पूर्णे चतुर्दशे वर्षे पञ्चम्यां लक्ष्मणाग्रजः | भरद्वाजाश्रमं प्राप्य ववन्दे नियतो मुनिम् || ६-१२४-१
puurNe chaturdashe varShe paJNchamyaaM lakShmaNaagrajaH | bharadvaajaashramaM praapya vavande niyato munim || 6-124-1
After completion of fourteen years of his exile and on the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Ashvayuja (roughly corresponding to the month of September), Rama, who was disciplined even now, reaching the hermitage of the sage Bharadwaja, offered his salutation to the sage.
सोऽपृच्छदभिवाद्यैनं भरद्वाजं तपोधनम् | शृणोषि कच्चिद्भगवन् सुभिक्षानामयं पुरे || ६-१२४-२ कच्चित्स युक्तो भरतो जीवन्त्यपि च मातरः |
so.apR^ichchhadabhivaadyainaM bharadvaajaM tapodhanam | shR^iNoShi kachchidbhagavan subhikShaanaamayaM pure || 6-124-2 kachchitsa yukto bharato jiivantyapi cha maataraH |
Having offered his obeisance to Bharadwaja, who was rich in asceticism, Rama enquired (of him): "Have you heard, O venerable one, of Ayodhya City having an abundance of food and free from disease? Is that Bharata attentive in his rule? I hope my mothers are still alive."
एवमुक्तस्तु रामेण भरद्वाजो महामुनिः || ६-१२४-३ प्रत्युवाच रघुश्रेष्ठं स्मितपूर्वं प्रहृष्टवत् |
evamuktastu raameNa bharadvaajo mahaamuniH || 6-124-3 pratyuvaacha raghushreShThaM smitapuurvaM prahR^iShTavat |
Hearing the words of Rama, Bharadwaja the great sage, quite rejoiced as he was, smilingly replied to Rama (as follows):
पङ्कदिग्धस्तु भरतो जटिलस्त्वां प्रतीक्षते || ६-१२४-४ पादुके ते पुरस्कृत्य सर्वं च कुशलं गृहे |
paN^kadigdhastu bharato jaTilastvaaM pratiikShate || 6-124-4 paaduke te puraskR^itya sarvaM cha kushalaM gR^ihe |
"Bharata, with his mud-smeared limbs 9throwing the burden and blame ie. mud and with matted locks, as also placing your wooden-sandals before him, is looking forward for your arrival. All are safe at your home and in the city."
त्वां पुरा चीरवसनं प्रविशन्तं महावनम् || ६-१२४-५ स्त्रीतृतीयं च्युतं राज्याद्धर्मकामं च केवलम् | पदातिं त्यक्तसर्वस्वं पितृनिर्देशकारिणम् || ६-१२४-६ सर्वभोगैः परित्यक्तं स्वर्गच्युतम्वामरम् | दृष्ट्वा तु करुणा पूर्वं ममासीत्समितिंजय || ६-१२४-७ कैकेयीवचने युक्तं वन्यमूलफलाशिनम् |
tvaaM puraa chiiravasanaM pravishantaM mahaavanam || 6-124-5 striitR^itiiyaM chyutaM raajyaaddharmakaamaM cha kevalam | padaatiM tyaktasarvasvaM pitR^inirdeshakaariNam || 6-124-6 sarvabhogaiH parityaktaM svargachyutamvaamaram | dR^iShTvaa tu karuNaa puurvaM mamaasiitsamitiMjaya || 6-124-7 kaikeyiivachane yuktaM vanyamuulaphalaashinam |
"O Rama, the victorious in battles! Formerly, on seeing you penetrating deeply into the great forest on foot, with the sole intention of practicing virtue, clad in pieces of bark, going away from sovereignty, deprived of all enjoyments, like an immortal fallen from heaven, having renounced all your possession, with your spouse (Seetha) as the third (of your party besides Lakshmana and yourself), resolved in carrying out the behest of your father and intent on implementing the pledge given (by your father) to Kaikeyi and living on wild roots and fruits, pity arose in me earlier."
सांप्रतम् तु समृद्धार्थं समित्रगणबान्धवम् || ६-१२४-८ समीक्ष्य विजितारिं च ममाभूत्प्रीतिरुत्तमा |
braahmaNaarthe niyuktasya rakShataH sarvataapasaan | raavaNena hR^itaa bhaaryaa babhuuveyamaninditaa || 6-124-10
"But now, a great delight occurred to me, on seeing you, having fulfilled your purpose, that you have conquered your enemies and are accompanied by your host of friends and relatives."
सर्वं च सुखकुःखं ते विदितं ममम् राघव | यत्त्वया विपुलं प्राप्तं जनस्थाननिवासिना || ६-१२४-९
maariichadarshanaM chaiva siitonmathanameva cha | kabandhadarshanaM chaiva pampaabhigamanaM tathaa || 6-124-11 sugriiveNa cha te sakhyaM yathaa vaalii hatastvayaa | maargaNaM chaiva vaidehyaaH karma vaataatmajasya cha || 6-124-12 viditaayaaM cha siitaayaaM nalaseturyathaa kR^itaH | yathaa chaadiipitaa laN^kaa prahR^iShTuurariyuuthapaiH || 6-124-13 saputrabaandavaamaatyaH sabalaH sahaavaahanaH | yathaa cha nihataH saMkhye raavaNo baladarpitaH || 6-124-14 yathaa cha nihate tasmin raavaNe devakaNTake | samaagamashcha tridashairyathaa dattashcha te varaH || 6-124-15 sarvam mamaitadviditaM tapasaa dharmavatsala | saMpatanti cha me shiShyaaH pravR^ittyaakhyaaH puriimitaH || 6-124-16
"That joy and sorrow experienced by you in abundance while residing in Janasthana-forest in completely known to me, O Rama!"
ब्राह्मणार्थे नियुक्तस्य रक्षतः सर्वतापसान् | रावणेन हृता भार्या बभूवेयमनिन्दिता || ६-१२४-१०
mitraaNi dhana dhaanyaani prajaanaaM sammataaniva | jananii nanma bhuumishcha svargaadapi gariiyasii || 6-124-17
"While you were busy in protecting all the ascetics who prayed you for safeguarding the interests of Brahmanas, this irreproachable wife of yours was taken away by Ravana."
मारीचदर्शनं चैव सीतोन्मथनमेव च | कबन्धदर्शनं चैव पम्पाभिगमनं तथा || ६-१२४-११ सुग्रीवेण च ते सख्यं यथा वाली हतस्त्वया | मार्गणं चैव वैदेह्याः कर्म वातात्मजस्य च || ६-१२४-१२ विदितायां च सीतायां नलसेतुर्यथा कृतः | यथा चादीपिता लङ्का प्रहृष्टूररियूथपैः || ६-१२४-१३ सपुत्रबान्दवामात्यः सबलः सहावाहनः | यथा च निहतः संख्ये रावणो बलदर्पितः || ६-१२४-१४ यथा च निहते तस्मिन् रावणे देवकण्टके | समागमश्च त्रिदशैर्यथा दत्तश्च ते वरः || ६-१२४-१५ सर्वम् ममैतद्विदितं तपसा धर्मवत्सल | संपतन्ति च मे शिष्याः प्रवृत्त्याख्याः पुरीमितः || ६-१२४-१६
tasya tachchhirasaa vaakyaM pratigR^ihya nR^ipaatmajaH | baaDhamityeva saMhR^iShTaH shriimaanvaramayaachata || 6-124-18
"O Rama, devoted to virtue! Even the appearance of Mareecha, the abduction of Seetha by Ravana, the sight of Kabandha, your arrival at the Pampa lake, your alliance with Sugreeva, how Vali was killed by you, the search-operation for Seetha, the exploit of Hanuma, the tracing of Seetha, how the bridge, Nalasetu was constructed (over the sea), how the City of Lanka was set fire by the rejoiced monkey-chiefs, how that Ravana who was the thorn in the side of gods and how was arrogant of his might, was killed in battle, with his sons kinsfolk and his ministers as the gods happened, how a boon was conferred by them on you- all this is known to me by virtue of my asceticism. My disciples, who were accustomed to report to me the news, used to go to Ayodhya-City from here."
मित्राणि धन धान्यानि प्रजानां सम्मतानिव | जननी नन्म भूमिश्च स्वर्गादपि गरीयसी || ६-१२४-१७
"The friends, the riches and the grains are highly honoured in this world. Mother and mother-land are far superior to even the heaven."
तस्य तच्छिरसा वाक्यं प्रतिगृह्य नृपात्मजः | बाढमित्येव संहृष्टः श्रीमान्वरमयाचत || ६-१२४-१८
Bowing to the aforesaid statement of the sage with his head bent low, highly pleased as he was and saying, "By all means" the glorious prince (Rama) asked of him the following boon:
अकालफलिनो वृक्षाः सर्वे चापि मधुस्रवाः | फलान्यमृतगन्धीनि बहूनि विविधानि च || ६-१२४-१९ भवन्तु मार्गे भवन्नयोध्यां प्रति गच्छतः |
"O venerable sir! Let all the trees on the way, even as I fly to Ayodhya, bear fruit even in the off-season and flow with honey. Let abundant fruits of various kinds, emitting the fragrance of nectar, appear on them."
तथेति च प्रतिज्ञाते वचनात्समनन्तरम् || ६-१२४-२० अभवन्पादपास्तत्र स्वर्गपादपसंनिभाः |
Once the consent of the sage was given in the words "be it so", the trees there grew to be closely like the heavenly trees.
निष्फलाः फलिनश्चासन्विपुष्पाः पुष्पशालिनः || ६-१२४-२१ शुष्काः समग्रपत्रास्ते नगाश्चैव मधुस्रवाः | सर्वतो योजनास्त्रिस्रो गच्छतामभवंस्तदा || ६-१२४-२२
Then, for an extent of three Yojanas (twenty four miles) on all sides, in the direction of their travel, the trees that no longer bore fruit, were laden with fruit and those which had ceased to blossom looked charming with blossom. The withered trees were fully clothed with foliage and further began to flow with honey.
ततः प्रहृष्टाः प्लवगर्षभास्ते | बहूनि दिव्यानि फलानि चैव | कामादुपाश्नन्ति सहस्रशस्ते | मुदान्विताः स्वर्गजितो मुदेव || ६-१२४-२३
Highly rejoiced who had conquered the heaven, those monkey-chiefs thereupon consumed at will, thousands of many of those wonderful fruits.
