Sarga 74: Journey to Ayodhya
Ayodhya Yatra
The four couples begin their journey back to Ayodhya.
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राज्ञो दशरथस्यैतच्छ्रुत्वा वाक्यं महानृषि:। उवाच मधुरां वाणीं श्रूयतामस्य यत्फलम्।
Meaning
Hearing Dasaratha's words, the great sage Vasishta answered him gently: 'Listen, and I shall tell you what these signs foretell.'
उपस्थितं भयं घोरं दिव्यं पक्षिमुखाच्च्युतम्। मृगा: प्रशमयन्त्येते सन्तापस्त्यज्यतामयम्।
Meaning
'A dreadful, otherworldly danger is foretold by the cries of the birds, but the deer's movement promises its resolution — set your grief aside.'
तेषां संवदतां तत्र वायु: प्रादुर्बभूव ह। कम्पयन् पृथिवीं सर्वां पातयंश्च द्रुमांच्छुभान्।
Meaning
Even as they spoke, a great wind arose, shaking the whole earth and felling beautiful trees.
तमसा संवृतस्सूर्य स्सर्वा न प्रबभुर्दिश। भस्मना चावृतं सर्वं संमूढमिव तद्बलम्।
Meaning
Darkness wrapped the sun and every quarter lost its brightness; the entire army, as if fainting, seemed covered in ash.
वसिष्ठश्चर्षयश्चान्ये राजा च ससुतस्तदा । संसज्ञा इव तत्रासन् सर्वमन्यद्विचेतनम्।
Meaning
Only Vasishta, the other sages, and the king with his sons kept their senses; everyone else lost consciousness.
तस्मिंस्तमसि घोरे तु भस्मच्छन्नेव सा चमू:।
Meaning
In that terrifying darkness, the army, as though blanketed in ash, beheld a fearsome figure with matted, coiled hair.
ददर्श भीमसङ्काशं जटामण्डलधारिणम्। भार्गवं जामदग्न्यं तं राजराजविमर्दिनम्।
Meaning
It was Parashurama, descendant of Bhrigu and son of Jamadagni, the subduer of kings,
कैलासमिव दुर्धर्षं कालाग्निमिव दुस्सहम्। ज्वलंतमिव तेजोभिर्दुर्निरीक्ष्यं पृथग्जनै:।
Meaning
unassailable as Mount Kailasa, unbearable as the fire of dissolution, blazing with such energy that ordinary men could not bear to look at him.
स्कन्धे चासज्य परशुं धनुर्विद्युद्गणोपमम् । प्रगृह्य शरमुख्यं च त्रिपुरघ्नं यथा शिवम्।
Meaning
An axe rested on his shoulder; in his hand he held a bow flashing like a mass of lightning and his foremost arrow — like Shiva armed to destroy the demon Tripura.
तं दृष्ट्वा भीमसङ्काशं ज्वलन्तमिव पावकम्। वसिष्ठप्रमुखा: सर्वे जपहोमपरायणा:।
Meaning
Seeing him, terrible to behold and blazing like fire, Vasishta and the other sages, foremost among them, devoted themselves at once to silent recitation and oblation.