हन्त लक्ष्मण पश्येह सुमित्रा सुप्रजास्त्वया । भीमस्तनितगम्भीरस्तुमुल: श्रूयते स्वन: ।। २.९६.
Look, Lakṣmaṇa, noble son of Sumitrā, see here! A terrible, thunderous, deep, tumultuous sound is being heard.
गजयूथानि वा ऽरण्ये महिषा वा महावने । वित्रासिता मृगा: सिंहै: सहसा प्रद्रुता दिश: ।। २.९६.
Whether it is herds of elephants in the forest, or buffaloes in the great woods, frightened by lions, the animals have suddenly fled in all directions.
राजा वा राजमात्रो वा मृगयामटते वने । अन्यद्वा श्वापदं किञ्चित् सौमित्रे ज्ञातुमर्हसि ।। २.९६.
Perhaps a king or a royal minister is hunting in the forest, or perhaps it is some other wild beast; O Sumitra’s son, you should find out.
सुदुश्चरो गिरिश्चायं पक्षिणामपि लक्ष्मण । सर्वमेतद्यथातत्त्वमचिराज्ज्ञातुमर्हसि ।। २.९६.
This mountain, Lakṣmaṇa, is very difficult even for birds to traverse; you should quickly ascertain the truth of all this.
स लक्ष्मण: संत्वरित: सालमारुह्य पुष्पितम् । प्रेक्षमाणो दिश: सर्वा: पूर्वां दिशमुदैक्षत ।। २.९६.
Then Lakṣmaṇa, hastening, climbed a flowering śāla tree, and, looking in all directions, gazed toward the eastern quarter.
उदङ्मुख: प्रेक्षमाणो ददर्श महतीं चमूम् । रथाश्वगजसम्बाधां यत्तैर्युक्तां पदातिभि: ।। २.९६.
Facing east and observing, he saw a great army, crowded with chariots, horses, and elephants, and equipped with foot soldiers.
तामश्वगजसम्पूर्णां रथध्वजविभूषिताम् । शशंस सेनां रामाय वचनं चेदमब्रीत् ।। २.९६.
Seeing that army, filled with horses and elephants, adorned with chariot banners, he reported it to Rāma, speaking these words.
अग्निं संशमयत्वार्य: सीता च भजतां गुहाम् । सज्यं कुरुष्व चापं च शरांश्च कवचं तथा ।। २.९६.
Extinguish the fire, noble one, and let Sītā enter the cave; string your bow, and prepare your arrows and armor as well.
तं राम: पुरुषव्याघ्रो लक्ष्मणं प्रत्युवाच ह । अङ्गावेक्षस्व सौमित्रे कस्येमां मन्यसे चमूम् ।। २.९६.
Then Rāma, tiger among men, replied to Lakṣmaṇa: 'O Sumitra’s son, look carefully—whose army do you think this is?'
एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण लक्ष्मणो वाक्यमब्रवीत् । दिधक्षन्निव तां सेनां रुषित: पावको यथा ।। २.९६.
Thus addressed by Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, burning with anger like blazing fire, spoke these words, eager to destroy that army.
सम्पन्नं राज्यमिच्छंस्तु व्यक्तं प्राप्याभिषेचनम् । आवां हन्तुं समभ्येति कैकेय्या भरत: सुत: ।। २.९६.
Desiring to secure the kingdom, having surely obtained the consecration, Bharata, son of Kaikeyī, is coming to kill us both.
एष वै सुमहान् श्रीमान् विटपी सम्प्रकाशते । विराजत्युद्गतस्कन्ध: कोविदारध्वजो रथे ।। २.९६.
See, that great, splendid tree stands out, and on the chariot shines the banner bearing the symbol of the kōvidāra tree.
भजन्त्येते यथा काममश्वानारुह्य शीघ्रगान् । एते भ्राजन्ति संहृष्टा गजानारुह्य सादिन: ।। २.९६.
Mounted on swift horses, these men move as they please; others, delighted, shine as they ride elephants.
गृहीतधनुषौ चावां गिरिं वीरश्रयावहै । अथवेहैव तिष्ठाव: सन्नद्धावुद्यतायुधौ ।। २.९६.
Let us, with bows in hand, take refuge on the mountain, O hero; or else, let us stand right here, armed and ready.
अपि नौ वशमागच्छेत् कोविदारध्वजो दणे ।। २.९६.
Perhaps the one with the kōvidāra banner may fall into our power.
अपि द्रक्ष्यामि भरतं यत्कृते व्यसनं महत् । त्वया राघव सम्प्राप्तं सीतया च मया तथा ।। २.९६.
Will I see Bharata, on whose account, O Rāghava, you, Sītā, and I have all encountered this great misfortune?
यन्निमित्तं भवान् राज्याच्च्युतो राघव शाश्वतात् । सम्प्राप्तो ऽयमरिर्वीर भरतो वध्य एव मे ।। २.९६.
O Rāghava, for the sake of which you have been cast out from the eternal kingdom, this enemy Bharata has now arrived; for me, he is to be slain.
भरतस्य वधे दोषं नाहं पश्यामि राघव । पूर्वापकारिणां त्यागे न ह्यधर्मो विधीयते ।। २.९६.
I see no fault, O Rāghava, in killing Bharata; for abandoning those who have previously committed wrongs is not considered unrighteous.
पूर्वापकारी भरतस्त्यक्तधर्मश्च राघव । एतस्मिन्निहते कृत्स्नामनुशाधि वसुन्धराम् ।। २.९६.
Bharata, who has previously done wrong and abandoned righteousness, O Rāghava—once he is slain, rule the entire earth.
अद्य पुत्रं हतं सङ्ख्ये कैकेयी राज्यकामुका । मया पश्येत् सुदु:खार्त्ता हस्तिभग्नमिव द्रुमम् ।। २.९६.
Today, let Kaikeyī, greedy for the kingdom, see her son slain in battle by me, and be tormented with grief, like a tree shattered by an elephant.
कैकेयीं च वधिष्यामि सानुबन्धां सबान्धवाम् । कलुषेणाद्य महता मेदिनी परिमुच्यताम् ।। २.९६.
I will kill Kaikeyī as well, along with her associates and relatives; let the earth be freed today from this great impurity.
अद्येमं संयतं क्रोधमसत्कारं च मानद । मोक्ष्यामि शत्रुसैन्येषु कक्षेष्विव हुताशनम् ।। २.९६.
Today, O giver of honor, I will release this restrained anger and the insult, upon the enemy's army, as fire is released in dry grass.
अद्यैतच्चित्रकूटस्य काननं निशितै: शरै: । भिन्दन् शत्रुशरीराणि करिष्ये शोणितोक्षितम् ।। २.९६.
Today, I will make this forest of Chitrakūṭa soaked in blood, piercing the bodies of enemies with sharp arrows.
शरैर्निर्भिन्नहृदयान् कुञ्जरांस्तुरगांस्तथा । श्वापदा: परिकर्षन्तु नरांश्च निहतान् मया ।। २.९६.
Let wild beasts drag away elephants and horses whose hearts have been pierced by arrows, as well as men slain by me.
शराणां धनुषश्चाहमनृणो ऽस्मि महामृधे । ससैन्यं भरतं हत्वा भविष्यामि न संशय: ।। २.९६.
I am not indebted to arrows or the bow in this great battle; after killing Bharata along with his army, I will be without doubt.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदयोध्याकाण्डे षण्णवतितम: सर्ग:
Thus ends the ninety-sixth sarga in the glorious Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa of the venerable Rāmāyaṇa, the first epic composed by Vālmīki.
thumb|सप्तनवतितमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center सुसंरब्धं तु सौमित्रिं लक्ष्मणं क्रोधमूर्च्छितम्। रामस्तु परिसान्त्व्याथ वचनं चेदमब्रवीत् ।। २.९७.
But Rāma, after calming the fiercely enraged Saumitri, Lakṣmaṇa, who was overcome by anger, spoke these words.
किमत्र धनुषा कार्यमसिना वा सचर्मणा। महेष्वासे महाप्राज्ञे भरते स्वयमागते ।। २.९७.
What need is there here for the bow, or the sword with shield, when Bharata himself, the great archer and wise one, has come?
पितु: सत्यं प्रतिश्रुत्य हत्वा भरतमागतम्। किं करिष्ऺयामि राज्येन सापवादेन लक्ष्मण ।। २.९७.
Having killed Bharata, who has come after pledging truth to our father, what would I do with the kingdom, tainted by blame, O Lakṣmaṇa?
यद्द्रव्यं बान्धवानां वा मित्राणां वा क्षये भवेत्। नाहं तत् प्रतिगृह्णीयां भक्षान् विषकृतानिव ।। २.९७.
Whatever wealth might come from the destruction of relatives or friends, I would not accept it, as one would not eat food mixed with poison.