VALMIKI RAMAYANAM 2 74 kamadhenu 2

 Chapter 74 - Prince Bharata laments

Prince Bharata laments the death of his father and the exile of Shri Rama].

Shri Bharata denounced his mother in great anger, saying:—

“O Cruel-hearted One, O Wicked Being, you are without virtue, enter the
forest, I am about to die 1 Weep for me; since you have deserted your
consort, do not mourn for him. Tell me, what harm had the king or the most
virtuous Rama done to you, that you have slain the one and exiled the
other? O Kaikeyi, the sin by which you have destroyed the dynasty is equal
to the murder of a brahmin! Do you enter hell! You have no right to inhabit
the region to which the king has gone! Your deed and guilt are infamous. In
denouncing Rama, who is beloved of all the world, you have secured me a
kingdom, but brought me ignominy. You are the cause of my father’s death
and the exile of Rama, and also of my dishonour. Your heart is adamant, you
are not my mother but an enemy in the form of a mother! O Slayer of your
husband, you dost not merit that one should address you! O Defamer of the
fair name of this dynasty, you are the cause of distress to my mothers,
Queen Kaushalya and Sumitra! You have forfeited the title of daughter to
the great King Ashvapati; you are surely a demon born in that family to
destroy my father’s line! You have banished Rama to the forest, he, who
ever delighted in virtue and you have deprived my illustrious father of his
life! It is I who must bear the weight of thine iniquity, who am
fatherless, bereft of my two brothers and an object of universal loathing!
O You Sinner, O Traveller on the path of self-destruction, say what state
shalt you attain, who hast deprived the virtuous Kaushalya of her husband
and her son? O Evil One, didst you not know that Shri Rama was the chief
asylum of his relatives, the son of Kaushalya and a father to me? All
relatives are dear, but to a mother, the son is dearest, since he is born
of the body and heart of the father. Hast you forgotten this truth?”

In ancient times, the cow Kamadhenu, worshipped by the gods, beholding two
of her sons, weary with ploughing, swooned away. At that time, the King of
the Celestials, Indra, was wandering on the earth and the fragrant tears of
Kamadhenu fell upon him. Experiencing the sweet odour issuing from the body
of the sacred cow, Indra realised her superior worth and startled, looked
upward and beheld, in the sky, the afflicted Kamadhenu, weeping piteously.
The Bearer of the Mace, distressed on seeing the renowned Kamadhenu
shedding tears, addressed her with humility and said: “O Benefactor of the
World, why dost you weep? Is it the premonition of some future calamity
which causes you to lament thus?”

The wise Kamadhenu, patiently answered: “O Devaraj, you have no cause for
fear, I am afflicted on account of the suffering of two of my sons. See,
how wretched they are, how wasted and oppressed by the sun’s heat! O
Devaraj! The ploughman has struck them cruelly! Born of my body, I am
filled with grief to see them yoked to the heavy plough! Verily nothing is
dearer to a mother than her son.”

Indra, perceiving that the cow mourned over the wretched state of two of
her innumerable sons, recognised that to a mother nothing is dearer than a
son!

“O Mother, Kamadhenu extends her blessings equally to all and has the power
to fulfil the desires of others. If she, who is constantly producing
thousands of offspring, filled with maternal love, mourns thus for two
sons, how then, O Kaikeyi, will Kaushalya bear the exile of her only son?
You have brought about the separation of Rama from his mother Kaushalya and
for this you shalt not know happiness in this or in the other world! I
shall perform the last rites for my sire and then, with my heart and soul
serve my brother and carefully promote his honour. Having brought back Shri
Rama to the capital, I, myself, shall inhabit the forest. O You, of evil
intent, how shall I endure thine iniquity, when looked on by the people of
the capital with sorrow-stricken gaze? Now it befits you to enter the fire
or hang thyself in the Dandaka forest, death alone is your desert! Only
when Rama returns and that Prince of Truth is by my side, shall I find
peace and my purpose be accomplished!”

Bharata, lamenting and breathing like a serpent, fell to the earth like an
elephant tormented by the goad. His eyes red with anger, his dress
loosened, his jewels cast aside, he fell like the banner of Indra, uprooted
at the close of a ceremony.

anyadā kila dharmajñā surabhiḥ sura sammatā |
vahamānau dadarśa urvyām putrau vigata cetasau || 2-74-15

"Once upon a time, Kamadhenu 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."

tāv ardha divase śrāntau dṛṣṭvā putrau mahī tale |
ruroda putra śokena bāṣpa paryākula īkṣaṇā || 2-74-16

"Seeing her sons (a pair of bullocks) fatigued, after toiling for half a
part of their day on earth, Kamadhenu the mythical cow cried with her eyes
full of tears in grief for the fate of her sons."

adhastāt vrajataḥ tasyāḥ sura rājño mahātmanaḥ |
bindavaḥ patitā gātre sūkṣmāḥ surabhi gandhinaḥ || 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.apyaśrunipātam tam svagātre puṇyagandhinam |
surabhim manyate dṛṣṭvā bhūyasīm tām sureśvaraḥ || 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 Kamadhenu the
mythical cow."

nirīksamāṇaḥ śakrastām dadarśa surabhim sthitām |
ākāśe viṣṭhitām dīnām rudatīm bhṛśaduḥkhitām || 2-74-19

"Looking into the sky, Indra saw that Kamadhenu standing there with anguish
and pitiably weeping with great grief."

tām dṛṣṭvā śoka samtaptām vajra pāṇir yaśasvinīm |
indraḥ prānjalir udvignaḥ sura rājo abravīd vacaḥ || 2-74-20

"Indra the lord of celestials with a thunder bolt in his hand, seeing that
beautiful Kamadhenu the mythical cow, tormented with grief, spoke eagerly
with joined palms to her, as follows:

bhayam kaccin na ca asmāsu kutaścit vidyate mahat |
kutaḥ nimittaḥ śokaḥ te brūhi sarva hita eṣiṇi || 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 uktā tu surabhiḥ sura rājena dhīmatā |
patyuvāca tataḥ dhīrā vākyam vākya viśāradā || 2-74-22

"Hearing the words of the intelligent Indra the god of celestials, the
prudent Kamadhenu who was skilled in expressing words, replied as follows:

śāntam pātam na vaḥ kiṃcit kutaścit amara adhipa |
aham tu magnau śocāmi sva putrau viṣame sthitau || 2-74-23
etau dṛṣṭvā kṛṣau dīnau sūrya raśmi pratāpinau |
ardhyamānau balī vardau karṣakeṇa 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 kāyāt prasūtau hi duhkhitau bhāra pīḍitau |
yau dṛṣṭvā paritapye aham na asti putra samaḥ priyaḥ || 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!"

yasyāḥ putra sahastraistu kṛtsnam vyāptamidam jagat |
tām dṛṣṭvā rudatīm śakro na sutānmanyate 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) .

sadā.apratimavṛttāyā lokadhāraṇakāmyayā |
śrīmatyā guṇanityāyāḥ svabhāvapariceṣṭayā || 2-74-27
yasyāḥ putrasahasrāṇi sāpi śocai kāmadhuk |
kim punar yā vinā rāmam kausalyā vartayiṣyati || 2-74-28

"Such a Kamadhenu 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 putrā ca sādhvī ca vivatsā iyam tvayā kṛtā |
tasmāt 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 bhrātuḥ pituḥ ca sakalām imām |
vardhanam yaśasaḥ ca api kariṣyāmi na saṃśayaḥ || 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."

ānāyayitvā tanayam kausalyāyā mahā dyutim |
svayam eva pravekṣyāmi vanam muni niṣevitam || 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 pāpasamkalpe pāpe pāpam tvayā kṛtam |
śakto dhārayitum paurairaśrukaṇṭhai rnirīkṣitaḥ || 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."

sā tvamagnim praviśa vā svayam vā daṇḍakānviśa |
rajjum badhāna vā kaṇṭhe na hi te.anyatparāyaṇam || 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 prāpte rāme satyaparākrame |
kṛtakṛtyo bhaviṣyāmi vipravāsitakalmaṣaḥ || 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 nāgaiva araṇye tomara ankuśa coditaḥ |
papāta bhuvi samkruddho nihśvasann iva pannagaḥ || 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 netraḥ śithila ambaraḥ tadā |
vidhūta sarva ābharaṇaḥ paramtapaḥ |
babhūva bhūmau patitaḥ nṛpa ātmajaḥ |
śacī pateḥ ketur iva utsava kṣaye || 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**

K RAJARAM IRS 6226

-- 
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups 
"Thatha_Patty" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email 
to [email protected].
To view this discussion visit 
https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CAL5XZorTzT%2BdmN32t8bne3BiNyke47amvWajVarqWoVG%3DcoKcw%40mail.gmail.com.

Reply via email to