गर्तशायी ब्रह्मचारी जटावल्कलसंयुतः । कृशांगयष्टिर्दुःखार्तः कुर्वन्रामकथां मुहुः
Sleeping on the ground, observing celibacy, clad in matted hair and bark garments, emaciated and afflicted by grief, he repeatedly recited the stories of Rāma.
यवान्नमपि नो भुंक्ते जलं पिबति नो मुहुः । उद्यंतं सवितारं यो नमस्कृत्य ब्रवीति च
He does not eat even barley food, nor does he drink water often; saluting the rising sun, he says:
जगन्नेत्रसुरस्वामिन्हर मे दुष्कृतं महत् । मदर्थे रामचंद्रोऽपि जगत्पूज्यो वनं ययौ
O eye of the world, lord of the gods, remove my great sin; for my sake, even Rāmacandra, worshipped by the world, went to the forest.
सीतया सुकुमारांग्या सेव्यमानोऽटवीं गतः । या सीता पुष्पपर्यंके वृंतमासाद्य दुःखिता
Attended by Sītā, whose limbs are delicate, he entered the forest; Sītā, who, having reached a bed of flowers, became afflicted with sorrow.
या सीता रविसंतापं कदापि प्राप नो सती । मदर्थे जानकी सा च प्रत्यरण्यं भ्रमत्यहो
Sītā, who never before experienced the heat of the sun, now, for my sake, wanders through the wilds—alas, Jānakī herself!
या सीता राजवृंदैश्च न दृष्टा नयनैः कदा । सा सीता दृश्यते नूनं किरातैः कालरूपिभिः
Sītā, whom even the eyes of royal assemblies never beheld, now, surely, is seen by hunters, figures of death.
या सीता मधुरं त्वन्नं भोजिता न बुभुक्षति । सा सीताद्य वनस्थानि फलानि प्रार्थयत्यहो
Sītā, who, having eaten sweet food, never felt hunger, now, alas, desires the fruits found in the forest.
इत्येवमन्वहं सूर्यमुपस्थाय वदत्यदः । प्रातःप्रातर्महाराजो भरतो रामवल्लभः
Thus, every day, after approaching the sun, the great king Bharata, devoted to Rāma, speaks these words morning after morning.
यश्चोच्यमानः सचिवैः समदुःखसुखैर्बुधैः । नीतिज्ञैः शास्त्रनिपुणैरिति प्रोवाच तान्नृपः
And when addressed by ministers, wise in happiness and sorrow, skilled in policy and learned in the scriptures, the king replied to them thus:
अमात्या दुर्भगं मां किं प्रब्रूत पुरुषाधमम् । मदर्थे मेऽग्रजो रामो वनं प्राप्यावसीदति
O ministers, why do you speak to me, the most unfortunate and lowest of men? For my sake, my elder brother Rāma, having entered the forest, suffers.
दुर्भगस्य मम प्रस्वाः पापमार्जनमादरात् । करोमि रामचंद्रांघ्रिं स्मारं स्मारं सुमंत्रिणः
The sleep of one so unfortunate as I is but a diligent cleansing of sin; remembering again and again the feet of Rāmacandra, O Sumant, I perform it.
धन्या सुमित्रा सुतरां वीरसूः स्वपतिप्रिया । यस्यास्तनूजो रामस्य चरणौ सेवतेऽन्वहम्
Truly blessed is Sumitrā, mother of a hero, devoted to her husband, whose son daily serves the feet of Rāma.
यत्र ग्रामे स्थितो नूनं भरतो भ्रातृवत्सलः । विलापं प्रकरोत्युच्चैस्तं ग्रामं स ददर्श ह
In that village, surely, Bharata, devoted to his brother, dwells, uttering loud lamentations; that village he beheld.
शेष उवाच। अथ तद्दर्शनोत्कण्ठा विह्वलीकृतचेतसा । पुनः पुनः स्मृतो भ्राता भरतो धार्मिकाग्रणीः
Śeṣa said: Then, with his heart agitated by longing for that meeting, again and again Bharata, foremost in righteousness, remembered his brother.
उवाच च हनूमंतं बलवंतं समीरजम् । प्रस्फुरद्दशनव्याज चन्द्रकांतिहतांधकः
And he spoke to Hanumān, the mighty son of the Wind, whose teeth flashed, dispelling darkness like moonstone under moonlight:
शृणु वीर हनूमंस्त्वं मद्गिरं भ्रातृनोदिताम् । चिरंतनवियोगेन गद्गदीकृतविह्वलाम्
Hear, O hero Hanumān, my words spoken by my brother, trembling and choked with emotion from long separation.
गच्छ तं भ्रातरं वीर समीरणतनूद्भव । मद्वियोगकृशां यष्टिं वपुषो बिभ्रतं हठात्
Go to that brother, O hero born of the wind, who bears a body grown thin from separation from me, like a frail staff.
यो वल्कलं परीधत्ते जटां धत्ते शिरोरुहे । फलानां भक्षणमपि न कुर्याद्विरहातुरः
He wears bark garments, his hair matted upon his head, and, afflicted by separation, does not even partake of fruits.
परस्त्री यस्य मातेव लोष्टवत्कांचनं पुनः । प्रजाः पुत्रानिवोद्रक्षेद्बांधवो मम धर्मवित्
For whom another's wife is like a mother, and gold is like clay; who protects his subjects as his own sons—he is my kinsman, wise in dharma.
मद्वियोगजदुःखाग्निज्वालादग्धकलेवरम् । मदागमनसंदेश पयोवृष्ट्याशु सिंचतम्
His body, scorched by the flames of sorrow from my absence, should be swiftly sprinkled with the rain of joy from the news of my return.
सीतया सहितं रामं लक्ष्मणेन समन्वितम् । सुग्रीवादिकपींद्रैश्च रक्षोभिः सबिभीषणैः
Tell him that Rama, together with Sita, accompanied by Lakshmana, with Sugriva and the other monkey chiefs, and with the rakshasas including Vibhishana,
प्राप्तं निवेदय सुखात्पुष्पकासनसंस्थितम् । येन मे सोऽनुजः शीघ्रं सुखमेति मदागमात्
has arrived, seated happily upon the Pushpaka chariot; by whose coming, my younger brother will soon find happiness.
इति श्रुत्वा ततो वाक्यं रघुवीरस्य धीमतः । जगाम भरतावासं नंदिग्रामं निदेशकृत्
Having heard these words of the wise hero of the Raghu line, he went to Bharata's residence in Nandigrama, carrying out the command.
गत्वा स नंदिग्रामं तु मंत्रिवृद्धैः सुसंयतम् । भरतं भ्रातृविरहक्लिन्नं धीमान्ददर्श ह
Having reached Nandigrama, well-governed by elder ministers, he saw Bharata, wise but weakened by separation from his brother.
कथयंतं मंत्रिवृद्धान्रामचंद्रकथानकम् । तदीय पदापाथोज मकरंदसुनिर्भरः
He found him speaking to the elder ministers, narrating stories of Rama, his words overflowing with the nectar of devotion to Rama's lotus feet.
नमश्चकार भरतं धर्मं मूर्तियुतं किल । विधात्रा सकलांशेन सत्त्वेनैव विनिर्मितम्
He offered salutations to Bharata, who was indeed the embodiment of dharma, created by the Creator with all virtues and pure essence.
तं दृष्ट्वा भरतः शीघ्रं प्रत्युत्थाय कृतांजलि । स्वागतं चेति होवाच रामस्य कुशलं वद
Seeing him, Bharata quickly rose, palms joined in reverence, and said, 'Welcome! Tell me, is Rama well?'
इत्येवं वदतस्तस्य भुजो दक्षिणतोऽस्फुरत् । हृदयाच्च गतः शोको हर्षास्रैः पूरिताननः
As he spoke thus, his right arm trembled, sorrow departed from his heart, and his face was filled with tears of joy.
विलोक्य तादृशं भूपं प्रत्युवाच कपीश्वरः । निकटे हि पुरः प्राप्तं विद्धि रामं सलक्ष्मणम्
Seeing the king in such a state, the lord of the monkeys replied, 'Know that Rama, together with Lakshmana, has arrived nearby.'
रामागमनसंदेशामृतसिक्तकलेवरः । प्रापयद्धर्षपूरं हि सहस्रास्यो न वेद्म्यहम्
His body, sprinkled with the nectar of the news of Rama's arrival, was filled with joy; as for Ravana, I do not know his fate.