Ramayana Condensed in the Poet's Own Words /160

142
 
THE RAMAYANA
 
सा त्वमग्निं प्रविश वा स्वयं वा दण्डकान् विश ।

रज्जुं बधान वा कण्ठे न हि तेऽन्यत् परायणम् ॥
 

Enter the fire then, or go to Dandaka,

or knot a rope round your neck: no other

fate befits you."
 

 
तमेवं शोकसन्तप्तं भरतं कैकयीसुतम् ।

उवाच वदतां श्रेष्ठो वसिष्ठः श्रेष्ठवागृषिः ॥
 

To Bharata the son of Kaikeyi, who was

thus burning with sorrow, Vasishtha the

sage, the best of speakers and of un-
r
equalled speech, said :
 

 
अलं शोकेन भद्रं ते राजपुत्र महायशः ।

प्राप्तकालं नरपतेः कुरु संयानमुत्तमम् ॥
 

"Enough of grief, good betide you,

O prince of great fame. Perform in
O prince of great fa
proper time.
proper time the great funeral rites of the

king."
 

 
वसिष्ठस्य वचः श्रुत्वा भरतो धारणं गतः ।

प्रेतकार्याणि सर्वाणि कारयामास धर्मवित् ॥
 

Hearing the
 
words of
 
Vasishtha,
 

Bharata, knower of dharma, becoming

self-possessed, caused the performance of

all the rites pertaining to the dead.