that because of her, Rama and Lakshmana the best of men entered the forest which may cause their destruction and king Dasaratha attained heaven. She alone is the root of this great calamity that I am presently confronting.

She is my mother Kaikeyi who is irascible, lacks the power of discrimination, proud, boastful of her beauty, ambitious of wealth, ignoble in the guise of a noble woman, wicked and intent on sinful acts. Behold her. You may know that because of her, Rama and Lakshmana the best of men entered the forest which may cause their destruction and king Dasaratha attained heaven. She alone is the root of this great calamity that I am presently confronting.

She is my mother Kaikeyi who is irascible, lacks the power of discrimination, proud, boastful of her beauty, ambitious of wealth, ignoble in the guise of a noble woman, wicked and intent on sinful acts. Behold her. You may know that because of her, Rama and Lakshmana the best of men entered the forest which may cause their destruction and king Dasaratha attained heaven. She alone is the root of this great calamity that I am presently confronting.

Thus spoke Bharata, the best of men, with his eyes reddened and voice choked with sobs and hissing like a king cobra.

Hearing the words of Bharata, the great sage, wise Bharadwaja replied with meaningful words:

O Bharata, you should not find fault with Kaikeyi. Rama's banishment will prove a great source of happiness in future (for mankind).

Banishment of Rama will bring about the welfare of the gods, the demons, and the sages of purified souls.

Having paid obeisance, the accomplished Bharata circumambulated sage Bharadwaja, look leave of him, and ordered his army to get ready.

Different groups of people intending to depart harnessed excellent horsechariots decorated with gold.

The male and female elephants wearing golden girths and decorated with pennants, set forth with their bells sounding like thunderclouds at the end of summer.

Various types of costly carriages, large and small, set forth, while the infantry marched on.

The women headed by Kausalya, eager to see Rama, proceeded delightfully in distinguished carriages.

Magnanimous Bharata got into an auspicious palanquin of the splendour of the Sun and the Moon kept ready and proceeded amidst escorts.

That vast army teeming with elephants, horses and chariots proceeded southward spreading like a lofty cloud that had risen in the sky, traversing through the forests full of birds and beasts, passing through the mountains and streams on the other side of the river Ganga.

That vast army teeming with elephants, horses and chariots proceeded southward spreading like a lofty cloud that had risen in the sky, traversing through the forests full of birds and beasts, passing through the mountains and streams on the other side of the river Ganga.

Bharata's army of soldiers, elephants and horses, all in high spirits, looked splendid while entering the forest full of frightening flocks of birds and beasts. इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीय आदिकाव्ये अयोध्याकाण्डे द्विनवतितमस्सर्गः।। Thus ends the ninetysecond sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.