क्षिप्रं वनमिदं सौम्य नरसङ्घै: समन्तत:। लुब्धैश्च सहितैरेभिस्त्वमन्वेषितुमर्हसि ।। २.९८.
Dear one, you should quickly search this forest in all directions with these men and hunters.
गुहो ज्ञातिसहस्रेण शरचापासिधारिणा। समन्वेषतु काकुत्स्थावस्मिन् परिवृत: स्वयम् ।। २.९८.
Let Guha, armed with bow, arrows, and sword, search for Kakutstha here, accompanied by his thousand kinsmen.
अमात्यै: सह पौरैश्च गुरुभिश्च द्विजातिभि:। वनं सर्वं चरिष्यामि पद्भ्यां परिवृत: स्वयम् ।। २.९८.
I myself will traverse the entire forest on foot, accompanied by ministers, citizens, elders, and twice-born men.
यावन्न रामं द्रक्ष्यामि लक्ष्मणं वा महाबलम्। वैदेहीं वा महाभागां न मे शान्तिर्भविष्यति ।। २.९८.
Until I see Rama, or the mighty Lakshmana, or the greatly fortunate Vaidehi, I will have no peace.
यावन्न चन्द्रसङ्काशं द्रक्ष्यामि शुभमाननम्। भ्रातु: पद्मपलाशाक्षं न मे शान्तिर्भविष्यति ।। २.९८.
Until I see my brother's face, radiant as the moon and with eyes like lotus petals, I will have no peace.
यावन्न चरणौ भ्रातु: पार्थिवव्यञ्जनान्वितौ। शिरसा धारयिष्यामि न मे शान्तिर्भविष्यति ।। २.९८.
Until I place my brother's feet, marked with royal signs, upon my head, I will have no peace.
यावन्न राज्ये राज्यार्ह: पितृपैतामहे स्थित:। अभिषेकजलक्लिन्नो न मे शान्तिर्भविष्ऺयति ।। २.९८.
Until he, worthy of the kingdom, stands in the royal office of his fathers and is anointed with consecration water, I will have no peace.
सिद्धार्थ: खलु सौमित्रिर्यश्चन्द्रविमलोपमम्। मुखं पश्यति रामस्य राजीवाक्षं महाद्युति ।। २.९८.
Indeed, Saumitri is truly blessed, who beholds the radiant, lotus-eyed face of Rama, pure as the moon.
कृतकत्या महाभागा वैदेही जनकात्मजा। भर्तारं सागरान्ताया: पृथिव्या याऽनुगच्छति ।। २.९८.
The greatly fortunate Vaidehi, daughter of Janaka, is accomplished, who follows her husband across the earth bounded by the ocean.
सुभगश्चित्रकूटोऽसौ गिरिराजोपमो गिरि:। यस्मिन् वसति काकुत्स्थ: कुबेर इव नन्दने ।। २.९८.
Blessed is this Chitrakuta, the mountain like the king of mountains, where Kakutstha dwells like Kubera in Nandana.
कृतकार्यमिदं दुर्गं वनं व्यालनिषेवितम्। यदध्यास्ते महातेजा राम: शस्त्रभृतां वर: ।। २.९८.
This formidable forest, frequented by wild beasts, has fulfilled its purpose, for the mighty Rāma, foremost among warriors, dwells here.
एवमुक्त्वा महातेजा भरत: पुरुषर्षभ:। पद्भ्यामेव महाबाहु: प्रविवेश महद्वनम् ।। २.९८.
Having spoken thus, the illustrious Bharata, best among men and strong-armed, entered the great forest on foot.
स तानि द्रुमजालानि जातानि गिरिसानुषु। पुष्पिताग्राणि मध्येन जगाम वदतां वर: ।। २.९८.
He, the best of speakers, passed through the clusters of trees growing on the mountain slopes, their tops blossoming.
समीपत्वात्तन्मूलदर्शनमिति न पुनरुक्ति: ।। २.९८.
Because of his nearness, seeing the roots there is not repeated again.
तं दृष्ट्वा भरत: श्रीमान् मुमोह सहबान्धव:। अत्र राम इति ज्ञात्वा गत: पारमिवाम्भस: ।। २.९८.
Seeing him, the illustrious Bharata, along with his companions, became bewildered, realizing 'Here is Rāma,' as if one had reached the far shore of the waters.
स चित्रकूटे तु गिरौ निशम्य रामाश्रमं पुण्यजनोपपन्नम्। गुहेन सार्द्धं त्वरितो जगाम पुनर्निवेश्यैव चमूं महात्मा ।। २.९८.
Then, on the mountain Citrakūṭa, having heard of Rāma's hermitage, blessed and inhabited by holy people, the great-souled one, together with Guha, quickly went there after arranging the army.
इत्यार्षे श्रीमद्रामायणे वाल्मीकीये आदिकाव्ये श्रीमदयोध्याकाण्डे अष्टनवतितम: सर्ग:
Thus ends the ninety-eighth sarga in the glorious Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa of the ancient and illustrious Rāmāyaṇa composed by Vālmīki.
thumb|नववतितमः सर्गः श्रूयताम्|center निविष्टायां तु सेनायामुत्सुको भरतस्तदा। जगाम भ्रातरं द्रष्टुं शत्रुध्नमनुदर्शयन् ।। २.९९.
When the army had settled, Bharata, eager, went to see his brother, showing the way to Śatrughna.
ऋषिं वसिष्ठं सन्दिश्य मातऽर्मे शीघ्रमानय। इति त्वरितमग्रे स जगाम गुरुवत्सल: ।। २.९९.
He sent word to the sage Vasiṣṭha, saying, 'Quickly bring my mother,' and, devoted to his elders, hastened ahead.
सुमन्त्रस्त्वपि शत्रुघ्नमदूरादन्वपद्यत। रामदर्शनजस्तर्षो भरतस्येव तस्य च ।। २.९९.
Sumantra too followed Śatrughna closely, for both he and Bharata were eager to see Rāma.
गच्छन्नेवाथ भरतस्तापसालयसंस्थिताम्। भ्रातु: पर्णकुटीं श्रीमानुटजं च ददर्श ह ।। २.९९.
As Bharata went, he saw his brother's leaf-hut and the hermitage situated among the dwellings of ascetics.
शालायास्त्वग्रतस्तस्या ददर्श भरतस्तदा। काष्ठानि चावभग्नानि पुष्पाण्युपचितानि च ।। २.९९.
In front of that hut, Bharata saw wood that had been split and heaps of gathered flowers.
सलक्ष्मणस्य रामस्य ददर्शाश्रममीयुष:। कृतं वृक्षेष्वभिज्ञानं कुशचीरै: क्वचित् क्वचित् ।। २.९९.
He saw the hermitage of Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa, who had come there, and recognized their presence by the scattered kuśa grass garments on the trees.
ददर्श च वने तस्मिन् महत: सञ्चयान् कृतान्। मृगाणां महिषाणां च कऺरीषै: शीतकारणात् ।। २.९९.
In that forest, he saw large piles made for warmth from the hides of deer and buffalo.
गच्छन्नेव महाबाहुर्द्युतिमान् भरतस्तदा। शत्रुघ्नं चाब्रवीद्धृष्टस्तानमात्यांश्च सर्वश: ।। २.९९.
As the mighty and radiant Bharata went, he confidently spoke to Śatrughna and all the ministers there.
मन्ये प्राप्ता: स्म तं देशं भरद्वाजो यमब्रवीत्। नातिदूरे हि मन्येऽहं नदीं मन्दाकिनीमित: ।। २.९९.
'I think we have reached the place that Bharadvāja mentioned; for I believe the Mandākinī river is not far from here.'
उच्चैर्बद्धानि चीराणि लक्ष्मणेन भवेदयम्। अभिज्ञानकृत: पन्था विकाले गन्तुमिच्छता ।। २.९९.
'These garments of bark, tied high up, must have been placed by Lakṣmaṇa as a marker for the path, wishing to travel at an unusual hour.'
इदं चोदात्तदन्तानां कुञ्जराणां तरस्विनाम्। शैलपार्श्वे परिक्रान्तमन्योन्यमभिगर्जताम् ।। २.९९.
'Here, on the mountainside, are the tracks of the swift elephants with noble tusks, circling and trumpeting at one another.'
यमेवाधातुमिच्छन्ति तापसा: सततं वने। तस्यासौ दृश्यते धूम: सङ्कुल: कृष्णवर्त्मन: ।। २.९९.
That smoke, dense and dark along the path, is seen rising where ascetics always wish to offer oblations in the forest.
अत्राहं पुरुषव्याघ्रं गुरुसंस्कारकारिणम्। आर्यं द्रक्ष्यामि संहृष्टो महर्षिमिव राघवम् ।। २.९९.
Here, filled with joy, I shall see the noble Rāghava, a tiger among men, who performs the sacred rites of his elders, like a great sage.